Who Will Guard Who - Early Look At Potential Matchups In 2022 NBA Finals
Being able to play on basketball's biggest stage in the NBA Finals is the dream of every young basketball player growing up as they practice on their driveway.
For the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, this dream will become a reality on Thursday night, as the 2022 NBA Finals are set to begin!
Two of the best defensive teams all year long, this series between the Celtics and Warriors should definitely be one for the ages. Between star power and high energy on both sides, the NBA Finals is shaping up to be a long and highly competitive series with no team really having an edge based off of first glance.
What this series is going to come down to is one-on-one play and whether or not either side can exploit certain matchups they face.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are all All-Star-level talents on both sides, but will they have favorable matchups or will someone else have to step up for their respective teams?
Defense is going to play a major role in this series given that these two teams are the best defensive teams in the league and how these two teams defend one another will tell the tale of the 2022 NBA Finals.
You never know what adjustments teams will make, but here is an early look at what to expect from each of the matchups we should see in this series.
Marcus Smart vs. Stephen Curry
One of the best defensive guards in the league versus the greatest shooter of all-time, this matchup of Marcus Smart versus Stephen Curry is vital in the 2022 NBA Finals.
In the postseason, Curry has been an electric scorer and he has been extremely consistent on the offensive-end of the floor, averaging just under 26 points per game and hitting just under 4 threes per game.
Against Marcus Smart all-time in his career, Curry has averaged 24.1 points and has shot 42.2% from three-point range in ten career games.
Given all the talent the Warriors have on the offensive-end of the floor, this matchup does not necessarily hold the keys to this series, but it is still a very important one nonetheless because Smart is a high-impact defender that can get Boston’s transition game going with his ability to pickpocket his opponents.
Coming off a series in which he held both Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent in check, Marcus Smart’s energy is what really drives this Celtics’ defense. He is a pesky defender that can move really well off-the-ball, which is where Boston will look to him in this series.
Curry is one of the best players in NBA history in terms of moving off-the-ball offensively and running off of screens to find just an inch of space to get a shot off. Being able to stay with him and run around the court following him, it will be very interesting to see how long Marcus Smart can keep up his high energy play defensively against Stephen Curry.
Flipping the script and looking at Smart’s offense versus Curry’s defense, this is where this matchup really gets interesting because Steph Curry has looked really strong as a perimeter defender in these playoffs.
Due to Smart’s inconsistencies shooting from the perimeter, the Warriors could very much settle into a zone look on defense at times like they did against the Mavericks, really only zeroing in on stopping Dallas from attacking the paint.
Because Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can attack hard off-the-dribble, the Warriors could play a lot of zone, resulting in open looks from the perimeter from guys like Al Horford, Derrick White off-the-bench and especially Marcus Smart, who is coming off a series in which he shot 28.9% from deep against the Heat.
Steph Curry is going to have the upper hand entering this series in a matchup against Marcus Smart, even though Smart was named the recipient of this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Jaylen Brown vs. Klay Thompson
This matchup between Jaylen Brown and Klay Thompson is very intriguing because Thompson’s agility and movement is going to be put to the test here.
We have seen Klay be a high-level defender and someone that can definitely be regarded as one of the better two-way players in the league out on the perimeter, but this was before he tore his ACL and Achilles.
Since these injuries, Thompson has shown flashes of his full defensive potential, yet his movement is not 100% compared to what it used to be. Jaylen Brown could very much look to exploit this early on in the series and attack the Warriors’ wing downhill should that be his matchup.
Brown’s ability to get to his spots on the floor and drive to the hoop using his athleticism is what makes him an All-Star quality player and someone Boston relies on next to Jayson Tatum offensively.
Looking to constantly attack Klay Thompson may not only result in the Celtics getting some open looks in the paint, but this could also lead to Thompson getting worn down in regards to his effectiveness offensively.
The last thing the Celtics want to see in this series is Klay Thompson get going from deep because if he is hitting outside shots, this opens up the floor tremendously for Steph Curry and Jordan Poole, which spells trouble for Boston.
Not only is he going to have to play at a high-level offensively and try to break down Golden State’s defense, but Jaylen Brown will likely draw the defensive assignment on Klay Thompson and will have to give it his all to make Thompson uncomfortable on the perimeter.
Jayson Tatum vs. Andrew Wiggins
This is definitely “THE” matchup of this 2022 NBA Finals series, especially given that the Warriors have leaned on Andrew Wiggins to be their primary defender out on the perimeter in these playoffs.
Do not be shocked to see the Warriors go into their infamous “box-and-1” set defensively on Jayson Tatum, much like they did against Luka Doncic in the previous series.
Andrew Wiggins has the length and athleticism to possibly bother Tatum throughout this series, but he will not be able to stop the Celtics’ All-Star fully. Getting the ball out of Jayson Tatum’s hands is imperative for the Warriors, especially since Marcus Smart and Al Horford can be very streaky at times offensively, especially late in the shot-clock.
Really coming into his own this season with the Warriors, Wiggins has proven to be a two-way, All-Star talent in this league that really does not back down from a fight.
He is quiet and does not always put up dazzling numbers, but Wiggins does all the little things to help Golden State win games, just like he did in the Western Conference Finals against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
From rebounding to hitting perimeter shots to collapsing in the lane defensively to keeping Doncic in front of him in these “box-and-1” sets, Andrew Wiggins has really looked comfortable in his secondary role with the Warriors, making this matchup with Jayson Tatum something he has already seen.
