The Rotation: The Cavaliers tap into the power of confidence

Welcome to The Rotation, our daily playoff wrap-up of our favorite stories, large and small, from last night’s NBA action.

The Power of Confidence

By Philip Rossman-Reich (@omagicdaily)

J.R. Smith is never one short for confidence. This is the guy who said he prefers contested shots for the challenge they present.

It was his frustratingly unproductive Games 1 and 2 pundits pointed at as the reasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers deep hole in both games. And Smith got himself going in Game 3. Even in defeat “he” tweeted “Cavs in 7” before quickly deleting the message. But that is the exact message the Cavaliers needed. The exact belief they would need to do the impossible and take down the Warriors once again — or, at least, extend the series one more game.

Like he did in that Game 3, Smith hit the first shot of Game 4. The tense crowd at Quicken Loans Arena began to lighten up. Then Kyrie Irving followed with a 3-pointer. The momentum and emotion began to change. The feeling of resigned acceptance to the inevitable quickly changed into the hope of extending this thing. After 49 points in the first quarter, including 20 free throw attempts, it became much more of a certainty.

J.R. Smith stepping up to hit a 30-foot 3-pointer from the Cavaliers logo, one of 24 3-point makes for Cleveland, cemented a record-setting performance for the team. Cleveland was making this a 3-1 deficit. And we all know what happened the last time the Cavs trailed the Warriors 3-1 in the NBA Finals.

This is a series of confidence. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going nowhere without the belief they can win — and truly believe without doubt.

The Golden State Warriors are a team that always believes. They have the firepower and the swagger to believe no deficit is too large. Cleveland controlled all of the fourth quarter in Game 3 and led by six points with two minutes to play. The Warriors laid waste to that deficit quickly, Kevin Durant providing the gut-wrenching dagger.

The Warriors’ devastating avalanche of a run always rests in their opponents’ psyche. It is their supreme advantage. Even as the Cavaliers led by somewhere between 15-20 points, the Warriors played as if it was inevitable their shots would fall and they would cut into the deficit. They would find a way to make the Cavaliers nervous and take away that confidence that helped them build their lead.

The shots did not fall for Golden State – 11 for 39 from beyond the arc. Cleveland never let go.

The Cavaliers dug out offensive rebounds and kept possessions alive to take time away from the Warriors, even if the Cavaliers did not end up scoring. But they often did. Cleveland kept attacking the basket, finding a way to break Golden State’s initial line and dishing out to the open man. Cleveland was not the wounded team recovering from the heartbreaking loss in Game 3. The Cavaliers were the team that believed. They believed.

And with each Tristan Thompson rebound (four offensive, 10 total), Kyrie Irving floater (40 points, 15-of-27 field goals, 7-of-12 3-pointers), LeBron James bullet pass (another 31-10-11 triple double), everyone else began to believe too.

Confidence is a dangerous thing. It can both create doubt in an opponent and create irrational belief. Coming back from an 0-3 deficit, the Cavaliers would need some of that.

And now down 3-1, Cleveland feels a familiar feeling of confidence. It is the Warriors now who have to push down that nagging doubt.

Draymond doesn’t care and you shouldn’t either

By David Ramil (@dramil13)

There probably isn’t a player as polarizing in the NBA as Draymond Green. If 29 fan bases outside the Bay Area have a unifying thread, it’s likely a hatred of Green that ties them together. Some of this might be deserved, especially given Green’s penchant for flailing limbs that often connect with opposing players. But the Golden State Warriors’ All-Star forward has never shied away from the conflict he creates and he might even thrive on it.

During last season’s NBA Finals, Green’s tightrope walk between just the right amount or far-too-much emotion slipped badly, leading to a suspension which some believe — including Green himself — may have cost the Warriors a title. With Golden State competing for a championship yet again, the high stakes have led many to expect that a similar lapse was just about due, teeming beneath the surface. When nothing happened during the first three games of this year’s bout versus the Cavaliers, the narrative shifted slightly, noting how Green has been more in control of his demonstrative behavior.

This is a dangerous, limited view. After Game 2, a reporter asked about this perceived attitude adjustment and Green, along with teammate Kevin Durant, chided the line of questioning. Green, visibly frustrated, responded by saying, “You act like I’m a troubled guy who’s been in a bunch of trouble and can’t control myself and…Jesus Christ.”

