Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 adjustments for Game 2 of 2017 NBA Finals

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:02 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Fansided, Gerald Bourguet/FanSided via Hoops Habit

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) gestures against the Golden State Warriors in the first half of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

After a humbling defeat in Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals, what adjustments can the Cleveland Cavaliers make heading into Game 2?

In Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors proved they are who we thought they were. The Cleveland Cavaliers were completely outclassed in a 22-point rout that wouldn't have been that close if not for 15 missed layups from the Dubs in the first half.

Kevin Durant had his way with a Cavs team that looked way more like the 29th-ranked defense after the All-Star break than it did like the third-ranked defense through the first three rounds of the postseason. Golden State's defense smothered the playoffs' most high-powered offense, the role players disappeared and the Dubs looked like the overwhelmingly superior team.

But the Cavs have been here before. They lost Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals by 15 and got walloped by 33 in Game 2 before winning four of the next six games to claim the championship. In fact, LeBron James has lost Game 1 in each of his last five Finals, going on to win the series three times. It's not even close to being time to start panicking.

Even if the Cavs lose Game 2, there's the old saying that a series doesn't truly begin until the home team loses.

That being said, the Warriors are no ordinary team, and the Cavs certainly would prefer to steal one on the road in Game 2 — especially since that old saying does Cleveland no good without home-court advantage in the series.

Game 1 was thoroughly discouraging for the defending champs in the wake of a juggernaut that's now 13-0 in the playoffs. But aside from the obvious "LeBron and Kyrie Irving combine for 80 points," here are five adjustments that the Cleveland Cavaliers can make in Game 2 to climb back into this series.

Cleveland Cavaliers

March 19, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (8) shoots a basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

5. Unearth Channing Frye

You know what they say about desperate times.

Channing Frye's playing time has decreased the further Cleveland has advanced in the postseason. In Game 1 Thursday night, he was a DNP-CD. For a team whose offense is probably its best defense, it might be time to make some drastic lineup changes and call Frye's number.

You remember him, right? The guy who averaged 9.1 points in 18.9 minutes per game during the regular season and shot 40.9 percent from three-point range?

To be fair, the concerns about his defense are warranted. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are badly needed for their offense, but they're massive defensive liabilities. The same goes for Frye, except without the potential to erupt for 20-40 points on any given night.

That being said, his three-point shooting would be a much-needed boon for a team that went 11-for-31 from deep in Game 1.

The Cavaliers' offense becomes another animal when it surrounds LeBron with four shooters, and that might have to be the approach moving forward. Golden State can respond better than anyone by going small, but the rotation in Game 1 clearly wasn't getting it done.

Frye would be yet another defensive liability, but Cleveland's best defense might be a strong offense at this point. With the team's other sharpshooters failing to step up in the series opener, a lineup change — hell, let's not rule Derrick Williams out at this point — might inject some life into the Cavs' long range attack.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) watches the ball as it gets away from Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) and forward Draymond Green (23) in the second half of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

4. Take care of the ball

A bit generic, sure, but the stark contrast in turnovers (20 for the Cavaliers, only four for the Warriors) was the largest in NBA Finals history. Not only did the Warriors tie an NBA record for the fewest turnovers in a Finals game, but Cleveland failed to record a single steal.

The lack of steals is another matter entirely, but LeBron James in particular has to be better when it comes to taking care of the ball. Though he finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, he also committed eight of his team's 20 turnovers — including seven in the first half.

If this one-on-one matchup with Kevin Durant continues, the Cavs absolutely cannot afford for their MVP to be outplayed. That was the case in Game 1, and King James fed the NBA's most dangerous defense at an alarming rate.

The Cavaliers' 20 turnovers in Game 1 helped ignite easy fast break opportunities for the Warriors. In last year's Finals, Cleveland outscored Golden State in fast break points by a margin of 16.4 per game to 9.4. In Game 1, the Dubs had a massive 27-9 advantage in transition points.

