By JJ MARSHALL, JR./Designated Contributor
We’re two games into an NBA Finals matchup that seemed dead on arrival. Most people predicted the Warriors would be in this position when they made bets before the series. Yet, how we got here no one could have predicted, short of some New York Knicks fans who spent years watching J.R. Smith forget the score of the game, or that he was even on the court.
Yes, it’s still a series. The cliche goes that an NBA series doesn’t truly begin until a road team takes a game. Can the Cavs make this interesting? Is LeBron already checked out? I’ve got a few questions, and hopefully some answers.
Let’s talk about game one. Cleveland came out and matched the Warriors on both ends of the floor. They frustrated Kevin Durant into a poor shooting night. Kevin Love finally performed as a legitimate second option (on offense). James scored 51 points. It was a best-case scenario for the Cavs: stick around all game and have a chance to win it at the end. Game one was in Oakland after all, and Cleveland really was aiming high in hopes of stealing a game in California. Then, the referees happened, then George Hill Happened, then J.R. Smith happened. It’s inexcusable to forget the score, in the NBA Finals with 4 seconds left. Yes it was embarrassing and heartbreaking, but the Cavs had no spirit or toughness to even make the overtime remotely close. The game went from a beautiful matchup between historical rivals and some of the best players we’ve ever seen, to a circus. Cleveland has only itself to blame for putting Smith out there to begin with, only to completely unravel during overtime. Did they not know that they could still win the game after Smith’s blunder?
Game 2 should have been a redemption opportunity for Smith, but somehow he played worse. I’m almost convinced that Cleveland coach Ty Lue and Smith have gotten a head start on legal sports betting in America. There is no reason Smith should be on the floor. When the series shifts back to Cleveland, J.R. will make some shots. But what he has cost this team so far is, in my opinion, on the shoulders of Lue. He shouldn’t be out there to begin with. LeBron had a “poor night” by scoring 29 points and one rebound shy of a triple double. Tell me how Kevin Durant would do if he traded spots with Lebron? He is a fantastic player, as is Steph Curry (who set a Finals record with 9 3s on Sunday night), but it almost seems unfair to watch them run around the Cavs.
This was an actual rivalry when Cleveland had Kyrie Irving. Slotting Love to the third option gave the rest of the Cavs’ role players an opportunity to do the little things. Smith can hit shots and try to hide on defense. Tristian Thompson can punish defenders on the offensive glass. Losing Kyrie, and essentially getting nothing for him as Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas have departed, means that even more pressure is on Lebron. This Cleveland team is not good enough to be here. Any of the Warriors’ best players can have an off-night, a poor quarter, or even sit out a game and they can still win. James has to score 50 to even give them a chance, every single night. How they got here has been solely through the brilliance of Lebron James.
These games have not been fun to watch. The end of game one ruined the basketball masterclass that preceded it. Game two was uninspired to say the least. Cleveland’s ability to hang around (for the most part) signals to me that Golden State is not nearly as good as they once were. This summer is going to be fascinating as players should see the opportunity to topple this Warriors dynasty. Hopefully someone else can figure out a way to cheat the system and get three of the best players in the NBA, plus two of the best defenders and glue guys. Warriors owner Joe Lacob is happy to pay $400 million in luxury taxes each year, because he knows he has the best team by a mile. What NBA owner is going to step up and take a real risk with his payroll?
