Time for a change: Celtics-Warriors should be the new Finals of choice

The basketball world has found years of joy watching LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers establish one of the truly memorable rivalries in NBA history with the overpowering Golden State Warriors.

For the past three seasons, the NBA has borne witness to The King going it alone without two of his All-Star teammates in 2015, a historic 3-1 series comeback in 2016, and Kevin Durant winning that elusive championship last year.

Does the league really need to add another chapter to the Cavaliers-Warriors epic, though? Sure, Cleveland supporters wouldn't be opposed to seeing their beloved franchise go for a second title, but for everyone who isn't emotionally invested in how they fare, perhaps it's time for a new challenger to enter the fray out of the Eastern Conference.

You're up, Boston.

Saturday's 109-105 Warriors victory over the visiting Celtics at Oracle Arena provided as close to a playoff atmosphere as you'll find in a January regular-season game.

It was an evenly contested affair between the top teams in the Association, with the stars of the show undoubtedly being potentially the craftiest and flashiest point guards in recent memory in Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving. The barrage of 3-pointers, crossover and step-back dribbles, and circus layups were aesthetically pleasing to all who watched, regardless of loyalties.

Even LeBron couldn't tear his eyes away from their back-and-forth battle, showing love to his ex-teammate and opposing All-Star captain on social media.

Irving was a part of those aforementioned Cavaliers teams, so it really shouldn't qualify as a fresh matchup if he and The Chef were to square off in June with the Larry O'Brien trophy on the line again. It does have a fresh coat of paint, at the very least, and its color is Celtic green.

Boston belongs to Irving, unlike Cleveland, which was clearly James' kingdom. He has all the incentive in the world to take his Celtics the distance now that he's escaped LeBron's shadow, which was the driving factor behind why he wanted out in the first place.

With Boston, the 25-year-old has the tools at his disposal to overtake Cleveland and push Golden State, even without the services of Gordon Hayward. A young supporting cast featuring rookie Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier have had its ups and downs in the two meetings with the Warriors, yet the youngsters haven't shied away from the spotlight, which is an encouraging sign moving forward.

Standing opposite the likes of Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson is no joke, and that pressure would only intensify in the Finals.

Hopefully you got your fill of Celtics-Warriors on Saturday to hold you over for the long haul, as they won't be playing each other again this season, unless they both escape their respective conferences and pay each other a visit in June with the title up for grabs.

It's not a given that the Celtics will even get that far. James and Co. know how to turn it on when it matters most, and the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards won't go away quietly. Even the Warriors will have their work cut out for them, as the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets are no pushovers.

These two games were a tease. Boston emerged with a narrow 92-88 win in November, and nearly eked out a victory on this latest occasion.

It's the NBA's top offense (Warriors) versus the top defense (Celtics). It's Curry vs. Irving. It's Durant, Green, and Klay vs. an emerging core of Tatum, Brown, and Rozier.

Who wouldn't watch seven games of this?

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)