Tatum and Doncic are two completely different players, but they both look to drive downhill towards the rim and are not afraid to pull up in the midrange area.
The area in which Jayson Tatum needs to try and exploit this matchup is out on the perimeter in pick-and-roll sets. He will see plenty of isolation opportunities, but Tatum really needs to be aggressive coming off of a screen when Wiggins is his primary defender.
Against Dallas, Andrew Wiggins found a lot of success because Doncic did not always look to attack and oftentimes, the Warriors’ wing was able to get back into position and defend Luka one-on-one.
This cannot happen if you are the Celtics and Jayson Tatum, especially given how gifted of a scorer Tatum is. Being able to drive downhill and attack the inside of the Warriors’ defense puts a lot of pressure on Andrew Wiggins in this series and matchup.
On the other side of things, Jayson Tatum’s ability to be an impactful defender on the wing will also prove to be huge against Andrew Wiggins. As mentioned, he is not a primary scoring option for the Warriors that will stuff the stat sheets, but has shot 35.3% from deep in the postseason and is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.
Containing Wiggins on the perimeter and keeping him off the glass are two areas in which Jayson Tatum will have to step up for the Celtics if they are to potentially win a championship.
Al Horford vs. Draymond Green
Down in the trenches, Al Horford versus Draymond Green is quite a unique matchup because neither player is really a focal point for their team.
Both players aid in rebounding and help facilitate the offense, but what is going to be very unique in this matchup is which player wins on the offensive-end of the floor.
Not only is scoring from Horford and Green major boosts to their respective teams, but their abilities to rebound on both ends of the floor really help make a difference.
For Draymond Green, the focal point for him in this series against Al Horford will be keeping the veteran big man off the offensive glass and for Horford, his focal point is going to be guarding Green out on the perimeter.
Because he is the Warriors primary facilitator, Draymond Green often finds himself extended past the three-point line as the team’s “point guard” in a way.
Al Horford needs to not only be able to keep Green from turning and driving downhill on fake dribble handoffs, but he also needs to have a sense of where to stand defensively because Green is not going to look to attack the hoop too often.
Mainly acting as Boston’s primary help defender, Horford’s ability to rotate and protect the paint is going to be where he can really make the most impact in this series, especially since Green does not have a consistent three-point shot.
As for Draymond Green, he also needs to act as the team’s primary help defender, but he needs to be cognizant of the fact that Horford can score from the perimeter. He shot 9-23 (39.1%) from deep against Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals and every shot the veteran hits from the perimeter gives the Celtics an edge offensively because that is one less possession Brown and Tatum have to do something offensively.
Boston is a very well-balanced team, but their offense does tend to lack productivity at times if only Tatum and Brown are hitting shots. Green taking Horford out of the equation and not letting him get involved on the perimeter or in the low-post will give the Warriors’ defense a massive edge.
Robert Williams III vs. Kevon Looney
What this matchup between Robert Williams III and Kevon Looney comes down to is Williams’ health throughout this series.
Robert Williams’ knee is definitely going to be a concern, especially since he is such a difference-maker for them on the defensive-end of the floor.
Without Williams being 100%, Kevon Looney surprisingly has the upper hand in this matchup and that could prove to be a massive shift in the NBA Finals this year. Looney is not a “true center” per se, but he plays his role perfectly and is coming off a series in which he had some of the best individual performances of his career.
Averaging 10.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and shooting 68.4% from the floor in five games against the Mavericks, Looney recorded two double-doubles and had three games with double-digit rebounds.
In Game 2 against Dallas, Kevon Looney had a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds. In Game 5 to close out the series, Looney had 10 points and 18 rebounds, 7 of which came on the offensive-end of the floor. If you go back to the Warriors’ previous series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Looney had a career-high 22 rebounds, 11 of which came on the offensive-end of the floor, to help the Warriors close out the Grizzlies in Game 6.
Should Robert Williams not be able to remain on the court too long, a lot more pressure will be put on the Celtics and Al Horford individually in this series. All of a sudden, without Williams, the Celtics’ advantage of having length over the Warriors is gone, especially since Looney has been a rebounding machine on both ends of the floor in the postseason.
With Williams healthy though, Kevon Looney could very well be neutralized and kept out of the paint. Defense is going to play a huge role in this series, as will rebounding on both ends.
Robert Williams’ availability is a key talking point entering this series, as without him, the Warriors definitely have a leg up on Boston.
Related stories on NBA Finals:
- Complete 2022 NBA Playoffs Schedule, Results, Gametimes, TV, Point Spreads: Fastbreak on FanNation updates the results and schedule for every 2022 NBA Playoff game. CLICK HERE.
- What To Expect From Celtics-Warriors 2022 NBA Finals Matchup?: The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will begin playing the 2022 NBA Finals on Thursday night in San Francisco and here is what we should expect to see from this championship series. CLICK HERE.
- 2022 NBA Finals - Defense Wins Championships: The 2022 NBA Finals are set as the Boston Celtics will take on the Golden State Warriors in a battle of the league’s top two defenses during the 2021-22 regular season. CLICK HERE.
