Golden State claimed victory in the opening match of the best of seven-game series but they are some way off being in the clear.
Who do you think will win the second match of the series and eventually come away with the NBA title?
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GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
GET CURRY AND THOMPSON GOING EARLY
This is incredibly obvious, but doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The question is more how can Warriors coach Steve Kerr get his backcourt in a rhythm early, especially with the way the Cavaliers’ defence is selling out to stop those two. From looking at what worked in Game 1, the best way could be allowing Curry and Thompson to attack Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love after switches, as well as go after Kyrie Irving.
REBOUND BETTER
The Warriors were killed on the boards to the tune of 56-43 in favour of Cleveland, including 15-9 on the offensive glass. It would be one thing if the Cavaliers were going big like Oklahoma City did last round or like they did themselves last year in the Finals, but that’s not what happened in Game 1. Golden State can flourish in the fast break and transition, but not at the risk of getting beat that badly again on rebounds.
GET TO THE LINE
Even though they’re not an offence that relies much on free throws, the Warriors have to get more than 10 shots at the line, especially on their home floor.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
DEFENSIVE COMMUNICATION
Too often in Game 1 Cleveland would lose track of a Warrior as they scrambled around the floor trying to take away clean looks for Curry and Thompson. That led to many back cuts and easy dives for uncontested layups or dunks. That was also the case in transition, when the Cavs were too concerned with aligning matchups, causing confusion as players tried to get back to their man. Hesitation can be all these Warriors need to pounce.
FINISHING AT THE RIM
Cleveland shot just 17-of-35 in the restricted area and 4-of-14 in the paint (non-restricted area) in the opener as they left plenty of points on the board. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are two of the best finishers in the league, so those percentages should trend upward.
GET SMITH AND FRYE RUNNING
Two players who were crucial to Cleveland’s success entering the Finals were J.R. Smith and Channing Frye. Both were hot from 3-point range before being limited to just four shots combined in Game 1. The Cavaliers need their firepower.