Golden State Warriors Win NBA Championship

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavalier 4-0 in the 2018 NBA Finals.  We knew going into the season this was the probable outcome.  This is a great team and they deserved the title.  Watching them play is fun.  They have so many weapons it is hard to ever count them out even when down 10 or 15 points.  Now that they've won three championships in four years there is sure to be some Warriors fatigue.  But don't hate.  This team has great players who play great basketball not only on offense but also on defense.  Look at the Cavs' stats from the Finals and you'll see a team that was completely shut down sans arguably the second greatest player ever.    

  If it weren't for LeBron we'd be talking about Kevin Durant in a different light.  He is a great scorer and so good he even shines on a team of stars.  Stephen Curry is an amazing talent and shooter, the likes of which we really must give his due because we will talk about his shots and shooting for ages to come.  Klay Thompson is another great shooter who has a good all around game that is perfect for this team.  The villain of course is Draymond Green.  Dislike him if you will - I do quite often but he is another perfect fit for this team whose stats will never tell the true value of his play.  In theory coaching a team like this is easy but if you pay attention at all to history and what players and coaches will tell you it can't be further from the truth.  Steve Kerr must also get his due for the team's success.  

  We obviously didn't get a competitive series but we saw great play by a superior team.  We knew the Cavs weren't good enough and they got rolled.  Sure J.R. Smith doomed them from the outset but the good teams find ways to win and when Golden State got a second chance in that overtime the Warriors took no prisoners and ran away with the win.  I'm not sure three of four championships make this team a dynasty but I know by just watching them they are studs and I won't argue if people want to call it that.  Congratulations to the Warriors, a great team with great players.     

Kevin Durant Signs with the Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant signs with the Golden State Warriors.   Wow.  This is a huge move.  While you never

know how chemistry will work with a team this seems like a good fit.  Durant doesn’t come off as a selfish player so I’d think he’ll fit in well with the Warriors.  His numbers will go down but that is to be expected with that many great players in one starting lineup.  Steve Kerr has his work cut out for him.  I don’t think he has to “keep everyone happy” but he does have to ensure he takes advantage of the great things Durant brings to this team.  If you don’t, you might as well had kept Harrison Barnes.  This is a great move by Golden State and by Durant who I’m sure is prioritizing rings over sticking with the only team he has ever played for. 

Free agency is a tough thing in any sport.  I love seeing great players who spend their entire careers with one team but those examples are getting to be fewer and fewer.  I don’t have any issues with Kevin Durant doing what he did.  This is a business and he has that right just as teams do when they make decisions on players.  I would have liked to have seen him stay but I get it.  He doesn’t deserve the hate he is getting for leaving.  He didn’t force his way out or go out on bad terms.  He just left for a situation that he believed to be more beneficial to him long term.  And who can argue with that at the moment.  Nobody but Russel Westbrook knows if he’ll be in Oklahoma City past next season so they may have been in flux whether or Durant had resigned.  I’d also like to see more teams competing for the championship but this seems to have taken one, OKC, out of the equation. It will definitely be interesting to see how things play out once the season starts. 

 

LeBron James and the Miami Heat Win NBA Title

The Miami Heat won their second NBA title four games to one over the Oklahoma City Thunder.  After losing game one they returned to attacking the rim and their outside shooters hit shots and the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't answer.  While I thought Miami would win I expected a longer series.  Still, with the exception of game 4, all the games were close.  LeBron James had an outstanding series averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.  As a team the Heat hit 42 of 98 three point shots.  Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did their part very well but my other hero for Miami is Shane Battier who was the role player who stepped up with a great series.  He only averaged 11 points per game but hit 15 of 26 from beyond the arc.  He was the beneficiary of many passes when the defense collapsed on driving Heat players.  This was something the Thunder had no answer for. 

Oklahoma City played well and most had them winning the series after taking game 1.  Their biggest issue was the disappearance of James Harden.  He averaged 12 points in the Finals but they weren't timely and his diminished contribution couldn't be made up.  Much was also said about Russell Westbrook taking too many shots at times but I think the Thunder's win-loss record during the regular season when he shot more than Durant was excellent.  I think they were 26 and 3.   He may not be a true point guard but he still played well and almost willed his team to victory in game 4 with 43 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.  Kevin Durant hit an outstanding 54% of his field goals while leading the Thunder with 30 points per game.  Still they weren't the better team but this Final's experience could help them in the future.  They have a great core and I think most folks wouldn't be surprised if they made a return trip or two to the Finals. 

No matter what you want to concentrate on this was LeBron's series.  LeBron haters will still hate him but no matter.  He is a great player whom we'll speak of among the all-time greats when he retires.  He now has a championship to add to his resume.  Whether or not it is his last does not matter.  He is a great player and I'm glad he has a championship.  After handling what I feel was undue criticism for "the decision" and, as he admitted himself, handled the Finals loss last year to Dallas poorly, he made all the right changes this year.  He had another great year as he led what is now his team through each challenge and when it mattered most he didn't disappoint.  Good on him and the Heat. 

NBA Finals - Heat vs Thunder

Could you ask for more?  I think not.  Both of these teams are great and together feature some of the, if not the, league's biggest stars.  I love this matchup and like so many other folks think the LeBron vs Durant matchup takes center stage.  There is a good chance they won't "D" up on each other the majority of the time but it is still the star vs star aspect that has me excited.  I think LeBron is the best player in the game and one of those special players that will be talked about forever.  In Durant we have a player whose ceiling seems to be unlimited at the age of 23.  I'm not saying this is a bad series if these two don't take center stage but I would be surprised if that isn't how it turns out.

There are other players to include Wade, Harden, Bosh and Westbrook.  They will keep things interesting when James and Durant are taking a break from hogging the camera.  I give the edge to Miami in this series.  I think that while their role and bench players are weaker than that of the Thunder the big three will help carry Miami to a title.  I'm thinking six games.  I can't see Oklahoma City wilting at this point.  They just kicked San Antonio in the teeth after going down two games to love so who knows we may even see seven games.  No matter who wins it all I only want good games that give us plenty to talk about around the water cooler the next morning.