Top storylines going into 2016-17 NBA Playoffs

Love or hate him, no player in recent memory has had the workload of LeBron James. If the Cleveland Cavaliers return to the Finals, LeBron (and teammate James Jones) will tie Bob Cousy with seven straight Finals. Unlike Cousy, who made six consecutive appearances with the Boston Celtics of the 1950s and '60s, James and Jones will have done it for two teams (Miami and Cleveland).

Throughout the season, the defending champion Cavaliers tinkered with the roster to bolster a thin bench. Even with the changes, the Cavs went 12-15 after the All-Star break and needed LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to play big minutes down the stretch in hopes of taking the East’s #1 seed (which they didn’t). While there’s plenty of talent on this team, how much can the Cavs rely on reserves for another deep and challenging playoff run?

After becoming the first player to average a triple-double for a full season since Oscar Robertson had done so during the 1961-62 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard may have to pull off the same incredible feat as the sixth seed versus the Houston Rockets. In the 1962 playoffs, Robertson averaged 28.8 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds over four games, but his Cincinnati Royals lost their lone playoff series to the Detroit Pistons.

The Clippers have been the NBA’s most frustrating team over the years with a title-contending roster getting first- and second-round exit results. Whether it’s due to injuries to key stars or underachievement when fully healthy, each playoff loss has shrunken the window for Los Angeles. Can Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan finally push the team into the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals and beyond or have the Clippers already peaked?

The Bucks were a trendy pick to make noise during the 2015-16 season, but a sputtering offense and some uneven defense put them out of the playoff hunt after the All-Star break. One year later and they’re back in the postseason, led by the dynamic play of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The third-year forward had the breakout season we’ve been waiting for, and while you should see more of his all-world talent, he’s going to need a lot of help if Milwaukee has any chance of winning in a first-round upset.

After rumors surrounded him around the trade deadline, Paul George could be playing for something other than another shot at LeBron in the Eastern Conference Finals. He can opt-out of the last year of his contract to become a free agent this offseason, so this playoff run will say a lot about his future with the Pacers. Apparently, there’s a team that wears ‘forum blue and gold’ that may be interested in him.

The Celtics were expected to make a run in the East, but thanks to their own strong play late and the Cavs’ post All-Star blues, Boston snatched the top seed from the presumptive favorites. Having home-court advantage through a potential Eastern Conference Finals will be critical for the C’s, especially because they have just a 3-5 record this season against Cleveland, Toronto and Washington, the East’s other top seeds.

Of all of the one-on-one rivalries in the NBA, none feature the entertaining animus that Portland guard Damian Lillard seems to have against Steph Curry. Whether it’s about All-Star snubs or really loathing being compared to the Warriors star, Lillard has often gone shot for shot against Curry, regardless of how overmatched the Trail Blazers may be. Expect more of the same as though Golden State is favored in the 1-vs-8 matchup, Lillard isn’t going to make it easy. 

The Utah Jazz were another chic pick for the playoffs a year ago that came up short. They lived up to much of that promise this year by winning 50+ games for the first time since 2009-10 and making the postseason for the first time since 2011. A very good defensive team, the Jazz will need to figure out how to generate scoring outside of Gordon Hayward against the more experienced Clippers. 

When Mike D’Antoni was hired as the Rockets coach, he instantly made James Harden the team’s point guard, raising lots of eyebrows. However, 'The Beard' is a strong MVP candidate as the primary ballhandler. Houston may have a tough road to get to the Finals, but it can also be the former 'Seven Seconds or Less' maestro's best chance to reach his first NBA Finals.  

What was wilder than the race for the eighth seed in the East? The Chicago Bulls’ season itself. Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo were brought onto support Jimmy Butler, but the offensive struggles of the team carried over from past seasons. Chicago needed some help to make the playoffs, but how much help will they find within in order to upset the top-seeded Celtics?

You could be forgiven if you forgot that the Raptors were within two wins of the NBA Finals. With trades for P.J. Tucker and Serge Ibaka, the Raptors believed that adding size and toughnesss would help them get back to the Eastern Finals for a rematch with the Cavaliers. Starting with young Milwaukee Bucks, we’ll learn more about Toronto with its full complement of players around DeMar Derozan and the recently returning Kyle Lowry.  

Kevin Durant will make his playoff debut with the already-loaded Warriors. Joining the Dubs, the team that kept him from a second Finals appearance last year, added even more firepower to the league’s best offense. Yet in a “championship or bust” season, Durant will draw the most scrutiny if Golden State comes up short. And perhaps make his former teammate, Russell Westbrook, shade him just a little more.

Golden State becoming the first team in history to win 65+ games in three straight seasons is a blip on the radar compared to the MVP race. Yet, there are concerns about how much frontcourt depth the Warriors have, especially in a potentially long series with San Antonio or Cleveland. We saw that when Draymond Green was suspended during the playoffs last year, and it would be interesting to see how other players step in if his antics make a return. 

John Wall was a sleeper MVP candidate, Bradley Beal seemingly shook off health concerns to have a career season and the supporting cast improved by leaps and bounds. Scott Brooks coached the Wizards to their best season since 1978-79 and the team is favored to get past the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. Of course, ending the long-time DC sports malaise means going through at least Boston, Toronto or Cleveland.

The Spurs made a huge free agency splash in 2015 by signing LaMarcus Aldridge in hopes of reloading the franchise around Kawhi Leonard. While they were a playoff team a season ago, this will be the first playoff push in the post-Tim Duncan era. Despite the experience throughout the roster, how the duo fares will say a lot about how the West is won in 2017.

From the start of the season, we’ve prepared ourselves for what could be a redux of the last two NBA Finals. Believe it or not, if Cleveland and Golden State meet in June, it will be the first time in NBA history that two teams played each other for the championship in three consecutive years. Of course, San Antonio, Boston and others may have something to say about that.