5. Redemption for Kevin Durant
The most-maligned player in the NBA. That’s a title Durant has received since he decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for a Warriors team that has just won 73 games. In some cases, it’s deserving. In other cases, the whole thing is being blown out of proportion. But that’s a conversation for another time. For Durant, the NBA Finals represents redemption on two different fronts.
What we do know is that Durant wants to exact revenge against a player in LeBron James who defeated him in his only Finals appearance back in 2011-12. That series saw James dominate to the tune of 28.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in what would eventually become a Miami Heat series win in five games.
For Durant, all the criticism that has been thrown his way since departing OKC for the Warriors will be muted should he leads his new team past James and the Cavaliers. In reality, it will all be worth it for the former MVP. If the Warriors end up falling short, said criticism of Durant will be heightened even more. That’s the reality of the situation, one that will pit Durant up against James in one-on-one matchups throughout the series.
For his part, Durant heads into the Finals in the midst of a dominating stretch. He’s averaging 25.2 points and 7.8 rebounds during the playoffs. The former MVP is also coming off a series against San Antonio that saw him shoot at a 60 percent clip, including 10-of-13 in Golden State’s series-clinching Game 4 win. If anyone can go up against James and perform at a high level, it most definitely is Durant. Golden State will need that in order to come out on top here.