Tag: Steph Curry

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Why The NBA Play-In Was So Successful, And Why It’s Here To Stay

By Anish Dhondi

The NBA Play-In Tournament was a topic that led to mixed feelings throughout the season from fans and even players, but it turned out to be a huge success. The Play-In games got excellent TV ratings, most notably Lakers-Warriors, which drew 5.6 million viewers. Bringing playoff-level intensity before the Playoffs begin, plus having players such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry playing, brought in tons of fans from all around the world to watch. The Play-In tournament itself proved its worth because, in reality, it has always been necessary. Too often, we see 9th and 10th seeds in conferences miss the Playoffs due to a record tiebreaker or just a few games difference, but allowing them to get two wins in a row to make the Playoffs, and prove how good of a team they can be, is what the NBA needed to see.

For example, in the Eastern Conference this season, the Pacers and Wizards finished with the same record. In this case, the Wizards take the tiebreaker and have the 8th seed while the Pacers fall to 9th, sending the Pacers to their couches for the Playoffs, not giving them a chance to compete for the Playoffs, which some may say is unfair. The Hornets, who were the 10th-seed in the Eastern Conference, were just one game behind the Pacers, so for them to be so close yet still get the chance proved the fairness of the Play-In Tournament itself. 

Another huge incentive for all is that it prevents tanking, a topic that has been talked about for the past few seasons. The top teams in each conference have to get a top-6 seed, the 10-seed can make Playoffs, therefore lowering their Draft pick if they do make it, and only 10 teams out of the 30 in the NBA have no chance of making the Playoffs. The Play-In Tournament allows our fans to have six more high-stakes loser home games (7th vs. 8th, 9th vs. 10th, winners of those play each other, making for three games per conference). The only real flaw of the Play-In Tournament is that star players can get hurt and miss the Playoffs, yet we were fortunate enough to avoid that this season. Those unfortunate scenarios are just a part of the game that no one can avoid, as there simply is no way to avoid it.

The general NBA fanbase was in favor of the Play-In Tournament until the Warriors were knocked out by the Grizzlies in their second Play-In Game. However, NBA fans missed out on the good side of this scenario, which was that the Warriors and Grizzlies had a difference of just one win separating them in the regular season standings, but with the spotlight on them, the underdog Grizzlies fought harder and took their place and earned the 8-seed in the NBA Playoffs. The Play-In Tournament gave us some unforgettable moments with another chapter in the LeBron-Steph rivalry, a Warriors-Grizzlies Overtime thriller, and a 50-point masterpiece from Jayson Tatum to take the Celtics to the Playoffs. These games showed us that the Play-In Tournament is here to stay, giving players and fans a Game 7 Playoffs, win-or-go-home feeling, where current stars perform when it matters the most, and new stars blossom in front of our eyes. Additionally, it proved that Adam Silver’s innovation throughout last season’s NBA Bubble was incredible and should be applauded.

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2021 NBA Play-In Preview: A More Entertaining Road to the Playoffs

By Saransh Sharma, Anish Dhondi, & Nikhil Pradeep

The NBA Play-In Tournament has been hated and praised countless times throughout this season. Many like it because fewer teams will be tanking during the season, giving more teams a chance to make the Playoffs, and it gives us some incredible matchups (LeBron vs. Curry being the perfect example). At the same time, while it is not as big of an issue this season, future seasons could have 9 and 10-seeded teams that are significantly worse than 7 and 8-seeded teams, yet they could make it to the Playoffs through the Play-In. No matter whether you like it or hate it, there is more meaningful basketball before the Playoffs than ever, and here is our preview and our predictions for who gets the 7-seed and 8-seed in the East and West.

Play-In Format:

To Clinch 7-Seed: Team Must Win 7-Seed vs. 8-Seed Game

To Clinch 8-Seed: The Winner of 9-Seed vs. 10-Seed Game Plays the Loser of 7 vs. 8 Game, With Winner Clinching 8-Seed. The Loser of 9 vs. 10 Game Is Eliminated, Along With Loser of The 8-Seed Play-In Game

Saransh’s Predictions:

Western Conference:

  • #7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Golden State Warriors: Lakers win to clinch 7-seed, play Phoenix
  • #9 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #10 San Antonio Spurs: Spurs win to play against Warriors in 8-seed game
  • #8 Golden State Warriors vs. #10 San Antonio Spurs: Warriors win to clinch 8-seed, play Utah

The LeBron vs. Curry show will be the spectacle of the night and will be entertaining as always, but the talent gap between the Lakers and Warriors is too much, leading to an easy Lakers win. San Antonio gets matched up against an up-and-coming Memphis squad, but the slow pace and calm of Gregg Popovich and the experienced Spurs will be too much. That experience and slow pace will not work against Curry & the Warriors, though, whose fast-paced offense will run San Antonio out of the building and straight to their couches to watch the Playoffs. 

Eastern Conference:

  • #7 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Washington Wizards: Wizards win to clinch 7-seed, play Brooklyn
  • #9 Charlotte Hornets vs. #10 Indiana Pacers: Hornets win to play against Celtics in 8-seed game
  • #7 Boston Celtics vs. #9 Charlotte Hornets: Hornets win to clinch 8-seed, play Philadelphia

On April 5th, the Wizards were the 13th seed in Eastern Conference with a 17-32 record, looking like a team that was yet again fighting to get a higher lottery pick. They ended the season 34-38, good for 8th in the Eastern Conference, thanks to an incredible improvement from this team and historic performances from Russell Westbrook. The improvement of this team and the triple-doubles from Russ will keep coming, and the Celtics will not stand a chance. The Hornets take on a depleted Pacers squad and get past them to set up a matchup with another depleted squad in the Celtics, and again, the lack of health from Boston and the rise of the Hornets will get them the 8-seed.

Anish’s Predictions:

Western Conference:

  • #7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Golden State Warriors: Lakers win to clinch 7-seed, play Phoenix
  • #9 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #10 San Antonio Spurs: Grizzlies win to play against Warriors in 8-seed game
  • #8 Golden State Warriors vs. #9 Memphis Grizzlies: Warriors win to clinch 8-seed, play Utah

Lakers vs. Warriors play is the game we’re all waiting for. The matchup of LeBron vs. Steph has been a rivalry for a large part of the 2010s decade and now carries over into the 2020s. The Lakers have the upper hand talent-wise and are healthy at the moment. Despite Curry most likely dropping 40+, the Lakers should pull this one out. The Grizzlies vs. Spurs game is a lot less anticipated, but the Grizzlies should win this. The Spurs have been through far more playoff experience however, they’re in a rough patch going 2-8 in their last 10 games. The Grizzlies young core of Morant and Jackson can have the energy to put this game away. In the 8-Seed Game, we will see the Warriors vs Grizzlies, a rematch of the final game of the season. In this game, the Warriors came on top with Curry dropping a ridiculous 46 points, and although Curry is capable of doing that again, the game will be a lot closer than people think. In the end, I see Curry closing out the game and the Grizzlies losing as they lack the star power to finish off games like this in the playoffs.

Eastern Conference:

  • #7 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Washington Wizards: Wizards win to clinch 7-seed, play Brooklyn
  • #9 Charlotte Hornets vs. #10 Indiana Pacers: Pacers win to play against Celtics in 8-seed game
  • #7 Boston Celtics vs. #10 Indiana Pacers: Hornets win to clinch 8-seed, play Philadelphia

The Wizards are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and the Celtics seem to be the exact opposite. A spectacular month it’s been for Russell Westbrook as Beal has been on and off with injuries. The Wizards will go into this game with a ton of momentum, and that should carry over into this game, resulting in a Wizards Nets first-round series. The Celtics are just in a rough patch especially losing Jaylen Brown which will hurt their chances to go far in this postseason. The Hornets vs. Pacers game face-off led by rookie LaMelo Ball and the Pacers led by All-Star Domantas Sabonis. The Pacers always seem to be one of those teams that are always slept on, and with Caris LeVert finding his stride, this team can be a real surprise. I have the Pacers winning this game easily, as the Hornets just don’t have the experience or talent to defeat the Pacers in my opinion. Now the 8-Seed Game between the Celtics and the Pacers will be close, and Malcolm Brogdon coming back will be crucial to the Pacers’ success. I have the Pacers winning this game, as they seem to have more well-rounded talent that tops the Celtics.

