Both teams were favored to win their conference and didn’t disappoint bettors, waltzing through the playoffs rather easily with neither extended beyond six games in any of their three series.
The Cavaliers swept the Celtics in the first round and advanced to the finals for the first time since 2007 with a sweep of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference final.
Golden State’s road to the NBA Finals started with a sweep of the upstart New Orleans Pelicans – a series that included a miraculous 20-point, fourth quarter comeback on the road in Game 3, proving that this club has the heart of a champion. Then came the Memphis Grizzlies, a squad that was expected to be too physical for the jump-shooting Warriors. The Dubs fell behind in that series and faced more adversity, but they showed their resolve and regained their regular season form, overwhelming the Griz in the next three games.
Breezing through the Western Conference final in five games over Houston, the Warriors proved they could handle all types of matchups, schemes and opponents while getting to the championship series.
The Warriors have MVP Stephen Curry, who has been dazzling in the postseason, averaging 29.2 points on 46 percent from the field, including 43 percent from three-point range, to go with 4.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.8 steals. Along with fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson, Curry has helped form the league’s second-highest scoring duo.
But the Warriors are much more than a two-man show. With their “Strength in Numbers” mantra, Golden State had five players average double figures in the regular season and the bench production helped limit the regular season minutes of regulars, keeping them fresh and, most importantly, healthy for an extended playoff run.
Golden State’s core of players blended beautifully under rookie head coach Steve Kerr and bought into the team concept and team goal. “Usually something clicks during the season. It happened for us. We felt it pretty early on,” Kerr said. “We had something special going on, and the guys have really followed through and had this great ride.”
Having the league’s highest scoring offense during the regular season made the Warriors fun to watch. The NBA’s stingiest defense made them winners. The Warriors averaged 110 points during the regular year using a balanced attack to dismantle opposing defenses from every angle. They also led the league in assists making them even harder to defend.
But, as the saying goes, ‘defense wins championships.’ And the Warriors are about to prove that true. They led the NBA in field goal percentage defense and their intensity kicked up another few notches once the postseason began.
The Warriors haven’t been as prolific offensively during the playoffs, averaging better than 104 points, but that’s to be expected with added importance on every possession of every game. Defensively they’ve been better, dropping their points per game allowed by nearly four per game. It’s rare for a team to lead the league in both categories, but that’s why the Warriors have been so good.
The roster assembled by coach Steve Kerr is deep and versatile with eight players averaging 11 minutes or more in the playoffs, down from 12 during the regular season, but that’s not too surprising with so much on the line. The depth allows Kerr to keep his regulars fresh and the versatility gives him the option to play a variety of different lineups to match his opponent without sacrificing much.
This figures to be the stiffest postseason test for both teams and Golden State has the edge getting a Game 7 at Oracle Arena. The Warriors have dominated on their own floor winning 46 of 49 games this year and clobbered the Cavaliers 112-94 there on Jan. 9. However, the Cavaliers were without LeBron James for that game and the man is the best player on the planet, so it’s safe to say the outcome may have been different.
James will get his points, rebounds and assists, but the Warriors will make it hard on him with their defensive schemes. They’ll turn LeBron into a perimeter player where he is much less effective than driving to the basket, and as the Warriors proved throughout the playoffs, you may get a couple of wins playing that style, but you’re not going to get four.
This will be an epic series featuring the two hottest stars and the two hottest teams in the NBA and Golden State will capture its first title since 1975 winning a seventh game on the Oracle Arena floor.
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