The Warriors Have Mental Edge over LeBron James and the Cavs
The Golden State Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas in a much-anticipated rematch of last year’s NBA Finals. Despite the result, the Warriors already have a psychological edge over the Cavs.
“If Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were healthy…”
That’s all the Golden State Warriors heard after capping off one of the greatest seasons in NBA history with a championship win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Somehow their title “didn’t count.” And while the Warriors were called lucky, everyone crowned Cleveland the eventual champs.
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The Warriors will host Cleveland–with Irving and Love–in front of millions on Christmas. For Draymond Green and his team, this is just another December game. For Cleveland, this is so much more. And that’s where the Warriors have already won the psychological battle.
LeBron James and his Cavs–like most of the league–love talking about the Warriors. Just like Doc Rivers and James Harden before him, the Warriors are in James’ head. Of course, he’d never admit it. The prodigal son’s triumphant return to Cleveland was supposed to be a legacy-changing event; the re-birth of a hero, the only one who can bring his people to the promised land. It was supposed to be the perfect story with the perfect ending.
Except Stephen Curry took it.
All of it. Faster than the release on his all-time great shot. Curry took over jersey sales, shoe sales, and All-Star fan votes. Then he became the face of the league that James had dominated for years. And all of a sudden, James’ return home wasn’t the hottest story in the league. It was Curry and his Warriors. Then right when James was on the cusp of saving his all-too-important legacy, Curry took the title everyone promised Cleveland.
LeBron James has grown into an extremely self-aware individual. He knows that basketball isn’t forever and, at 30, his time is precious. He also understands that he is held to a higher standard–probably higher than anyone in history–where a ring is the only success. And Curry is the latest and most daunting foe to have taken him down. Simply because Curry is the biggest threat to dethrone the King once-and-for-all.
June 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward
(23) defends against Golden State Warriors guard
(30) during the first quarter in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-100 in overtime for a 1-0 series lead. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Cavaliers are thinking about the team that celebrated on their court less than a year ago with the trophy that was supposed to be theirs. Iman Shumpert has admitted as much. So did Love. Meanwhile, Irving voiced the opinion of his entire fan base: that health was the only thing that stopped them.
On the other hand, Cleveland’s biggest obstacle could be that James fears the opposite. He doesn’t think a healthy Irving and Love would have changed the outcome, but rather that he understands the limitations of his own team while watching the Warriors’ enjoy unprecedented success. After a tough loss to the Detroit Pistons, he said, “we lost in the Finals. We didn’t win. And the team that beat us looks more hungry than we are, so it shouldn’t be that way.” He’s mindful of the Warriors. Maybe too mindful for his own good.
And Curry is the latest and most daunting foe to have taken him down. Simply because Curry is the biggest threat to dethrone the King once-and-for-all.
The shadow of Golden State’s success hangs over Cleveland. They haunt James’ dreams. Literally. The Warriors may be downplaying the significance of tomorrow’s game, but all outcomes benefit the defending champs.
A short-handed Warriors team defeating Cleveland at full-strength would hurt the visitor’s confidence. But if James, Irving, and Love prevail? Then the growing legion of Warriors-doubters rejoices, collectively “proving” that the Dubs are no match for a healthy Cavaliers team. And the hubris that surrounds the team fuels makes them complacent and, more importantly, fuels the Warriors, who need little motivation to begin with.
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard
(30) kisses the Larry O
This game means more to Cleveland than they’ll let on. The bitter taste of defeat is still fresh. They believe that they’re owed victory and that’s where their greatest flaw lies. It’s not just about proving doubters wrong–because the Warriors do that–but they don’t let the basketball do the talking. From Instagram posts to over-the-top on-court celebrations, they need to prove their chemistry is just as good as the Warriors’, if not better. They need the attention and the praise.
But it starts and ends with James. Unlike the rest of his team, he knows that nothing is guaranteed. He’s felt failure too many times before. And with every record-breaking performance in the Bay Area, he can feel his opportunities waning. He is the greatest player of his generation and will go down as one of the best to ever step on a basketball court. But his legacy is built on championships. And James, who we’ve seen succumb to pressure, is aware of the threat the Warriors pose to him.
Cleveland fans will be ready, prepared to flood Twitter timelines even more than they did all offseason long. A Cleveland victory and it “confirms” that the Warriors were lucky. A Cleveland loss with Irving and Love and the team was rusty. But the mental effect will differ for the team itself.
This game means little to the Warriors. They won’t question their success if Cleveland beats them. They won’t dwell on a victory for too long. They’ll leave the court with the best record in the NBA and go home to the ring they earned in Ohio. They’ll move on to the next one. Something Cleveland hasn’t been able to do. So they’ll get up for this game, armed with two more All-Stars and a plethora of excuses, and try to secure a title. In December.
The Warriors have already won.