The self-restraint remained through Game 3 but, in Friday’s Game 4 loss, the shoe watched so closely might finally have dropped. As a jump ball was tipped to Green, which he corralled while delivering a forearm to the head of Cleveland’s Iman Shumpert. A personal foul was called, which Green and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr protested; a technical foul was officially assessed to Green. When Green picked up a technical later in the game, it was assumed that he’d be ejected. Referees explained that the initial foul should have been charged to Kerr, allowing Green to remain in the game, even as “Hit the Road Jack!” blared mockingly through the Quicken Loans Arena sound system.

None of this ultimately mattered, as the Cavaliers offense finally ignited for a full 48 minutes and the outcome didn’t depend on Green’s presence in the game. However, while the referees convened to make a final determination, a strange juxtaposition took place during the stoppage in play.

A fan in the front row began verbally engaging the Golden State players. Warriors assistant coaches formed a wall alongside the arena’s security team, shielding players from the taunts. Eventually, the unidentified spectator was ejected from the game. In the meantime, Green sat calmly at the edge of the bench, a clear water bottle labeled “23” in one hand as he rocked back and forth to whatever song played somewhere in the background.

The contrasting behaviors served to underline the hypocrisy with which Green is so often viewed. He’s widely reviled for his frequent trash talking, yet spectators — at the arena, on social media and seemingly everywhere — are free to verbally spar with a player or, as was the case in Game 3, a player’s relative. Along the same vein, a frequent criticism of the league is that players are “soft” and far too friendly with one another. Green’s competitive nature stands in direct opposition of that misguided perspective.

Put simply, you can’t have it both ways, craving more physical play and then acting offended by Green’s inimitable style. You can’t have the freedom to say whatever you want about Green, then hope to stifle him whenever he speaks.

Following Game 4, Green spoke about the activity in the stands, saying, “I don’t pay attention to people in Cleveland, honestly.” That kind of indifference, especially given how everything he does and says is dissected so thoroughly, shows a balanced perspective. And while his loudest critics might not have expected it, the trick now is hoping they’ll find a way to follow suit.

The Cavaliers role players finally stepped up

By Brandon Jefferson (@Jefferson_Hoops)

Following Game 3, I opined about the Cleveland Cavaliers not having the necessary depth to hang with the Golden State Warriors. For all the talent on the Cavaliers’ roster, a lot of it is one-sided (either good on offense or defense, but not both).

Game 4 showed that at their best, this Cleveland team can more than hold their own.

The Cavs set NBA Finals records for most points in a quarter (48), most points in a half (86), and most 3-pointers made in a game (23). Tag on 71 points combined for LeBron James and Kyrie Irving and it’s clear why Cleveland handed Golden State its first lost of the 2017 Playoffs.

But, we’ve seen Irving and James dominate in a game and the Warriors still found a way to win. What was different tonight? The role players.

It started with Tristan Thompson who finally played like the player we saw in the 2016 NBA Finals. Thompson’s role is to make the hustle plays and be a menace on the glass. Thompson played a series-high 36 minutes and pulled down 10 rebounds. His effectiveness on the boards allowed him to remain on the court when the Warriors went small.

J.R. Smith picked up right where he left off in Game 3. After going scoreless for 95 minutes, Smith responded by hitting 10-of-19 3-pointers in Games 3 and 4. Smith is the one player capable of filling a 3-and-D role for Cleveland and he did just that in Game 4. Aside from his 15 points he didn’t allow either Klay Thompson or Steph Curry to get going as the Splash Brothers went 8-for-24 from the field and 6-of-19 on 3-pointers. Smith needs to keep his play like this as the series goes back to Oakland if there is any hope of the Cavs extending this series past five games.

Finally we turn to the bench, with the starters providing 114 points, the bench didn’t need to do much else, but not screw things up. That’s exactly what happened. DERON WILLIAMS MADE A SHOT! Golden State has tried to coax Iman Shumpert into taking shots and he obliged in the first three games. Yesterday, Shumpert attempted just one shot (a 3-pointer) and drained it. Richard Jefferson was the best substitute for either team. He also didn’t take many shots, just four total, but was able to pester Kevin Durant as a defender. This game was very physical and there were tons of fouls and whistles to go around. Yet, Jefferson found a way to toe the line whenever he was on the court. At one point, he initiated a quick back and forth shoving match that resulted in a foul on Durant — who was noticeably frustrated after the call.

Next: How to build the most accurate 3-point shooting team in NBA history

Cavaliers head coach, Ty Lue also limited his role players minutes. Only Jefferson (22 minutes) played more than 15 minutes. The best players brought it for Cleveland, but the rest of the team played exceptionally in their roles and that’s what proved to be too much for the Warriors to overcome.