2015-16 NBA Eastern Conference OFFICIAL THREAD

[WiggyRuss]

Agreed.

That's how I remember the debate going as well.

Paying $200 mil for 2 guys playing the same position is full on tard.

But, we knew they had to so the King could have his.court.

well its ignorant to think that way because when you say "play the same position" you are basically saying the two are redundant- when the facts are simply 100% the opposite.

Love and Thompson's skill sets COMPLIMENT eachother EXTREMELY well as you could see. If Thompson was a stretch 4 that shot a ton- YAH that might be redundant

but as we have seen- and as anyone that actually pays attention KNEW a long time ago- Thompson and Love each have aspects of their game that make them playing TOGETHER work EXTREMELY well. Thats why the concern of spending so much money on "the same position" was just incredibly ignorant- and has obviously proven to be so.

 

[trojanfan12]

If the Cavs do make the Finals, JR might just be the biggest x factor of the series. If the Cavs were to get the JR that we've seen over the last few weeks in the Finals... I would feel extremely confident about the Cavs chances. If they get the JR from last years Finals on the other hand... the task of beating the Spurs or Dubs 4 times feels a lot more monumental.

Agree that JR is playing better, but if I'm a Cavs fan, I'm nervously waiting for him to go JR again. We've seen quite a few times over his career where he plays well and is a good citizen for stretches, people get excited and then he slips again. Didn't he even do that with the Cavs after they got him last year?

As Mecca pointed out, he's been in the league 10 years, maybe he finally gets it. This is also the best team he's ever been on, which I'm sure helps as well. Winning has a way of helping a guys 'tude.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

82/5 = 16 million a year about.

In today's NBA- given the rising cap- and Thompsons skill set- that is not bad AT ALL. DeMarre Carroll just got 15 a year. Valuncuinas 16 a year, Kanter 18 a year, etc. etc. etc.

Thompson has a GREAT work ethic
Thompson is NEVER hurt and always plays
Thomspon NEVER complains and is a GREAT teammate
Thompson is one of the best rebounders in the NBA
Thompson might be the BEST offensive rebounder in the league
Thompson has become very good at rolling to the basket and finishing
Thompson is one of the VERY best bigs in the league at switching the pick and roll- which is EXTREMELY important in todays NBA
Thompson proved that he can perform when the pressure is on in the playoffs

WELL worth 16 a year- ESPECIALLY when compared to others

Glad yo mentioned Kanter.

How dumb does his contract look vs. The minutes he plays?

He Damn near gets $1 mil for every minute he plays.

20mpg.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

well its ignorant to think that way because when you say "play the same position" you are basically saying the two are redundant- when the facts are simply 100% the opposite.

Love and Thompson's skill sets COMPLIMENT eachother EXTREMELY well as you could see. If Thompson was a stretch 4 that shot a ton- YAH that might be redundant

but as we have seen- and as anyone that actually pays attention KNEW a long time ago- Thompson and Love each have aspects of their game that make them playing TOGETHER work EXTREMELY well. Thats why the concern of spending so much money on "the same position" was just incredibly ignorant- and has obviously proven to be so.

I'm sorry, are they both not power forwards?

Don't be obtuse.

Tristan is playing out of position.

Luckily, plodding center as are going the way of the dodo bird.

So, you can get away with it.

 

[trojanfan12]

who has signed lately in the free agent market that can do what Tristan can? Cmon...BACK IT UP (lol)....

its seriously like you dont even read the posts. All the comps (comparative players) that have gone to free agency lately have gotten similar- if not bigger contracts. This is just plain fact.

What the fuck are you even talking about with this shit? TT got more than he was worth. He got what he got from the Cavs because no one else was giving him the money the Cavs had to give him. Your desperate attempts to try and make yourself look good are getting more transparent and laughable with every post you make.

