Have Cavaliers and Warriors put rest of NBA on hold?

The narrative throughout these NBA playoffs has been what has yet to happen and what won’t happen until the June 1 start of the NBA Finals.Because until their anticipated third consecutive meeting in the championship round, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have yet to be threatened.The timing of that dominance has coincided with draft preparations and free-agency anticipation. But to what end?To gain the upper hand on a championship Cavaliers team that actually stands at an even greater position of strength than a year ago, with the additions of Kyle Korver and Deron Williams?Or to move forward against a Warriors team that stands poised to lock in Kevin Durant and Steph Curry for another half decade?Yes, there is something honourable in fighting the good fight, perhaps what the San Antonio Spurs will offer the Warriors in the Western Conference finals or the Boston Celtics could do from a higher seed against the Cavaliers in the East finals.But it’s as if teams are again knocking their heads against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls when it comes to LeBron James’ ageing with grace, or against, dare we say it, the dynastic Celtics of the ’60s, if the Warriors approach their ultimate ceiling.Perhaps with the lottery pick acquired from the Brooklyn Nets (either to be utilized in June’s draft or flipped for a veteran), the Celtics can find playoff consistency. Perhaps with Giannis Antetokounmpo getting to play a full season with both Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker, the Milwaukee Bucks can continue their climb.Or perhaps teams have to, as difficult as it may be for someone like Pat Riley with the Miami Heat, opt to wait, to strike instead in/for the future, even if it means deferring in the moment.Recently, Bobby Marks, the former Nets assistant general manager and current Yahoo contributor, addressed Brooklyn’s failed gambit with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Deron Williams during the Heat’s run to four consecutive Eastern Conference championships with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.“We thought at the time that that Miami team with LeBron and where he was at (that) stage was vulnerable,” Marks told CBS Radio. “I’ve said it all along (to) teams this past trade deadline, ‘You have to be careful with him, with LeBron.’ He’s got three, four, how many more good years? When you think he’s maybe missed a step, he’s as good as you’ve seen in these playoffs here.”The Indiana Pacers found that out in the first round, with Larry Bird now gone from their front office. The Toronto Raptors found it out in the second, with point guard Kyle Lowry and coach Dwane Casey possibly out of that picture.Because as much as you can change the rules to attempt to keep champions from becoming colossuses, there always will be players who want to sign on. The Cavaliers found that this season with Williams and, albeit briefly, with Chris Andersen and Andrew Bogut. Just as the Warriors found low-cost hop-aboard support in Matt Barnes, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and David West, amid concern about the cap-clearing offseason losses of Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights.“The bench there (in Miami), it’s almost like the situation in Golden State (where) you’ve got a top-heavy roster,” Marks said. “At the time, it was Bosh, Wade, Ray Allen was there, LeBron there, and you figure: Here’s your chance to maybe overtake them, to push them.“You put a veteran group like we did in Brooklyn, and if you make a mistake like that – I think that’s where Boston kind of pulled in the reins a little bit at the trade deadline – it will cost you for the long haul here. I think that’s where teams really have to be careful.”Perhaps that, again, takes us, as it often does, back to the NBA’s model franchise, the Spurs, where win-now veterans such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are surrounded the youthful potential of Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Jonathan Simmons, Dejounte Murray and David Bertans, all given the opportunity to contribute and all 28 or younger.It a season to be followed by one of the best drafts in years and then another free-agent frenzy fuelled by a significant salary-cap jump, there ultimately might not be a moment to seize, the Cavaliers and Warriors seemingly having put a league on hold.