Cavaliers no longer the team to beat
Golden State built to be a dynasty
CLEVELAND — Once he congratulated Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, LeBron James left the floor following Game 5 and found Kyrie Irving waiting for him.
Cleveland’s two stars embraced, and as they headed toward the locker room and Queen’s We Are the Champions played inside thundering Oakland’s Oracle Arena, James delivered a message to his teammate and the world.
“We’ll be back,” he said. “We’ll be back.”
They were fabulous and flawed defending NBA champs, their deficiencies in depth and defence exposed by a superior team in the Finals.
One year after their historic comeback, James and the Cavaliers couldn’t catch the Golden State Warriors.
Unable to defend their title despite the league’s highest payroll, rampaging through the Eastern Conference playoffs and James’ brilliance against the free-wheeling Warriors for five games, the Cavs are no longer the team to beat. They’re still championship calibre, but a step or two behind a glittering Golden State team that went 81-18 in Durant’s first season and is built for the long haul.
At 32, and playing as well as ever in 14 seasons, James has a possible dynasty blocking his path. “I need to sit down and figure this thing out,” said James, who averaged 33.6 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in his seventh consecutive Finals.
“They’re going to be around for a while. Pretty much all their guys are in their 20s. Pretty much all their big-name guys are in their 20s, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. … From my eyes, they’re built to last a few years.”
The Cavaliers aren’t constructed for the same longevity.
James is under contract for one more season, and there’s no guarantee the three-time champion and five-time Finals loser will sign a long-term deal in 2018 with Cleveland, despite his deep devotion to Northeast Ohio.
Last week, James said he didn’t know how many years he has left. It’s possible that his outside business interests, which include a desire to one day own an NBA team, could push him into retirement.
That’s down the road. A more pressing concern for the team is the status of general manager David Griffin, whose contract expires on June 30.
Once the front office situation is settled, the next priorities are addressing Cleveland’s weaknesses: defence, an aging bench and backup point guard.
The Cavaliers couldn’t stop the Warriors during critical stretches in the Finals, and there were warning signs long before Durant got free for dunks, Curry drained wide-open 3-pointers or Golden State averaged 121.6 points.
Cleveland’s defence was suspect all season, ranking among the worst in statistical efficiency. The Cavs often outscored their mistakes, but the lack of a rim protector (Bogut was injured in his first minute on the floor) and a defensive commitment proved costly. Both areas must be fixed.
Above all, Cleveland needs an infusion of young blood to repair a second unit that struggled from the opener.