The NBA finals’ MVP right now is not the Splash Brothers, Draymond Green, or Andre Iquodala. It’s the Golden State team defense.
The Cavaliers have been skewered on and off the court because of their offensive ineptness in games 1 and 2. But these struggles are greatly due to the Warriors’ ‘Steel Curtain’ D. Because of their length, athleticism, and team defensive discipline, Cleveland simply cannot get any easy looks at the basket.
Kyrie is a phenomenal drive and finisher, but at every attack, he has at least four long arms between him and the basket. LeBron has has steamrolled his way to some lay-ups and power dunks, but usually he runs into a gang of Warriors if he hasn’t already been stripped by Iquodala’s ninja-like hands. Andre must spend his summers being trained by this guy…
Additionally, those offensive rebound putbacks by Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, or LBJ are often thwarted by the Warriors’ length and athleticism.
When a team sags to protect the hoop, that should leave open outside shots, which have been a staple of the Cavs’ offensive diet. But the Warriors do a tremendous job of closing out on shooters to contest shots. Generally, fast defensive close outs allow the offense an open highway to drive to the hoop after dropping a shot fake at the toll booth. But G-State’s length and athleticism not only allow them to close the shooting window quickly, but also get in good team help position to stop follow-up drives.
Their great defense has done more than just limit Cleveland to 38% shooting. It has created turnovers for easy offensive transition shots. And most painfully, it has taken away the Cavaliers’ offensive mojo. For the Cavs, that rim is looking tighter than these 1980s NBA shorts…
How can the Cavaliers turn the tide on this defensive tsunami? Make quicker, more decisive offensive moves to get the Warriors more out of position. LeBron has a size advantage to exploit in the post. But when he gets the ball down low, he has been waiting for a backside double team to come in hopes of finding the open shooter. The Warriors are just too good to exploit that way. Instead, LBJ needs to make an immediate move to the hoop while the defense is still in a weakened position. That will lead to easier LeBron lanes to the hoop or more open shooters as the defense collapses to help. I discussed this method in this blog after the Cavs’ last play-off win.
They also need to incorporate that quick, decisive aggression when using screens on or away from the ball, and when receiving passes. That should create more breathing room for shooters.
Mix that offensive mentality with a raucous hometown crowd and an adjusted defensive game plan from Coach Lue–start by eliminating so much switching on screens away from the ball–and the Cavs can put a 2-2 split in their carry-on luggage heading back to Oakland for game 5.