the ways the Cavs may play to try to beat the Warriors

Old School

Old School

OVR
Forum Member
Mar 19, 2006
38,197
371
83
74
Option No. 2: The Fun Times Brigade (No Thompson)

Hill, Smith, Kyle Korver, LeBron, Love
This group humiliated Toronto. With Iguodala out, Cleveland might be tempted to start it again. If the Warriors start Looney (or Bell) against this lineup, where is he hiding? On Love? That is a death wish. Golden State could downsize and start Shaun Livingston or Nick Young instead, but that would deplete their wing reserves.

This group has zero chance of stopping the Warriors. LeBron would (mostly) defend Durant. Korver will have to spend some time guarding Klay Thompson, and the Warriors poke at that matchup.

A lot of Cleveland's lineup choices come down to going all defense or all offense. By the end of last year's Finals, they landed on all offense -- LeBron at center, or Love at center. It's an appealing theory: If you can't beat Golden State traditionally, go to some extreme, amp up the variance, and see what happens. It is also a sign of weakness -- of Cleveland's shortage in two-way players.
Cleveland can't win at either extreme, anyway; the Warriors can outplay them both ways. They have to search for balance.
 
Pound4Pound#1

Pound4Pound#1

Registered User
Forum Member
Dec 2, 2008
2,948
16
38
New England
DZ

DZ

Urban Achiever
Forum Member
Oct 22, 2009
11,819
119
63
310/917
Here are a few ways the Cavs can more closely complete with GS in this series....

Put JR on the bench to start and replace him with Korver. The 6th man role is one he's been most comfortable in for the vast majority of his career. Lue had to screw this up since he became coach and JR's shooting confidence has slumped ever since. Cleveland's best groupings from a +/- standpoint have come with Lebron, Love and Korver in the lineup and the numbers get even better when Thompson is sitting. I would start Nance in the place of Thompson - a move Lue can afford to make going small against a Warriors team that also plays small at the C position. He played will in his limited time starting when Thompson was out with injury early in the year. Korver's time on the court must only align with when Lebron is playing as he doesn't have a chance of getting an open look without his team's best passer and biggest attention-getter on the floor. In other words, when LeBron is sitting on the bench, Korver should be as well, which works out perfectly at the 2-guard spot as JR is one of the only other players on the Cavs who can create his own shot.

But of course, Lue is stubborn, won't make any adjustments and keep on going the way he always has.

Tonight's Cavs starting lineup:
Hill - PG
JR - SG
James - SF
Love - PF
Kardashian - C
 
ClevelandSteamers

ClevelandSteamers

Registered
Forum Member
Oct 15, 2015
3,006
20
38
The Cavs played as well as they could in GM 1, got hosed by the refs....and should've own by what, 2-3pts?

This series was never going more than 5 games to begin with(Coulda went 6 if Cleveland didn't get hosed). Shocked that the NBA/Refs would hose Cleveland as I'm sure they want the series to go as long as possible because the real $$ is made in games 5-7.

The only reason to tune into Warriors vs Cavs is the headline. The finish is like having cheat codes. Nothing to get excited about when you know the result.
 
T

T

Registered
Forum Member
Sep 1, 2012
9,787
717
113
TurnDown4Watt said:
The Cavs played as well as they could in GM 1, got hosed by the refs....and should've own by what, 2-3pts?

This series was never going more than 5 games to begin with(Coulda went 6 if Cleveland didn't get hosed). Shocked that the NBA/Refs would hose Cleveland as I'm sure they want the series to go as long as possible because the real $$ is made in games 5-7.

The only reason to tune into Warriors vs Cavs is the headline. The finish is like having cheat codes. Nothing to get excited about when you know the result.
Click to expand...

At least you knew where to place your wagers before the Finals even started. :0074
 
ClevelandSteamers

ClevelandSteamers

Registered
Forum Member
Oct 15, 2015
3,006
20
38
T said:
At least you knew where to place your wagers before the Finals even started. :0074
Click to expand...

It's not hard to figure it out.

4 ALL-STARS. 3 guaranteed, probably 4 HOFers in their prime. Them losing in the finals would be an embarrassment to competitive sports.
 
K

Kelso

Registered User
Forum Member
Feb 1, 2009
396
1
0
DZ said:
Here are a few ways the Cavs can more closely complete with GS in this series....

Put JR on the bench to start and replace him with Korver. The 6th man role is one he's been most comfortable in for the vast majority of his career. Lue had to screw this up since he became coach and JR's shooting confidence has slumped ever since. Cleveland's best groupings from a +/- standpoint have come with Lebron, Love and Korver in the lineup and the numbers get even better when Thompson is sitting. I would start Nance in the place of Thompson - a move Lue can afford to make going small against a Warriors team that also plays small at the C position. He played will in his limited time starting when Thompson was out with injury early in the year. Korver's time on the court must only align with when Lebron is playing as he doesn't have a chance of getting an open look without his team's best passer and biggest attention-getter on the floor. In other words, when LeBron is sitting on the bench, Korver should be as well, which works out perfectly at the 2-guard spot as JR is one of the only other players on the Cavs who can create his own shot.

But of course, Lue is stubborn, won't make any adjustments and keep on going the way he always has.

Tonight's Cavs starting lineup:
Hill - PG
JR - SG
James - SF
Love - PF
Kardashian - C
Click to expand...
Good idea, sometimes JR doesn't know when the playground is closed...man he was a doozy with the knicks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Bet on MyBookie
Top