The 2022 NBA Finals game is set and has the potential to be a classic series between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday in San Francisco.
These two teams are extremely equal. Personally, I believe that the Celtics are so well prepared to defend the attack of the Golden State, based on the movement, that they will win a war of seven games.
Not everyone agrees with me. You certainly can’t blame anyone for a Warriors team that has appeared in six of the last eight NBA finals and won three championships with core Steven Curry-Clay Thompson-Draymond Green.
With this in mind, here are the forecasts of our employees.
NBA Finals Selection: Warriors vs. Celtics
The choice of Reiter: Warriors in 6. Golden State has regained its champion fashion, a renaissance that will continue in a persistent series in which Steph Curry & Co. will claim a fourth championship. Yes, the Celtics have world-class protection – one that has made Kevin Durant look like a pedestrian so far this season, which has made two-time MVP Janis Adetokunmpo significantly less effective, and this has at times made the Miami Heath attack a disgrace. But the Warriors have the answers in Steph, Clay, Poole and Wiggins – players who will shoot in an attack that will find its way through and over Boston. Throw in a Golden State defense that was the best of the regular season, and the most impressive championship in Warriors history is just weeks away.
Quinn’s Choice: Warriors in 7. This series is a toss. The defenses that succeed against Golden State are those without weak ties. Boston doesn’t have one. If Andrew Wiggins can handle Luka Doncic, he can handle Jason Tatum. If Boston was afraid to go to Bam Adebayo on keys, he would avoid Draymond Green like the plague. Boston failed to bounce well enough to force Golden State to play at a level when it didn’t want to. The return of Gary Peyton II will lead to much of the loss that Miami turned into easy points last round, but the Warriors, like the Celtics, have a disappointing capacity for nonsense and will return many of those points to Boston. I lean towards Warriors very, very slightly because of three very simple advantages. Golden State won game 7 at home. Golden State begins this series with three additional days off. Golden State, with the smallest difference, has the best player in the series. That is. If Robert Williams III and Marcus Smart can return to something that resembles full force, I can turn. But for now? I give Golden State a little advantage.
Ward-Henninger’s Choice: The Warriors in 7. The Warriors have never seen a defense like the Celtics. The Celtics have not seen a violation like the Warriors. So who wins? At the end of the day, I have to give Golden State a performance advantage at the end of the day based on the way they both played in the playoffs so far. I may overestimate the experience, but the cliché “Championship DNA” has appeared for the Warriors many times this postseason. Add to that the fact that Gary Peyton II can be healthy for the finals to turn life into hell for Jason Tatum, Jaylan Brown and the Celtics, and I think Golden State has a slight advantage over home. On the other hand, the health of Robert Williams is a huge wild card, but it is quite clear that he is not 100 percent, which makes things a little more manageable for the Warriors attack. Anyway, I envisage a long series with some big advantages on both sides, especially in the early matches.
Maloney’s Choice: The Celtics at 6. This series really looks like a throw, with most leaning towards the Warriors because of their experience and home court advantage. All this is reasonable and difficult to argue. At the same time, this Celtics team has responded to every challenge it has faced in recent weeks and months, and is the only team to win a record against the Warriors since Steve Kerr took office in 2014. The Celtics have the right staff to delay the Warriors’ offensive attack, and their defense, which was spectacular throughout the post-season, will take them to the flag № 18.
Wimbish’s choice: Warriors in 7. The Celtics’ path to the finals is extremely impressive, but they have not encountered a violation close to what the Warriors present. On the other hand, the Warriors have not faced such a flexible and heavy defense as the Celtics. With this match you can really go in both options, because there are good reasons to choose each team, but I believe in the ability of Golden State to conclude when necessary and put points on the board quickly.
Botkin’s Choice: The Celtics at 7. The Celtics are perfectly prepared to defend offside Golden State and can beat the Warriors in the offensive line, especially when Golden State doesn’t play Kevan Looney, which builds up over the course of the series. Golden State is prone to cancellation, and Boston could cause a bunch. Golden State will not apply the same kind of pressure on the perimeter as Miami to the Boston players, and Steph Curry will be chased in defense. Jason Tatum has become great at making doubles games, so hunting for this game should lead to a lot of open 3 points for the Celtics. All of this, I think, will be just enough for Boston to beat the Warriors. And yes, I understand that this prediction means that they will have to win match 7 on the home floor of the Warriors. Cleveland did it in 2016, and Boston has what it takes to do it again in 2022.
Herbert’s pick: The Celtics at 7. In the regular season, these were the two best defensive teams in the league. Elite and in attack when their best players were on the court. Both teams can be careless with the ball and cool off for a few disappointing minutes at once, despite all their offensive talent. When Warriors have the ball, can their movement create the same confusion they usually do? This will be a challenge against a defense that mixes the best qualities of the 2018 Rockets and 2019 Raptors. And when the Celtics have the ball, will their game hunt be as effective as it was in previous rounds? Golden State is well-versed in dealing with teams chasing Stephen Curry, and there won’t be many other goals if Gary Peyton II, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter are available. I’m leaning towards Boston, very slightly, mostly because I chose them to beat the Warriors in the finals six weeks ago, and I feel like I have to stick to that. But also because Jordan Poole, a crucial part of the Golden State attack, will be ruthlessly persecuted and Boston playmakers will not have this problem.
Selection of Kaskey-Blomain: Warriors in 7. Both teams are deep, well trained and then cope in defense. During the regular season, the Celtics had the highest-rated defense in the league, while the Warriors were right behind them at number 2. So we can probably expect almost elite defense from both teams. So the difference in the series may come on the offensive end, where the Warriors look a little better. Golden State has more threats at the end of the offensive, including one of the toughest players in the entire security league at Stephen Curry. The Warriors also have a proven system that has ensured their success in the playoffs in the past. The Boston attack has not been tested in top-level battles like the Golden State, which brings us to the problem of experience. Five players in the series have experience in the finals and all five are in Golden State. In addition, Steve Kerr will coach his sixth NBA final, while Ime Udoka will coach his first. This huge advantage in experience should work in favor of the Warriors.
Add Comment