Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Adjustments For Game 2 vs. Warriors
2. Slow The Tempo Down
The Cavs weren’t completely lost at sea in Game 1, however. They won the rebounding battle by six, racked up 15 offensive rebounds, doubled Golden State’s production from the free throw line and LeBron James was virtually unstoppable in the first quarter when he aggressively attacked the rim.
But losing a game where the Splash Brothers combined for just 20 points was a bad look, and it’s a little concerning that the biggest change Lue plans to make for Game 2 is pushing the tempo.
Um, against the NBA’s second fastest-paced team? Against a defending champion team that won 73 games this year and was its deadliest when its shooters were getting out on the break and decimating opponents with backbreaking transition threes?
In the words of Pepper Brooks:
Unfortunately, “bold” is a generous word to describe Cleveland trying to “play their game” by picking up the tempo. The Cavs ranked 28th in pace during the regular season and 14th among all playoff teams during the postseason. Since when is pushing the tempo “playing their game”?
In Game 1, the Cavs made their most threatening runs late in the second quarter and early in the third when the game was at its slowest. They got to the foul line, racked up second chance opportunities and slowed the game down to a grind.
But for a team that gave up 25 points off of 17 turnovers in the series opener, trying to push the tempo even more against that Warriors defense sounds like a death trap — one that could make the Splash Brothers’ job of finding their comfort zone even easier.
Next: No. 1