NBA Finals thread
- Thread starter OrlandNole
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I kinda expected last nights game. Cavs were spent after game 3. James just looked tired from the get-go. Same with Delly. GS mixed things up a bit that helped out, but the Cavs just looked flat on both sides of the court. Game Sunday should show a lot about the rest of the series.
Add to that Miller and Marion can actually stretch the floor with their shooting. Thompson and Jones aren't going to keep defenders honest consistently.
Cavs bench must have lost track of how poorly they were shooting 3's, Miller should have come off the bench to start the 4th.
Lebron threw Blatt under the bus "that's a coaches decision" when someone asked about playing Miller and Marion and the short bench rotation.
Who knows, you might even get "The Matrix" out of Marion on a few plays, he was an All-Star player who has something in the tank. It's better than sticking w/ a 6 man rotation in a game against one of the youngest teams in the league who's starters logged the least amount of total minutes played all regular season.
That is a negative tick mark with me regarding Lebron and Blatt, had that discussion with CBlunt on Twitter last couple weeks about it. Can't keep playing coach, but then deferring blame when things don't go your way. Lebron cherry picks when he decides to take credit and deflect blame when it comes to coaching.
I do think Blatt's main role (beyond coaching defense) is minutes keeper. In that regard, he's failing.
don't wish anyone to be injured, but yeah i saw it the way you did. with the increased popularity of flopping, i enjoyed the irony of LeBron basically causing his own injury. Particulary after Dellabadova gooned it up against Atlanta and now Golden State.
I'd read that comment from Andrew Bogut, and he and some GS fans were saying Lebron pretty much threw himself into the camera. I think Bog was a little defensive that someone wanted to say it was his fault. I'd seen a lot of slo-mo views that didn't look fake to me. And now seeing it in real time there at the beginning, just looks like a natural stumble like ones I took once or twice.
I don't agree that Lebron threw himself at the camera or intended to, but I do think he encouraged the stumble. I think Lebron's natural inclination nowadays is to sell all contact, much like Manu, Harden, CP3, Parker, and pretty much most of the players in the league do on every play. The difference with Bron Bron is he's a massive human being (whereas the other floppers in the league are tiny) and gravity won that battle.
There was some earlier contact where Curry brushed Lebron and Lebron went flying into one of the refs. That was some time before the fall, so maybe early 2nd quarter. Will have to see if I can find it when I get home.
He's gotten into this habit of doign this stumble/stutter step when he gets contacted and I think that may have been what he intended to do on that foul and it turned out very poorly.
It's possible he really just lost his step, but I know a lot of people didn't see it that way either.
agree Lebron was trying to sell the contact, and lost his balance and hit the photog.
was just a basic foul, not hard at all. think Lebron thought Bogut was going to get out of his way. Bogut nearly blocked the shot so James had to lean away from him, and when he landed he lost his balance. media and fans wanted to make it more than what it was.
the refs have given lebron enough calls, i'm glad they didn't give him that one too.
was just a basic foul, not hard at all. think Lebron thought Bogut was going to get out of his way. Bogut nearly blocked the shot so James had to lean away from him, and when he landed he lost his balance. media and fans wanted to make it more than what it was.
the refs have given lebron enough calls, i'm glad they didn't give him that one too.
I think Kerr told the refs, "look if you're going to allow the Cavs and Dellava-D-League to be physical on defense you have to give our guys the same courtesy" b/c the refs allowed them to be very physical.
I also think Lebron wanted cheap points b/c he's exhausted, the team was struggling (as was he) and he kept trying to get fouls called on incidental contact.
I also think Lebron wanted cheap points b/c he's exhausted, the team was struggling (as was he) and he kept trying to get fouls called on incidental contact.
Interesting. Well it's been years since I was able to be a really avid NBA fan. Haven't watched until the playoffs, and even then haven't been able to catch much of the previous series. If I had all that history I might've viewed it differently, but couldn't see anything 'fake' without that context.
One thing was clear, he wanted way more calls than he was going to get. He probably wanted to get treatment like the other famous #23. But I kind of wanted him to just suck it up and adjust his game.
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i don't have a dog in this fight except i don't like it when guys like Coach K or Lebron work the refs. but anytime as a fan you get invested in basketball, the refs will do something screwy.
As an FSU fan I hate it b/c our head basketball coach refuses to work the refs, it's like a pride thing. Working the refs is standard fair in the NBA though.
And just like that the dog days of summer are here.
The series started better than it ended. Lebron's rag tag supporting cast had played well enough to make it this far and take 2 of 3 to start the finals, but then crumbled.
Few thoughts:
The series started better than it ended. Lebron's rag tag supporting cast had played well enough to make it this far and take 2 of 3 to start the finals, but then crumbled.
Few thoughts:
- Lebron may have lit a fire under the Warriors with his "best player in the world" comment.
- Much like last year, 'best team' prevailed over best player.
- Still don't understand how Mike Miller and Shawn Marion didn't see more minutes
- Dellavedova flat our ran out of gas, his performance last night was evidence of this. Maybe his worst game of the playoffs.
- I would be shocked if Blatt came back for next season. Players looked disinterested in his calls in the huddle when the camera was in close. That footage of JR Smith at halftime was telling as well. http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015...during-david-blatts-halftime-speech-cavaliers
- I was not a believer that this Warriors team could ever win a title, but they sure proved me wrong. At some level the NBA has to like that "team basketball" is successful, rather than just megastars coming together. Hope the trend continues and this starts a resurgence in focusing on improved shooting rather than just dunking.