Nikhil’s Predictions:

Western Conference:

  • #7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Golden State Warriors: Lakers win to clinch 7-seed, play Phoenix
  • #9 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #10 San Antonio Spurs: Spurs win to play against Warriors in 8-seed game
  • #8 Golden State Warriors vs. #10 San Antonio Spurs: Warriors win to clinch 8-seed, play Utah

As much as Steph Curry has lit up the scoring column this season, there simply is not enough depth on the Golden State roster to compete with LeBron, AD, and the rest of the Lakers team. There are a select few teams that Curry’s 32 PPG average during the regular season will not work on, and both Los Angeles teams fall into this category. In a full series, the Warriors could potentially take a couple of games, but this is the new Play-In tournament and its one-game format hurts Golden State’s chances. That being said, I see them beating the Spurs later on in the tournament to get the 8-seed. The Spurs themselves have been the classic uninspiring but somehow steady performers that we know and love, and I see them beating the relatively new and upcoming Grizzlies as well. Thus, I have the Lakers at the 7-seed and Warriors at 8-seed.

Eastern Conference:

  • #7 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Washington Wizards: Wizards win to clinch 7-seed, play Brooklyn
  • #9 Charlotte Hornets vs. #10 Indiana Pacers: Hornets win to play against Celtics in 8-seed game
  • #7 Boston Celtics vs. #9 Charlotte Hornets: Celtics win to clinch 8-seed, play Philadelphia

The Wizards have been one of the hottest teams in the league ever since Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal figured out how to coexist. Starting the season 0-5, being 17-32 in April, and finishing off the rest of the season 17-6 has been one of the best turnarounds this league has seen in a while, and that momentum is enough for me to have them over the sliding Celtics for the 7-seed. The Celtics themselves have been on the decline since Jaylen Brown’s season-ending injury, losing 5 of their last games before the end of the season. That being said, I still see them beating the Hornets for the 8-seed. The Hornets and Pacers are two teams that are on the cusp of becoming household names in the Eastern Conference, yet both are trending in different directions. The Pacers are internally combusting, with players not working with the coaching staff, and coaching staff having a hard time controlling the roster to their liking. Couple that with the rather uninspiring team, it is honestly a surprise that they’ve gotten this far. The Hornets, on the other hand, are building for the future and have a nice squad, and probably would have been higher up in the standings had Gordon Hayward not gone out with injury. The Celtics, however, are still very much the better team and way more put together, enough to propel them over the Hornets for the 8-seed.

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The New Winning NBA Formula: Dynamic Duos for the Win

The 2019 NBA Free Agency was by far the best free agency in NBA history. While it might not have had guys like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade the way the 2010 Free Agency was, it changed the entire complexion of the NBA and created an NBA which is more evenly-balanced than ever. The number of teams that are now contenders is immensely high, as over half of the NBA is in a position to compete for an NBA Championship next season. Here are my thoughts on some of the best new NBA dynamic duos, how they will actually work, and other predictions for the dynamic duos:

D-Lo Will Get Traded, Steph and Klay Will Attempt to Revive the Warriors

I am not in any way saying that D’Angelo Russell is not an elite player or scorer in the NBA, in fact, he is one of the best, but as great of an offensive team as the Warriors have been for the past few years now, they have always relied on defense, especially against the main perimeter players of teams. Whether it has been Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala or Klay and Kevin Durant, they have always had 2 of their 3 perimeter players be elite defenders to make up for the defensive liability that is Stephen Curry. With Russell and Curry, however, in that backcourt, and no small forward who can be a solid perimeter defender, the Warriors defense simply will not work the same. Draymond Green is a great defender, but you cannot expect him to guard other great perimeter scorer’s night in and night out. Russell will be the one who will have to take the fall for Golden State’s defensive struggles, especially with Thompson out until about March. Not only that, but Russell will not be the leader of the team as he was with the Lakers and Nets, so him being able to defer to Curry and Thompson will not be something he is used to.

Kyrie and KD Will Be the Best in the East, But Maybe Not in the NBA

Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury during Game 6 of the NBA Finals which ended his career with the Golden State Warriors and ended his 2019-20 season, in which he will now be a member of the Brooklyn Nets, joining Kyrie Irving. Durant should be back to near his best, if not best form, even coming back from this devastating injury. That being said, it may not be enough to beat teams like the Lakers and Clippers, or even the Bucks, teams with more experience and depth. The Nets, outside of Durant and Kyrie, are very young and have little playoff experience, which may make it difficult for them to win an NBA Championship for a few years but contending shouldn’t be an issue.

