As many sport fans across the country  know, the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs are here, and the 2016-2017 season is no less exciting than any of the past years in the league. The best teams in the NBA continue to leave it all on the court in every game, showing the blood, sweat, and tears that have come to be expected every season.

In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors have faced off against the Portland Trailblazers in the first round and the Utah Jazz in the conference Semi-Finals. The Warriors, are led by the newest “big three” that has taken the league by storm, consisting of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant. Behind these players, the Warriors have continued to plow through teams, having an NBA best, 67-15, in the regular season. The Warriors have astoundingly not lost a game yet in the NBA playoffs through two full series, sweeping both the Blazers and the Jazz.

On the other side of the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets have been facing off against the San Antonio Spurs. Previously, the Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 4-1 series, crushing the hopes of MVP candidate, Russell Westbrook. The Spurs beat the Memphis Grizzlies in a 4-2 series, and now take a 3-1 lead against the rockets  in a series that will determine who will play Golden State in the Western Conference Final.

In the Eastern Conference, the top seeded Boston Celtics, led by star guard Isaiah Thomas, are currently tied 2-2 with the Washington Wizards, led by all star John Wall. The Celtics previously advanced over the Bulls in a 4-2 series, with Washington doing the same to the Atlanta Hawks.

Along with those teams in the East, there are the Toronto Raptors, who were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 4-0 series. Cleveland had previously beaten the Indiana Pacers 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers and the Warriors are also the first two teams to start the playoffs with an 8-0 record in the history of the league. The Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-2, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak” has shown some promise so far for his team, and is sure to be a force to be reckoned with in future years, with many more trips to the playoffs expected to follow.

Students and Faculty from all over Hills were interviewed asking their opinion on these playoffs,  and many people seemed to agree that the warriors had the best chance at winning it all.

When Mr. Kirkby, math teacher and former basketball coach at Hills, was asked his opinion, he said, “The Warriors will win, not only because they are good on offense, but because they’re good defensively, switch screens. They nullify ball screens, which is a huge part of the NBA right now, and they possess good length and athleticism.”

Sophomore Andre Chalileh said,“The Warriors because of Draymond Green. Draymond Green, who should be the defensive player of the year this season, is the most valuable player on that team. He can guard every position on the court, exemplifying only one of his many abilities in the game. His versatility also includes rebounding, passing, and some scoring. In fact, in his career, every game that he had a triple-double, the Warriors won the game. He does all of the dirty work, such as boxing out, that brings toughness and physicality to the team. Although Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, the two previous MVP’s, are the best players on the team, Draymond Green is the ‘glue guy,’ because he is their anchor on defense and catalyst on offense.”