The 2022 NBA Championships have the potential to be electric! The Western Conference Champion Golden State Warriors will square off against the Eastern Conference Winners the Boston Celtics. The Warriors are loaded with firepower led by Stephen Curry, arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history. Multi-all-stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will also spark them. Thompson missed the previous two seasons with severe injuries and his return has been inspiring and heart-warming. This core Warriors team has already won multiple championships and now seeks to pick up where they left off before injuries derailed them.
The Celtics are young and hungry and loaded with talent. They are led by Jason Tatum who has secured his super-star status at only age 24 and fellow all-star Jaylen Brown who’s just one year older and no less talented. The Celtics also boast the league’s leading defense which they will need to combat the Warriors’ high-powered offense.
After cruising through the Western Conference playoffs, the Warriors seem primed, ready, and rested to take on their Eastern Conference foes. Their championships experience should serve them well and allow them to be maximumly focused with minimum practice. The Celtics had a much tougher road to the finals and if not quite as rested may be battle-tested enough to compensate for this being the first finals experience for all of their players. Delivering key victories in 3 elimination games including two game sevens (against the Miami Heat and the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks) has them soaring with confidence. The two teams split their regular-season match-up 1-1 with each team winning on the other’s home floor.
Players to Watch: The NBA finals are usually when the stars shine and legends are made and this series has no shortage of talented players more than capable of seizing the spotlight.
The Warriors –
Draymond Green: The defense-minded vocal and volatile team leader. His play will have a huge impact as he tries to help control the larger and very athletic Celtics’ bigs.
Klay Thompson: An elite shooter and stellar defender who has shown signs of being his old self during this playoff run. It’s an emotional return to the finals for him and the entire league is happy to see him back.
Steph Curry: Arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history, he’s changed how the game is played. His constant movement and ability to get off quality shots, yet still be a willing passer to help his teammates, makes him a nightmare to defend.
Andrew Wiggins: The former number 1 pick in the NBA struggled to find himself during his early years in the league. He’s now showing that he is an elite defender and an offense force and he may very well be the key player in this series.
Other Key Players: Sharpshooter Jordan Poole needs to provide a consistent offense punch against the Celtics’ tough defense, especially when Curry is off the court. Andre Iguodala if healthy could provide an important defensive punch and an added level of experience off the bench. Power forward Kevon Looney will need to provide some rim protection and consistent rebounding against the Celtics’ bigs.
The Celtics –
Marcus Smart: The reigning defensive player of the year is the emotional heart and soul of this Celtics team. He is a big playmaker on defense and a big shot maker on offense. He will be involved in every critical play during the series.
Al Horford: The talented vet of the group, this soon-to-be 36-year-old is an extremely skilled defender and shot-blocker as well as a great 3- point shooting big. He’s a tough match-up with his length and versatility.
Jaylen Brown: Perhaps the most underrated star in the NBA. He’s gotten better every year since being the 3rd overall pick in the draft in 2017. He’s blessed with elite athleticism and explosive offense skills and cannot only defend multiple positions but goes on impressive scoring runs on the offensive end.
Jayson Tatum: One of the NBA’s brightest young stars. He is a gifted score and unstoppable when he’s rolling. He’s also long and athletic and a top defender who is not afraid to be physical. Fresh off of being a key factor in Team USA’s winning a Gold Medal last summer, it’s scary to think that he may not have even reached his peak yet.
Other Key Players: Robert Williams is a dominant rim protector and constant lob threat and his health is a huge factor in this series. He was 2nd team all-defense this season. Grant Wiliams is a multi-skilled player off the bench but needs to break out of his shooting slump to open things up for his teammates, and Derrick White had a great ECF, but can he continue to play well during the finals?
Coaches: The Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr is a future Hall of Famer as a coach. He’s won championships as both a head coach and a player and knows basketball and his team as well as any coach in the NBA. He also knows his opponent very well, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, as they both worked together coaching for USA Basketball. Having Kerr at the helm is definitely an asset for Golden State.
Boston’s head coach Ime Udoka is a first-year head coach and received a number of votes for coach of the year. He has championship experience via winning two titles as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs as a disciple of NBA legend Greg Popovich. He’s led the Celtics through a very difficult post-season run which he feels has prepared them for this stage. And while this may be his first time as head coach in the NBA finals, his rival Steve Kerr won a championship in his first finals appearance as head coach of the Warriors.
Prediction: So who will win this series? Will the Warriors return to their championship ways after again being healthy, cement their dominance of this era and add another title to their amazing run? Or will the Celtics who were the hottest team in the second half of the NBA season ride the coattails of their young stars to raise franchise banner number 18? The answer is easy. The winner will be the fans of both of these organizations and basketball aficionados everywhere as these two immensely talented teams promise to excite the NBA basketball world!
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