NBA Finals: 5 advantages for the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors advantages No. 4 and No. 5
4. Three-point shooting
Expect to see plenty of three-point attempts given both teams’ ability to protect the paint. The series could simply come down to who can hit their perimeter shots, with the Warriors certainly holding the trust factor in that regard.
Having the best shooter of all time in Stephen Curry, and another top-five shooter in Klay Thompson certainly makes a difference. But more broadly, the Warriors are just better three-point shooting team overall.
They’ve ranked fourth in three-point percentage during the playoffs, while Boston has ranked eighth. That disparity was even larger during the regular season as the Warriors ranked eighth and the Celtics 14th.
5. Turnover Differential
As discussed yesterday, the turnover battle could be the key aspect in deciding who is crowned NBA champion. Golden State goes into most matches and series knowing they’ll likely have more turnovers, and that, subsequently, could be the only thing between them and victory should it get out of control.
In this series, the Warriors could foreseeably win the turnover differential given the Celtics’ own issues with maintaining the ball. If Golden State wins or at least keeps the differential close, it will go a long way to them winning the series and ultimately the NBA championship.