The Golden State Warriors woke up on Sunday night and they came to play.
After a disappointing Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors were once again in fine form as they took down the Celtics, 107-88, tying the series before it heads back to TD Garden in Boston.
There were many reasons for the Warriors’ success but the biggest one perhaps has to be their starting five.
Warriors starting five this Finals:
120.7 ORTG
87.9 DRTG
32.8 NETRTGIn comparison, the Celtics starting five is -23.1 in net rating. pic.twitter.com/xpSzAisJ4s
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 6, 2022
According to StatMuse, Golden State’s starting five during these Finals have a 120.7 offensive rating, and a 87.9 defensive rating, and a 32.8 net rating.
That beats the pants off the Celtics, whose starting five is actually -23.1 in net rating.
You would think the Warriors would be running away with the Finals playing like that but obviously, the Celtics are doing better on the floor than on paper.
Tough Competition
Looking at those stats, it feels like the Celtics are a complete mess.
Yet, they soundly defeated the Warriors in the first game of the Finals and really did shut down the team’s most powerful assets.
The thing is that the team’s bench was really showing up to play and helped the starting five that certainly had a few problems.
Jayson Tatum, for example, didn’t play like his regular self in the first game of the series, putting up only 12 points.
That changed in Game 2, as he scored 28.
Yet, aside from Jaylen Brown, he was the only starter to score double digits.
In other words, the Warriors have a starting five that is feeling much more at home in the Finals.
That doesn’t mean the team is destined to win – the Celtics can obviously compete.
But unless Boston’s starters don’t get it together, this is going to be a very long series.
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