The NBA Finals are here. Finally.
It only took eight game-less days to get here because both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors comfortably handled their conference opponent to advance to the Finals.
While we can complain about the length between games — and logistically, it would have been very difficult to move up a week with flights, hotels, international media, etc. — it had to be appreciated by each player during this injury-tested season.
As it turns out, we do have the each conference’s best team in the Finals. But this postseason has felt more like it’s about surviving, not winning.
Take the Warriors. They had Steph Curry and Klay Thompson each suffer a blow to the head in the conference finals. The Cavaliers are without their bigs, Kevin Love (dislocated surgery) and Anderson Varejao (Achilles rupture), and guys on both teams have nagging bruises and sorenesses that have come from playing almost 100 games. That’s why this past week had to help.
It’s such an appealing series for numerous reasons, 1 and 1a being LeBron James and Stephen Curry. They are two of the most likable players in The Association, are a joy to watch, and are two of the most marketable players in the league.
Riley Curry … are you kidding me? I love when teams, like the Warriors and like the Pacers, welcome a family atmosphere. Seeing Riley in her father’s hands as he celebrates his first Western Conference Championship and thinks about the Finals was a priceless memory that the family will treasure. (Luis Scola’s small kids were in the locker room nightly and his oldest, Tiago, rebounded pregame.)
Reason No. 2 this Finals series is appealing: Two franchises that have little championship history are involved. Cleveland — the city, not the Cavaliers — has NOT celebrated a professional championship since 1964 and the Warriors have won just once, 40 years ago in 1975. That’s it.
While the teams certainly aren’t underdogs this season, the franchises are and the general population roots for the underdog and The Story.
Another storyline I enjoy tracking are the familiar faces, hometown guys, etc. Two former Pacers are with the Cavaliers, whereas the Warriors have three. I always like to see them do well.
Leandro Barbosa and Brandon Rush, both former Pacers, are in the NBA Finals with the Warriors. (Photo: San Francisco Chronicle)
Cavaliers:
+ James Jones — Pacers’ second-round pick in 2003 at 49.
+ James Posey — Now one of six assistant coaches under David Blatt, Posey played for the Pacers one season, 2010-11, before being amnestied.
Warriors:
+ Brandon Rush — Drafted by the Pacers at 13 in 2008.
+ Leandro Barbosa — With the Pacers a short time, playing in just 22 games during the 2011-12 season. “Papi” was well-liked.
+ Keke Lyles — Worked under Pacers trainer Josh Corbeil and strength and conditioning coach Shawn Windle during the 2010-11 season. Prior to joining the Warriors in 2012, he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now he’s listed as a Warriors Director of Athletic Performance. In May he was named Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, an award Windle won in 2012, by the National Basketball Strength & Conditioning Association (NBSCA).
(On a side note, it’ll also be great to see Shaun Livingston, after his hard road back from that nasty knee injury, playing in the Finals.)
This will be fun, a back-and-forth series that will surely go six or seven games. No, I’m not about making predictions. Nobody really knows and it seems only to be an opportunity for those that end up being right to brag about it. I go in with an open mind ready to enjoy each play.
The NBA Draft is exactly three weeks away. For the next ten days, focus for basketball fans will be on what should be a very enjoyable Finals matchup.