Full 2015 NBA Finals Series Preview & Prediction

The Golden State Warriors absolutely dominated the NBA this season, posting the fourth best regular season record in league history behind the play of MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry and first year head coach Steve Kerr. They cruised through the Western Conference playoffs, getting past the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Rockets while only dropping three games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers recovered from a slow start to the season to finish with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have helped pushed the Cavs past the Celtics, Bulls, and Hawks so far this postseason as they've only lost two games in the entire playoffs.

Both teams split the season series 1-1, with each side winning on their home floor.

Projected Starting Lineups

(1) Golden State Warriors (67-15)

G Stephen Curry – 23.8 ppg, 7.7 apg, 2.1 spg
G Klay Thompson – 21.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg
F Harrison Barnes – 10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg
F Draymond Green – 11.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg
C Andrew Bogut – 6.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29)

G Kyrie Irving – 21.7 ppg, 5.2 apg

G Iman Shumpert – 8.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg

F LeBron James – 25.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 7.4 apg

F Tristan Thompson – 7.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg

C Timofey Mozgov– 10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg

What to watch for:

Splash Brothers vs. Cavs Defense

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are undoubtedly the best backcourt in the league, and while the Warriors can hurt you from anywhere on the court, the “Splash Brothers” are the two that set the tempo for the rest of the team. Cleveland's perimeter defense is inconsistent at best, meaning Curry and Thompson should be able to operate with relative ease on the perimeter. The Cavs have to limit the Splash Brothers' production if they want to have a chance in this series.

Can a road team win a game?

Golden State’s home dominance has been well documented - they've only lost three times at Oracle Arena all year (once to the Spurs, Bulls, and Grizzlies) - but Cleveland had the second-best record in the NBA after they acquired J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov midseason. Both teams are expected to control the games on their home court, and the first team to steal a game on the road will give themselves a huge advantage.

Prediction: Warriors win 4-3

The NBA Finals are switching from the 2-3-2 home-court format to the 2-2-1-1-1 format used throughout the rest of the playoffs this season, and that will play a major factor in extending this series as long as possible. However, I expect the home team to win every game in this series, meaning the Warriors pull it out in seven.