NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavs VS Golden State Warriors

[OutlawImmortal]

I certainly agree with don't believe everything you read, but I've read 2 articles so far saying James enrolled his kids in the LA school district.
Fact is he bought a 23M home there.


Could we soon see @ChiefsLakers67 sporting that James jersey?

I hate the guy but I'd take him on my team and deal with it. The Cavs aren't as good as the Warriors and LBJ managed to elevate them enough. 2 straight 40 point games to help force Game 7. This series was without a doubt LeBron's career highlight thus far.

 

[LAD]

Holy run-on sentences, Batman!

But yeah, he wrote that letter for SI all by himself.

Well he is a crack baby that skipped college...

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Now we know a few other reason$ why the NBA wanted their game 7 so badly....

Game 7 most heavily bet NBA game ever

Game 7 drew best ratings since MJ's last Finals

Spoiler

I'm just kidding of course...

Spoiler

Or am I ??

But seriously...it does provide a certain amount of food for thought, does it not?

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

The Warriors were the best offensive team in the NBA, averaging 115 points per game during the regular season. Then they averaged 110 in the first round of the playoffs, 119 in the Western Semis, and 106 in the Western Finals. In seventeen playoff games, they were held to fewer that 100 points in only three games.

So, your prediction that the Cavs' defense would hold the Warriors to less than 100 in every game seemed outlandish. As fate would have it, the Warriors would put up 100+ in games 1, 2, 4 and 6, so you were a little over zealous with the whole "EVERY game" bit.

HOWEVER! The Warriors averaged fewer than 100 points per game in The Finals (less than 95 in games 3 through 7)! So the Cavs defense was able to hold the Warriors to 15 points fewer than their regular season opponents, and 12 points under their Western playoff opponents.

In 99 regular season and playoff games prior to The Finals, the Warriors were held to fewer than 100 points in only 10 games. The Cavs did it in three of seven.

Anyway, it's a good thing we've got basketball geniuses like @TurnUpTheHeat around here to teach us that the Cavs defense wasn't really that great in The Finals, otherwise, we might look at the well-documented statistical history of the series and think otherwise.

@TurnUpTheHeat owned by slinky

Just further proves that Slinky doesn't watch/know basketball as he's admitted and Wiggy is a troll.

Who watched those games thinking they were seeing great D?

Who watched the games thinking WTF kind of rushed, horrible % shots are the Warriors taking and by whom?

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I hate the guy but I'd take him on my team and deal with it. The Cavs aren't as good as the Warriors and LBJ managed to elevate them enough. 2 straight 40 point games to help force Game 7. This series was without a doubt LeBron's career highlight thus far.

You guys just dealt with a couple horrible years of a not even max Kobe contract.
Have you seen the projected numbers of the '17 super max?
Father Time always wins.
Despite James stepping it up a gear in the Finals, he's overall in decline mode.

Gilberts gamble cashed in already.
You can only break the curse once.
Would it be crazy to think that he wouldn't even want James around much longer?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Just further proves that Slinky doesn't watch/know basketball as he's admitted and Wiggy is a troll.

Who watched those games thinking they were seeing great D?

Who watched the games thinking WTF kind of rushed, horrible % shots are the Warriors taking and by whom?

So, what do you suppose it was that made the Warriors, the best offensive team in basketball, take all those horrible % shots? Certainly, if the Cavs defense was nothing special, there were plenty of good % shots to take. What was it that, when given the choice, made them opt for the low percentage shots during the course of five games?

 

[gordontrue]

Some people have a hard time giving props when due.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

So, what do you suppose it was that made the Warriors, the best offensive team in basketball, take all those horrible % shots? Certainly, if the Cavs defense was nothing special, there were plenty of good % shots to take. What was it that, when given the choice, made them opt for the low percentage shots during the course of five games?

Again, you've stated you don't watch the NBA, right?

How many Warriors games did you watch this season before the Finals?

To answer your questions though.

1. I have no idea why there was little ball movement, few pick and rolls, and so many lazy passes. I questioned it during the series.

2. Warriors usually make a much higher % of the low % shots. My best guess is that they were confident that they would heat up.

Them missing was mostly just that.
Be happy they did miss, be happy the Cavs played smarter, be happy the Cavs won, but stop with the Cavs played some great D.

 

[Across The Field]

In addition to the comments about Miami, wearing the Ultimate Warriors shirt is pretty classless. Not surprising at all. Lebron and Class never will be in the same sentence

Lebron does more humanitarian work in a month than you'll ever do in your entire life. Some friendly ribbing with a t-shirt is just that. Grow up already.

 

[tlance]

Just further proves that Slinky doesn't watch/know basketball as he's admitted and Wiggy is a troll.

Who watched those games thinking they were seeing great D?

Who watched the games thinking WTF kind of rushed, horrible % shots are the Warriors taking and by whom?

To be fair, I think it was both.

The Warriors offense was horrendous in terms of ball movement and shot selection. I think the Cavs defense was much better than anybody thought it could be. Partly because Irving and Smith really stepped up, partly because Love was marginalized by Lue, partly because Kerr played Ezeli and Varajao way too much.

 

[gordontrue]

Cavs played some great D

They really did. They really, really did.

 

[gordontrue]

This reminds me of that time skip bayless tried telling Mark Cuban that the mavs defense had nothing to do with the heats offensive struggles.

Mark Cuban Owns Skip Bayless!

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Some people have a hard time giving props when due.

Not true.
James was the difference in the series.
It's unheard of for a player to lead both teams in every major statistical category.

Others here blamed the refs, conspiracy league theories, suspensions, injuries, etc.. vs just giving the Cavs credit as I have.

Giving them credit can still include saying that neither team played that great.

Cavs played great enough to win though, which at the end of the series is all that matters.

 

[gordontrue]

Not true.
James was the difference in the series.
It's unheard of for a player to lead both teams in every major statistical category.

Others here blamed the refs, conspiracy league theories, suspensions, injuries, etc.. vs just giving the Cavs credit as I have.

Giving them credit can still include saying that neither team played that great.

Cavs played great enough to win though, which at the end of the series is all that matters.

That's true. I disagree with your view of the defense, but what you said here is true.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

To be fair, I think it was both.

The Warriors offense was horrendous in terms of ball movement and shot selection. I think the Cavs defense was much better than anybody thought it could be. Partly because Irving and Smith really stepped up, partly because Love was marginalized by Lue, partly because Kerr played Ezeli and Varajao way too much.

They really did. They really, really did.

Horrendous ball movement and shot selection usually equates to bad results.
I never said the Cavs D sucked. They did some good things.
My opinion though, after watching all 7 games is that the overall Cavs D was nothing special.
The Warriors offense we saw was a substantial drop off from the one that won 73 regular season games.
It's a make or miss game. They were all missing shots they had been making.

 

[WiggyRuss]

LeBron really might see Kyrie as the key to staying young and competing deep into the playoffs well into the future.

Kyrie is only 24 and NEVER has LeBron gotten such brilliant help from a teammate. From his insane game 5 performance to the game winner in game 7- an all-time iconic Finals moment is now Kyrie putting Curry on skates and rising up and draining the 3 to smash the curse.

I cant see where LeBron would find in the entire NBA a great young player like Kyrie to help him in the next phase of his career.

We all got a huge reminder of LeBron's basketball genius and ability to see potential greatness with how Kyrie performed in these Finals---- any other year Kyrie would have gotten plenty of MVP consideration.

 

[bksballer89]

Cavs should trade Love in the offseason

 

[Across The Field]

1. I have no idea

The only part of your rant that has any merit whatsoever.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Cavs should trade Love in the offseason

why?

 

[Across The Field]

Cavs should trade Love in the offseason

Only trade I could see that would actually benefit the Cavs (and would be realistic) would be in a deal with LAC for Griffin. Rivers is a huge fan of Love's, and Griffin on Cleveland would be scary. Plus it's not much of a secret LAC wants Griffin out.