Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 1 vs. Warriors

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June 2, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second half in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

3. What Happened To J.R. Smith (Swish)?

J.R. Smith came into this series averaging 12 points per contest. Even more important, he was knocking down the long ball at a very efficient 46.2 percent clip.

Although he would be faced with the unenviable task of trying to defend Klay Thompson, the Cavaliers knew they would need Smith to show up in this series if they were going to have a chance to dethrone the defending champs.

In Game 1, Smith was hardly a footnote. He was just 1-for-3 from the field, and he finished with a -13 rating, the lowest mark of any Cavaliers starter. So what was the reason that Mr. Smith went MIA?

From Fred Herber of NYPost.com:

"“They just did a good job of sticking to me,” said Smith. “They keyed in on not letting me get open. They played me the way we went after Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson].”"

Usually, Smith isn’t shy when it comes to taking shots. And being that he has been one of Cleveland’s best three-point shooters during the postseason, the team can ill afford to have him attempt just three shots when he’s on the court for 36 minutes.

Next: No. 2

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