(CNN Philippines) — The Eastern Conference Finals features the two best teams in the East this season.
The first-seeded Atlanta Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after escaping the fifth-seeded Washington Wizards in six games.
Waiting for them on the other side are the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who dispatched the Chicago Bulls in six games as well.
Apart from LeBron James, both teams are filled with players who are stepping into uncharted territory. Though they finished with the top two seeds in the East, the Hawks and Cavs still have something to prove to everyone.
Topping the East with teamwork
While the East isn’t exactly the NBA’s most competitive conference, the Hawks didn’t look anything like a top contender on paper. In a time when superstars get together to win championships, the Hawks parade a lineup with no definitive star.
They have four All-Stars this year, none of whom started for the East. Their regular season success was supposed to be a fluke, something they can’t replicate in the postseason. Yet, here they are, led by the system installed by Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer, preparing for their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in franchise history.
They beat a resurgent Brooklyn Nets team and survived the up-and-coming Washington Wizards led by All-Star point guard John Wall and the clutch shooting of “The Truth” Paul Pierce.
Whether or not they got lucky, they are here now and one series away from their first NBA finals appearance.
Can they continue to rise above criticism and go all the way?
Related: Team effort helps Cavs advance to East finals
The Return of the King
For the past four years, LeBron James led his team to the Eastern Conference finals. This year, he’s doing it with another team.
The prodigal son has been welcomed by his hometown with open arms, and he has paid them back by leading his team to their first playoff appearance since the 2009-2010 season – James’ last year with the team.
While they didn’t exactly have the dream start to their season, they managed to find their groove to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. But it wasn’t enough to catch the top-seeded Hawks’ record as they settled for the second seed.
They swept the eighth-seeded Boston Celtics with relative ease in the first round and in the semifinals faced a gritty Chicago Bulls team led by former MVP Derrick Rose, Most Improved Player of the Year Jimmy Butler, and Pau Gasol.
The Cavs had to deal with the absence of Kevin Love, a two-game suspension to JR Smith, and an injury that has slowed down Kyrie Irving. Still, they persevered, with James carrying the load for the Cavs.
Will he finally be able to fulfill his promise of a title to his hometown?
Key Matchups
James will be tasked to carry much of the load for the Cavs, much like he did in the series against the Bulls.
Without Thabo Sefolosha, the Atlanta Hawks will have to rely on DeMarre Carroll to try and contain James and keep him from going off. Paul Millsap may also be matched up with James, but he’ll have to do most of the damage on the offensive end.
With Kyrie Irving still battling injury, Jeff Teague will need to bring his A-game in this series if they hope to steal this series away from the Cavs.
Off the bench, Atlanta will need Dennis Schroder to keep the pressure on the Cavs backcourt when Teague gets his rest – something the sophomore has been able to do throughout the season.
Cavs sophomore guard Matthew Dellavedova has shown flashes of brilliance even in his rookie season, and he will be tested in what would be the biggest games of his young NBA career.
They also have the mercurial JR Smith to provide firepower off the bench, and if he can keep his head in the game, he may be able to neutralize Atlanta’s advantage in the backcourt.
