Cavs Super Team or Beneficiary of Weak EC?

[trojanfan12]

Yeah you're right but Houston can push them to 6 or possibly 7. Cleveland defense isn't the greatest. Houston put up some stinkers against the Spurs but that was against a top 2 defense

Not to mention, you give Pop the opportunity to face the same team for at least 4 straight games, he's going to come up with something to make things difficult for the opponent.

 

[RobToxin]

To answer the question, I am going to say it is a little bit of both.

If you remove Cleveland from the East and replace them with the Rockets or Spurs, I think those two teams could also win the East.

However, if you swapped Golden State and Cleveland and had the Warriors play the East and the Cavs play the West....

I think we would still have those same two teams in the Finals.

So, while there may be two or three West teams that could do close to what Cleveland did in the East....

Golden State and Cleveland are still the two best teams.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Not to mention, you give Pop the opportunity to face the same team for at least 4 straight games, he's going to come up with something to make things difficult for the opponent.

Yeah, Pop is certainly the X factor in any series...I still would have loved to see that series if Leonard doesnt go down and they steal that first game

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, Pop is certainly the X factor in any series...I still would have loved to see that series if Leonard doesnt go down and they steal that first game

Agree. I think it would have gone at least 6 and maybe 7 games. I wouldn't want to bet against Pop in a game 7.

 

[flyerhawk]

Those 10 teams didn't have an owner that Lebron could control. Part of the reason he left Miami was the Heat wouldn't cede to all of his demands.

Also, it was never that far from certain that they would get Love. The actual trade was held up because the Wolves were trying to get more for Love and the contracts had to be done a certain way. There were never more than 2 teams in the running for him and the 2nd team (I think it was the Warriors offering Klay) pulled out when Jerry West told the Warriors not to do it.

I agree that if not for the history, Lebron likely doesn't go back, but that was just the icing on the cake when you consider the level of control he was given. The Cavs were basically a perfect storm situation. They had Kyrie who was being called a young D-Wade, a solid guy in TT, an owner that was willing to hand over his franchise and the opportunity to repair a huge hit to his legacy. Imo, going back to Cleveland was the smartest thing for him to do at the time.

But you could almost certainly make the same argument regardless of the team he went to play for.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

KAWAHI is a Lebron stopper (only play LBJ admits its about) which really makes things tough for CLE.
The Spurs are 13-5 versus Lebron in playoff games.
The Spurs would have had home court advantage.
The Spurs are 2-0 versus Cleveland this season.
The SPURS have been a bad matchup nightmare for Lebron ever since he first got a taste in 2007.

It is silly to suggest that Cleveland beats them easily when all the evidence sort of point to the opposite.

SA is a team that relies on matchups. They are not as versatile as other great teams, but they can exploit favorable matchups like CLE or HOU. They struggle versus poor matchups like the Clippers and Thunder.

The Cavs destroy Houston however. That is a great matchup for Cleveland.

 

[trojanfan12]

But you could almost certainly make the same argument regardless of the team he went to play for.

For the most part yes, you could. I've said before, you drop Lebron onto last years Lakers and they're at least a 2nd round playoff team. He's that good.

However, I don't think there were any other owners that would give him the level of control that Gilbert gives him. Which, combined with fixing his legacy, probably tipped the scales in the Cavs favor.

 

[flyerhawk]

For the most part yes, you could. I've said before, you drop Lebron onto last years Lakers and they're at least a 2nd round playoff team. He's that good.

However, I don't think there were any other owners that would give him the level of control that Gilbert gives him. Which, combined with fixing his legacy, probably tipped the scales in the Cavs favor.

I dunno. Maybe. I think there are more than a few GMs that would have done just about anything to get Lebron James.

 

[trojanfan12]

I dunno. Maybe. I think there are more than a few GMs that would have done just about anything to get Lebron James.

Probably. But the level of control Lebron has comes from the owner. Even if there were a couple of owners willing to give him that level of control, him being from the Cleveland area made going back to Cleveland too good to pass up. Without the other nonsense that came along with it...him returning to Cleveland really is a great story.

 

[WiggyRuss]

i really dont care if people cal lthe Cavs a super team

but please dont knock Kyrie as not being a top 5 PG- and Love as not a top 25 player--- and then call them a super team

thats just being a straight up dumb fuck.

 

[Black Adam]

i really dont care if people cal lthe Cavs a super team

but please dont knock Kyrie as not being a top 5 PG- and Love as not a top 25 player--- and then call them a super team

thats just being a straight up dumb fuck.

Translation:"don't call the Cavs a superteam. we're gonna need that excuse once the Dubs wipe the floor with us"-WiggyRuss

 

[Wamu]

Translation:"don't call the Cavs a superteam. we're gonna need that excuse once the Dubs wipe the floor with us"-WiggyRuss

Stop stalking wiggy!

 

[Black Adam]

I mean, it's been explained multiple times. you'd think surely ONE of those explanations should've sunk in...

 

[Black Adam]

Stop stalking wiggy!

lol is that what i'm doing? let the bitch put me on ignore then. he's done it before, y'know...

 

[WiggyRuss]

Stop stalking wiggy!

oh God is the nut hunter still chasin me? no wonder he is such a draymond fan. lol. gotta say---- its REALLY weird having a grown man obsessed with me like that--- down right creepy.

 

[Black Adam]

oh God is the nut hunter still chasin me? no wonder he is such a draymond fan. lol. gotta say---- its REALLY weird having a grown man obsessed with me like that--- down right creepy.

whatever lie you wanna tell yourself. but I got a wife. PLEASE do away with your sick delusion...

it's kinda creepy...

 

[SJ76]

both. East has sucked for like 8 years now and Cavs are a super team. Now GS took it to the next level but overall yes they are.

This ^

And how in the hell did the Bulls beat the Cavs in all 4 games this year? Was it a stacked east?

 

[SJ76]

Let me throw a wrench in this...


Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Ray Ray

Or

Curry, Durant, Klay, Dray

 

[shopson67]

Cavs aren't a super team, not by a long shot. They are a strong team, but c'mon.

Regardless I voted burger and potato salad. Company picnic starts in about an hour...getting hungry!