I Don’t Know What To Think of The NBA Finals
The first four games of the 2022 NBA Finals have thrown me in a whirlwind. We’ve seen it all, and I don’t know what to make of it.
It’s hard to picture a crazier four games of a playoff series. We’ve seen crazy comebacks, stout defense, vulgar chants, sloppy basketball, beautiful basketball, the whole nine yards. After four games of this, I don’t know where we stand.
Both the Warriors and Celtics have looked brilliant at times during this series. Here’s what we’ve learned thus far and what to expect as this series reaches its climax.
Golden State’s Heartbeat is on Life Support
Draymond Green has had himself quite the week. For years, Green has been at the center of Golden State’s success. His passing, IQ, and tenacious defense have keyed what the Warriors want to do. He was again dominant this postseason.
But Green hasn’t experienced the same highs against the Celtics. Instead, it’s been the opposite. Over the past week, Green has played some of the worst basketball of his career. That’s no understatement. Steve Kerr didn’t bench him in the fourth quarter of game four by accident.
Not only has Green been a non-factor offensively, he hasn’t been making it up defensively. Now, have some of Green’s struggles exaggerated? 100%. Whether we like to admit it or not, Green is valuable at all times. Even in game four, he did good things as a screener throughout the game.
But I’m not here to excuse Draymond. That would be too easy. Instead, let’s talk about why Green has struggled so much in this series.
Where’s The Defense?
It all starts defensively for Draymond Green. For the past two games, he’s been a non-factor on that end. The former DPOY has appeared human. The amount of times he’s been beaten off the dribble has risen considerably over the past few games. Robert Williams has consistently been outleaping him for offensive rebounds.
The following are clips from games three and four of this series. Enjoy;
Sure, Green has had his moments defensively in this series. He helped slow down Jaylen Brown in the second half of game four. But, after being so good in the first three rounds, there’s no denying his decline on this end.
But this is just the start of it. Offensively, things have been far, far worse.
Yips
Historically, Draymond Green hasn’t done much in the scoring department. That’s not his job. He directs traffic and is the second part of a telepathic relationship with Steph Curry. He’s still been a positive offensively in recent games.
His screens continually give Warriors ball-handlers room. Down the stretch of game four, Green dished out two key assists to help seal the deal. With that being said, it’s time for some criticism.
In the past, Green has feasted whenever teams have overcommitted on Steph Curry. Short little push runners and layups are how Green makes himself present in opposing defenses’ minds. Over the past few games, he hasn’t been doing that.
Instead, it’s been a game of hot potato. Green has passed up easy looks in the paint. That may be a good idea since he’s shot just 23% in this series – but the Warriors need some offensive aggressiveness from Draymond. Robert Williams simply ignores Green on offense now, and Green hasn’t made him pay. That’s why Williams has been so damn good in this series (more on that later).
Getting Green going would help the Warriors’ floundering half-court offense. The Celtics would have to think twice about doubling Curry. Green has to make his presence known, otherwise, it could spell doom for the Warriors.
There Is Light At The End of the Tunnel
There is good news for both Draymond and the Warriors, however. For starters, I think Green will find returning home to be quite refreshing. A few days away from the raucous Celtics crowd may be beneficial for his game. And, more than anything, I think Green knows it’s time to kill.
The Celtics blew their chance to essentially end the series in game four. Green, knowing that, has to make him pay. Blowing off steam on his podcast can’t have hurt, either. No matter what, I don’t think Green’s terrible play will last much longer. Golden State fans have the same hopes in mind.
The Boston Celtics Can’t Help Themselves
(Rant Incoming)
WHAT THE HECK BOSTON! WHAT WAS THAT? IT’S SO EASY TO GET BEHIND THIS TEAM. FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OF THEIR PLAYERS ARE LIKEABLE. BUT YET, TIME AND AGAIN, THEY FIND NEW WAYS TO DISAPPOINT.
I KNEW THIS TEAM WAS BAD IN THE CLUTCH, BUT MY GOD! THIS TEAM CAN NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH. TATUM AND BROWN THRIVE FOR THE FIRST 42 MINUTES OF GAMES – THEN DISAPPEAR WHEN THE CELTICS NEED TO GET THINGS GOING.
EVERY TIME THE CELTICS LOSE, IT’S BECAUSE OF TWO THINGS. EITHER THEY TURNED THE BALL OVER A LOT (they had 15 turnovers in game four), OR THEY SHUT DOWN IN CLOSE GAMES. IT’S AS GOOD A BET AS ANY.
