All 30 players in the 2017 NBA Finals, ranked

Every possession mattered in the last series between the Warriors and Cavaliers. The championship came down to one hot minute in Oakland, with Kyrie Irving sinking the critical shot and LeBron James getting the critical block.

Since then, the rosters of these two superpowers have changed somewhat. Most of the stars remain the same (with one huge exception), but both squads adjusted their supporting casts rather significantly.

As such, it is our duty to run through the rosters and rank all 30 players involved in the Finals in order of importance, from the guys who will probably not dress (like Kay Felder) to the living legends (like James Michael McAdoo). Keep in mind that we are listing them in order of quality overall, just in terms of importance to this series. You don’t have to like that David West will play a bigger role than Derrick Williams, but you have to accept it.

Without further ado ...

It seems almost criminal that one of these guys will win a 2017 championship ring.

Felder appeared in 42 games this season but hasn’t gotten a minute in the playoffs despite the blowouts because the Cavaliers have been shockingly healthy. Felder is a nice long-term prospect for Cleveland’s bench, but barring an injury to Kyrie Irving or Deron Williams, he’s not dressing in the Finals.

Neither of these interesting big men has played a single second of ball this postseason. Can we get a halftime one-on-one battle or something? Free Kevon Looney! Free Edy Tavares!

The player most likely to be missed on future Name the 2017 Golden State Warriors Sporcle quizzes.

Be patient. James Michael McAdoo’s day of reckoning is coming. And it will be glorious.

Fun fact: This series has two No. 1 overall picks (LeBron and Kyrie) and two No. 2 overall picks (Durant and ... Derrick F. Williams).

It’s rather insane that we have one of the series’ 10 starters this low on a ranking of players’ importance in the Finals. But Pachulia missed the last two games of the conference finals with a heel injury. He is expected to start Game 1 on Thursday. However, even before the injury, he averaged only 14 minutes per game in the playoffs. The Warriors have been going without a true center for roughly half of the time in the postseason. Zaza will start and whether he plays well or poorly will have a comparatively small impact on the series as a whole. He’s just not relevant.

He’s good for a) some nice ribbing of his childhood friend Steve Kerr* and b) a couple of shocking dunks.

* The joke is that Richard Jefferson is old.

LeBron’s co-pilot isn’t going to do much on the court, but his value in the locker room is immeasurable. It is like literally immeasurable; we have no clue whether he even has value in the locker room. We presume he does because he keeps taking up a roster spot on LeBron’s teams.

Ian Clark shot 52 percent in the Western gauntlet. Ian Clark, y’all!

Massively important podcast host. You know what you’re getting on the court: He’s shooting 52 percent on threes in the playoffs.

One of the bigger surprises in Warriorland is how big a role McCaw plays as Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala age into smaller parts. McCaw started three games this postseason (two in place of Durant, one when Pachulia was out), and if Zaza proves ineffective altogether, he might take the starting nod again in the Finals.

West left Indiana two years ago in part to get away from LeBron’s East. But he knew he’d eventually have to get through him to get a ring, right? He’s good for some nasty offensive rebounds, a couple of key jumpers early in the fourth, and some hilarious facial reactions.

We are no closer to figuring out Iman Shumpert as we were when he entered the league. The good news for Cleveland is that he is hitting his (relatively) few shots this postseason. Like every other Cavalier.

The Warriors deserve the championship solely for bringing JaVale McGee back into our lives and allowing him to play for a title. What a turn of events.

Injuries have nagged at Livingston, but remember that he was huge in Golden State’s Game 1 victory last year. He’s the one guard/wing in this series who won’t take threes, too.

We knocked D-Will down two spots because of the paint job on his dome. Carlos Boozer ain’t walking through that door.

Korver is shooting 41 percent on threes in the postseason. That’s the third-lowest conversion rate on the Cavaliers. Unreal.

LeBron completely neutralized Iguodala’s defense last year after the cagey wing held down King James’ efficiency just enough in 2016 to win Finals MVP. The dirty secret of the Warriors right now is that Death Lineup has a massive weak link, and it’s Iguodala. His defense has slipped a notch, and he’s 3 for 27 on threes in the playoffs. But perhaps the rest has changed things.

Thompson hasn’t just been relatively cold in the playoffs: His confidence appears to be a bit shook as he’s shooting with less frequency of late. If he plays like Klay Thompson, the Warriors will have a much easier time here.

Smith’s battle with Thompson takes on extra importance with Klay struggling in the postseason. But it’s always a question as to whether J.R. can stay locked in on defense all the time. Given the emotional off-court family issues he’s faced and the stakes here, it’s easy to believe he’ll be fierce all 48.

Love has had a magnificent postseason. It’s hard to believe fools like me were openly discussing a trade as a done deal this time last year.

Everything you need to know about T.T.’s importance can be found in Zach Lowe’s deep dive. I once called Draymond Green a situational superstar. This is not quite that, but it’s similar. Thompson’s value in his current role is much greater than it would be on a lesser team.

One of the heroes of Cleveland’s championship is extremely polarizing. How well he attacks Curry and executes the team’s defensive strategy will have huge implications for the Cavaliers’ fate.

He is not at all a risk for suspension because he hasn’t been racking up flagrant fouls this postseason. Keep in mind that he was (by far) Golden State’s best performer in Game 7. He’s so ready for this.

It’s been a long time since Durant played in the NBA Finals. But he’s been on a huge stage ever since that 2012 run, and I don’t think the pressure gets to him at all. He’s so calm and smooth as a player, and the Cavaliers are just going to have incredible trouble guarding him without leaving other Warriors open. Here’s to at least one Durant-LeBron shootout.

For months, I’ve said that I think Curry’s been seeking vengeance through a masterful championship performance and a Finals MVP trophy. The two-time MVP and best shooter ever has been overshadowed by LeBron, Durant, Harden, and Westbrook for the past year. He’s been lights out in the postseason, and you know he wants payback on Kyrie. This is going to be fun.

The only player in the world who has proven he can beat this Warriors team in the playoffs. The only player in the world capable of derailing a dynasty. The only player in the world whose team would even be given a chance to beat this opponent in these conditions.

Let’s go.