Warriors’ Road to the Finals: Ideal Playoff Scenarios

Mar 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) brings the ball down court as he pushes off Atlanta Hawks forward

(4) during the second half at Oracle Arena. Golden State Warriors won 114-95. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta’s impressive regular season run has been the other biggest story of the NBA season. Under Mike Budenholzer’s tutelage, the Hawks jumped from 38 wins to 60 wins. Though the Hawks have more or less dominated the Eastern Conference, they also hold several key wins against Western Conference opponents this year including wins over the Warriors, Clippers, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Rockets.

The Hawks will most likely have the difficult ordeal of knocking out Cleveland to make it to the finals. Between the Hawks and the Cavaliers, the Warriors definitely want to face Atlanta. The notion of trying to stop LeBron James, the man who has carried his teams to five NBA Finals, is quite terrifying.

Next to the Warriors and Spurs, Atlanta perhaps plays the most selfless form of basketball. Atlanta ranks second in assists and in three-point percentage, third in field goal percentage, and possess one of the most potent offenses in the league (sixth in offensive rating). Each Hawks starter was named an All-Star with the exception of DeMarre Carroll.

Like the Warriors, Atlanta’s offense is predicated on crisp ball movement and seeking high percentage shots. They possess an advantage in low-post scoring with Paul Millsap and Al Horford. While the Warriors also primarily like to move the ball around to find a good shot, the difference is that Curry and Klay are able to create shots for themselves when needed, which is crucial in tight situations.

The Hawks lack an elite rim protector to clog the paint, which the Warriors have in Bogut. A Warriors and Hawks Finals could prove to be one of the most exciting match ups of the modern era, featuring two extremely efficient offenses who have had historic seasons coached by two of Gregg Popovich’s pupils.

The road the Finals could surprise us all, with the Warriors getting knocked out even being a possibility. But after a surreal regular season run, the Warriors and their’ fans are hungry and ready for the Playoffs to finally begin.