Although they have a 3 game to 2 advantage in the series, the Golden State Warriors are in trouble. Firstly because they are going to play the next game of the NBA Finals in Cleveland where the Cavaliers have lost just once since the NBA Playoffs began. Secondly, although they are going to be getting Draymond Green back after his one-game suspension, key defensive big man Andrew Bogut will be out of the lineup after injuring his left knee. Finally and most concerning for Golden State after the worst shooting season of his illustrious career, LeBron James seems to have “found” his jump shot and in Game 5 it was deadly.
Of the 10 field goals that James connected on from outside of three feet (the distance at which players can effectively shoot lay-ups or dunks) four of these were three point shots which spells even more defensive headaches for Golden State however with Green back in the lineup, maybe the King will be neutralized more effectively. This Green vs James matchup could also allow for the Warriors other defenders to put more pressure on Kyrie Irving, Richard Jefferson, and JR Smith. The offensive wild-card for the Cavaliers is Kevin Love who may as well have not played in Game 5 finishing with just two points on a 1 for 5 shooting night and 3 meager rebounds despite 30 plus minutes of playing time.
The Warriors also need to sustain offense into the second half with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both going cold during Game 5’s. The biggest advantage that the Warriors will have with this lineup over the one they used in Game 5 is that with Draymond Green back in the lineup they can use Andre Iguodala off the bench which gives the second unit a much-needed boost after the last game. Harrison Barnes will also have to avoid replicating his 2-14 shooting performance on offense. With how both teams are playing, the Game, which starts at 9:00 pm tonight, should be an interesting one and if Golden State wins, then we can finally talk about the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls comparison.
