LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing the Golden State Warriors again in the NBA Finals. For them to pull off the virtually impossible, it’s going to take everything they have, and then some.
Yes, when a team has LeBron James, you can’t necessarily rule them out. Can even the King accomplish this nearly impossible feat, minus-Kyrie Irving, though? I wouldn’t think too many believe so and for good reason. This iteration of the Golden State Warriors did have their hiccups in a seven-game Western Conference Finals victory over the Houston Rockets but this Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster does not have nearly the two-way dogs that Houston team had.
It’s going to take a heck of a ton of creativity from Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue and James to figure out how to make this a competitive series.
The Cavs’ only chance is to dictate Golden State’s lineups and that’s going to be tough to do for considerable stretches. Cleveland cannot project too far ahead with their lineup selection and overreact to how the Warriors’ spectacular talent makes plays but Lue must not wait too long to make changes, either.
Against this all-time great opponent, mistakes prove fatal, and certain extinction can occur at a moment’s notice. That’s why Lue has to balance the Cavaliers having an identity while also not allowing the Dubs to get comfortable.
To start games, Cleveland will likely try to assert their will on the offensive and defensive glass by playing a physical brand of basketball. One of the few advantages Cleveland has against the Dubs is the way they can muck it up inside, and potentially have bigger lineups to bog down the pace.