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LeBron James shocked the NBA world when he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. That move not only will shake up the Eastern Conference but will also directly affect the San Antonio Spurs' championship hopes.
Many would suspect that it may hurt the Spurs' championship hopes, but I'd argue the opposite. The Western Conference, despite coming up short in the NBA Finals, was definitely the tougher of the two conferences.
Adding LeBron and Jaylen Brown to the Sixers could make them the team to beat in the East. That means that the New York Knicks would only be the second-best team in the East despite being the defending champions.
LeBron James did the Spurs in massive favors
Then there are the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers. All of a sudden, the East looks much more stacked than it has in years, and it makes for a much tougher path to the NBA Finals than ever before.
The Knicks had a relatively easy path to the NBA Finals last season, while San Antonio had a gauntlet. Now, both conferences should be much more balanced, which should benefit the Spurs.
After all, it makes San Antonio's potential opponent in the NBA Finals endure the same difficult path. Of course, that may be getting a little ahead of ourselves, with there being no guarantee of the Spurs making it all the way back there.
The Spurs could face the Sixers, not the Knicks in the NBA Finals
San Antonio appears to be the best team in the West after several solid offseason moves. Yes, the gap between them and the Oklahoma City Thunder is still relatively small, so anything can happen.
The big difference between now and last season is that the Knicks and Sixers could also be neck and neck in the East. The Sixers could very well give the Knicks a run for their money and possibly even beat them in a seven-game series.
Whether the Spurs match up better against the Sixers or Knicks is yet to be decided, but LeBron joining the 76ers ensures New York won't have a relative cakewalk to the NBA Finals.
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