DESPITE THIS TEAM HAVING A GREAT COACH IN IME UDOKA WHO MAKES ADJUSTMENTS, WHY CAN’T THIS TEAM ADJUST DOWN THE STRETCH? IS IT THAT HARD TO NOT ISOLATE AND CHUCK UP 3’s? I’VE SEEN YMCA TEAMS WITH BETTER LATE-GAME MANAGEMENT THAN THE CELTICS.
THAT WAS THEIR CHANCE. GAME 4 WAS THEIR CHANCE TO PUT AWAY A STAGGERING WARRIORS TEAM ONCE AND FOR ALL. INSTEAD, THE CELTICS FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, LOSING ALL THEIR MOMENTUM IN THE PROCESS.
IT’S LIKE WATCHING THE BLAZERS ALL OVER AGAIN!
(Rant over – blood pressure up)
Steph Curry Is Having A Series For The Ages
Steph Curry has never had a defining finals series. Sure, he’s played well in the Finals. Other than his 2016 meltdown (which was a team meltdown, not just on him), Curry has been one of the more consistent Finals performers in recent memory.
Consider 2022 his victory lap. After being in a lull (by his standards) for months, Curry has flipped the switch. Coming into this series, one of my keys was the star play. Who would be better, Tatum or Curry? That question has been more than answered through four games.
34.3 points / 6.3 rebounds / 3.8 assists / 50% FG / 49% 3-PT / 85% FT / 66% TS
Curry is averaging more points than Tatum is shooting from the field (34.1% FG for Tatum in this series). The 2x MVP has averaged more points in the Finals than the next two Warriors combined. It would be an understatement to say this has been a one-man show.
Curry has been a one-man show. No matter what the Celtics do, they can’t stop him. Marcus Smart? Nope. Derrick White? Nah. The Celtics’ top-ranked defense is getting shredded by a six-foot three* guard with flimsy ankles.
The most impressive thing Curry has done has been relighting his wow factor. Nowadays, with all the talent in the league, it’s hard for your breath to be taken away by a player. You’d have thought that after nearly a decade of Curry being superhuman from distance, we’d have all gotten used to it.
Instead, it’s like you’re watching it for the first time again. Curry’s shots are mystifying, hanging in the air for an eternity. The best part of it all is everyone’s anticipation. We all expect him to make every shot, no matter how difficult. Because that’s just who he is.
Robert Williams Is Back
Robert Williams was an animal during the Celtics’ three-month blitz to end the regular season. After battling with injuries to start his career, Timelord finally fell into place. His fluidity and versatility on defense were second to none.
If 2021 was the prelude, 2022 was the main course. There’s a reason Williams made the All-Defensive second team. But, a meniscus tear sidelined his season. While he returned much earlier than expected, he’s been in and out of the lineup this postseason with another knee-related issue.
Clearly, he hasn’t been 100% until these last few games. Finally, for the first time this postseason, Williams has had multiple rest days. That has to be a contributing factor to the things he’s done defensively as of late.
Emphatic volleyball spikes into the third row have been aplenty in Boston. Williams has blocked six shots in the past two games. The Warriors have shot just 32% in the non-restricted area paint. A big reason for that is because Williams is always lurking.
If Williams’ knee holds up, the Celtics’ defense will be in good hands. Now it’s time to not collapse late in games.
(Pssst! Over here! Just step up on the screens more and you’ll be fine! – Anonymous tip)
What The Hell Is Next?
Again, a lot has happened in this series. The next three games will likely offer us no new clarity. What we should all expect is more ugliness, more missed shots, and some vulgar chants that even the commissioner himself enjoys. Regardless, here’s what to expect from the rest of this series;
Warriors: The Celtics can’t stop Steph Curry. Now, it’s time for other guys to step up – Poole and Thompson in particular. The Warriors will continue to experiment with smaller lineups that give them more spacing on offense. But, as always, the most important thing is forcing turnovers against this team. If they do that, they level the playing field considerably.
Celtics: The Celtics don’t have to stop Steph Curry. Nor do they have to get Jayson Tatum going (although that would be helpful). No, all they have to do is stop turning the damn ball over! It’s that simple. The Celtics win when they limit their turnovers. It’s high-level analysis, I know.
These next three games will be a battle of adjustments. Which team can crack each other’s code’s first? Which team can execute better than the other. And most importantly…
What Is Everybody Made Of?
What Are Your Thoughts On The NBA Finals So Far? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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