2016 NBA Finals Preview: Warriors vs. Cavaliers
Power Forward
Draymond Green (GSW) vs. Kevin Love (CLE)
Herein lies Golden State’s biggest advantage. How long before Curry-Draymond Green pick-and-rolls exploit Kyrie and Kevin Love’s defense and everyone begins pointing the finger at Love?
Cavs fans may believe their team would’ve stood a better chance in 2015 with a healthy Kyrie and a healthy Love, but the truth is the offensive firepower they bring might have been cancelled out by their weaknesses on the defensive end — weaknesses that Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson did not have.
#Cavs are different from last year. Healthier, which means better on offense, but worse on defense IMO. Warriors also better. Should be fun
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) May 31, 2016
It really is unfortunate for Love that Cleveland’s Finals opponent is the Warriors rather than the Thunder. He might have stood a better chance against Serge Ibaka, a more traditional pick-and-pop stretch-4 who possesses very little of the playmaking that makes Green so dangerous.
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But against a smart Warriors team that will run Curry pick-and-rolls with Green until Cleveland’s defense is dizzy, Love may become unplayable in the fourth quarter. We’ve already seen Love’s confidence and three-point shooting waver a few times in these playoffs; what happens when he’s constantly being exposed on defense AND his shot stops falling against an elite defense?
When Love plays at his best, the Cavs’ offense is absolutely deadly. Cleveland can spread the floor with everyone but Tristan Thompson, and Love — who is shooting a blistering 44.6 percent from three-point range in these playoffs — is a huge part of that.
The only problem is Green is the league’s most versatile defender who can guard him out there. Love will make the Dubs pay for leaving him open if he finds as much space as Ibaka did in the last round, and as excited as Love may be to be able to contribute in his first Finals appearance, early game jitters should be expected.
Yes, the Cavs are rested and LeBron has been fantastic but who do Kyrie and K-Love guard? That's what my NBA friends are asking.
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) May 31, 2016
Green and Andrew Bogut will be responsible for cutting off LeBron’s drives when he breaks free, which could help Love generate some offense. Putting Channing Frye into the lineup at the 5 over Thompson would also create some extra spacing.
But Love is only shooting 39.1 percent from the floor in the postseason despite his efficient three-point shooting, and those early post-ups to get him going early won’t fly against a tough interior defender like Green.
On the other end, Green’s averages — 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game — are a testament to the well-rounded threat he poses, especially if Lue doesn’t make the crucial adjustment of putting Thompson on Green and hoping Love can hold his own against Bogut.
Irving and Love gonna look like this every time the Warriors call a side pick-and-roll with Curry and Green. pic.twitter.com/qL2pUq6ilP
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) May 31, 2016
Love has to out-rebound Green, play the best defense of his career and, hopefully, be matched up with the more offensively inept Bogut to be playable in this series. He has to shoot the ball well from three-point range and maintain his confidence when the Cavs face their greatest challenge yet.
That’s an awfully tall task to ask of a player who’s never been this far in the playoffs before, especially against the emotional leader of a 73-win Warriors team who will exploit his defensive flaws in endless pick-and-rolls with the league MVP — and that’s before Kerr puts in the small-ball unit to make Love defend on the perimeter.
Advantage: Golden State Warriors
Next: Center Matchup