The 2022 NBA Finals have already started, with the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics as the protagonists in dispute for the championship. While both teams were built on a process with young players, the stage the two organizations are at is quite different.
In the case of Boston, it is a team that has two referents under 26 years of age at the helm of the team, as is the case of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, both with excellent contracts but still unable to request one at the level of a Superstar.
In total, the Celtics are paying $136 million in salaries, with $80.3 million focused on contracts for Tatum, Brown and Al Horford. This salary balance is quite healthy at the league level, since they are below the luxury cap, therefore they were not financially sanctioned by the NBA.
The Warriors and Celtics are the two most home-grown teams in the NBA, having acquired almost all their best players through the draft.
Much respect to both teams for scouting well and building from the ground up 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gNiRLIEvPH
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) June 2, 2022
The situation is radically different in the Warriors, since despite the fact that they initially found themselves in a situation similar to that of the Celtics, they already have two veterans on their roster earning maximum salary, such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, plus several other high-cap deals.
The Warriors’ payroll meant $184 million for this season, of which only between Curry and Thompson earned $83.8 million. In the case of Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green, they collectively earned $55.5 million, for a total of $139.3 million between their top four players, almost unmatched around the league.
Of course, this isn’t viewed in a big way in terms of economic efficiency, as the luxury fine for the Warriors is one of the most expensive in NBA history, paying an additional $170 million or so. The cost of the team would be almost unsustainable if it weren’t for the enormous success of the organization both in sports and in terms of marketing.
The Celtics showed the poise and resiliency they’ve displayed all playoffs en route to a comeback Game 1 win.
Golden State’s mystique didn’t faze Boston. And that should concern the Warriors, writes @Sam_Amick.https://t.co/doIKr3PoY8 pic.twitter.com/YhI9ig7utL
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 4, 2022
The contrast is clear in terms of money, but as was seen in Game 1 of the series, the presence of big stars on the court is not the only representative and beyond their investment, the Warriors will need to find their best version to prevail. against a dominant Celtics.
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