The 2016 NBA Finals will see a rematch of the same two teams from the 2015 version.
After the Golden State Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on Monday night, it clinched their place in the NBA Finals. While the Warriors will be facing the same team from last year's Finals, it won't actually be the same squad.
That would be because the Cleveland Cavaliers will have both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love healthy entering the series. Irving fractured his kneecap before the end of Game 1 of the 2015 Finals while Love was sidelined after the first round due to a shoulder injury.
That's not even including the addition of Channing Frye and the inclusion of Tyronn Lue as head coach. In other words, this isn't just a LeBron James team anymore—it's a complete unit.
While the Warriors' Draymond Green is euphoric his team is playing in the Finals for a second consecutive season, he's well aware of how much momentum Cleveland will bring into the Finals this time around:
”It'll be fun. You know they're rolling right now, they got a lot of guys going, but looking forward to the challenge.”
Due to Golden State 73-9 record during the regular season, they will hold home-court advantage in this series. Game 1 will begin at Oracle Arena on Thursday night, with Game 2 also on the Warriors' floor for Sunday night. Games 3 and 4 will take place in Cleveland on the following Wednesday and Friday nights.
As fun as the 2015 Finals was with the Cavs leading the Warriors 2-1 in the series at one point, expect the 2016 version to be a lot more competitive.
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