“He was an entrée with no sides, the exact same thing with Luka, Ja was playing great but then Ja gets hurt” - Shannon Sharpe believes the Golden State Warriors haven’t faced a combo like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Western Conference powerhouse the Golden State Warriors are gearing up to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight.
However, on Fox Sports' morning show "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," former NFL star Shannon Sharpe had a warning for the Warriors. He believes they haven't faced anyone like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the postseason this year. Sharpe said:
"Tatum and Brown, the Warriors haven't faced a combo like this in their playoff run. He (Jokic) was an entrée with no sides, the exact same thing with Luka. Ja was playing great, but then Ja gets hurt."
The Denver Nuggets were without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., as Nikola Jokic had to essentially fend for himself. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies looked to have the Warriors' number before Ja Morant went down with a knee injury.
In the Western Conference finals, as good as Jalen Brunson was, Luka Doncic played without another All-Star alongside him for the Dallas Mavericks.
.@ShannonSharpe on who takes Game 1 between the Celtics and Warriors:
"I'm taking the Celtics. The Warriors haven't faced a combo like Tatum and Brown in their playoff run. They got Jokic when he was an entree with no sides, same thing with Luka and Ja." https://t.co/VF0aVWXCFo
How dangerous are the Celtics to the Golden State Warriors?
The Boston Celtics overcame the Miami Heat in seven games to progress to the NBA Finals, where they will take on the Golden State Warriors. They also beat the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, in the previous round in seven games.
The Celtics' suffocating defense continued to wreak havoc as they added Miami to their casualty list. They beat the Bucks in the semifinals and swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Led by Marcus Smart, their ability to switch on defense is of the utmost importance in the way they play.
This, coupled with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum showing they can co-exist, has given them the offensive push they need. One can take over the game when the other is not at his best.
Jaylen Brown had a series just as good as Tatum did against the Miami Heat. He could have easily won the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy, which is given out to the Eastern Conference finals MVP. Brown poured in 40 points in Game 3 as he averaged 24.1 points per game in the series.
Giving credit where credit is due, coach Ime Udoka's tough, defensive-oriented schemes have gotten the Celtics to the NBA Finals. Early on in the season, there were rumors of unrest between the first-year coach and the players. That now seems a distant memory.
The Golden State Warriors will face their toughest opponent yet. The series has been billed as offense versus defense. The Celtics possess the best defense in the NBA while the Warriors have the greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the game.