The Cavs have swept both the Pacers and the Raptors in the 1st and 2nd round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Most people didn’t think presume the Cavs would have any problems with either team, and now as the Cavs patiently wait to see whether they will play the Celtics or the Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Western Conference teams might be feeling a little slighted at the presumed easy level of competition that the Cavs have to face to get to the finals.
Warriors Draymond Green was very vocal on this and basically calls out the entire Eastern Conference, except for the Cavs, as being weak. via ESPN
“I thought teams would compete a little harder,” Green said after shootaround on Monday. “I just watched San Antonio-Houston. I like to watch good basketball. When you watch Cleveland play, you’re only watching one side of the good basketball. That’s kind of weak.
“I like watching a good game, not even necessarily that it’s going to be a close game. I like to watch teams playing good basketball. When you watch them, you watch one team playing good basketball and everybody else do something. I don’t know what that something is.”
This is a pretty big shot at the entire Eastern Conference. Many critics say that LeBron and the Cavs always have smooth sailing to the NBA Finals each year, but this isn’t the fault of the Cavs. They play what’s in front of them. The perceived divide in competition between the East and West can only improve if Eastern ownership and management need to step it up.