Warriors' Steve Kerr: 2022 NBA Finals Was Steph Curry's 'Crowning Achievement'
Jun 17, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 13: Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors talks to Stephen Curry #30 during Game Five of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 13, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the team's fourth NBA championship in eight seasons stands as star point guard Stephen Curry's "crowning achievement."
"[Stephen Curry] reminds me of Tim Duncan," Kerr said, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.
"From a humanity standpoint, from a talent standpoint, humility, confidence, it's a wonderful combination that makes everyone want to win for him. Without him, none of this happens. To me, this is his crowning achievement."
Kerr's Curry-Duncan comparison comes with firsthand knowledge, as the Dubs coach played with Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs for four seasons, winning two NBA titles.
This championship also caps a long four-year road between titles for the Warriors. The 2018-19 season ended with an NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors in which Kevin Durant sat all but 12 minutes due to injury.
KD left for the Brooklyn Nets in free agency the following summer. In 2019-20, the Warriors were snakebit by injuries and collapsed to a 15-50 mark. They bounced back to make the play-in tournament in 2020-21 but fell short of the playoffs.
The return to the NBA's title perch was completed this year, however, thanks to Curry's continued excellence, the return of Klay Thompson from injury, breakout performances from Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole and Draymond Green's versatility on both ends.
It's arguably the team's most impressive title given the long road back from a few years ago, and Curry once again stands atop the NBA landscape after winning his first-ever Bill Russell Trophy as the NBA Finals MVP.
Warriors' Stephen Curry After Winning 4th NBA Title: 'This One Hits Different'
Jun 17, 2022
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 16: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smiles during Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 16, 2022 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Stephen Curry captured his fourth NBA title and first Finals MVP on Thursday night with a 103-90 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals, but the superstar point guard said after the victory that this year's championship "hits different."
"We built this for 10, 11 years, and that means a whole lot when you get to this stage because you know how to win and everybody who has been a part of this knows what that's about. So, this one hits different. This one hits different for sure," he said.
Of course this title win "hits different" for Curry and the Warriors—they have been through it all over the last several seasons.
Just two seasons ago, the Warriors finished with the worst record in the NBA at 15-50, and it seemed like they were far from contending. However, Curry appeared in just five games that season after breaking his left hand, and Klay Thompson missed the entire year with a torn ACL, so it was essentially a lost season.
Then came the 2020-21 season. Curry returned to health, but Thompson suffered a devastating torn Achilles and was forced to miss another season. The Warriors suffered from inconsistencies and finished eighth in the Western Conference with a 39-33 record, missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
With Curry playing at an MVP level and Thompson finally slated to return from injury, the Warriors entered the 2021-22 campaign with high expectations, and they exceeded them all season long.
Golden State finished third in the Western Conference with a 53-29 record and blazed through the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks en route to the NBA Finals.
Everything seemed to fall into place for the Dubs this year. In addition to spectacular performances from Curry and Thompson, the Warriors also received exceptional play from Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II down the stretch.
The depth and supporting cast around Curry, Thompson and Green was phenomenal all year long, and their play throughout the NBA Finals helped secure what is arguably the most impressive title of Golden State's current dynastic run.
Steph Curry, Warriors Cement Dynasty Status as Twitter Erupts for NBA Finals Win
Jun 17, 2022
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 16: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates during Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 16, 2022 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Eight years. Four championships.
The Golden State Warriors have returned to glory with a 103-90 win over the Boston Celtics in Thursday's Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden to close out the series 4-2 and bring another title to the Bay Area.
Despite the lopsided score, it wasn't all easy for the Warriors. Golden State fell behind 14-2 in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but the team overcame Boston's hot start before going on a run of its own that pretty much put the game away.
Between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, the Warriors outscored the Celtics 21-0. Boston made multiple valiant comeback attempts but couldn't cut the deficit to under eight points in the second half. Golden State relied on its defense to secure the title, holding Boston to 9-of-22 shooting in the fourth quarter.
The most dominant team of this era, the Warriors used their poise and championship experience to close out the series. After cementing itself as a dynasty, Golden State was lauded online by fans and pundits alike.
