What's everyone think of Game 1? One of the stranger games I can remember. Cavs race back to take the lead, Steph and Klay look awful and then all of a sudden GS's bench players take over the game. Definitely demonstrates how much better of a "team" they are than Cleveland. I also find it interesting how different narratives develop depending on the team around you. Imagine if LeBron had a game like Curry did and how hot the takes would be today regarding him choking in the finals. Instead, because Curry has a loaded team around him, no one is really discussing it. Cleveland has a whole lot of adjustments to make, but not really sure it will matter. This feels ilke GS in 5 or 6.
NBA finals
- Thread starter QuaZ2002
- Start date
The chemistry between the Cav's big three is not nearly the same as when LeBron was with the Heat. Playing against the weaker Eastern Conference opponents, that didn't matter as much. It will be their downfall in this series. I do expect Cleveland to win a game or two solely because of the brilliance of James.
You think those Heat teams would have beaten the Warriors? I don't. Biggest difference between the two "Big 3's" to me is that Wade is vastly superior to Irving. I think Love and Bosh are basically equals.
The big 3 in year one with the Heat were terrible for the 1st half of the year. LeBron deferring to Wade, Bosh clogging up the paint, Wade's body starting to fall apart and issues with Spo and Lebron. The Cavs big 3 have only had a full segmented season (from last year to this year) actually playing together due to Kyrie's injuries, Love's injuries and Lebron's "break" mid season last year.
Cavs starting 5 crushed the Warriors starting 5. Bench play won and lost that game last night. JR Smith's disappearing act didn't help Cleveland either.
Bosh played better defense. It was why he took a backseat on those Heat teams...he was working his tail off defensively. And the entire Heat team could absolutely turn it on defensively when they wanted. I would love to have seen a Heat/Warriors match-up.
This is one of those terrible hot take internet post/opinions I keep hearing about. You're hitting all the holy trifectas - Mebron.......Dirk did it and Prince James
Well I was gonna go with Queen James,I think I have seen that more than Prince. In either case, I pull against him. Just like I always pull against the Yankees, Cowboys, Gators, Canes and the Patriots. Yes I am a hater of many.
Why do you hate James, why is he or the Cavs in the same category as our natural rivals and some big professional teams?
Let me first say I think he is very talented, so even though I dislike him, doesn't mean I think he sucks at basketball or anything like that.
I didn't like that he was crowned King before he had won anything. I didn't like his announcement of the decision. I don't like his flopping for calls. I didn't like that he appeared to quit on Cleveland the first time he was there in their series against Boston. His making fun of Dirk for being sick with Wade was pathetic and was glad Dirk beat him with a lesser team. I don't dislike the Cavs when he isn't on the team, just as now I don't dislike the Heat now that he isn't on them. And watching people jump on his bandwagon just like the Pats bandwagon and the Cowboys for anointing themselves America's team. The Gates and the Canes, I think you understand my disdain for them.
I'll wait and see how the next two games play out. I don't get excited until both teams play at home. Everyone knew going into the series that Irving and Love cant play D and its going to be tough to hide them if they are both on the floor together. The Warriors just have too many offensive weapons for them. Green almost lost them the series against OKC, but this is going to be his series. The Warriors are going to get many more open looks this series. If the Cavs keep doubling Curry and not rotating on D its going to be a quick series if the other guys can make open shots. I don't want the Cavs to win, but I'm excited to see what adjustments Tyronn Lue makes in game 2 and 3. I'm not sure how good of coach he is yet so these next two games will shed some light on his abilities.
Yeah Bosh was slightly better but Love is a better passer and 3pt shooter. Kyrie on the other hand would be better off on the And One mixtape tour. Just a pathetic defender who loves nothing more than dribbling the ball for 18 seconds before jacking up a contested jumper. He's got an incredible handle and is a great scorer overall, but that's literally all he brings to the court.
Whoa there, big fella!!!
You know that's not even accurate, right? They didn't anoint themselves anything.
From the wiki...
"Bob Ryan, now Vice President and editor-in-chief of NFL Films, coined this for the Cowboys while preparing and editing the team’s 1978 season highlight film.[6] He was quoted as saying:
"I wanted to come up with a different twist on their team highlight film. I noticed then, and had noticed earlier, that wherever the Cowboys played, you saw people in the stands with Cowboys jerseys and hats and pennants. Plus, they were always the national game on television."
Ryan told the NFL Network for their Top Ten Nicknames show:
"I saw all these fans in away stadiums. Hey, they're the most popular team in the country. How can I use that? Why don't we call them "America's Team"?"
During the Cowboys' first game of the 1979 season, a nationally televised game against the St. Louis Cardinals (Dallas won 22-21), the television announcer for CBS introduced the Cowboys as America’s Team and the name just stuck.
Dallas' Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry originally did not approve of the appellation of America's Team. He felt that it would give opposing teams extra incentive to play harder."
LOL. I hate them nonetheless! And many of their fans still think they are America's team. And deep down that Bob Ryan guy was probably a Cowboys fan. I figured someone would read that and address each one of my hatreds except of course the Canes and Gates hate as I would hope everyone here hates them as well or at least doesn't have a problem with them being hated.
Warriors bench crushed Cavs starters. Warriors extended lead playing against Lebron and co.
Curry and Klay both had off nights in the same game. I doubt that happens again.
And when it did happen, the Cavs still couldn't win.
Proving so far what people were saying earlier in that the best teams this season were out west. I'm pretty confident that OKC would have been just as, if not more dominant vs the Cavs than the Warriors.
I think Cavs win Game 3, series ends in 5.
