OAKLAND, Calif. — From the moment the Cavs began scheming to play the Warriors, the answer to who would guard Kevin Durant never changed. It always was and was going to be LeBron James.



The Cavs were at their best defensively when James guarded Draymond Green last year, but the addition of Durant to the Warriors erased that option. James guarded Durant on Christmas and again on Martin Luther King Day at Oracle Arena. He was the primary defender on him to open these Finals, when the Cavs fell in a deep 0-3 hole and were forced to try something different.



So Tyronn Lue began listening to Richard Jefferson, who has been asking for months to guard Durant.



“Fucking begging for it,” Jefferson told The Athletic. “I’ve been begging for it.”



‌‌‌ Lue ignored...