Golden State is about to win its 4th title in the last 7 years. What a dynasty. Two of them came without KD, which is why KD joining up with them was so lame.
Steph, Klay & Dray are so unique & one of the best trios ever because they’ve been so versatile & easy to build around.
I’ve gone from liking the scrappy, exciting Warriors when we first learned of the “Splash Brothers” years ago to absolutely hating them in a rivalry with LeBron James and the Cavaliers to now respecting their greatness as one of the NBA’s great dynasties.
I mean it’s a testament to the dynasty that these Warriors have built that most of the Boston crowd has stayed with their phones out to watch Steph get the trophy again
What the Warriors have done is fairly un-heard of in sports. When a dynasty breaks apart, it usually ends up at the bottom of the ocean. Not this franchise. The perseverance to go through purgatory for 3 years and then plant their flag….? Full credit. #Champs
Of course, the engine driving the Warriors all these years has been star point guard Stephen Curry. He was once again spectacular Thursday, finishing with a team-high 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on his way to earning the first NBA Finals MVP award of his career.
Curry got it done from both inside and outside, aggressively attacking the rim and dazzling with six three-pointers. Curry's impressive performance was also praised across social media.
Steph Curry didn’t need tonight. He’s a transcendent player & his 3-point record this season was already a massive maraschino on a resplendent resume (as he continued to make a half-decade old tweet of mine a “Dewey Defeats Truman”level bad call). He’s raised his own bar. Salute.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did a masterful job throughout the series to lead Golden State back to the promised land. Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala all represent the last remnants of the core that led the team to its first three titles.
After a two-year absence from the postseason, Golden State made a triumphant return to the playoffs that culminated in another championship. This year's run might've been the toughest yet for this group of Warriors, and that likely made the victory even sweeter.
Warriors' Stephen Curry Wins 2022 NBA Finals MVP After Capturing 4th Title
Jun 17, 2022
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 16: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 16, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Stephen Curry captured his fourth NBA title Thursday night with an 103-90 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, and he also was named Finals MVP for the first time in his illustrious career.
The 34-year-old was sensational for the Warriors throughout the NBA Finals, averaging 31.2 points, six rebounds, five assists and 1.7 steals in six games.
Here's a look at Curry's stat lines from each game of the Finals:
Game 1: 34 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL
Game 2: 29 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL
Game 3: 31 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
Game 4: 43 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST
Game 5: 16 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL
Game 6: 34 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK
Curry led all scorers in each of the first four games of the NBA Finals, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan in 1998 to do so, though his best game of the series came when he scored 43 points in a critical Game 4 to tie the series 2-2 and regain home-court advantage for the Dubs.
Even when he wasn't as dominant in the scoring department in Game 5, shooting 0-for-9 from deep and finishing with just 16 points, he still found ways to be effective, posting eight assists and playing solid defense.
That said, he was just as important in Golden State's title-clinching victory in Game 6 on Thursday, leading the Warriors with 34 points, in addition to seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block.
Being named Finals MVP is just one of a number of accolades for Curry, who is arguably the best shooter in NBA history. The Davidson product is an eight-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion and two-time MVP.
Curry was also named the 2021-22 Western Conference Finals MVP after averaging 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.0 steal in five games against the Dallas Mavericks while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 43.9 percent from deep.
It's been a dominant postseason for the future Hall of Famer. Now it's time celebrate.
The Boston Celtics must now win consecutive games against the Golden State Warriors to leave the 2022 NBA Finals as champions. That's the bad news. The good...
Warriors' Steph Curry on Finals Trash Talk with Celtics Fans: 'I'm the Petty King'
Jun 15, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talks to the media after Game Five of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 13, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry is aware of the trash talk he's set to face from Boston Celtics fans in Thursday's Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden.
Referring to himself as the "petty king," Curry told reporters on Wednesday that trash talk is nothing new for him and he embraces the vitriol he receives from opposing fan bases:
Steph Curry: “I’m the petty king. So I know all about everything and I use it as entertainment and have fun with it.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cEDqxBi5r9
The last time Curry was in front of the Boston crowd in Game 4, he torched the Celtics for 43 points to lead the Warriors to victory. He was visibly more animated than usual, celebrating and flexing as he splashed a barrage of three-pointers.
