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And so, it all comes down to this.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who were in the driver’s seat of the NBA Finals just six days ago, head into tomorrow night’s Game 6 hoping to avoid getting eliminated. Last week, Cleveland fans were dreaming of this Tuesday as a night where a hometown team could finally snap a city-wide drought. Now, they just hope they don’t have to see the Golden State Warriors accepting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in front of them.
As was expected, the Cavs being in a 3-2 series hole is certainly not through fault of LeBron James. Cleveland’s superstar has been at his best for the majority of the series, to the point where many believe he should be the Finals MVP regardless of the outcome.
However, as we learned last night, what James is doing isn’t enough on its own. A dominant triple-double in Game 5 didn’t stop the Warriors from winning by double digits. Despite this, despite his team being down to what could be its last gasp, James expressed plenty of confidence after the game.
“I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world. It’s that simple.”
He’s not wrong, that’s for sure. Again, though, despite being the best player in the world, in this series, the Cavs are still in danger of being bounced tomorrow night. If they want to avoid this, there has to be more than just James. In no uncertain terms, the only way Cleveland can have a chance to win this series is for it to play absolutely perfect basketball.
It’s extremely unlikely, despite the crowd noise from Quicken Loans Arena, despite the efforts of James, that the Cavs have the ability to blow out the Warriors in Game 6. The only way this team can truly win games in this series is through the same formula it utilized in Games 2 and 3. This involves grinding defense, with offense made up of a strong night from James and at the very least serviceable efforts from two to three role players.
Even then, though, the game may not swing in Cleveland’s favor. It seemed like the team had this strategy working last night, until the wheels fell off in the fourth quarter. With their backs now firmly pressed against the wall, the Cavs have to find even more in their arsenal.
There’s no more room for error, no place for mishaps. Brain lapses must be few and far between. Somehow this Cleveland team, which has been worn down thanks to various injuries and being forced to run with a consistently fresh Golden State roster, has to find a way to elevate their game even higher.
Guys like J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert need to tough through whatever mental or physical blocks are keeping them from contributing in order to finally lend a significant helping hand on offense. Matthew Dellavedova has to fight through the exhaustion of chasing Steph Curry around all night in order to try and cage the MVP as he did earlier this series. The energy, despite it being at an all-time low, has to be as relentless as possible.
Cleveland needs all of this and more if they hope to win Game 6, much less this series. Because, if there’s any other certainty in the Finals beyond what James can deliver, it’s that Golden State is just going to keep coming at the Cavs. The legs are fresher, the bench is deeper, the offense more potent. Being this close to the finish line, it’s just tough to believe the Warriors are likely to have any more off nights.
As a result, Cleveland has to put forth as flawless an effort as humanly possible. It’s hardly an easy ask, but at this point, the Cavs have no choice.
We saw what can happen if James registers a historic night and gets minimal help in return. If it happens again, it’ll end with the Cavs trudging to the locker room as their fans are forced to watch Golden State celebrate a championship in front of them.
I keep hearing people say “it’s tough to doubt a LeBron James-led team in any situation.” In a sense, this is true. However, we know the LeBron James aspect is going to give the Cavs a chance to win. It’s the rest of the team that needs to step up like never before.
Be perfect, or go home. It’s tough to sum up Cleveland’s situation much better than this.
Casey Drottar is the Cleveland Beat Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook
