Cavs-Dubs NBA Finals '18 Preview

And here...we...go again. Welcome in to the 2018 NBA Finals preview provided by yours truly. By now, you should know who these teams are considering they faced each other in the last three NBA Finals series. If not, the matchup features the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers lead by the best player on the planet LeBron James against the Western Conference and defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors lead by their Fantastic Four in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. For three consecutive finals, this matchup has been the NBA's "cash cow" in terms of star power from both teams. Now, they'll duke it out once again for basketball supremacy for a fourth consecutive time. So if you're a believer in league parity, then this matchup might not be for you. Time to rehash from three straight NBA Finals Preview posts!

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors re-exerted their dominance in the NBA landscape last year by easily beating the Cavs in 5 games. Even by re-signing Kevin Durant and extending Steph Curry to a lucrative $200 million contract, someway, somehow, they managed to keep their loaded roster in tact with the exceptions of Nick Young, Jordan Bell, and Quinn Cook. But, this season proved that the Warriors weren't all invincible. Their star players each took turns being sidelined with injuries. Kevin Durant with the rib injury, Draymond Green with pectoral injuries, and Klay with the injured hand. But most notably, Stephen Curry was riddled with all kinds of injuries on his lower body, ranging from a rolled ankle to a sprained MCL. Outside of the injuries to the "Fantastic Four," this season made the Warriors look vulnerable. They weren't as good as the past three years on the defensive end in particular. Their title as "top team in the West" was handed over to the Houston Rockets. However, however, in the playoffs, Golden State started to regain some of their championship pedigree back dispatching both the Spurs and the Pelicans in five games in the first two rounds. They went the distance against Chris Paul, James Harden, and the top-seeded Rockets in the Conference Finals. Though the Warriors won in 7 games lead by their scoring trio of Durant, Curry, and Thompson, they could've easily won in five or six games if it weren't for a couple of both team and coaching blunders. One can ask "what if" had Chris Paul been healthy. The Warriors caught a break with his injury, but luck didn't hang on to them when Iguodala went down during the series.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Unlike the Warriors, the Cavs underwent an extreme makeover with their roster following last year's Finals loss. They made headlines when they traded Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. The Cavs continued to retool their roster by adding Jeff Green, Derrick Rose, and Dwayne Wade in an effort to counter the Warriors' star power and depth. The problem was that it wasn't the year 2011. With the roster to begin the season, the Cavs looked old, slow, and out of sorts on both ends of the floor. As a result, they blew up the roster by midseason. I.T. along with Channing Frye was traded to the Lakers for Clarkson and Nance (still a great trade by Magic and Pelinka to get out of JC's contract). D-Wade got sent back to Miami. Crowder and D-Rose was dealt to the Jazz in a three-way trade with the Kings to get George Hill and Rodney Hood. The positive was that the Cavs got younger and more athletic, but the negative was that LeBron James now had a weaker supporting cast. That showed in the Cavs' road to the Finals, but through some otherwordly intervention, LeBron was able to mask most of the weaknesses on the Cavs' roster. The Cavs played the same three teams they faced last year in the Pacers, Raptors, and Celtics, ironically in the same playoff rounds. The only constant was that the Cavs swept the Raptors despite the Raptors being the best team in the East and having home court. Both the Pacers and the Celtics were much tougher tests that went the distance with the Cavs compared to last years incarnation of both teams. But, the Cavs still prevailed. As much as a lot of us dislike LeBron, we can't deny his greatness any further. He was in god mode throughout the postseason, putting up ridiculous numbers, playing almost 40+ minutes a game, and carrying a team that is mediocre at best without him. It was much more like LeBron vs. the Pacers, Raptors, and Celtics during Cleveland's road to the Finals.