The Cavs obviously have to do a better job of turning the Warriors over, but 20 turnovers is far too many against this kind of elite defense. There has to be an emphasis on taking better care of the rock in Game 2.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) battles for the ball with Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) in the first half of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

3. TT and the other role players have to step up

Cleveland's Big Three scored 67 of the team's 90 points. LeBron and Kyrie accounted for 52 of those 90 points. Outside of the big names, the Cavaliers' offensive production was virtually non-existent.

Kevin Love could be a lot better after finishing Game 1 with 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting, and he'll need to be better considering how big a liability he is on defense. But as far as role players who need to step up, it starts with Tristan Thompson.

In last year's Finals, TT was an absolute X-factor, finishing around the basket, hauling in offensive rebounds at a staggering rate and switching onto guards in pick-and-roll coverage to contain the Warriors' three-point threats.

That wasn't the case Thursday night.

In Game 1, Thompson put up a goose egg in the scoring column on 0-of-3 shooting. He only pulled down four rebounds and zero offensive boards — this after averaging 9.2 rebounds per game during the regular season and ranking sixth in the entire league in offensive rebounds per game (3.7).

In last year's Finals, TT pulled down 3.9 offensive rebounds per game and his defense — both on the perimeter and the interior — was monumental. Being a complete non-factor in 22 minutes can't be a recurring trend moving forward.

The rest of the role players need to wake up as well. J.R. Smith made the first bucket of the game on a corner three, then didn't score the rest of the way, finishing with three points on 1-of-4 shooting.

Kyle Korver put up a goose egg in 20 minutes, going 0-for-3 from deep and being a complete non-factor. Deron Williams also finished with zero points, going 0-for-4 in 19 minutes. Richard Jefferson had nine points in 15 minutes, but was absolutely demolished on the defensive end, while Iman Shumpert finished his night 2-for-6.

Cleveland's Big Three obviously needs to be better, but the role players have to do a MUCH better job of giving them more time to rest. If this kind of bench production continues, giving Channing Frye and Derrick Williams minutes is the least Tyronn Lue could do.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) in the second half of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. Pick a different poison/Slow it down

Let's be honest: The Cleveland Cavaliers could get productive minutes out of Channing Frye, take better care of the ball, enjoy improved minutes from the role players…and still easily lose to this Warriors team. Something has to drastically change in terms of playing style.

In a game where the Dubs shot just 3-for-13 from three-point range in the first half, the Cavs still trailed by eight points. Why? Because they were absolutely WAXED in points in the paint, 42-16.

THAT'S IN THE FIRST HALF, GUYS.

On multiple possessions, Cleveland's concern with taking away the three-ball opened up wide open lanes to the rim.

Kevin Durant had six dunks in the first half alone, and in at least four of those instances, it was because the primary defender — even in transition — was more worried about defending the three-point line.

This is obviously easier said than done for a below-average defense, but the Cavs have to reverse that trend in Game 2 — protect the paint, prevent easy drives to the rack and force the Warriors to beat them from the outside.

Yes, it sounds crazy. After all, the Dubs are extremely capable of beating teams from the outside if that's what the defense is giving them.

But in Game 1, all those easy buckets at the rim helped Golden State build confidence and sustain a lead despite a bad start from the outside. Once the Cavs started cutting off those drives to the rim, the long range gunners were completely comfortable with the flow of the game and Stephen Curry blew the game open from downtown in the third quarter.

Giving up 11 offensive rebounds in the first half is not a recipe for success, but the Cavs also have to do a better job picking their poison against such a versatile, dangerous team.

Not letting Kevin Durant prance his merry way down the lane would be a great start, but it goes deeper than that. It's a dangerous strategy, but the Cavs may need to try and fit a Klay Thompson-shaped peg in a Harrison Barnes-shaped hole.

Thompson has struggled in these playoffs and in his three NBA Finals in general. Through the first three rounds, Klay averaged 14.4 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range. Those were drastic drop-offs from the 22.3 points per game on 46.8 percent shooting (41.4 percent three-point shooting) he posted during the regular season.

