Media by Associated Press – Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 5 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals in San Francisco, Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
How much does experience matter? The Golden State Warriors are hoping a lot when the first game of the NBA Finals takes place Thursday night in San Francisco.
The Warriors, who are making their sixth finals appearance since 2015, are taking on another franchise with a lot of history, albeit much farther in the past with the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics, who are making their first trip to the finals since 2010, are loaded with strong young players. Jayson Tatum has emerged as a superstar during this postseason. However, Boston’s path to the finals was an arduous one.
The Celtics had to go to seven games to dispatching defending champion Milwaukee and top-seeded Miami on the way to the championship series. Here’s a look at what is important about Game 1.
No Iggy
Andre Iguodala has been a strong veteran presence for Golden State over the years. While he was limited by injuries during the regular season, he only appeared in 38 games, Iguodala could still be counted on for solid defense.
Iguodala hasn’t played since the first round with a neck injury, but Golden State is holding on hope he will be back.
Terrific Tatum
Tatum’s story has grown to near legend. Before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he was letting people know he was texting Kobe Bryant’s cell phone to hype himself up.
While it’s a bizarre approach, Tatum has backed up everything he’s done. During the regular season, Tatum averaged a double-double in two appearances against Golden State.
In the playoffs overall, Tatum averaged 27.0 points per game. Jaylen Brown has provided support for Tatum, contributing 22.9 points per game on his own.
Can Golden State protect the ball?
When Golden State’s offense is humming, look out. The Warriors – who are led by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson – are still capable of face-melting runs that bury opponents. However, Golden State has been shooting itself in the foot a lot during this postseason.
The Warriors have turned the ball over 14.8 times per contest during the playoffs. Golden State’s opponents have converted those mistakes in 15.9 points per game. That isn’t a good look considering Boston’s defense has been the best team defense in the league.
Golden State has been able to overcome its own mistakes with excellent shooting. The Warriors have averaged 114.5 points per game and shot 37.2 percent from the 3-point line.
Old-school defense
What might make Boston’s defense the most dangerous is the Celtics’ ambition. Coach Ime Udoka wants Boston to try and limit its opponents to 26 or fewer points or fewer. In today’s 3-point crazy NBA, this is almost an unheard of goal.
In the playoffs, Boston was able to have games where it limited Milwaukee and Miami to this number. The Celtics held Milwaukee to 26 or less points in a quarter 19 times, while they were able to limit Miami to that total in 13 quarters.
Warriors ready to come out to play
Golden State wasn’t easy to beat in the regular season at the Chase Center, racking up a 31-10 record. The Warriors haven’t stumbled much at home in the postseason either, only losing a game to Memphis in the second round.
Golden State is still out to prove that it is a modern NBA dynasty that can sustain for a few more years. Playing in front of an energized home crowd should help.
The Warriors will need to adjust to Boston’s aggressive defense, but Golden State has the second-best defense in the league behind the Celtics.
Don’t expect crazy point totals in this one, but Golden State should be able to pull away late and cover the 3.5-point spread.
For more NBA betting picks and previews, check out our picks page.