If the Cavs play with as much passion as the Spurs, they’ll defeat GSW in the NBA Finals
If the Cleveland Cavaliers play with as much focus and determination as the San Antonio Spurs did, their personnel should allow them to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals.
The Cleveland Cavaliers need only to play with extraordinary passion, like the San Antonio Spurs did throughout the Western Conference Finals, and with their personnel they should be able to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals.
The Spurs had no business keeping the final two games of the Western Conference Finals close but their effort, determination and heart allowed them to do just that.
Led by Jonathan Simmons and Manu Ginobli, young players like Kyle Anderson and Dejounte Murray stepped up in big moments while veterans like Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge offered worthy contributions as well.
Perhaps, if Aldridge played like ‘Portland Aldridge’ the Spurs would have pulled a couple of victories out in the series. If Leonard, Tony Parker and David Lee remained healthy, it may be the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
The Spurs rag-tag team gave the Warriors fits. Imagine what a healthy Cavs team could do.
Simmons, like Leonard, dazzled operating off the pick-and-roll and in iso situations.
In the Cavs’ offense, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James will be the ones who operate out of the pick-and-roll.
Working off of screens, James will be able to draw in defenders to work other players open, attack the rim and exploit smaller defenders with post-ups. If James remains as engaged against the Warriors as he’s been throughout the playoffs, he should hit his outside jumpers consistently when he does decide to take them.
Irving’s shooting efficiency and ball-handling will allow him to get any shot he wants but he has to be careful with his shot selection while remaining aggressive. Expect quite a bit of playmaking from Irving in the Finals.
J.R. Smith, like Danny Green, will be expected to excel in his three-and-D role.
Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson will present a slightly different dynamic than the Anderson-Aldridge and Ginobli-Aldridge duos that started at power forward and center for the Spurs.
On the one hand, Love is a threat to shoot from the perimeter, like Ginobli. Thompson is a threat to score inside, like Aldridge. However, taking opponents off-the-dribble will be a must for Love.
Defensively, the Cavs have looked quicker and more focused throughout the playoffs. They’ll need to fly around and communicate on defense in order to contest as many shots as possible. Their trapping scheme may not work with the Warriors, as they have so many able ball-handlers and passers, but they’ll be able to switch onto any offensive player and do fine.
The Versaclimbers have improved the Cavs physical conditioning exponentially and Irving looks to be the biggest benefactor of that. Love is slim and fit; he’s going to be able to switch onto perimeter players and guard them as he has before. Thompson has proven to be one of the more mobile big men in the league.
In order to make sure Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant don’t get rolling with ease, expect Iman Shumpert may come into the game in place of Kyrie Irving and Richard Jefferson may come into the game in place of Love at times, tradeoffs that should work out well for the Cavs.
Offensively, the Cavs seem to thrive with James leading the bench units.
To that point, when playing against units where only one of Curry or Durant is on the floor, James may find himself in the roamer role in the Finals. This should allow attack passing lanes and prevent easy buckets both in the paint and on the perimeter.
Outside of personnel, this series will be a battle of wills. The Warriors will be looking to avenge their Finals loss from last year and the Cavs will be looking to bring another championship to the Land.
They’ll have to play for each other, for Cleveland and for James.
James, their leader. If he wins this series, it will solidify his place beside Michael Jordan as the best of all-time. The Cavs should want to do that for him. They should want to help him reach his rightful place in history.
They will if they play with pride and passion. If the battle adversity and never show uncertainty.
June 1st can’t come soon enough.
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Do you think that the Cleveland Cavaliers can defeat the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.