Golden State Warriors: 5 Reasons To Resist Panicking

Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals felt like the best that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers had to offer. With no Kyrie Irving, it seemed like the series was there for the taking for the Golden State Warriors. Even after dropping Game 2, it still felt like a fluke loss for the Dubs given the way the MVP shot the ball and all the other fluke-ish events that occurred.

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After last night’s Game 3 featured another monster game for James, another poor shooting night for Stephen Curry and his supporting cast, and another surprisingly great performance from Matthew Dellavedova, no one can say the current course of this series is a fluke anymore.

And yet, even as they trail the Cavs 2-1 in the Finals with another road game looming Thursday, the Warriors shouldn’t be panicking.

The Cavaliers’ stifling defense is no joke. The Warriors might not change their defensive strategy on LeBron, and they might continue to let him put up as many shots as his heart desires. But as well has Cleveland has played, the Warriors haven’t still put together a complete game on offense. As much as the Cavs deserve credit on the defensive end, the Dubs have missed a lot of shots they normally make.

As alarming as it is that Cleveland has rapidly morphed into a defensive juggernaut with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving sidelined, the Dubs aren’t out of this series by any means. They’ll have to get their act together quickly if they want to win the franchise’s first championship in four decades, but here are five reasons it’s not time to panic just yet.

Next: No. 5