Jun 3, 2015
NBA Finals thoughts on Cavs and Warriors
Jack Armstrong has six thoughts this week surrounding the NBA Finals beginning Thursday on TSN. Armstrong breaks down what the Cavaliers and Warriors will need to do to become champions - at the expense of each other.
NBA FINALS THOUGHTS:
Finally! After waiting forever we get it going tomorrow evening on TSN - The NBA Finals. Here are some Keys for both teams. Enjoy!
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THE CAVS WIN IF:
1. THEY PLAY TERRIFIC PERIMETER DEFENCE: Got to stop The Splash Brothers. They give the Warriors their mojo and personality. The Cavs must take care of the ball and not get caught running back in transition and scrambling to find people. Contain and contest and make folks take difficult shots late in the shot clock.
2. LEBRON PLAYS OUT OF HIS MIND: Yes he will need some help - whatever you can get - from Kyrie Irving but the best player in the world has to perform in lights-out fashion to help his team beat the better and more balanced team. Scoring, rebounding, passing, defence and leadership are all part of the equation. James is clutch - he's shown it before - and if the games are close he can deliver.
3. SECONDARY PLAYERS GIVE TIMELY AND CONSISTENT PERFORMANCES: Every great actor needs a wonderful supporting cast and for LeBron he needs Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellevadova to make big shots, defend, rebound and make every hustle play better than the more-talented Warriors. This has been a gritty bunch with no back down and that has to continue.
THE WARRIORS WIN IF:
1. WEAR DOWN THE CAVS WITH THEIR DEPTH AND SUPERIOR TEAM OFFENCE AND DEFENCE: Bottom line, you're the better overall team, so play like it. So often we focus on what happens in the final three to four minutes of a game but the other 44 to 45 minutes matter too and over the course of this series I think that Steve Kerr has more talent, better depth and overall skill than David Blatt's Squad. The Warriors need to come ready to perform and play your game; grind them into the ground.
2. GUARD PLAY: Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are a wonderful backcourt yet they need Harrison Barnes to be a sound two-way player along with guys like Leandro Barbosa, Andre Igouldala and Shaun Livingston off the bench. These guys need to play the steady game they've brought to the table this season, giving their team jump starts at times. It all comes back to the Splash Brothers though. They are a perfect combo that plays off each other beautifully and their playmaking and shot-making ability need to be there particularly when the game slows down in the halfcourt and shots are tougher to get.
3. CONTAIN LEBRON JAMES: Easier said than done. You must not allow him to live at the free-throw line. You must make him take contested/difficult shots that he'll make at times but nothing easy. Lastly, you have to try to guess right when he's in assist-mode and not allow his lesser teammates to get easy looks based upon over-help on LeBron's penetration which opens up higher percentage chances for teammates that normally wouldn't be able to create those shots for themselves. As an aside - somehow and someway - keep Tristan Thompson off the boards and understand that J.R. Smith makes crazy shots - just make sure he takes them and has a hand in his face often. He'll shoot them into games and shoot them out of it as well.