The best player matchups in the NBA conference finals

The numbers show Kyle Lowry's offensive influence is as low as it's been since the 2012-13 campaign, but that doesn't account for his bulldog tendencies on the defensive end of the court. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun  credited Lowry as an unsung hero of Toronto's Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and he'll now be tasked with limiting Eric Bledsoe's impacts on a nightly basis. According to Gianni Costantiello of Rotoballer, Lowry shot a paltry 23.3 percent in three games vs. the Bucks this season. Ouch. 

Danny Green's three-point shooting betraying him in the postseason isn't necessarily all that new an occurrence. Per ESPN, he converted only 5-of-20 attempts from long distance last spring. While the 31-year-old drained 5-of-7 threes vs. Philly in Game 5, he's shooting under 37 percent from that range during the playoffs, down from a 45.5 regular-season percentage. 

Kawhi Leonard won't be the best two-way player in this series, let alone in the Association, but the 27-year-old reminded everybody on May 12 that he can deliver a postseason walk-off with the best of them. The 2014 Finals MVP is averaging over 31 points per game heading into Game 1 vs. Milwaukee. Only Kevin Durant (34.2 PPG) is producing at a higher rate this spring. 

For a piece published by SB Nation on May 2, Mike Prada wrote that Toronto forward Pascal Siakam contributes so many different things to the Raptors at both ends of the court. Far and away the league's most improved player, the 25-year-old is averaging over 20 points and grabbing over seven boards in nearly 32 minutes per game during his first postseason as a starter, and he's shown he can be a lockdown opponent when tasked with serving as Toronto's primary defender on the floor. 

The Toronto Raptors traded for Marc Gasol in February for this very moment. As Owen Phillips of FiveThirtyEight wrote, the 34-year-old locked down Joel Embiid throughout that playoff series, and his defensive prowess will need to be as high as ever considering he isn't scoring double-digit points with any consistency these days. He remains a skilled mover of the ball capable of opening opportunities for others.  

Simply put, Serge Ibaka is the lone bright spot for an underwhelming bench. The 29-year-old giving Toronto roughly 21 minutes a night crashes the boards with energy, and he was an incredible plus-22 in Game 7 against Philadelphia, per ESPN, higher than anybody else who participated in that contest. One concern is the only threes he made during the series came in that game (3-of-5). 

The days of the Toronto "bench mob" earning recognition and making headlines are well into the past. Recently, William Lou of Yahoo Sports referred to that unit as "unplayable." Fred VanVleet isn't even giving the Raptors five points per game this spring. Jeremy Lin, with his back spasms, is more a liability than a real option. For Nick Nurse, it's essentially Serge Ibaka or nothing coming off the bench. 

Nick Nurse shrinking his bench was the best course of action vs. the 76ers. It is possibly the only reason Toronto advanced this far. Having Gasol and Ibaka on the floor simultaneously may be last existing card he can play, other than letting Leonard run the action, while attempting to match wits with Mike Budenholzer. 

Eric Bledsoe facing Kyle Lowry is particularly interesting because they're so similar. Bledsoe is offensively inconsistent, but he's often the leader of his team's defense. His shooting is downright alarming at the moment. Bledsoe's career average from three-point range is over 33 percent, per ESPN , but he shot under 24 percent from that range in the series against the Boston Celtics. 

As SB Nation's Paul Flannery wrote, Khris Middleton is the ideal Robin to the Batman who is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Second on his team in scoring (19.1 PPG) and fourth in rebounds (6.0 RPG) during the postseason, the 27-year-old knockdown shooter is, to be blunt, better than his counterpart this series. As analyst Mike Zavagno pointed out, Middleton more than held his own guarding Kawhi Leonard during the regular season. 

One won't produce sonnets writing about Nikola Mirotic's defense. His deficiencies at that end make his offensive struggles during the postseason more noticeable. According to ESPN, he's shooting under 40 percent from the field, and his off nights cast shadows over his positive contributions. 

