3 keys to the Cavaliers' championship run
By overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to the NBA's greatest regular-season team, the Cleveland Cavaliers captured their first title in franchise history after defeating the Golden State Warriors in Sunday's thrilling Game 7 showdown.
While the Cavaliers' roster remained largely the same, a new approach on offense and a terrific stretch of basketball from their top players was enough to elevate them past the mighty Warriors this postseason.
Here are three keys to the Cavaliers' championship run:
A quicker pace on offense
After taking over for David Blatt in late January, first-year head coach Tyronn Lue opted for a quicker tempo - a strategy better suited for his offensive-minded group.
The Cavaliers - who struggled to score the basketball in last year's Finals - finally had the system in place to match the offensive firepower of the Warriors.
While its defense took a hit, Cleveland was the best offensive team in the playoffs, scoring 112.5 points per 100 possessions despite squaring off against the league's best.
The emergence of Kyrie Irving
After returning from an Achilles injury in mid-December, Kyrie Irving struggled out of the gate and didn't truly find his form til the latter half of the season.
While he didn't put up the necessary numbers to take home All-NBA honors for the second straight season, Irving was at his best when it mattered most, emerging as Cleveland's second-best player during the postseason.
The 2015-16 Cavaliers will always be remembered as LeBron's team, but Cleveland would still be titleless if not for Irving's incredible play. The 24-year-old averaged 25.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals during the playoffs, while outplaying two-time MVP Steph Curry for much of the Finals.
LeBron James
Sure, the Cavaliers' championship run can be chalked up to a number of factors, but the team would realistically be nowhere near a championship if not for its megastar.
After cruising through the first three rounds of the playoffs, LeBron James elevated his game considerably in the Finals, playing arguably the best stretch of basketball in his career after the Cavaliers fell down 3-1.
During the final three contests, LeBron averaged 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, three blocks, and three steals on 50.6 percent shooting from the field and 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Stephen Curry may have been named the first unanimous MVP in history, but the greatest player in the world plays in Northeast Ohio.