The 2022 NBA Finals matchup is ready and has the potential to be a classic series between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. Match 1 is scheduled for Thursday in San Francisco.
These two teams are very close. Personally, I think the Celtics are so well equipped to defend the Golden State movement-based attack that they will prevail in a seven-game war.
Not everyone agrees with me. You certainly can’t criticize anyone who leans toward a Warriors team that has appeared in six of the NBA’s eight finals and won three championships with the Stephen Curry-Klay Thompson-Draymond Green core.
With that in mind, here are our staff predictions.
NBA Finals: Warriors vs. Celtics
The choice of Reiter: Warriors in 6. Golden State has regained its championship mojo, a renaissance that will continue in a hard-fought series that will make Steph Curry & Co. claim a fourth championship. Yes, the Celtics have a world-class defense, one that so far this postseason has made Kevin Durant look like a pedestrian, making double MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo noticeably less efficient and sometimes turning Miami’s attack Heat in a shame. But the Warriors have the answers in Steph, Klay, Poole and Wiggins: players who will launch an offensive that will find its way through Boston. Enter a Golden State defense that was the best of the regular season, and the most impressive championship in Warriors history is just a few weeks away.
Quinn’s Choice: Warriors in 7. This series is a draw. The defenses that prevail against Golden State are the ones that have no weak ties. Boston has none. If Andrew Wiggins can face Luka Doncic, he can face Jayson Tatum. If Boston was afraid to go to Bam Adebayo on the switches, it would avoid Draymond Green like the plague. Boston doesn’t bounce well enough to force Golden State to play big when it doesn’t want to. The return of Gary Payton II will lead to many of the losses that Miami turned into easy points in the last round, but the Warriors, like the Celtics, have a frustrating capacity for nonsense and will return many of those points to Boston. I lean towards the Warriors very, very slightly due to three very simple advantages. Golden State gets the 7th home game. Golden State begins this series with an additional three days off. Golden State, by the narrowest margin, has the best player in the series. This is. If Robert Williams III and Marcus Smart can return to something that looks like full force, it could spin. But for now? I give Golden State a small edge.
Ward-Henninger’s choice: Warriors in 7. The Warriors have not seen a defense like the Celtics. The Celtics have not seen an offensive like the Warriors. So who wins? At the end of the day, I have to give Golden State the edge in running in times of crisis based on how they’ve both played so far in the playoffs. He might have overestimated the experience, but the cliché “Championship DNA” has been shown to the Warriors several times this postseason. Add to that the fact that Gary Payton II could be healthy for the finals to turn life into hell for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics attack, and I think Golden State has a slight edge over the lead. from the local track. On the other hand, Robert Williams ‘health is a big joke, but it’s pretty clear he’s not 100 percent, which makes things a little more manageable for the Warriors’ attack. Either way, I’m predicting a long series with great advantages for both parties, especially in the early games.
The choice of Maloney: Celtics in 6. This series really seems to be a draw, with the majority leaning towards the Warriors because of their experience and advantage at home. All of this is reasonable and difficult to argue against. At the same time, this Celtics team has responded to all the challenges posed in recent weeks and months, and is the only team with a record of wins against the Warriors since Steve Kerr took over in 2014. The Celtics have the exact staff. needed to stop the Warriors’ offensive attack, and their defense, which has been spectacular throughout the postseason, will take them to the No. 18 standard.
The choice of Wimbish: Warriors in 7. The trip of the Celtics to the Finals has been very impressive, but they have not faced an offensive similar to that presented by the Warriors. On the other hand, the Warriors have not faced a defense as versatile and heavy as the Celtics. You could really go any further with this clash because there are valid reasons to choose each team, but I rely on Golden State’s ability to block when needed and put points on the board in a hurry.
Botkin’s choice: Celtics in 7. The Celtics are well-equipped to defend the move away from the Golden State ball, and can beat the Warriors in the offensive cup, especially when Golden State doesn’t play with Kevon Looney, who joins throughout a series. Golden State is prone to business losses, and Boston could cause a lot. Golden State will not apply the same kind of perimeter pressure that Miami did to Boston ball manipulators, and Steph Curry will be chased defensively. Jayson Tatum has become fantastic playing with double teams, so the search for this clash should produce a lot of 3-point open looks for the Celtics. All of this, in my opinion, will hardly be enough for Boston to beat the Warriors. And yes, I understand that this prediction means they will have to win a game 7 on the Warriors home floor. Cleveland did it in 2016 and Boston has what it takes to do it again in 2022.
Herbert’s pick: Celtics at 7. In the regular season, these were the two best defensive teams in the league. Elite in attack, too, when their best players were on the court. Both teams, however, can be neglected with the ball and go cold for several frustrating minutes at once, despite all their offensive talent. When the Warriors have the ball, can their movement create the same kind of confusion they usually have? Will this be a challenge against a defense that mixes the best qualities of the 2018 Rockets and the 2019 Raptors. And when the Celtics have the ball, will their quest for confrontation be as effective as it was in previous rounds? Golden State is well-versed in dealing with teams chasing Stephen Curry, and there won’t be many other goals if Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter are available. I’m leaning towards Boston, very slightly, mostly because I picked them to beat the Warriors in the final six weeks ago and I think I should stick with that. But also because Jordan Poole, a crucial part of the Golden State attack, will be picked up non-stop, and Boston players won’t have that problem.
The choice of Kaskey-Blomain: Warriors in 7. Both teams are deep, well-trained and pursue it defensively. During the regular season, the Celtics had the best-rated defense in the league, while the Warriors were just behind them at No. 2. So we can probably expect an almost elite defense from both teams. . Thus, the difference in the series could reach the offensive end, where the Warriors look a little better. Golden State has more threats on the offensive end, including one of the toughest players in the entire league to protect Stephen Curry. The Warriors also have a proven system that has provided them with success in the previous playoffs. The Boston attack is not tested at the highest level like the Golden State, which brings us to the subject of experience. Five players in the series have experience in the Finals and all five are in Golden State. In addition, Steve Kerr will coach his sixth NBA Finals, while Ime Udoka will coach his first. This huge experience advantage should work in favor of the Warriors.