I am proud to announce that Jerod McCain from www.againstthegrainsports.com has come to NBA Inside The Play to give us his finals outlook. Here it is:
The NBA Finals are set, we have the number 1 seed Golden
State Warriors vs the number 2 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Stephen Curry
and the Warriors are here for the first time since 1974-75 when the won
their first and only NBA championship. The Cleveland Cavaliers have
their prodigy child LeBron James back home and a very good chance to win
an NBA championship for the first time in franchise history. After 4
years of LeBron in Miami with 2 of those years resulting in 2 titles,
the Cavs are hoping that James can do the same for Cleveland. MVP
Stephen Curry has his eyes set on that same NBA championship trophy. I
think this series will go to seven games with an action packed back and
forth well fought battle between two super stars and very good
supporting casts from both teams.
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I will start with the Warriors, a team
that can score in bunches and is dialed in on defense from the starters
to the last man off the bench. Klay Thompson is primed for a very big
performance seeing that he struggled a bit against the Houston Rockets
just averaging 15 PPG, a little under 6 points from his regular season
average. Draymond Green will continue to be Draymond Green with his
energy and defense. I think he will be able to do what Atlanta failed to
do and that's keep a body on Tristan Thompson and keep him off the
boards and limit second chance buckets. The key to the Warriors victory
over Cleveland will be Shaun Livingston, Leandros Barbosa, and Andre
Igudala with an over dose of Harrison Barnes. If these guys can play
extremely good defense and each have big offensive games in this series
especially Harrison Barnes, the Warriors chances of winning increase
tremendously. Barnes is by far more of a supreme offensive player than
Shumpert and Jones of the Cavs and can give JR. Smith problems
offensively if matched up. Stephen Curry may need to average 30 points
in these finals to beat LeBron and his Cavaliers.
The Cavs need to
all chip in to win this series and the NBA title. LeBron is by far the
best NBA leader on and off the court we have seen since Michael Jordan
and Magic Johnson, with what he has done to rejuvenate JR. Smith's & Iman
Shumpert's careers after being traded from New York. Kyrie Irving is
going to be a major factor in the Cavs winning their first NBA title. He
is going to have a tough task in containing Curry while still
performing on offense. Irving has struggled during the playoffs with
injuries but this is the finals and excuses just wont cut it. He will
need to average 25 to 28 PPG against the Warriors for the Cavs to have
success. The X factor will be if JR. Smith can continue his hot shooting
and if Mozgov can keep Bogut off the boards and in foul trouble. Iman
Shumpert will get the tasks of guarding whom ever is hot between Curry
& Thompson and if they both ignite at the same time the Cavs will be
in trouble. I predict that the Warriors will win in 7 and get their
second ever NBA title. By ATGS Jerod McCain
Jerod McCain Co-Founder/CEO
Against The Grain Sports, LLC
Sports Our Way!Against The Grain Sports, LLC
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