Over the past seven years, the Golden State Warriors have dominated the NBA Finals, making an appearance in five of them and winning three. A historic team for those who follow the competition today. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics faced a Cleveland Cavaliers hegemony in the Eastern Conference. The last time the Celtics played in the NBA Finals was in 2010, when the team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a 7-game series.
Such different paths during the last few years ended up coming together in this season’s finals. During the regular season, Golden State finished in third place among the West. And in the Playoffs, Curry’s team went through the Nuggets, Grizzlies and Dallas, without too much trouble.
In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics had a slightly more troubled path, facing two 7-game series. The team beat the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, the last two being tough opponents on the courts.
This year’s NBA finals puts two very strong teams on both sides of the court against each other. But who is going to be stronger?
The Golden State Warriors can rely on their star trio, formed by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, who has been exceptional in the last few games, and they also have been counting on scoring off the bench, with guys like Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II.
The Celtics are no easy match, coming strong with their duo Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and the defensive player of the year, Marcus Smart. They also have a strong core of players coming off the bench with Derrick White and Grant Williams.
With the same core that won 3 championships, the Warriors may have some advantage because of one thing: the playoffs experience. This is something that could be seen as an obstacle for the Celtics, since no current player has championships and the team has failed in apparently easy series throughout the last few years. This is something that might make a difference in stressful decisive plays.
But not everything is guaranteed for the Warriors. So far, during the Playoffs, the team did not face any real challenge, especially on the defensive end. In the finals, however, they will face the most consistent team in defensive changes, with 44%, according to Second Spectrum. This is one of the biggest advantages the Celtics might have against the Warriors.
Strengths and weaknesses exist for both sides. According to expert analysis, it is expected that this year’s finals will go to seven games, with neither of the teams being able to win without sweating a bit. The Warriors are hungry for another title and for a chance to prove that they don’t need Kevin Durant – the superstar left Golden State to join the Brooklyn Nets and, since then, the Warriors are yet to win a championship. The Celtics, on the other hand, maintain the hot blood of writing a new story, which has not happened in a long time.
Either way, it’s going to be memorable for all basketball fans.
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The article above was edited by Giulia Gianolla.
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