Recipe for a W…..for the Dubs

This isn’t rocket surgery.

The Cavs have done what they want and dictated how the Warriors play.  Delly is bodying Steph Curry like it’s a house party dance floor.  Igoudala, Barnes and Green are crying to the refs about LeBron backing them down instead of staying on him.  And Bogut is playing the role of Waldo in the middle while Festus is doing his best to learn on the job.

But all is not lost!  Steve Kerr can get control of this thing if he can get his players to adjust.

• Man up! – stop looking at the officials and your coach after every whistle. This just in:  LeBron is going to get calls.  Iggy, Harrison and Dray need to change the mentality and switch to playground mode.  Bumping happens and when it does don’t fall away looking for a call.  Recover and keep your hands up so he has to work for his baskets.
• Tighten Up! – Curry’s loosey-goosey dribble style works in the regular season and on the And1 tour, but defenses are tighter in the playoffs. Steph needs to shorten his dribble and double his rhythm.  He’s not lulling the Cavs to sleep with the Curly Neal routine.
• Step Up! – Kerr needs to empty his bench. Speights and David Lee get 6 fouls each and both can eat space and grab rebounds.  Barbosa and Livingston have played well when given the chance and Igoudala has been a surprise on offense.  Get these guys in the game and try to exploit the Cavs short bench.
• Push Up! – Curry, Thompson and Livingston need to push the tempo, even on made shots. Cleveland’s bigs would tire out and that often leads to fatigue fouls.  Golden State has the advantage of a healthy starting backcourt, the one that facilitated the league’s best offense.  A faster tempo would also help Steph and Klay get some space during transition.  And let’s see how King James reacts to 40+ minutes at that pace.

That’s the DO list.  Here’s the DON’T:

• DON’T play H.O.R.S.E. – In previous series, the Dubs found opponents allowed them to spot up around the arc and launch freely. This ain’t that series.  Curry, Thompson and Green need to attack the basket, try to draw fouls and loosen the perimeter chokehold.
• DON’T double LeBron – All I’ve heard all week is about sending help on LeBron. That’s exactly what will get everyone else involved even more.  James is one, if not the, best at finding the open man out of a double team.  He’s so used to seeing multiple defenders that it’s second nature for him.  You want JR Smith to get hot – use his defender to double LeBron.  You’re daring Shumpert to cut to the basket – use his defender to cheat on LeBron.  Wanna give Thompson and Mozzie rim-rockers – bring Bogut over to help on LeBron.  Dude isn’t falling for the banana in the tailpipe.
• DON’T go small – The biggest misconception of this series is that Cleveland can’t match up with the smaller Warriors lineup. The Cavs didn’t bat an eye when Draymond Green was in at center.  They simply kept Mozzie or Thompson in to guard the rim and patrolled the post like Debo.  “That’s my rebound!”  Golden State will not win this series trying to out-small the Cavs.  They’re gonna have to take away the advantage inside and playing a 6-7 center won’t do that.

I’m still not sure where this series is going to go.  It’s entirely possible the Cavs run out of gas and give up the next three games.  It’s also possible the Warriors might not ‘get it’ and go back to San Francisco down 3-1.  One thing’s for sure…..we’ve been treated to an exciting Finals that is filled with moves, countermoves and surprises.