LeBron and AD Will Be the Better Duo than PG and Kawhi

Before Paul George had been traded from Oklahoma City to the Clippers for 2 players and an absurd amount of draft picks (5, 4 of which are unprotected), Kawhi Leonard was set on joining the other Los Angeles team, the Lakers, where he would’ve joined LeBron and newly-acquired superstar Anthony Davis, making the next superstar-driven dynasty. However, Kawhi convinced PG to request a trade to the Clippers, and Kawhi joined after the trade. That being said, I think that not only will Davis and LeBron be a better duo, but the Lakers will be the better team. For starters, I think LeBron would be able to defer to Anthony Davis very well and even let Davis be the primary scorer, as there would be less defensive pressure on both of them. While the same would be true for Kawhi and PG, Paul George has struggled in the playoffs for years since leaving Indiana. ‘Playoff P’, as he calls his playoff self, isn’t a very threatening player, and doesn’t compare to ‘Playoff LeBron’. As far as the Lakers being the better LA team, they are simply the deeper and more experienced team, and it poses them as the NBA Finals favorite for years to come. Let the ‘Staples Center Locker Room’ rivalry begin and be the best NBA rivalry for years to come.

 

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Warriors-Raptors: (Finally) An Entertaining NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors will now make their 5thstraight NBA Finals appearance tonight, though for once, they will not have to face the Cleveland Cavaliers or LeBron James. James leaving Cleveland left the Cavs with one of the worst records in the NBA, and a new team to finally take over the throne of the Eastern Conference. Once LeBron left, it became a race between the Toronto Raptors, who had traded for Kawhi Leonard this past summer, the Boston Celtics, who had just made the Eastern Conference Finals and challenged LeBron the season before on his way to his 8thstraight NBA Finals appearance, and the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and during the season traded for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. No one expected the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokuonmpo, to have an MVP-caliber season and lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would play Toronto. Toronto, however, having been down 2-0 to start the series, won the next 4 to take the series in 6 and go to the NBA Finals. The Warriors had a somewhat difficult path to the Finals this year, with a near first-round scare from the LA Clippers. The Warriors had a 1-0 lead in the series and were looking to make it 2-0 when they were up by 31 in the 3rdquarter, but lo and behold, the All-Star-less Clippers won that game. Then, when the Warriors were up 3-1 and looking to close it out in their building, the Clippers won again. Since then, the Warriors beat the Rockets in what was a surprisingly short series against the Rockets, where they won in 6 games (short considering how the Rockets were expected to take the series to 7), and then they swept the Portland Trail Blazers. Along the way, they ended up losing DeMarcus Cousins in the first round, who will be back tonight, and Kevin Durant in the Western Conference Semifinals, who will be out for at least tonight and Game 2 (I do not expect him to be healthy and playing this series). Here is what I think will happen in this intriguing NBA Finals.

The Series Depends on Kevin Durant

In the last 32 games that Golden State has played without Kevin Durant and with Stephen Curry, they have a 31-1 record. The last 32 games with them both, the Warriors are 21-11. Yet despite all the crazy thoughts and ideas that people have, saying that the Warriors are better without Kevin Durant as opposed to with him, they are definitely better with Durant in the lineup. With Kevin Durant, there is less movement without the ball by the players, and more movement with the ball, which stems from Durant’s ability to create separation from defenders and get open shots. Durant being there allows for Golden State to play slower, but play more effectively, and put more value into each possession, with his bonafide scoring ability. While I do not expect Durant to play, but if he does, and he does before Game 7, the Warriors will be overwhelming favorites to win the series.

