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Ten years ago, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win their first NBA title since 1986.
That series is largely characterized by a few things, such as the Celtics' arrival to the promised land following the formation of the big three (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce), Kobe Bryant's first NBA Finals run without Shaquille O'Neal and the first championship meeting of Boston and L.A. since legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were battling on the court in the 1980s.
Given the star power of the individual players in that 2008 series, coupled with two blue-chip NBA franchises facing off, it's hard to remember other factors during that year.
However, one of the crucial performances of the series occurred during Game 4 in Los Angeles, which resulted in a 97-91 win thanks in part to 18 points from reserve James Posey, who knocked down four three-pointers.
With that series-swinging victory, the Celtics took a 3-1 lead and just needed to win once back at home to earn the Larry O'Brien trophy. After losing Game 5 in L.A., they did so in Boston with an emphatic 39-point win in Game 6.
Boston may not be hoisting the 2008 championship banner without Posey's performance in this series. Fast-forward 10 years later, and there are a few different candidates who can play the Posey role and be an unsung hero in the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here's a look at the championship-round schedule in addition to one X-factor for each side.
NBA Finals Schedule
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (Game 1): Thursday, May 31 at 9 p.m. on ABC
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (Game 2): Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. on ABC
Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers (Game 3): Wednesday, June 6 at 9 p.m. on ABC
Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers (Game 4): Friday, June 8 at 9 p.m. on ABC
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (Game 5, if necessary): Monday, June 11 at 9 p.m. on ABC
Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers (Game 6, if necessary): Thursday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on ABC
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (Game 7, if necessary): Sunday, June 17 at 8 p.m. on ABC
All Times ET.
Cleveland's X-Factor: Kyle Korver
The Warriors made 39.1 percent of their three-pointers during the regular season, which led the league. To put that number in further context, no other team made more than 37.8 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
Unless the Dubs go uncharacteristically cold from beyond the arc, the Cavs are going to need to hit their three-pointers to stay competitive. However, the team has not fared well from the outside during the playoffs, making just 33.9 percent of their attempts.
However, one player hasn't been affected by the team-wide slump, and that's Cavs wing Kyle Korver, who has drilled 44.9 percent of his three-point attempts in the playoffs.
Korver can make the case for being Cleveland's second-best player overall during their entire Eastern Conference run. He's come up big in some crucial games, like when he scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 98-95 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the first round. Korver also posted 14.5 points per game during a second-round sweep of the Toronto Raptors.
If Kevin Love, who is in the league's concussion protocol, does not suit up for Game 1 (or longer), the Cavs are going to need multiple players to step up and help fill the scoring void alongside LeBron James.
Korver is a key member of that potential group, and if he gets hot, the Cavs should present a much tougher challenge to the Warriors' quest for three titles in four years.
Golden State's X-Factor: Jordan Bell
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Andre Iguodala is suffering from a left lateral leg contusion, and per Chris Haynes of ESPN, his Game 1 status is "unknown."
Iguodala missed the last four games of his team's Western Conference final series with the Houston Rockets, which led to other players receiving more court time. Should Iguodala miss NBA Finals action, that crew will have to step up.
One of those players is Warriors rookie forward Jordan Bell, who has averaged 17.3 minutes per game in his last four contests. Bell played just 52 combined minutes in the playoffs prior to Game 4 of the Western Conference final.
It's not common to see rookies have key contributions in the NBA Finals, but Bell may play 15-20 minutes per game as he did against the Rockets with Iguodala sidelined.
Bell isn't going to provide the team with much on the offensive end, as he's taken just nine shots in his past four games. But that's not why Bell is on the floor anyway, as the team needs him to be active on the boards and defense. He's done well enough on those fronts, grabbing 5.0 rebounds per game and contributing four steals and two blocks since Game 4.
One interesting note on Bell is that he's done far better at home this year. Per Basketball-Reference, his offensive rating is 123 at home compared to 110 on the road, and that's in part due to a true-shooting percentage of 68.1 percent. Perhaps it is a coincidence, or maybe the popular Bell just feeds off the energy of the raucous home crowd that supports him.
However, with the Warriors having home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, we could see the former Oregon star with two solid games off the bat.