Who wins it all?

The Boston Celtics beat the Miami heat in a thrilling game 7 win, advancing to their first final appearance since 2010. This will be their 22nd appearance and the second most in NBA history (Lakers, 32). The team’s title run has been nothing short of spectacular, coming off wins against the Brooklyn Nets, Reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks and the hard-nosed Miami heat but in this final phase, they go against one of the best teams of the Past Decade. The Golden State Warriors.

After a two year hiatus, the Golden state Warriors find themselves in familiar territory; The NBA Finals

6 final appearances in 8 years ring a bell. Chicago Bulls reigned supreme from 1991 – 1998 and are the only team to have previously achieved the feat. The Trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green look to capture their 4th title and with the addition of the young stars & seasoned veterans, they’ve been able to cook up the right recipe.

Fans and Critics who may not have enjoyed the playoffs till this point can sit back and grab a drink. The 2022 NBA Finals got the makings of a classic.

NBA Finals. pic courtesy Sporting News

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR?

Shot making

The warriors are averaging 114.5 points this postseason, shooting 49.3% from the field & 38% from 3 point territory. Led by the Western Conference Finals MVP, Stephen curry, the team’s shot making ability which comes as a result of their terrific ball movement got opposing teams scrambling on most possessions. The “new” death lineup of Steph, Klay, Poole, Wiggins, and Green creates all kinds of chaos on the offensive end.

L-R. Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Stephen Curry

Boston’s role players have shown they can hit shots on the big stage and the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown make no mistakes getting to their spots. Tatum is averaging 27pts on 44.6% FG while Brown is averaging 22.9pts on 48.5%. Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Grant Williams combine for 35% of the Celtics' points and an offensive rating of 114.9.

Both teams will display an array of offensive skill set and be rest assured it’s going to be electrifying from the tip.

Defensive Prowess

The length of Boston and the ability to guard in and around the perimeter will play a vital role in this series. We expect to see the DPOY, Marcus Smart attached to Steph curry all series long, a matchup that could set the tone on how Boston adjusts their defensive schemes. This will be the first time this post-season where the warriors face a top ten defensive team; the best actually. On their run to the finals, they’ve held teams to 43.3% from the field and 31.7% from three (only the Sixers gave up less).

Will they slow down the Dubs who are shooting 46.9% and 39.7% from 3?

L-R. Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Grant Williams

On the flip side, Dubs are the second best defense in the NBA which makes this match up very enticing. Their attention to detail in their Heavy switch defensive scheme is uncanny and to have an anchor like Draymond makes it seamless. Now throw in Andrew Wiggins who has shown he’s a premier defender in the league, Klay Thompson, and the return of Andre Iguodala, Gary Paytonfree-flowing jr. and Otto Porter gives Steve Kerr and the coaching a whole lot of options.

Turnovers

The Warriors Achilles’ heel.

If there was anything you’d want to change about the free flowing style of the warriors, it will be the turnover woes. The Dubs are averaging 14.8 turnovers over 16 games. In their four losses, they averaged 16.3 turnovers, giving up 20.8 points off these alone. In wins, they cut that number to 14.2 turnovers for 14.3 points, A chink in their armor, if you ask me, one that requires effective action with limited time.

Boston has also encountered their own share of trouble keeping the ball. 16.7 points have been scored off their 14 turnovers average in 18 games. Needless to say, they’d have to keep that number to the lowest possible digit against the fast-paced Dubs who thrive in transition.

X-Factors

Boston Celtics – Marcus Smart, Al Holford

Golden State Warriors – Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton Jr.

Every fan’s hope is for the best players to show out in big games as they should… they are not called Stars for no reason but the playoffs have shown us year after year that the role players, in most cases, determine the outcome of these games. The question becomes, “Who will stand tall under the bright lights?”

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for the 2nd June 2022.

NBA Finals 2022 Schedule