The Eastern Conference Finals had their moments, but were pretty lackluster overall. Their Western Conference counterparts provided a series that will stand the test of time. Cleveland will be getting a team in the NBA Finals that had to exert every last bit of energy to get there. And there should be little doubt that the patiently waiting Cavaliers were over the moon to see the Warriors complete their comeback against the Thuder.
Now I hear your inner monologue going off. “Why would the Cavs want any part of the team that beat them in last year’s Finals?” It comes down to the shape that both teams would be in entering the series. Last year, Cleveland were short two of their big three in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. LeBron James and his band of merry spot shooters nearly did the deed. Now with both of his All-Star amigos in tow, and playing well at that, the King and company have the requisite firepower to combat the champs head on.
“But didn’t the Warriors beat the Cavaliers fairly soundly in both of their regular season games?” That is true. But poor three point shooting did Cleveland in their first matchup, something that has been far from a problem this postseason. In their second meeting, the Warriors imposed their will on the Cavs’ home court in a blowout. Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert played nearly as many minutes as LeBron James in that one. It was the epitome of a “save our guys for the next one” kind of night, another thing that Cleveland will not do during the Finals.
Cleveland is playing with a confidence unseen in the regular season. Their stars are clicking, but so are their plethora of role players. They are hitting threes at historically relevant rates and crashing the boards with consistency. They’ve made the Quicken Loans Arena an impenetrable fortress, having yet to lose there in the postseason. In fact their last “true loss” at home, other than the throwaway final regular season game in which they lost by two to Detroit, you have to go back to March 29th against the Rockets.
Last year Golden State had an equally cozy ride to the Finals. They swept the Pelicans, shot past the defensive Grizzlies, and coasted past a lackadaisical Rockets team. This year’s run thus far has been marred by injuries, inconsistency, and uncharacteristic losses of composure. But they showed the cliched “heart of a champion” and completed a comeback for the ages against OKC. Erasing a 3-1 deficit to reach the NBA Finals last happened in 1981 when the Celtics rallied past the 76ers. Cleveland hoped that the Warriors would add another historic entry into their 2015-16 yearbook by doing so. They got their wish.
And it isn’t exactly because they want revenge, although I’m sure they want some measure of it. It is because the alternative, as strange as it sounds, was far less appetizing.
Although Cleveland handled the Thunder both home and away this year, they matched up far worse against OKC than Golden State. Russell Westbrook is a defensive nightmare for pretty much any guard in the game, but even more so against a perimeter defense as porous as Cleveland’s. He also would have worn out Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, and Iman Shumpert on the defensive end as well. Even sicking Dahntay Jones on him would have most likely ended quite poorly. Moving LeBron James on to Westbrook would have made sense, but Cleveland would then have freed up another top 5 NBA player, (free agent to be) Kevin Durant.
While Golden State has their bevy of scorers, Cleveland is adequately constructed to force Golden State to take the shots they want them to. Now the Warriors can hit those shots, and do so with stunning accuracy, but Oklahoma City’s offense would have been a much more taxing assignment. The thing the Cavaliers may have to worry about more now than before is that both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have all but reached NBA Jam level on fire status. Defensive strategies and rotations go completely out the window once the duo start hitting shots from 28 feet like they are layups and floaters in the lane whose trajectory could brush the banners in the rafters with similar ease. But what can Golden State do if that fire burns out?
Cleveland has shown their chameleon-like nature this postseason, but not to the extent of Oklahoma City. Yes, the Warriors are the defending champions. Yes, they have the unanimous MVP and his fellow Splash Brother is borderline unconscious. But what they lack is an ability to change their stripes. For a team not centered around defense like the Cavaliers, it is easier to deal with one set of circumstances (Curry & Thompson) than have to deal with several potential ones that could arise at any juncture of a series. That is why, and it still feels asinine en route from my brain to my screen, the Cavaliers wanted the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Warriors are who we think they are. Will Cleveland rue their decision and let them off the hook?
Follow along with all the games of the NBA Finals on GameView right here on Sports From the Basement. You can also follow me on Twitter @TREVORutley or the site @sportsftb as you can be sure that there will be plenty to come from this epic finals rematch.