NBA Finals: Game 1 Preview & Prediction

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are set to kick off what should be one of the more epic NBA Finals in recent memory. Who will draw first blood in Game 1?

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.

How effective will Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson be?

Irving is dealing with numerous leg injuries, while Thompson is recovering from a concussion suffered in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets. Both players will play tonight and will have big roles, but major questions remain about effective they will be on the court. Whoever is more productive will give their team a major advantage.

Prediction: Warriors win 112-101

I expect the Warriors to get out to a big lead early while feeding off the momentum from the home crowd, and while Cleveland will cut into the lead in the second and third quarter, Golden State's depth will show late in the second half as they pull away.