While fans might be able to get some players off their game by taunting them, Curry clearly uses their hatred as motivation. Boston fans would be wise to direct their trash talk elsewhere on Thursday.
Five games into the 2022 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors lead the Boston Celtics 3-2, and arguments about Finals MVP are starting to feel meaningless. If...
No, the Golden State Warriors' 2022 NBA Finals Run Is Not Unfair
Jun 15, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 5: Stephen Curry #30 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors look on during Game Two of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 5, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
The 2021-22 Golden State Warriors are a lot of things: absurdly good, one win away from another NBA championship, an extension of a dynasty many thought dead, made possible by Stephen Curry, more than just Stephen Curry, incredibly expensive, etc.
What these Warriors are not, however, is unfair. Nor are they solely the byproduct of a willingness from Joe Lacob, Peter Guber and other team governors to spend and spend and spend.
This apparently needs to be said, if not explicitly spelled out in a slow and exaggerated drawl. Because mere moments after the Warriors dispatched the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the conversation shifted ever so slightly from the defining performance delivered by Andrew Wiggins, the team's overall mettle and its implications for Thursday's Game 6 to, quite literally, dollars and cents.
"Andrew Wiggins...he's not an underdog," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on SportsCenter. "He makes $32 million. While the Warriors were down these last couple of years, winning no games, they kept spending money because they've got it. They re-signed Draymond Green. They re-signed Steph Curry. They re-signed Kevon Looney. They kept Andrew Wiggins. And boy, did it show up tonight.
"Andrew Wiggins, with a supreme moment in his career. He was a throw-in in a trade. Other teams would've totally gotten rid of him. They stuck with him. They have a $340 million payroll when you consider taxes. You don't just have to beat the Warriors on the court. You gotta beat their checkbook. And nothing away from Andrew Wiggins tonight, but this was a checkbook win for the Warriors."
“They have a $340 million payroll, you just don’t have to beat the Warriors on the court, you gotta beat their checkbook…this was a checkbook win for the Warriors” pic.twitter.com/3OzI3Jc0pX
Twitter is #PrettyPissed about this slant—not just Warriors fans, but the NBA intelligentsia in general. Just peruse the quote tweets. And, well, the outrage is warranted.
Sure, gesturing toward the Warriors' payroll isn't necessarily out of line. They are set to pay around $346.2 million for their roster after baking in the repeater tax. That is...a crap ton of money, and it's around $81 million higher than the league's second-most expensive cap sheet, belonging to the Brooklyn Nets.
It also isn't only Windhorst who speaks about the Warriors in these terms. It is a school of thought to which general manager Bob Myers has been asked to respond during these NBA Finals.
"I mean, we drafted a lot of these guys, we developed them," he said during a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game's The Morning Roast (h/t Sam Quinn of CBS Sports). "It's not like we went out and signed all these guys as free agents and built some team that way. Larry Riley's the guy that drafted [Stephen] Curry, I was here when we drafted Klay [Thompson], we drafted Draymond [Green], we drafted [Jordan] Poole, we traded for Wiggins. Nobody wanted Wiggins, I mean nobody was saying anything then."
Cue the "BuT wHaT aBoUt KeViN dUrAnT?!?" rebukes. And, look, technically those aren't out of pocket, either. The Warriors in 2016 added a top-15 player of all time still in his prime to a core that just rattled off an NBA-record 73 victories and already bagged one championship (2015).
How is that fair?
Conceptually, it's not. In practice, though, the Warriors didn't cheat the system, get granted an exception for a top-five superstar without cap space or even employ the art of witchcraft. They were in a position to sign KD because the league infused all of its new TV money into the salary cap at once rather than bake it in over time.
Unprecedented circumstances enabled what they became.
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 10: Andre Iguodala #9 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors talk during Game Five of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
It is also true the Warriors wouldn't have landed D'Angelo Russell or, by extension, Wiggins, without KD, who they signed and traded to Brooklyn in 2019. Big. Freaking. Whoop. Golden State still needed to finagle itself within the confines of the hard cap to make that happen, which materially impacted its roster and asset chest. And like Myers said, "nobody" was irate that they turned KD into draft equity and someone widely considered to be on one of the league's worst contracts.
