Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Closing Out The Finals
4. Make Free Throws
Unless David Blatt is completely clueless as an NBA head coach (which, spoiler alert, he isn’t), you can be guaranteed the Cavaliers saw a potential key to this series at the end of Game 5. Trailing late in the game, Cleveland resorted to that annoying Hack-A-Shaq technique we’ve been griping about for the entire postseason on Andre Iguodala.
Hate the strategy as much as you want, but as long as it’s legal, it could be the key to Cleveland’s salvation.
LeBron James might be the first Finals MVP since 1969 to play for the losing team if the Warriors emerge triumphant, but even after Stephen Curry’s 37-point outing Sunday night, Andre Iguodala still might be the Dubs’ best player in this series so far.
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Any strategy that can take Iggy off the court and slow down the Warriors’ breakneck pace should be a no-brainer for the Cavs with their backs up against the wall.
In Game 5, Iggy made just two of his 11 free throws; really the only knock against another excellent outing. Outside of Iguodala, the Warriors have really had problems slowing down King James. Even with Iguodala pestering James, Cleveland’s four-time MVP has still put up massive numbers.
Bearing that in mind, priority No. 1 for Blatt should be doing whatever it takes to get Iguodala off the floor. We’re going to see Hack-A-Iggy in Game 6, and we may see it as early as the second or third quarter. Not only will this slow down the game and give LeBron and the other starters more opportunities to rest, but it’ll also give the rarely seen bench something to do with all their unused fouls.
If the Cavs resort to this annoying but understandable strategy to control the tempo in Game 6, Andre Iguodala has to prove he truly has been Golden State’s best player and knock down his free throws.
He shot a putrid 59.6 percent from the foul line this season, but if he can knock down his attempts from the line right away, he might dissuade Blatt from making the ballsy call to stick with the Hack-A-Shaq technique throughout the game.
Kerr needs to be able to keep Iguodala on the floor to guard James and knock down the open shots Cleveland’s defense is giving up. For that to happen, making his free throws really is a must.
Next: No. 3