Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys For Game 3 vs. Cavaliers
2. Contain LeBron Again
LeBron James was one assist shy of a triple-double in Game 1, and if the score hadn’t gotten out of hand so early in Game 2, he probably would’ve had one then too. That being said, between his defense, his 11 combined turnovers and his 42.1 percent shooting, it’s fair to say King James hasn’t had a very good series so far.
That trend has to continue on the road for the Warriors, especially against one of the greatest players of all time who won’t be going down without a fight.
The Dubs are going to get LeBron’s best effort in Game 3, and it’ll be up to Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes (in spots) to limit him the way they have so far in this series.
LeBron against GSW this season when Iguodala's on the floor: 23-of-60 for 62 points. And in those 99 minutes, Cavs are -75
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) June 6, 2016
What that entails, specifically, is continuing to keep James out of the paint and turn him into more of a jump shooter. He’s only made three of his nine three-point attempts so far in this series, but it goes even further beyond that.
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During the regular season and playoffs, LeBron was shooting about 35 percent on all attempts outside of five feet — compared to about 70 percent on all shots inside of five feet, where he was taking about 70 percent of his field goal attempts.
The Dubs have played exceptional defense on this front through the first two games, holding King James to 52.1 percent shooting from inside of five feet and 4-of-15 shooting (26.7 percent) on all shots outside of five feet.
That might not be sustainable with the series shifting back to Cleveland where he’ll be more comfortable, but if the Dubs can continue to keep him out of the paint with the multiple defenders they can throw at him, this championship battle may be over quickly.
Next: No. 1