“We had Magic vs Bird but they weren’t guarding each other.… The blood is bad” - Skip Bayless says Steph Curry versus Marcus Smart is the greatest individual matchup in the history of the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals are imminent. Steph Curry and company are the favorites going into Game 1. However, the Boston Celtics are not to be underestimated, especially with the way they have played since January.
Skip Bayless, on "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," expressed his belief that the Curry-Marcus Smart matchup is the greatest he's ever seen in the NBA Finals. He said:
"Alright, so, I'm billing this, and I'm not exaggerating when I bill it this way. This is the greatest individual matchup in the history of the finals. As I have told you earlier, we did have Magic vs Bird... they were both heroes and now we have the ultimate hero, the baby faced-assassin.
"I'm not exaggerating: this is the greatest individual matchup in the history of the Finals."
— @RealSkipBayless on Steph Curry vs Marcus Smart https://t.co/Teo8XbNwAP
"The blood is bad... in the end, tonight, to me, Steph (Curry) is going to be steaming over that play."
In their previous meeting, Steph Curry was injured after Marcus Smart dove on the floor for the ball. The injury kept him out for the final stretch of the regular season.
Are Steph Curry and company the underdogs?
The gauntlet of players and teams that the Celtics have gone through is what makes them a favorite in the minds of many. However, none of the teams that the Celtics played, except the Nets, were fully healthy and/or had all their key pieces when they needed them.
This doesn't discredit the Celtics, but it does raise an argument about whether the Celtics have really had a substantially tougher playoff run.
The Golden State Warriors, with the exception of Gary Payton II, have been almost completely healthy throughout the 16 games they have played so far. Despite Payton's importance, he is still a player coming off the bench.
A single possession decided the fate of the Celtics in Game 7 on Sunday. Had the Jimmy Butler shot gone in, talks of splitting Tatum and Brown would spark up again.
Steph Curry: “I have a lot to accomplish. I don't have anything left to prove. There's a difference there.” https://t.co/s2RN17nzXT
The Celtics went seven games with Milwaukee and with the Heat, with plenty of blowout wins and losses. Golden State possesses a knack for stopping runs and clearing deficits.
The Warriors will look to put an end to the early leads that the Celtics have developed a knack for taking throughout the playoffs. They will look to counter their size and strength with agility and ball-movement.
The Celtics, on the other hand, will look to overpower the Warriors with their physicality along with formidable 3-point shooting.