A unicorn unlike any other player, Giannis Antetokounmpo was recently referred to as "the most demoralizing man in the NBA" by Deadspin's Patrick Redford. The 24-year-old averaging a double-double (27.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG) this postseason is (probably) the league's MVP and arguably its best healthy player. Toronto or any other team shutting him down seems an impossible task. The weight of the moment, however, could bring him back to earth. 

The Bucks are likely hoping some extra rest allowed Brook Lopez to rediscover the shot that abandoned him over five games vs. the Celtics. He made under 30 percent of his attempts from the field in that series, according to ESPN, and he was an abysmal 0-of-7 from three-point range in Game 5. Milwaukee has a plethora of weapons and a tendency for adapting, but Lopez breaking this slump would make things easier for coach Mike Budenholzer.

The same George Hill dumped by the Cleveland Cavaliers before Christmas is fourth in scoring for the Bucks this postseason, per ESPN . With Malcolm Brogdon relegated to the bench as he works to return to full fitness from a plantar fascia tear, Hill has become the leader of his unit, scoring double-digit points in each of Milwaukee's victories over Boston. As Brian Foley of OnMilwaukee wrote, Hill averaged 18-4-4 in Games 3 and 4 vs. the Celtics. 

Milwaukee's Island of Misfit Toys may legitimately be the difference if Toronto's bench performs as poorly as feared. Pat Connaughton did well to put a woeful Game 1 performance vs. the Celtics out of memory and accumulate double-digit rebounds in three of the final four contests of the series. Ersan Ilyasova is a defensive difference maker. The previously mentioned Malcolm Brogdon, who shot 42.6 percent from beyond the arc during the season, will see minutes as long as he's healthy. The Bucks possess an unquestionable advantage in overall depth. 

Is Mike Budenholzer really the Coach of the Year and the man responsible for unlocking Giannis Antetokounmpo's greatness, or is he merely in the right place at the right time as the league's emerging best player strides toward greatness? We may learn the answer to that question before July 1. His rotations are masterful. His team's defense stifles the competition. He should be coaching in an NBA Finals after this series. 

Nobody, not Damian Lillard or anybody else, is stopping Stephen Curry when Curry is on, but Lillard may be able to match the MVP shot for shot. Only two players still in the postseason are averaging more PPG than Lillard (28.4), according to ESPN , and his 50-point closeout performance vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder was a work of art. As Nick Daschel of Oregon Live wrote, Lillard has yet to win a road playoff game at Golden State. He'll need to do so for the Trail Blazers to advance to the Finals. 

As Gary Peterson of the Mercury News and others have written, one can't mention CJ McCollum and the Western Conference Finals without reflecting on the 27-year-old complaining while speaking on a podcast last summer about how Kevin Durant and the Warriors "broke" the Association by assembling a roster filled with All-Stars.  As of the middle of May, McCollum has established himself as one of the top clutch scorers in the postseason tournament. He torched the Denver Nuggets for 41 points in Game 3 of that series, and he contributed 37 in Game 7. According to Justin Kubatko, McCollum's 185 points vs. Denver set a franchise record for the most scored in a playoff series. 

Don't try to compare Moe Harkless to anybody in the Golden State starting lineup. He isn't that type of player. The 26-year-old swingman may even be replaced by a healthy Rodney Hood (more on him later) or Evan Turner in the lineup if Portland drops the first two games. Harkless failed to make a single three in the final four games against Denver, and he averaged under six points a night in the series, per ESPN. 

As with Moe Harkless, Portland needs Al-Farouq Aminu to reclaim his shooting touch to have even a slight chance of pulling off the upset. After shooting over 34 percent from three-point range in the regular season, per ESPN, the 28-year-old routinely came up dry against the Nuggets (19 percent). Aminu making under one three per game won't cut it against the league's reigning dynasty. 

With both DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant sidelined, Portland needs Enes Kanter to be the offensive version of himself who scored 26 points in Game 1 vs. the Nuggets. Kanter's defense, or lack thereof, is what it is. He's not becoming a shutdown force overnight. Terry Stotts may have to consider pulling Kanter if he leaks points to Golden State before Durant returns. 

