100% man
Shaun Livingston's star is not exactly shining. In fact, in the galaxy of cosmic heroes, his visibility is usually the lowest. However, in the championship series, his performance was perfect.
At least literally, Livingston scored 10 points off the bench in yesterday's Game 2, helping the Warriors beat the Cavaliers 122-103. This was his second consecutive game in which he scored in double digits, and his 100% shooting percentage of 5-for-5 allowed him to maintain a perfect 9-for-9 shooting performance in the championship series.
Of course, Livingston's star teammates gave him offensive space and an offensive environment where he didn't need to deliberately take shots. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue also helplessly agreed: "It means, when you try to defend Klay, Steph When playing with Durant, there will definitely be room for others."
Seize the gap, Livingston said this is the task he should be responsible for: "Understand that most of the offense will be around our core players, I just appear in the right place at the right time."
But we're talking about 9-for-9 shooting. Is it really that simple? "This is his fourth championship game, and he looks like a god." Warriors head coach Steve Kerr helpfully added: "He has always been so perfect. His reliability on both offense and defense is rock solid. , and he just, you know, takes advantage of the opportunities he gets."
"He knows how to play."
In addition to his skills and intelligence, the 32-year-old Livingston is beginning to be able to cope with pressure: "I'm still thinking about how I did it, but I think we are so nervous compared to the previous three finals. Of course, I am always calmer and composed. player. That’s who I am.”
final filing
Looking back at the first game of the series, Livingston and the Warriors' four-star lineup defeated the Cavaliers in the overtime. He seemed to be the best candidate to replace Andre Iguodala in the Hampton Five-Tiger lineup, and the former's continued absence also made everyone I began to notice the importance of this senior player to the Warriors again.
After J.R. Smith's miscue of the century that stole the world's attention, the Warriors got a chance to be reborn, and in the overtime, they used their best lineup to win the game without trying in the entire game. After Iguodala retired from injury, the Warriors' bench was instantly exposed to its lack of talent (you can't blame anyone! Angry). Livingston was the only stable and reliable option, and when he filled the AI position, the Cavaliers seemed to have nothing to do. .
Livingston is the closest thing to Iguodala on the Warriors roster. As a 6-foot-7, 192-pound point guard, he can easily score in isolation in the penalty area, create offensive opportunities for teammates, and guard multiple positions at the same time. Even if his defense is not as strong as Iggy's, he can still match up with almost all Cavaliers players, giving the Warriors another body to contend with LeBron James.
Livingston was the Warriors bench player who played the longest in the two games. In a total of 33 minutes of playing time, he contributed an all-round production of 20 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal. At the same time, it only happened once. Mistakes.
Recall that when this generation of Warriors won the championship in 2015, they also had No. 1 draft pick Andrew Bogut and two-time All-Star David Lee in the frontcourt, and the backcourt was led by former Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa and Livingston. Livingston is the last of the four to play in the NBA, and the role players around him are either second-round picks or veterans on minimum salaries.
Further reading
TRADE: San Francisco Rabbit? David Lee travels east to Boston
Not just the best sixth man Leandro Barbosa and his Brazilian spirit
Kevon Looney, the 30th overall pick in 2015, finally came into use this year. He replaced Iguodala's starting position. However, at 22 years old, he lacks experience, has no specific offensive weapons, and has no way to extend the court space. This will somewhat make the Cavaliers He can focus more on the four-stars, but because of his defensive role of being able to switch defenders without suffering too much, he has become the most stable member of the penalty area group.
The Warriors' roster is filled with big men who have little value in a speed and space battle. Zaza Pachulia and David West were their best centers last season, but they were barely used. Zaza played only 20 minutes in the entire playoffs before garbage time in Game 2, and West was the only player on their roster with a negative plus-minus (151 minutes/-2.7). JaVale McGee performed well in two championship games, but he is still an inconsistent factor who needs to make mistakes. Jordan Bell is the most talented player in the paint, but he is a rookie who is prone to overexcitement this year and cannot enter the circle of trust.
When the Warriors put Draymon Green or Kevin Durant at the five position, they are most difficult to defend offensively and defensively, but their lineup lacks the wing candidates to fill the gap. Nick Young shot only 34.1 % in the playoffs, averaging only 2.9 points per game, and his defensive awareness was always inconsistent. Speaking of defense, Quinn Cook was even more hit by RBIs, and he only played 6 minutes after missing a few open jumpers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Championship. Patrick McCaw, who contributed a lot last year, has just returned from injury. It's hard to expect how good he will be after playing only 9 minutes in the past two months.
So it's no surprise that Mr. Perfect and final draft Shaun Livingston is the best guy on the Warriors to finish the game with the four-star. In the playoffs, Livingston's plus-minus rating with four stars is 25.8 points, while Looney's plus-minus rating with four stars drops to 11.7 points. They can play Warriors basketball only with Livingston on the floor, where all five players can carry the ball, handle the ball, or score. And anyone except Curry can switch defenses comfortably and won't suffer against various matchups.
However, this seemingly strongest lineup without Iguodala only lasted 23 minutes in the playoffs. The reason was due to the Warriors' seemingly strict control of Livingston's playing time. He averaged 18 minutes per game in his four seasons with the Warriors, and he has only played more than 25 minutes once in the past two seasons. The knee injury he suffered in 2007 made the Warriors and Kerr unwilling to stress his body.
Maybe we have all forgotten that the fourth overall pick in 2004, who dropped out of high school to join the draft, left a lot of room for imagination. However, Livingston, who came back from injury and played in four consecutive championship games with the Warriors, Relying on all his unique talents in addition to his physical fitness, in only about 18 minutes, we can relive the rookie that makes people daydream.
Participating in the game for a long time is the best proof of a player's IQ and skills. The average NBA player's career lasts almost five seasons, and too many physical monsters disappear into the league due to lack of intelligence and skills. Livingston, who is "only" 32 years old, has played 13 seasons and has two years left on his contract with the Warriors.
After the injury, he transferred to 7 teams in 7 seasons. Livingston's current situation is the best solution for him to continue to extend his career in the league. He is on the same team with three of the best shooters in history, which not only opens up space for him in the penalty area, but also allows him to only face weaker defenders on his team. The Cavaliers had to use Jordan Clarkson, Kyle Korver or J.R. Smith to match him, which resulted in a 9-for-9 shooting performance in the first two games.
The Cavaliers still have the opportunity to cut off the Warriors' offensive line, and the Warriors are reluctant to increase Livingston's playing time and burden. For Kerr, he is willing to extend the series and compete with his opponents in the final game. Livingston averaged only 16 minutes per game in the first six games of the Western Conference, and he played 24 minutes in the decisive seventh game.
When Iguodala fails to return, you will realize how shallow the depth of the Warriors' roster is, and you will also realize what a luxury it is to have a backup ball handler like Shaun Livingston. He already has two rings, but there may be a chance for more before his career is over.
