Cleveland Cavaliers: Keys to beating Golden State Warriors
By Ryan Piers
After losing three straight games, the Cleveland Cavaliers could use a win against the rival Golden State Warriors. Here is what they have to do to earn the victory.
It’s the gut check of gut checks for the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the roster nearly healthy, the Cavs dropped three straight games. Now the smoldering Golden State Warriors come to town with a chance to sweep the season series.
These two teams couldn’t be headed in more opposite directions. The Cavs look more like the squad that stumbled to a 5-7 record to begin the year rather than the group the coasted through parts of November and December.
Their ball movement is stagnant and the defense has looked porous over the past week. Head coach Tyronn Lue is even questioning his players, wondering if they’re competing with an “agenda” in mind.
Even with the recent criticism of Lue and questions of player commitment swirling, now is not the time to tinker with lineups. Cleveland doesn’t need a new rotation. It needs a strong performance against a great team to right ship.
Enter the Warriors.
Golden State is playing exceptionally well, especially on the road. The Warriors have won their last 12 road games and 20 of 23 overall. Stephen Curry is back and scorching nets. Kevin Durant has been his usual self while the supporting cast is excelling.
Here’s how well the Warriors are cooking. On Sunday, Golden State was playing its third game in four days and the second of a back-to-back set. On the road against the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, the Warriors scored 81 points in the first half.
Golden State took the first matchup between these two teams, 99-92, on Christmas Day. Klay Thompson and Durant combined for 49 points before the lengthy forward swatted LeBron to seal the game. The below play punctuated a contest controlled by Golden State, as the Cavs shot a paltry 31.2 percent.
If the Cavs are going to regain their footing in the rivalry, improving that shooting percentage is about as necessary is playing in shoes or keeping hydrated. And it starts with ball movement.
We’ve previously pointed out on HoopsHabit that Cleveland is 3-7 when the team records fewer than 20 assists. In six of those games, Cleveland shot below 40 percent. Two of those losses occurred last week. Unselfish play strongly correlates with consistent shooting.
Going back to the Warriors’ Christmas victory, it was one of six recent wins for Golden State against Cleveland. The Warriors have won six of their last seven matchups against the Cavaliers dating back to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day game in 2017.
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Prior to the Cavs’ loss on MLK Day, Cleveland had won four straight against their rivals, including three straight in the 2016 NBA Finals.
But that was before Durant joined Golden State, widening the gap between the two rivals. The Warriors are 6-2 against Cleveland with Durant on the roster.
Durantula has always played well against Cleveland, averaging 26.1 points with 6.8 rebounds against the Cavs in 20 games. But he’s been especially good in recent matchups, scoring 25 points on Christmas and averaging 35.2 points per game in the NBA Finals.
If Cleveland wants to compete, slowing down Durant is a must. That means sticking James or Jae Crowder on him at all times.
Most importantly, the Cavaliers need the supporting cast to, well, support. James scored 29.9 percent of his team’s points in the NBA Finals. While he only scored 20 points on Christmas, only three other Cavaliers eclipsed double figures. Kevin Love scored 31 points, but on 9-of-25 shooting.
Beating Golden State takes a team effort. The Warriors have too many weapons, too many ways to dissect opponents to lose to a one-man show.
Considering the Cavaliers upcoming schedule, the Warriors game takes on added significance. The rest of the month includes bouts against the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers before a three-games-in-four-nights stretch to close out the month.
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A win against the Warriors could spark an excellent back half of January for Cleveland. But the Cavs will need to shoot well, pass liberally, contain Durant and receive a strong performance from the supporting cast to win.