While the 2018 NBA Finals have been more competitive than expected through the first two games, the results were entirely predictable.

Despite an otherworldly effort from LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers have fallen into a 2-0 series hole against the Golden State Warriors, as their supporting cast has once again gone missing in action.

It didn't take a magic eight ball to foresee this outcome. They are, after all, undermanned against this kind of opposition. The Cavaliers, still reeling from two significant roster overhauls in the past 12 months, still lack the type of two-way wings they need to keep pace with the Warriors.

When Cleveland general manager Koby Altman decided to trade All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics last summer, Jae Crowder profiled as a particularly notable part of the return package. While going from Irving to Isaiah Thomas was a clear downgrade, adding a three-and-D wing like Crowder gave Cleveland another stopper to throw at the likes of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in a hypothetical Finals matchup against Golden State.

“He contributes to winning at an extremely high level. That’s why we value him to that extent," Altman told reporters in September. "He also brings a tough, gritty attitude defensively, [he'll] pick up the best player. He’s a core piece to this Cavaliers team going forward.”

Crowder never quite meshed in Cleveland, however.

After settling in as a reliable complementary offensive weapon in Boston - he chipped in 13.9 points per game on a career-best 46.3% shooting and 39.8% from deep in 2016-17 - Crowder's averages plunged to 8.6 points on 41.8% shooting overall and 32.8% from downtown with the Cavs. His defense likewise slipped, as Cleveland's overall defensive apathy and swath of liabilities on that end of the court often put Crowder on an island that he couldn't overcome.

With Crowder struggling to find his way on both offense and defense, the Cavaliers shipped him to the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline in a three-team deal that brought Rodney Hood and George Hill to Cleveland. They also dumped Thomas, Channing Frye, Dwyane Wade and Iman Shumpert at the deadline, getting only Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and a heavily protected 2024 second-round pick in return.

While both Shumpert and Crowder were shells of their previous selves by that point, Cleveland still deprived itself of two potential three-and-D options to throw at Golden State in these Finals. Hood, meanwhile, hasn't played meaningful minutes since Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, as he's been a toxic wasteland throughout the playoffs.

“I was playing at such a high clip when I got traded,” Hood told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated ahead of Game 2 on Sunday. “And then, this is my first time having DNPs in life. The first time shooting two times or five times in a game. Having to adjust is the toughest part. It’s a part of my growth. I’m not going to always be in this state."

Dusting Hood off makes sense in a "what do you have to lose?" sense, but he isn't the answer to all that ails Cleveland. After all, it isn't as though he was a standout defender during his three-and-a-half years with the Utah Jazz.

Short of hopping in a time machine and instead acquiring Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum or another two-way wing in the Irving deal, the Cavaliers are effectively out of options.

Jeff Green helped save the Cavaliers' season with gutty performances in Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Kevin Love's absence, but inconsistency has been his hallmark throughout his decade-plus in the NBA. After chipping in 33 points on 11-of-24 shooting in his final two games against Boston, Green has only 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting during his first two outings against the Warriors.

"Jeff could be more assertive, I think," Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters after Game 2. "Be more aggressive offensively, not just settle for threes, attacking the basket because of his athleticism and his power and strength of going to the basket. So, just got to work with that."

At least Green can faintly resemble a two-way wing at times. That description need not apply to anyone else on Cleveland's roster.

Kyle Korver remains one of the NBA's most lethal catch-and-shoot snipers, but the Warriors have schemed to prevent him from getting a bevy of open looks. He went only 1-of-6 in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, as Golden State is actively seeking to make him a spectator on offense and a target on defense.

"We know with Korver, since he's been here, they do a good job of locking into him," Lue said after Game 2. "Anything we run for him, they switch out, deny and take it away. So if he's not getting shots, it's tough on him because he's not going to beat too many people off the dribble."

J.R. Smith, who went 5-of-19 in Games 1 and 2, has been an outright train wreck. Jordan Clarkson has more turnovers (two) than assists (one), and his field-goal percentage of 23.1% sits ahead of only Korver's (16.7%). Hill hasn't been much better, as he has 22 points on 18 shots and is a minus-22 through two games.

Without wings who can create off the dribble on offense and play lockdown defense, the Cavaliers are facing a steep uphill climb against Durant, Stephen Curry and Co.

It didn't take long for the Warriors to begin poking holes in the Cavaliers' switch-everything defensive scheme, as Cleveland lacks the type of personnel to stifle Curry and Durant even when it forces isolations. Love has played as well as the Cavs could have hoped, but when he gets switched onto Curry, it's lights out for him.

Ironically, two-way help may be on the way right after the Finals end, as Cleveland could spend its No. 8 overall pick on Villanova swingman Mikal Bridges. With James likely to become a free agent on 1st July, however, it may be too little, too late.

When the Houston Rockets set out last summer to assemble a roster capable of challenging Golden State, they prioritised two-way wings to surround their star backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul. Between incumbent forward Trevor Ariza and free-agent signings P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute, the Rockets proved capable in the Western Conference Finals of mucking the Warriors offense up just enough to give themselves a chance.

Unless James takes Bleacher Report's advice and clones himself ahead of Game 3, though, the Cavaliers can't follow that game plan. Lue can go back to the drawing board and cook up a new defensive strategy - one that may involve trapping Curry, as The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor suggested - but nothing will be enough to paper over the fatal flaws of this year's Cavaliers.