Golden State also had to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the conference finals. In Games 6 and 7 against the Rockets, the Warriors trailed early but flipped a switch at halftime, sparking a pair of comeback victories to send them to the NBA Finals. In helped that Houston was without Chris Paul in both games, but not as much as it helped to have four genuine stars on the floor in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Of course, if there’s a weakness for the Warriors it may be a lack of depth behind their starting five. With Andre Iguodala missing the last four games of the Western Conference Finals, Golden State also has questions about its supporting cast heading into the finals. Without Iguodala, the Warriors have no shooting threats outside Curry, Durant, and Thompson, as they have no reliable wing players coming off the bench.
The Warriors also need to be concerned with the Rockets pointing out some of their flaws to the Cavs during the Western Conference Finals. Remember, even in the games Houston lost, they built double-digit leads over Golden State with either streaky outside scoring or an offense that was heavy on isolation play. The Cavaliers could take a similar approach in order to knock the Warriors off rhythm.
Prediction
While the Warriors are heavily favored to win the series for a reason, you never want to count out James. If he can get a little more help than he received against the Celtics, James can take over games late and will Cleveland to victory. The Warriors also looked vulnerable at times against Houston, so don’t expect them to steamroll the Cavs. That being said, when Golden State hits their stride and plays their best basketball, they are close to unstoppable. The Warriors will win the NBA Finals in six games.
