Golden State Warriors: Breaking down the NBA Finals position matchups

Bench (Kevon Looney, Shaun Livingston, Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell vs. Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell)

It’s hard to even gauge who will be taking the floor with the second unit for the Warriors until we know the full extent of Cousins and Durant’s injuries and when they plan to return, but for now, we could just give our best estimate.

While the Warriors’ average of 24.6 bench points per game in the playoffs doesn’t immediately stand out, the team’s bench has been much better than most have given them credit for. Kevon Looney has shot a superb 72% from the field and been perhaps the team’s best reserve player.

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Meanwhile, Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook have been reliable guards coming off the bench with the former in search of his fourth ring as a part of the Warriors reserves.

The Raptors, on the other hand, have really stuck to a three-man bench throughout the postseason but those three players have really carried them to this point. Serge Ibaka has continued to lock down the opposition on defense while the duo of Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell have been excellent shooters coming off the bench.

VanVleet, in particular, has been impressive connecting on an unbelievable 14-of-17 three-point attempts over his last three games. That hot stretch likely isn’t sustainable, but the Raptors will certainly be sure to ride this streak as long as they can.

Overall, this is too close of a matchup to call with both sides having their respective standouts. The returns of Cousins and Durant would push the Warriors over the top with depth but for now, let’s call this dead even.

Advantage: Even