Springtime means a variety of things. Besides the warmer temperatures and the flowers blooming, it means that spring sports are beginning, and winter sports are coming to their pulse-pounding conclusions.

This holds true for the NBA, which is in its final week of the regular season before the league’s top eight teams in each conference gear up for postseason play.

In recent years, the NBA playoffs have been dominated by the usual suspects, such as LeBron James’ Heat teams that went to the NBA Finals for four straight seasons or Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs who are defending another championship title.

However, this year appears to be a different scene, as James returned to Cleveland in the offseason, and new, exciting teams have taken steps forward. The Atlanta Hawks lead the Eastern Conference with a 60-20 record, while the Golden State Warriors lead the NBA with 65 wins and their first division title in 39 years. Teams like the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers are hoping that nagging injuries to their stars, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin, don’t continue to hinder them, and allow them to truly compete in the postseason.

With old faces and new contenders ready to vie for the crown, this year’s NBA playoffs is shaping up to be the most exciting in years. Your sports editors’ debate who they believe will have the best chance to bring home the trophy at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

Cale:

This is definitely an unusual season in the NBA. Never in my life do I remember a time where teams such as the Hawks, Warriors or even the Toronto Raptors were in contention. Now, these teams are powers in their respective conferences, and their play has demanded respect.

In the Eastern Conference, I believe it will come down to the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Chicago Bulls as the representative in the NBA Finals. James and the Cavaliers have finally hit their stride, and seem to be playing like a team as of late. However, if Rose can stay healthy, the Bulls ability to play a strong defensive game will help them stifle Cleveland. I will stick with my preseason pick, and have the Chicago Bulls making their first return to the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan led them there 17 years ago.

The Western Conference is another beast entirely, as every one of the eight teams is good enough to play its way into the Finals. However, I don’t believe the top teams, such as the Warriors and Grizzlies, will be the teams making the most noise in the playoffs. In fact, I believe that it’s finally time for the Clippers to make a deep run into the postseason, finally getting over the hump and winning a playoff series. Coach Doc Rivers’ defensive brand of play is finally settling in with the offensive-minded squad, and I believe this will result in the team’s run to the finals.

All in all, I believe that the Chicago Bulls, with Derrick Rose’s unstable knees in-tact, will win the NBA Finals, riding defense and timely scoring to their first crown in almost 20 years.

Dave:

I like the Clippers as the 2015 NBA Champions. The Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul trio are the best in basketball in my opinion, and I am not even a Clips fan. The team has won 12 of its last 13 games and looks like it is gearing up for one of its best playoff runs in a long time. If they can make it past the first round and break the curse they have a shot at winning it all.

I am going to pick Cleveland to play them in the finals, because as the season has gone on they have continued to improve and grow more cohesive as a team. Well, that and the other big reason: LeBron James. The Cavs have locked up the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference, and with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and recent arrival J.R. Smith I like their chances to make it deep in the playoffs.

You may ask why I did not pick the Spurs or Warriors, who have better records and are ranked higher. I do think the Spurs have a shot as well, because they are in it every year and have a lineup that really knows how to win. The Warriors are not as attractive an option to me just because they rely on clutch jump shots and 3-pointers. If anything can go wrong for a team, the playoffs is the time that it will and I think that the success that Golden State has found through clutch plays will come back to bite them.

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