NBA Finals Preview — Charger Press

May 31

May 31 NBA Finals Preview

Navdeep Singh

The NBA finals matchup is set to be a series of a lifetime.

On one side, the Boston Celtics. They haven’t been to the finals since 2010, and in every single series they played, they played like they wanted it more than the other team. They first knocked off the Nets, who have arguably two of the best players in the NBA in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They then beat the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks in a thrilling 7 game series. Finally, they prevailed over one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, the Miami Heat, to advance to the NBA Finals.

The Celtics are led by young superstar Jason Tatum, who has cemented himself as one of the best shot creators in the league. He has quick hands which lead to good ball handling and shot creation, and is actively looking for open teammates to pass the ball to. The Celtics also have all star shooting guard Jaylen Brown, who has also emerged as one of the best young players in the league. Although he may not be as good as Tatum, he plays similar to him.

On the other side, from the western conference, the Golden State Warriors are back to the finals. This team was extremely hungry to make it back to the big stage, especially after losing superstar Kevin Durant. They first comfortably beat the Denver Nuggets, led by this year's MVP Nikola Jokic. They then squeaked by the Memphis Grizzlies, and then barely beat the Dallas Mavericks to advance to the finals.

The Warriors are led by all-time great point guard Stephen Curry, who has been lighting up teams from 3-point range all year this season. He is, considered by most, the greatest shooter of all time, and he is also an active playmaker, and is great at finding open defenders. The warriors also have shooting guard Klay Thompson back, who is also one of the greatest shooters of all time. He has displayed time and time again he can come off of a screen and make any shot he wants, and the Warriors have taken advantage of this strategy throughout the playoffs.

So, how do these teams fare against each other?

To start off, the center position is a bit of a question mark. Both teams don’t really have a star at the center position, but they do have young, rebounding centers who get the job done when called upon. The Warriors’ center is Kevon Looney, who isn’t really the most athletic, but is a good finisher when close to the room. His defense really isn’t anything fantastic, and laterally he doesn't move the fastest.

The Celtics’ center is Robert Williams, who is an extremely good defender, but really isn’t the best finisher when around the rim. He is extremely fast as a center, which contributes to him being able to defend well. Although Looney is a better offensive player, Williams is a significantly better defensive player, so the Celtics win the center position.

Next is the power forward position. The Warriors have multiple time Defensive Player of the Year winner Draymond Green, who is one of, if not the best wing and interior defenders in the league. On the other side, the Celtics have an aging Al Horford, who is pretty much a shell of his former self. However, he is still a good shooter and finisher, but not at all a good defender. The phrase from the beginning of time is “defense wins championships,” so the Warriors win the power forward position.

Next is the small forward position. The Warriors have Andrew Wiggins, who is a hyper-athletic forward who can dunk the basketball like no other. He is a fantastic finisher, who has great balance when in the air. On the other side, the Celtics have Jason Tatum. He is a magnificent shot creator, and can manipulate the defense to get any shot he wants. He can shoot effectively on all three levels, and is great at creating space to get open shots. He is also a fantastic passer, and helps out his teammates by passing to them at the right time. The Celtics win the small forward position.

The next position is shooting guard. The Celtics have Jaylen Brown. He is a shifty, and crafty guard who is quick on his feet. He can use his effective crossovers to get to the basket whenever he wants, and he can shoot well on all three levels of the court. The Warriors have Klay Thompson. Although he is a fan favorite, and a very likable player, he is not as skilled as Jaylen Brown. However, he is a fantastic spot up shooter. However, he is coming off of a torn Achilles and a torn ACL, so he has lost some speed and jumping ability. Therefore, the Celtics win the shooting guard position.

The final position is point guard. The Celtics have Derrick White, who is a good playmaker, and makes a good pass when he needs to. He is also a good shooter, but doesn’t do anything other than that especially well. The Warriors, on the other hand, have multiple time MVP and 3 time NBA champ Steph Curry. He is possibly the greatest shooter of all time. He is also one of the greatest passers of all time as well. There really is no debate here. The Warriors win the point guard position.

Based on the position-by-position breakdown, the Boston Celtics should be the 2022 NBA Champions!