Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tips off today (Sunday) at 3:30 PM EST on ABC in Oakland, CA with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs squaring off. The Warriors come into this series having swept the Utah Jazz 4-0 while the Spurs come in having taken out the Houston Rockets in six games.
The big question that is on everyone's minds as we enter this series is whether or not the Warriors have finally found their match in the Spurs or at least an opponent who they won't be able to sweep. So far, the Warriors have been on absolute cruise control, not dropping a single game through two rounds.
While the Warriors are and should be favored to win this series, I do not see this series being another sweep for Golden State. The Spurs are just too experienced and talented to go down without a fight. While the Warriors have perhaps the most dangerous two-way lineup the league has ever seen in Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala, the Spurs have some pieces of their own in Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills, and Danny Green.
Don't get me wrong, the Warriors' lineup is better on paper, but where the Spurs can make up the difference is the way they play together as a team and also the presence of Kawhi Leonard, who is arguably the best player in the NBA. For those that don't know, Leonard (ankle) will play in Game 1 of this series, which is obviously fantastic news for the Spurs. If the Spurs want any chance of winning this series, they need to have a big series from Leonard and also find ways to get Aldridge, Gasol, Ginobili, Mills, and Green rolling.
The Spurs have somewhat strayed away from their usual model of getting everyone involved through having Kawhi Leonard carry them perhaps too much. It's a tricky line to balance since on the one hand you want your best player making plays, but at the same time you don't want to stray away from the identity that has made you a championship contender since the late 1990s. If the Spurs can find that right balance, they could have what it takes to win this series.
As for the Warriors, if they want to win this series, they just have to keep doing what they are doing. As cliché as that sounds, it's really true. The Warriors have been the best team in basketball all season and it's up to the Spurs to make the necessary adjustments to make this series competitive. Kevin Durant has been brilliant so far in these playoffs and Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, and Green have proven themselves to be a fantastic supporting cast around him. The bottom line is the Warriors are just too loaded and it's really hard to see them not winning this series in five or six games.
Given that I really respect the Spurs and the ability that Gregg Popovich has to make adjustments, I have the Warriors winning this series in six games. The Spurs will find ways to make things tough, but in the end, they won't be able to take this series to a Game 7 in Oakland.
To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here.
To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.
To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment