The Golden State Warriors are coming off a very important win. A win that they needed to even have a chance at winning the finals.
And tonight they are playing back in the Bay Area which makes things a bit easier with their home crowd cheering them on. On the other hand, the Cavaliers are coming off a devastating loss, in a game that would have gave them a big advantage if they won.
Here are three big things that both teams must do to win the game tonight.
Cavaliers:
1. The Cleveland Cavaliers can't let the Warriors get easy fast break points like they did in game 4. Point guard Stephen Curry and forward Andre Iguodala were a big reason why the Warriors got those fast break points. In game 5 tonight, the Cavaliers will have to stop the fast break.
2. The Cavaliers must keep Stephen Curry from catching fire late. In game 4, he took over the game in the second half, and the Cavaliers couldn't handle him. They have to make sure he doesn't all of the sudden start scoring and give his team a big lead. In the first couple of games that guard Matthew Dellevadova covered Curry, he stayed on him really tight, but in game 4, he wasn't able to handle him. Tonight, the Cavaliers will have to defend him well.
3. Lebron James needs to keep shooting. Just because he didn't have such a good game shooting in game 4, does not mean he has to stop. The Cavaliers need him to score for them. If he doesn't, then Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellevadova would have to score all the points and they would not be able to do that.
Warriors:
1. The Warriors need to box out Tristan Thompson. Since Steve Kerr went with the small lineup in game 4, the bad part about it was height, and Tristan Thompson got every single offensive rebound. If he still stays with the small lineup today, than the forwards and center have to make sure they box out Tristan Thompson.
2. Stephen Curry should try to get shots up early to either make them, or draw some quick fouls on Dellevadova so he can be taken out and Curry can take over. In game 4, he played like he usually does. He came back to his normal self scoring 22 points in that game. He will have to keep the Warriors in this game if nobody comes to step up and make an impact on the game.
3. Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala did a very good job of limiting Lebron James's points in game 4, and they will have to do that again tonight, this time in Oracle Arena. Although, usually the veteran in Lebron James doesn't go two games being shut out. He will definitely be trying to bounce back today so one thing that Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala can't do is relax.
Both teams are looking to break the tie and have the advantage in game 6.
On one side, Cleveland is looking for revenge on the Warriors from their game 4 loss, but on the other side, you have the Warriors looking to take advantage of playing in Oracle Arena where they rarely lose.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Thursday, June 11, 2015
5 Things The Warriors Have To Do To Go On And Win The Finals
Coming into this series, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the underdogs. But right now, it is the Golden State Warriors who are struggling.
There are some big reasons why they have been struggling. Now I'll tell you 5 important things that the Warriors have to do if they even want a chance at winning the finals.
1. The bottom line is that they can't let Lebron James get easy baskets on offense. He has been getting way too many easy baskets and has been scoring 41.0 points a game in the first three games in the finals. That's crazy. When Lebron James gets past whoever is guarding him whether it is Harrison Barnes or Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut has to come and help out on defense. Right now Andrew Bogut is just giving up on defense. That is not going to give them wins.
2. Stephen Curry is forcing up shots right now and he is not going to win the Warriors a single game if he forces up shots. He needs to let his shots come to him like he did in game 1. Also, Curry needs to use his teammates more. He has been trying to make a one man show by himself. He needs to get other players involved like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
3. Whoever is guarding Matthew Dellevadova can't let him get to every single loose ball. Dellevadova is getting to loose balls way to easily and creating new possessions for his team. Stephen Curry couldn't stay on him in game 3, and Dellevadova had 20 points. Tonight, he needs to be covered well.
4. Klay Thompson is going to make a big impact if he can play at his best today and for the rest of the series. The whole Warriors team in general has been missing a lot of open shots. They need to be more consistent. In the last couple games when they have just started to come back they have given up and lost the game.
5. Draymond Green has to make his three point shots tonight especially. His recent three point shots have not had success lately and he has been getting open looks on top of that. He also needs to box out Tristan Thompson to get rebounds because tonight's game is going to be very important.
Tonight's game could go either way. But the mystery still remains the same. Who will win tonight's game?
4. Klay Thompson is going to make a big impact if he can play at his best today and for the rest of the series. The whole Warriors team in general has been missing a lot of open shots. They need to be more consistent. In the last couple games when they have just started to come back they have given up and lost the game.
5. Draymond Green has to make his three point shots tonight especially. His recent three point shots have not had success lately and he has been getting open looks on top of that. He also needs to box out Tristan Thompson to get rebounds because tonight's game is going to be very important.
Tonight's game could go either way. But the mystery still remains the same. Who will win tonight's game?
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Game 2 Of The NBA Finals Pregame Analysis
The Cleveland Cavaliers are facing the worst case scenario here in just game 2 in the NBA finals already down 1-0. Their All-Star starting point guard Kyrie Irving is injured. If Cleveland loses this game, then they will be heading back to Cleveland down 2-0 and that would put them into adversity. Cleveland also faces another big problem. With star point guard Kyrie Irving out, that leads to the big question. Who guards Warriors MVP point guard, Stephen Curry?
Now, of course backup point guard Matthew Dellevadova could guard Curry. But Curry is quicker than Dellevadova, and is more talented.
One possible solution for this problem is that shooting guard Iman Shumpert could guard Stephen Curry. But then Dellevadova would have to guard Klay Thompson who has a size advantage on Curry.
So basically, having Kyrie Irving not in the game makes a huge problem.
Although, Cleveland forward Lebron James had other thoughts. "I understand that we were the underdog coming into the series and with Kyrie being out people are writing us off." " So, I mean that's fine." " That's fine." " I'm motivated to get our guys ready to go tomorrow and we will be."
A lot will be important for the Cavaliers especially in this game. With two of their star players out [Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving], they have found a way to win, but now Cleveland knows that Kyrie Irving will not be back and that is very unfortunate.
For this game, the whole Cleveland lineup and players that usually come off the bench are going to have to play as hard as they can and bring a win back to Cleveland where they would be playing for game 3.
Tristan Thompson did a good job in game 1 on the boards in the first half and he will have to be the same again today but for the whole entire game.
J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have to fill in for Irving's absence and make a difference in the game. They both need to shoot the 3-ball effectively.
Matthew Dellevadova needs to shoot the ball whenever he gets a good opportunity because he is a good three point shooter and can help them a lot if he does that. But he will probably have trouble with whoever he is defending.
Lebron James needs to stay consistent like he did in game 1 having 44 points. The Cavaliers need to help out Lebron more though. A team can't just have one guy score all the points and expect to win. Other guys will have to chip in from Cleveland. In game 1, Cleveland was ahead but they just couldn't hold on. The Warriors came back, took the game to overtime, and won. Today, they need to play their best the whole time.
On the Warriors side, they still shouldn't sit back and relax because if they do then Lebron and the Cavaliers will strike.
Stephen Curry is obviously going to be dangerous from 3-point land. It seems as if he can't miss from the corner when he gets on a roll.
I will expect Cleveland to come out with a lot of energy. They will come out making shots and I would like to see how Golden State handles that. Will they handle it like the last game and come right back? Or will they not be able to come back.
Even with the Cavaliers star point guard out, the series is definitely not over for the Cavaliers who are hungry for a win and will be showing no mercy in today's game.
Now, of course backup point guard Matthew Dellevadova could guard Curry. But Curry is quicker than Dellevadova, and is more talented.
One possible solution for this problem is that shooting guard Iman Shumpert could guard Stephen Curry. But then Dellevadova would have to guard Klay Thompson who has a size advantage on Curry.
So basically, having Kyrie Irving not in the game makes a huge problem.
Although, Cleveland forward Lebron James had other thoughts. "I understand that we were the underdog coming into the series and with Kyrie being out people are writing us off." " So, I mean that's fine." " That's fine." " I'm motivated to get our guys ready to go tomorrow and we will be."
A lot will be important for the Cavaliers especially in this game. With two of their star players out [Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving], they have found a way to win, but now Cleveland knows that Kyrie Irving will not be back and that is very unfortunate.
For this game, the whole Cleveland lineup and players that usually come off the bench are going to have to play as hard as they can and bring a win back to Cleveland where they would be playing for game 3.
Tristan Thompson did a good job in game 1 on the boards in the first half and he will have to be the same again today but for the whole entire game.
J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have to fill in for Irving's absence and make a difference in the game. They both need to shoot the 3-ball effectively.
Matthew Dellevadova needs to shoot the ball whenever he gets a good opportunity because he is a good three point shooter and can help them a lot if he does that. But he will probably have trouble with whoever he is defending.
Lebron James needs to stay consistent like he did in game 1 having 44 points. The Cavaliers need to help out Lebron more though. A team can't just have one guy score all the points and expect to win. Other guys will have to chip in from Cleveland. In game 1, Cleveland was ahead but they just couldn't hold on. The Warriors came back, took the game to overtime, and won. Today, they need to play their best the whole time.
On the Warriors side, they still shouldn't sit back and relax because if they do then Lebron and the Cavaliers will strike.
Stephen Curry is obviously going to be dangerous from 3-point land. It seems as if he can't miss from the corner when he gets on a roll.
I will expect Cleveland to come out with a lot of energy. They will come out making shots and I would like to see how Golden State handles that. Will they handle it like the last game and come right back? Or will they not be able to come back.
Even with the Cavaliers star point guard out, the series is definitely not over for the Cavaliers who are hungry for a win and will be showing no mercy in today's game.
Will RG3 Improve This Year?
As the whole Redskins team starts to get better the big question is, can RG3 improve this year?
I believe he will. With the rest of the team improving, he will have a lot more help this year. There will be other guys contributing to the team to help them win. For example, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, cornerback Chris Culliver, wide receiver Desean Jackson, offensive tackle Brandon Scherrf, wide receiver Jamison Crowder, and a lot more. They have a lot of young talent.
I will look to see if the Redskins look to run the read option more or stay away from it. If they do run it more there is a good side and a bad side to it. The good side is if they do run it more, then the Redskins offense will be more effective. The bad side is that if they run the read option, the history of RG3 running has not gone so well. He has had a lot of injuries in the past few years because of him running.
RG3's past few years have not been very successful. Obviously his rookie year was amazing. He only threw 5 interceptions and he passed for 3,200 yards. Then everything started to go downhill for him. In the 2013 season, he had 12 interceptions in 13 games. His passer rating was lower at 82.2. In the 2014 season he only played nine games and only had 4 touchdown passes and only threw for 1,694 yards.
RG3 has had a lot of ups and downs in his three year career, this coming year being his fourth.
Here are some things that RG3 will need to have success this coming year.
The offensive line for the Redskins needs to improve. In the last 2 years, they have not helped out RG3 enough. Some of that is part of the reason why RG3 is getting hurt. Offensive tackle Trent Williams will be very important for RG3. He is the Redskins main offensive tackle. He is still bothered by his ankle that he hurt towards the end of the season last year.
Brandon Scherff is another offensive tackle that will have to come up big this year. Scherff is a rookie from Iowa and was the 5th pick in the draft overall. He is a good addition to the Redskins offensive line that is much needed this year.
The Redskins could have had an even better offensive line but they gave offensive guard Chris Chester away to the Atlanta Falcons.
Now I'll talk about how RG3 himself can make an improvement this year and bounce back.
RG3 needs to take care of himself more. In the past few years, he has sacrificed his body too many times to make plays but the results have been that he has been getting injured.
RG3 needs to get back to his usual self that he was in his rookie year. He needs to come back to that accurate quarterback that he used to be. In his rookie year, he completed 258 passes out of 393. Another thing is that he needs to stop throwing the ball away. That has resulted in interception sometimes. He needs to know when it is the right time to throw it away or to just take the sacks. He also can't run with it when it is not necessary.
If the young and still developing quarterback can make those changes this year, then defensive coordinators had better watch out for the return of RG3.
I believe he will. With the rest of the team improving, he will have a lot more help this year. There will be other guys contributing to the team to help them win. For example, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, cornerback Chris Culliver, wide receiver Desean Jackson, offensive tackle Brandon Scherrf, wide receiver Jamison Crowder, and a lot more. They have a lot of young talent.
I will look to see if the Redskins look to run the read option more or stay away from it. If they do run it more there is a good side and a bad side to it. The good side is if they do run it more, then the Redskins offense will be more effective. The bad side is that if they run the read option, the history of RG3 running has not gone so well. He has had a lot of injuries in the past few years because of him running.
RG3's past few years have not been very successful. Obviously his rookie year was amazing. He only threw 5 interceptions and he passed for 3,200 yards. Then everything started to go downhill for him. In the 2013 season, he had 12 interceptions in 13 games. His passer rating was lower at 82.2. In the 2014 season he only played nine games and only had 4 touchdown passes and only threw for 1,694 yards.
RG3 has had a lot of ups and downs in his three year career, this coming year being his fourth.
Here are some things that RG3 will need to have success this coming year.
The offensive line for the Redskins needs to improve. In the last 2 years, they have not helped out RG3 enough. Some of that is part of the reason why RG3 is getting hurt. Offensive tackle Trent Williams will be very important for RG3. He is the Redskins main offensive tackle. He is still bothered by his ankle that he hurt towards the end of the season last year.
Brandon Scherff is another offensive tackle that will have to come up big this year. Scherff is a rookie from Iowa and was the 5th pick in the draft overall. He is a good addition to the Redskins offensive line that is much needed this year.
The Redskins could have had an even better offensive line but they gave offensive guard Chris Chester away to the Atlanta Falcons.
Now I'll talk about how RG3 himself can make an improvement this year and bounce back.
RG3 needs to take care of himself more. In the past few years, he has sacrificed his body too many times to make plays but the results have been that he has been getting injured.
RG3 needs to get back to his usual self that he was in his rookie year. He needs to come back to that accurate quarterback that he used to be. In his rookie year, he completed 258 passes out of 393. Another thing is that he needs to stop throwing the ball away. That has resulted in interception sometimes. He needs to know when it is the right time to throw it away or to just take the sacks. He also can't run with it when it is not necessary.
If the young and still developing quarterback can make those changes this year, then defensive coordinators had better watch out for the return of RG3.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
5 Important Things For The Warriors and The Cavaliers Going Into The Finals
It has been a long NBA season, and now finally, Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be on Thursday, June 4th. Both teams have come a long way to get here and now I'll tell you 5 important things for both teams to consider going into the finals.
Cavaliers:
1. Kyrie Irving must stay on Stephen Curry the whole game and if he is not in the game, then chances are that Mathew Dellavadova will be guarding Stephen Curry. I think if the two point guards can't handle Curry than Head Coach David Blatt will probably switch Iman Shumpert over to Curry.
2. The Cleveland Cavaliers bench has to make a big impact on the game because they will be going up against some talented players on the Warriors bench. For example, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston will be players that will make a difference on the Warriors side. J.R Smith will have to make his regular perimeter shots and also play good defense. Another player on the Cleveland bench who has done enough in the playoffs this year to make a difference is James Jones. He is also a good three point shooter like J.R Smith.
3. Tristan Thompson must be the same hard worker that he has been in the last couple series. Against the Hawks and Bulls he has dominated the boards and has been shooting at a high percentage at 54.7%. He will have a size advantage on Warriors power forward Draymond Green that he will be guarding.
4. Timofey Mozgov's defense and rim protection will be critical in the finals. This year in the playoffs he is averaging 1.2 blocks a game. He and Warriors center Andrew Bogut are alike. They are both very tall and they will be guarding each other. Mozgov is a very good defender and also a good free throw shooter despite the fact that he is 7 foot 1.
5. Lebron James must play really aggressive and attack the basket a lot. He is averaging 27.6 points a game this year in the playoffs. He will be guarding small forward Harrison Barnes on the Warriors. James is very experienced in the finals unlike the rest of his team and he is used to being here. Even the Warriors aren't at all experienced in the finals and this is new to them.
Warriors:
1. Draymond Green has to make sure that he does not let the taller Tristan Thompson score too many times because he is the guy that Green will be matched up with most of the time. He is already a very good defender but Tristan Thompson, the power forward on the Cavs has a size advantage on him. Draymond Green has helped the Warriors out a lot in the playoffs averaging 10.8 total rebounds a game and a solid 14.0 points a game.
2. Harrison Barnes can't let Lebron James get to the hoop easily. Once you let him score a couple of times he gets going and the Warriors do not want that to happen. I think Harrison Barnes should take more shots. He is a very accurate shooter shooting at 46.3 percent this year in the playoffs and very skilled but does not take that many shots. If he does in the finals coming up, he will definitely make a big difference on how this years finals will turn out.
3. Stephen Curry has to make the shots that he usually does. He is averaging 29.2 points a game this year in the playoffs and shoots 43.7 percent from deep also this year in the playoffs. He will be going up against Kyrie Irving who is the other point guard looking to win the finals. Both guards are young and inexperienced in the finals. They both have not played a single game in the finals in both of their careers yet. We'll see if that effects how they play at all.
