The playoffs weren’t going to be easy and while the series went a mere five games, it felt much longer when the Golden State Warriors played the Portland Trail Blazers. Led by the fearless Oakland-born, Damian Lillard, the Warriors received several punches but were able to land the haymaker to the overachieving Blazers on Wednesday night at Oracle.
Klay Thompson called it the longest five game series of all-time while Stephen Curry and Draymond Green expressed their respect towards Rip City. The Warriors now move onto the Western Conference Finals for consecutive years and are now closer to the NBA Finals yet again.
Here’s what the Western Conference Semi-Finals taught us…
Klay Thompson Has Taken The Next Step
Perhaps now the best shooting guard in the league; Klay Thompson went off against the Blazers in multiple ways. He showcased that he is an elite two-way player and one of the best there is. Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler all play both ends of the ball and dominate – Thompson belongs in that group.
He held Damian Lillard to 7-24 shooting in Game 5 while scoring 37 points. The best part: Thompson missed only four shots (13-17). His efficiency has helped keep the Warriors offensive flow smooth and consistent. In five games, he played 38.4 minutes per game and averaged 31 points on 49.5 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc on over 10 attempts per game. He’s made at least five three-pointers in seven straight games.
Klay was so good, Stephen Curry mentioned it at the end of the press conference without anyone even asking him, “That dude had the best series I think I’ve ever seen him play on both ends of the ball.”
Thompson picked up the slack when Curry was injured, but didn’t show any signs of slowing down when he returned. Forget the past, the two-guard has shown up this postseason.
The Warriors are Banged Up
Andrew Bogut left the game and did not return. Draymond Green was limping around in the second half. Curry’s knee isn’t 100 percent. All three players are among the most valuable players on the team, especially the latter two. The team needs them in order to repeat as NBA Champions.
According to Green’s mother on Twitter, he tweaked his ankle last game. Green admitted after the game that he was feeling sore but emphasized that the playoffs will be like that. He’s right. 80 plus games in the books and these players will be banged up, there’s no other way around it. Curry and Green both said they have to suck it up and play.
Meanwhile, the Thunder and Spurs continue to beat each other up. No Warrior said they had a preference for which they would rather play, but all agreed that this 4 to 6 day rest will be ideal for their injuries.
Stephen Curry Remains Best Player in the World
A few days have passed and if you’re a basketball nerd like me (probably are if you’re reading this), you’re still in awe over Curry’s Game 4 performance. It was “Stephtacular.”
He scored 17 points in overtime, breaking the NBA record and hit timely three after timely three after timely three. He had 29 points and 11 assists in Game 5 and Steve Kerr said he’s still not at 100 percent. Curry had the best individual regular season of all-time and was awarded the MVP trophy in front of thousands at Oracle Arena on Wednesday. Unlike last season, the Warriors didn’t have the jitters after the ceremony and actually ended up winning the game.
LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook have all been good and are living up to their names in the postseason. But even with Curry just showing up at the scorers table, you can sense the other team starting the play tight. He’s the most dangerous player in the league and the Warriors are that much better with him on the court. Curry is the best player in the world.
The Warriors Are Still The Favorites
I’ll admit, the Cleveland Cavaliers look dangerous. The Detroit Pistons played them well, but ultimately got swept. The Atlanta Hawks played well in the regular season, but they also got swept. The Houston Rockets were in the Western Conference Finals last season, but they were clearly worse. Portland gave the Warriors all they had, but still lost in five games. Both teams have had easy routes so far but the Warriors have dealt with the injury bug.
Cleveland will have no trouble with either the Heat or the Raptors while either the Thunder or Spurs will try to give Golden State some fits. Regardless, a 73 win season should not be considered anything BUT the title favorites unless something drastic occurs. So far, it hasn’t.
Curry will be 100 percent and Green should be fine as well. The Warriors are still the team to beat and the best one in the league. A rematch of last season’s Finals look like a near lock, with the Dubs remaining the favorites to go back to back.