Any issue with the Warriors' spending is actually an attempt to deflect scrutiny away from other franchises that aren't doing the same, which is complete and utter B.S.
No team is prohibited from drafting players so good that their second, third and fourth contracts combine to dramatically inflate the payroll and trigger more punitive luxury taxes. This idea that franchises in a similar situation, inasmuch as one even exists, can't pay those subsequent contracts is a myth.
This is not an issue of ability. It's a matter of willingness.
Feel free to cite the disadvantages of smaller markets. Location limitations are a separate dilemma, a problem that warps the opportunity to acquire stars outside the draft. NBA teams are operated by the ultra-rich and worth billions. The Memphis Grizzlies closed 2021 as the "cheapest" organization on Forbes' list of franchise valuations and still came in at an estimated $1.5 billion.
The Warriors, no doubt, are willing to spend record amounts on payroll and luxury taxes because of the profits they stand to glean from Chase Center. So, um, maybe more teams should try privately financing arenas rather than banking on public funds?
In some ways, this might be an oversimplification of how the Warriors compare to the rest of the league. But it is far more logical than the aspect of fandom in which we're conditioned to care about how on earth billionaires can afford certain roster moves.
Is it unfair to other owners GSW spent extra to attain talent when Klay went down … OR is it unfair to fans of Milwaukee, that their team wouldn’t spend 5% extra on a defending champ squad with an all time great who will create additional revenue for them for next 30+ years? pic.twitter.com/41VZlJwTHi
For the Warriors specifically, though, it's more complicated.
Their success can't exclusively be boiled down to deep pockets. Their spending has, to some degree, been its own obstacle. Given how much time Klay Thompson missed and the topsy-turviness of Draymond Green's offense, their current deals are not, without question, net-positive assets.
Golden State has still needed to mine success on the margins. It probably wouldn't be here without Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr., both of whom are on minimum deals. It most certainly wouldn't be here without Kevon Looney, who re-signed on a three-year, $14.5 million in 2019 and was seldom considered a bargain through the first two seasons when he missed a combined 66 games.
And just to get out in front of this: The Warriors also aren't here, on the precipice of another title, thanks to some generally inaccessible, stroke-of-genius gap year. They arguably whiffed on what should be the best asset to come out of the past two seasons, the No. 2 pick in 2020. James Wiseman remains very much a mystery, but that's only because he's made a combined 39 appearances through two years.
Bagging Jonathan Kuminga with the No. 7 pick in 2021 looks like a home run. But the Warriors only have him because the Minnesota Timberwolves coveted D'Angelo Russell and, much like the rest of the league, were over the Andrew Wiggins experience. Should we ban Golden State from making trades? Or from getting lucky?
None of this is meant to suggest the Warriors' governorship group is made of Teflon or deserves to be placed atop a pedestal. There are limits to even their spending.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 21: Chairman and CEO of the Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors embrace after the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2022 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
They opted against using the mini mid-level exception just last summer. It ended up working out because they stumbled into GP2, OPJ, Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica. If they went belly up because they didn't sign another conventional big or spend more on a wing, they would be subject to their own trip under the microscope.
The same will hold true if they draw a line this offseason when Looney hits free agency and Jordan Poole is extension-eligible. Refusing to pay either—or making other moves to cut costs and then pay them—would be a choice, not a mandate.
More than anything, this entire discussion aims to emphasize the total inanity of the "checkbook win" slant. Framing any part of this Warriors Finals run in those terms takes away what's actually happening.
Curry is still a top-five player at the age of 34. Wiggins has transformed amid a more optimized role and better organizational stability. Poole, despite a rougher go in the Finals, has developed into someone Golden State must value like a cornerstone.
Looney has gone from oft-injured and playing in shorter spurts to the third-best Warriors player in a damn Finals series. Thompson is back after nearly 1,000 days away from the floor. The Warriors, like the Celtics, are defensive hellfire.
And in the face of some lopsided quarters and games, this Finals matchup is a riveting head-to-head of two equals going adjustment-for-adjustment, potentially on a collision course for an epic Game 7.
