The Golden State Warriors Most Daunting Road Trip of the Steve Kerr Era
The Kingdom
The Cavaliers will be seeking revenge after losing on Christmas Day in Oakland. This will be the first time the Warriors see Isaiah Thomas in a Cleveland uniform, who missed the previous game due to injury. In his brief stint with the Cavaliers Thomas has struggled, but it is only a matter of time until he finds his rhythm.
Of course, the Cavaliers start and end with LeBron James, who might be having his best season of his career. In his 15th season, James is dominating his competition, averaging 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds per game. He’s shooting better than he ever has, all while averaging 37 minutes per game. He is playing incredible basketball.
Along with Thomas and James, the third leg of their big three is Kevin Love. Love is having his best season as a Cavalier, and he was their best player on Christmas against the Warriors. Love is averaging almost a double-double and shooting better than he ever has as a Cavalier. It is unclear if Thomas’s return to Cleveland will affect Love’s play, but it may be a concern.
This might be the only bright spots for the Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade because everyone else is under-performing. Jae Crowder and JR Smith are both averaging below double digits while Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert have been unavailable to due to injuries. The most glaring concern for the Cavaliers is their defense.
The Cavaliers may be the worst defensive team in the NBA. They are in the lower third of the league in defensive field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and points allowed. The defense has only gotten worse since Thomas returned to the lineup as he is arguably the worst defender in the NBA. The Warriors should exploit this point guard matchup with Steph Curry.
The matchups to watch in this game are obviously Durant vs. James and Curry vs. Thomas. James against Durant should be a wash, but the Warriors should a major advantage against Thomas. Look for Curry to have a huge game and lead the Warriors to at least a 2-1 record going into the Windy City.