The NBA’s conference finals are far from settled, even if the Golden State Warriors have a pretty clear advantage in their Western Conference series against the Portland Trail Blazers. Even in that series, there are plenty of questions left to be answered, and even more for the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks.
As the NBA Finals loom, what key questions are still hanging over the NBA Playoffs? Here are six big ones.
Can Portland defend Stephen Curry?
The Golden State backcourt seems to play with a bit more freedom when Kevin Durant isn’t involved — they’re 29-1 in the last 30 games where Curry plays and Durant does not. That leads to a whole new set of problems for the Portland Trail Blazers. In the first two games against Portland, Curry has gone for 37 and 38 points, his 2nd and 3rd-highest tallies of the playoffs. Curry’s success has been a huge source of frustration for Terry Stotts. If he can’t come up with a good answer quickly, it may end up being a quick exit for Portland.
Can the Toronto Raptors hold their nerve after a difficult Game 1?
The Raptors spent most of Game 1 in Milwaukee in control, only to falter late and fall behind 1-0 in the series. For a team that has a reputation of playoff underachievement, that’s a worrisome event. Toronto lost to an inferior Orlando team to open the playoffs in Game 1 before coming back to win the series easily, but the Bucks are not the Magic. If this Raptors team is truly different than its predecessors, they’ll have to find some backbone and recover quickly from a tough defeat.
Which member of Portland’s supporting cast will step up?
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum simply cannot beat Golden State themselves. Portland badly needs a third option that can consistently produce, even if it doesn’t need to be the same third option in every game. Rodney Hood and Maurice Harkless both delivered 17 points in Game 1, but neither Lillard or McCollum hit 20 points in that one. Game 2 was more promising, but Seth Curry was the only Portland player outside of their big two that scored 15 points or more. Lillard and McCollum have to be at their best — but so does at least one other player if the Blazers want to come back in their series.
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo going to seize the opportunity to lead his team to the Finals?
Giannis’ talents are not in any question, especially after he helped wipe out the Boston Celtics in the previous round. He’s already an elite player, but an NBA Finals appearance this early in his career would really set him on the road to superstardom. Antetokounmpo had a rather quiet night from the field in Game 1 against Toronto, though he still chipped in 24 points and 14 rebounds in a win. If he can dominate the series, the Bucks are probably in the Finals, and his stock soars even higher.
Will the Warriors need Kevin Durant at any point?
Whether the Warriors are better with or without Durant has turned into one of the debates of the playoffs. It’s also largely irrelevant — they look good enough to beat Portland either way, at least in the early going. The question shifts to whether Golden State will even need him to win it all. Durant won’t play before Game 5, and the worst-case scenario at that point is a 2-2 series. Golden State could realistically sweep without him. Durant has stepped up when the Warriors need big shots in tough spots, but they’re not facing a lot of tough spots against Portland, so there may be no rush.
Do the Raptors have it in them to beat Milwaukee on the boards?
One of the biggest reasons Toronto was able to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers was their rebounding — while the Sixers outrebounded them in the series, the Raptors managed to win on the boards in Game 7. Toronto proceeded to get bludgeoned by Milwaukee in Game 1, with the Bucks pulling down 60 rebounds to the Raptors’ 46. Toronto may not win the boards in every game, but they can’t lose that badly and offer Milwaukee that many second chances to hurt them. It’s a stat worth watching as the series progresses.
