Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. Cavaliers

3. Warriors defensive gamble pays off

The Warriors have more quality LeBron James defenders than any team in the NBA. As a result, Steve Kerr has elected to single cover him over the years, only bringing help when James gets inside.

Andre Iguodala‘s Game 1 absence tilted this equation. Without the man who won Finals MVP in 2015 for his stellar defense of James, the Cavs forward dropped 51 points on 32 shots. No Warriors defender was particularly helpless against him, but none took him out of his comfort zone.

For those who think Iguodala might be overrated as a “LeBron stopper,” think of it this way: He stops LeBron from getting 50, and he makes him less comfortable. Maybe that’s the best you can do.

That is, unless you start committing multiple bodies. With Iguodala out again and Thompson hobbled in Game 2, that’s exactly what Kerr did. Rather than switching every screen, the Warriors trapped James and forced the ball out of his hands. Rather than bringing one helper on James’ drives, they brought two or three. The idea was to not let him score 50 again, but it was also to make him uncomfortable early.

In years past, this approach was a no-go. Doubling James allowed the Cavs to play 4-on-3 with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love running the show, and would normally result in James relocating to the post, from where he is an all-time great passer.

With Irving gone, the proposition was less risky. Kerr was also likely banking on Cleveland’s role players continuing their shooting struggles, which more or less worked out. Non-LeBron Cavs were 7-of-23 from deep, a step up only when compared to Game 1’s 7-of-30.

Even had they hit a few more shots, the strategy was worthwhile because it stopped James from finding an early rhythm. When things opened up following Tyronn Lue‘s adjustments (the Cavs smartly started using Tristan Thompson as a short roll playmaker), James was unable to convert at the rim (8-of-12) at the same rate he did in Game 1 (11-of-12).

Kerr may want to temper this strategy as the series shifts to Cleveland, given how much better the non-LeBron Cavs shoot at home. It helped put his team up 2-0, though, and who knows — maybe he’ll have his “LeBron stopper” back soon.