The Short and Long Term Problems Cleveland Faces after Game 1 Blow out
We all talk about the consequences if the Warriors lose in the finals, but Cleveland doesn’t have that much room to fail either.
Golden State ran the Cavaliers off the floor in Game 1 by a score of 113–91. Cleveland committed 20 turnovers in the game compared to the Warriors’ four. Because of this, Golden State took 20 more shots than the Cavs. That is a formula for disaster against this Warriors team.
Turnovers weren’t the Cavs’ only issue. LeBron James had eight turnovers himself, but he didn’t have his team playing with purpose on both ends. Cleveland’s offense looked stagnate, and their defense looked completely lost trying to contain the speed and shooting of the Warriors offense.
Also, Kyrie Irving was practically nonexistent. He scored 24 points, but did it on 22 shots. Kevin Love had 21 rebounds, but he didn’t bring anywhere near the same offensive impact as he did against Boston in the eastern conference finals. When those two players don’t give James any help, Cleveland is in trouble. The big problem there however, is that Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, two of Golden State’s stars, struggled on offense as well, and the Warriors won by 22.
Cleveland’s blueprint for Game 2 is clear. Don’t turn the ball over, get Irving and Love going a bit more, and try to play at least a little defense. While they could easily Game 2 closer, Golden State could win by even more if their other stars play better.
This series could get ugly for the Cavaliers. All the talk before the Finals was centered around the fact that the Warriors could not afford to lose after adding Kevin Durant in free agency. But what about the Cavs? This was a team that was a questionable suspension away from losing two straight finals. The Cavs will be in trouble long term if they lose as well.
The crazy thing about the Warriors’ “Super Team” is that they have the eighth highest payroll in the NBA. Cleveland is the highest by far at $127,254,579. In this case, we have a Golden State group that is probably the best team of all time, that has money to improve, and a Cleveland team that needs to improve, but they have no money to do so.
Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cavaliers, has spent a ton on the roster. The salary this season was $94.1 million. Since the Cavs are well over that amount, the franchise must pay out of pocket, which is the luxury tax. During last summer’s free agency, the Cavs reportedly owed $54 million in luxury tax money. That’s coming straight from Gilbert, and it’s for a team that probably won’t win a championship again.
Also, it’s not like the Cavs’ salary cap situation is going to improve over time. In fact, their payroll INCREASES next season to over $129 million. If the Cavaliers lose to the Warriors in convincing fashion, they’ll need to improve. There was reported tension between Gilbert and James over the team’s payroll, so there’s a slim chance Cleveland goes and gets a free agent unless someone takes a pay cut.
So what happens for the Cavs? They’d probably look to trade Kevin Love for a younger, more athletic player that can defend and score. The problem with that is there aren’t many players on the trade market that are upgrades over Love. Even if there is one, will it be enough to take down the Warriors? My guess is no.
This is where things would get sticky for Cleveland. James isn’t getting any younger, and his desire to chase Michael Jordan won’t allow him to be content with his Cavs team not improving enough to be Golden State. Don’t think for a second that he’ll stay in Cleveland. James will always chase the championships, and I think he leaves if the Cavs refuse to spend more on the roster.
This is a pretty big reaction to what happened in Game 1 of the Finals, but it’s the underlying problems Cleveland faces if they can’t get past Golden State. If the Warriors lose, they’ll get pummeled by the media and face a ton of scrutiny, but they’ll still be able to come back and win if they play well.
If Cleveland loses, are they a lock to come back? Their best player, who carries them on both ends is going to be 33 next season, and the team’s payroll is handicapped by overpaid role players. Boston is also coming up fast with young talent and a similar system to what Golden State does on both ends of floor.
Cleveland could easily come back in Game 2, take care of the ball and gain home court advantage with a win on the road. Either way, I think short term the Warriors have a lot to lose considering the addition of Durant, but Cleveland’s long term outlook is cloudy if they can’t compete with the Warriors.
