One of the key differences between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors has revolved around the matchup at shooting guard between J.R. Smith and Klay Thompson.
Thompson limited the Cavs to a 1-of-12 performance when he was the primary defender in Game 1's defensive war despite his offensive struggles, managing to keep the Cavs to a total 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) from the field in the first two games — the best mark in The Finals for anyone contesting more than 12 shots.
Smith on the other hand, has struggled through his short stint on the floor, disappearing completely after making the opening bucket of the series, providing only three points and two turnovers as the only stat categories in his 28 minutes on the floor in Game 1.
The veteran marksman played only 14 minutes in Game 2, but was exploited defensively — allowing 10-of-11 shots to go in the basket through his stint in these Finals — the highest combined field goal percentage allowed in this series by a mile.
Smith's gaffes have resulted in head coach Tyronn Lue being forced to sub him out for Iman Shumpert (a good defender, but poor offensively) or Kyle Korver (a great shooter that has struggled to find his rhythm) while Mike Brown and Steve Kerr have been content to keep Thompson on the floor (36.5 minutes per game) even if he's struggled to connect throughout this postseason.
Having star power isn't the only thing keeping the Cavaliers from notching a win in these NBA Finals, but having players committed at both ends of the floor is. Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and even a healthier and improved defender in Stephen Curry (41.7 percent field goal efficiency allowed in NBA Finals) have made the difference not only in the one-on-one game, but also in help side defense — having led the league in blocks by a wide margin and been in the top five for the last three seasons.
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