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Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 4 vs. Cavaliers

By Gerald Bourguet

Jun 10, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Andre Iguodala (9) celebrate after a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 10, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Andre Iguodala (9) celebrate after a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Golden State Warriors
Jun 10, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) exchanges words with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors won 108-97. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

5. The Finals MVP Will Be….Anyone?

The 2016 NBA Finals aren’t over just yet, but through the first four games of the series, we’re no closer to having any idea who should deserve the NBA Finals MVP Award.

This feels similar to last year’s Finals, when LeBron James was clearly the best player in the series and Stephen Curry put up great numbers late in the Finals to skew his averages, but neither won the vote because one was on the losing side and the other wasn’t consistently great enough.

At this point, there are a few players that could — and might have to — make a strong case in Game 5 (and beyond, if the Cavaliers manage to overcome the odds and beat the Dubs at Oracle Arena Monday night).

Through the first four games of the series, here are the top candidates for the Finals MVP Award:

  1. Draymond Green — Averaging 14.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game with a +9.0 point differential, Green has probably been the Warriors’ most consistent player with the decent-looking numbers. That 28-point outburst in Game 2 and his status as the team’s emotional leader helps his case far more than his .417/.318/.706 shooting splits do. Plus, can you imagine the Twitter outrage? It’d be fantastic.
  2. Stephen Curry — Would another monster performance in a Game 5 clincher be enough after dropping a 38-6-5-2 stat line in Game 4? Curry’s averages for the series — 21.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, .438/.447/.929 shooting — aren’t great by Curry standards, but they’re probably the best raw numbers any Warriors player has to offer. Then again, that wasn’t enough last year either.
  3. Andre Iguodala — Iguodala’s impact on this series extends far beyond his 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game indicate, even if his .500/.385/.333 shooting splits are fairly impressive. His defense on LeBron and his team-high +13.5 point differential might give him a realistic shot at earning back-to-back Finals MVP honors if he has a big Game 4.
  4. LeBron James — Despite not “dominating” a single game in this series, LeBron is still averaging a gargantuan 24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. But if he didn’t win it last year when he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game and singlehandedly carried the Cavs, he won’t win it this year in another loss — especially with those 5.8 turnovers per game sticking out like a sore thumb.
  5. Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston, co-MVPs — HEY, A GUY CAN DREAM, CAN’T HE?

Next: No. 4

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