Here’s my notebook for the NBA Finals. Some of the keys to watch for game 1 and beyond.
Iggy-Dray hit 3s
- If Iggy isn’t a 3pt threat, it’s another place the Cavs can hide Kevin Love on defense. Dray will get open 3’s too
Love can defend center, Iggy, Livingston
- Finding a hiding place for Love on defense is huge for Cleveland. Livingston isn’t a 3pt threat, mainly a post player, Love could survive there. Love could defend any GS center (Zaza, West, McGee), which is why I don’t think either of them will play much in the series. Those centers will also be targets of Cleveland pick and rolls.
TT o-reb after switching – extra possessions
- Tristian Thompson (TT) punishes smaller players defending him by being an offensive rebounding beast. GS will switch a bunch on D, resulting in smaller players on TT at times. TT can give Cleveland many extra possessions
Curry has to beat Kyrie or TT in iso
- Last year, Curry was hobbled, and couldn’t even beat Love off the dribble. Off the ball, CLE roughed up Curry and made it hard for him to get the ball. This series, GS’s best offense at times could be a Curry iso, something GS doesn’t like doing.
Will the Ws have Iggy, Livingston, McGee be primary screener (want Dray, but bad defenders will be on others, Lebron and TT on Dray)
- Draymond is GS’s best on-ball screener. I’m guessing TT and Lebron will be checking Draymond, meaning quicker defenders will be involved in that action. Love will likely be on Iggy or whatever center GS has in the game. It would make more sense to have the guy Love is guarding set the on-ball screen instead.
Pace for Cleveland – Lebron and Kyrie will work on D, need to rest on offense
- This was the formula the last 2 years in the Finals for Cleveland. Cleveland’s best players have so much responsibility on defense in this matchup, perhaps they can “rest” on offense by having a deliberate, slow-moving, iso heavy or pick and roll based half court offense.
Increased min for GS big 4 – all in low 30’s… saving them for this? Conditioned to play 40+ min if needed?
- Benefit of a cakewalk playoffs for GS was the low minute total for the Big 4. They didn’t have to break their regular season rotation too often, keeping the minutes per game low for Durant, Curry, Dray, and Klay. There’s no more saving them at this point, but are they built for the increased minutes total if needed. Also, could cut down on the minutes where both Curry and Durant are on the bench,
McGee unplayable? Ezeli was lost when switched onto Lebron/Kyrie
- I’m interested to see if McGee will be a positive or negative for GS. Vertical spacing has been a benefit against bad teams, but Cleveland will hunt him with pick and rolls as soon as he enters the game. Lebron and Kyrie ate up the more disciplined Bogut and Ezeli last year, have a feeling it will be the same this series.
Rotations
Cavs- Kyrie, JR, Lebron, Love, TT, Korver, Frye, Williams, Shump, RJ
GS – Steph, Klay, Durant, Dray, Zaza, Iggy, McGee, West, Livingston, McCaw, Clark
Matchups
Starters GS D assignments: Steph-JR, Klay-Kyrie, Durant-Lebron, Dray-Love, Zaza-TT
Starters Cle D assignments: Kyrie-Steph, JR-Klay, Lebron-Durant, Love-Zaza, TT-Dray
- Cross matches are key… will lead to big runs
- What if Iggy is in for Zaza… Love will probably have to guard… if he can’t, more min for Shump or RJ
- Korver and Frye can only play against bench lineups (McCaw, Clark, West, McGee)
Prediction: Cavs in 6
