Steve Kerr coached circles around Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
At the end of the night, after the Golden State Warriors had just taken care of business in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena, I found myself thinking back.
In many ways, Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals could be seen as the first cousin of Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers had the Splash Brothers cornered and searching for answers in both contests.
But it was the Warriors’ depth that came to the rescue. Just like they did in Game 1 of last year’s Finals, with the second half help of Thompson and Curry, they were able to escape Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals in overtime.
The only difference last night — the duo of Curry and Thompson never showed up and the Cavs couldn’t take advantage. Curry and Thompson combined for a total of 20 points — a number so low the Cavs had to take advantage, right? But they never did.
The Splash Brothers combined to shoot 8-of-23, including 4-of-13 from downtown. The two best shooters in recent memory didn’t have it last night. It didn’t matter if they were open or contested shots — they weren’t falling on this night.
Turnovers, untimely shots, and a second unit that just didn’t show up to play were Cleveland’s downfall on Thursday night. The Cavs’ bench was outscored 45–10.
Throw in the fact that former Cavalier, Shaun Livingston, torched his former squad for 20 points — leading the Warriors in scoring off of the bench — and all of this might spell disaster for Cleveland.
Now, in a 1–0 hole, the Cavs must win four out of the next five games if they want to avoid a Game 7 at Oracle. But here’s why they shouldn’t panic: Don’t think for a second they can’t make the proper adjustments and pull off what many believe to be impossible at this point.
Heck, the majority of ‘Dub Nation’ already believes this series is over. With a cold shooting night from the Splash Brothers, and the Cavs inability to take advantage, they have all the confidence in the world right now. But this series is still far from over.
Just like they did a season ago, while shorthanded, the Cavs must find a way to bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday night. But this time around they have a healthy squad. The turnaround must start with rookie head coach Tyronn Lue. He sure looked like a rookie head coach last night.
The Cavs’ rotations were thrown off. Just like he did in the Eastern Conference Finals after dropping Game 3 at Toronto, Lue completely avoided the rotations that has gotten them to this point.
The Cavaliers’ “death ball” lineup was never actually utilized. Lue turned to the lineup early on in the second quarter, but he quickly pulled Frye after taking only one shot. Instead, he quickly inserted Love back into the game, who was playing well at the time.
Maybe it was Kerr throwing Lue, the rookie head coach, a curve ball by keeping Marreese Speights on the bench. The Warriors have been turning to Speights to provide a spark off of the bench during second quarters of this postseason run. But on this night, Kerr decided to keep “Mo Buckets” on the bench.
Instead, Kerr went with a much quicker and aggressive Draymond Green, who was still kicking and flailing away. With Green on the floor, Frye’s lack of quickness was easily exposed. If Kerr had stuck with Speights, Frye probably would’ve seen more minutes. It was Kerr’s chess move that had Lue scrambling for an adjustment. He never found it and the Warriors managed to escape with a Game 1 victory.
Just like he did in Toronto, Lue panicked and was reaching for anything he could find after watching his team get punched in the mouth early on. It was certainly a rookie head coach mistake.
This is why I’m not counting the Cavs out just quite yet. Sure, Curry and Thompson probably won’t have another night where they combine for 20 points, but I also can’t envision the Cavs sticking to a game plan that includes Frye and J.R. Smith taking a combined four shots.
LeBron James is now 1–6 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The one time he managed to win the opening game, his team ended up losing the series. The Cavs are going to play better because they simply have to.
One thing is certain, James has found himself in this situation plenty of times before and he’s responded in the best way possible. However, he could be facing his toughest test of all — a juggernaut looking to authenticate their title of “best team in NBA history.”
If the Cavaliers want a shot at derailing history, Lue must stick to his guns. He must rely on what has carried them to this moment. Last night, he didn’t and it cost his team an opportunity to steal Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