Rodney Hood, Portland's fourth-leading scorer in the playoffs (9.9 PPG), isn't 100 percent. The left knee bone bruise had him in "a lot of pain" as of May 12, as ESPN's Royce Young explained, and he may not be able to give the Trail Blazers over 20 minutes a night once he's cleared. Those hoping he'd possibly be able to replace a struggling Harkless in the lineup may want to pump the brakes. 

Remove Durant and Cousins from the equation, and Portland's roster is deeper than Golden State's — assuming Hood will be more than just a physical presence. Zach Collins has shown he can give plus minutes in the playoffs, and Seth Curry must locate his shooting form facing his brother's side. After going 4-of-6 from deep, Curry made only 2-of-9 threes over the final three games of the Denver series, per ESPN. 

Terry Stotts is widely respected for his offensive acumen, and how he counters if/when the Warriors go small without Durant and Cousins may determine the outcome of the series. With that said, Stotts doesn't have the horses to hang for seven games, especially once Golden State gets a pair of All-Stars back. Even if Stotts gets everything right, the Dubs could still win this series in five. 

Thirty-three second-half points, 23 of which he scored in the fourth quarter of a closeout game. Stephen Curry, the sport's greatest ever shooter, made history in Game 6 against the Houston Rockets when he scored the most points of anybody who put up a goose egg in the first half of a playoff encounter in 20 years, per ESPN, and he did so without having Kevin Durant by his side. When Chef Curry is cooking that hot, the Warriors are virtually unbeatable. 

Just when one could've thought Andre Iguodala's knee would be a problem, the 35-year-old dropped a personal playoff-best 17 points on the Houston Rockets to help the Warriors advance to the conference finals. According to ESPN, Iggy drained 12-of-25 attempts from beyond the arc in that series. Yes, Iguodala looked his age for much of the season, but it's possible eyeing retirement, as Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher wrote, is boosting his energy with the Warriors needing somebody to replace Durant's scoring. 

Often known as the other "Splash Brother," Klay Thompson did well to improve defensively, which, as Eric He of Yahoo Sports explained, has helped Stephen Curry focus even more on getting buckets. Don't let this emergence of that aspect of Thompson's game overshadow that he's shooting over 41 percent from three-point range. Maybe the Trail Blazers can distract him with some "Endgame" chatter.  

Draymond Green often saves the best version of himself for this time of year. Remember that he scored 32 points and nearly tallied a triple-double in that famous Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He also antagonizes opponents better than anybody remaining in the postseason, a trait that cannot be overstated during the most high-pressure points of the campaign, and Kobe Bryant recently praised Green for his unselfish play. With no Durant, the Warriors need the glue that holds things together to be as adhesive as ever if the club is to earn a fourth championship in five years.

One shouldn't forget Andrew Bogut is starting because injuries turned preferred options into spectators for the start of the series. Steve Kerr isn't all that keen on Bogut playing over 11 minutes per game even with DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant sidelined. Kevon Looney is getting more minutes despite starting games on the bench. 

The Warriors absolutely can win without DeMarcus Cousins. Ask the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers and other playoff opponents about that. It's expected Cousins will return from his quad tear at some point during this series, but one can only guess how effective he'll be and if he'll be able to stay healthy for longer than a couple of games. According to ESPN, the 28-year-old averaged over 17 points and shot over 46 percent from the field in his past seven outings before the injury sidelined him in mid-April. 

The Warriors have shown they can win a title and games without Kevin Durant in the lineup. As analyst Tommy Beer explained, Golden State notched victories in 26 of 27 contests with Stephen Curry and no Durant on the court. Still, any coach would rather have the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP who may be the Association's best all-around player in the rotation, if not starting. Durant's strained right calf will cost him at least a couple of days of the conference finals. Will it limit him, assuming he returns, once he's back?

Steve Kerr's legacy is already set — three titles in four years and four straight trips to the NBA Finals does that for a reputation — and he has a better lineup than any other individual in a similar role. At the start of the playoffs, keeping his athletes happy and playing together until certain men can make their exits this summer (cough, KD, cough) was Kerr's toughest job. Now, it's ensuring the Warriors are level or up in the series with Durant sidelined. Fortunately, the coach's supporting cast makes that gig relatively easy. Expect him to return to the Finals.