Looking back at the 2017 NBA playoffs, I still get chills thinking about how unpredictable that postseason truly was. As someone who’s spent years analyzing both basketball odds and clutch performances across sports, I can confidently say that season was a masterclass in pressure, probability, and pure talent. I remember sitting courtside for a few of those playoff games, feeling the tension in the air—it’s the same kind of tension you see in volleyball when a match hangs in the balance, much like that incredible moment when former Flying Titan Caitlin Viray fired two clutch attacks before Trisha Tubu sealed a tight four-set contest. That ability to deliver under pressure, whether on the hardwood or the volleyball court, often separates contenders from champions. And in 2017, the NBA landscape was packed with teams that, on paper, had what it took to go all the way.
When we dive into the championship odds from that year, a few teams immediately jump out. The Golden State Warriors, for instance, entered the playoffs with around a 65% probability to win it all according to most major sportsbooks—a staggering number when you consider the depth of the league at the time. Having followed the NBA for over a decade, I’ve rarely seen a team so heavily favored, and honestly, it’s hard to argue with the reasoning. With Kevin Durant now in the mix alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, their offensive firepower was simply unreal. I recall one analyst projecting they’d score over 118 points per 100 possessions in the postseason, and while I don’t have the exact stats in front of me, I’d estimate they came pretty close. But here’s the thing about odds—they don’t always capture the human element. The Cleveland Cavaliers, for example, were sitting at about 20% to repeat as champions, and even though LeBron James was playing out of his mind, I felt like those numbers undervalued the wear and tear of a long season. I’ve always believed that playoff success isn’t just about talent; it’s about timing, health, and that clutch gene we saw in players like Caitlin Viray—someone who steps up when everything is on the line.
Then there were the dark horses, teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, who held odds in the 5-8% range. I’ll admit, I had a soft spot for the Spurs that year. Gregg Popovich’s system, combined with Kawhi Leonard’s emergence, made them a nightmare matchup. In one of my own analyses, I calculated that their defensive rating hovered around 101.2 in the regular season, which I figured would translate well in the playoffs. But as we saw, injuries can derail even the most promising campaigns. Leonard’s ankle issue in the Western Conference Finals was a brutal reminder that probabilities can shift in an instant. It’s similar to how a volleyball match can turn on a single play—think about Trisha Tubu putting away that four-setter after Viray’s clutch attacks. In both cases, momentum is everything, and the 2017 playoffs had no shortage of swing moments.
What fascinates me most, though, is how public perception shaped those odds. The Warriors’ dominance made them a statistical darling, but I remember talking to fellow analysts who worried about their bench depth. On the other hand, the Cavaliers’ reliance on LeBron meant that if he had an off night, their chances plummeted—I’d guess by as much as 40% in some games. And let’s not forget the underdogs like the Boston Celtics, who maybe had only a 2% shot but played with a grit that defied the numbers. In my experience, that’s where the beauty of sports lies: in the unexpected. Just like in that nip-and-tuck volleyball match where Viray and Tubu flipped the script, the NBA playoffs often reward resilience over raw probability.
Reflecting on it now, the 2017 season was a perfect storm of talent and tension. The Warriors ultimately lived up to their odds, clinching the title with a dominant 16-1 playoff record, but the journey there was filled with moments that challenged the numbers. As someone who’s crunched data and watched countless games, I’ve learned that while odds give us a framework, they can’t capture the heart of competition. Whether it’s basketball or volleyball, it’s those clutch performances—like Viray’s attacks or LeBron’s iconic blocks—that define legacies. So, if you ask me who had the best championship chances back then, I’d say the Warriors on paper, but in reality, every team had a shot until the final buzzer sounded.