This #hottake world being what it is, there’s already one strong line of thought bemoaning the Warriors and Cavaliers running their NBA Finals matchup back for an unprecedented fourth straight postseason.
Never mind that the Warriors represent a once-in-a-generation team and LeBron James represents a once-in-a-generation talent. For some, there’s more apathy than appreciation for seeing such talent stay on top.
Funny, nobody seemed to mind the classic Lakers-Celtics battles of the 1980s, which now are almost mythologized.
Plus, such a view seemingly sells short the struggle it took for both teams to get here. Whereas last year the teams entered the finals a combined 24-1 in the postseason, this time both needed a Game 7 victory in the conference finals — on the road. And it wasn’t the Cavaliers’ first Game 7, which they needed to dispatch the Pacers in the first round, albeit at home.
The Warriors are 2-1 in these NBA Finals meetings. After adding Kevin Durant in free agency last year, they steamrolled a better Cavaliers team featuring Kyrie Irving in five games. But they’ve struggled in close games this postseason. It’s obvious the Cavaliers’ game plan must be to try to keep games close and hope James continues his otherworldly postseason performance down the stretch.
It’s a tall task.
Point guard
Stephen Curry flipped the Warriors’ Game 7 victory over the Rockets with one of his signature second halves, showing he still can get hot in the flick of a wrist to completely overwhelm opponents. George Hill had trouble holding on to a starting spot after the Cavaliers acquired him from the Jazz in February. But Hill actually has had some success against Curry over the years, shooting 51 percent in 14 career matchups. Edge: Warriors.
Shooting guard
Klay Thompson shook off a brief slump in the conference finals to come up big at several opportune moments. He’s averaging 20.5 points and shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range, often benefiting from the opponents’ pick-your-poison defensive focus on Curry and Durant. J.R. Smith has never met a contested 3-pointer he didn’t take, er, like but owns an uncanny ability to hit some of them. Edge: Warriors.
Small forward
For the purpose of matchups, this assumes Andre Iguodala will return at some point from his left leg injury that sidelined him for the final four games of the conference finals. He’s out at least for Thursday’s Game 1. Iguodala is a former Finals MVP who greatly relishes this defensive assignment, which also consistently falls to Durant. Nobody is stopping James, who’s averaging 34 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists this postseason. That the Warriors could have two looks to throw at him speaks to their defense, which often is overlooked. Edge: Cavaliers.
Power forward
This matchup assumes Kevin Love returns from the concussion that sidelined him for Game 7 of the conference finals. Durant is widely considered the game’s second-best player behind James. He has the ability to get his shot off against virtually any defender. And the Cavaliers will be forced to employ multiple defensive looks against Durant, who is a mismatch for Love. Edge: Warriors.
Center
This matchup assumes Draymond Green and Tristan Thompson are the starters at some point. With Iguodala out for at least Game 1, Durant will slide to small forward and Jeff Green will be at power forward. A big issue for the Cavaliers would be if the Warriors go small. That would limit their ability to play both Love and Thompson, the latter of which has come up big in the postseason with rebounding and defense. Green is the critical piece to the Warriors’ switching defense, which allows them to wreak so much havoc on the perimeter. Edge: Warriors.
Bench, intangibles, coaching
For all the focus on the Warriors’ high-powered offense, their defensive rating sits at a ridiculous 99.7 during the postseason, a full 3.3 points per 100 possessions better than the runner-up Pacers. Neither team uses its bench extensively, although if Green isn’t starting, he’ll play a big role. Kyle Korver also could be a factor for the Cavaliers. For the Warriors, Kevon Looney has started with Iguodala out and Shaun Livingston is a steady veteran presence. Both Steve Kerr and Tyronn Lue are considered players’ coaches who accentuate the positive. Edge: Warriors.
Prediction: Warriors in five.
kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
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