4 Things the Golden State Warriors MUST Do To Win Game 7 and Avoid an Epic Collapse

Kerr has probably been on the phone with Pop and Phil these past couple days.  He has to find the right mixture to get his team back to looking like the one that won 73 games.

Keep Steph Curry out of foul trouble.

Not sure how much zone defense the Warriors have played this year but it probably wouldn't hurt them to use some in Game 7.

The Cavs are putting LeBron James in pick and roll situations with whoever Curry is guarding in order to get Curry switched on to James.

Curry guarding LeBron is probably the most physical mismatch between any two players that could occur in this series.

The Warriors can't afford to have Curry on the bench and it is utmost to find a way to keep the Cavs from exploiting this matchup.

Also, Curry needs to stop reaching and play defense with his feet.  

Foul or not, the more you reach, the higher the chance of you getting the whistle blown.

Barbosa over Livingston.

Shaun Livingston was arguably the best reserve guard in the NBA this season, and brings unique versatility both offensively and defensively because of his size and length, but Leandro Barbosa needs to be the first player off Kerr's bench.

Barbosa is more similar to Curry in style of play in that he is aggressive on offense and forces the tempo.  Too many times has the Warriors offense gone on a scoring drought (11 first quarter points in Game 6) and Barbosa has proven on many occasion that he can provide that intensity.

Exploit Kyrie defensively.

Games 1 and 2 were blowouts in favor of the Dubs, and much of it had to do with Cleveland's ineptitude as a team on defense, and also the fact that Kyrie Irving is a great offensive player but also a notorious defensive liability.

If the Cavs are successful exploiting Curry's defensive ineffeciencies then why not do the same to Cleveland's weakest defender?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Iguodala is good in many positions...this ain't one of 'em.

Who's gonna do the Iggy?

Andre Iguodala was the MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals, not for his greatness as a scorer, but for the job he did defensively on Lebron. 

Iggy's lower back was clearly bothering him during Game 6 and it's difficult to think that he will be able to contribute much of anything in Game 7.

Problem for Kerr is that as deep and talented the Warriors' bench is, there is no player that can replicate the physical tools and skill set that Iguodala provides.

Kerr may be forced to use Klay Thompson as the main LeBron-stopper, which could also hinder his offensive production, but it's basically pick your poison at this point. 

NBA Breakdown: 'The LeBron Rules'

Kerr has masterminded a gamplan, but will it work?

Heard a lot of, "We just have to stick with the gameplan" coming from the Golden State Warriors players after their 108-100 Game 1 win in the NBA Finals over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. Head coach Steve Kerr when asked about the team's plan on defending LeBron James, who dropped a Finals-career-high 44 points, he said, "If I tell you, will you promise not to share it with anybody?" It all seemed obvious what the Warriors gameplan really was by that point. Clearly, they are content with allowing James as many isolation situations as he would like, and will rotate multiple defenders on him to give him different looks, but they WILL NOT double or trap him and allow him to be effective as a play maker. This is ultimately the gameplan or 'rule' that Kerr has devised to contain the 'Chosen One'.

How do you stop LBJ? Don't let him PASS.

44 points from LBJ combined with only six assists is a formula that the Warriors look willing to "stick with". Who ever would think that this is the best way to defend LeBron? Kerr, who was not yet a teammate of Michael Jordan when the Chicago Bulls were battling the 'Bad Boys' Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoffs in the late 80s (ironically, he was on the Cavs) was a witness to a successful method of stopping an elite scorer. The method was originally to stop Jordan at all costs and physically wear him down.  The opposite scheme worked in Game 1 for Kerr and the Warriors against LeBron, although Kyrie Irving (23 points) had a solid game, J.R. Smith (3-13 FG, 9 points) was virtually ineffective. But on the downside, LeBron did have the ball in his hands on the final possession of regualtion with a chance to win the game. If he makes that shot, hard to say if the Warriors would be willing to continue with that strategy after losing Game 1 at home.

MJ took a beating vs. the Pistons but eventually broke through

There's gonna be adjustments made, and James, normally a model for effeciency, won't normally take 38 shots to get to 44 points. He's probably gonna try his best to get other guys in a rhythm earlier in the game so that when the 4th quarter rolls around, everyone won't be standing and watching just waiting and expecting for him to make a play all by himself. If there's any indication from the Warriors comments following Game 1 however, the 'LeBron Rules' will be in effect for the duration of the series. Klay Thompson summed it up best by saying, "He's gonna have to beat us four times playing like that. Hopefully he wears down."