People forget how quickly a series can turn, though. It wasn't too long ago that the Warriors were down 3-1 and lost home court to OKC and everyone was darn near writing them off. As dominant as they've been, Warriors only held court at home. Cavs could very easily do the same, if they go on one of those shooting barrages they did against Atlanta in Round 2.
I still think Warriors are a much better team than the Cavs. They're not only beating, but breaking the spirit of the Cavs in the process. Lot of fragile egos in Cleveland waiting to implode. Game 3 is going to be huge.
You don't think he was the one that requested and/or at least approved that to win now?
The only force? No. But he was definitely the driving force.
He has always been more Magic than Mike and that's fine. But so many of his team's have needed him to be more Mike than Magic. He's needed to score 25 in a row to beat the Pistons before & he's done it. He's capable of it. But he doesn't have that constant mind frame. He's too okay with settling on Kevin Love's jump shot or Kyrie's erratic play.
I loved Scottie Pippen, but Mike didn't rely on Scottie to do things that Mike did better (mainly scoring). LBJ is the best at putting the ball in the basket when he wants to. He needs to do that.
Iggy's defense has LBJ frustrated too.
He has always been more Magic than Mike and that's fine. But so many of his team's have needed him to be more Mike than Magic. He's needed to score 25 in a row to beat the Pistons before & he's done it. He's capable of it. But he doesn't have that constant mind frame. He's too okay with settling on Kevin Love's jump shot or Kyrie's erratic play.
I loved Scottie Pippen, but Mike didn't rely on Scottie to do things that Mike did better (mainly scoring). LBJ is the best at putting the ball in the basket when he wants to. He needs to do that.
Iggy's defense has LBJ frustrated too.
I have no idea, but I lean more towards him requesting it. It seems like he has tried to be the GM and the coach and the player and the organization has let him. I thought at the time it was a selfish move as Lebron could have mentored Wiggins into loving Cleveland and tried to influence him to stay and pass the torch as a franchise player for them many years after he was gone. But I think he preferred the more accomplished Love to try to get at least 1 championship as quickly as possible rather than gamble or wait for Wiggins to develop. I have a feeling he will try to get Cleveland to make a big push for them to get KD even if that means trading Love to do it. Or heck maybe even wait a year if KD does a deal to make him a free agent again next year when Westbrook is also and try to get them both to come join him even if it meant getting rid of Kyrie and Love. I think he wants a championship so bad he would do whatever he believes is best short term while he is playing there even if it meant the franchise would be left in much worse shape after he is done playing.
Bosh and Love are a lot further apart than you think. Bosh was asked to play a role, and did so very well. Love can not. They both had the same type of career path going, 20-10 type player on a bad team. Bosh finally accepted the 3rd wheel role, and at times 4th wheel to Allen. Love still can't. Bosh began to excel at defense, Love is disinterested.
As for Wade vs Kyrie, come on. Wade had arguably his worst season ever last season, Kyrie his best. Wade was 21.5 ppg/3.5 rpg/4.8apg. Kyrie 21.7 ppg/3.2 rpg/5.2 apg. Wade is so much better than him.
Think the Warriors would win this year, but if LBJ would have stayed Miami, think they win it all last year. Would probably be a closer series this year. All of this due to Whiteside whom they would of had, and the rookies that they would only have 1 of.
NBA trying to save LeFlop from pissing away another finals, it would be awesome if the GS beat them by 20 without Green
Love and bosh are nowhere close to each other. Bosh was a top 8 player when he decided to be a 3rd wheel in Miami, however bosh would score 30-40 a night when Lebron would sit and he became the #1 option.
Bosh is also a 7'1 stretch 4 or 5 who defends and is quick enough out on perimeter while love is nothing close to quick or 7'1 so when life gets beat it's usually an easy basket while bosh is long enough and quick enough to recover.
Bosh is also a 7'1 stretch 4 or 5 who defends and is quick enough out on perimeter while love is nothing close to quick or 7'1 so when life gets beat it's usually an easy basket while bosh is long enough and quick enough to recover.
Green is a douche who took one nut shot too many this play-offs.
How'd that work out? 41-16-7. Finals performances don't get much better than that. LeBron is putting on a clinic again in these finals but will get all the criticism when they inevitably lose in Game 6 or 7. Love is just a broken puppy right now.
LOL at "putting on a clinic again" last night was the first game he went off
Ehhhhh.... Are you sure about that? What metric(s) are you using?
If you go with straight PER, then yes, he was 4th in his last season at Toronto.
If you go with Win Shares, he was 19th. Win Share per 48 Minutes moves him up to 14th.
If you use Value Over Replacement Player, he wasn't in the top 20, finishing 37th.
LOL! He's averaged 28/12/8 for the series on 50% shooting. He's also been a force defensively.
ANd just to play Devil's advocate, Love was top 5 player in all those metrics in his final season in Minnesota. I don't know if people realize how good Love was his last few years in Minnesota. And those weren't bad teams, his last Minnesota team went 40-42 in a LOADED Western Conference and that was playing with a group of scrubs. The problem for Love is that he hasn't been able to play along LeBron and Kyrie because he needs the ball, not just as spot up shooter from the corner. And he brings very little value defensively. No matter what you have to assume he's traded after this season, will be really interesting to see what they can get for him. I'm not sure at this point if he's good enough to be the #2 option on a championship team.
I think he's good enough, if they run the kind of offense that utilizes someone like him. The problem is, that's less and less teams, and the league sees the success that GS has, and as the players all become longer and faster.
Maybe he goes to Boston - since they love the big white guy there. Cleveland could probably get Jared Sullinger and maybe a pick out of it.
Can't see them wanting Sullinger. That guy makes Love look like an explosive athlete. I'd say Faried makes some sense but can't see them getting Faried and #3 pick for just Love and Faried and the 16th pick seems a little light.
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