Andre Iguodala had a great series. He showed up when it mattered most, as his two highest scoring games of the season were in the finals. He was also tasked with shutting down LeBron James, and he did his job, as LeBron shot poorly in the finals. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were also good in the finals, but Iguodala earned his finals MVP.
Stephen Curry won his first championship six seasons into his career. He now has something that John Stockton, Steve Nash, and Allen Iverson didn't have, and that Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Derrick Rose are still waiting to get. Having a ring as well as an MVP should make Curry a lock for the Hall of Fame as long as he stays around for a few more successful years, which he almost certainly will.
While the Warriors are celebrating their victory, LeBron James falls to 2-4 in the finals. If it wasn't for a Ray Allen three-pointer, LeBron's finals record could be 1-5. Cleveland's championship drought continues, but LeBron should put an end to it eventually. The Cavs will have to figure out what next year's roster will be like. They'll have to figure out how to deal with their big man situation. Anderson Varejao comes back next season, but they may want to trade him if they re-sign Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love because there won't be enough minutes to go around if he's still there. Timofey Mozgov has a team option on his contract, but he provides more value than Varejao and the Cavaliers would be smart to bring him back. The Cavs also need to improve their bench.
Golden State will likely have less work to do in the off season than Cleveland. David Lee will likely be traded, which makes it easier for the Warriors to re-sign Draymond Green. If they do that, their core will remain intact and they should contend for a championship if their depth remains solid.
In the end, the Warriors finished off an incredible season. For Cleveland, their disappointing title drought continues, but it should be over soon. For now, it's time to start looking forward to the 2015-16 season. It should be a lot of fun.
Very exciting to see the Warriors come away with it! I had not watched Curry much before so I was really impressed with how he made amazing plays look effortless.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the Bay Area so I have always followed the Warriors. I was in college when they won their last NBA championship. I remember going to games at the Cow Palace in San Frncisco. The Warriors have had some good players and a few good teams since their last title. It has been exciting to see with the new ownership how they have crafted a solid, balanced team. The style of play is fun to watch and the players are young and dynamic. Hopefully the team can stay healthy as you can see with other teams one or two key players out can have a big impact come playoff time. I'm glad David like the Warriors and Steph Curry, he is a great role model.
ReplyDeleteSteph Curry is a dynamic player; it was exciting to see him in the playoffs. Also nice to see a former Wazzu standout in Klay Thompson play a significant role in the NBA Finals.
ReplyDeleteof course the warriors won. 67 out of the west is like a ticket to the trophy. vegas had them all the way; prolly 538 too.
ReplyDeletebut klay gets a siggy role ack-no? i don't think so. thank god the warriors had plenty of mediums to make up for his disappearing act. toughness: something daddy lacked as well.