Chelsea FC: Comparisons To 2015 NBA Champions Golden State Warriors

Harrison Barnes – Willian/Thibaut Courtois

You’re not sure what you’re gonna get from either player at times but both of them are capable of the spectacular, whether it’s a precision strike from outside the box or a thunderous dunk that tears the roof off Oracle Arena. Willian and Barnes also faced outside compeitition to try and remove them from their starting spot but both responded and raised their level of play. Barnes won back his starting job from Andre Igoudala and Willian fought off both Andre Schurrle and Juan Cuadrado to maintain his place on the right wing.

These players also have a similar temperament in that they never seem to be in awe of the moment nor do they shrink from the spotlight. They also do their best work on the defensive side of the ball as it was Willian who helped protect the right flank when Ivanovic bombed forward and it was Harrison Barnes that shut down James Harden in the Western Conference Finals.

Of course they also contribute with big goals/buckets on the offensive end and have carried their teams in games, Willian against Everton for example, and Barnes against Houston in the fourth quarter of game 3 and with some important dunks in Game 5 of the Finals.

In this scenario, Harrison Barnes is also a lot like Thibaut Courtois. Before this season began, coach Steve Kerr reached out to Andre Iguodala and convinced him to play in the second unit so a player like Barnes could truly flourish. Iguodala of course agreed and never complained about it, just like Cech, and they watched Barnes and Courtois become one of the better players on the team. Barnes and Courtois were instrumental to their team’s success and their cool and collected demeanor belied their youth and inexperience.

Next: Draymond Green