The discussion has been nonstop this season: Who is truly the most valuable player in the NBA? Chef Curry or King James? Amid the shattered records and coveted awards, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, have stolen the spotlight thanks to a media-generated battle for best all-around player. Now, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown as the two basketball powerhouses face off in the 2015-16 NBA Finals for the second consecutive year. So far, however, the finals have been anything but Curry vs. James.
Golden State showed off their depth in the first two games with different players stepping up to carry the team. The Warrior bench exploded in game 1, outscoring the Cavs bench by a whopping 35 points. Supreme efforts from Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, and Leandro Barbosa gave the Warriors (and one of the referees) the extra push they needed to get the decisive W. Livingston had a particularly strong night, recording a solid 20 points on 8 of 10 shooting. Livingston and Iguodala came out strong again in game 2, but it was Draymond Green who stole the show. Green recorded 28 points to go with his 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Although different players provided star performances each night, the result was consistent: The Warriors wreaked back-to-back double-digit havoc upon the Cavaliers.
To the surprise of many spectators, Curry was not at the helm of the Warriors’ successful start to the finals. Curry and his sharp-shooting teammate Klay Thompson had their lowest scoring night of the season in game 1, with a combined total of 20 points on 8 of 27 shooting. Game 2 showed improvement in Curry’s overall performance, but early foul trouble kept contributions fairly minimal for the two-time MVP.
James did not provide his normal efficiency either, yet he seemed to be the only player who showed up for Cleveland. James racked up 42 points over the course of the first 2 games, just shy of a triple double in game 1 (23 PTS, 12 REB, 9 AST). The remainder of Cleveland’s personnel struggled mightily, exhibited by J.R. Smith’s combined 8 points over 2 games and Kyrie Irving’s -26 efficiency rating in game 2. To make matters worse, power forward Kevin Love was sent to the locker room during game 2 with a potential concussion after getting hit in the head during a rebound collision with Harrison Barnes. Love’s performance leading up to the injury was mediocre, making his exit a less than impactful occurrence for the Cavs.
Based on the first two games, a lot less is riding on Curry and James than the media has portrayed thus far. The reason for Golden State's success has not come from a raining down of 3-pointers from Curry, but rather from strong and disciplined defense, good rebounding on both sides of the court and constant ball movement to create open shots on offense. Most importantly, these initiatives have been achieved by all players on the court working in unison to neutralize the impact of the potent Cavs offense. Similarly, Cleveland's failure does not stem from a weak showing by James. Instead, it is the unusually poor play from all other members of the Cavaliers that has put them in an 0-2 position headed home to continue the series.
Curry's and James' unbelievable showing of talent this season has seemingly left little room for showcasing other forces on each team. Nevertheless, the results from games 1 and 2 of these NBA Finals make it clear that the best team effort is the key to victory. Who will step up to bring home this year's championship trophy? It will not be Stephen Curry or LeBron James. It will be either the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers.
