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Golden State Warriors: 5 Biggest Questions From 2016 Finals Collapse

By James D. Tillman III

June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) speaks with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) following the 93-89 victory in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) speaks with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) following the 93-89 victory in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Did Steve Kerr Make Some Questionable Decisions?

In last year’s Finals matchup between these two teams, Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup in Game 4. The results of that strategy led to the Warriors wining three straight games after trailing 2-1, and Iguodala went on to win Finals MVP.

This time around, there were a couple decisions made by the second-year head coach that may have left Warriors fans scratching their heads a bit.

For example, Kerr continuously game minutes to Ezeli and Varejao even though they did not give the team much of a boost when they were on the floor.

Secondly, what was the deal with Shaun Livingston? In the series opener, Livingston scored 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting and his size gave the Cavaliers fits to say the least.

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However, in the last game of the season, Kerr decided to go with

Harrison Barnes

, who shot just 5-for-32 over the final three games of the series, including a 3-for-10 showing in Game 7.

Meanwhile, Kerr’s counterpart, Tyronn Lue, seemed to push all the right buttons. Throughout most of the series, he tried to find different ways to rest LeBron James and Kyrie Irving by giving extended minutes to 14-year veteran Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert and even Mo Williams.

But with the season, along with the team’s championship hopes on the line, Lue rode his two superstars, and it was only fitting that they accounted for the Cavaliers’ final points in a winner-take-all Game 7 that could have gone either way.

Here is a look at those two game-changing sequences.

King James’ block on Iguodala:

Irving’s huge three-pointer:

Did Kerr’s decision-making ultimately prevent the Warriors from capping off a historical season with a second title?

Perhaps not, but it certainly didn’t help.

Next: No. 2

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