Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry, not LeBron James or Kevin Durant, will decide the 2017 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors made easy pickings of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals after Kawhi Leonard went down early in the series. The Cleveland Cavaliers will meet the Dubs in the 2017 NBA Finals after only dropping one game to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
When the two super teams of the modern NBA square off in the NBA Finals for the third straight time, LeBron James will not be the most important player for the Cavaliers. Neither Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and even the newest addition to the rivalry, Kevin Durant, will be the x-factor for the Warriors.
Actually, it’s all going to come down to the point guards: Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry. Irving hit the dagger in Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals as well as the game-winner on Christmas Day.
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Both of those wins were over Steph Curry’s Warriors. When Curry’s shot is on, he is unstoppable. However, the Cavs managed to get in the two-time reigning MVP’s head in the second half of the series, leading to their improbable comeback from a 3-1 deficit. If Curry keeps his head on straight, look out.
Why Kyrie Irving Is Cleveland’s X-Factor
LeBron James is the best player in the world. There’s nobody that can stop him when he decides to put his head down and get to the rim. Not even the best of the best can get around him when he stands guard in front of the basket. James is also renowned as the best chase-down blocker in the association as well, so getting around the King doesn’t even ensure a bucket.
However, his attributes aside, LeBron can’t win alone. Nobody can, not even the great Michael Jordan, who didn’t win his first ring until the arrival of Scottie Pippen. The world has seen the ups and downs of LeBron James throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. Although he dominated last year’s Finals, LeBron didn’t have to deal with Kevin Durant as the opposing small forward. Things change when Durant, one of the NBA’s premier scorers, is added to what already was one of the best teams in NBA history.
Kyrie Irving is about the best help King James could’ve asked for. He is one of the best players in the paint in the league. His craftiness around the cup is unparalleled and he also can defend his position on the other end. Uncle Drew has dribble skills that put defender’s ankles in icepacks when they reach the sidelines.
When James stumbled against the Celtics at times, Irving was the one that picked up the slack and led the charge. The Cavs have shown that they just can’t win without the Duke product. When Irving went down in the 2015 NBA Finals, the Cavs blew their 2-1 lead and the Warriors finished them off with three consecutive victories.
When Irving was healthy, as he was throughout the 2016 NBA Finals, he was a huge contributor to the Land’s success. LeBron was of course the unstoppable superstar but Irving was the clutch shooter. James executed the block heard around the world but Irving hit the three to put the nail in the coffin. He’ll be counted on to shoot the lights out against the best shooters in the league.
If Kyrie Irving can go punch for punch with the superstar shooter in Curry, Cleveland has a chance. That’s all they need to make it work, as they proved in last year’s NBA Finals.
Why Stephen Curry Is Golden State’s X-Factor
To state the obvious, Golden State has the most extensive array of weapons that the NBA has to offer. Draymond Green is one of the league’s best two-way players. Klay Thompson is also a heck of a two-way player, who is also one of the league’s premier sharpshooters. Kevin Durant can do everything and anything someone could possibly surmise on the court.
However, the leader of the team and the undisputed star of the show is “The Baby-Faced Assassin” – Stephen Curry. The team lives and dies through Curry. If his shooting stroke is golden, the team will take down the King’s men. There is no person, no animal, no force of nature on this planet that can stop Curry when his shot his on.
As unstoppable as he can be, he has shown that he can be vulnerable to some mind games at times. Everyone in the NBA world knows that he came apart mentally down the stretch of last year’s championship pursuit. He eventually took it out on the court and even at the referees, losing his cool a few times. That was enough for the Cavs to dismantle the then-reigning champions.
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Now, the Dubs have a chance to take back the title. If they are going to somehow limit LeBron with a combination of Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, because the same force of nature that can’t stop Curry’s shot can’t stop LeBron’s freakish frame, they cannot forget about slowing down Kyrie Irving. Curry’s shot has to be on point every night in order to take away the clutch factor from Irving.
LeBron and Durant will both score north of 20, if not 30, every single night. However, the most impactful point guard will tip the scales in their team’s favor.