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The Golden State Warriors. The Cleveland Cavaliers.
In truth, this is the NBA Finals most of us wanted to see, the rematch from last year when the Warriors won their first championship. They did so despite LeBron James averaging 36 points and 13 rebounds through six games, putting on a Finals performance for the ages.
The two teams have eyed each other from afar all season. For Cleveland, this is the second chance it craves, the opportunity to have another shot at Stephen Curry and company. The Cavaliers were injured last season, with no Kevin Love at all, and no Kyrie Irving after the first game. Now, James has all of his weapons, and considerable pressure to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland. These Cavs are better than last year. They are a significantly better shooting team. They are more cohesive. They are more comfortable with each other, and they have a better bench.
At the same time, the Warriors are better than they were last year. Much better. Curry has had one of the best individual offensive seasons in NBA history. Klay Thompson appears to have caught and passed Houston's James Harden for the title of the NBA's best shooting guard. Draymond Green has turned into one of the most versatile players in all of basketball.
The routes to the finals have been different for both teams. Cleveland breezed through the Eastern Conference, finding resistance only against the Toronto Raptors in the conference finals. Meanwhile, Golden State had to scratch and claw its way from a 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder, overcoming Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Monday's seventh game. It was one of the better comebacks in league history, and a validation for the Warriors, who won an NBA record 73 games in the regular season.
So now we have a rematch rich in storylines. James and Curry are battling for the mantle of the NBA's best overall player. James is playing in his sixth consecutive NBA finals, a feat accomplished with two teams. The Warriors are looking to cap off a record season with their second straight title. Love and Irving have a second opportunity for a championship.
Who will win it? The Tribune breaks it all down in the space below.
POINT GUARD
Curry is simply a talent the NBA has never really seen, a wispy shooter with deadly skills off the dribble and an innate ability to finish in the paint over bigger defenders. At this point, it's borderline impossible to defend him. The best hope a team can have is to run him off the 3-point line, force him inside the arc and make him take contested shots. Then, you simply hope for the best. Curry has become that good a player.
It's borderline unbelievable that Irving is almost as good as Curry offensively. He's not quite at the same level, but he's certainly in the same paragraph. Put it this way: At least offensively, Irving will probably be the most difficult point guard Golden State has faced in the playoffs. That list includes Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook. The difference? Curry is much more well-rounded than Irving. And that tilts the matchup in favor of the Warriors.
ADVANTAGE • Golden State
SHOOTING GUARD
If Curry didn't exist, Thompson would be the best individual shooter in the NBA. So, basically, the Warriors have the two best shooters in the league. That seems a bit unfair. Thompson is so good and unique because as good a shooter as he is, he's just as good a defender. He will spend most of his time on Irving, allowing Curry an easier matchup on the defensive end. Thompson is simply one of the premier two-way players the NBA has to offer. His counterpart is J.R. Smith, one of the more confident shooters in the league over the last decade. His accuracy is hit or miss. If he's on, he can win a game for you at the 3-point line. But if he's off … you may want to take him out of the game. Smith has been better and more reliable during his time in Cleveland. Still, he's no Klay Thompson.
ADVANTAGE • Golden State
SMALL FORWARD
James has been sensational since the All-Star break, and he's still without question one of the two best players in the league. He's nearly a walking triple-double, he's played very well defensively during the postseason and since the Cavs have had it relatively easy during the playoffs, he should have a lot of gas in the tank for the finals. He's Cleveland's one big matchup advantage, and Cavs coach Ty Lue would probably be wise to keep him on the floor as much as possible. Everything on both ends will run through James. Golden State will try to corral him with the combination of Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala. Barnes is the starter, but Iggy will play more in this series, as he's the one guy Golden State has who can make James pause offensively.
ADVANTAGE • Cleveland
POWER FORWARD
Curry is Golden State's best player. Green is the most important player. He makes everything go, playing multiple positions, including center when the Warriors go small into their "death" lineup. Green is one of the top five defenders in the league. Offensively, he's a great passer, a versatile threat from beyond the arc and near the basket. He plays with an infectious energy that borders on recklessness. He's an irritant, similar to Dennis Rodman back in the day. He defines Golden State's swagger and arrogance on and off the floor. The Warriors simply don't work without him.
Love is a shooter, a rebounder, a floor-spacer. He can score on the interior, but has potential to have major issues defensively in this series. It will be interesting to see how Lue can mask him on that end. If he can't, Lue may have to move him to center. Cleveland needs his offense, so the Cavs may just have to live with his defense. Or lack thereof.
ADVANTAGE • Golden State
CENTER
Only basketball purists can really gauge what Andrew Bogut means to this team. The answer? He means a lot. He's a very good rim-protector. He rebounds the ball. He's always been a great passer, and he's one of the best screen-setters in the NBA. He's the reason Curry and Thompson are seemingly always open on the perimeter.
Bogut's main task in this series will be keeping Tristan Thompson off the offensive glass. It's easier said than done, as Thompson is a master at keeping possessions alive. If you put him in a gym for 10 hours and ask him to score 30 points by himself, he may not be able to do it. But Thompson does all of the dirty work. And here's a big key for him: He's one of the best big men in the league at guarding the perimeter. Love is a better player than Thompson. But Thompson may be more valuable in this series.
ADVANTAGE • Push
BENCH
Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are two of the best reserves in the game, guys who would be starters in a lot of other places around the NBA. They allow Golden State coach Steve Kerr to rest Curry and Thompson in unison a lot. Cleveland's bench got a ton better with the addition of Channing Frye, who may play a big role in this series. Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova may be Cleveland's two best perimeter defenders.
ADVANTAGE • Golden State
COACHES
Ty Lue and Steve Kerr are both young in the coaching game and both inherited championship-ready rosters. Kerr has been through the ringer before, and Lue hasn't. In a series like this, both will be forced to adjust and make critical decisions. Kerr has proven himself at the highest level.
ADVANTAGE • Golden State
PREDICTION
As you can see, the Warriors have a ton of advantages. But Cleveland has LeBron James. And he's so good that he's an equalizer. The Cavs also have a much better shooting team than last season.
But these Warriors are something special. They are probably one of the five best teams in NBA history, and it's just difficult to see someone beating them four out of seven tries. As a result, Golden State will win its second consecutive NBA title.
OUTCOME • Warriors win 4-2
Twitter: @tjonessltrib —
The NBA Finals
All games televised on Ch. 4
Cleveland vs. Golden State
Thursday • at Golden State, 7 p.m.
Sunday • at Golden State, 6 p.m.
June 8 • at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
June 10 • at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
x-June 13 • at Golden State, 7 p.m.
x-June 16 • at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
x-June 19 • at Golden State, 6 p.m.
x-If necessary