The Cleveland Cavaliers are back in the NBA Finals, and it was only fitting that their hometown hero LeBron James was the one that led them to this moment. James now has his sights set on winning a championship for the city of Cleveland for the first time since 1964.
There’s only one slot left in the main event, and it very much seems like the Golden State Warriors will be able to punch their ticket to the Finals. Golden State needs just one more win over the Houston Rockets, and that could come as early as tonight.
With that being said, read on below as we examine several key factors that we could expect in the possible Finals matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. Afterwards, head on over here for our preview of the Game 5 matchup itself between the Rockets and Warriors.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Can the Cleveland Cavaliers Beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals?
Home Is Where the Victories Are
[sc:NBA240banner ]A common statistic that we associate with the Golden State Warriors is their home record this season. Including the playoffs, the Warriors have only lost three out of 45 games that they’ve played in Oracle Arena. Since January 19, the Cavs are 26-2 at Quicken Loans Arena, and have yet to lose at home in this postseason.
Should Golden State indeed turn out be Cleveland’s opponent in the Finals, the Warriors would still have more opportunities to win on their home floor that the Cavs do. The Finals could very well be decided by the team who manages to steal a victory on the road.
Death (and Winning) Comes in Threes
Another facet that Golden State is known for is its ability to hit from downtown. The Warriors lead all teams in the playoffs in three-point shots made and attempted, and are converting 39 percent of those shots from deep this postseason.
The Cavaliers are just as competent in hitting from beyond the arc. They’re second only to Golden State in three-pointers attempted and made this postseason, and have a respectable 36 percent three-point percentage themselves.
Look for both Golden State and Cleveland’s sharpshooters to come in guns-blazing in the Finals. The series could very well be decided by the team that hits the most number of threes in the most critical situations.
Know Your Role Players
The rest of the Cavaliers not named LeBron have all been up to the task of filling in for Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving’s absences due to injuries. To start, Cleveland’s frontcourt duo of Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov out-hustled the highly touted tandems of Al Horford/Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks, and Pau Gasol /Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls.
Thompson and Mozgov have averaged a combined 18 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks per game this postseason. Expect these two to remain relentless in protecting the rim against another stiff pairing in Golden State’s Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut.
Then there’s Cleveland’s versatile backcourt. Matthew Dellavedova has been a steady backup to Irving with his scrappy play. Iman Shumpert provides great shooting and defensive efforts on both ends of the floor. And let’s not forget J.R. Smith, who has been scorching the net from beyond the arc in the playoffs.
Cleveland’s backcourt has their work cut out for them, as they’ll be facing the “Splash Brothers” Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Cavaliers have a good shot at winning the NBA title if their wingmen can contain Golden State’s attack from deep.
But let’s not kid ourselves, and turn our attention back to none other than…
King James: The Movie (in 3D)
This is the story of LeBron James’ rollercoaster of a 2015 season.
James returns to his beloved hometown with big aspirations of redemption following his departure from the Miami Heat. He convinced Kevin Love to part with the Minnesota Timberwolves to join him and Kyrie Irving in forming the new “Big Three” in Cleveland.
LeBron and the Cavs’ regular season got off to a rocky start, but then they were manhandling the competition after the All-Star Break to finish with the second seed in the East. Then they lost Kevin Love for the rest of the playoffs during Game 6 against the Celtics in the first round. And then Irving started getting injured during the Cavs’ series against the Bulls and the Hawks, and he hasn’t been at a hundred percent since.
One Cavalier remained unfazed by all of Cleveland’s road blocks: King James. James is averaging a near triple-double in the postseason with 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, to go along with two steals and one block per game on the defensive end. He has eight double-doubles and one triple-double in 14 games this postseason.
Now, the former league MVP will get to face-off against the reigning MVP in Stephen Curry. James would have to maintain and sustain his peak level of performance against Curry and the Warriors. If he can’t go toe-to-toe in scoring against Golden State’s baby-faced assassin, James is still well-suited to defend Curry one-on-one around the perimeter.
There’s no better stage for James to come out and prove that he is still the best basketball player on the planet than by having to go up with the best basketball player of the season. And this time, he’s doing it for the city that loves (and previously hated) him the most. But this season-long saga will come to an end in about two weeks from now, and it will be up to the King himself to fight for the fairytale ending that he always wanted.
Do you think Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will win their first-ever NBA title? Create a betting account now, and put your predictions to the test.
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