Frankly, this Cavaliers team should have never made the Finals. Cleveland had the second-worst defense in the NBA during the regular season, and that unit has just barely improved during the playoffs. The Cavs’ net rating entering the postseason was a paltry 1.0, and it now stands at minus-0.4 in 20 playoff games after two double-digit losses to the Warriors. It speaks to both LeBron James’s dominance and the continued stoogery of the Eastern Conference that Cleveland was able to make it to the championship round. What’s become obvious over the last couple years though is that LeBron is good enough to bring the Cavs to the Finals but not good enough to overcome this Golden State team.
LeBron James and the NBA Need Another Summer Shakeup
