Like so many Steph Curry threes, the confetti has fallen, the parade route is planned and the Warriors are the NBA champions for the first time in forty years. Golden State lead the league from wire to wire, never relenting their stranglehold on the overall standings, even ranking highest in both offensive and defensive efficiency. It shouldn’t be surprising that they made it through the powerhouse western conference and overcame a woefully depleted Cleveland Cavaliers, but many NBA fans waited to see if the small-ball, positionless, three point shooters from the Bay could pull it off. Boy did they. Standing in their way to basketball immortality was a titan of the sport, the perfectly formed bully-ball weapon, Lebron James. Despite the Warriors magnificence it would be nothing short of a travesty to not at least acknowledge the wizardry of Ohio’s native son. Yet, in the end, there was little even Lebron could do to prevent the Warriors from claiming their second Finals championship.
Steve Kerr’s team existed on an amorphous plane, constantly adjust and fluctuating, but all the while retaining it’s core values. The Warriors remained ardent in their belief in three point shooting, one on one defense and a reliance on the pick and roll and dribble hand off. This created all the space needed for the man with the quickest release in the NBA, Steph Curry. Once he awoke from his vegemite induced coma, realizing his defender had no business trying to keep him in check, that is.
“Delly” was an interesting story for the first third of the Finals, but didn’t we all know it couldn’t last? Eventually the cream rose to the top and the Australian playing, in all likelihood, the best basketball of his life, reverted back to form. Good on him though.
Tristan Thompson grabbed offensive rebounds at will, creating countless second chances for the Lebrons. He proved to be a valued member of the team and will leave Cavaliers GM David Griffin with quite a bit to think about this off season, especially in regards to the status of Kevin Love. Mozgov was serviceable, but for the Cavs, this series rested squarely on the shoulders of Lebron James. The kid from Akron put on a truly virtuoso performance, leaving no debate as to who is the greatest in the game today.
The Cavliers shortened their rotation throughout the series, eventually opting for a seven man lineup, with extended minutes for Lebron James. This would prove costly. By the end of the Finals it was evident to all who laid witness, the Cavliers had run out of gas, including their usually indefatigable superstar. Indeed, this was the outcome the Warriors expected. Often beginning games laying in wait, seemingly allowing Cleveland to pump up the crowd and go on early runs leading to frequent first quarter leads. Once the Warriors figured them out, those Cleveland leads were never to last.
The Warriors reinvented their lineup halfway through the Series, injected the much needed Andre Iguodala, who later become Finals MVP, into the starting lineup and relegating Andrew Bogut to cheerleading duty. Just when you thought the Warriors couldn’t go any smaller, they threw all caution to the wind, placing Draymond Green at center, surrounding him with four guards, the epitome of small ball. It was this commitment to scheme that carried the Warriors to the highest point in the NBA. A team wide agreement, a promise to give in to the system and exist within it would lead them past the best player in the world, even when he seemed nigh unstoppable.
The Warriors are a young team and are likely to retain Draymond Green, not their best player, but the lynchpin of their defensive identity and small ball capabilities. But NBA futures and trends are never certain. How long will it be before they Warriors are forced to shift to alternate techniques? Will they have the personnel to make said shifts? Don’t be surprised if it’s Golden State forcing those very changes. For all of their strengths, one of their greatest is their brain trust. A willing owner, a proven gm and a head coach whose prowess belies his years on the job. They’ve also got this guy named Steph Curry and he’s only 27. Whatever happens it should be pretty fun to watch.
