Underdog

This may be James’ eighth straight and ninth overall appearance in the sport’s grandest stage, but not even his vast experience, undeniable savvy, and aweinspiring talent can take the measure of the historically transcendent Warriors. He’ll be heckbent on

It’s out of respect for the continuing capacity of LeBron James to normalize greatness that the Cavaliers’ odds to win the 2018 National Basketball Association championship aren’t longer. True, they’re already pegged to lose the bestof-seven series by a country mile; it’s why a $100 bet on them to claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy will net the brave soul a cool $650, a potential return not seen since the Sixers took on the vaunted Lakers in the 2001 Finals. On the other hand, recent history indicates that the gap between them and the Warriors are so yawning as to make a sweep a distinct possibility.

Certainly, the Cavaliers faced enormous difficulty en route to their fourth straight Finals appearance. They went through the wringer against the otherwise- underwhelming Pacers in the very first round, and then after bringing out the broom against the demoralized Raptors, found themselves twice staring at deficits against the starless and relatively wet-behind-the-ears Celtics. Only the outstanding showing of James enabled them to withstand the pressures they faced, and it goes without saying they’ll need him to be otherworldly anew in order to get close to the hardware. The problem, of course, is that the Warriors boast of superiority on both ends of the court. They’re nothing like the so-called contenders in the East, and, as their own trek to the Finals underscored, in the West as well. And it’s not just because they have four All- Stars, of whom two are unparalleled shotmakers; more importantly, they operate under a system designed to place them in a position where they can best strut their stuff. They’re just too stacked and too good to be overcome by flawed opposition.

Needless to say, the Cavaliers will try to modify the terms of engagement in such a manner as to bridge the gap. They will slow down the pace and limit the number of possessions available in a given set-to, and then simplify their offense by continually running screen-and-roll plays until James benefits from a mismatch and is able to create off the dribble. They can’t but be predictable in the process, but their uneven, top-heavy roster restricts their options in dealing with the Warriors.

All told, the circumstances skew heavily against the Cavaliers. This may be James’ eighth straight and ninth overall appearance in the sport’s grandest stage, but not even his vast experience, undeniable savvy, and awe-inspiring talent can take the measure of the historically transcendent Warriors. He’ll be heckbent on producing his finest, but, barring a miracle, it won’t nearly be enough to get the job done.