Shootout Showdown

Posted by on June 4th, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

They are ready, we are ready, for a much anticipated NBA championship series.
 
The Splash Brothers-vs-King James and his Cavaliers on the court.  Cleveland-vs-Golden State.
 
The last time they were playing this deep into June was 1975.  The Warriors, coached by Al Attles, fueled by Rick Barry’s long distance shooting, and the fire and fury of Clifford Ray and Keith Wilkes, beat Washington in a stunning four game sweep.  The Bullets had Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld, the street toughs, and still lost.
 
Cleveland hasn’t won a championship in any sport since the 1964-NFL-Browns, but the Cavs did come close once during the Bill Fitch era.
 
LeBron James came home, yes you can come home, but you have to leave first.  He did, in a hateful exit to form the Dream Team in Miami.  He did return to the 330-Area Code, and he has delivered on a promised to get the Cavs to the finals.
 
The most complete player in the NBA is driven to success, but he leads a hurting team right now.  Running mate guard Kyree Irving is good, but is hurt alot, the latest being a strained knee.  The Cavs got to the finals, losing center Anderson Veraejao and Kevin Love along the way to season ending injuries.
 
The Warriors have been losers for years, and it took time to put things in place, but have they ever come together.  Steph Curry may be the best pure shooter since Pete Maravich or the modern day Michael Jordan.  Klay Thompson is his running mate, and has become a sniper too.  And the Warrior provide a consortium of big men, who can score, or play defense, rebound or give fouls.  You will hear the names Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala alot.
 
This looks like a series of 1-on-1 games, LeBron-vs-Curry.  James will push the tempo but the big question is whether he can survive layer after layer of defensive players Golden State sends after him?
 
The coaching matchups will be fun.  Steve Kerr, a winner at every stop in his basketball life, from the University of Arizona, to the Chicago Bulls, and now as a coach against the globe-trotting coach Dave Blatt, few fans know much about, but who built a reputation coaching abroad.
 
The key to the series will be Golden State shooting the ball, and not turning it over.  They hit an amazing 40% of their 3-point shots in season.  They average 11-treys per game, which provides them with lots of point, and they have firepower to get on those 13-3 runs that blow games open.  They have bulk and depth also to grind it out.
 
The Cavs need the wild shooting JR Smith and Matt Dellavedova to get hot, not be stone cold, to provide the points that James cannot get them.  Somehow, someway, the Cleveland bigs Tristan Thompson and Tim Mozgov must score, board and stay out of foul trouble.
 
This will be fun for sure.  First time in a longtime for Golden State.  James is (2-4) in NBA finals, and he won’t have the luxury of Chris Bosh-Dwayne Wade around him from Miami days.
 
Splash Brothers to beat the King and the Cavaliers on his court in six games.

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