Keys for the Dubs

Andre Iguodala's return is indefinite and Golden State really could use him on defense against LeBron James. Kevin Durant can help disrupt LeBron's game with his length, but it's not gonna be enough without legit help at the Small Forward position. So with Iggy out, the Warriors are gonna have to double up on their defense on LeBron. He is essentially the Cavs' engine on offense. We could possibly see KD, Draymond, and Klay exchange assignments on guarding arguably the best player in the world right now. The defense is not gonna be as stifling with Iggy out, but as Game 7 against the Rockets show, the Warriors still have a tendency to apply swarming ball pressure. On offense, it all starts with the Warriors' core four. Curry, KD, and Klay can still score at will. Durant, in particular, has to place trust on his teammates to make plays. When he struggled in mid-point of the Conference Finals, he was trying to play hero ball and it stops the Warriors' ball movement. No player on the Cavs can equal the scoring prowess of the trio. They have to push the tempo and constantly move the ball.

Keys for the Cavs

Let's face it. Outside of Kevin Love, LeBron James has no help. Love's status is still in question because of a concussion in Game 6 against the Celtics. LeBron can continue to play his game and put up big numbers, but that's not going to be enough. He has to find a way to get teammates involved. The Cavs do have J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, George Hill, Jeff Green, and Jordan Clarkson as scorers/shooters, but they've been up-and-down throughout the regular season, let alone the postseason. They are going to be needed to give LeBron the support. Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. must out-rebound any Golden State player inside to give Cleveland all kinds of opportunity. They have the size, athleticism, and hustle factor to do that. Defensively, they're going to have to generate as many turnovers from the Warriors as they can. Golden State is still prone to make bone-headed decisions with the ball and the Cavs must capitalize on every opportunity given to them.

Prediction

After three straight previews, I think you guys can telegraph my prediction in these finals. The Warriors just have way too much depth and too many weapons. The only edge that the Cavs have is that their roster is younger and more athletic. And as long as they have LeBron, they have a chance. But, let's face it, he can't do it by himself against a star-studded Warriors squad and their deep rotation. Unless the rest of the Cavs somehow show up, I just don't see it. They'll give a little bit of a fight, but look for LeBron's epic postseason run to come to a screeching halt. And look for the Warriors to extend their NBA domination.

Warriors in 6

2017 NBA Finals Preview: Cavs-Dubs III

Three times a charm. Cavs, Warriors, the same teams, the champions of the last two years. Both have clinched their respective championships on the road against each other. Like the Lakers and Celtics before them, there's no love-lost between these two rivals. With the series tied, one of these teams will own the tie breaker. This is a star-studded rematch with high stakes on the line. This is your 2017 NBA Finals preview of the 3rd installment in this Finals trilogy between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Winning the NBA title last year and coming back from a 3-1 finals deficit against a historic Warriors squad, the Cavaliers transformed the city of Cleveland from heartbreak to triumph. The Cavs will look to transform Cleveland into a city with high expectations of winning it all every year. In their first full season under Tyronn Lue, the Cavs finished once again as a 50+ win team. But, like last season, they had a couple of bumps on the road. Key role players sustained injuries that kept them out for the majority of the season until the playoffs started. And after the All-Star break, the Cavs really lapsed on the defensive end. They eventually lost out on the #1 seed to the Celtics. In the playoffs, the Cavs completely flipped the switch. A lot of analysts thought this year would be the Cavs' toughest road to the Finals, facing off against the likes of the Pacers, Raptors, and Celtics. The Cavs cruised by those teams even though the Pacers did offer a competitive series despite getting swept. The Cavs come in to the Finals at 12-1 and LeBron James is playing his best basketball in this postseason. And yes, considering he just passed Michael Jordan as the all-time leading scorer in the playoffs, the debate is open once again. Outside of LeBron, Kyrie Irving continues to be Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love has had the hot shooting hand throughout these playoffs, making the Cavs' Big 3 formidable heading into these finals.