Marc Gasol Will Outplay Demarcus Cousins

It has been no secret that Demarcus Cousins’ injury history has finally taken a toll on him, and that should be an area where Toronto should have the advantage. The Warriors have the advantage right now at shooting guard with Klay Thompson being better than Danny Green, point guard with Curry being better than Kyle Lowry, and then power forward and small forward matchups are close to even, with Draymond Green and Pascal Siakam being rather evenly matched, and Kawhi and KD being evenly matched as well. But what can give Toronto a huge boost is the defensive prowess and improved shooting of Marc Gasol, who can also tire out Demarcus Cousins very quickly due to his lack of movement and speed due to his injuries. I fully expect Raptors Coach Nick Nurse to use Gasol as the second scoring option behind Kawhi, and I fully expect Gasol to take advantage.

The Warriors Bench Needs to Play Valuable Minutes… and Make Valuable Use of Them

The Warriors bench, I think everyone can agree, is certainly not better than that of Toronto, led by Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell, but the Warriors do have experience in NBA Finals games. The bench, led by Andre Iguodala, who has been with the Warriors for all of the past 5 years, will need guys like Quinn Cook, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Damian Jones to match up with the likes of Ibaka, VanVleet, and Powell. As good as Curry, Green, and Thompson have been these playoffs, this is the NBA Finals, and these guys will need rest each game, so these guys better be ready. I know Toronto’s guys will be considering how much they have relied on this postseason. Golden State’s bench better match that.

Drake Will Frustrate Golden State

The NBA’s greatest fan currently is certainly going to be a big discussion point in these Finals. Drake was arrogantly called out by Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer in the Eastern Conference Finals and said Drake was a ‘distraction’. So, are guys like Spike Lee, who has been at Knicks games for 20+ years, not? Just because Drake is a passionate, flamboyant fan, does not mean that he is a distraction. That being said, the world is full of petty people, and Golden State will feel frustrated by the antics he pulls during this series.

Despite All That…

The Warriors will probably still win. Simply put, there is no way that Kyle Lowry and Danny Green can stop Curry and Thompson. IF Durant does not come back and IF Toronto doesn’t lose any home games, they will win in 7. My expectation is that Golden State will lose Game 5 at Toronto, go back home, and win in 6. So yes, my prediction is Warriors in 6, but I sure hope I am wrong, and it is Raptors in 7. This will be a great and entertaining series, and certainly a series where you cannot count Toronto out.

 

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The THRILLogy Continues: Cavaliers-Warriors Part III

On June 4, 2015, the Golden State Warriors played the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, with the Warriors looking to put a storybook ending to their odds-defying season. On June 16, 2015, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers played Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals, with the Warriors winning the game and the NBA Finals that year. June 2, 2016, they met for the 2nd consecutive Finals. This one came down to 7 games, with Cleveland winning their first NBA Finals ever, and bringing the city of Cleveland their first championship in a professional sport in 52 years. On June 1, 2017, they will meet again for the 3rd straight year, the first time in NBA history that the same two teams have played each other three consecutive years. Here is some history of the last 2 NBA Finals, and my prediction for who wins it this year:

The History of the THRILLogy

2015: The Golden State Warriors had a league-best 67-15 record, while the Cleveland Cavaliers returned to the playoffs with a 53-29 record in LeBron James’s first year back with the team since leaving for the Miami Heat in 2010. The teams split their season series 1 game apiece, and had an easy path to the NBA Finals. The Warriors won the Finals in 6 games despite LeBron nearly averaging a triple-double in large part due to the fact that Cleveland’s second star, Kyrie Irving, injured his knee in overtime in Game 1, making the Warriors job on defense easy, having one less guy to worry about, since Kevin Love had gotten injured earlier in the playoffs (both would be out for the rest of the playoffs). This win showed the versatility of the Warriors, as league-MVP Stephen Curry had a rough series, but guys like Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, and Andre Iguodala stepped up (Iggy was the Finals MVP). This also showed that LeBron James, as inhuman as he played that series (averaging 35.8 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game, and 8.8 assists per game), could not lead the team alone, and if the Cavs were healthy, they could win again if they made it back.

2016: Golden State played even better in the regular season, finishing with a 73-9 record, the best regular season record ever (most wins in a regular season). Stephen Curry averaged 30.1 points per game, 6.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game on his way to winning back-to-back MVPs, and becoming the first player ever to win the league MVP unanimously. LeBron, Kyrie, and Kevin Love combined to score an average of 61 points per game to lead their team. Both teams strolled through their conferences, and met again in the Finals. As we know, Golden State blew a 3-1 lead, and the rest is history.

