If the Cavaliers are going to stop the Warriors, they need three important keys to victory. One of the keys to stopping Golden State would be shutting down there incredible three point attack led by the “Splash Brothers” Klay Thompson and two time current NBA MVP Steph Curry.
In the regular season alone they combined to connect on a whopping 678 three point field goals, by far an NBA record.
Curry can do it all, and has the kind of shot that could put the dagger in any opposing teams momentum and he could and would connect from anywhere on the floor. Thompson only needs the shortest of windows to connect, as proven in the OKC Thunder series when in Game Six, Thompson’s red hot 3pt shooting capped off the massive comeback in that game.
If the Cavaliers are unable to stop the Golden State three ball, then they wneed to make their own share as well. They proved in the Atlanta series they could do so by setting an NBA Playoff record for 25 made three point shots in a game.
The second and most vital key, perhaps the biggest thing they were missing last year, was roster depth and a strong bench. As well noted, last year, both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were on the sidelines with injuries. That forced men like JR Smith and Matthew Dellavedova into unfamiliar roles and took them off the bench where they were their most effective.
Now, with the addition of Channing Frye the Cavaliers are as deep as ever and a legitimate threat. With men like Channing Frye, JR Smith, Delly, Richard Jefferson, Timofey Mozgov and others coming off the bench, it makes the roster deep and dangerous!
Last season, the bench consisted of men like Mike Miller, Joe Harris, Brendan Haywood and Shawn Marion. To say this was a slight upgrade would be a gigantic understatement. The Cavaliers are now 12 deep and will need all 12 to compete with the Warriors.
Last but not least, in order to beat the Warriors, the Cavaliers will have to practice good ball movement and stay away from Hero ball. The biggest problem they ran into the prior Finals was lack of depth and quality shooters, so it became a one man gang with LeBron James.
This year, things are different and they need to spread the ball out and get everyone into the mix to keep the Warriors guessing and be able to put up the kind of points to stay competitive. It wouldn’t matter if it was JR Smith, Tristan Thompson or even Richard Jefferson, whomever stepped up as they pivotal fourth scorer behind James, Love and Irving, will make all the difference.
Mix in heart an hustle, the key to any success, and the Cavs can and will pull this off!
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