Yes, at various points over the past eight years, the Warriors have played—and won—with an inevitability that feels unfair. Such is the plight of a dynasty, particularly one that, for so long, stripped the race to the NBA Finals of its mystery.
News flash, though: No matter how good the Warriors have been and continue to be, they are not unfair. And they most certainly did not have a "checkbook win."
They are here for a multitude of reasons, including luck. But mostly, they're here because they are fortunate to have, and were smart enough to keep or acquire, really good players.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by NBA Math's Adam Fromal.
Warriors' Draymond Green: Steph Curry Hasn't Been 'Helpless' Despite 'the Narrative'
Jun 14, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 13: Andrew Wiggins #22 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors high five during Game Five of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 13, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors have seemed like a one-man show at times this postseason, but Draymond Green said the team has provided Stephen Curry with plenty of help.
"Obviously, we have spoke about helping him, and I don’t think he’s been out there helpless, like that's the narrative," Green said after the Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday at Chase Center. "But everybody’s doing their part, and tonight, a night that he didn’t have it going, we found offense elsewhere, and that’s kind of what it’s been."
Curry struggled in the Warriors' 104-94 victory, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting and a rare 0-of-9 from three-point range. The rest of the team picked up the slack, including Andrew Wiggins with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Klay Thompson scored 21 while shooting 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Green also made a bigger impact Monday, with the Warriors plus-11 when he was on the court. The forward was minus-13 in the Game 3 defeat, leading to his own self-assessment that he played "like s--t."
A balanced attack would certainly help close out the series, even when Curry isn't at his best. Of course, the two-time NBA MVP has been the main attraction for Golden State.
He is averaging 30.6 points per game during the NBA Finals, 12.2 more than anyone else on the roster. Even after his shooting woes last game, he is making 41.7 percent from three during the series.
Without his 43-point explosion in Game 4, the Warriors could have been on the brink of elimination.
Curry averaged 25.5 points per game during the regular season but is averaging 27.0 in the playoffs and is now one win away from his fourth career title. Any added help from the rest of the rotation will be a bonus in Game 6 at TD Garden on Thursday and a possible Game 7.
Stephen Curry Defends Draymond Green: Warriors 'Are Not in the Finals Without Him'
Jun 14, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 13: Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors high five during Game Five of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 13, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Stephen Curry credited Draymond Green
for doing all the little things to help the Golden State Warriors
take a 3-2 lead over the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Green has struggled with his shot in
the series—34.5 percent from the field and 0-for-11 on threes—but he's averaging 7.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.6 steals through
five games.
"In a situation like this series
where things are not as smooth and you have some rough patches, he
finds a way to respond with the right energy and approach and
toughness that, if you're watching the game, you notice him at all
times because he's kind of everywhere," Curry told reporters
Monday. "We need that grit. We are not in the Finals without him
playing at such a high level all year long, the first three series."
A lot of what Green does to win games doesn't even show up in the box score.
It's the hustle plays or fighting for rebounds against players a
handful of inches taller than him or the defensive rotations to help
a teammate who may be out of position.
Meanwhile, on a team with so many talented
offensive performers, he doesn't get enough touches on the offensive
end to find his shot consistently. He averaged just 5.6 field-goal
attempts per game during the regular season while averaging 7.5
points. His main role at that end of the floor
is serving as a distributor.
Most of Green's value is yielded at the
defensive end, which is why he earned an NBA All-Defensive First Team
selection for the fourth time in his career this season.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr named
Green and Gary Payton II as key contributors at that end of the floor
after Monday's crucial victory.
"The key to our game is defense,"
Kerr said.
Golden State held Boston to just 26.7
percent shooting (4-of-15) in the fourth quarter in Game 5, which
helped the Dubs regain control of game after the Celtics dominated
the third period.
Now the Warriors are within one victory
over their fourth championship since 2015. It would restart a dynasty
that went on hiatus for the past couple years because of injury woes.
Golden State still has work to do if
it's going to close out Boston, though. Kerr and Co. are likely going
to need some game-changing defensive work from Green to make it
happen.
