This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For three games, LeBron James has run roughshod over the Warriors, averaging 41 points in these NBA Finals and staking the Cleveland Cavaliers to an improbable 2-1 lead, as Game 4 looms tonight.
This has been because the Warriors have insisted on keeping the double-teams in James to a minimum, preferring instead to make James do the scoring and to not surrender easy looks from 3-point range.
It's a sound plan, on the face of it. James is one of the best passers in the league, and he'd rather be unselfish, he'd rather rack up the assists and he'd rather get his teammates involved.
But right now, James has been Herculean and not only is he scoring, he's still accumulating assists. Tonight is a must win for Golden State. A loss for the Warriors means a 3-1 deficit, something Golden State hasn't seen in these playoffs.
So they have to switch up, if only a little. Golden State needs to get the ball out of James' hands, do something to disrupt his rhythm. Simply put, James has become way too comfortable in these Finals offensively. He's getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
And with a do-or-die scenario facing Golden State tonight, the Warriors have come to the point where it's time to find out if someone else is capable of beating them.
Tony Jones