2018 NBA Finals: 5 Things the Cleveland Cavaliers must do to beat the Golden State Warriors

2017 NBA Finals - Game Five
LeBron James and Kevin Durant in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals

So for a fourth straight year, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors facing off in the NBA Finals representing the East and West respectively.

The matchup might seem redundant but this year, it's earned. Unlike last year, when the Warriors went 12-0 in the West and the Cavs dropped just one game in the East Playoffs, this year, both teams have had to slug it out by playing and winning Game 7 of the Conference Finals on the road.

Through the previous three Finals, the Warriors lead the head-to-head 2-1, with the Cavaliers' lone championship coming in 2016 when they became the only team in league history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.

Having said that, never have these teams sort of had the same roster in two straight Finals. In 2015, the Cavaliers played without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving in five of the six games. In 2016, everybody was healthy on both teams and then in 2017, the Warriors returned to the Finals stage after adding 2014 league MVP Kevin Durant to their roster the previous summer.

And again, this year it's different again with the Irving being traded to the Boston Celtics. Anyways, it is what it is. So, although it might feel one-sided, let's break it down and tactically analyze everything the Cavaliers need to do to beat the defending champions:

Note: This is taking into consideration the team's role players' potential and not necessarily how poorly they have performed against the Celtics.

#5 Rebound the ball & slow the pace down

2018 NBA Playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics At TD Garden
Kevin Love fights with Al Horford for the rebound.

Yes, LeBron James surrounded with four shooters is an unstoppable line-up but that might be the case only in the East. Trying to outrun and outgun the Warriors at their own game has historically not proven to be such a good idea.

The Cavaliers with their big men - Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and some of Larry Nance Jr. - have an advantage on the boards. The 2018 postseason numbers wouldn't show that of course as Cleveland has predominantly started and played small with Love at center. For the Playoffs, despite playing 18 games, by average the Cavaliers are ranked 11th (out of 16) in RPG at 40.2. However, in the Conference Finals, against the Boston Celtics, where they were playing a rejuvenated Tristan Thompson, Cleveland averaged 43.0 rebounds per game.

You won't find Thompson atop any of the offensive rebounding categories this season as he hardly suited up for the team and when he did, his performance way below par. However, he has been on some sort of a resurgence since Game 7 of the first round against the Indiana Pacers.

So they certainly have it in them to crash the glass, especially the offensive one, which is known to be a profound weakness of the Warriors and something that Tristan is really good at. And this isn't just for Tristan. Rebounding, even for the team's guards, should be a priority in an attempt to slow the pace down.

#4 Try to play big as much as possible

2017 NBA Finals - Game One
Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson

Some might say that the strategy of playing big would fall into hands of the Warriors - a) because they have like six centers on their roster (Kevon Looney, David West, JaVale McGee, Jordan Bell, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia) and b) because Golden State can just counter this by playing small.

Well, again the key here is Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love. He allows the 4-time reigning East Champions to hang around even with a small Warriors' line-up. The proof is in the pudding - he's done it each of the last three years in the Finals against the Dubs.

And secondly, if the Warriors want to play more of their centers, more power to them as Cleveland will only benefit from it. The move will clash with Golden State's free-flowing style of play with a packed paint and not one but multiple non-shooters (from long range).

If the strategy is working, Thompson might have to play around 40 minutes each night and he shouldn't complain. It's the NBA Finals. There are only so many minutes that a Playoff rookie in Larry Nance Jr. can buy him.

#3 Warriors are their biggest enemy

Golden State Warriors v New Orleans Pelicans - Game Four
Golden State Warriors v New Orleans Pelicans - Game Four

We've seen all through this past regular season and even through some games in these 2018 NBA Playoffs - the Warriors are their own worst enemy. Either that or the Warriors just decide to win games by playing just one good quarter in some games.

In the regular season, the Warriors averaged 14.8 turnovers in wins and 16.9 in losses. In the Playoffs, that difference grows as they get very clinical in their wins and even more sloppy in their losses - 12.5 in wins and 15.8 in losses. Those turnovers combined with rushed shots and no ball movement, and the Warriors can often play into their opponent's hands which is what the Houston Rockets forced them to do, especially in Games 4 and 5.

Having said that, don't blame them. The Warriors' margin for error is so huge that they can afford to play their worst half in an entire season and still win a game by double-digits (Game 7 Vs the Rockets).

#2 Play physical and smart defense

2017 NBA Finals - Game Four
LeBron James contesting a drive to the rim by Kevin Durant

Being physical with Golden State is something the Cavaliers can achieve, it's how they completed their 3-1 Finals comeback a couple of years back. Now, this team is a lot different from that one but they still have a reliable Playoff core of five to six players that can do that.

It's playing smart defense that is going to difficult for Cleveland because it requires communication. And if their losses in the Playoffs are any indication, forget lack of communication there is almost none when the opposition is forcing them to make decisions on the fly. In their 6 losses this postseason, only one was by single digits and that was a game where they gave up a 17-point lead to lose by 2.

They can take some encouragement from their defense against the Boston Celtics, especially in Game 7, but they should be careful not to be overconfident about it. At the end of the day, they came up against a young team that showed signs of lack of experience (like a young team should) at that stage against a team with more veterans.

#1 LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics - Game Seven
LeBron James in the Cleveland Cavaliers' Game Seven vs the Boston Celtics

LeBron James is the ultimate mismatch.

All through these Playoffs, largely in part to the poor performance of the team's role players, the coaching staff has focused on ensuring that LeBron gets the most favorable matchup possible.

In their most recent series, the Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, there was a concentrated effort to get Terry Rozier or Aron Baynes switched on to him. In the series against the Toronto Raptors, there wasn't a legitimate defender who made him work hard, so he wrecked havoc and the Cavs swept the Canadian franchise. In the first round against the Indiana Pacers, Bogan Bogdanovic game the King problems but against almost anybody else, it was a mismatch.

With Andre Iguodala's questionable presence (suffering from a bone bruise in left knee), Golden State has only three legit players they can throw at LeBron James - Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson (very rarely). Going against anybody else would be a mismatch for LeBron and the Cavaliers need to scheme around those matchups accordingly.

Quick Links

Edited by Yash Matange