Jae Crowder Says Tyronn Lue Is Already Preparing Cavaliers for Warriors Matchup

The 2017-18 season hasn't even started, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are apparently already looking forward to a fourth meeting with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Jae Crowder told reporters Tuesday that he feels Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue is preparing the team to face off with Golden State.

"I can tell by schemes we've been putting in, it's all in place for that matchup, what those guys bring because they're very dynamic in how they play on the offensive end," Crowder said, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "Us having a lot of different schemes in our back pocket is going to help come late."  

It's natural for some of Cleveland's focus to be on stopping the Warriors. Since LeBron James returned to the team in 2014-15, the Cavaliers have dropped five playoff games to Eastern Conference teams. Unless James is hurt, the Cavs will be firm favorites to win the East for the fourth year in a row.

At the same time, taking the conference crown is far from a foregone conclusion.

The Boston Celtics signed Gordon Hayward and acquired Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers, two All-Stars who join a team that already had Al Horford and a slew of promising stars. The Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors won 49 and 51 games, respectively, a year ago as well, and their key players have the benefit of the chemistry that comes with spending multiple seasons together.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, haven't experienced this much roster upheaval since the summer of 2014. Lue has to integrate Crowder, Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade into the rotation, and nobody knows how well Isaiah Thomas will play until he returns from his hip injury.

The Celtics could still be a year away from overthrowith the Cavs for East supremacy, since head coach Brad Stevens will need time to find the best way to use Hayward and Irving together. So Lue's focus on Golden State, while perhaps putting the cart before the horse, is not misguided.