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The 2015 NBA finals are closer than ever and with two teams performing exceptionally well, all bets are off. Curry’s Warriors had the best record in regular season with 67 wins and James’ Cavaliers had the best record in the offseason with only 2 losses. There are too many wildcards in this series and no one can predict one team’s success with certainty over the other.
Opportunity to become a star
Both conference champions had an amazing regular season this year. The Bay area, along with Cleveland, is starving for a championship. Such a situation will test these teams as a whole and gives a chance for players to emerge as a star.
The potential stars from dub city are Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston. Green is a great defender and will strive to seek redemption against LeBron for being called “too little”. He’s clearly Golden State’s best chance at stopping LBJ. Livingston, on the other hand, has a point to prove as the #2 PG shadowing Curry.
Cleveland offers a stage to JR Smith, Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova to prove their worth and earn the title of a star. C-Town has big expectations from these three since the second place for the best man on the court is still up for grabs here with Love and Irving not at their best. It will be an exciting night to see which factor helps Cleveland the most; Smith’s threes, Thompsons offensive boards or Matthew’s sheer determination.
Pressure – Advantage or Disadvantage?
The Golden State Warriors haven’t won a championship in forty years and Cleveland has never won any. These teams are definitely hungry for one.
Cleveland already considers themselves to be champions since the King has already delivered on the promise he made on his return. The goal was to make a contending team and that certainly has been met.
The Warriors however entered this season with their eyes on the championship. They have the best regular season award, the reigning MVP and the home court advantage. The only thing they don’t have in this finals series is an excuse if they happen to lose. That sure sounds like pressure.
The question is; will the Cavs play better since they’re not under pressure? Or will the Warriors thrive under pressure and deliver the best basketball they’re capable of playing?
The clashes that the game depends upon:
- Lebron James vs. Stephen Curry
The numbers these two put on the boards will clearly be a major factor in determining who wins the game. The team who’s defense can shut down the other’s star will probably have the edge in this series. Even though these two are virtually un-guardable, it all depends on the defensive adjustments made by the other team to limit these scoring machines.
- Kyrie Irving vs. Klay Thompson
Injuries can make or break a team and these role players need to be a 100% if their team wants to win. A healthy Irving is undoubtedly the #2 man for the Cavs recording amazing numbers in the season and post-season. However, a battered Irving cannot successfully guard Mr.Curry. Defending the MVP is one of the most important challenges for Cleveland and a healthy Irving is their best shot at achieving it. K. Thompson on the other hand is the other half of Golden State’s Splash Brothers. Even though he’s cleared for Game 1 after suffering a concussion, him being a 100% is imperative for the Warriors.
- David Blatt vs. Steve Kerr
This battle of the rookie coaches will be an important factor in determining this finals series. David Blatt has 20 years of experience in the euroleague but it’s his first year in the NBA. On the flipside, Steve Kerr has 5 championship rings as a player but it’s his first year as a coach. Blatt is underrated as most of us aren’t familiar with his euroleague background and the fact that he has the King playing for him. Kerr has finished off his first season as a coach with the best record in the NBA. Not a lot of people can match that record; but is he overrated?
We certainly have too many unanswered questions at this point and the coming week will surely answer them all. We got a big fight coming up on 6th June, 6:30 am.
Set your alarms!
