If Warriors go on to win second title in a row, there is no clear choice for Finals MVP.
Several Golden State players deserving of award consideration
OAKLAND — All of the numbers point to the Warriors winning their second straight NBA title, and they’ll do it Monday night at Oracle Arena if their minds are right to close out this dream season in style.
What the numbers don’t tell us is who might be the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals, because what the Warriors have demonstrated again this series is that they have a lot of valuable players — far more than the Cleveland Cavaliers — and it’s the reason for their success.
Someone is going to be named MVP, but in truth, there is no one standout candidate. Six Warriors are averaging in double figures, and beating the Cavs has been a particularly noteworthy joint effort. That has to tickle coach Steve Kerr, the man who coined the “Strength In Numbers” slogan, to no end.
Andre Iguodala, the reigning Finals MVP and a solid candidate to win it again, summed up the Warriors’ most eloquently Friday night after their 108-97 victory in Game 4 on the Cavs’ home floor.
“We have a very unique team,” Iguodala said. “We have a lot of solid basketball players. We have some really good shooters, great shooters. We have some very skilled big men. We have some skilled wing players who can play multiple positions, and I just happen to be one of the guys that can try to fulfill any void a team needs on any given night.”
While LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were taking 33 of the Cavaliers’ 38 shots in the second half of Game 4 — an astounding statistic of “me” basketball — the Warriors were getting contributions from a wide range of players, even veteran center Anderson Varejao, who played only four minutes but had a distinct impact during a crucial late third-quarter run with three rebounds, a couple of free throws and bristling nonstop energy.
Stephen Curry returned to MVP form with 38 points, but it was Harrison Barnes who delivered the dagger 3-point basket with 5:56 remaining to put the Warriors up by nine. Barnes also made a 3-pointer with 10:08 left that gave the Warriors a lead they would never lose.
So who’s the Finals MVP? Good question. Here’s a ranking of the most important Warriors so far in the series:
1. DRAYMOND GREEN: His 28-point performance in Game 2 gave the Warriors a significant leg up in the series, but his all-around work in Game 4, particularly in the second half, was wondrous. He neutralized Tristan Thompson’s early assault on the offensive boards, defended all over the floor, snatched 12 rebounds, blocked three shots and had four assists, including a beautiful bounce pass to Iguodala for a dunk. He also stood up to James, no small thing.
Beyond all that, it’s the little smart-basketball things, like quickly inbounding to Curry in the final two minutes before the Cavs could set up their defense after scoring, or yelling at Klay Thompson not to foul on a LeBron breakaway. You don’t teach those things, but with Green, it’s all part of the package, wrapped in fire and brimstone.
2. IGUODALA: If plus-minus is your stat, then Andre is your man. He’s plus-54, and was plus-62 when he won it last year. Nobody’s even close to him, and even though he has scored less in these Finals, he has been his usual Swiss army knife effective. He’s shooting 50 percent from the floor (17 of 34) and 38.5 percent from 3point, which is better than any Cavalier.
Iguodala has drawn primary defensive responsibility on James, but he also has been adept on switches, which is his true strength. Like Green, he’s just an incredibly smart player who, as he says, fills the voids that are needed in a particular game. Game 4: Six rebounds, seven assists.
3. CURRY: After his 38point explosion in Game 4, Steph could still steal the award with a similar performance in Game 5. As up-and-down as it has been for Curry, he’s still shooting 44.7 percent from beyond the arc in the series, which is not that far off his season mean of 45.4 percent.
Here’s the deal: Curry has done enough this year, turning in one of the great all-time individual seasons. Consider the whole masterwork. It would not be the least bit surprising if he has one exclamation point brush stroke left, though.
4. THOMPSON: In a fair world, Thompson has a monster Game 5 and wins the award, because he has been the Warriors’ MVP of the entire playoffs. He carried the No. 1 scoring load when Curry was down with his ankle and knee injuries, and he’s averaging 24.1 points in the postseason with 87 3pointers. And then there’s Game 6 in Oklahoma City, which has made everything we’re seeing now possible.
Klay saved the season, that’s all.
5. BARNES: If these Finals represent Barnes’ salary drive, the Warriors will likely pay the restricted free agent whatever is required to keep him. He’s averaging 12.5 points, has defended well guarding multiple positions and has also been a factor on the glass. His eight rebounds in Game 4 to go along with his 14 points were crucial, and he also had zero turnovers. As Green noted, Barnes might have been the best player in the Warriors’ Game 3 loss, too (18 points, eight rebounds, three assists).
6. SHAUN LIVINGSTON: His 20-point outburst in Game 1 got the series off on the right foot and he’s shooting a robust 64 percent with that midrange stop-and-pop for all four games. Perhaps just as important, he has committed just four turnovers in 98 minutes of court time and is plus-31 over the first four games. That doesn’t even count his defense, which has been consistently solid. Picking up that contract option for 2016-17 is probably a foregone conclusion. Warriors might be wise to think about an extension.
7. LEANDRO BARBOSA: Barbosa didn’t play much in Cleveland, but his offensive production and energy in Games 1 and 2 can’t be underestimated. He has scored only four fewer points in the series than Kevin Love, averaging 9.7 points in the three games he has played.
8. ANDREW BOGUT: It hasn’t been much of a series for Bogut, but his five blocks in Game 2 shouldn’t be forgotten, and he also contributed 10 points in the series opener.
9. THE REST OF ‘EM: Festus Ezeli, Marreese Speights, Varejao, Brandon Rush, Ian Clark and James Michael McAdoo have been bit players through the first four games, but Kerr has still managed to get 96 minutes out of that group to rest his starters. McAdoo and Varejao had key contributions in Game 4 during important stretches, and Ezeli did likewise in Games 1 and 2.
And speaking of Kerr, he’s not eligible for MVP, but he has had a great series, the Game 3 belly flop notwithstanding. His rotations have kept the players fresh, yet he hasn’t sacrificed quality at any time during games. It should be noted that when he was playing Iguodala just 20 minutes during the regular season, he was preserving him for these important games now, where he could play him 35-40 minutes.
Kerr has also picked just the right moments for Livingston, Barbosa and even Varejao and recognized from the outset that this wasn’t a big man’s series, which is why the centers have played so little. For all he has been through this year health-wise, the coach is getting his reward now.
It’s one thing to boast Strength in Numbers. It’s another to practice it and prove it. By utilizing all 14 players throughout the playoffs and particularly these Finals, maybe the Warriors should accept the MVP trophy with no name on it and break off a piece for everybody.