Golden State Warriors

After a disappointing end to a historic 73-9 season, the Warriors made all kinds of headlines during this offseason by signing All-Star Kevin Durant from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite a terrible opening night showing against the Spurs, the Warriors and their fantastic four of Curry, KD, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green certainly didn't disappoint during the majority of the regular season. They shattered all kinds of scoring and offensive records. This team could've won 70 games again had Durant not gone down with the leg injury. Warriors fans exhaled jubilantly that KD was able to make a recovery. But during the stretch Durant's injury, Curry was able to regain his form as the back-to-back MVP. The high-powered scoring of Curry and KD carried over in the playoffs. They're 12-0 start is a feat that was not seen since the 2000-01 Lakers (I remember those days). Like the Cavs, the Warriors were supposed to have a tough road against the Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs. The Spurs had the formula of beating the Warriors with their size and length until Kawhi Leonard went down for them. Outside of Curry, KD, Thompson, and Green, players such as Javale McGee, Ian Clark, and Patrick McCaw are stepping up big time and contributing to the Warriors' dominance in this postseason.

Keys for the Cavs

The lack of size is one key weakness in this Warriors' squad. The Spurs provided that blueprint in 3 out of the 4 regular season games and in game 1 in the Western Conference Finals. The Cavs have Tristan Thompson. They have Kevin Love. And without further question, LeBron has shown countless times that he can be able to crash the boards. Rebounding is going to be the major key for the Cavs on both ends of the floor and they have the size to do it to slow down the juggernaut Warriors. Tristan Thompson has terrorized the Warriors in the last two finals with his relentless rebounding prowess. LeBron will do his thing. Kyrie Irving will do his thing. Kevin Love has been playing lights out in these playoffs as of late. They're going to need him to keep the train rolling. The Cavs may have found their defensive mojo against the Celtics and even though the Warriors are not the Celtics, the Cavs must put defensive pressure on the Warriors rather than the Warriors put the defensive pressure on them. After all, both teams like to run the floor and start fast on offense. Can J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver find the stroke? Will Deron Williams turn back the clock as "D-Will" and live up to being the playmaker that LeBron James desperately coveted throughout the regular season? Those players are going to be the X-factors for the defending champs.

Keys for the Dubs

Steph Curry and Kevin Durant have formed a formidable scoring duo as of late. Isn't that supposed to be expected from the MVPs of the last three seasons? While Steph and KD will get all the headlines, Warriors fans should be asking: "can the real Klay Thompson please stand up?" He's been relegated to the "Harrison Barnes role" for the Dubs and he hasn't had any impressive games during those postseason. Klay's gonna have to rekindle the role of being one half of the "Splash Bros." There's no question about his defensive capabilities, but if Klay gets going offensively, the Warriors are going to be like a well-oiled machine. Draymond Green, can this guy keep his emotions in check and just play ball? You can expect that Green is going to be amped up with this third consecutive battle with the Cavaliers, but he has to keep it under control and stay disciplined in order to not repeat the same mistakes as last year. Outside of Draymond's fiasco, turnovers also ultimately doomed the Warriors in blowing a 3-1 lead. They've kept the turnovers to a low level in these playoffs and they need to continue that in the finals. Javale McGee, Ian Clark, Patrick McCaw, Iguodala, Livingston; these guys are going to be the obvious X-factors. They've proven to have big moments to reinforce the Warriors' prowess. Perhaps Golden State has a secret weapon in interim coach, Mike Brown (I hate bringing this guy up as a Laker fan). Brown has coached LeBron for half a decade and he briefly coached Kyrie Irving in his 2nd year in the league with the Cavs. If there's anyone in the Warriors that has more intel on those two players, it's Mike Brown. I'm sure he's game planning with Steve Kerr to find unique ways to slow down both LeBron and Irving.

Prediction

At first, I just want to let these finals play out. The NBA got what they wanted and basketball fans will be rewarded with a star-studded matchup. But, I'm expecting this to be a really short series to cap off the dreadful NBA Playoffs this year. No disrespect to the defending champs, but the Warriors had the Cavs beaten and battered until Draymond's suspension and Bogut's injury. They lost a few key players, but they still have the roster depth and adding Kevin Durant to the mix, there's just too many weapons on this Warriors team. I'm giving the Cavs at least one game in these series. But a hungry KD in search for his first ring coupled with a squad that's hellbent on revenge and silencing all the blown 3-1 lead jokes, I predict that this is going to be like the 2014 NBA Finals all over again when the Spurs laid the smack down on the Heat in five games.

Warriors in 5