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Celtics, not Cavs, would be best Finals opponent for Warriors

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Boston Celtics just made their case for why they should be on the league's biggest stage opposite the Golden State Warriors in June.

Boston held the reigning champs to 88 points and wore the Warriors out through sheer will. They threw out wave after wave of dogged wing defenders, and the Warriors either couldn't be bothered to compete, or were too bothered to execute.

Either way, it was an impressive showing by the red-hot Celtics, who have now won 14 games in a row. They've done this despite losing Gordon Hayward in the season opener, and with their other two stars also missing time with head injuries.

And while there are still seven months until The Finals, it's not hard to foresee a scenario in which the Celtics are vying for the championship next summer, especially since the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so shaky.

We all know how a Warriors-Cavaliers series will play out.

They're an old team that relies on LeBron James' brilliance to overcome an inability to play defense. They can steal a game off the Warriors if they're lights-out from deep, but they're not a true title threat, especially with Kyrie Irving now on the Celtics.

The return of Isaiah Thomas doesn't swing things. The odds of Thomas coming off seven months of being sidelined with a bad hip to match the 29 points per game Irving scored in The Finals are long, to say the least. Even if he can, giving extended minutes to the worst defender in the league just gives the Warriors another target to exploit.

The other newcomers have been lackluster. Dwyane Wade makes more headlines for Gabby Union and his friendship with James than he does with his play. Derrick Rose continues to be a flashy liability on both ends. Jae Crowder is a shell of what he was last season. The only one who has thrived is Jeff Green, but just ask his last half-dozen employers about his reliability.

Cleveland's problem has always been that it lacks two-way players. Its best defenders (Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert) can't score, and its best scorers (Thomas, Kevin Love, Channing Frye, Kyle Korver) can't defend. Having James on their side papers over all manner of sins, but the Warriors demand perfection, and Cleveland is far from that.

The Celtics aren't perfect, either.

They've raced out to a red-hot start and took this one win off the Warriors, but it's not even clear if they're better than the Cavaliers, let alone if they're in a position to make a legitimate challenge for championships.

But there's a case to be made for Boston, and even Steve Kerr sees it. He called the Celtics the team of the future in the East, then found out Thursday that the future might already be here. Boston is a legitimate two-way squad that's built for playoff success.

It starts at the top with a proven performer in Irving, who has always been a thorn in the Warriors' side. Irving hurts them where they're weakest - at the point of attack against Stephen Curry - and has averaged more than 28 points in the last two Finals. Warriors fans have two titles to celebrate, but they still shiver at the slightest mention of "The Shot" that delivered Cleveland its first title in nearly five decades.

They'll struggle to generate offense outside of Irving, but Al Horford and Hayward are capable secondary options. Boston will also get points off their defense and play a team-oriented system with plenty of 3-point shooting, ball movement, and clever cuts that maximize their talent.

The Celtics can also defend at an elite level, as evidenced by Thursday's win. Brad Stevens has his team playing the league's best defense by a mile, and unlike last season with Thomas, there are no more weak spots to hide. The team is filled with disciplined, athletic 6-foot-8 wings who can guard multiple positions.

Boston went with a lineup of Irving, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Horford to finish against the Death Lineup, and there were no obvious liabilities to attack. Irving was great against Curry, Brown bodied Kevin Durant, Smart dogged Klay Thompson, and Horford outplayed Draymond Green.

Another factor in the Celtics' favor will be their energy level. They'll be far fresher than both Cleveland and Golden State, which have looked battle-weary after the last three Finals. Boston's team is also younger and more athletic than both.

Lastly, having a new challenger would just be a nice change of pace for fans. Do we really need to see the fourth iteration of Warriors-Cavaliers? Aren't the storylines worn out by now?

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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