Golden State Warriors: 2015 NBA Finals Preview
Role Players
Championships aren’t only determined by superstars, however. Many times, role players who step up and have a big game/series can ultimately help decide who wins the title. If that’s the case in this matchup, the Dubs have more options on that front.
At various points in the postseason, we’ve seen quite a few Warriors step up off the bench. Livingston, Iguodala, Festus Ezeli and Leandro Barbosa have ALL stepped up at various points in this postseason, and that’s before we mention the two-way X-factor potential of guys like Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut and, of course, Draymond Green.
Harrison Barnes is the Warriors like 4th/5th best player. That's scary. And it's the perfect role for him.
— E’Twaun Paramoore (@Marco_Romo) May 28, 2015
The Cavs have also seen their fair share of X-factors step up. Tristan Thompson turned into a double-double machine, gobbling up offensive rebounds, making hustle plays and providing a ton of defensive energy to fill the Kevin Love void at power forward. He doesn’t spread the floor, but he’s made Cleveland a much better defensive team.
Dellavedova has been a pest defensively and has knocked down open looks when he’s gotten them. Shumpert has had a heat check or two and if J.R. Smith gets it going from three-point range, he’s capable of winning Cleveland a game by himself.
Since Iman Shumpert's Cavs debut on 1/23, GSW and CLE ranked 1 and 2 in win %, 1 and 3 in net rating, 2 and 1 in offensive rating.
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 28, 2015
But if you’re telling me the Cavaliers need Smith to have two or even three games like that without showcasing the “bad J.R. Smith” we see from time to time…that Dellavedova needs to continue playing like this against the best team in the league…and that Shumpert will need to knock down open looks for the Cavs to win this series, I don’t like where this is going for Cleveland.
And that’s before we remember that Kyrie Irving is still banged up/playing in his first Finals, as well as the fact that Draymond Green might make it his life’s mission to keep Thompson off the offensive glass. How the Cavaliers’ bench looks against a legitimate NBA contender could play a major factor in how competitive this series becomes.
Next: Three Major X-Factors