The LeBron James vs. Steph Curry narrative will dominate the broader headlines, but the two players will rarely square off, head-to-head, on the court. These individual matchups within the series will define and decide it.
LeBron vs. the clone army
James remains one of the top players in the game, even if he has crested his peak at age 30. He’s hit more shots from the field (149) than anyone this postseason, but has also taken by far the most (348), good for less than a 43 percent rate. That isn’t going to fly against Golden State, who will defend him with an army of versatile athletes with similar dimensions and skill sets.
The Warriors play a switch-heavy defense to keep from falling out of position, and can easily switch Harrison Barnes (who will likely be assigned to James) out with Klay Thompson or Draymond Green, or with bench players Andre Iguadala, Shaun Livingston, or Marreese Speights. Golden State will do everything it can to avoid LeBron’s attempts to take its defenders one-on-one, or force help defenders to sag, allowing him to kick to open jump shooters. Cleveland will have to find other ways to score points to keep up with the Warriors.
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
The battle of the benches
While postseason rotations are invariably shorter than they are in the regular season, Golden State’s ability to run up to 10 quality, productive players out to keep stars fresh has proved key during the playoff grind. The contributions of Iguadala, still one of the league’s best defenders, have been enormous, especially in facilitating James Harden’s “cripple double” in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, in which the Beard had more turnovers (13) than field goal attempts (11). On the other side of the ball, Shaun Livingston (series high +49 vs. Rockets) and Leandro Barbosa (5 ppg in just 11 mpg) have both provided key offensive production with Curry and Thompson resting.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland bench has been unexpectedly good, but is much thinner. Can Matthew Dellavedova and James Jones continue to add 12 points per game to the bottom line? Or will the Dellavedova point guard experiment go up in flames as quickly as it did for the Memphis Grizzlies with Nick Calathes when he took over for the injured Mike Conley?
(AP Photo/Ronald Martinez)
AP Photo/Ronald Martinez
The Splash Brothers vs. history
No guard has won his first MVP and championship since Bob Cousy in 1957. The last time a team with a pair of guards leading the scoring charge won a title was the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons, with a backcourt of Rip Hamilton (17.6 ppg) and Chauncey Billups (16.9 ppg). But those two ranked second and fourth on the team in PER — both under 19 — as the Pistons were far more balanced a starting five. Curry has posted a ludicrous 28.0 PER, with Thompson at 20.8. Curry has already set the NBA playoff record for 3-pointers, and the two have combined for nearly 49 points per game on 43 percent shooting from behind the arc this postseason.
But what if they stop making shots?
That’s the question the doubters keep asking. But Thompson hit just 4-of-22 three-pointers in the first three games against the Rockets and the Warriors won each one (thanks to Curry’s combined 18-for-31). Curry hit only 3-of-11 in Game 5, but Thompson sank 4-of-6 to help put the series away. The only thing that’s stopped them so far has been Trevor Ariza’s best Dellavedova impressions. And unless the Cleveland guard plans on reprising his role as a cheap-shot villain once more, the Cavs need to do more than hope the Splash Brothers simply go cold.
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
David Blatt vs. his superstar
It’s hard to remember a coach that has been usurped as publicly by his star as Blatt has by James. There’s little question to most outside observers who is really running the Cavs, an issue they’ve been able to skirt thanks to the fact that they haven’t been seriously challenged thus far in the postseason. When push comes to shove, if Cleveland falls into an early hole or needs to design a last-second set, will the simmer boil over?
(AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
AP Photo/Ron Schwane
Harrison Barnes vs. his potential
Barnes has spent his entire career trying to live up to the reputation he built for himself before he ever played a minute as a professional. On a team full of skilled, freakishly athletic wings, he’s the most freakishly athletic, if not the most skilled. After becoming a starter — a role in which he is naturally forced to take a back seat to the Splash Brothers — Barnes has blossomed into one of the best role players in the league, one capable of taking over a game when the moment calls for it.
He has the strength to back down a smaller player, the quickness to blow past a bigger one, the acumen to guard an elite scorer and the open court speed to outrun an entire team in transition. He does all of these things just in the sub-2:00 video above. And now, he can shoot, too. Barnes’ effective field goal percentage jumped from 46.4 percent in his first two seasons to 54.8 percent this year, 12th best in the association (Curry was 2nd, Thompson 10th).
Curry is the brand name, Thompson the worthy 1A. Green has emerged as crowd favorite and all-around menace. But ignore Barnes at your own risk.
(AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Kyrie Irving vs. his knee
No team is fully healthy this time of year, as Curry and Thompson can well attest. But the most impactful injury to any player still remaining (sorry, Kevin Love) is that to Irving’s knee. Up against the top defense in the association, the Cavs would love another option that can create off the dribble to complement LeBron.
The Cavs beat Golden State in Cleveland back in late February, 110-99, on the back of a 42-point performance from James with Irving pitching in an additional 24. The Splash Brothers combined to go just 10-for-30 from the field, scoring only 31 points. Just how effective Irving can be will go a long way toward Cleveland’s shot of pulling the upset.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Riley Curry vs. Stephen Curry
If the Cavs can’t stop the MVP, they will join the list of teams unable to do so all season and postseason. In fact, only one person seems to have been able to throw Curry off his game — his daughter Riley. If we see a lot of Riley in the Finals, it will mean crotchety, self-aggrandizing sports writers losing their minds, and the Warriors taking home the title.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
WASHINGTON — Regardless of the end result, this year brought a sea change in the NBA. Yes, LeBron James has led an Eastern Conference team back to the Finals for the fifth consecutive year, but the west has been irrevocably shaken up, and the nature of the game itself has shifted perceptibly.
The Warriors in particular have taken the Spurs’ European style of pass-happy ball movement, distilled it down and added a new level of potency with some of the best sharpshooting the game has ever seen. Would you expect anything else from a team coached by former Spur and the greatest three-point shooter ever? More so, why would Jackson expect anything different?
But back to the series at hand. No matter who wins, one franchise will end a decades-long championship drought. The Warriors haven’t worn the crown since 1975, 40 years ago. The Cavs, who played their first season in 1970-71, have never been champions.
It also pits the current MVP against a former one, against a player many still believe is the best in the game. And while the LeBron vs. Steph Curry narrative will dominate the broader headlines, as players the two will rarely square off, head-to-head, on the court. The individual matchups within the series will define and decide it.
With that in mind, see each of the biggest matchups to watch for above, and enjoy what ought to be a terrific NBA Finals.
