NBA Finals 2015: Cavaliers vs. Warriors Schedule and X-Factors to Watch
While passing time during the cavernous intermission preceding the 2015 NBA Finals, the series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will get framed as a star-studded showdown between LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
The story writes itself. On one hand, James is set to embark on his fifth consecutive Finals appearance. If a mad scientist set out to create an archetypal athlete to take over sports, the final product would resemble the four-time NBA MVP.
Opposing the NBA's premier presence, the Baby-Faced Assassin carries an MVP award and a strong postseason into his collision with the man who runs the league. To be the man, Curry must beat the man during the best-of-seven series.
Luckily for him, this isn't a one-on-one affair. Basketball is still a team sport, and each side contains role players capable of swinging the series. Let's look at X-factors to monitor from each squad.
| 1 | Thur., June 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 9 p.m. |
| 2 | Sun., June 7 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 8 p.m. |
| 3 | Tue., June 9 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 9 p.m. |
| 4 | Thur., June 11 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 9 p.m. |
| 5* | Sun., June 14 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 8 p.m. |
| 6* | Tue., June 16 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 9 p.m. |
| 7* | Fri., June 19 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 9 p.m. |
Cavaliers
SG Iman Shumpert
After triumphantly returning to close out the Atlanta Hawks, Kyrie Irving will have a long break in which to get healthy before the championship series. Cleveland needs a huge offensive effort from its young point guard, but he won't be responsible for stifling Curry on the defensive end.
That's where Iman Shumpert will come into play. Acquired along with J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks during the season, Shumpert has provided Cleveland with a tremendous perimeter defender.
According to 82games.com, the Cavaliers have allowed 102.6 points per 100 possessions with Shumpert on the court, compared to 108.9 points without him. Per the league's official website, he wields a plus-13.8 net rating during the playoffs—the highest of any player.
James praised his teammate's defensive prowess, per SLAM Magazine:
With Irving active and Smith shooting threes at will, Shumpert won't be asked to do much scoring. Instead, he'll exert all of his energy chasing Curry around the court. That's a massive task, considering the MVP has already shattered the postseason record for three-pointers made.
C Timofey Mozgov
According to 82games.com, centers are averaging 21.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game against the Warriors. Dwight Howard turned back the clock to register 14.4 rebounds and a 54.9 field-goal percentage during the Western Conference Finals.
This isn't to say Golden State gets decimated by centers, but it's a team of few weaknesses. So in his first season as a full-time starter, Timofey Mozgov can make a big impact on the grand stage.
The 7'1" big man enjoyed his strongest series against Atlanta, posting 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds on 56.7 percent shooting. Through 14 postseason tilts, the 28-year-old has swatted 27 shots.
Cleveland often goes small down the closing stretch, but Mozgov should contribute in whatever minutes he receives.
Warriors
As feared when he left Game 5 with a head injury, Klay Thompson suffered a concussion that places his Finals availability in doubt. GSW Stats, an official team Twitter account, confirmed the diagnosis on Friday afternoon:
With or without Thompson, Andre Iguodala will play an essential role in this series. Shooting 15-of-47 from downtown this postseason, the veteran won't become Curry's adopted Splash Brother. He will, however, see some time guarding James.
Although he scored six points in 30 minutes in the series-clinching Game 5, he also offered six assists, four rebounds and four steals, contributing to James Harden's record-high 13 turnovers. Head coach Steve Kerr complimented Iguodala on playing his part to perfection, per Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver:
Rather than replacing Thompson, Iguodala must keep playing his game to once again prove Golden State boasts an elite defense along with its eye-candy offense.
SF Harrison Barnes
In a brutally sloppy Game 5 devoid of the crisp, smooth offense expected from the Western Conference Finals, Harrison Barnes took over.
The small forward scored 13 points during the fourth quarter, attempting 10 shots in the period and 20 overall. He is averaging 9.9 field-goal attempts during the postseason with a previous high of 14. Don't expect another 24 points every game—or any game—but he'll receive a larger slice of the scoring pie if Thompson can't suit up.
A healthy Thompson, however, would open the door for Barnes to explode. Irving, a defensive minus even at full strength, can't hang with either star guard, which would likely lead Cleveland to stick him on Barnes.
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