2015 NBA Finals Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

It has been a while guys! Welcome in to your 2015 NBA Finals preview on the True Raider Laker blog provided by yours truly. This year's finals should be an exciting matchup as this year's finals pits the Golden State Warriors, the best team in the NBA and the #1 team in the West vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, the #2 team in the East. This finals is providing a lot of headlines: rookie head coaches going against each other in Steve Kerr and David Blatt, two cities that are longing for an NBA title, and the incumbent MVP and the most exciting player in Stephen Curry going up against the former 4x MVP and the consensus best player in the world in LeBron James.

Golden State Warriors

Since the beginning of the offseason, nobody expected the Warriors to be the top team in the West. When a rookie head coach like Steve Kerr is coming in, everyone expected it to be a process that the Warriors are going to keep building and it will take years for them to be a legit contender. They proved a lot of skeptics wrong this season. Heck, I wasn't even considering Golden State to be a top-tier team as long as the Spurs, Thunder, Grizzlies, and Clippers were on top and the alpha dogs in the West. But the way the Warriors manhandled the West, especially for a team with a young core, it's very impressive. Steve Kerr has done everything right for this team. He has coached this Warriors team to its strengths with the personnel they have and he has emphasized on tough, stifling defense and getting the players to play with discipline. Steph Curry has played at a high level all season long and deservingly so, won the NBA's MVP award. The guy just figures out ways to make plays for his teammates and he can score at will. To say the Warriors had a very easy time in the postseason is an understatement. Against the Pelicans, Anthony Davis had his best season in his young career and will continue to develop to be a future star with a winning head coach. The Grizzlies are the Grizzlies; they will play tough, physical defense and slow the pace down in their favor. The Rockets had their runner up MVP in James Harden and Games 1 and 2 in the conference finals could've gone either way. The West is still tough. There were some times the Warriors were tested and they managed to pass those tests to advance to their first finals since 1975 when the Warriors were lead by Rick Barry and former Laker, Jamaal Wilkes way before he actually signed with the Lakers.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Forgive and forget was the motto of the Cavs when LeBron James dropped the bombshell heard around the world that he's leaving the Miami Heat and coming back home to Cleveland in hopes to deliver a title to the city, their first since forever. Five years ago, LeBron spurned the Cavaliers with "The Decision" of taking his talents to South Beach, now he's back and the city of Cleveland has welcomed his return with open arms, including that of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. The Cavs had the #1 overall pick in the offseason and drafted Andrew Wiggins and they subsequently traded him to the Timberwolves for Kevin Love to form a new big 3 with LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and K. Love. Unlike the Warriors, the Cavs went off to a very slow start, losing the season opener to the eventual dumpster fire, New York Knicks and LeBron losing in his first game back in Miami during a Christmas Day matchup with the Heat. Then, in the middle of the season, the team acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the Knicks and acquired Timofey Mozgov from the Nuggets. Add those acquisitions plus a couple of scoring barrages by Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers started to find their footing. Credit to coach David Blatt for hanging in there. His seat was definitely hot when the Cavs were underachieving expectations, but he made the necessary adjustments. However where true credit is due, it goes to the Cavs GM, David Griffin as he made these kinds of bold moves to put the Cavs in the position of where they are at now. Come postseason, LeBron dominated and the Cavs easily dispatched the Celtics, handled the Bulls again, and just dominated the best team in the East in the Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals. We could go on a record of how weak the East is, but this doesn't change that Cleveland has never tasted a championship this close. 2007 doesn't count since San Antonio had all the experience in the world. Now, LeBron heads to his 5th straight finals appearance and will look to pay off dividends of experiencing winning titles in Miami.

Keys for the Dubs

The key formula for the Warriors all season long was give the ball to Curry and let him work his magic. The Warriors are sticking to that and they are not going to change that anytime soon. When Curry is doing his magic, whether it's draining threes or creating plays, the Warriors' offense is virtually unstoppable. Not only that, they have a great defense as the Warriors have an outstanding record when they hold their opponents under 100 points scoring. The next key for the Warriors is that Klay Thompson has to start hot. After putting up great shooting exhibitions in the regular season, Klay has disappointed much in the postseason. The Warriors have to rely on their supporting cast as well as they have an excellent blend of youth and experience. Look for guys like Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Iguodala, Bogut, and Livingston to be that X-factor to go alongside the dynamic Splash Bros.

Keys for the Cavs

LeBron James has been on this ride not once, but five consecutive times and he's captured two championships in that span. Look for the Cavs to rely on his experience and let them feed off of it. The next factor is whether or not Kyrie Irving is 100%. He's missed the majority of the Eastern Conference Finals before giving it a go in helping close out game 4 against the Hawks. A healthy Kyrie means the less load for LeBron when it comes to scoring and it allows him to do the all-around things such as rebounding, dishing out assists, and scoring when it matters the most. Some X-factors included for the Cavs are the performances of Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith. Thompson has been hustling like a madman so far in the playoffs and Smith can score and get buckets whenever he shoots the ball.

