Staff Predictions: Will the Warriors or Celtics Win the 2022 NBA Finals?
It takes two to tango, and the Golden State Warriors/Boston Celtics are prepared to dance.
The respective conference champions look to etch their name in history beginning Thursday evening when the Warriors play host to the Celtics, after taking two different routes to the final stage of the NBA season.
Golden State moved through the west with ease, going only as far as Game 6 to make their sixth NBA Finals appearance in eight season, tying only the legendary 90's Chicago Bulls teams propelled by Michael Jordan.
The Celtics advanced through two pivotal Game 7 settings after initially sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round. Boston, who hasn't appeared in the NBA Finals since 2010, looks to notch an NBA record 18th championship.
The series delivers in both star power, coaching and overall talent on the floor. Will Steph Curry continue to lay the foundation of Golden State's reign in the NBA? Will Jayson Tatum flash some of the Mamba Mentality he seeks before each game and establish a signature moment?
On SI Sportsbook, the Warriors are listed as -161 favorites to win the title with Curry (-111) to take home NBA Finals MVP honors.
Nobody knows if Golden State or Boston will ultimately emerge victorious, yet we can certainly give out some unsolicited predictions from the staff here at Inside The Suns.
Staff Predictions: Will the Warriors or Celtics Win the 2022 NBA Finals?
Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin): I don't think this will be a cakewalk for the Warriors, who enter this series as heavy favorites by majority of the public.
I acknowledge that Jayson Tatum continues to blossom into one of the finer talents in the league, while also understanding the Celtics play defense as good as anybody after each starter received a vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
Yet in these moments, on this big stage, experience tends to play a role. If you blink against the Warriors, you'll quickly find yourselves down 0-2 heading back to Boston thanks to their firepower, deep bench and tremendous coaching by Steve Kerr.
We see it all the time: A team simply looks rattled and bounces out of the playoffs despite being talented. Suns fans know this all too well, with many believing Phoenix should be playing at this moment in time.
Boston's run through the east was no fluke. Handling Brooklyn prior to dethroning the Milwaukee Bucks and advancing past the No. 1 seed Miami Heat. They deserve to be here.
Yet in muddy waters, I'll side with the guys who have done it better (and more) than any team has in decades. This isn't Golden State's first rodeo, and an extremely talented/savvy Warriors squad doesn't feel as if they'll buckle under pressure.
No real analysis here, I'll save that for the smarter basketball minds in Aaron and Logan.
Prediction: Warriors in 6.
Finals MVP: Steph Curry
Logan Bell (@LoganBellll): A season after 24-year-old Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns made an NBA Finals appearance, 24-year-old Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have earned the chance to knock off the Western Conference Champion Golden State Warriors. When the Celtics take the court on Thursday, it will be the first NBA Finals experience for every player on the roster.
On the opposing sideline sits a seasoned team that consists of 123 games of NBA Finals experience and three championships. As Boston’s Head Coach Ime Udoka stated this week, “Once you get out of the initial media circus and the intensity and how everything is much more exaggerated, it’s not much different when you get on the court."
In other words, ball is ball.
The Warriors pose threats from all over the court offensively. They are very well-known for their three-point shooting, but they are also extremely efficient at finishing at the rim. According to Shot Quality, Golden State ranks first in efficiency in terms of shot selection. However, Boston poses a major threat to opposing offenses as they force the worst shot selection in the league, as they allow minimal open threes.
After primarily being a switching defense throughout the season, the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler forced Boston to play drop coverage in the final games of their grueling seven-game series in hopes of keeping Butler out of the paint. Against Golden State, the Celtics will need to switch to limit open three-point looks. This might mean less Robert Williams in lieu of going smaller with Grant Williams, which has been a -6.9 net rating this postseason after being a -6.4 net rating during the regular season.
However, it could also mean more Derrick White, who has been a revelation for Boston. White has not posted a negative net rating in any lineup combination in his 426 playoff minutes. In fact, when White has replaced the banged-up Marcus Smart, Boston has had their best outcomes. A lineup of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Robert Williams and White has had a +34.5 net rating in 30:14 minutes of play these playoffs.
The Warriors are full of talent and are capable of deploying a productive lineup of any combination as Steve Kerr sees fit. Every Golden State starter has posted a positive net rating in these playoffs, as well as key reserves Jordan Poole and Otto Porter Jr. The key stretches to watch for will be when Steph Curry leaves the court. The four most productive five-man combinations this postseason all include Curry.
Golden State is more rested, more experienced and the betting favorite for a reason. However, seven of the last eight champions have been the team with the better playoff defensive rating heading into the NBA Finals. The Celtics boast a 105.9 defensive rating this postseason while the Warriors sport a 111.5. If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can remain productive and turnover-free playmakers, then Boston has a real chance here.
Prediction: Boston in 7
Finals MVP: Jayson Tatum
Aaron Decker (@ADecker1138): Every fiber of my being wants to predict the Boston Celtics as this year's champions. But my brain just won’t let me type those words. Instead it will be the Golden State Warriors lifting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. So why can’t my brain let me follow my heart?
The Celtics will be coming off back-to-back series' that stretched to the seventh game. While this is not a clear indicator of who will come out on top, it is important to note that those were grueling for Boston. The Celtics will enter the series with Marcus Smart battling an array of injuries and Robert Williams fighting knee soreness.
Obviously the Celtics have been resourceful and come out victorious despite the injuries but Golden State will prove to be too experienced for a young Celtics team which is seeing the Finals for their first time.
By no means does this equal a sweep. Jayson Tatum is formidable enough to keep the Celtics alive and even victorious. But it may be a situation where there just aren't enough bullets in the gun to stop Golden State.
Steph Curry is averaging 25.9 points a game along with Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole who are scoring above 18 points on average. The Celtics' third-best scorer in Smart averages 15.5 points per game and is hobbled heading into the series.
It will take more than luck in order for Boston to hang up an 18th championship banner.
Prediction: Warriors in 6
Finals MVP: Steph Curry
Thank you for making Inside The Suns your destination for Phoenix Suns news. Please be sure to give us a like on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @InsideTheSunsSI for more news, updates, analysis and more!
PHOENIX SUNS TOP STORIES
Is Dennis Schroder a fit for Phoenix?
Former Suns Steve Kerr, Leandro Barbosa Coaching in NBA Finals
Kevin Durant Favored to Land in Phoenix by Oddsmakers
Two Suns Players Listed as Potential Trade Targets for Other Teams
Bleacher Report Makes Bold Prediction on Deandre Ayton's Future
Bismack Biyombo Posts Thank You Message to Fans
JaVale McGee Speaks on Future, Says He'd Love to Return to Phoenix
Detroit Pistons Given 50% Chance to Land Deandre Ayton
Gambo: Third Team Likely Needed for Deandre Ayton Deal
JaVale McGee Hosting Charity Softball Game; Booker, Paul Among Attendees
