Golden State Celtics Superteam vs. Los Angeles Nets Superteam: Who Would Win A 7-Game Series?

The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors were engaged in a terrific Finals showdown in 2022, with the latter coming out on top. For the entire playoffs, the two best teams were no doubt the Celtics and Warriors. Boston was led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with the likes of Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Al Horford having incredible defensive qualities to help out the scorers. Meanwhile, the Warriors ended up defeating the Celtics thanks to the quality and leadership of their Big Three: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

The Warriors have the best team chemistry in the NBA and the best offensive system on the floor. Curry’s shooting and Green’s leadership were invaluable, and they came out on top in the end. Credit will go towards Tatum, Brown, and Smart, who all took tremendous jumps on both ends of the floor. A combined starting five with Curry and Green allowing in Tatum, Brown, and Smart would be a tough one to handle on both ends of the floor.

On the other end, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets were a shell of themselves when looking at their expectations and they won zero games in the postseason last year combined. The Lakers missed the playoffs entirely, despite having LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook as their core. The Nets made the postseason, barely, but got swept in the first round of the playoffs despite having Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. No doubt, both teams were underwhelming.

How would a combined starting five between the Lakers and Nets do on the floor? Specifically, would the Lakers trio of LeBron, Davis, and Westbrook fit well alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving? With 5 Hall of Famers on the squad, they would be a scary team on paper. Would they also have enough to take on the Golden State Celtics squad? It is time to find out by analyzing the starting lineups and each team’s advantages following with a prediction of a 7-game-series.

Golden State Celtics Superteam: Stephen Curry, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Draymond Green

Los Angeles Nets Superteam: Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis

Stephen Curry vs. Russell Westbrook

Stephen Curry is the better player, and he is by far the better shooter. The Golden State Warriors star is an unstoppable marksman and seems to be getting better with age because he has bulked up and is not devoid of avoiding contact in the paint either. Steph can score the ball from anywhere right now, and while he is still a defensive liability, he more than makes up for it by shooting the ball at a superstar level.

Westbrook will take advantage of Steph’s below-average defense by using his size and aggression when it comes to attacking the rim. Russ will also out-rebounded Steph and will be a force on the offensive rebounding end of the floor because he will make any excuse to get into the paint and help out Anthony Davis. But overall, Curry will outplay Russ mainly due to his incredible shooting ability.

Marcus Smart vs. Kyrie Irving

Marcus Smart is one of the best defensive guards of the modern era, and his size and defensive tenacity will be massive in his matchup with Kyrie Irving. Smart will use his size to punish Kyrie in the post, and will also have an impact rebounding the ball. Marcus realizes he is surrounded by elite offensive talent and will try to make outside shots as consistently as possible but focus more on limiting the damage Kyrie will do.

Meanwhile, Kyrie will do his damage from the perimeter thanks to his elite ball-handling ability. He won’t be able to break down Smart as easily as he does with other defenders, but he will still get his looks throughout the 7-game-series. Irving will be a key shot-maker from the perimeter because when playing alongside LeBron James, floor-spacing will be absolutely key. In terms of who wins the series, that is up for debate, but Kyrie will have the edge on the offensive side of the floor.

Jaylen Brown vs. LeBron James

Jaylen Brown is an elite athlete and All-Star offensive player, while also becoming a very solid defender thanks to his focus and dedication. Brown can score the ball from the inside and outside, and will not back down despite coming up against an elite player in LeBron James. Brown will be required to be the third option on the team behind Jayson Tatum and Stephen Curry, and will also be required to be the secondary defender behind Marcus Smart. He will do very well in his role, to his credit.

LeBron James is the best playmaker on the team and will carry the offense with the All-Stars beside him. The King will try to take ball-handling duties from Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving, to allow them to play off the ball. That will work well with Kyrie, but not so much with Russ, although they will find a way to cope. The King will also have to create for the best offensive player on the floor in Kevin Durant and that will be the goal. Not to mention, James will feed the ball inside to Anthony Davis to take advantage of his size.

Jayson Tatum vs. Kevin Durant

Jayson Tatum is an elite offensive player and the second option on his team and will have to match up with superstar Kevin Durant. Tatum is an incredible scorer from inside and outside the paint, although he will try to beat the opposition from the perimeter more often than not. The superstar forward is an almost like-for-like fit across from Kevin Durant because they are built the same and have similar playing styles. But there is only one Kevin Durant.

Durant is the best offensive player on the floor and will have to play off LeBron James as the recipient of most of the passes. The superstar offensive player will form an extremely dominant duo with James and will let loose from the perimeter consistently. Kevin is unstoppable to defend against, even beyond what Tatum can do on defense. Durant’s best possible teammate is LeBron James because both players have incredibly high basketball IQs and know how to dominate the offensive side of the floor.

Draymond Green vs. Anthony Davis

Draymond Green will play hard, make no mistake about that. He is undersized against a taller and lengthy player in Anthony Davis but will use his strength and bothersome nature as a defender to try to cope. Green will also be a point-center at times to set up Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum who will come off screens. Green won’t have a great stat line when compared to Davis, but he will make his impact felt in many areas of the floor.

Anthony Davis is an incredible offensive player, as he can score inside and also create shots from the perimeter. As a taller player, Davis will have a great time receiving passes from LeBron James and scoring in the paint. He will also be a solid paint-protector and make up for the rather thin “power forward” that is Kevin Durant. Davis is the biggest player on the floor, and make no mistake, his teammates will find him.

