Fansided

5 reasons we won’t get a Cavaliers-Warriors Finals rematch

By Noah Torr

Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (32) is guarded by Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (32) is guarded by Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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January 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

1. It’s time for the defense to step up

The most obvious flaw for either Cleveland or Golden State is the Cavaliers’ defense. It’s bad — ranking 21st in defensive efficiency among all NBA teams. That is not a championship caliber defense, and the Cavaliers need to fix it fast.

They have not been able to perform at that end and have shown night in and night out that they cannot be trusted with big leads. In the game against the Atlanta Hawks last weekend, the Cavs blew a huge lead and ended up losing in overtime to the Hawks in historically catastrophic fashion.

Their bench doesn’t have a rim protector which contributes to some of their troubles. Once Tristan Thompson leaves the floor, Channing Frye subs in as his replacement which is good for the offense but bad for the defensee. The Cavaliers might as well hang an “open for business” sign on the rim because Frye is only good for spacing the floor. They had a shot at a defensive center in Andrew Bogut, but he is done for the season with an injury. Larry Sanders is on the roster but hasn’t looked ready to make an impact.

The Cavaliers need to figure out what they’re doing with their defense in a hurry or they’re in deep trouble.