Nah

Is it fair to say the Cavs' path to the Finals this season is less competitive than the Warriors' opponents last season?

 

Records indicate this is a no-brainer, and recency bias is a real thing, however, I don't think this is an open and close case.

 

The Rockets, given all we know about their intestinal fortitude, were the WCF match-up and let's be honest, can we really trust a Harden/Howard-led team? How bout a team with Patrick Beverly starting at PG? I wouldn't exactly call this a tall task for the eventual champions.

 

The Grizzlies beat Golden State twice in the second round, including once at Oracle in Mike Conley's return from injury. Conley averaged 10 points and six assists over the last four games. This particular match-up troubles me given how old Memphis was this season. Were they really that much livelier last season? I lean toward no.

 

The first round featured Anthony Davis' playoffs debut, and he did not disappoint, averaging 31/11 and 3 blocks in the four game sweep. 8-seeds are 8-seeds, and most all of them are in for a sweep.

 

We know what the Cavs are doing, so I won't write obituaries for their opponents.

 

Hopefully this will keep the Conference Finals threads on the subject of the Conference Finals games.

 

A lot changes in one year. I feel you are letting this year's versions of the Grizzlies and Rockets effect your memory of last year's. Just like last year the Hawks were a top seed in the East but this year they ended up a 4 seed. Things can change a lot in one year. While the path for the Warriors last year was not as hard as it could have been if they faced the Spurs or Thunder. It was still tougher than the teams the Cavs went through this year. If you put the Grizzlies in the east then they year in and year out would have been a top 3 seed the last few years. The Rockets also last year actually cared and played their best with their star players in the playoffs.

 

Could the Warriors road been tougher with the Spurs and Thunder, yes. Was their road still tougher than the Cavs this year? Yes. In fact if last year's Warriors had this year's Cavs path, I think they may have swept their way to the finals. We seen how the Cavs 3 point shooting killed those teams. The Warriors would have been an even worst match up for those teams.