2015 NBA Finals are fast approaching, much to many NBA fans delight. The two teams that just about everyone wanted to be in the final showdown are right where we have them. The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are facing off pitting two MVP’s, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, against each other.
Now with the finals just around the corner, it’s time that Def Pen’s NBA team gives you the lowdown on what to expect for the 2015 NBA Finals.
David
Warriors in 6
The Cavs have done well to make the finals despite injuries to Kevin Love’s should and Kyrie Irving’s legs. However, the finals is as far as they will go. The Warriors are just a better team, plain and simple. I’ve heard many say throughout the season that the Warriors won’t win a championship because they’re a jump-shooting team, and that they live and die by the 3. However, that’s an oversimplification. The Warriors aren’t just the best shooting team in the league, they’re the best defensive team as well. They’ll have their hands full guarding LeBron, but this Warriors team will just be too much for Cleveland. Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut are the best defensive frontcourt in the NBA, and the Splash Bros are much improved defensively.
Another reason why the Warriors will take down the Cavs is their depth. The Warriors are arguably the deepest team in the league, and Cleveland’s bench won’t be able to keep up, despite improved play from Dellavedova and J.R. Smith. Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and co will be too much, especially on the defensive end. The Cavs have done a great job this postseason, but they will fall short of a championship. LeBron James will likely be able to hero-ball his way to a win or 2, but no more than that.
Martin
Warriors in 7
What’s so difficult about this Finals prediction is knowing that both the Warriors and Cavaliers have yet to face an opponent such as the other in these playoffs. Both teams endured brief stints of tests during their respective runs, but the Warriors have yet to face such a resistance as LeBron James, and vise versa. Even though the Cavs have shown an insane amount of collective toughness and determination, and even though LeBron James is ultimately the dominant anomaly in this equation, I’m still inclined to pick the better and deeper team. My pick is mostly inspired by the depth chart. I think Golden State’s reserves will outweigh Cleveland’s in production and diversity and it will give the Warriors the edge that they need to win games in this series. I think this will be where we see the Cavs struggle the most without Kevin Love, particularly on the offensive end, and I’m not confident enough that they can beat Golden State without a 100% Kyrie Irving.
Es
Warriors in 7
The warriors will win, but it will be close. The current MVP will face off against a former MVP, Stephen Curry & LeBron James. It isn’t that matchup that will be the deciding factor though. The Warriors are the more collective team and well-oiled team, and that is why they will win against the Cavaliers in 7 games.
The series will be all about how the Warriors will deal with the pressure that the NBA Finals and LeBron James put on them. For the Cavaliers it will be how to stop the Warriors, and in that regard, they won’t be successful, because as much as both teams like to shoot, the Cavaliers don’t stand a chance against the Warriors shooting. Checkmate.
Kyle
Cavs in 6
I feel like I am in the minority with my pick. Yes the Warriors had the best record this season and never lose at home, I also know that they have been the hottest team in the playoffs and they have this years MVP. However there is still something they don’t have, LeBron James.
Yes, it’s only one player, and LeBron was on the team who lost the finals last year but he is a huge match up problem for Golden State. Golden State has lights out shooters but the Cavs have been deadly from behind the arc as well this post season with JR Smith is shooting 40% from downtown and Kyrie Irving at 48% in 12 games. Now add LeBron James overall talent and experience to that.
The last time these two teams played, LeBron droped 48 points and 11 rebounds in a 110-99 Cavs win. Stephen Curry was 5-17 from the field and Klay Thompson 5-14. Again I know the Warriors have been the hottest team in the league, but until I witness it, I can’t trust a team that lives and dies by the jump shot. We’ve seen the Splash Brothers go cold before and when that happens Golden State gets in trouble.
I expect to see the Kyrie Irving vs Stephen Curry match up early in the series, but when it comes down to crunch time, I guarantee you the Cavs will make the switch and put LeBron on Curry. Yes Steph maybe the greatest shooter we’ve ever seen but with LeBron guarding him, that’s a huge mismatch that favors the Cavs. So now the Warriors will need to rely on Klay Thompson, who yes is a great shooter, but also shows inconstantly a lot, Harrison Barnes or Draymond Green. They are all great players but not ready to carry the load down the stretch. Experience in any sport is so underrated when chasing championships and the Warriors don’t have any other than their rookie head coach Steve Kerr who won five rings as a player.
The Cavs have experience on their side, plus a huge mismatch which is in their favor which is why they will win the NBA Finals.
Emeka
Warriors in 6
Steve Kerr has previous playoff experience at the NBA level, so there’s familiarity with the pressure and approach to certain in-game scenarios during the course of the series. Even though he is facing a fellow rookie coach in David Blatt, I feel Kerr will make adjustments faster down the stretch which could easily affect an outcome of a game. The Warriors also have a solid and deep bench that is versatile enough to match up against anything Cleveland throws at them. If this series goes 7 games, look out for a barrage of 3’s.
Charlie
Warriors In 5
On the 24th of October I made my first bet ever. I put £5 on the Golden State Warriors to win it all. I had them at 33/1. You’d have to run through the Sahara desert to get a deal like that today. Anyways, I’ve had the Warriors all year and I have not lost confidence in them, they win comfortably and when they lose, they find out what’s wrong and then win some more. 5 games. That is no disrespect to LeBron James, believe it or not. But basketball is a team game and Golden State have the best team in the league. Oh and what happened last season? Oh that’s right. The best TEAM beat the best PLAYER. And I rate the Warriors way more than I do with the Spurs. Warriors in 5. Draymond MVP for locking up LeBron. Book it.
