Right to a dynasty

Golden State and Cleveland reprise their Finals duel for the third straight NBA season in a trilogy that should settle which team has the right to claim a dynasty in the world’s biggest basketball stage. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series begins at the Oracle Arena in Oakland this morning (Manila time) with the Warriors enjoying the homecourt advantage by virtue of posting a 67-15 record, No. 1 in the NBA.

The Cavaliers finished with a 51-31 mark, second to Boston in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics spoiled Cleveland’s attempt to duplicate Golden State’s unblemished record in the playoffs but still went down in five to the Cavs in the Eastern Finals. The Warriors fell short of the 73-9 slate they registered last season but made up for it by becoming the first team ever to waltz into the Finals with a clean slate in the playoffs since the league instituted the current format of all rounds featuring a best-of-seven series in 2003.

For Golden State, the 73-9 record was historic because no team in history has matched or surpassed it. But the Warriors would’ve gladly traded the milestone for an NBA championship, a prize that the Cavs took away by coming back from a 1-3 deficit to clinch it.

There were doubts as to which team really deserved the title when Golden State won in 2014-15 and Cleveland prevailed last season. Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving hurt his left knee in Golden State’s 108-100 overtime win in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals and the Warriors finished off the Cavs in six. Irving missed the rest of the Finals, questioning the credibility of Golden State’s triumph. Last season, Golden State’s Draymond Green sat out Game 5 of the Finals to serve a suspension for his fourth flagrant foul in the playoffs. Warrior fans insist that was the turning point of the series as Cleveland capitalized on Green’s absence to win Game 5 and avoid an exit from a 1-3 hole on the Warriors homecourt. The Cavs won, 112-97, and never looked back again. Would Cleveland have won if Green played in Game 5?

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Twice, the Warriors and Cavs met this regular season. Cleveland won the first meeting by a hair, 109-108, at home last Dec. 25 with LeBron James collecting 31 points, 13 rebounds and four rebounds in 40 minutes. Irving hit 25 and Kevin Love 20. In the rematch in Oakland, Golden State walloped the Cavs, 126-91 as six Warriors scored in double figures with Klay Thompson leading the charge. Thompson finished with 26 points, Kevin Durant 21, Steph Curry 20, Andre Igoudala 14, Shaun Livingston 13 and Green 11. Burly center Zaza Pachulia had 13 rebounds. James and Love were a combined 2-of-10 from beyond the arc and The Chosen One was held to 33 percent shooting from the floor.

James, 32, is playing in his seventh straight Finals, dating back to Miami. That’s an incredible achievement for the man often called the best basketball player on the planet. James is averaging 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 40.9 minutes in the playoffs so there’s obviously no sign of slowing down. But as the 2015 Finals showed, James won’t be able to lift Cleveland back to the throne by himself. Irving, Love, Tristan Thompson, J. R. Smith, Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert, Deron Williams, Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson must share in the load. Coach Tyronn Lue is an inconsequential piece in the equation. Let’s face it. LeBron calls the shots for the Cavs and how he performs on the court will determine whether the Cavs repeat or not.

As for the Warriors, they’ll be feeling coach Steve Kerr’s absence on the bench if he’s not cleared to return by doctors. Kerr has coached Golden State in only two of its 12 playoff contests with assistant Mike Brown, who used to sit on the Cleveland bench, taking over. There is talk that Kerr may be back if not for Game 1 this morning then sometime during the Finals. Brown and Lue cancel each other out but if Kerr’s on the bench, Golden State has a distinct advantage.

The Warriors aren’t dependent on one man as the Cavs are. Believe it or not, neither Durant nor Curry is leading the team in average minutes. It’s Green who’s logging 34.7 a game. Golden State has the luxury of a deeper rotation with 11 players averaging at least 10 minutes an outing. Curry is averaging 28.6 points, Durant 25.2, Thompson 14.4 and Green 13.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 2.1 blocked shots.

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Green and Igoudala will be James’ chief defenders. Unlike in last season’s Finals where Golden State got caught switching Festus Ezeli on LeBron in the perimeter, now the Warriors will be smarter not to be lured into mismatch trap. On the ball screen, the Warriors will leave the Cavs the uncomfortable option of forcing a switch with either JaVale McGee or Green in case Durant or Igoudala is LeBron’s primary defender if Cleveland uses a big for the pick-and-roll. Ezeli is gone so that’s a relief for the Warriors.

Pachulia has missed the last two Golden State games with a right heel contusion but so what? He became the NBA’s most hated villain after extending his foot on Kawhi Leonard’s landing spot from a jumper in the San Antonio series and the Spurs star was lost for the rest of the series. Pachulia will be back in the lineup for Game 1 of the Finals but whether he’ll play a major role is a question mark.

Before the season started, Sports Illustrated picked Golden State to beat Cleveland in the Finals and Slam also chose the Warriors while Lindy’s Sports predicted the Cavs to retain the crown. Because of the Warriors’ depth, versatility and ability to adjust speed limits with either a big or small formation, my choice is Golden State to win in five or six.