Prediction

As usual, predictions are always tough to do because only the real thing can determine the outcome. It is the inexperience of the Warriors vs. the inexperience of the Cavs because none of the roster has had never been in the finals. However, the Cavs do have LeBron to provide them with that experience and that should give them edge, but we can't also deny that coaching and coaching adjustments play a key factor. David Blatt of the Cavaliers may have lead teams to a couple of titles overseas, but leading a team to an NBA title brings a lot more pressure. Meanwhile on the flip side, Steve Kerr of the Warriors has won titles as an NBA player, making key plays at opportune time so he knows what the pressure is like in an NBA Finals game. In addition, Kerr has played under championship-caliber coaches like Phil Jackson during the Bulls' 2nd 3-peat run and Gregg Popovich when the Spurs won championships in 1999 and 2003 and he has used some of their philosophies to blend to his coaching. It's going to be an exciting finals, could be down to wire, but at the end of the day, defense wins championships and I look for a new era of basketball to open up when Curry gets the torch from LeBron a la Jordan over Magic on the NBA's grand stage.

Warriors in 7

Game 1, Q-by-Q, Halftime, and Full Recap posts starts on Thursday June 4.

Oakland Raiders 2015 NFL Draft Selections (Rounds 4-7) + Final Grade

Conclusion:

*Changes to grade and research are closed once conclusion is posted*

Overall, this was a pretty good draft McKenzie put together. It wasn't as good as 2014, but it's up there and McKenzie has addressed areas of concern in the early rounds. Were there better prospects that the Raiders passed up? Absolutely. Drafting Amari Cooper started the fireworks, then Mario Edwards, Jr. getting selected in the 2nd round, left us "iffy" because Preston Smith and Owa Odigizuhwa were better prospects in my opinion, Clive Walford built our excitement back up, then the amount of linebackers selected had us in anxiety because we want Reggie to start focusing on other priorities like secondary help. But we're just all online GMs and not professional scouts and they won't pick the player we want them pick sometimes. But final thoughts, it's a solid draft, it's not legendary like last year's draft where the Raiders snagged 4 starters in the first four rounds and 1 in the 7th round, but it adds more pieces to help cornerstones, Khalil Mack and Derek Carr, to drive this franchise towards perennial playoff contention in the near future.

Final Grade: B+

Round 7: Pick 242, Dexter McDonald, CB, Kansas

Highlights:

Comment: We've been crying for some help in the secondary, possibly screaming if there's any and finally the Raiders have addressed that by using their final pick on Dexter McDonald out of Kansas. Raiders are taking another page out of the Seahawks' playbook of getting tall, lengthy corners and McDonald is the latest tall corner drafted by the Raiders. This guy managed to hold his own against 7th pick, Kevin White in the highlights. According to his profile, he can play press, very disruptive, needs a little polishing in being a physical corner and he can be over-aggressive with his hands leading to some PIs. Nonetheless, it's a good value pick and adds needed help for the cornerback position, in fact, probably increases the competition with McGill, Carrie, and Thorpe to start opposite of D.J. Hayden.

Grade: A-

Round 7: Pick 221, Andre Debose, WR, Florida

Highlights:

Comment: Mike Mayock says he has a potential to be scary and was projected to be the next Percy Harvin. After looking at his highlights, all I can say "holy sh*t." This guy can give the Raiders an electric kick/punt returner, something we haven't seen since Jacoby Ford was drafted back in 2010. Forget reading the scouting profile, this guy can be an instant contributor on special teams right away. He showed flashes to be a deep threat as well. Now looking at more reports on him, he is a bit older at 25 years old and had off the field issues and likely a risk-reward guy and Reggie takes chances at players with red flags at this point of the draft. But, my goodness, if this guy makes the roster and works to his potential, it's a pick your poison situation when Carr is going for the deep ball whether the defense double teams Cooper or Debose, but likely he is going to be a big time contributor and bring that energy and electricity to special teams we haven't seen in a while since Jacoby Ford.

Grade: B+

Round 7: Pick 218, Anthony Morris, OT, Tennessee Tech

Highlights:

Comment: Usually, the 7th round goes by really fast, so I'll make this short and quick. Morris is another big lineman, he's pretty decent at run blocking and pass protection and he can pull too, I'll give him that. If I can see his scouting profile, it would be convenient, but he's likely there for depth and again, it addresses the need and fortifies the O-line depth.

Grade: B

Round 6: Pick 179, Max Valles, LB, Virginia 

Highlights: 

Comment: Surprise! Another linebacker. Three linebackers in a row the Raiders went. Looking at this guy and reading his scouting profile, he's big, athletic, and he can play on the dirt or play standing up. The guy is still raw and needs to be coached up in terms of technique, instinct, and footwork as a pass rusher. The Louisville game as showed above shows his athleticism, batting down passes a la J.J. Watt. Not saying that he's the next J.J. Watt or anything. You can't get enough of linebackers, but I was hoping the Raiders would start addressing the secondary or continually bolster the d-line or o-line, but this guy is projected to play more defensive end since the Raiders drafted him as a DE. I see this guy as a project under Del Rio, Norton, and Sunseri.

