Ethan Sears
Can the Cavs stay hot offensively?
During the postseason, Cleveland is scoring a staggering 120.7 points per 100 possessions. As a team, it has a 59.8 effective field goal percentage and is knocking down 43.5 percent of its 3-pointers. The Cavs were a great offensive team during the regular season, but not this great. Things just seem to have clicked in a different way over the past 13 games.
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The question now is whether or not they can sustain it. Right now, Channing Frye is at 52.6 percent shooting from behind the arc, and Deron Williams is at 50 percent. James — a 36.3 percent shooter from outside during the regular season — is at 42.1 percent during the playoffs and getting downright cocky.
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Numbers like that seem unsustainable, even over the small sample that the Finals provides. Moreover, the Warriors have impeccable defensive credentials. Not only is Draymond Green the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, but Golden State has a 99.1 defensive rating during the postseason, the best in basketball.
The Warriors’ ability to switch is unparalleled and can force any offense into uncomfortable situations. It prevents opportunities from opening up and causes teams to resort to 1-on-1 basketball.
This is an unstoppable force against an immovable object, but it certainly looks like Cleveland’s offense is getting at least a little bit lucky. Even on the free throw line, Tristan Thompson is shooting 66.7 percent during the postseason, over 16 percent better than the regular season. Things like that don’t last, but if Cleveland can keep up at least some of the momentum, it could decide the series.
