Two and a half seasons into the best basketball rivalry this side of Lakers-Celtics, the Cavaliers have flopped their cards over for everyone to see.
Cleveland’s constructed their team to resemble the Golden State Warriors.
The Cavs are attempting — and making — more 3-pointers per game this season than the Warriors. Adding Kyle Korver, Channing Frye and doling out a hefty contract to J.R. Smith shows the paradigm shift they’ve made to the long ball approach. To beat Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, often times you have to out-shoot them. The Cavaliers have tackled this challenge head on and are armed for a 3-point shootout in June.
Deadly, deep shooting wasn’t the only page from Steve Kerr and Bob Myers’ playbook LeBron James, Tyronn Lue and David Griffin wanted to rip.
Strength In Numbers? That advantage seems to be leaning in Cleveland’s direction now.
The natural reaction out in the Bay Area to Cleveland claiming point guard Deron Williams and longtime Warriors center Andrew Bogut was that these two 30-somethings are on the edge of being washed up — if not already there.
The counter argument I’ll deliver: How come president of basketball operations Bob Myers immediately made a counter move by reportedly claiming 12-year veteran point guard Jose Calderon from the Lakers? Because you need savvy veterans who will not make mistakes in the playoffs. You need players like Bogut and Williams, former stars who can now carve out small yet important roles. The Warriors loved Briante Weber, but they know he’s not ready to be counted on in May and June. And that’s ultimately more important than developing a quality role player for the future.
Let’s run through the benches quickly, now that both have been refurbished.
Golden State: Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, David West, Ian Clark, Patrick McCaw, Jose Calderon. It appears as if Kevon Looney, Damian Jones and James Michael McAdoo will be lucky to see minutes in the postseason.
Cleveland: Kyle Korver, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson, Deron Williams, Derrick Williams, Andrew Bogut, DeAndre Liggins, James Jones.
Which bench looks more equipped for the postseason? If Williams and Bogut bring the contributions I’m expecting, it would be hard not to lean in Cleveland’s direction.
There’s no knocking Golden State’s bench. The unit leads the NBA in field goal percentage and has not been an issue all season. But the matchups coming off the bench will make part three of this trilogy feel like two entirely different teams. Two big things here: Can Korver go tit for tat with Klay Thompson? And can Iguodala still guard LeBron in critical moments down the stretch? Also remember, the Warriors rode the bench to a Game 1 victory in the Finals last year. Superstars won’t decide every single game on their lonesome.
LeBron, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love against Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Curry will likely cancel each other out over a seven game series, meaning McGee against Bogut could end up becoming the most intriguing matchup on the court.
For as athletic as McGee is, Bogut has championship experience. McGee has become purely an offensive weapon in Golden State. His arrival into the lineup normally generates fast break offense and quick 9-2 runs. But there aren’t many better defensive specialists in the NBA. It’s also possible Cleveland will put Bogut on Zaza Pachulia to start the game and use Tristan Thompson for McGee later on throughout the game — JaVale may even play in fourth quarters depending on how the game is going.
What people tend to forget about Bogut last season is that his injury in Game 5 — when Smith collided with his lower body under the basket — shifted The Finals as much as Draymond’s suspension. Thompson hauled in 16 rebounds in Game 6; Kevin Love produced 14 in a legendary Game 7. Bogut matters.
The Warriors won’t be worried about Bogut giving the Cavaliers the company secrets, well because, the Warriors are pretty much an open book. The play a simplistic form of basketball that’s easily interpreted on film, it just can’t be stopped. They are transparent with the media about internal issues they sort through. This team isn’t rocked very easily.
The real anxiety over Bogut is the emotional boost he’ll give Cleveland in the locker room. He’s made it no secret he felt burned by the Warriors choosing Iguodala over his services and there’s no one better at tapping into locker room motivation than LeBron. Bogut’s health obviously played a role in the Warriors’ choice, as did a ready made backup plan with Pachulia. Whatever the reason, LeBron loves to play basketball with added emotions involved, as does Bogut. Especially with Draymond on the other side, don’t discount the impact of this.
The NBA Finals already has close to a hundred sub storylines. Can Curry get redemption and bring home not just the championship but the Finals MVP to silence his critics forever? How will Durant fare in his first championship since 2012? Can Love be counted on for the duration of a series? If Irving outplays the Splash Brothers again, is it finally time to give him the proper recognition?
Now this. Deron Williams, and especially Andrew Bogut, have added layers to what will be the most compelling championship many of us have ever seen.