Stephen Curry will be lacing up his sneakers for his 6th NBA Finals appearance on Thursday, as the Warriors look to win their fourth championship in the last eight years. This is a team that is as experienced as a team can possibly be, especially in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors were facing a prime LeBron James in the NBA Finals every season from 2015 to 2018, but the circumstances have changed. A team that almost made the Finals to face the Warriors in 2018 was the Boston Celtics, who have made it back this year and will be as hungry as ever to stop the Warriors dynasty from winning another ring.
Stephen Curry has seen everything in the NBA playoffs. He has overcome a 3-1 lead; he has blown a 3-1 lead; he has won titles; he has missed the playoffs, etc. That experience teaches players to never write any team off, and Curry will not be making that mistake with this extremely young and hungry group of Celtics:
Steph Curry on the Boston Celtics: “It will be an amazing test. Got some guys playing at a really high level. Very well rounded team.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 30, 2022
“[They] got some guys playing at a really high level, very well-rounded team, they got the size,” Curry said. “We like the matchup in terms of confidence going in, knowing we can win, but there’s obvious respect in terms of what they present as a team. Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown are the heads of the snake, Marcus Smart does what he does, you got some vets, Al Horford who has been in the league a long time and in his first Finals appearance so I’m sure they’re motivated just like we are and we’re excited to get things going.” (h/t NBC Sports)
The matchups in this series are fascinating, as both teams carry versatility through their roster. It may just come down to which team can execute their game plan better, so it will be very fun to see this fresh Finals matchup.
The Warriors are going into this series as the favorites, but if there’s an underdog that should be feared, it is the 2021-22 Boston Celtics led by Ime Udoka.