Cavaliers vs. Warriors: Stats and Trends That Decided 2015 NBA Finals
Much of the focus on the 2015 NBA Finals centered on LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. With two MVP's squaring off in the finals, it was the easy storyline.
The way it played out was much more complex than that, however. Yes, James put up incredible numbers to keep the Cleveland Cavaliers competitive throughout the beginning of the series. Yes, Curry's cold streak from the field coincided with both games that Cleveland won.
However, this was a series filled with plot twists. There were many contributing factors to the Golden State Warriors' come-from-behind win in the series. Here's a look at the trends and statistics that made the Warriors' win possible and what they mean for both franchises going forward.
Warriors' Resiliency
Much is made of the necessity for teams to have experience in the playoffs. Throughout the history of the NBA, it usually takes a nucleus of players a few trips to figure out how to succeed in the postseason. As ESPN Stats & Info points out, the Dubs bucked that trend:
There are a few factors that can explain this exception to the rule.
First, the Warriors might not have had any Finals experience, but their opponents were mostly Finals neophytes, as well. James, Mike Miller, James Jones and Kendrick Perkins had all made trips to the finals before. James was clearly a factor, but Jones was the only other one to play significant minutes (18.8 minutes per game).
Second, the Warriors were exceptional at picking up experience along the way. Going down 2-1 was nothing new to Golden State's nucleus of young talent. They had been there before. The Memphis Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals, but the Warriors ripped off three straight to take the series in six games.
It was an experience that carried into the Finals run. Klay Thompson, who just wrapped up his fourth season, shed a little light on the team's mindset just before it turned the tide in the series, via Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders:
"I don't think they're tougher than us; I think we've played tough teams this whole playoff run and people outside are going to say what they say.
For me, how I look at it, is the narrative is going to change every game. You know if we would have won Game 2, it would be, 'Oh, do the Cavs have a fighting chance?' Or if we would have come back [in Game 3] it would have been a different story, so you can't really pay attention to what people say. You just got to go out there and fix what you can do and control what you can control.
"
That's the sound of a veteran who knows how to approach the long grind that is the NBA playoffs. The Warriors might not be a veteran-laden team, but their mindset was that of a team that was playing well beyond its years.
Now that the Warriors have some Finals experience under their belts, it's a safe bet that we'll see them on this stage again.
Lack of Support for LeBron James
It's no secret that James put up a crazy six-game stretch in the Finals. He averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in the losing effort. Synergy Sports Tech quantified his efforts on the offensive end of the floor:
It's also not a secret he didn't get much help from what was left of Cleveland's roster. Injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving turned out to be devastating, and James was open about it after the series, via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today:
"Tried as much as we could to try to make up for those guys, but it's a lot of talent sitting in suits. I don't know any other team that's gotten to the Finals without two All‑Stars. I cannot remember thinking of it. I don't even know if it's ever happened, for a team to lose two All‑Stars and still be able to make it to the Finals.
"
Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov were actually difference-makers on the boards. But the problem was finding someone who could carry the offense without James. As Tom Haberstroh of ESPN points out, the supporting cast was less than stellar:
Looking ahead, the stats reveal an area the Cavs will need to address in the offseason. Getting Irving and Love (should he choose to exercise his player option) back in the lineup is huge, but those two won't provide the team with the players it needs on the wing to space the floor.
With Chris Broussard of ESPN reporting that J.R. Smith is likely to opt out of his contract after this year, it's a need that is probably the most pressing in the offseason.
The Andre Iguodala Factor
There's a reason Andre Iguodala was the Finals MVP.
In a series that featured a four-time regular-season MVP in James and the current MVP in Curry, Iguodala was the player who had the largest impact on the result. After coming off the bench all season, Iggy was an instant boost offensively when the Warriors needed it most, as noted by ESPN:
Iguodala didn't just spark an offense that was struggling, though. The performance was the epitome of a veteran stepping up in the playoffs, and it happened on both sides of the floor. Synergy Sports Tech highlighted just how much better Iguodala played in the series than the rest of the season.
Perhaps the forward's biggest accomplishment, however, was his defense of James. With the Cavs short on options, his numbers were always going to be monstrous in this series. The key was to make him as inefficient as possible.
As ESPN Stats & Info shows, he did just that. He kept close to James and made sure that 85 percent of the shots he took were contested:
His individual defense was a reminder of just how good Golden State was as a team defensively. Although known for being an offensive machine fueled by excellent shooting, the Warriors were first in defensive efficiency, according to NBA.com.
It's also another example of how well-built the Warriors were. While the Cavaliers struggled to find more than two guys they were comfortable playing off the bench, the Warriors found a series MVP on theirs. That kind of depth is what made them champions in 2015 and what makes them serious contenders to repeat in 2016.
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