Five Storylines to Watch in Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals

Image via USA Today Sports/Kyle Terada

There's no way around it, the Cavaliers need Kyrie Irving to play more like Kyrie Irving. Over the first two games of the 2017 NBA Finals, Irving is averaging 21.5 points per game, which isn't far off his 25.2 points per game average during the regular season. However, Kyrie is struggling from the field, shooting just 40 percent, a far cry from his 47.3 regular season shooting percentage.   

When the Cavaliers made their comeback from being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals last year, Irving played out of his mind in the final three games, averaging 30 points per game and shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavs don't necessarily need those video game type of numbers from him right now, but they need Irving to assume the role of the team's leading (and most reliable) scorer as LeBron James handles the role of being the point-forward. 

When Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors, we automatically assumed that Draymond Green would be the team's presence under the basket when they went to playing small ball. We were wrong. As it turns the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Durant is more than capable of patrolling the paint, and so far, the Cavaliers haven't had any answers. 

In Game 2, Durant was operating on all cylinders, filling up the stat sheet by putting 33 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and three steals. With the series headed to Cleveland, KD will need to play smart defensively, avoid getting called for ticky-tack fouls, and keep his stellar offensive game going. It's a lot to ask of KD, but this is exactly what he asked for when he decided to take his talents to Golden State. 

You may not believe this statement, but here it goes: basketball is a team sport. LeBron James is arguably the greatest player in the NBA today, and Kyrie Irving is one of the most skilled scorers in the league right now, but they still need their teammates to rise to the occasion if they have any hope of defeating the Warriors. 

In the first two games of the 2017 NBA Finals, J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson have scored a grand total of 11 points combined. That type of miniscule production is unacceptable. Even though Thompson's game is centered around attacking the glass, he did average a double-double—10.3 points, 10.1 boards—in last year's Finals. 

When facing the Warriors, the opposing team not only needs to be at the top of their game, but they need some valuable production out of their role players. The Cavs are currently failing in both respects. 

You want to know how much talent is on the Warriors' roster right now? Golden State has gone 14-0 this postseason and the team hasn't even felt the effects of Klay Thompson's poor play. In the 2017 playoffs, Thompson has been averaging just 14.4 points per game while shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from downtown. In Game 2, though, Thompson started to look more like his old self, scoring 22 points while going 4-for-7 from three-point range. 

In lieu of Thompson's struggles, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry have been incredible, but if Klay starts to get it going, this team will look even scarier. If that's even possible. 

In Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals, the Warriors scored 113 points. In Game 2, the Warriors scored 132. 

In last year's NBA Finals, the Warriors never scored more than 110 points in any game. Sure, Golden State added 2014 league MVP Kevin Durant, but the Cavaliers are more than capable of being a better defensive team. The Cavs need to communicate better on switches, and force more turnovers that they can turn into easy baskets, which could lead to frustration among the Warriors players.