Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Adjustments For Game 2 vs. Warriors
Heading into Game 2 of the 2016 NBA Finals, here are five adjustments the Cleveland Cavaliers need to make to even the series.
Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals represented a golden opportunity for the Cleveland Cavaliers to steal one on the road. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggling to the tune of 20 points on 8-of-27 shooting, the Golden State Warriors had never been more vulnerable.
Unfortunately for the Cavs, a 45-10 deficit in bench scoring tipped the scales back in Golden State’s favor, and Cleveland wound up losing Game 1 by 15 points anyway.
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In the series opener, the Cavaliers did a few things right. The Splash Brothers won’t miss that many good (for them) looks, but Cleveland’s defensive strategy deserves some credit too. It’s also unlikely the Warriors bench continues to produce at such a high level all series.
Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert were basically traffic cones out there against the taller Shaun Livingston in Game 1, but it feels safe to assume that bench discrepancy won’t be as dramatic moving forward.
Even if that’s the case, the damage has already been done in Game 1. The Splash Brothers are likely to resume their scorching shooting and it’s going to take a monumental effort to hold this offensive juggernaut down.
That being said, the Cavs aren’t dead in the water by any means. Here’s a look at five adjustments head coach Tyronn Lue needs to make for Game 2.
Next: No. 5