In his first Finals, Klay averaged 15.8 points per game on .409/.300/.917 shooting splits. Last year, he averaged 19.6 points per game on .427/.350/.786 shooting splits. In Game 1 Thursday night, he played superb defense, but only had six points on 3-of-16 shooting.

With he and Draymond Green combining for just 15 points on 6-of-28 shooting, it might be time to cast them in the Harrison Barnes role and dare them to beat the Cavaliers from three-point range.

Yes, it's a dangerous method that could easily doom the Cavs if Klay and/or Dray find the stroke. But letting KD waltz down the lane for 38 points and getting lit up by Curry for another 28 isn't the most advisable strategy either.

For Cleveland, controlling the tempo needs to be a key point of emphasis as well.

The Dubs are unstoppable when they get into a frenetic pace, and Cleveland — for all their three-point prowess — needs to turn this into a half-court game to make it a series.

It sounds barbaric, but the Cavs' best hope might just be spreading the floor and resorting back to iso-ball. Not only does this allow them to spread the floor and capitalize on the scoring abilities of LeBron, Kyrie and Love, but it also slows the game down, balances the court by putting offensive rebounders in good position and prevent fast breaks for the Warriors.

Game 1 gave Tyronn Lue plenty to chew on. There are no clear-cut answers, but slowing the tempo down, daring a slumping Klay Thompson to beat them and trying to protect the interior first and foremost are all avenues worth exploring.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles past Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the fourth quarter of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

1. Switch up LeBron's defensive assignment

Something has got to give for LeBron James, who somehow played 40 minutes in 22-point blowout Thursday night. He's always been viewed as a cyborg capable of tallying an inhuman amount of minutes, but that's not going to cut it in this series.

Why? Because the Warriors replaced Harrison Barnes with Kevin Durant, and the latter absolutely stuck it to the King in their head-to-head Game 1 matchup.

LeBron finished with a 28-15-8 stat line on 9-of-20 shooting, but KD was the best player on the floor, tallying 38 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on 14-of-26 shooting.

Not only was LeBron's defense on Durant suspect in Game 2, but he looked visibly tired. It's no wonder why; asking King James to do as much as he does on the offensive end and then defend one of the NBA's most prolific scorers on the other end is simply unconscionable — especially when the Warriors have so many quality defenders to throw at the King to wear him down.

In Game 2, something has to change. The problem is, there are no easy answers as to how.

The first solution that comes to mind is switching LeBron onto a less dynamic offensive player. They could hide him on Klay Thompson with the way the other Splash Brother has shot the ball, or they could use him to limit Draymond Green's point of attack as a facilitator and jack-of-all-trades.

Unfortunately, that immediately begs the question: Who the hell is going to defend Kevin Durant if not LeBron?

More from Hoops Habit

There's no answer for that one. Richard Jefferson is nowhere near being up to the challenge these days. Iman Shumpert isn't long enough and is a complete non-factor on the offensive end. Kyle Korver and Kevin Love are laughable last resorts.

Perhaps the answer is Tristan Thompson? Though he doesn't have the footspeed to stay with Durant consistently, using LeBron as a rover could help protect the rim when KD blows by TT off the dribble, allow him to roam the passing lanes and preserve his energy for the other end of the floor.

Even switching other players onto KD in short spells would help LeBron recharge his batteries. Getting him earlier rests to keep him fresh for the second half might do wonders as well.

There's no question that King James has to carry the heaviest load of his NBA Finals career on both ends of the floor. But asking him to check Kevin Durant all game and do everything he does for the offense — all while logging 44-48 minutes a game — is a recipe for disaster.

LeBron James will be better in Game 2 and moving forward in this series, but the Cavs have to get creative in preserving his energy for a dynamic one-on-one matchup that did not swing Cleveland's way in Game 1.

share

in this topic

Cleveland Cavaliers

National Basketball Association