Kasler: James, Cavs again show who's king
The Cavaliers throttled the visiting Raptors for the second time in two games, winning 108-89 on Thursday night.
I wrote after Game 1 that I hadn’t a clue what adjustments the Raps could make to short circuit what’s rapidly become a Cavalier offensive juggernaut.
Thursday night provided evidence that perhaps adjustments simply aren’t available for Toronto. Some thoughts:
1. There’s plenty of good to talk about. So in the interest of avoiding complacency, I’ll nitpick the Cavs for a moment.
2. Free throws. The Cavs shot 25-of-37 (67.6 percent) from the line. I think this is worth pointing out, partly because it could cost them down the postseason road but mostly because LeBron James really struggled, shooting 9-of-17 from the stripe.
3. Three-point shooting. The Cavs were a barely pedestrian 7-of-21 from deep. For a team that barnstormed into the Eastern Conference finals on the strength of long-range marksmanship, their outside shooting this series has been relatively poor.
4. Of course, neither of the aforementioned points matters when your three best players combine for 68 points, 20 rebounds and 17 assists. The Cavs' Big Three was just plain dominant.
5. James posted a triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Watching him repeatedly dish to teammates out of the post in the first quarter -- and later when he fed Kevin Love a beautiful bounce pass in a crowded lane -- I realized how easy it is to take for granted James’ passing ability.
6. James routinely makes passes that I don’t think anyone else in the league can make, and that includes a point guard who plays in the Bay Area. The bullets he zips to a spot-up shooter in the weakside corner are so perfect, they actually look routine. So effortless, they look unremarkable.
7. What I’m saying is we will all appreciate James’ vision and passing ability when he’s no longer playing. Until then, we’ll marvel here and there but probably continue to undervalue, if not overlook, the greatness.
8. Love and Kyrie Irving showed up big Thursday. Love posted 19 points and grabbed five rebounds. Irving was a solid 12-of-22 from the field for 26 points and also handed out three assists. There was a moment in the third quarter where I thought Irving was slipping into hero-ball mode, but he recalibrated and finished strong with a handful of beautiful pull up jumpers.
9. Another great development for the Cavs is the continued struggles of Kyle Lowry. The Raptors' All-Star point guard shot 4-of-14 (1-of-8 from deep) and handed out only three assists. He looks to be in a major funk.
10. Early in the third quarter, I expected Lowry to come out gunning. The Raptors trailed by 14 at half and desperately needed their star to shine. Instead, he was incredibly passive. Trying to read body language is risky business, but Lowry looked outright dejected.
11. And the few times LeBron found himself marking Lowry? Yeah, it was painfully clear Lowry wanted no part of that matchup.
12. After Game 1, I didn’t think Raptors coach Dwane Casey had any tricks up his sleeve. After Game 2, I know he doesn’t. This series quickly spiraled into a mismatch of grand proportions. The Raptors may yet steal a game if both Lowry and DeMarDeRozan can somehow catch fire at the same time. But short of that, Toronto has no chance.
13. Would Jonas Valenciunas make a difference? Sure, but not enough to account for 20- and 30-point final margins of victory. And it sounds like he’s out for another game, at least, so there is no cavalry on the way.
14. Final thought: Channing Frye continues to give the Cavs more than Anderson Varejao ever could have. That’s blasphemous in some circles because Andy was such a beloved member of the squad and the community. But Frye’s ability to stretch the floor -- he was 2-of-4 from deep -- is no longer a mystery but every bit a luxury.
15. The Cavs will get at it again Saturday night in Toronto where I’m hopeful Sasha Kaun quietly provides Drake a few compelling reasons to sit on his hands and behave.
