Live Thread: Cavs @ Warriors
2015-12-25
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
It’s Christmas, and Adam Silver has been a very giving man this year. NBA fans are finally getting the rematch they all wished for: Cavs Vs. Warriors. Although, neither team looks exactly the same since they last met on June 16th.
The Warriors are missing their small ball power forward, Harrison Barnes, and the Cavs are fully loaded for the first time in nearly six months.
The game today could be a preview of the Finals, as both teams sit atop their respective conferences. The Warriors have been insanely hot so far this season losing just one game, and winning by an average of 13.5 points (second in the league). The Cavs are are beating opponents by an average of 6.2 points (fourth in the league).
Here’s what I’m looking for today:
1. How will the Cavs cover Stephen Curry? Curry is averaging 31.2 points a night, hitting 4.8 threes a night! In game one of the Finals, Irving covered Curry and held him to 26 points on 10-20 shooting. Curry has scored less than 26 points just eight times this season. Is Irving up for the challenge today?
Once Irving went out with his knee injury in the Finals, the Cavs began trapping Curry pick and rolls, forcing a pass, and then rushing to whoever caught the ball to force one final pass. Whoever received that second pass was free to shoot it. Typically, Andre Iguodala was that guy. He started hitting his shots in games four, five, and six, which propelled the Warriors to a title.
2. What lineup will finish this game? Kyrie Irving is on a minutes restriction, but even if he wasn’t, it’s still questionable as to if he would finish the game out. The Cavs’ Warrior stomping lineup in the Finals was Dellavedova, Shumpert, James, Mozgov, and Thomspon. LeBron ran the offense and the other guys focused on defending and getting every single rebound possible. It flustered the Warriors small ball super group.
3. With Kevin Love back, the Warriors will actually have to defend the entire floor. When the Cavs played them in the Finals, TT and Mozgov were often on the floor together for long stretches of time. Shumpert and Delly couldn’t hit any of their 3s. This resulted in the King seeing at least three defenders in the paint at all times. He had to work his butt off. What’s gonna happen when he gets to face just two defenders in the paint?
4. Both of these teams can defend and play offense. What is each one going to focus on? Is this game going to be a grind it out defensive affair or will both groups just try to out score each other? For the sake of the Cavs, I really hope they turn this game into a rough defensive event. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are too dangerous from beyond the arc to try and out score.
5. TT or Mozgov are going to get guarded by Draymond Green at some point during this game. Can those two assert themselves as Bigs who can punish a smaller guy on the glass?
I’m predicting this game is won by less than three point by the Cavs. The Cavs (the King) have been waiting for this game all year. They’re going to play hard, and I’m sure it’s on their minds that they can deliver the Warriors their second L of the season.
Merry Christmas, let’s hope for a big Cavs win.
Please email Nate Smith, see the sidebar for his email address, if you would like a Cavs:The Blog shirt. He has two medium and two large shirts left for the first four people who contact him.
I leave you with the best holiday special of all time:
Jackson rightly pointing out the Bogut push in the back on Moz…
Van Gundy wrong again. Great coach, terrible announcer.
Questionable call there.
Kyrie looking good on that shot…
Great start for kyrie
Second half… LET’S GO CAVS!
Cavs will undoubtedly shoot better in second half… but so will the Warriors…
I agree let’s hope the Cavs can keep and give themselves a chance at the end of the game.
Nobody loves the Donkey more than Jalen… somebody needs to remind him that Donkey is a Spartan and not a Wolverine…
I like the Westbrook commercial when he dogs Jalen.
My kind of mvp plays tough defense and I don’t see it in Curry. I know I am biased but oh well
I agree about the defensive side of him but hs PER is on pace to be the greatest in NBA story and that kind of makes up for his non defensive abilities.
Yeah I know just wanted to put it out there. When he has to play d he might not be this good
Down 3 and missing shots that we normally make. Controlling pace. Like what I am seeing, come on cavs
Ky, Bron and Love need to get to the rack in the second half…
EVIL AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT MOZ ——THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE CONCERN FOR ALL OF US SO FAR THIS YEAR / NOT SAYING IT IS TIME TO PANIC–BUT DO BELIEVE GRIFF AND COMPANY HAS TO BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER VIABLE BIG FOR US / THIS GAME MAY INFLUENCE THEM EVEN MORE SO/ BELIEVE THIS IS THE 3 1 PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TRADE DEAD LINE
I think he’ll still get better, and he’s always going to be the odd man out against teams that play small ball like GS, but he needs to start getting his head in the game…
Yeah and he made a few of those gimmes we would be saying what a great start. Liked his defense earlier.
The defense has been great so far but the Cavs have to hit someone to get hot from the outside because the Warriors are doing a great job of guarding all of LeBron’s drives to the basket.
Kyrie got a couple good looks off the high pick from TT they could try the same with JR.
Cavs shooting just 30% (11% from three) and still only down 3 at half on the road to the top team… could be a lot worse…
Cleveland is 2-17 from 3 and we only down 3 on da road wow
Yikes! JR with the only two makes, both in the first quarter, IIRC.
Yeah… lid on the bucket from downtown…
I’ll take it. Good first half. The defense is the best in a while and that means they’re locked in and giving 100%.
They won’t win if they don’t start hitting open threes and if Love isn’t a bit more aggressive on offense. But this is a good showing.
In Oakland, with Kyrie in game shape, we’re up by double digits. I’m very pleased.
Defense playing great!!! Missing too many open looks! Keep pounding the post all night long!
Livingston and Green keeping Warriors in it…
Luke Walton’s genius move so far was putting in Thompson and Livingston at the same time to take advantage of their size at the guard spot.
Great point
Cavs hurt themselves on offense that half. Looking at you, LeBron.
“Steph Curry only played 17 minutes.”
Isn’t that what he normally plays in a half?
ANOTHER HUGE MISTAKE FROM THE CHRIS GRANT ERA—NOT KEEPING REIGNING LIVINGSTON—THE DUDE TOATALY UNDERSTANDS THE GAME OF BASKETBALL
Moz is pretty useless right now…
Ugh. Mo. Box out.
I don’t see much ball movement in this game ,we need to make the warriors play some damn defense
Delly sneaks free. Tee hee!
GREAT inbounds play!
This is disappointing becasue the defense is doing their job so far. They’re winning on the occasional trap and playing it honest otherwise.
NOT A BIG FAN OF OUR OFFENSE RIGHT NOW —NOT GETTING ALOT OF CLEAN/ GOOD LOOKS
Bron not learning from his errors so far…
Ugh. Two free points.
Why is Lebron just shooting fadeways ,I mean dammn ,drive the damn ball
I know. Everytime he goes in, he scores. Everytime he takes a three, zero points. That’s jut this game, its all year.
I think Lebron is 0 for game in Iso shots outside if 2 feet.
With about 5 turnovers too
LeBron keeps settling.
No he’s letting his MVP ego get in the way…
He’s 4 for 12.
Silly foul by Shumpert……..
LBJ! You can’t take that three when you’ve got the mismatch. TAke the two points. Come on, man. This ain’t the game to practice your three pointers.
Bron on Curry shouldn’t settle for a 3, though he didn’t have a lot of time to work with.
James needs to cut the BS with these 3s. Cavs could take lead if he’d stop.
Yeah. Practice your stepback against the Sixers.
I just love delly ,he always hustle
Wow… Curry just baited Bron into a fallaway three… smh…
Cavs not moving the ball much… although wondering if that’s a product of GSW playing passing lanes well…
Warriors all act as if every whistle should go their way
Lebron please go to the basket the Cavs are in the bonus.
Anybody have a cell # for the Cavs bench to pass this on?
Iggy got in a couple of subtle smacks on Delly on his way up off the floor.
About time we get a call
Except it was a clean strip
Delly with a rugby move on Iggy…
Dellys contract might be one of the best values across the league
Agreed. I was so surprised he signed so quickly. Dude just doesn’t care about anything but basketball. He’d truly play for free. I hope Dan overpays him quite a bit. He deserves it and it ain’t my money. :)
DELLY GETTING DUUURRRTTYY!!! LOVE IT!
Chef just throwing it away… 10 turnovers already for Warriors…
Who is chef?….
Chef Curry… that’s his nickname…
Another good KLOVE post look, can’t make the jump hook.
There is one huge difference between the way I deal with sports now and ten years ago – My 4 year old daughter, with hair in braids, just gave me a hug. Go Cavs, but I’m happy no matter what.
ONLY 4 ASSISTS SO FAR IS THAT OUR LACK OF BALL MOVEMENT/ G.S.’S DEFENSE OR COMBO OF BOTH ?
It’s us not making the shots
I mean Kyrie has missed 4 wide open shots that he normally hits and the Cavs are still ahead by the minimum. That’s a great sign IMO.
Agree. Once he’s in game shape, we’re up by ten in this game.
Cavs are onto something passing the ball down low. They’re preventing the run outs GS usually gets by cutting down on turnovers from a guy driving in
Got to love the energy and tempo. We can do this especially in 7 not scared one bit
NEED TO GET K.LOVE GOING —-SEEMS LIKE LENGHTY ATHLETIC PLAYERS REALLY BOTHER HIM —–IS MOZ GOING TO GET LIMITED MINUTES TONIGHT ?
Aside from one or two decent defensive stands, Moz has been pretty terrible in the early going… doubt we see much of him…
I bet warriors go really small to make sure mozzy can’t hold down the blocks
DANG SO MANY OPEN LOOKS!!!! But they’re working HARD!!!!
Cavs fighting and getting opportunities…
Kyrie is starting to gallop so my bet is he will start to trust the conditioning soon
A few weeks yet. That was a major injury, surgery and recovery. By the time they play Golden State again, he might be looking like the old Kyrie.
KYRIE!!
Good D by Delly on Thompson…
Delly standing tall against Klay. MVP!
Della was mike Browns greatest find
Like x1000
Delly with the tough DEFENSE on THompson!
Man smith can’t get any luck. What did I miss there. Looked like regular contact.
Curious no RJ this game. Didn’t Cavs get him for three point shooting?
JR can’t get a break on defense
I’d like to see J.R. catch fire for a while.
Cavs shooting just 35% and game is still tied…
Its how they lived in the Playoffs. They have the best D in the league when they lock in. With offense from Kyrie from Love, that’s why we win.
Good that they are able to engage it already this season… the tough D I mean…
JUST POUND THE BALL INSIDE —-12 % FROM THREE’S WILL NOT WIN YOU ALOT OF GAMES NO MATER WHO THE OPPONENT —CAVS HANGING TOUGH THOUGH —-GO AVS !!
LBJ grinding in the post…. love it.