By: Gary Brinson, contributor 
After months of waiting, we finally have the rematch. The Cleveland Cavaliers will face off against the reigning champions Golden State Warriors.
After falling down 3-1 to the Thunder, the Warriors showed exactly why they are still the team to beat in the NBA. Standing in their way of repeating as champions is now only LeBron James and the fully healthy Cavaliers.
Under new coach Tyronn Lue, the Cavs have looked super confident, clicking on levels and running through the Eastern conference with relative ease. LeBron James has been playing some of the best basketball of his career during this stretch for the Cavs. Not really a change in the numbers, but Lebron is passing more in the right situations, shooting long jumpers less, and taking over when it matters most. James' game speaks for itself; he makes everyone around him better and puts his teammates in the best position to succeed. Only now, he's doing it better than ever. Also, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love both healthy this time around it makes the Cavs look scarier than ever before. A revamped bench and quality veterans who know their place on this team, followed with consistent three-point shooting have additionally helped the Cavs stay in games and maintain dominance throughout the playoffs.
Steph Curry on the other hand is flat out unbelievable. He's shown exactly why he's the back-to-back MVP and the best offensive player in the NBA during his incredible game seven against the Thunder. His partner in crime, Klay Thompson, is no slouch either. Arguably the best two-way guard in basketball, Klay has really come into his own these playoffs. These guys are the best in the NBA at what they do, and it's going to be really hard to slow them down for seven games.
That part of the story remains the same for the Warriors. As they consistently show they can shoot, pass, and set up their players to succeed better than any team in the NBA. Finally though, the team has found its niche defensively once again. That's what this will fold down to for the Warriors, can they hold their own on the other end for 48 minutes?
This series could very much hinge one the defensive efforts of guys like Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Klay Thompson. The Warriors desperately need rock solid defense from these three, as well as keeping the ever so important Green on the court (1 Flagrant foul away from a suspension) throughout the entire series in order to slowdown the Cavaliers offense and shake off some of the confidence the team has built this postseason.
These finals are setup to be one of the most exciting series in recent memory. Steve Kerr and his Warriors are out to show everyone that this team is one of the best ever. With Steph Curry looking more and more like himself each game, and Klay Thompson playing the best basketball in his career, back-to-back championships could be what the Warriors are looking at. Can the King change that? Can he lead his squad to glory and bring his city its first championship in over 50 years? Can the role players keep up their momentum? Can Irving and Love show why last year could have been different?
So many questions remain unanswered for now. One thing is for certain though, a thriller of a series and a rematch for the ages awaits us Thursday night.
