As joyous as the Cleveland Cavs' Game 2 and Game 3 wins in the 2015 NBA Finals were, Thursday's 103-82 home loss to the Golden State Warriors brought a few warning signs to the surface that need to be addressed.
Here's 4 Things The Cavs Need To Do To Win Game 5.
1. Get JR Smith Going Early
Smith has a tendency to take circus contested shots when he's stuck in iso situations with help on the way. That tendency took the wind out of Cleveland's sails early in Game 4, as Smith bricked shot after shot en route to a dismal 2 for 12 shooting night. Smith needs to remain a focal point of the offensive charge, but it'll be up to the cast around him to find him a couple easy drives and mid-range jumpers early in Game 5 to get his heat check meter up.
2. Have LeBron Attack The Iron
Part of James' off night in Game 4 can be attributed to his impromptu meeting with a baseline camera, but the bulk of his 7 for 22 shooting night is due to LeBron settling for Dirk Nowitzki-like fadeaway and contested shots with Andre Iguodala in his hip pocket. The Warriors have no answer for him when he charges the iron like a bull who sees red. That's exactly what he needs to do in Game 5, along with improving on his 5 of 10 performance from the charity stripe.
3. Make The Extra Pass
Cleveland lost the Game 4 assist battle 24-16, settling on tough one on one matchups while watching their rhythm get messed up by a litany of smart Warriors switches off the pick. For the Cavs to counter that, it's going to take a ton more perimeter ball movement which will in turn lead to even more easy looks for the likes of Timofey Mozgov down low.
4. Figure Out The 3-Point Problem Or Stop Shooting Them As Much
You want a surefire way to lose against the Warriors? Engage them in a volume 3-pointer battle while missing on a ton of contested looks. Cleveland took 27 triple attempts to Golden State's 30, but they hit just four while the Warriors hit 12. That -24 margin on a comparable amount of downtown shots was the difference in Game 4. Either the Cavs need to find better looks off the aforementioned extra pass (or two) or they need to work the Warriors even more from the free throw line on in.
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