1. Limit Turnovers
For me, the biggest thing that killed the Cavs in Game 1 was turnovers. While 17 turnovers is not some jaw-dropping figure, each one of those turnovers was impactful. Turnovers stop runs, destroy momentum and award easy points to the other team.
And when you compare 17 turnovers to just 17 assists, that number becomes a little more concerning. The Big 3 was not helpful in this endeavor, combining for 11 of those turnovers. Irving and James both had four apiece, which is just not acceptable for two of the greatest ball-handlers in the world.
Not only did the turnovers keep points out of the rim for the Cavs, it also allowed the Warriors to score 25 points off of those turnovers.
On the flip side, the Warriors had just nine turnovers and allowed just 12 points off of those nine turnovers. It’s no secret that the key to beating the Warriors is forcing them to turn the ball over. And at times, the Warriors have been a team extremely prone to bad turnovers.
Winning the turnover battle is, in my opinion, the biggest key to winning this series. If the Cavs can hold on to the ball on offense and force the Warriors into making mistakes on the other end, Cleveland will come back from the Game 1 loss.
The Cavs’ performance was subpar in the opening game of these NBA Finals, but luckily for them, the problems that were showcased are extremely fixable.
There are most likely six games left to be played in these finals, and making these five adjustments will go a long way to ensure that the Cavs win four of them and bring back the Larry O’Brien Trophy from the Bay Area.
