Golden State Warriors Easily Overpower The Cavaliers In Game One
The Golden State Warriors handled the Cleveland Cavaliers with next to no problems to take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Finals.
Fans of the Golden State Warriors definitely know (and maybe Cleveland fans are getting the idea) that “Strength In Numbers” is more than just a slogan. The phrase represents everything that these Warriors are doing to become the greatest team in the history of the NBA.
Stephen Curry won back-to-back MVP awards, and his team holds the record for most wins in a regular season among their other great accolades. Golden State’s detractors might be thinking that none of the records matter because LeBron James and the Cavs could be the ones who will ultimately dethrone the champs. If you think that though, you might want to think again.
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The records they’ve amassed are obviously part of the proof that Golden State is truly great and nearly unstoppable. So far, it looks like the Warriors could beat the Cavaliers in fewer games than it took to put away OKC.
The Thunder posed some matchup problems with the Warriors due to the speed and athleticism of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. That team could actually make shots. But after finding themselves in a 1-3 hole, the Warriors rallied and found a way to win.
Despite a string of solid three-point shooting games for Cleveland this postseason, LeBron and Co. can’t shoot outside the paint nearly as effectively as the Warriors. This was obvious in the way that Golden State dominated game one for a 104-89 victory.
The Warriors made an impressive 49.4 percent of field goals while the Cavaliers only managed to shoot 38.1 percent. Curry and Klay Thompson only scored a combined 20 points, so their usual efforts weren’t even needed for this victory to look easy.
Shaun Livingston was definitely the player of the game with 20 points while making 80 percent of his field goals. He was especially lethal in the fourth quarter when he nailed shot after shot with ease and precision. Livingston’s hot game showed the world just how terrible Cleveland’s defense is — something not really seen before thanks to the severe lack of challenges in their postseason run.
It’s almost laughable how much of a higher competition level there is in the West compared to the East. In the 2016 playoffs, the Cavaliers faced Detroit, Atlanta, and Toronto. The Golden State Warriors faced challenges from Houston, Portland, and Oklahoma City. It was obvious in game one, which team in the Finals has actually been tested.
The Warriors have experienced a harder fought road to the Finals, and they are more prepared than the Cavaliers. That’s a fact given how much Golden State’s bench dominated the starters for Cleveland.
Just like he did last year, Andre Iguodala played excellent defense against James. And it was obvious that nobody on the Cavaliers, including James, could hang with the intensity of Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut.
Wasn’t J.R. Smith supposed to be an x-factor for Cleveland because of his three-point shooting? He didn’t show up for the game and in the second half, neither did Kevin Love. Love’s defense in game one was hilariously bad.
The worst part for Cleveland was that James already looked broken and busted. At this point in his career, he’s only effective when he drives in the paint. And the Warriors defense is too good to allow that to happen consistently.
However, the key reason the Warriors will win this series is because of their stellar shooting. Golden State has too many good shooters for Cleveland to handle.
Next: Klay Thompson Hoping For A Better Finals Performance
There are people who think that Cleveland is better built for the Finals this year, but they are still the same poor team who lets Matthew Dellavedova hop around the court like a manic mouse.
The Warriors are only ahead 1-0 in the series, so it obviously isn’t over yet. Sooner or later though, Curry and Thompson will start to light it up and then Cleveland is going to be in real trouble.