With my hometown Brooklyn Nets beating their crosstown river rival 110-99 last night, I decided to look at the best current NBA rivalries. Note: while a matchup like Lakers vs Celtics is clearly one of the greatest all-time rivalries in the NBA, it doesn’t seem to have the same pizzazz with the current look of the teams.
Top NBA Rivalries 2014-15
Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks – When the Nets played in New Jersey, this wasn’t much of a rivalry; the Knicks were clearly the more elaborate, well-known, and exclusive franchise. Now that the Nets franchise has undergone a major brand transformation and a move to Brooklyn, the Battle of the Boroughs has developed into a legitimate rivalry. The Knicks still appear to be the dominating team in terms of headlines and fanbase, but in the past few seasons the Nets have challenged the Knicks’ reign in New York more than they ever had in the past. With New York City considered the basketball hub of the world, this rivalry certainly lives up to its expectations.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls – This is the matchup that many pundits have predicted to represent the East in the conference finals. There are just too many fantastic storylines – LeBron’s homecoming, Rose’s return (as well as his point guard matchup with Kyrie), and the recent power forward additions of Kevin Love and Pau Gasol for each team. Additionally, two long-haired seven footers battle on the boards and bring energy to the court at the center spot – Anderson Varejou and Joakim Noah are vital to their respective teams. And to put icing on the cake for this captivating rivalry, the Central Division crown is what’s at stake for the regular season victor. As The Hunger Games suggests, “Let the games begin!”
Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers – For decades the Lakers’ Showtime has dominated the Staples Center floor, but now there’s a new show in town. Even though Doc Rivers has retired the phrase, “Lob City” from the Clippers’ organization, there’s always an electrifying display of alley oops and dunks from Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan when the Clippers play. And oh yeah, the guy throwing the lobs is pretty talented, too – Chris Paul remains one of the top three point guards in our league. Speaking of Paul, David Stern’s decision to reject the trade that sent CP3 to the Lakers, but allow him to go to the Clippers only stimulated this rivalry even further. Even though the Lakers may be one of the worst teams in the West, that guy named Kobe still keeps them relevant in the eyes of the national media. This classic Hollywood episode represents the city of LA well – it’s filled with celebrities, excitement, drama and flare.
Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets – This Lone Star State showdown is filled with superstars (Dwight Howard, James Harden, Dirk Nowitzki), players who have switched from one team to the other (Chandler Parsons), and a billionaire owner who doesn’t hesitate to share what’s on his mind (or party with Parsons after he agreed to take the road trip from Houston to Dallas). Both teams seem to be in shape to finish towards the top of the Western Conference standings with two of the highest scoring offenses. There’s certainly no shortage of highlights when you watch these teams go at it – if you want to see two in state division rivals score back and forth on each other, this is the matchup.
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers – This rivalry is my personal favorite. These two teams met in an epic seven game series last year in the playoffs, are division rivals, and quite frankly, they don’t like each other very much. Blake Griffin and Andrew Bogut got in multiple scuffles last season, including one on Christmas Day in which Griffin was ejected from the game. If a poll was taken asking what the most exciting types of plays in basketball are, I can almost guarantee that the top choices would be dunks and three pointers, and these teams do not fail to provide these. The Warriors’ dynamic backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the NBA in three pointers made last season, and after the first ten days of the young season, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan leads the NBA in dunks. If you’re looking for a fierce rivalry with an abundance of plays that will appear on SportsCenter the next morning, then tune in when these two teams square up on the hardwood. Warriors vs Clippers never disappoints.
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