11 days ago, I wrote why the Cavaliers were rolling to a 10-0 playoff start…
5 Reasons Why The Cavs Are Rolling
Here is the cliff notes version: Cleveland was doing all the right things to get more easy shots than their opponents.
In game one, Golden State said, “Welcome to the adult table.” The Warriors’ overall talent and execution raises the level of basketball play to another level. They dominated the five EZ shot categories that I previously propped the Cavs on:
#1: Ball Movement
The Warriors run a beautiful offense full of passing, picks, and cuts. Their execution led to numerous easy inside and outside looks.
On the other hand, the Cavs reverted back to their frustrating isolation ball offense. Set #1 was for LeBron or Kyrie to drive and then either shoot or pass out to a spot-up shooter. Set #2 was to dump it to Love or James in the post with that same pass or shoot option. It appeared that Cleveland went to this to better control the tempo. That choice appeared to backfire.
The problem is that Golden State’s length, athleticism, and defensive discipline made Cleveland grind for shots all game. They didn’t get many good looks at the rim. J.R. Smith will hear heavy criticism, but he was never put in position to succeed.
#2: Dominating the boards
Cleveland did have a 47-41 rebounding advantage, including a 15-9 edge in offensive rebounds. But Golden State seemed to come up with quite a few easy putbacks off the offensive glass.
#3: Uptempo Offense
The Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 18-9 in fast break points. But as mentioned before, Golden State’s quick offensive flow, especially transitioning into their half-court offense, created numerous cuts for lay-ups and passes for good looks. That allowed the Warriors to win the points in the paint battle, 54-42.
#4: Team Defense
As stated in #1, the Warrior team defense was outstanding, limiting Cleveland to 38% shooting. It seemed like on offense, the Cavs were hoping to make challenging shots, while on defense, they were hoping the Warriors would miss open looks. That is an unlikely method to defeat the 73-win defending champion.
#5 Winning the Turnover Battle
Cleveland turned the ball over 17 times as compared to Golden State’s 9 miscues. LBJ continually got stripped when driving to the hoop.
The optimism that permeated Northeast Ohio over the last week is definitely trending downward after watching game 1 play out. But remember: IT’S A LOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGG SERIES. Numerous times in the NBA, teams have had dirt thrown on their coffins after one poor performance. Oklahoma City lost their first game to San Antonio by 32 points before winning four of the next five. And the vultures were circling Golden State when then lost game 4 to OKC by 24 to go down 3-1.
The Cavaliers stumbled in their first taste of the NBA playoff fast lane. They have done a great job adjusting throughout the playoffs. Expect Coach Lue, Lebron, and the gang to make the proper countermoves for game 2.