4. Klay Thompson has to shoot and make his regular shots. He can't leave all the pressure on Stephen Curry. So far, he has been contributing to the team enough so that he can make a difference. He will be guarding Iman Shumpert. The two are both good shooters. Shumpert can use his athletic ability to make good plays while Klay Thompson is an amazing defender with those long arms that he has. It will be interesting to see them go back and forth.
5. Andrew Bogut will be a big factor in this series if he can help out down low. If Kyrie Irving gets past Curry, Bogut will have to be there to help out on defense. If Bogut helps out on defense, then that gives the Warriors a good chance of winning the finals. There will be a lot of other players he will have to be helping out on like Lebron James and J.R Smith or Iman Shumpert.
If both teams can do all the things that were mentioned then this years finals will be very tight and closely contested.
Cavaliers:
1. Kyrie Irving must stay on Stephen Curry the whole game and if he is not in the game, then chances are that Mathew Dellavadova will be guarding Stephen Curry. I think if the two point guards can't handle Curry than Head Coach David Blatt will probably switch Iman Shumpert over to Curry.
2. The Cleveland Cavaliers bench has to make a big impact on the game because they will be going up against some talented players on the Warriors bench. For example, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston will be players that will make a difference on the Warriors side. J.R Smith will have to make his regular perimeter shots and also play good defense. Another player on the Cleveland bench who has done enough in the playoffs this year to make a difference is James Jones. He is also a good three point shooter like J.R Smith.
3. Tristan Thompson must be the same hard worker that he has been in the last couple series. Against the Hawks and Bulls he has dominated the boards and has been shooting at a high percentage at 54.7%. He will have a size advantage on Warriors power forward Draymond Green that he will be guarding.
4. Timofey Mozgov's defense and rim protection will be critical in the finals. This year in the playoffs he is averaging 1.2 blocks a game. He and Warriors center Andrew Bogut are alike. They are both very tall and they will be guarding each other. Mozgov is a very good defender and also a good free throw shooter despite the fact that he is 7 foot 1.
5. Lebron James must play really aggressive and attack the basket a lot. He is averaging 27.6 points a game this year in the playoffs. He will be guarding small forward Harrison Barnes on the Warriors. James is very experienced in the finals unlike the rest of his team and he is used to being here. Even the Warriors aren't at all experienced in the finals and this is new to them.
Warriors:
1. Draymond Green has to make sure that he does not let the taller Tristan Thompson score too many times because he is the guy that Green will be matched up with most of the time. He is already a very good defender but Tristan Thompson, the power forward on the Cavs has a size advantage on him. Draymond Green has helped the Warriors out a lot in the playoffs averaging 10.8 total rebounds a game and a solid 14.0 points a game.
2. Harrison Barnes can't let Lebron James get to the hoop easily. Once you let him score a couple of times he gets going and the Warriors do not want that to happen. I think Harrison Barnes should take more shots. He is a very accurate shooter shooting at 46.3 percent this year in the playoffs and very skilled but does not take that many shots. If he does in the finals coming up, he will definitely make a big difference on how this years finals will turn out.
3. Stephen Curry has to make the shots that he usually does. He is averaging 29.2 points a game this year in the playoffs and shoots 43.7 percent from deep also this year in the playoffs. He will be going up against Kyrie Irving who is the other point guard looking to win the finals. Both guards are young and inexperienced in the finals. They both have not played a single game in the finals in both of their careers yet. We'll see if that effects how they play at all.
4. Klay Thompson has to shoot and make his regular shots. He can't leave all the pressure on Stephen Curry. So far, he has been contributing to the team enough so that he can make a difference. He will be guarding Iman Shumpert. The two are both good shooters. Shumpert can use his athletic ability to make good plays while Klay Thompson is an amazing defender with those long arms that he has. It will be interesting to see them go back and forth.
5. Andrew Bogut will be a big factor in this series if he can help out down low. If Kyrie Irving gets past Curry, Bogut will have to be there to help out on defense. If Bogut helps out on defense, then that gives the Warriors a good chance of winning the finals. There will be a lot of other players he will have to be helping out on like Lebron James and J.R Smith or Iman Shumpert.
If both teams can do all the things that were mentioned then this years finals will be very tight and closely contested.
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