Live Thread: Cavs @ Warriors, NBA Finals Game 2
2016-06-05Flash poll: Is the big NBA game tonight bigger than the game you considered the biggest game prior to this big game?
— Cavs Win Title Now (@IGOHARDNOW) June 5, 2016
That’s right, True Believers. The biggest Cavs game of the season is here, and it’s even bigger than the last biggest game. Many consider tonight’s win a “must” if the Cavs have a shot at winning the whole shebang. According to Oddshark, NBA teams are 16-257 all-time after trailing 0-2 in a best-of-seven series. Only two of 56 squads have prevailed since 2009. So unless the Cavs want to climb out of a really big hole , they need to play much better tonight (though I’m wearing my “Rise Up!” 2007 Playoffs T-Shirt to prove it is possible). There has been a mountain of content dedicated to what the Cavs did wrong, and what Warriors did right in Game 1, but to me, Game 1 was all about the Cavs’ playing poorly, more than it was about the Warriors playing fantastically.
Here are things Cleveland must do better.
-    The Cavs need to roll! Someone must consistently put LeBron as the roll man, and he must roll, and not just pivot into a high post. Below, LeBron ignores the wide open space by the basket in order to settle for a mismatch. He must slip the pick! He or TT has a layup or JR has a three if he does. This is a part of an overall trend of moving on offense. Or as Ben Werth said to me in an email, “Why can’t LeBron just roll? For the love of my departing sanity. What a frickin waste of talent. Always settling for some dumb mismatch. This team has the talent but is stupid. Someone has to go to the rim on every play. Please..”
2. Channing Frye must play and the Cavs must shoot open shots. Here, Delly passes up a wide open triple to repost LeBron. If Delly doesn’t have confidence in his shot, I don’t know if I want to see him playing. The Cavs best playoff lineup has been:LeBron, Frye, JR, Shump, and Delly. That lineup barely played Thursday. It must play tonight, and the boys must let fly. LeBron gets doubled, pitches to Delly, who instead of being a ready shooter, reposts to LeBron despite there being at least 10 feet between he and Iguodala. Result? 14-foot clanker.
3. Consider staying big (and I don’t mean LeBron at the four).
https://twitter.com/Jon_Roser/status/738855153260847104
4. Play Channing Frye!
5. Everone must close out shooters, and must get to Livingston’s body more quickly.
If they do these they’ll be just fine.
Iguodala gets the exact opposite treatment from the refs compared to JR. Nothing he does is a foul.
If only we had box out and protect the paint we would have had a nice little lead right now. Hope they clean that up ASAP
I continue to be really really perplexed with our offense
Absolutely a foul…
Obvious foul on LeBron’s drive. WTF
If TT can play all 48, and he develops a jump shot, I think we have a chance
https://vine.co/v/iY9X9hOjwvb
Dang. Nice quarter, Cavs. Jefferson was HUUUUGE.
Iggy is too good to let him get away with hacks like that, refs…
No call again! Won the qtr lets go Cavs!,,,,
LeBron going for a quadruple double tonight
Thanks for Bogut bathroom status. Hopefully we can get a sideline reporter to wait outside and give us updates.
Kind of a cheapo there on Lebron….that happens every time down the court…
Yeah and everyone why he stops going hard to the hole
GS putting in their death squad lineup with Livingston and Barbosa…
The year of the groin shot continues…
Tony brothers is going to ruin this game
TT rumblin’ and bumblin’
Warriors cut and move off ball and they get layups. You taking notes cavs?!
There you go TT!! that’s the right effort!!
Thompson fouled three times before he finally got a call..
Guys…you have to box out!
Make or miss league…but the team dunking it every time down the court usually makes…
Exactly, their points is way to easy right now
Warriors pump faking, Cavs not. That’s the difference.
Our paint protections is horribleee
Only good thing, RJ attacking Curry. Need Kyrie to do the same to get Curry 3 fouls in the first quarter
Great play, RJ. Great play. Needed the points and the second foul on Irving.
https://vine.co/v/iY9gxUZ6QTT
Well the cavs have changed nothing offensively and it shows. Anyone that thinks iso postups and simple high screens for mismatch iso works against this team is just plain wrong. Apparently the cavs think it does. Maybe they learn sometime this game…?
Bogut playing well, yes, but Love got hacked by Green on that one block.
Geez, small lineup getting outhustled as well as outmuscled. Took warriors about ten seconds to pick up four points after LeBron sat… It’s going to be a long night for him.
Lol the replay showed love getting hacked on that block
So far the Warriors bigs are owning the Cavs bigs.
We’ve got them missing but can’t get a damn rebound and finish at the rim. Warriors have 7 offensive rebounds and 18 damn rebounds already, like really ?
Curry has 6 rebounds, CAVS TOTAL TEAM 7 rebounds. Unacceptable
If they keep giving up those easy putbacks, it’s going to be just like game 1…
It should be Peanut Butter Delly Time!
HAHAHAHA I remember that stupid gif
Cavs getting behind early because they aren’t boxing out well…
7 offensive boards for GS already. Really?
if Cavs wanna play small they better rebound….Warriors have one guy on floor taller than anyone else we have….either put Frye in or Mozgov…that Curry layup would not be that easy with Moz at the rim
That Green had was totally on LeBron. He just gave up on the play.
Again getting outplayed! This time by the Warriors bigs!!!
Cavs look awful small and gutless compared to his team. Never seen a finals matchup like this before. The East really is pathetic.
Might need to get Lebron back in right away…
Good to see RJ on Livingston.
Oh god, tony brothers…
Yeah, but Foster, too, who GS fans think is the antichrist…
Oh no. Did I just hear Tony Brothers?!?!?!?!
I’m getting horrible, horrible flashbacks
LeBron yelling at his teammates instead of getting in and rebounding. You had the boxout on Green, King.
Let the be a sign of things to come for JR. Need him going so bad.
https://vine.co/v/iY9vQdpg0PM
How about playing Frye when Bogut is in?
Would make too much sense… IMO Bogut isnt enough of an offensive threat to be worried inside. But I imagine they are trying to hide Love on Bogut and let TT guard Draymond… Haven’t seen who’s guarding who on that end, though.
Since when did Bogut become Dikembe Mutombo…
This isn’t even the Blatt offense…this is the Mike Brown offense. Are the Warriors really that good at defense…we look awful….
They are really good on D….
LeBron looks good on D and ineffective on O. How is Bogut this good?
No pump fakes and Cavs not passing.
why are we making Bogut looking like Whiteside…..?
Damnit LeBron, get your hand up on that defense!
Bogut dominating inside so far….
JR missed 2 FT’s, lost 1 steal opportunity and lost a rebound opportunity…..
yeah. Rough start.
I can’t wait for Green to get suspended…
How the hell was that not a travel on Bogut at the top of the key? Drug his pivot foot all around creation.
Two words: Tony Brothers
Boy we still have a simplistic offense. Thankfully we have gotten a bunch of good bounces on offense.
Also why is the warriors get layups and way easier more open shots and we don’t when they constantly cut, screen, and move off ball? This is a rhetorical question btw.
Part of it is because GS is so effective switching…movement isn’t as effective when they can switch and not get many mismatches…but I do get your point…
Part of it is every Warriors player sets menacing screens. Even lightweights like Curry. Kyrie has never set an effective screen in his life. These guys create space for each other and shed defenders. Cavs are just smothered for their entire possession
Lue needs to sit JR at very end of the bench….go with Jefferson Frye Champ and D.Jones and Shumpert before even considering playing him again
For whatever reason, he’s been bad, just like last year in finals…
TT beats Bogut with a nifty lefty reverse
https://vine.co/v/iY917nxHDee
JR has to be tougher than this. He blew that rebound by faking pain.
You try to take an elbow to the nose from Green. Guy can’t help his body’s automatic response.
It’s just stupid that they have Iggy as a bench player….if you took Iggy off their team and gave him to the Cavs, I might make the Cavs the favorite….
TT cleans up…
https://vine.co/v/iY9JquVBAKD
Cmon, JR….
so strange that he is such a good shooter but doesnt make free throws at a high rate
Good no call LeBron has to finish those layups…
That wasn’t a good possession…
Way to take Barnes, Love
https://vine.co/v/iY95YgrJJ2I
Kyrie gets ’em started
https://vine.co/v/iY95ueWbp5q
Hope the Lakers sign Barnes to the max….
Go Cavs. Need A LeBron “stamp” game without LeIso. It’s gonna happen
Do the Warriors have the chance to become even better this offseason?
Unless they sign Durant, no. They will likely be worse.
Seems like it’s been more than a few days since the last game ! Cavs need to bring it tonight. Lets’s go.
Well CtB’ers, here goes nothing. Go Cavs! BTW the Oracle PA announcer is totally boring.
I smell a big Curry game, with lots of chest pounding, finger twirling in the air, and showcasing the mouthpiece. Hope I’m wrong. I expect the Cavs to play better, hope it’s enough…
Expect a big game from Lebron!