NBA Finals 2022: Hot Takes and Top Storylines for Celtics vs. Warriors Game 1
Few could have predicted at the start of the 2021-22 season that this year's NBA Finals matchup would feature the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.
The Warriors missed the playoffs each of the previous two years, and to get this far, they had to take down some tough competition in the Western Conference. But they relied on the veteran trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to get back to the Finals, which it reached every year from 2015-19.
The Celtics showed they were for real by sweeping the star-studded Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Since then, they've defeated the reigning NBA champions (Milwaukee Bucks) and the No. 1 seed in the East (Miami Heat). Now, Boston is back in the Finals for the first time since 2010.
This is only the second time that the Warriors and Celtics have met in the NBA Finals, with the previous series coming in 1964. This year's best-of-seven contest gets underway on Thursday night, when Golden State will host Game 1.
Here are some predictions and storylines to watch for heading into this year's NBA Finals.
Golden State Will Use 3-Point Frenzy to Stun Boston's Defense in Opener
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The Celtics have made it to the Finals largely because of their defense. They're allowing 101 points per game in the playoffs (the second-fewest in the league) and had an NBA-best defensive rating of 106.2 during the regular season.
If Boston is going to win the title, though, it will need to find a way to contain Golden State's offense, particularly its three-point shooting. And that may not happen, at least not in Game 1.
It's been a week since the Warriors won the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, and they've been able to prepare for the Finals at home. Meanwhile, the Celtics went a full seven games with the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, which ended Sunday, and now they've had to travel across the country to San Francisco.
So Golden State is fresh, and when it starts draining three-pointers in its home arena, it can turn into a frenzy quickly. Expect that to happen in the NBA Finals opener, as Curry and Thompson will be finding ways to get open against Boston's defense and capitalizing from long range.
Will that continue to happen throughout the series? It's possible, but the Celtics will also likely make adjustments to better contain the Warriors' outside shooting. But they won't be ready for that in Game 1.
Tatum, Brown Will Be Contained Early
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There's been a lot of talk about the Celtics defense this postseason, but the Warriors are a good defensive team, too. They ranked second in the NBA with a 106.6 defensive rating during the regular season, finishing behind only Boston.
Green has been a big reason for Golden State's defensive success. And the 32-year-old forward may have gotten some extra motivation when he found out he didn't make the NBA's All-Defensive first team, instead getting placed on the second team.
"For me, it's a slight," he said, per Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I think when I look at the first team, I'm not sure I can pinpoint definitely not five guys that had a better defensive season than me, and there are no game requirements."
Green will be out to prove something, and the rest of the Warriors will do their best to contain the Celtics' leading duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That's not easy to do, but if Golden State plays at a fast tempo, creating turnovers and using transition 3s to play its preferred style, then it's possible.
Tatum and Brown will have their moments in the series, but they won't come in Game 1, when they may struggle a bit while making their NBA Finals debuts.
The Warriors' Experience Will Be the Key Difference in the Series
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Speaking of debuts, the Celtics have a roster filled with guys who have never made it to this point before. That's not an issue for the Warriors' core, considering they won three championships during the span in which they reached five straight NBA Finals from 2015-19.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr knows what he needs to do to get his team to win on this stage, and his players know what to expect from the environment.
"There are obviously nerves and adrenaline and anxiety and nerves—like everything in terms of the emotions of playing at this stage," Steph Curry said, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. "That first game is sometimes all over the place because of that. And once you settle in, it does become about basketball, like it normally is."
The Warriors haven't lost a game at Chase Center this postseason, and they'll get to play there for Games 1 and 2 and potential Games 5 and 7. That could be tough for the Celtics, especially in the first two matchups when their players will be getting acclimated to the stage.
This should be a competitive series, and it could go back and forth. However, Golden State's experience is going to make a huge difference in determining the result of this year's NBA Finals.
