Just Who Are These Cavaliers? Game 2 of the NBA Finals Should Provide Answers
OAKLAND, Calif. — There are things, at age 36, that Richard Jefferson cannot do as effectively as he once did. These things may include running, jumping, shooting and defending.
But if you need a reasoned perspective on the current plight of the Cleveland Cavaliers—say, a disastrous opener in the NBA Finals—Jefferson is your man.
That horrendous defense they played against the Golden State Warriors?
"They shot 42 percent from the field," Jefferson noted pointedly.
The 22-point final margin?
"Last year there was only one close game in the series," Jefferson gently reminded.
And then there was this: "We're not far away from where we want to be."
If that sounds a little befuddling, given the profound ghastliness of the Cavaliers' 113-91 loss in Game 1, well, it is at least thematically consistent with their season.
When the Cavaliers went 11-15 over their final 26 games—while ranking 29th in defense after the All-Star break—they seemed positively vulnerable.
In cruising through the East bracket—12 wins, one loss—the Cavs made a convincing case that all was well again.
Their defense was stout, disciplined. Their offense, fluid.
And now? Well, it's hard to know what to believe now. Because it was always hard to gauge this team in the first place.
Teams that rank in the bottom third of the league in defense do not generally contend for titles. Teams that treat the regular season with cool contempt can find it tough to ratchet themselves up for the games that matter.
Did the Cavaliers really "flip the switch," as they so zealously asserted? Or was it an illusion? Was their joyride through the East evidence of a newfound seriousness—or just a byproduct of a weak conference?
Was their Game 1 pratfall an indication of old, bad habits resurfacing? Or just a momentary misstep? Is any game against the Warriors' Death Star a fair gauge of anything?
We, and they, should know much more once Game 2 unfolds Sunday evening at Oracle Arena.
It seems unlikely that the Cavs will allow Kevin Durant to dance, skip and shimmy to the basket at will again, as he did repeatedly in the opener. It's reasonable to think they will force more than four Warriors turnovers, and that they will not rack up another 20 themselves.
Tristan Thompson will probably score more than zero points and grab more than four rebounds. LeBron James probably won't tally as many turnovers (eight) as assists again.
These things feel like aberrations.
So while reactionary pundits are rushing to predict a sweep, the Cavaliers are keeping their wits about them. This is, as you might recall, the team that came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship last June. Flirting with disaster is what it does.
"When I came on the team, I don't know if we had a four-game winning streak," said Kyle Korver, who was acquired in January. "We were so up and down. … Everyone was like, 'Don't worry about it; we're going to be fine.' Then we came out and won 10 in a row. I was like, 'OK, I guess this is a real thing here.'"
The switch-flipping, that is.
"I don't like that phrase," said coach Tyronn Lue, who was notably irritated by his team's nonchalance in February and March.
The Cavs' change in demeanor, however, was undeniable.
Cleveland finished the season with a defensive rating of 108, ranking 22nd of 30 teams. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Cavs lowered that mark to 104.6, which would have ranked in the top 10 in the regular season.
"We got healthy," Lue said. "We had a set rotation. And I think defensively we were able to lock in on certain teams we played and were able to take away what we wanted to take away. So if you want to say 'flip the switch,' I just think we got better a lot defensively."
Also true: The Cavs were aided by a bracket of flawed opponents. Indiana was lackluster all season, Toronto lost its point guard in the second round and Boston had a one-dimensional offense that lost its one dimension (Isaiah Thomas).
Now the Cavs are facing perhaps the most talented lineup ever, and nothing that came before means anything.
"They put you in situations that no other team does," Korver said of the Warriors. "And they can do things, and they have so much balance and so much shooting. When they're playing at home and they're clicking, they're really hard to guard, no matter what."
If the Cavs are guilty of switch-flipping, of recalibrating their effort to match the opponent and the calendar, the Warriors are their polar opposite. They know only one way.
Golden State followed its 2015 championship by winning 73 games. After losing the Finals last year, the Warriors added Durant and won 67 games, completing the best three-year run (207 wins) in NBA history.
The Cavaliers have not cracked 60 wins since James returned three years ago, and they won six fewer games this season (51) than last.
Even the Cavaliers tacitly acknowledge the difference.
"We've gotta play the same way consistently, day in and day out—which the Warriors have been really able to do," J.R. Smith said.
And that's the thing. The Warriors are virtually the same team now as they were two weeks ago, two months ago and two years ago: supremely talented, reliably steady and laser-focused. It's hard to know who the Cavs really are, or where that switch is pointed.
Howard Beck covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and BR Mag. He also co-hosts the Full 48 podcast, available on iTunes. Follow him on Twitter, @HowardBeck. Advanced stats provided by NBA.com.
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