NBA Finals Takeaways Pt. 2
Pivotal Game 5 in Golden State
After dropping home-court advantage to the Celtics in Game 1 of the Finals, Golden State managed to take Game 4 in Boston behind Steph Curry’s dazzling 43–10–4 performance. In NBA history, when the series is tied, 2–2, the winner of Game 5 goes on to win the series over 80% of the time. Boston hasn’t lost back-to-back playoff games this entire post-season; however, the longer this series goes, the more experience will matter for both the players and the coaching battle. Can Steph will the Warriors to another win, or will Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown take Game 5 and head back to Boston with a lead?
How the Warriors Bounced Back
After Game 3 of the Finals in Boston, the Warriors looked undersized and undermanned to the giant Celtics team who can play defense and stretch the floor. The Warriors got out-rebounded by 16 while giving up nine more offensive boards, leading to 22 second-chance points for Boston, twice as many as Golden State. This looked like a giant red flag for the Warriors and something that could cost them the series. The pressure was on Steve Kerr to figure something out for the Warriors to fix the issue, and one of the greatest coaches of all time delivered.
While many thought Kevon Looney needed to play more to help the rebounding issue, Steve Kerr took him out of the starting lineup, moved Draymond Green to the Center spot, and inserted Otto Porter Jr. into the first unit. (I’m convinced Otto Porter Jr is one of Wilt Chamberlain’s many long-lost kids. If you don’t get the joke, it’s probably for the best). Otto Porter must have had some sleepovers with Curry over the playoffs, as the forward is 7/11 so far from behind the arch in the Finals.
Most would think this lineup gave the Warriors the ability to get down the floor and run in the short time Boston plays big men Robert Williams and Al Horford together to start games. However, the Warriors finished the game with just eight fast-break points. With such a glaring weakness on the boards, the Warriors went even smaller to start Game 4 but out-rebounded Boston by 13 by the final buzzer. How? Steph Curry snagged ten boards, Wiggins grabbed a game-high 16, while Looney had 11 off the bench.
Curry has always been an underrated rebounder, averaging over five boards in six of the last seven seasons. This allowed Steph to have the ball in his hands even more, eventually leading to his 26 shots and 43 points (read my first Finals update to see how I pin-point predicted that one). The Warriors scored seven more second-chance points and won the game by 10.
Point Steve Kerr
Updated Score
Kerr 2 (Rebounding — Game 4, Relaxing on double-teaming Tatum — Game 2)
Udoka 1 (Letting Tatum be a facilitator — Game 1)
— Read Finals Update 1 to read more into the coaching battle.
Game 5, 6, and the Possibility of 7
If Udoka can’t figure out a way to make someone else besides Steph beat them, this series will be over in 6. Kerr sees Draymond and Klay aren’t the players they used to be, and Poole can only play a limited amount of minutes because of his defense (Steve Kerr is going to lock Jordan Poole in a weight room this summer until he gains seven pounds of muscle — per source). For what feels like the first time in their dynasty, the Warriors are solely putting their trust in Steph’s scoring to win it all.
Like I’ve already said in my past Finals articles, if the Warriors win the series, it’ll have to be the best finals performance Steph has ever had. Nothing can hurt Steph’s legacy at this point, but this Championship could certainly be the most important for him. It’ll be the title with the least help along with his best numbers, all at the age of 34. The argument for Top-10 all time is undoubtedly on the table and positively something every sports talk show in America will be discussing. I guarantee someone will say he’s better than Michael Jordan and Lebron James if they win this title. My guess is Kendrick Perkins.
Anyway, here are the options left for Celtics coach Ime Udoka now that the Warriors seem to have fixed their rebounding problem.
A. Don’t make any adjustments for Game 5 and pray Steph shoots poorly (what a great plan!). Head back to Boston for Game 6 with a coaching idea that doesn’t work, like trying to outsize the Warriors by playing Robert Williams and Al Horford together and lose.
B. Make an adjustment for Game 5 that doesn’t work, head back to Boston for Game 6, panic, go back to trying and outsize them, pray to win at home and force a Game 7 in which you lose anyway. This is my prediction. It’s usually never a good sign to go back to something as a coach.
C. Come up with something that works and make me sound like the dumbest writer on the internet.
As I’ve said since the beginning of the Finals, experience matters, Kerr is al All-Timer, Steph is an All-Time great, and Warriors in 6.
