Cleveland Cavaliers Would Be Wise Not To Fall in Love With Three-Pointers Against The Golden State Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn’t fight fire with fire in what’s expected to be an inevitable NBA Finals rematch against the Golden State Warriors.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made an NBA record 25 three-pointers in their 135-130 win over the Hawks in Atlanta Friday night. After their record-setting performance the Cavs are shooting 39.2 percent from three for the season, good for second-best in the NBA. The Cavaliers are also second in three-point field goals made per game, making an average 13.2 per contest.

A huge part of the Cavs success from the perimeter can be attributed to LeBron James’ improvement. James is shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range this season, compared to just 30.8 percent last season. Kyrie Irving has also been much more efficient from three, shooting 38.8 percent this season, after making only 32.1 percent of his threes in 2015-16. Cleveland’s roles players are also shooting well from behind the arc, including Channing Frye (40.5 percent), Iman Shumpert (38.1 percent), and recently acquired Kyle Korver (50.3 percent).

The Cavs’ success from the perimeter may pose a threat to the Golden State Warriors in a potential third straight Finals matchup in June.

The Warriors themselves are known for their three-point potency, but the Cavs may now have the arsenal to match them from distance. A series between these two teams could now be a match-up of two three-point juggernauts.

But would a three-point barrage in the Finals be beneficial for the Cavs?

While Cleveland is shooting well from long-range, it may not want to follow a “small ball” strategy when the playoffs come around. It would be nice to match Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson from three, but fighting fire with fire may not work against the Warriors.

The Cavs were able to find a way to dethrone the Warriors in last year’s Finals but their win was not based on their perimeter game. Despite losing, the Warriors managed to outscore the Cavs, 282-168, from the three-point line in the series; the Cavs shot a mere 32.9 percent from distance. The Cavs only attempted 24.3 threes per game in the Finals, far less than the 33.7 threes per game they are averaging this season.

The Cavs weren’t efficient from three but their lack of attempts from distance shows that their winning strategy didn’t require large emphasis on the three-ball.

Golden State has been most vulnerable when it has encountered teams that have been able to implement a more physical, “attacking” style of play; last year’s playoffs showed that.

The Warriors were outrebounded by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Finals that season, a riveting seven-game series that had the Warriors constantly on the brink of elimination. The Thunder only managed to shoot 32.2 percent from three-point land in the series, but their bullish, interior-based strategy almost led them to an upset win. The Thunder’s success may have provided a blueprint for the Cavs in their Finals victory. Cavs had a significant advantage in rebounding against the Warriors, an edge that likely put them over the top in a nail-biting series.

Efficient three-point shooting is an asset to any team but reliance on the three-ball can be dangerous.

Even the best teams are prone to cold spells and a shooting slump at the wrong time could prove costly to the Cavs.

It’s true that the Cavs are ranked highly in three-point shooting this season; but they are a middle of the pack team in terms of rebounding and defense, the true reason why they were able to upset Golden State.

The Cavs have been in the thick of a seven-game series against the Warriors and they know they can win it all without shooting a bevy of outside shots. Why change the formula?

The Cavs have the best chance of repeating if they fix some of the kinks they have defensively, not if they try to beat the Warriors at their own game.

Do you think that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be able to match the Golden State Warriors three-point potency? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.

*All stats referenced from www.basketball-reference.com