The NBA Finals stage is set and for the second straight year the Cleveland Cavaliers will duel the Golden State Warriors. This Cavs team can’t be overlooked.
The Golden State Warriors became the 10th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 playoff series deficit by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-88 on Monday night.
They get the opportunity to defend their NBA championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who they beat in last year’s NBA Finals.
Everything is going the Warriors way, coming back from a 3-1 deficit, having a healthy, two-time MVP in Stephen Curry and the savior of the Western Conference Finals–Klay Thompson–playing extraordinarily well.
Let’s not forget the beast they slayed last year and the beast they’re up against this year are two different animals.
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The path that the Cavs have faced this year in a weaker Eastern Conference appears to be unimpressive, but the competition played up to Cleveland. Despite wrecking each team in their path going 12-2 to get to the NBA Finals, the Cavs had to work to get to this point.
While everyone was focused on the Warriors, Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, the Cavs were shooting there way to the Finals.
There’s a good reason that the Western Conference received more playoff attention than the Cavs, the top three seeds all would have won the East based on their regular season records.
In the playoffs, everybody starts 0-0 and a new season begins. Say what you want about the paths of each team, but the reality is the Cavs now hold the best record in the NBA.
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The Splash Brothers have played well this postseason, but the Cavs have been splashing the most efficiently. Cleveland leads all playoff teams in three-point percentage, shooting 43.4 percent. Golden State ranks third in three-point percentage by shooting 39.9 percent from range.
Cleveland has been incredibly efficient, in general. They are second in playoff field goal percentage, shooting 47.5 percent from the field. Only their first-round opponent, the Detroit Pistons, were better hitting at a 47.8 percent clip. The Warriors are fourth, shooting 46.6 percent.
The Thunder used great ball movement to get open shots against the Warriors. Ball movement has been Cleveland’s weapon of choice to get open shots and it’s a major factor why they are scoring so efficiently in the postseason.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James are the Cavs’ two best ball-handlers. Kyrie uses his handles and quickness, while LeBron uses his power and strength, to get in the lane and draw a crowd of defenders. From there, they either decide to go in for a layup or kick out to an open teammate.
J.R. Smith has been the beneficiary of their ability to space the floor and allow shooters to get open. In 14 games in the postseason, he is shooting 46.2 percent from three-point range and is averaging 12.0 points per game.
Kevin Love is in the same boat as Smith. Despite only shooting 39.1 percent from the field in the postseason, he’s shooting 44.6 percent from three-point range.
Smith and Love aren’t the only talented three-point shooters.
The Cavs have a barrage of shooters off the bench, too. 35-year-old Richard Jefferson is shooting 45.5 percent from three-point range, Channing Frye is shooting a team-high 57.8 percent from deep and Iman Shumpert, believe it or not, is connecting on 47.4 percent of his three-pointers.
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Let’s not forget that the Cavs have Matthew Dellavadova, who emerged in the 2015 NBA Finals as a key contributor. Delly had more playing time in the Finals than expected this time around, due to Irving getting hurt in Game 1 last year.
His aggressive style and high motor could wear the Warriors guards down.
Both teams are different from last year’s postseason matchup, but the Cavs are completely different. Last postseason the Cavs lost Kevin Love four games into the postseason with a dislocated shoulder, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.
Kyrie Irving exited Game 1 of the Finals last year and would not return due to a fractured left knee cap, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix.
Now, the Cavs are at full strength and are fully loaded. Love is averaging 17.3 points per game (PPG) and 9.6 rebounds per game (RPG) during the postseason. Irving is scoring 24.3 PPG, 5.1 assists per game (APG) and 1.5 steals per game (SPG) this postseason.
James is on a mission to win a championship for Cleveland, a city that has been without one since 1964. He is leading the team and is averaging 24.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 7.0 APG and 2.2 SPG.
The Warriors, on the other hand, are on a historical mission after winning a NBA-record 73 wins during the regular season. They have roughly the same roster makeup and, once again, have the NBA’s MVP on their side.
James would use the term “valuable” lightly when discussing the award, according to Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon. James acknowledges Curry’s stats and believes he was deserving of the award, but hints that Curry isn’t the most valuable player to his team, compared to others.
Regardless, one thing is clear: LeBron is on a mission to win a championship for Cleveland, and now he has help in the form of a healthy Irving and Love.
Billy Donovan essentially sums up why Stephen Curry is such a headache for opposing coaches. pic.twitter.com/k5jY1FcHYJ
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 31, 2016
Meanwhile, the Warriors were less than impressive in their series against the Thunder. Credit to the Thunder’s defense, but even Billy Donavon admitted that Golden State’s guard weren’t hitting shots.
In the seven-game series, the Warriors only shot 254-for-606 (41.9 percent) from the field. In comparison, they shot 48.7 percent from the field during the regular season and are shooting 46.4 percent for the postseason.
It’s inevitable that great shooters will make shots. The Cavaliers have enough depth to stick with the Warriors and match up against them, not quite as well as the Thunder did, but enough to be competitive defensively.
If anything, the Thunder gave Cleveland a formula for success against the reigning champs.
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Personnel problems may be the biggest challenge for Cleveland to overcome. Finding a way to compete with James and Irving getting a rest will be the difference maker, which could be when the Warriors go to their “death” lineup. It’s going to be a series of adjustments.
The Warriors can’t afford to sleep on the Cavaliers. Golden State’s quest to become the best team in NBA history could be blockaded by one of the greatest players in playoff and NBA history. James and the Cavs are on a mission to deliver a title to Cleveland, and are a forced to be reckoned with.