2017 NBA Finals: Potential x-factors for the Cavs and Warriors

Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots the the game winning shot during the fourth quarter against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

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May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Deron Williams (31) dribbles the ball against the Toronto Raptors during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

…But An Imperfect Option

The reason that Williams even qualifies as an x-factor, of course, is his defense. Golden State finds the soft underbelly on that end of the floor better than any team in history, and if Williams isn’t up to fighting around screens on the three point arc, he won’t be out there for very long.

His defensive box plus/minus – a stat that measures a player’s defensive impact on while he’s on the court – was the worst among regulars on the team during the regular season. It has improved in the playoffs, but is still bad.

In addition, Williams has turned the ball over a ton since the regular season ended. He has given the ball away on 18.5 percent of possessions he has handled it, another number that is the worst on the team. It is especially bad considering his low usage rate compared with the team’s stars, who’s higher turnover rates are more justified.

Whether Williams can clean it up at both ends doesn’t seem like the type of thing that could end up deciding this series, but indirectly it might. If Tyron Lue doesn’t trust him enough to keep him on the court (we’ve already seen him pull Channing Frye from the rotation), it becomes more likely that the rest of the Cavs main pieces won’t have enough energy to hang in an extended series.

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