“The NBA needs to consider restructuring the NBA playoffs. These aren’t the two best teams in the NBA and I’m convinced that OKC-Golden State should’ve been the NBA Finals. Far more entertaining.”
A tweet I sent out after another sub-par performance by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s simple. The Golden State Warriors are just better than the Cleveland Cavaliers in seemingly every way. Since the two best teams in the NBA fought to the death in the Western Conference Finals, it left the best team in the Eastern Conference. There isn’t much we can do about it except watch Golden State possibly cruise through an NBA Finals where they already hold a 2-0 lead. Two games that were relatively easy for the Warriors.
In Game 1, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson only combined for 20 points on 8-27 shooting on the night. Somehow they won that game convincingly, 104-89 and followed that up with an 110-77 victory Sunday night in game 2 with Curry and Thompson playing a lot better. Along with help from Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, all four combining for 96 points.
Cleveland had their opportunity to take advantage of a lackluster performance by the Warriors in Game 1 but didn’t. Now, their backs are against the wall headed back to Cleveland for an oh so crucial Game 3…a game I don’t think Cleveland is capable of winning.
Reasons why they have almost no chance to win this series.
Reason number one is simple: Lebron James and various other Cavaliers played excellent defense on the Splash Brothers thus far, holding them to 55 points combined in the series with limited shots, but they were still controlled by the Warriors both games, due to a bench that came to play. They even allowed a player like Shawn Livingston, a 10-year veteran that’s finally finding his niche in the NBA score 20 points off the bench.
Reason number two hurts pretty bad because it was somewhat unexpected: Draymond Green got his mojo back in game 1 and it elevated even more in Game 2. He’s averaging 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in the series. He’s getting away with things on the offensive end that the Oklahoma City Thunder big men weren’t allowing him to get away with last series. His defense in the post and perimeter deserves a lot of credit as well.
Another reason: The Cavs are a pretty good 3-point shooting team, they are 7th in the NBA in that department, shooting 36.3 percent for the season. They are shooting 27.5 percent from three this series, and 36.7 percent from the field…which may be worse considering they shoot 46 percent for the season, ninth in the NBA.
Whether Cleveland plays great defense or not, they can’t win a series against the Warriors without scoring the ball. I don’t see this series going any more than five games at this point unless Cleveland makes a drastic chnge. Even though my original prediction was Cleveland in six. Golden State’s role players are stepping up, much like they stepped up exactly a year ago versus the same team. The story is going about the same way as it did last time, Golden state beating Cleveland. I don’t think there will be any scares or miraculous comebacks like we saw in the Western Conference Finals either.
With that being said, the WCF would’ve been more entertaining as the NBA Finals, but the NBA doesn’t work that way.
You’re right on every point! I don’t even expect to Cavs to win one game! I think GS will sweep the series.
By the way, I like your column-style, analytics-filled writing.!