NBA Finals: Warriors-Raptors x-factors and a prediction

X-Factors

The main x-factor for Golden State is their health, namely if/when Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins return.

Durant has been officially ruled out for Game 1 and the team seems to be operating under the assumption that he will be out for longer than that (possibly the whole series). But despite all the talk and speculation that the Warriors might actually be better without KD, getting him back in these finals will completely flip the series on its head. They may not need him to win this series, but it never hurts to have the greatest scorer and best bailout option in the world on your team!

The entire series could change when Boogie returns as well (just to a lesser degree). That will give Steve Kerr an extra big body down low who can be a presence on both ends, especially on the glass. He’ll also be able to run some offense through Cousins when the splash brothers are resting and with his level of all-around skill on that end, it’s just another thing Toronto has to worry about.

The final x-factor for the Warriors is Andre Iguodala. As long as he’s healthy, you know what you’re going to get from Iggy on the defensive end since, every year when the playoffs roll around, he morphs back into one of the top five perimeter defenders in the league.

What makes him such a key x-factor, however, is his offense. When Iguodala is knocking down threes, Golden State just does not lose. And with the way he has been letting it rain from the outside in these playoffs (37% on 3’s), the Dubs are going to need more of the same against the Raptors!