THE FINALS REMATCH between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers — which throws in at 2am Friday — may feel different this year for one huge reason.
In this year’s finals, the Cavaliers will have both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love healthy. Last year, Love hurt his shoulder in the first round of the playoffs and missed the rest of the year. Irving broke his knee in Game 1 of the finals.
The two injuries left LeBron James to carry a lesser supporting cast on the NBA’s biggest stage — and he nearly did as the Cavs went 2-1 up before the Warriors closed out the series in six games.
And though Love and Irving’s presence undoubtedly helps Cleveland on the offensive end while providing them with more depth, their presence also comes with a major concern on defence.
Simply put: neither Irving nor Love are great match-ups against the Warriors because both struggle to defend the very positions at which the Warriors boast great players — Steph Curry at point guard and Draymond Green at power forward.
In last year’s finals, the Cavaliers clung to life by riding LeBron James on offence, defending with vigor, and beating the Warriors on the boards.
It wasn’t a viable plan long-term — James wore down, the Warriors regained their mojo on offence, and the Cavs’ supporting cast wilted as the series went on.
However, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe teased, there are people around the NBA that believe this is the Cavs’ best recipe for success; let James handle the offence while his teammates defend and rebound like hell.
In a breakdown of the Cavaliers’ porous defence this postseason, Lowe dropped another nugget about the feelings toward this kind of Cavs lineup:
[Opponents] are putting Irving and Love into twice as many pick-and-rolls each game as they averaged in the regular-season, a massive jump out of proportion to the slight uptick in minutes the two are playing together. These are the sort of numbers that had members of the Golden State Warriors’ coaching staff quietly fretting when both Love and Irving missed last year’s NBA finals, forcing the Cavs to play superior defenders in their place.”
The numbers back up Irving and Love’s poor defence. Through the postseason, the Cavs are allowing 105.6 points per 100 possessions with Love on the floor and 107 points per 100 possessions with Irving on the floor — the two worst numbers for any regular rotation player on the Cavs.
Irving and Love will be crucial to the Cavs’ chances of winning the championship. Not only will their offence be needed to provide James with the assistance he needs, but they can’t simply trade points with the Warriors. The Cavs will need stops eventually, and it remains to be seen if they can get them with Irving and Love on the floor.
Part of the problem is that the Warriors don’t allow places for Cleveland to hide Irving and Love.
Take Irving off of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, or Andre Iguodala will post him up or bully him on drives. Love can’t keep up with the Swiss army knife that is Draymond Green and the Warriors are licking their chops at the prospect of forcing him to defend their pick-and-rolls.
Should the Cavaliers put Love on a big man like Andrew Bogut or Festus Ezeli to minimize his defensive responsibility, the Warriors will likely go to their small-ball, “death” lineup with Green at centre, leaving no place for Love to hide as he’ll have to cover the entire floor.
The Cavs don’t need Love and Irving to transform into all-NBA defenders, but they need them to be competent.
Both players’ offence will be critical for the Cavaliers, but if they are giving up the points that they’re scoring, then the Cavs will have to go to more defensive-minded players. In turn, they’ll lose the precious points Irving and Love provide.
This finals rematch feels like a defining moment for the Cavs’ Big Three of James, Love, and Irving, and from the sounds of it, the Warriors aren’t shaking in their boots over facing the three of them together.
- Scott Davis, Business Insider
Harry Kane coming in couldn’t have helped
Jes*s lads I really hope none of you or your families suffer from depression or are affected by suicide, if thats the way you go on you won’t be getting much help from around you.
Regardless of money or status depression will get you and many many incredibly successful people have committed suicide when the darkness gets too much.
Not a time nor a place for idiot comments like above.
The very first comment I have ever agreed with you on.
As Rio found out…money can only go so far.Felt heart broken for him ans his kids.
So be happy if you are lucky enough to have your close loved ones healthy and happy.
Mental health has an unhealthy stigma attached to it. If you cannot see it…it does not exist…
Thanks James ;)
Probably after a transfer to another family.
What a gowl, wanted to commit suicide over “problems” like that, go see a doc!!! Could do with considering what other poor people are going through, real problems!!!!
Now or never.
Because having money solves all…doesn’t it?
Rich have no problems…go see a Doc. All solved.
Shocking.
What is a little problem to someone maybe a big one to some one else. No one knows the inner workings of another ones mind.
All these boys with their comments are so brave hiding behind fake names!!
Adebayor……. Adebayor….
Your dads a drug dealer
And your mothers a wh**e
Adebayor….
Not really the place for this
He didn’t even get it right. Having spent a lot of time hating him I’m actually starting to feel sorry for him. Adebayor that is, not this other idiot.