On the other side of the ball, LeBron is facing his toughest test of the postseason. Jae Crowder, Paul George, and DeMarre Carroll are all good defenders, but nobody can match the trio of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green to guard James. LeBron had some nice plays against each of them individually last night, but those three make James earn every basket he gets. Aside from one first quarter defensive lapse, the Warriors forced LeBron to put the ball on the floor for a few extra dribbles each time to get to the basket. Once there, he didn’t have it easy, either. James had an uncharacteristic 8 turnovers, including 7 in the first half, many of which came on attempted kick outs. The Warriors may not be able to entirely shut down James, but they can keep him from scoring 35 points on 18 field goal attempts like he did against Boston. The Cavaliers look like they just don’t have enough help for LeBron James against this Warriors team.
By Tyler Brandt Can Cavaliers Compete With Warriors? One game into the NBA Finals the Cleveland Cavaliers look nothing like the team that cruised through the Eastern Conference Playoffs. LeBron James and the Cavs were in this spot last year, but this year’s Warriors team poses a greater challenge. The Warriors dominated in all facets of the game last night. They won the turnover margin (+16) and held the Cavaliers without a steal. No team in the last 34 years has ever won a game with a -16 turnover margin and 0 steals. The Cavaliers couldn’t keep up with Golden State’s elite passing, as the Warriors had more assists (31) than the Cavs had field goals (30). The Warriors have too many weapons for a defensively weak Cavaliers team that gave up 113 points despite a 3-16 shooting night by Klay Thompson.
On the other side of the ball, LeBron is facing his toughest test of the postseason. Jae Crowder, Paul George, and DeMarre Carroll are all good defenders, but nobody can match the trio of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green to guard James. LeBron had some nice plays against each of them individually last night, but those three make James earn every basket he gets. Aside from one first quarter defensive lapse, the Warriors forced LeBron to put the ball on the floor for a few extra dribbles each time to get to the basket. Once there, he didn’t have it easy, either. James had an uncharacteristic 8 turnovers, including 7 in the first half, many of which came on attempted kick outs. The Warriors may not be able to entirely shut down James, but they can keep him from scoring 35 points on 18 field goal attempts like he did against Boston. The Cavaliers look like they just don’t have enough help for LeBron James against this Warriors team.
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