Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 1 vs. Warriors
5. Cavaliers Unable To Implement Up-Tempo Offense
One of the things that makes the Warriors so good is their ability to play at a fast pace. But while most teams would not attempt to mimic that style of play, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was adamant about the fact that he wasn’t going to shy away from trying to beat the Warriors at their own game.
"“We just have to play our game,” Lue said, via CavaliersNation.com. “We’re not going to slow the ball down and be at ease. We’re going to push the pace, try to get easy baskets early in transition but make sure we’re taking good shots.”"
How did that turn out? Not that great. In fact, for a majority of the game, the Cavaliers looked like the same team from last year, the group whose offense was stagnant without Love and Irving on the floor.
Although the Cavaliers started the game well and eventually overcame a 14-point deficit to take a brief one-point lead late in the third quarter, a lot of their possessions consisted of isolation sets, which is not the way to beat the Warriors.
Kyrie Irving was 1-of-9 in the half court when he brought the ball up and did not pass
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 3, 2016
In the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder kept the Warriors on their heels when they moved the ball with great precision. In contrast, they came up short in the final two games of that series because they relied too much on isolation basketball.
If the Cavaliers cannot find a way to make the Warriors work on the defensive end of the floor, this series will be over sooner rather than later.
Next: No. 4