NBA Finals: 5 reasons LeBron James wins Finals MVP
By John Buhler
4. The Draymond Green suspension in Game 5.
When Golden State was up three games to one after stealing Game 4 on the road in Cleveland, the Warriors’ best candidate to win Finals MVP was starting power forward Draymond Green. While neither sharpshooter in Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson had electrified Cleveland from the perimeter for much of this series, Green was the driving force behind Golden State’s early success in the 2016 NBA Finals.
However, Green let his raw emotion get the best of him when a late fourth quarter outburst between he and James ultimately caused him to receive a retroactive flagrant foul and would have to miss a potential series clinching game in Game 5 at Oracle.
Without Green in Game 5, Golden State sputtered as James and Irving torched the Warriors with over 40 points apiece in the Cavaliers’ crushing upset victory on the road. Had Green been able to play in Game 5 and wasn’t suspended by the NBA for his on-court antics, no doubt Golden State would have won the game and the series.
Instead, Golden State fell to Cleveland on Monday and lost starting center Andrew Bogut for the rest of the series with a gruesome knee injury. Without Bogut, Green lacks the front court protection from Bogut necessary to play his aggressive style of defense.
Not only did Green cost the Warriors Game 5 in his absence, he just might have cost the Warriors the series and a great shot at winning back-to-back NBA Championships. Still, he’s been the best player on Golden State in these Finals and his play hasn’t touched the surface of what James has done so far in six games.
Next: 3. Back-to-back 40-point games in Games 5 and 6.