Should the Cavs lean heavily on “big man” LeBron James?
In my mind (and the minds of Vegas’ sportsbooks), the Golden State Warriors should be the heavy favorite against these Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re one of the most dominant teams of all-time.
The Warriors have two unnatural edges on the rest of the NBA. The first, of course, is their shooting. Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant would be somewhere in the top 5 of all shooters in the NBA (conservatively) and Steph Curry may be the best shooter of all-time. That wealth of skill at the most important facet of the current era is ridiculous.
But the secondary aspect of the Warriors’ success is their ability to go “small” with Draymond Green playing C (and Kevin Durant playing PF). They each have the length to protect the rim, with Green also being strong enough to hold down the fort against bigger players should the need arise.
I can see the argument that teams should super-size and try to out-rebound the Warriors, but I actually think the Cavs are equipped to play the Warriors at their own game.
Normally, Kevin Love can’t play much center because he doesn’t offer any rim protection. However, against a team like the Warriors, that’s less of an issue than usual. Curry and Durant can drive, but it’s not their primary focus. If the Cavs want to go even smaller, they can try LeBron James at center. Why can’t LeBron do exactly what Draymond does for the Warriors, and possibly even a better job at it? With LeBron at center, and potentially no Kevin Love, the Cavs wouldn’t have bigger and slower defenders to target and attack.
So far this year, the Cavs have been reluctant to go with Love at center (and definitely reluctant to go with LeBron at center), but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a lot more of it this Finals. With the smaller lineups, the Cavs can put out lineups with 5 good three-point shooters at the same time. Golden State will still have the #1, #2, and #3 best shooters in the series, but in a small ball lineup vs. small ball lineup, the Cavs can have 5 of the best 8, considering Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are inconsistent shooters from beyond the arc.
Conclusion
Personally, I feel like the Cavs’ best shot against the Warriors is to go small, to keep pace with their shooting. Furthermore, in smaller lineups where there’s more space, LeBron James has a chance to drive and attack and possibly dominate the game. I still think the Warriors will win the series, either way, but this gives the Cavs their best shot.