Golden State Celtic Superteam Advantages

The Golden State Celtics have a perfectly fit lineup when it comes to playing “small ball” and creating perimeter shots for the stars. Stephen Curry is the best shooter of all time, and Jayson Tatum will play off that extremely well. Jaylen Brown is another perimeter scorer who will spot up for shots, with Smart and Green acting as primary playmakers. The quality of shooting is incredibly high because the Golden State Celtics have 3 elite shot-makers from beyond.

If they shoot well, they will have a shot to win games during the series. Stephen Curry is an unstoppable perimeter shooter, Tatum is the same, and Brown is a solid two-way star. They can all get hot from three, while Smart and Green can also space the floor at times. Overall, Curry and Tatum will be the keys to the team winning on the floor against superstar opposition.

Los Angeles Nets Superteam Advantages

The Los Angeles Nets have LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the two most skilled and physically imposing players in the game. James is the smartest player in the series and the best playmaker, while Durant is the most complete offensive player. Together, James and Durant will be a dynamic duo, unlike nothing we have ever seen. Of course, they will also have the best big man in the series waiting in the post.

Anthony Davis is by far the tallest player on the court, and his dominance will come into effect when James and Durant decide to spread the wealth. Draymond Green is an irritant and will try to get under Davis’ skin by playing rough, and he will succeed in some instances because Davis is more finesse than physical. But Davis will put up solid scoring numbers and rebound the ball well because James and Durant are too dominant. Kyrie is a very solid shooter, and Russ will do his best to rebound and be a nuisance as well.

Who Wins A Game-Of-7 Series?

Game 1 goes to the Golden State Celtics, thanks to a Jayson Tatum game-winner. Stephen Curry has a massive game, scoring 32 points including 20 in the first half. Curry goes 5-10 from three in the first half and finds a way to have enough space with the Los Angeles Nets failing to get towards him. In the fourth quarter, with the score tied 93-93, Curry comes off a screen from the three-point line with 10 seconds left. Russ and Kyrie rush at him, and Steph plays a quick lob to Tatum who attacks Kevin Durant and drains a tough layup with 2 seconds remaining. He asks for a foul but does not get it. On the other end, Durant is covered and Kyrie is forced to take a fadeaway three which rims out.

Game 2 goes to the Los Angeles Nets, and the game isn’t close. James puts up a triple-double with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists while Kevin Durant has 33 points including 14 in the fourth quarter. Durant’s scoring blows the game open, as he kick-starts a 20-6 run which ultimately ends in a 14-point victory for his side. Only Stephen Curry shows up, as he scores 25 points, but nobody else manages to score 20 points. The score ends 114-100, with the Golden State Celtics cutting a larger lead in garbage time.

Game 3 also goes to the Los Angeles Nets, as James and Davis control the interior. James scores 25 points, but he has 14 assists, many of them going to Davis. The big man scores 29 points, going 11-17 from the field. Davis has the soft touch in the game, shooting over the smaller Draymond Green with much success. Durant also has a big game with 25 points and 15 rebounds, and there is a big difference in both teams’ playing styles. The Golden State Celtics get a combined 60 from Tatum and Brown, but Steph goes 1-11 from three. The score is 123-102 before Game 4.

The Golden State Celtics respond in Game 4, as each player contributes in the closest game of the series. The first half ends 60-60, with the stars coming to play. But the Warriors get the edge in the fourth quarter, winning the final 5 minutes of the game 18-10. Their defense proves to be the difference, as Smart leads the way alongside Tatum and Brown. The trio lock-in, with Draymond getting physical enough to force Davis to go 5-15 from the floor. Amazingly, Durant and James only score a combined 6 points in the fourth quarter and that is ultimately the difference. The series is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5.

The Los Angeles Nets respond in Game 5, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant having big games. The former scores 30 points in his best game yet, with Durant also chipping in 31 points. Kyrie scores 22 of his points in the second half, as he switches off Smart and onto Curry as much as possible. Stephen cannot handle the talented scorer and gives up a ton of points as a result. Kevin Durant also has his way against Smart, Brown, and Tatum because they cannot contest his shots. Davis has a game-high 17 rebounds, and the game isn’t close as it ends 114-99. The Golden State Celtics need to find a way to respond, which they, unfortunately, fail to do in Game 6.

Game 6 starts out very close, with the Golden State Celtics holding a 60-50 lead at the end of the first half. Tatum, Brown, and Curry combine for 50 of those points as they match the Los Angeles Nets in scoring. The third quarter ends 80-70, with the trio once again coming up big. But the fourth quarter is a different story, as the Golden State Celtics’ trio fail to hit the mark in the final 3 minutes. The Los Angeles Nets roar back in the first 6 minutes, thanks to James and Durant. But Curry, Tatum, and Brown fail to score a field goal in the final 3 minutes, with their only points coming from 5 free throws from Curry (fouled on a three) and Tatum. But the final 3 minutes are owned by James and Durant, who scored a combined 10 points. Durant nails back-to-back three-pointers and James scores on easy layups to kill the game and the series. For his scoring exploits, Durant captures the Finals MVP award ahead of LeBron James, but either player deserved it.

Final Result: Los Angeles Nets Superteam vs. Golden State Celtics Superteam 4-2

Finals MVP: Kevin Durant 

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