Steph Curry is the favorite for the MVP race, mainly on the basis that his performance translated into wins, most than any other team in the NBA this year. More importantly he has improved his performance from last year’s numbers, particularly the TurnOvers department resulting to where GSW landed on the road to the playoffs. Harden is able to showcase the peak of his individual talent, almost Kobe-esque. But those type of numbers no longer translate to championships and some voters are persuaded by the individual’s fighting chance to lead his team to the finals.
This is where LeBron comes in, whose consistency is as boring as the Spurs but his ability to turn any team in the into a contender cannot be ignored, since any team his in has won the division title for the las 7 years. A constant contender, much like the defending champs. I don’t know how anyone with a morsel of basketball IQ can overlook this guy’s ability to change the fortunes of any team. I’d compare his situation to Jordan with every year he played and was overlooked because he set such high standards that reaching its peak is everytime is considered a ho-hum performance.
More importantly this year, Steph Curry and the Warriors represent the fruition of what the NBA planted since Jordan took the spotlight and made Offense look sexy. Outlawing hand-checking has made this type of offense flourish. Players were able to practice on their Iverson moves with least resistance or the risk of landing on a diabolically ‘misplaced’ foot after shooting. You just have to out-dribble and outrun your opponent, you won’t get shoved to the ground by a waiting muscle with 6 hard fouls to give.
Golden State is an offshoot from the Steve Nash’s Phoenix Suns and their 7 second offense. Only these Dubs are more reliable offensively and their team defense is much more respectable. They can produce enough stops and create distance from there. If you think about it, offensive firepower is what the Spurs added on to their lineup that led to the crown. It would be a joke to believe that the Spurs are defense oriented as, say, Memphis. Danny Green, Bonner, Parker, Mills and Belinelli are not defensive specialists, but they are effective team defense enforcers, a great compliment to Duncan. And they hit the jackpot with Sugar K.Leonard (he has expressed his dislike for the “Claw” monicker and as a Finals MVP, I respect it), who can play as menacingly as Bruce Bowen but with Superstar caliber offense.
If Curry and Klay can play the same high level offense consistently (I don’t think their percentages will just dip dramatically), and dedicate themselves to the same team defense. A scheme that is enough to hold the other team as they get pounded by shooting percentages that can get as high as 62% from the three-point line at a given night. I don’t buy the idea that the Warriors will fold at any level in the playoffs except at the West Finals only if they face the defending champs. As of this writing, San Antonio still has this chance to get to the number 2 spot. I don’t think the Champs can be grinded out if they face Memphis at any point, like they did in 2011. San Antonio has long fixed that by adding shooters. If only Dallas showed cohesiveness and reliability, they would be a dark horse of sorts (still can upset a team like Houston, though). The champs can only beat themselves as they inexplicably did a few years ago when they faced OKC. They were up 2-0 and were having a 17 win streak coming to the West Finals then they lost 4 straight. Come to think of it, we have come to respect the Spurs so much, it seems unbelievable when they lose a series.
The Spurs/Warriors, if it happens, will be as exciting as the NBA Finals itself because on one hand you got a team that rarely loses at home this year, versus the best road team who is hungry and on point to finally do a repeat. Also, The Warriors has yet to win a game in San Antonio in the the last 32 meetings at the Spurs’ home floor. Still, superior offense may just win it this year.
danDAman 