2022 Finals Preview
Mar 21, 2022 8:34:51 GMT -5
Tampa Bay Bull Sharks and crossover (Golden St. GM) like this
Post by Miege22 on Mar 21, 2022 8:34:51 GMT -5
Four years. Four division titles. Four conference championship appearances. And, after four long years, finally, a return to the NBA Finals. Only two other teams had ever advanced to four consecutive conference championships, and the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks were to seeking to avoid becoming the first to never make it to the final stage. After getting turned back by the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, Tampa regrouped and reloaded, bringing in Karl-Anthony Towns and welcoming back Zach LaVine. They weren’t the only team bringing in the big guns. The arch rival Nets did the same, went undefeated, and took out Tampa Bay again in 2020. Last year, it looked as if it were going to be Tampa’s year. The Nets were in the tank, the Bull Sharks had traded for LeBron James, and their conference finals opponent had never made it that far before. Well, the Chicago Bulls went and pulled the upset en route to a title. After three straight disappointments, the Bull Sharks had one last shot at glory. Led by De’Aaron Fox, and the aforementioned Towns and LaVine, they finally broke through, defeating the Nets and Knicks to get back to their first Finals since 2016.
On the other side of the floor stands the Western Conference champion, the best team in the league, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have been dominant for almost three months, winning 8 straight match-ups, including their two playoff wins. This is not a franchise steeped in tradition, as is the case for Tampa Bay, but this group, largely throw together last summer, does not lack personal playoff history. While Nikola Vucevic and Pascal Siakam have managed to win it all on previous teams, Luke Kennard, Seth Curry, and Al Horford have all reached this stage and fallen short. Perhaps no player understands the Bull Sharks’ recent disappointments more than Horford. This will be the fourth Finals appearance for the Warriors’ big man, and he has no rings to show for it. If the Warriors manage to win it all, they’ll not only complete the single greatest turnaround in league history… but they’ll give Horford the ultimate trophy.
The NBA Finals. Next.
How They Got Here
Golden State is the #1 seed in the Western Conference and winners of the Pacific Division. They defeated OKC in round 1, 7-2, and completed a thrilling final day comeback to defeat the Kansas City Kings, 5-4, winning by just two shots. They are making their first Finals appearance in franchise history.
Tampa Bay is the #2 seed at 11-5. They won the Southeast Division and took out the Brooklyn Nets, 8-1, then the top-seeded New York Knicks, 6-3, to advance to their fourth NBA Finals.
Regular Season Meeting
These two played in week 3 (Nov. 1-7). Golden State won 5-4.
Injuries
Golden State - Fred VanVleet (knee - DTD); Jimmy Butler (ankle - DTD); Kendrick Nunn (knee - out)
Tampa Bay - Karl-Anthony Towns (arm - DTD); Domantas Sabonis (knee - DTD); Jarrett Allen (finger - out); De'Aaron Fox (hand - DTD); Derrick Rose (ankle - out); Chris Paul (hand - out); Doug McDermott (ankle - out)