This is going to be a great series. There's no history between these two but there's some new fresh storylines along with the old recycled LeBron thing.
The Warriors are leading the way for the new era of basketball. Throughout the league we've seen a new era shuffle in. Spacing the floor and running the pick and roll with a versatile 4. That's not to say this is something new - this has been a trend we've seen with James' Heat and the Spurs after they reinvented themselves. The thing about Golden State is that they launch from anywhere and everywhere. I've always been cautious when it comes to riding with jump shooting teams but it's clear that they have proven that their system works. At the end of the day it comes down to talent and this team has plenty of it with Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green, and other solid role players.
The Cavs really run a fairly similar halfcourt set. It's all about spacing the floor and when Smith, Shumpert, etc are hitting their shots, this team is really tough to beat.
So with two similar teams, what it ultimately comes down to is which defense is able to cover more space. I give the advantage to Golden State. Statistically, they were one of the best defenses in the NBA this year. Kerr is going to give LeBron different looks. Green and Barnes will each get their turns and Iguodala when the bench comes in. I expect Kerr to tell them that they are going to have to make James beat them with his jumpshot. Give him space and dare him to shoot. There will be times when LeBron gets by his man but it helps when you have a 7 footer at the rim. Of course some of that is countered by the fact that Bogut has to respect Mozgov under the rim but it always comes down to a team effort when defending James.
I expect this to be a home court series. It would not surprise me to see home court hold true right up until Game 7 (although that rarely happens). However I just think this Warriors team has too much. They come at you in waves and although the Cavs can get hot, I expect Kerr to develop a gameplan to contain James. I like Golden State to win and cover Game 1. LeBron does not have a great track record in Game 1s on the road. The Warriors should feed off the energy of the crowd and separate at some point in this game.
Game 1: Warriors -5.5 -108 (5x)
Series: Warriors win 4-3 +365 (2x)
Enjoy the Finals.
The Warriors are leading the way for the new era of basketball. Throughout the league we've seen a new era shuffle in. Spacing the floor and running the pick and roll with a versatile 4. That's not to say this is something new - this has been a trend we've seen with James' Heat and the Spurs after they reinvented themselves. The thing about Golden State is that they launch from anywhere and everywhere. I've always been cautious when it comes to riding with jump shooting teams but it's clear that they have proven that their system works. At the end of the day it comes down to talent and this team has plenty of it with Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green, and other solid role players.
The Cavs really run a fairly similar halfcourt set. It's all about spacing the floor and when Smith, Shumpert, etc are hitting their shots, this team is really tough to beat.
So with two similar teams, what it ultimately comes down to is which defense is able to cover more space. I give the advantage to Golden State. Statistically, they were one of the best defenses in the NBA this year. Kerr is going to give LeBron different looks. Green and Barnes will each get their turns and Iguodala when the bench comes in. I expect Kerr to tell them that they are going to have to make James beat them with his jumpshot. Give him space and dare him to shoot. There will be times when LeBron gets by his man but it helps when you have a 7 footer at the rim. Of course some of that is countered by the fact that Bogut has to respect Mozgov under the rim but it always comes down to a team effort when defending James.
I expect this to be a home court series. It would not surprise me to see home court hold true right up until Game 7 (although that rarely happens). However I just think this Warriors team has too much. They come at you in waves and although the Cavs can get hot, I expect Kerr to develop a gameplan to contain James. I like Golden State to win and cover Game 1. LeBron does not have a great track record in Game 1s on the road. The Warriors should feed off the energy of the crowd and separate at some point in this game.
Game 1: Warriors -5.5 -108 (5x)
Series: Warriors win 4-3 +365 (2x)
Enjoy the Finals.
