2018 NBA Finals: 5 Things the Cleveland Cavaliers must do to beat the Golden State Warriors
So for a fourth straight year, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors facing off in the NBA Finals representing the East and West respectively.
The matchup might seem redundant but this year, it's earned. Unlike last year, when the Warriors went 12-0 in the West and the Cavs dropped just one game in the East Playoffs, this year, both teams have had to slug it out by playing and winning Game 7 of the Conference Finals on the road.
Through the previous three Finals, the Warriors lead the head-to-head 2-1, with the Cavaliers' lone championship coming in 2016 when they became the only team in league history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.
Having said that, never have these teams sort of had the same roster in two straight Finals. In 2015, the Cavaliers played without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving in five of the six games. In 2016, everybody was healthy on both teams and then in 2017, the Warriors returned to the Finals stage after adding 2014 league MVP Kevin Durant to their roster the previous summer.
And again, this year it's different again with the Irving being traded to the Boston Celtics. Anyways, it is what it is. So, although it might feel one-sided, let's break it down and tactically analyze everything the Cavaliers need to do to beat the defending champions:
Note: This is taking into consideration the team's role players' potential and not necessarily how poorly they have performed against the Celtics.
#5 Rebound the ball & slow the pace down
Yes, LeBron James surrounded with four shooters is an unstoppable line-up but that might be the case only in the East. Trying to outrun and outgun the Warriors at their own game has historically not proven to be such a good idea.
The Cavaliers with their big men - Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and some of Larry Nance Jr. - have an advantage on the boards. The 2018 postseason numbers wouldn't show that of course as Cleveland has predominantly started and played small with Love at center. For the Playoffs, despite playing 18 games, by average the Cavaliers are ranked 11th (out of 16) in RPG at 40.2. However, in the Conference Finals, against the Boston Celtics, where they were playing a rejuvenated Tristan Thompson, Cleveland averaged 43.0 rebounds per game.
You won't find Thompson atop any of the offensive rebounding categories this season as he hardly suited up for the team and when he did, his performance way below par. However, he has been on some sort of a resurgence since Game 7 of the first round against the Indiana Pacers.
So they certainly have it in them to crash the glass, especially the offensive one, which is known to be a profound weakness of the Warriors and something that Tristan is really good at. And this isn't just for Tristan. Rebounding, even for the team's guards, should be a priority in an attempt to slow the pace down.