Every Single Player In This Year’s NBA Finals Is Awesome In Their Own Special Way

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The NBA Finals are in full swing as the Cavs attempt to come back from an 0-2 hole in Cleveland Wednesday night. But while we’ve spent a lot of time denigrating Cleveland’s chances in this series, eulogizing the Warriors before they were ready, or appropriately calling out perhaps the finest player of this generation, we want to take a moment to show you how awesome every single player is in this year’s Finals.

Every. Single. Player. Is. Awesome.

Do you know how hard it is to make it to the NBA? Do you know how hard it is to make it to the Finals? All of these guys deserve their due, so we’re gonna give it to them. In alphabetical order, here you go:

Leandro Barbosa

The Brazilian Blur is 10-for-12 through two games of the NBA Finals, and he’s turned into the spark plug the Cavs hate to see off the bench. It’s like the 33-year-old Sao Paulo native has had a career resurgence under his former GM in Phoenix, Steve Kerr. Barbosa’s explosiveness was largely ignored in the Conference Finals because of matchup problems, but he’s so dang perfect at blitzing the Cavs in semi-transition as they all point at him as he’s striding to the rim for one of those scoop layups that seems way easier than it is.

Harrison Barnes

The former Tar Heel will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he might be the most intriguing free agent since the NBA signed that gargantuan TV contract with Turner and ABC. No one will lead to more arguments about value in July. Most don’t think he’s worth max money, but he can defend three positions, he’s got range on his jumper, a pretty turnaround and he’s a huge fan of Breaking Bad. That last part probably won’t factor in negotiations, but it should (we’d be a horrible GM). We think HB needs more wiggle, especially when he’s running the pick and roll, but there’s no way the Warriors win 73 games and get to within two games of back-to-back titles without him as their stretch four in the Death Lineup. Also, he’s just a solid dude, on a team of solid dudes.

Andrew Bogut

How can you not love Bogues? Well, there are some who hate that he’s so freakin’ diabolical at setting screens, but that’s on them. The big Aussie is the defensive stalwart at the rim the Warriors need, and while some might feel he’s overpaid, he’s actually an integral part of this 73-win team. Yes, he’s the odd man out of their Death Lineup, but he was one of the keys for Golden State’s comeback in the Conference Finals and there might not be a better passing big man in the NBA today — perfect for the kinetic Dubs attack.

Ian Clark

The backup Warriors guard might not be very well known when he’s not on the Warriors’ bench, but how many Belmont University shooters made it to the NBA after going undrafted, and how many of them can say they played for perhaps the greatest team of all time? The correct answer is none. Also, he might have a post-playing career as a photography stringer.

Steph Curry

Come on.

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Matthew Dellavedova

We’ve already covered the biggest surprise of last year’s Finals. He loves coffee and rugby, and it’s pretty cool that LeBron seems to have embraced him as the plucky bench guy who can make Kyrie feel bad about loafing on the defensive end of the floor. Plus, nobody gets more out of having a mouthguard (except maybe the orally fixated Steph).

Festus Ezeli

He’s pretty gullible, and Golden State’s former coach was super harsh to him, but the big Nigerian who was the 30th pick in the 2012 Draft has developed his game enough to be a fun counterpunch after Andrew Bogut leaves the floor. Sure, he doesn’t pass nearly as well as the center in front of him on the depth chart, but he crashes the offensive glass, and his little hook is more effective than you’d guess. He’s also nearly equal with Bogut as a rim protector.

Plus, who can forget his Super Bowl flub?

Channing Frye

The former Magic and Suns stretch four in the body of a five was on fire to start the playoffs, but he’s cooled off against the fast-switching Warriors. Still, no one makes three-pointers seem easier, even with a guard in his face. He’s just too tall. And while his gait might strike some as indolent, the results aren’t — unless we’re talking about his defense, which is more a result of genes than effort. Watching big men lose him around the arc in transition is a fun moment for color analysts to break out the telestrator.

Draymond Green

A top-10 player at this point and the back-to-back runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s the emotional center of the Warriors, capable of inspiring them to great heights while simultaneously scaring them with his brash on- and off-court antics. There’s no one like him in the NBA and — with the possible exception of Steph and LeBron — no one in this series is more integral to their team’s success.

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Andre Iguodala

We’re paraphrasing a Warriors staffer here, but he’s the adult in the Warriors locker room. There’s probably no one smarter about the game on this list, even counting the sorta kinda photographic memory of LeBron James. Coincidentally, there’s probably no one better equipped — via length, intelligence, athleticism and demeanor — to deal with LeBron. Last year’s Finals MVP could very well repeat, and it’s hilarious to us (and probably only us) that he joined the Warriors after they beat his over-achieving Nuggets squad in George Karl’s last season as Denver’s coach.

Kyrie Irving

There’s a reason Nike made him one of their signature athletes with his own line, and the popularity of his Uncle Drew character just keeps getting bigger with every update. And while some hoop heads malign his defense, his offense is simply breathtaking. Perhaps no point guard is more adept at squeezing into defensive crevices and finishing at the rim with either hand. He’ll always have buckets.

LeBron James

Come on.

Richard Jefferson

We’ve already talked about him at length, but we’ll also remind fans about that hilarious time he pranked his then-Jazz rookie teammate, Trey Burke.

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Dahntay Jones

Remember that time when Dahntay was on the Clippers, and he ran into Draymond Green giving a post-game interview? That cost him $10,000 and led to all sorts of fun afterwards. Jones was signed in April by the Cavs after bouncing around a bunch of teams. He’s a character actor you might not recognize off the court, but still manages to make headlines (sorry, Bismack).

