NBA Finals 2022: Top storylines to watch as Celtics and Warriors hunt for championship

SAN FRANCISCO — Star power. Legends. Legends in the making. Quality role players and top-notch coach. Franchises with championship pedigree, the storied Boston Celtics having won titles in five different decades and the Golden State Warriors having won three of the past seven championships.

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart.

Boston has won 17 titles, and if it wins this season, it will break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for most in NBA history. The Warriors, who have roots in Philadelphia are going for their seven title in franchise history, which would snap a tie with Chicago for third most championships.

The NBA Finals between Boston and Golden State brings a lot to the table, including a number of players trying to win their first NBA championship.

Game 1 is Thursday in San Francisco (9 p.m. ET, ABC).

Experience vs. Finals neophytes: How much does experience matter?

Golden State’s Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are playing and Steve Kerr coaching in their six Finals in the past eight seasons. They have won three championships. That’s a lot of minutes and games of Finals experience. The Warriors have been in a variety of situations with the game on the line in the Finals — leading, trailing, tied — and have founds ways to win games. It’s difficult to put a tangible figure on experience but know that in late-game situations, the players and Kerr and his coaching staff won’t be awed by the moment. They know how to execute and make plays.

Whether this gives Golden State a decided advantage is hard to tell. But no Celtics play has reached the Finals, and while they have plenty of experience in the conference finals, this is another level of intensity, pressure and spotlight. How Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, first-time head coach Ime Udoka et al react in these situations is worth watching. Udoka is trying to become the fourth first-time head coach in the past eight seasons to win a title. Kerr, Ty Lue and Nick Nurse are the others.

Boston had what it takes to beat Brooklyn and Kevin Durant in the first round, Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the conference semifinals and Miami and Jimmy Butler in the conference finals. But against Golden State and its stars is not the same.

The importance of defense: Who will get the most stops?

Boston and Golden State finished 1-2 in defensive rating in the regular season — the Celtics allowing 106.2 points and the Warriors 106.6 points per 100 possessions.

Executives around the league have taken note of how difficult both of these teams make it for the opponent to score. They have two-way players committed to the defensive end and both coaches talk about how defensive stops fuels their offense.

The defensive makeup of both teams isn’t exactly the same but there are similar characteristics. They have both perimeter defense. Smart is the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year and Brown and Tatum are quality defenders, with Al Horford and Robert Williams managing the interior

Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins, Thompson, 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Green, Otto Porter Jr. and Jordan Poole can defend on the perimeter and Green and Kevon Looney protect the paint.

Both teams rebound on the defensive end and force turnovers. Favorable matchups will be hard to come by for the offenses, but both teams will look for mismatches.

A series of stars: Which team gets the most from their top players?

Curry is a two-time MVP and was just named to his eighth All-NBA team. Thompson, though coming off injuries that sidelined him for two seasons, is a five-time All-Star and along with Curry, one of the game’s greatest 3-point shooters. Green made his fourth All-Star and seventh All-Defensive team this season.

Curry averages 25.9 points, 6.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds, and Thompson averages 19.8 points in the playoffs, and the Warriors also get scoring from Poole (18.4 points per game) and a rejuvenated Wiggins (15.8 points per game).

The talk at one time of breaking up Tatum, who made the All-NBA first-team for the first time this season, and Brown, one of the league’s most underappreciated wings, seems silly now. They are talented and high-scoring shot-makers outside and inside. Tatum, who is improving as a playmaker, averages 27 points and Brown 22.9 points in the playoffs.

Impact of All-Star-type role players: Why Green, Horford matter so much

For a player who doesn’t average in double figures in any major statistical category, Green is one of the most impactful players in the NBA. The Warriors don’t need a lot of scoring from Green — the occasional well-timed bucket helps — but they need his rebounding, playmaking and defense. You have to measure Green’s production in different ways. When he is on the court, the Warriors score 117.3 points and allow 108.9 points in the playoffs — a net rating of 8.4 which is better than Curry and Thompson.

Horford, a five-time All-Star, plays a similar role for the Celtics. He just does a lot of things really well. Like Green, he has a high net-rating at 10.9, which is a team-best for any Celtics player with more than 250 minutes played in the playoffs. The Celtics score 113.4 points and allow 102.9 points with Horford on the court in the postseason.

Injury watch: How much will injuries determine series?

No team is 100% at this time of the season, and the Warriors and Celtics have dealt with notable absences throughout the playoffs. However, the Warriors seem on the verge of getting Gary Payton II (fractured left elbow), Porter (left foot soreness) Andre Iguodala (disc injury) back. All three have returned to practice but no decision has been made yet on their availability for Game 1.

The Celtics have their key players available but Smart is bothered by a right ankle sprain and has dealt with other injuries (right quad, right foot), and Robert Williams (left knee soreness) had noticeable difficulty getting up and down the court in the Game 7 vs. Miami.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals: Warriors vs. Celtics top five storylines to watch