NBA Finals preview: Warriors and Cavaliers set for rematch
The record-breaking Golden State Warriors are on the cusp of being considered one of the greatest ever NBA teams...but a vengeful Cleveland Cavaliers team stands in their way.
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With most of the focus on the Warriors, LeBron James has quietly led his Cleveland Cavs to an efficient post-season, losing only two games on the path to the finals.
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The Warriors backcourt tag-team of Stephen Curry (right) and Klay Thompson combined for more three-pointers (602) in the 2016 regular season than any other team in NBA history.
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Curry sat out six games of the 2016 playoffs, and appeared to aggravate a knee injury in game seven of the Western Conference Finals. Keeping Curry on the court will be key for the Warriors.
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Draymond Green (right) of the Warriors pleads his case with a referee in the Western Conference Finals. Green is just one flagrant foul or two technical fouls away from a one-game suspension in the finals.
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The Warriors' Andre Iguodala emerged as the hero of the 2015 finals, winning series MVP for his stellar defense of James and his clutch three-point shooting (14 of 35 for the series.)
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Unlike the 2015 NBA Finals, the Cavs are at full strength this time around, with James and Kevin Love finding their rhythm at the right time.
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Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving has emerged as the team's co-leading scorer and ball handler, taking a load off the back of James.
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Matthew Dellavedova, the Cavs reserve point guard, emerged as a surprise star in last year's finals when Irving went down with an injury.
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The clutch shooting and pesky defense provided by "Delly" helped Cleveland win two of the first three games in the 2015 series. Curry began the series making just four of his first 21 three-point attempts, before finding his rhythm in Game 3.
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Curry (with ball) shot just 19% from three point land in the first two finals games of 2015, before recovering in games 3 to 6 with a 51% clip from beyond the arc.
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Tyronn Lue of the Cavaliers is gunning to be the first rookie head coach to lead his team to the NBA championship since Pat Riley in 1982. Riley, incidentally, replaced coach Paul Westhead in the middle of that Lakers season, a feat Lue will also try to replicate after replacing coach David Blatt this year.
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Head coach Steve Kerr sat out the first 43 games of the Warriors' record-breaking season after undergoing back surgery in the offseason. His adjustments in the 2015 finals were credited for turning the series around.
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