The Warriors’ depth finally paid off
In Game 4, Golden State relied on its superior variety of options to beat Cleveland. Will that continue in Game 5?
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND -- Shaun Livingston played 24 minutes in Game 4, scoring seven points to go with eight rebounds and four assists. It was a nice stat line for Livingston, but the most impressive number was his +25 plus/minus. Game-to-game plus/minus is notoriously funky, but given the right context it can be a telling number.
The Warriors famously played small in Game 4, starting Andre Iguodala in place of Andrew Bogut and shifting Draymond Green to center. That lineup wasn't nearly as effective as the final score indicated, but it helped trigger a notable shift in the flow of the game.
What made the decision to go small so effective was the players Golden State had on its bench: Livingston and David Lee. By using those two in the rotation, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr didn’t have to change up the game plan based on his player rotations. They started small and they stayed the way for all but a handful of minutes when Bogut came into the game.
Livingston is small only in width. He’s a 6’7 guard who can defend multiple positions and handle multiple responsibilities on the floor. Within the context of a smaller frontline, Livingston is a matchup nightmare in the backcourt. He’s a skilled passer who will punish smaller guards in the post and he also has the ability to switch defensive assignments.
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“Shaun was fantastic,” Kerr said. “One thing when you play small, you have to have versatility, and Shaun is extremely versatile at both ends. He spent some time guarding LeBron (James). He spent some time guarding (Matthew) Dellavedova. He rebounded well. He got his hands on a lot of long rebounds. Knocked balls free for his teammates to retrieve. And with all the switching that Cleveland is doing, he’s a guy who can make plays and take the ball out of Steph (Curry’s) hands.”
The Warriors have been banking on their deep roster to ultimately wear Cleveland down, but there’s more to it than just having available bodies. It’s about having versatile players. Prior to Game 4, Livingston had only registered two postseason games where he played 20 minutes or more. In the three previous games of the Finals, he was averaging around 12-13 minutes. Lee, of course, didn’t play at all in the first two games. That a team can completely change its approach by upping one player’s minutes and bringing a former All-Star off the bench is a testament to Golden State’s remarkable depth and versatility.
The Cavaliers don't have that luxury. Their rotation has only been seven players deep and the options beyond those seven are not exactly appealing. True, seasoned veterans like Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and Kendrick Perkins are on the bench but they've only seen spot duty and their time on the floor has not been encouraging. There's only so much adjusting one can do with this roster.
“We’re going to play our game,” James said. “We’ve gotten to this point by playing the way we play, and we’re not going to change. We’ll make adjustments throughout the game, but we won’t change our starting lineup.”
The tradeoff to Golden State's Game 4 approach is obvious to everyone. By going small, they really have no one to match the size of Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson. That was an obvious advantage at times, but it still resulted in a 21-point victory.
"When we feel there's an equation that works -- we can't take away everything -- we know when we go small their bigs can be more effective," Golden State assistant coach Ron Adams said. "Can we do a better job on their bigs? Probably. But will their bigs be problematic? Yes. If you feel your winning formula -- defensively as well as offensively because the two are linked for us -- if you feel that formula work, you run with it. If you see that formula not working then you have to adjust your formula."
There's another lens through which Game 4 can be viewed, and indeed the entire series. Golden State's supporting cast stepped up and made shots throughout the contest, while Cleveland's perimeter players threw up brick after brick. The Cavs have tried to make those players beat them by doubling Curry and not helping off Thompson, and in Game 4 they did.
By contrast, the Warriors had been content with forcing LeBron to try to carry the load all by himself and he did through the first three games, They shifted their coverages a bit in Game 4, but it’s a tricky balancing act against James, who is one of the game’s great passers. It’s the ultimate damned if you do, damned if you don’t proposition against the best player in the game. On top of that, what works once may not work twice.
“Well, I’m in a spot where I have to be very productive, and that’s just the spot I’ve always been in,” James said. “For me, from the perception, it’s a lose‑lose when it comes to, OK, well, in the first three games I score 40, but I shoot a lot of shots. Last game I scored 20, I don’t shoot as many shots, and we lose. So it’s like, what do you want? So for me that’s not my ‑‑ that’s not my thought process. I don’t really care about it. All I care about is how I can produce for our team.”
As we head to Game 5 we’re right back where we were at the beginning. The Warriors are deeper and far more versatile than Cleveland, but the Cavs have LeBron and that gives them a puncher’s chance of pulling this off. If you’re a basketball purist, this the ultimate chess match between system and star. The Warriors appear to have more answers at the moment, but that can all change in a moment.
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