This Year

Cleveland and Golden State started off well, and the Warriors continued it, as they got Kevin Durant in free agency on July 4th. Cleveland ended the season after the All-Star Break with a losing record, and people began to doubt them. The Warriors went 12-0 on their way to the Finals, and Cleveland went 12-1. Now, they meet again and are much better teams. This is the toughest test of LeBron James’ career, but with him on the team, LeBron can easily make this a series. James will outplay Durant, Kyrie will outplay Curry, Tristan Thompson will outplay Zaza Pachulia, and Kevin Love will outplay Draymond Green. So it comes down to Klay Thompson vs. JR Smith, and the benches. The Cavaliers bench has a lot more versatility than the Warriors bench, by acquiring Kyle Korver and Deron Williams in February, and on the Warriors side Klay has been very erratic. Last year, the Cavaliers left guys like Harrison Barnes open on shots to be able to play other guys on defense. This year, that guy will be Klay, as he is only shooting 36%. In the end, LeBron outplaying Durant is the biggest part of the reason that I believe Cleveland will repeat. Cleveland in 7. LeBron is the MVP, possibly the GOAT, and KD goes from potential all-time great to a guy who is a superstar with no credentials who made a weak move to leave the OKC Thunder to go to Golden State, the team that prevented him from going to the NBA Finals last year.

 

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The NBA Finals: Why Both Teams Can Win, And Who Will Actually Win?

When Kyrie Irving went down for Cleveland in Game 1, people thought that the league’s best team, the Golden State Warriors, led by MVP Stephen Curry, would sweep the Cavs. But in Game 2, LeBron James, the best basketball player on the planet, annihilated Golden State. Matthew Dellavedova led Cleveland in Game 3. Then, it happened. Steve Kerr, coach of the Warriors, lied to the media about the starting lineup, and put veteran small forward Andre Iguodala in for Andrew Bogut. Iggy, who had not started the entire year, and was guarding LeBron, led the team to a Game 4 win. Now, it’s a best of 3. Here is why both could win, and who will actually win.

How Cleveland Can Win

LeBron James, the greatest player on Earth, plays for Cleveland, not Miami (sadly). He single-handedly has taken 2 of the first 4 games. He has led the team, but Matthew Dellavedova (aka Delly) on defense, and J.R. Smith on offense has helped out majorly with helping out James. LeBron and Co. will lose Game 5 (Sunday, June 14, 2015 on ABC), but they will win Games 6 and 7 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015, and Friday, June 19, 2015, respectively, both on ABC). Also, coach David Blatt needs to play more players in this series (he’s only played 8). Play Shawn Marion and Kendrick Perkins, who’ve won NBA Finals (with the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics, respectively). I mean, they made big-time trades to get these guys, so you’d might as well play them. If Blatt figures out a way to fit them into the offense along with LeBron, and also if LeBron can give out a ‘magic touch’ to his teammates, then maybe they can win this thing. It will be a difficult task, but they should be able to figure this who scenario out. They’ll win in 7.

How Golden State Can Win

Yo! Cleveland fans, remember 2007, when LeBron was solo-mio? Well Cleveland, those memories will haunt you guys forever. Sure, Kobe was the best player on Earth then, but still, he can’t lead them to a series win, especially against Golden State. Steph Curry is still the MVP, and Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, HB (Harrison Barnes), and Andre Iguodala have played magnificently, especially in the new lineup. LeBron has lost only two Game 6’s in his entire career, and none at ‘The Q’ (Quicken Loans Arena, in Cleveland), so winning Game 6 will be almost impossible for Golden State, since it is in ‘The Q’, but Games 5 and 7 in Oakland (Oracle Arena, in Oakland), will be guaranteed for Golden State to win in 7.

Now Seriously, Who Will ACTUALLY Win?

Golden State will win this in 7 games. I feel that the new lineup by Steve Kerr, and the tired and old legs of Cleveland won’t be able to stop this lineup of Golden State’s. Sure, they can play those vets, but Golden State has their own vets off the bench, such as Shawn Livingston and Leandro Barbosa will prove to be the X-factors, and Curry will show LeBron why he wasn’t the MVP (LeBron said after Game 3 that it is his “extra motivation” to win the NBA Finals). MVP: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors