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Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is the favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP award. However, Fox Sports' eccentric analyst Skip Bayless believes Klay Thompson will snatch the trophy from Curry with a vintage performance in Games 6 and 7.
On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Bayless and Shannon Sharpe debated who will be the Finals MVP if the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics. Sharpe picked Curry, but Bayless predicted Thompson's triumph after a seven-game series.
"Steph would play at his best, his highest level, in Games 1 through 5. Win, lose or draw," Bayless said. "Klay kicks in in 6 or 7 and gives you two huge games that win you the chip. ... He's getting more and more stable on his legs. I'm seeing some new energy and some new bounce in him that I have not seen through the regular season."
Throughout the Warriors' run that started in 2014, Curry and Thompson have not won a Finals MVP. Andre Iguodola won the award in 2015, while Kevin Durant took it in 2017 and 2018.
The current narrative is how winning a Finals MVP trophy will secure Curry's legacy.
In addition to winning his fourth NBA championship, Curry being named the NBA Finals MVP could make his case as a top 10 player of all time stronger than ever. He will tie LeBron James' ring count, with the possibility of adding a few more based on how the Warriors are built to contend in the next several seasons.
Meanwhile, Thompson's difficult road to recovery from two devastating and career-threatening injuries is also a very compelling story. Thompson has not been himself since returning from an ACL tear and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but he showed out in closeout games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.
In Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, Thompson had 30 points, eight rebounds and two assists. In Game 5 of the WCF, he exploded for 32 points, three rebounds and two assists.
If Curry gets double-teamed for most of the championship series, Thompson will surely benefit from it much like Durant did in 2017 and 2018.
Steph Curry praises the Boston Celtics before Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Steph Curry spoke to reporters (h/t NBC Sports) on Monday to talk about the Golden State Warriors' matchup with the Boston Celtics. Curry had nothing but praise for the young Celtics team, pointing out their resilience and finally putting it all together after a few up-and-down seasons.
"Obviously a great team, they're in the Finals," Curry said. "They've had a group together, gone through a lot in the last four, five years. Had some success early, had to figure out how to sustain it and now they're here on this stage, so it'll be an amazing test."
The Warriors are set to face the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is on Thursday at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Golden State is the slight favorite to win the title, but Boston has the best record against the Warriors since Steve Kerr became head coach in 2014, as per StatMuse.