James Jones

Champ,” is the elder statesman on this Cavs squad. He won titles in Miami with LeBron and came to Cleveland with him. He was actually drafted the same year as LeBron, Barbosa and Warriors assistant and soon-to-be Lakers coach, Luke Walton. He’s also just got the wettest jumper this side of the Splash Brothers.

Sasha Kaun

Sasha was part of Kansas’ 2007-08 NCAA Championship team and won the Bronze medal with the Russian basketball team in the 2012 Olympics. He’s been demoted to the Canton Charge a couple times this season since being signed by the Cavs in September, but — despite the fact he has yet to play in these playoffs — Cleveland made the Finals. There’s no proof Kaun’s presence didn’t help that fact.

Shaun Livingston

Nicest guy we’ve ever spoken to, and the Game 1 Warriors hero with a team-high 20 points. His mid-range game might make the younger, Excel spreadsheet crowd squirm, but no one has a higher release point on his pull-up, and no one at his severely skinny size is better in the post. A perfect Warrior in nearly every way, but still on a minutes restriction because he almost lost his leg earlier in his career. A true gentleman.

Kevon Looney

Golden State’s 2015 first-round pick (No. 30 overall) played five games for the team this year and 12 for their D-League outfit. He also had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn left labrum in April, just eight months after the same surgery for the torn labrum on his right hip. He’s expected to be sidelined for four to six months because of it, but we’re guessing he’ll be swiveling those hips fine if the Warriors win another title in his rookie year and get a parade.

Kevin Love

He loves milk and his outlet passes to LeBron are still so beautiful. He’s a minus on the defensive end, and maybe you can’t ever compete for a title with him as your primary scorer, but he still rebounds well and has a killer offensive game that’s largely gone ignored in Cleveland. Lil’ Kev was also one of the best parts of Cleveland’s run through the East.

Jordan McRae

Signed a series of 10-day contracts this year, but his last one was with the Cavs in late February. That’s because he signed a multi-year deal the next month. This makes us really happy. It’s hard to make it after a 10-day deal.

James Michael McAdoo

The former UNC big man’s father is the cousin of Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, and his older sister, Leslie, played for North Carolina just like James. Like a few others in the Finals this year, McAdoo went undrafted in 2014, but caught on with Golden State’s Summer League team that year and — like McRae — has seen more than a few 10-day contracts. In April of 2015, he won a D-League title with the Santa Cruz Warriors. He was also a part of the 2015 Champion Golden State Warriors, becoming one of the few players who won a ring in the D-League and the NBA during the same season.

Timofey Mozgov

Used to be a verb, but his 2015 Finals performance was one of the best of his career. He once promoted an indoor trampoline park in his native Russia. He’s also just really adorable, despite his size.

Brandon Rush

A really good player who used to play for the Warriors, left for Utah and then came back. He’s struggled through multiple injuries, but filled in ably as the starter when Harrison Barnes went down during the regular season. He can knock down an open three-pointer and whip it along the perimeter. The Warriors have so many guys like this, and it’s incredible.

Iman Shumpert

Single-handedly made the flat top cool in New York for a while. Seems like he should have had a cameo in that Dope movie by Rick Famuyiwa. He also delivered his baby girl from home, which we all got to listen to. Let’s not forget, he raps — and even made Michelle Obama’s mix. Lastly, his hijinks with Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live were a standout off-court moment in last season’s NBA Finals.

J.R. Smith

Decided — while down 0-2 in the Finals — it was the appropriate time to start a Kickstarter in order to pay for a purported reality show. This may or may not be related to Draymond Green’s elbow, which is what makes J.R. one of the most lovable and idiosyncratic players in NBA history. He can play lockdown defense when he’s engaged and has the ability to go flamethrower mode from deep. Can also derail things just as quickly. J.R. being J.R. is a thing people say and it can mean just about anything. We want him at every party we’ll ever go to.

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Mo Speights

“Mo Buckets” is the only guy on the Warriors who might think he’s got a green light similar to the Splash Brothers. He nicknamed Warriors ESPN reporter Ethan Sherwood Strauss “Waldo,” and is really a breath of fresh air every time he subs in. During last season’s successful run to the title, Mo successfully avoided being a late-night stickup at gun point.

Klay Thompson

Could be the best two-way player in the entire NBA, but you would never know it because he’s had the same facial expression since 2001. He’s an ace defensive stopper, goatee enthusiast, and once scored 37 points in a single quarter; no one else in NBA history can say that. He also enjoys poking fun at his father, Mychal Thompson. He’s awesome — just read this recent feature on him by ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

Tristan Thompson

A walking, talking offensive rebound. Tristan switched his shooting hand early in his career and, while he’s Canadian, he was still kept at the border with the rest of his Cavs teammates before Game 3 in the Conference Finals. No one crashes the glass like him, and no one got more grief for their contract in the fall. Doesn’t matter. Guy works really hard, and that’s all you can ask.

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Mo Williams

Scored a Minnesota Timberwolves franchise record 52 points less than two years ago before returning to Cleveland last summer. Is perhaps only the second-best shooting Mo on this list, but has just as much confidence as the Warriors’ version. Hasn’t complained once about losing minutes to Matthew Dellavedova.

Anderson Varejao

The only player in this series guaranteed a ring regardless of who wins. He’s also the easiest player on either team to spot at the club; he has a terrific old man game, but can spaz out sometimes, which is just part of his charm. A girl we knew in college once got him to sign her boobs back when he was an unknown rookie in Cleveland, and she told us later he was really decent about the whole thing.

Everyone is awesome in the Finals this year. Everyone.

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