Golden State Warriors: 2015 NBA Finals Preview
Experience vs. Fresh Blood
I’ll come right out and say it: the Golden State Warriors are the better team. They’re deeper, they’re better defensively, their starting five is better, their head coach is better, their home-court advantage is formidable and if all goes according to plan, the Dubs will be world champions in 2-3 weeks.
But nobody has ever won a championship on paper, so it’s worth noting that the Warriors have exactly ZERO players on the roster with NBA Finals experience.
Warriors don't have one player with NBA Finals experience. @EliasSports says no team has won it all with such a roster since MJ's first ring
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 27, 2015
This is LeBron James’ huge advantage, and it’s the reason I wouldn’t even be remotely surprised if the Dubs drop one of their first two home games of the series. The Cavaliers may be a one-man show, but they have players who’ve been here before. The Warriors, for all their veteran experience and talent, don’t.
Yes, technically speaking, Mike Miller and James Jones are the only Cavs with Finals experience, but don’t forget the last time we counted Mike Miller out in a Finals series (I’m still sorry that happened to you, Oklahoma City Thunder fans).
But when the one player on the court with the most Finals experience just so happens to be the league’s best player/cold-blooded killer who’s been carrying his team all postseason, that doesn’t bode well for the Warriors if they come out timid.
That Oracle crowd is going to go BALLISTIC at the start of Game 1. This team hasn’t been here in 40 years, after all. But a drought like that and all the expectation that comes with it could lead to a ton of nervous energy in the series opener, and if you’re LeBron James, you’re coming out in Game 1 looking to steal a road game right away and take advantage of any nerves. The Dubs need to build a lead to make sure the pressure doesn’t get to them.
Warriors improved to 56-0 this season (regular season and postseason) when holding a lead of at least 15 points at any time in a game.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 28, 2015
The Warriors got off to a slow start in almost every game of the Western Conference Finals, and they won’t want to do that against a shark who can smell blood in the water like LeBron. Can you imagine the overwhelming pressure that could result from the deafening silence of a nervous home crowd if the Warriors get off to slow start in Game 1?
This team has faced adversity before, but never like this. Golden State doesn’t need to win both home games to win the championship…but losing Game 1 for a team that’s 46-3 at home this season would put WAY too much pressure on a group that’s never been here before. The question is, how long will it take the better team to get rid of those butterflies and start playing like it?
Next: Slowing King James