Top 3 players apart from Warriors Big 3 who could prove to be the X-Factor for Golden State in NBA Finals vs Celtics
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Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney of Golden State Warriors leading 2nd lineup for the team
Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors possesses a very deep and talented roaster. They showcased a perfect blend of experienced and young and budding star performers. Here are 3 players, other than the “Big 3” to impact the NBA Finals series vs the resilient Boston Celtics.
Western Conference has always been a very competitive one and Golden State Warriors are nearly dominating it. They now have 6th entry in the last 8 seasons from the West side of the world. They even won it on 3 occasions with a thumping victory over Eastern Conference Champions. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have been an integral part of those 8 seasons’ dominance and now they are joined by a very potent support cast and bench.
Steve Kerr and the front office have done an excellent job putting the pieces in place and importantly the veterans like Andre Iguodala along with the “Big 3” also joined in well. Though the Warriors do have a very promising team, playing in the NBA Finals is a very different and difficult ask. With minimal chances of errors, every player has to be in top shape and perform assigned duty well.
Following 3 Golden State Warriors Stars can affect the outcome of the game other than Big 3s:
Jordan Poole
Wisconsin-born star was the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But his performances with the warriors will surely put him on the top 10 players list of that class. Kudos to Golden State Warriors coaching staff, the growth of 22-years old athletes is a very exciting one. Playing in his 1st NBA Final, Jordan can be handy with scoring and playmaking – especially as the 2nd units of the opposing team take their turn on the court.
The outside member of the “Splash-brothers” is very deadly from the range and pinpoint accurate from the Charity line. He averaged a very handy 19 points and 4 assists in the regular season with some 30+ point games on his account. He is 3rd top scorer this postseason in the team and stopping the “Poole Party” will certainly be in the Celtics’ plans.
2. Kevon Looney
Looney was with the Warriors team that won back-to-back titles in 2017-18 seasons, He was also selected late in the 2015 NBA draft – a 30th overall pick, but blossomed into an important player in the Warriors team.
2015 Champions Warriors added size to the team and that selection proved to be very vital in this postseason. His performances against Memphis and Mavericks caught many eyes and even received many praises for the same. Keen-eyed Warriors fans even encouraged him with “MVP” chants and he deserved every bit of attention.
Playing against the Celtics’ strong rim protectors would be a difficult task but an improved version of Looney could be an ideal competition in the paint. He has a “Warriors system” in him after playing 7 seasons with the team, and this one proved the most productive of them all. He leads the team with 7.7 rebounds in the postseason, and maybe one of the games with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds could define the series winner.
Andrew Wiggins
What a drastic change in the 2015 Rookie of the year. Playing for the Golden State Warriors suited him pretty well and he nearly filled the void created after Durant’s departure. Of course, experienced and talented KD was irreplaceable in any team, but Wiggins’ overall gameplay helped the Warriors gain some advantage in the game.
4th top-scorer (15 points), 2nd in rebounds (7), 3rd in steals (0.9), and nearly 50% from the field emphasizes his overall contributions in the game. He is even tasked to guard the primary scorer of the opposition, and if he could frustrate either Jayson Tatum or even Jaylen Brown, 1/4th of the battle is won for the Warriors.
Playing in his 1st NBA finals would be an additional motivational factor for 2022 All-Star Wiggins and he could finally live up to his 1st overall pick status. What are your takes on the three players mentioned above? Do let us know.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)