Golden State Faces Tough Test Against Cleveland in NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors ascended to the top of the deeply talented NBA Western Conference with their Game 5 victory over the Houston Rockets to clinch the conference title and punch their ticket to the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Stephen Curry the league’s MVP and his Golden State teammates went through a rite of passage that is worth celebrating, but must prove they are up to their next step – the NBA Finals.

In Game 5, Curry missed 14 of 21 shots and 8 of his 11 from three-point territory. Draymond Green was worse missing 3 of his 15 shots and Klay Thompson missed much of the first half with foul trouble and had concussion like symptoms in the second half after taking a knee to the head courtesy of Trevor Ariza.

However, the Warriors now get a week to rest before the finals start, which gives sharpshooter Thompson plenty of time to work out the concussion protocol if it is necessary.

Thanks to unsung heroes Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli, the Warriors put away Houston in Game 5 to win the conference title.

James Harden scored 14 points for the Rockets but had 13 turnovers, but Golden State cannot count on that kind of dismal performance from Cleveland’s LeBron James. The team’s enthusiasm, the excitement and the boisterous crowd at Oracle Arena might not even be sufficient to stop the LeBron led Cavs in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors are back in the finals for the first time since 1975, yes 40 years. The biggest factor in getting them to his point was the league’s MVP out played the MVP runner up Harden.

The Warriors have dominated all season long and will face a team that since January has been one of the best in the league.

Without a doubt, LeBron will be the best player in the Finals, not Curry, not Thompson not Irving, but LeBron. Alvin Gentry an assistant coach with the Warriors described LeBron as a freight train going over 90 miles an hour.

Not since 1991 has a team with such little experience in the NBA Finals won a title. However, Curry said that the same was true for LeBron until he won his first title. However, it took LeBron three times in the Finals before he won his first and that was against Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who were in their first as professionals.

To win, Golden State will have to shoot very well from 3-point land, maintain defensive discipline with the passing targets of LeBron and have better ball control than in this past series.

Only time will tell, if inexperience but great talent of the Warriors, is able to overcome the loads of experience and talent of the LeBron led Cavaliers.