The Golden State Warriors became NBA champions after defeating the Cleveland Cavs by a score of 104-91. The victory marks the Warriors’ first pro basketball title since 1976.
Here are five things we learned from the Golden State Warriors’ victory over the Cleveland Cavs.
LeBron James never had a chance
The caption above purposefully leaves out the Cleveland Cavs while naming LeBron James. For most of the NBA Finals, James performed a solo act while his Cleveland Cavalier teammates stood around and basically watched in awe. James put up video game numbers by nearly averaging a triple-double throughout the series. But without consistent help, James was overmatched by a team with several offensive weapons.
David Blatt may have coached his last game with the Cavs
Cavs coach David Blatt was lucky to have coached the best player in the world; however, he never gained James’ full respect and often made blatant coaching mistakes throughout the season. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if Blatt was fired and the Cavs hired Tom Thibodeau or Mark Jackson.
Mark Jackson deserves the majority of credit for the Warriors’ success
Speaking of Mark Jackson, he’s the guy who should be holding the NBA Finals trophy for the Warriors. Jackson built the Warriors’ foundation and played a major part in molding Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. But Jackson often had friction with the team’s upper management and he was fired last year. Steve Kerr took over and is basically getting credit for the house that Jackson built.
Andre Iguodala is one of the most unlikely MVPs in NBA Finals history
Andre Iguodala played hard and consistent, but his overall numbers weren’t amazing. LeBron James actually came in second place in the MVP voting even with the Cavs losing. If James would’ve won the award, he would have been the first to win it on a losing team since Jerry West did it in 1969.
Riley Curry is the real MVP
Beyond James’ solo heroics, Steph Curry’s daughter Riley was probably the most entertaining aspect of the 2015 NBA Playoffs. Her post game antics were legendary and it was only right that she was on stage with her father during the post-game trophy ceremony. We can only hope for Riley to get her own Instagram and Snap Chat so that her fans can follow her during the off season.
