3 Things We Learned in Warriors Blowout Win Over Cavs
The Cleveland Cavaliers were humbled by the Golden State Warriors on MLK Day. The Cavs were finally healthy against the Warriors but the results didn’t change.
The Cavaliers suffered their worst loss of the season to the Golden State Warriors 132-98 in what looked like an embarrassing night for the entire Cleveland team.
In a game that could do no justice for the Cavaliers, many questions arose for the reliability of the Cavs against teams that have proven to be true contenders for the NBA Finals. Ignoring the fact that the Cavaliers have lost two of the last three games, both against the Eastern Conference favorites San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors, there were many noticeable aspects of the Cavaliers’ play.
1. The Cavaliers Struggle Against Hot Players
The Cavaliers showed many things tonight, but the biggest thing was they could not stop the Warriors when they got hot. Allowing four of the Warriors’ five starters to finish with over ten points, and Andre Iguodala coming off the bench to finish with 20. It was obvious that the Cavs could not find a way to stop anyone on the Warriors, whether it was a star player or not.
Even with Stephen Curry finishing with 35 points, the Cavs worries were much more than Steph. Each and every player that was on the court for the Warriors was able to produce some sort of offense.
Going forward, the Cavaliers defensive struggles during cold streaks needs to increase if they want any chance of competing with the Eastern Conference.
2. Turnovers are a Serious Problem
The Cavaliers seemed to turn the ball over last night more than they have during the entire season combined. 15 turnovers is no equation for a winning basketball team, and Cleveland proved it last night.
If 15 turnovers isn’t bad enough, 21 of the Warriors 132 points came off of turnovers. Sloppy basketball was a serious problem for the Cavaliers against the Warriors, as they gave up a combined 32 turnovers in their two loses over the last three games.
No single player on the Cavs is to blame for this either. All but two players on the Cavaliers had at least one turnover throughout the night. With Kyrie Irving‘s return, the Cavaliers were hoping to improve their offense, and many believed they were beginning to. But if these numbers continue, the Cavs can be in for a world of hurt going forward.
3. The Warriors Have the Cavs’ Number
Stephen Curry said early this week that he hopes the locker room still smells like champagne in Cleveland. Well, it may come June if the Cavaliers continue to play the way they are against the Eastern Conference favorites.
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0-2 this season against the red hot Warriors, the Cavs may be in trouble if they don’t learn how to compete with the best team in the NBA. After two losses, the Cavs seem to finally be bumped from the team to beat in the NBA and rightfully so. If things do not change quick, then they may end up struggling just to get into the NBA Finals, let alone compete against what most believe will be the Warriors.
It’s only January, but this atrocious performance by the Cavs should be an eye opener for a team that may not be a powerful as analysts, fans, and themselves believed they could be.