Grade: B-

Round 5: Pick 161, Neiron Ball, LB, Florida

Highlights: N/A

Comment: Man, hearing his 12 minute video about him and his brain surgery reminds me of D.J. Hayden and his story after suffering a near-death experience. The guy had brain surgery in 2011 and worked his way up to get back to finish his collegiate career with the Gators. Looking at his profile, he's a versatile linebacker able to play inside and outside and can play the 4-3 or 3-4. He doesn't give up on the play, he's a viable asset to special teams. Of course the concern is that can he get back to top notch health because the NFL plays at a much faster pace. Not to mention, he's battled a lot of injuries in his young career. The Raiders picked two linebackers in the 5th round, it wasn't too much of a need at this point considering the core is stacked, but you have to root for this guy to have a fairy tale ending by being in the NFL and I think he's going to be a valuable asset on special teams and needed in some situations.

Grade: C+

Round 5: Pick 140, Ben Heeney, LB, Kansas

Highlights: 

Comment: He has that old school Raider look with that beard on. From what I'm hearing, this guy has "steal" written all over him a la Chris Borland. From the highlights, Heeney is really a run stuffer and according to his profile, he has posted up "eye-opening" numbers for tackles for loss in his collegiate career. This is a guy, even if a running back gets a hole, he doesn't give up on the play until that running back gets tackled and he barely allows offenses to run up on him for a TD in the end zone. He has pretty good awareness on the ball, but again highlights only tell a tiny bit of the story than a full breakdown. Looking at his profile again, he tends to struggle against bigger, more powerful linemen and last season he was the nation's leader in missed tackles. That's definitely an area of concern because it's like the Raiders drafted another Miles Burris, but I think he has the potential to be better than Burris, only time will tell.

Grade: A-

Round 4: Pick 128, Jon Feliciano, G, Miami

Highlights: N/A

Comment: So the Raiders apparently traded down twice in the 4th round and finally at pick 128, the Raiders select Jon Feliciano out of Miami. So they selected a player out of the U for two consecutive rounds and he's another big body interior lineman. 6-2, 323 pounds and this guy has played left tackle, guard, right tackle, so he's pretty versatile. From the scouting profile, he's effective in the short pull game, so definitely he will be an asset in the run game, decent awareness against the pass rush, allowing just 4 sacks in his entire collegiate career. Some weaknesses include that he has short arms, lacks quickness, and his hand placement can be a mess at times. Most of Feliciano's weaknesses can be coached under Mike Tice, but overall this is a pretty good pick. The Raiders needed a guard and beef up that O-line to give Carr more protection and make this up-tempo offense work. Yeah there were better prospects the Raiders could've taken like Tre Jackson, but Feliciano will be coached up and compete for the starting job at right guard.

Grade: A-

Oakland Raiders 2015 NFL Draft Selections (Rounds 2-3)

Round 3: Pick 68 Clive Walford, TE, Miami

Highlights:

Comment: Are you sure this guy is a Tight End? Looking at this guy's highlights, this guy can not only catch in the middle, but he can catch on the outside. He can run after the catch, he fights for extra yards, you can line him up almost anywhere, and he can make contested catches. Some of his weaknesses though, he has to improve on his blocking. Reading from the profile, he's gradually improving in that aspect. Other weaknesses do indicate he struggles with some drops and his speed can be somewhat misleading just from interpreting from what the scouts say. But I say this is a great pick for the Raiders as it gives Derek Carr more weapons offensively and if Walford continuously improves his blocking while being that ideal security blanket, Mychal Rivera's days could be numbered with the Raiders, although it would be wise to keep both, especially in the red zone if the Raiders are going to draw up end zone pass plays in a two tight end set.

Grade: A-

Round 2: Pick 35 Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State

Highlights:

Comment: I have a feeling that this has Linebackers Coach Sal Sunseri's name written all over this pick considering he was the Defensive Ends Coach for the Seminoles last year. Some of the notes that I read off Edwards is that he can play in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 as defensive tackle in a 4-3 or defensive end in a 3-4; he's like a poor man's Leonard Williams. Looking at his highlights, he's pretty solid at stuffing the run and doesn't get fooled very often when teams are running read option plays, play action, or any other trick plays. He just stays home and wait for the play to develop before he could make a play. Reading his weaknesses, it is said that he doesn't have any explosiveness when coming off the edge and it depends on his weight on which position he can play whether end or tackle. If he's over 300, he's playing DT, but if he can shed some of that weight, he is able to play DE. I really don't know about this pick; he was projected to end up in the 3rd round. I look at this as a project pick for the Raiders a la Menelik Watson. I thought Preston Smith or Owamagbe Odighizuwa would be the pick if the Raiders were to address the need at defensive end. Mario Edwards fills a need, but I think this was somewhat of a reach to take him that early in the 2nd round.

Grade: B+