A dynasty vs. the future face of the NBA.
Part two of the groove.
This is one of the most unique conference finals matchups in my lifetime and when observing both of these teams, you can’t help but be amazed how both of these teams ended up here. Yet, here they are, and either the team of the 2010s is extending their dominance or a team led by a young superstar begins leaving their fingerprints on history.
Any basketball fan knows exactly what the Golden State Warriors have accomplished since 2015. Three NBA Championships. Five NBA Finals appearances. Yet, this team is much different than any of its previous championship runs.
Yes, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are all still there. They are all still great. With those previous teams, their supporting casts were filled with veterans. This supporting cast, led by third-year guard Jordan Poole, feeds their superstar veterans the extra energy they have needed in these playoffs.
The Dallas Mavericks just beat the best team in the NBA record-wise in the Phoenix Suns, by 33 points, in game 7. On the road. The score doesn’t accurately reflect how much of a beatdown they put down.
Guard Luka Dončić is continually showing us that he’s a once-in-a-generation talent. Dončić averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7 assists per game in their upset victory over the Suns. What’s great about his performance in the playoffs this year is that he’s willingly letting his teammates get involved and catch their own rhythm. Backcourt mate Jalen Brunson has helped ease the offensive load from Dončić and Forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber have made teams pay when they leave them open for three.
Keys to Victory
Neither teams’ keys to victory are too complicated, both teams play a different style of offense and whoever executes better will win. Sometimes it’s that simple.
Golden State
Golden State is notorious for turning over the basketball too much, and this postseason is no different. Averaging 15.3 per game, they have been toeing the line and have bailed themselves out by timely, clutch shooting. Dallas’ defense is too strong to turn it over that much and it not result in losses.
Steph Curry has struggled (by his standards) shooting the ball this postseason, and the Warriors need a vintage Steph performance this series to get them over the hump. Klay Thompson has been as inconsistent as a great player can be, and Draymond Green has been a zero factor when it comes to scoring. All three need to be sharp and efficient in their own ways.
Defensively is what scares me. They have no guards for Dončić’s size, and I imagine he and the other Maverick guards will post up Curry, Thompson, and Poole consistently, or try to get them in iso situations and attack one-on-one. If you are the Warriors, figuring out if you want to help on those drives and leave shooters open or let Dončić score 40 a game and hold off the others is the most important thing on the defensive end.
Dallas
Dallas’ five-out offense has been impossible to stop. There isn’t not much teams can do when there’s zero Mavs players in the paint and allowing Dončić to work with all that space and their shooters are making defenses pay when they leave them open. I’ve mentioned the others playing a big part in their success, but Luka controls it all. It’s incredible. He’s an incredible player and he’s only 23(!) years old.
Defensively, their size on the wings has allowed them to go small and not lose any leverage. Granted, Golden State’s guards are much more proficient from outside the three-point line than Phoenix, so as their defense expands, it remains to be seen if their success can hold up.
Prediction
Everything I wrote above was on Tuesday night, and I had to sleep on this prediction. This series will have everything you’re looking for as a fan and unless you root for these teams every night, no outcome should upset you. That being said…
Golden State survives. Barely.
Warriors in 7.
Enjoy the series!
JB Sports Talk 