The NBA Finals have followed the trend of the NBA playoff games prior: blowout losses. The Cavs have fallen victim to the Warriors' fast-paced offense, getting beat down in the first two games at Golden State. Kevin Durant has been a monster in these Finals. He has scored over 30 points in both games, leading the way for the Warriors. LeBron James has played well in the Finals as well. James is averaging a triple-double in the series, showing that he came ready to play. James hasn't gotten help from his teammates, however, as they have struggled shooting from the floor.
James can't do it all against a Warriors team that has four all-stars.
James' greatness noted
LeBron James has been the only consistent piece for the Cavs in the NBA Finals. James has been scoring at will by either driving into the paint or showing that he can shoot from distance as well. One could say his defense has been lacking, but when you are playing a dominant Warriors team like this, something is going to give. James is averaging 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists per game in the Finals. James' triple-double performance in Game 2 tied him with Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in Finals history (8). He is set to break that record in this series, which shows that James always brings his best when it comes to the NBA Finals.
James' solo performance in the Finals isn't something new. In his first Finals with the Cavs back in 2007, he was the only one who showed up when his Cavs were swept by the Spurs. He was also a one man army against the Warriors in 2015 when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were out due to injury. James has played well by himself, but he needs the other players on his team to play well in order to win.
One is not enough
James playing against an entire Warriors team isn't going to get the job done, as the Warriors have much more scoring than LeBron James. Kevin Love put in a great effort in Game 2, dropping 27 points, while Kyrie Irving did his best in Game 1, dropping in 24 points. Both Love and Irving can't seem to get going in the same game, which is needed in order to beat the Warriors.
J.R. Smith and Tristian Thompson have been invisible, as they haven't been able to provide decent contributions. The rest of the Cavs' bench have been non-existent and LeBron James has been left on an island once again. James isn't enough to beat this Warriors squad, and being down 0-2 doesn't help either. The Cavs need to get hot as a team if they want to put together another comeback against the Warriors.
See if the Cavs get in rhythm in Game 3 on Wednesday, June 7th, on ABC at 9 p.m. EST.
