LeBron James is naturally praised for his role in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit to win the 2016 NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving and even Kevin Love have earned their props as well. But when Love struggled to contain the Golden State Warriors’ small-ball lineups, the Cavs realized they had to combat that with an undersized lineup of their own.
Love was excellent throughout the first three rounds of the ’16 postseason but was a complete defensive liability against a Warriors team that constantly looked to pick him apart. He also wasn’t much help on offense during this matchup either, averaging just 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in the seven-game series.
In the most recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, LeBron pointed out to cohost Steve Nash that when the Cavs were forced to go small in the ’16 Finals, they often fielded an atypical lineup.
LeBron said he, Irving, Richard Jefferson, J.R. Smith, and either Iman Shumpert or Matthew Dellavedova would round out these undersized rotations so Cleveland could have a fighting chance to battle through screens and keep track of the then-unanimous MVP, Stephen Curry.
“I thought Richard, RJ, had an important role that series,” Steve Nash said. As a consultant for the Dubs at the time, Nash got to witness the then-35-year-old’s impact firsthand.
“He had a huge role,” LeBron agreed.
“I thought his energy, his will, you know, him running the floor, him crashing the offensive glass, his physicality, you know, I think it bridged the gap for you guys a lot,” the Suns legend continued. By this point, Jefferson was no longer the explosive scorer he had been in his prime, but he still provided essential hustle and defensive tenacity.
Matching small ball with an undersized lineup proved to be successful for the Cavs against a versatile Warriors team that had already implemented the strategy during their 2015 championship run. But Cleveland still needed someone who could rebound and protect the paint when necessary.
“Tristan [Thompson] was great for us,” James continued. “Being able to guard multiple positions, offensive rebounds, catch the lob, catch it in the pocket,” the cohosts praised the veteran big man in sync. With Love looking unplayable for most of the series, it was Tristan Thompson who stepped up as Cleveland’s only reliable big man.
Nash admitted that after Game 3, the Warriors simply looked like the better team. But the Cavs quickly flipped the script with three consecutive gutsy victories. Even LeBron has admitted that he didn’t feel his team had truly risen to another level until Game 5.
“What I told them before we boarded a plane go to the Bay, going to Game 5 … Once what happened in Game 5 happened, my guys believed that what I was saying was f***ing coming true,” LBJ said after Nash questioned the ultimate importance of their win-or-go-home victory in a hostile environment.
Ultimately, LeBron’s motivating words and the Cavs’ mid-series adjustments were enough for Cleveland to become the first team in NBA Finals history to win it all after being in a seemingly inescapable 3-1 hole.
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