NBA players never look interested in what the coaches are saying. and JR Smith is a tool of epic proportions. I'd be surprised if Blatt isn't back. Who are they going to get that's a clear upgrade? They were a badly badly outmanned team. They are already the prohibitive favorite in Vegas for 2015-2016.
Aside from the last couple of minutes Smith disappeared for much of the finals. I be more surprised if he was back than if Blatt was.
I think if you gave Lebron one more healthy teammate the Cavs could have won the series. But running 80+% of their offense thru him was a sign that things were too far gone. It was a performance for the ages, but I'm not sure any of those other 4 will be regular starters next year.
I think it's ridiculous that Lebron only got 4 MVP votes. Iggy had a great series, but most valuable?
I think if you gave Lebron one more healthy teammate the Cavs could have won the series. But running 80+% of their offense thru him was a sign that things were too far gone. It was a performance for the ages, but I'm not sure any of those other 4 will be regular starters next year.
I think it's ridiculous that Lebron only got 4 MVP votes. Iggy had a great series, but most valuable?
Why? How is what Iggy did in this finals any different than what Kawhi Leonard did last year? Kawhi wasn't the most impressive player in last year's finals. Comparable numbers, guarding Lebron and on the winning team.
It's a fluff award anyway, makes no sense to me to give it to a player on the other team. The fact that Lebron got any votes at all is worth about as much as winning the award. I'm sure Lebron doesn't care because he didn't win the championship.
Overall MVP is one thing, but Final MVP should go to a player on the winning team.
Two wrongs don't make a right. If it's not really an award for the "most valuable player" then call it something else. Players from losing teams have won it in the past, so it's not unprecedented. If you took Iggy off the Warriors there is still a chance they won that series. If you took Lebron off the Cavs they lose in 4 by 40 points. Who was more valuable? It's not just this NBA finals, but in all recent major sports. This modern practice of only giving the MVP to a player from the winning team is silly. Recognize a great performance regardless of which team won.
ONE person has won on a losing team in the NBA before and that was Jerry West in 1969 pre-merger. That is not really a great precedence.
This is not new, happens all the time in other sports. A "stand out" guy that shined in the big game or finals is the one that gets the award. Typically in the NBA it's the best player on the winning team, but that's not the rule.
As further expanding on my statement above, I went back and looked at NBA, NFL, and MLB to see when the last time the losing team had the Finals/Superbowl/World Series MVP.
NBA: Jerry West - 1969 (first year that award was given)
MLB: Bobby Richardson - 1960
NFL: Chuck Howley - 1971
Most recent one on that list was 1971. This is not the same era anymore. Have a problem with the name, fine. But that doesn't mean Lebron should have won that award. Again, it's a meaningless piece of hardware anyways. It's like the cars they give out to winning players. Those get given to lower paid players or family eventually anyway. If it isn't a ring or NBA MVP, doubt Lebron will give it a second thought anyways. Everyone knows how well he played. Giving this award is a worthless consolation.
NBA: Jerry West - 1969 (first year that award was given)
MLB: Bobby Richardson - 1960
NFL: Chuck Howley - 1971
Most recent one on that list was 1971. This is not the same era anymore. Have a problem with the name, fine. But that doesn't mean Lebron should have won that award. Again, it's a meaningless piece of hardware anyways. It's like the cars they give out to winning players. Those get given to lower paid players or family eventually anyway. If it isn't a ring or NBA MVP, doubt Lebron will give it a second thought anyways. Everyone knows how well he played. Giving this award is a worthless consolation.
Willie Reid won the MVP against Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
I always wondered how weird it must have felt being up there with a bunch of Penn State players and getting the MVP trophy from a losing team that's in the locker room.
Not really significant in regards to the NBA Finals MVP, just popped into my head.
I always wondered how weird it must have felt being up there with a bunch of Penn State players and getting the MVP trophy from a losing team that's in the locker room.
Not really significant in regards to the NBA Finals MVP, just popped into my head.
Lebron had to push it to 7 games to win MVP. Losing 4-2 is just too much. Settling for jumpers down the stretch last night was not so great either.
I wasn't a believer either, but man that team was just so clutch. Great offensive flow and solid defense that played well and was downright dominant against every team they played at times. And it was nice seeing others step up when Curry and Thompson struggled at points during the WCF and NBA Finals. Credit to Steve Kerr as well for knowing when to make changes and for letting that team play through tough stretches and not over-thinking things like he could have.
Imho everyone is overthinking this mvp finals voting.
The media votes, they have decided in americsn sports they like best player on winning team to get awards in this day and age. Theres no great philosophy they just do it because theyve been doing it. If fans or GMs or othet players voted then finals like this in any sport would go to best player regardless of winning team. As hundreds of athletes coaches and GMs have said this week. Media has their own definition.
The media votes, they have decided in americsn sports they like best player on winning team to get awards in this day and age. Theres no great philosophy they just do it because theyve been doing it. If fans or GMs or othet players voted then finals like this in any sport would go to best player regardless of winning team. As hundreds of athletes coaches and GMs have said this week. Media has their own definition.
I'd had a brief breakdown of the teams in the week leading up to the finals with CBlunt. I was telling him it's very possible the outcome could hinge on coaching: Kerr vs Blatt. Kerr made great adjustments, switching to small ball and knocking the Cavs out of their comfort zone. Before they did that, every game came down to the wire. Once they made the switch, the margin of victory moved to double digits (went from 5 pts to 15 pts avg margin of victory).
Kerr was always one of those high IQ players that just seemed like a natural fit for a coaching or front office/GM position in the NBA. This season he also got really lucky to inherit a team on the brink.
