5 Most Important Players in Conference Finals

By Sam Schwartz on Thursday, May 21^st 2015

All eyes will be on the NBA's Most Valuable Player as Curry and the Golden State Warriors take on the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. Curry has been the talk of the league for the majority of the season and he has answered the call throughout the year. He has been no less impressive in the playoffs and has continued to play at a high level. Curry is the active leading scorer in the 2015 NBA Playoffs averaging 28.2 points per game. He will play a central role against the Rockets, who are led by James Harden. Harden finished second in the MVP voting and he, too, has continued to play at a high level in the postseason. The Beard is just behind Curry with 26.7 points per game in the postseason. However, Harden is also atop the charts with eight assists per game. Ball movement will be crucial in the series and Curry will need to put the ball in the hoop as well as facilitate the offense.

2. Corey Brewer

A subtle surprise in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers, Brewer adds much needed playoff experience to the Rockets. The eighth-year veteran won an NBA Title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 alongside fellow Rocket Jason Terry. Both seasoned veterans will be key against the Warriors but Brewer, especially, will play a vital role off the bench against opposing forwards such as David Lee. He has the ability to open up the paint with his outside scoring ability, which will come into focus as the Rockets attempt to outduel the top-seeded Warriors.

3. Kyrie Irving

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the health of Kyrie Irving will be one of the most influential factors. Irving has claimed he is ready to play in Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks, but how heavy a workload he can carry will remain to be seen. LeBron James leads the Cavaliers with 7.9 assists per game, ranking second behind only James Harden among active postseason leaders. But it cannot be left to James to carry the load and Irving will need to increase his ball movement to provide a spark against the Hawks. He will certainly be a top scorer in the series, but will need to be productive in all facets for the Cavaliers to come out on top.

4. Tristan Thompson

Matching up against a tough opposition in the low post, Thompson will play a critical role against Al Horford and Paul Millsap. Defense will be the top priority as Horford and Millsap have been effective scorers all postseason. They have also rebounded very well and Thompson and Timofey Mozgov will have to buckle down and box out well to get the advantage. Eliminating second-chance points and creating offense in transition are several advantages the Cavs could have if Thompson can outrebound Horford and Millsap.

5. Kyle Korver

One of the more disappointing players in the playoffs, Korver needs to play well against the Cavaliers for the Hawks to advance to the NBA Finals. His once deadly three-point shooting has diminished from a 50 percent success rate in the regular season to 35 percent in the postseason. After a solid scoring effort in the first round against the Brooklyn Nets, Korver struggled with his shooting against the Washington Wizards. He was held to six points or less in each of the final four games of the series. Even with several injuries, depth remains favorable to the Cavaliers. It is the starting lineup for the Hawks who will look to have an advantage and Korver will need to be lights out.