You are literally making shit up at this point.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Agree that JR is playing better, but if I'm a Cavs fan, I'm nervously waiting for him to go JR again. We've seen quite a few times over his career where he plays well and is a good citizen for stretches, people get excited and then he slips again. Didn't he even do that with the Cavs after they got him last year?

As Mecca pointed out, he's been in the league 10 years, maybe he finally gets it. This is also the best team he's ever been on, which I'm sure helps as well. Winning has a way of helping a guys 'tude.

ohhh....i mean

we saw how JR Smith was AMAZING -and definitely the 2nd best player on the court- on EITHER team- in the Eastern Conference Finals. Did he win MVP of that series or did LeBron? LeBron probably did- but JR was AMAZING----but then in the Finals we saw JR really really struggle big time.

To me this just proves what I have been saying all along. Jr Smith is NOT a #2 and probably not a #3. If you expect him to be- you will be dissapointed at some point. Like the Hawks series- he can do well for a while- but over the long haul- you *CANT trust JR Smith to be one of your best 3 guys.

However, when you have LeBron and KI and Love playing- and Thompson cleaning up the boards , and all that spacing- Jr Smith can absolutely be a DEVASTATING option as your 4th or 5th or 6th best guy.

Like i said the other day-

NO ONE IN THE EAST HAS MADE MORE 3's than JR SMITH since he joined the Cavs. NO ONE. Thats damn impressive - and AGAIN- vindicates me and proves all the people WRONG who insisted Smith was a cancer that the Cavs were forced to take.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

If the Cavs do make the Finals, JR might just be the biggest x factor of the series. If the Cavs were to get the JR that we've seen over the last few weeks in the Finals... I would feel extremely confident about the Cavs chances. If they get the JR from last years Finals on the other hand... the task of beating the Spurs or Dubs 4 times feels a lot more monumental.

Yeah, he could go all Danny Green for the Cavs in the Post Season.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I'm sorry, are they both not power forwards?

Don't be obtuse.

Tristan is playing out of position.

Luckily, plodding center as are going the way of the dodo bird.

So, you can get away with it.

no. hes not. In todays NBA- a center that can be versatile and switch is AMAZING to have.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, they have some Clipperesque type shit going on in Zoo York.

Fun fact of the day:

Since Brook Lopez was drafted in 2009, The Nets have had 7 different head coaches.

Wow. 7 coaches since 2009. That's crazy. That makes the Donald Sterling Clippers look as stable as the Spurs.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

no. hes not. In todays NBA- a center that can be versatile and switch is AMAZING to have.

He's not what?

He's not a pf?

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

who has signed lately in the free agent market that can do what Tristan can? Cmon...BACK IT UP (lol)....

its seriously like you dont even read the posts. All the comps (comparative players) that have gone to free agency lately have gotten similar- if not bigger contracts. This is just plain fact.

Uh...off the top of my head...Ed Davis?

 

[trojanfan12]

Agreed.

That's how I remember the debate going as well.

Paying $200 mil for 2 guys playing the same position is full on tard.

But, we knew they had to so the King could have his.court.

Exactly. The whole reason that TT's contract negotiation lasted as long as it did was because the Cavs didn't want to pay him that money and were no doubt looking for cheaper alternatives. No way they wanted to put that much money into 2 power forwards.

 

[WiggyRuss]

He's not what?

He's not a pf?

i mean- this is DEFINTELY not the first time he has started at center. HE started at center quite a bit for the Cavs pre-Bron's return.

and if you cant tell that Thompson and Love have skill sets that are extremely different i dont know what to tell you. I mean- is that hard to see?

I can without a doubt see if the Cavs had Kevin Love- and then traded for and gave Ryan Anderson a ton of money- that would create a log jam and some serious problems. Having 2 offensive focused guys that are weaker defenders and need shots would be REDUNDANT.

Love and Thompson though? Besides rebounding- where both are EXTREMELY elite players- they do things extremely differently. Love of course is one of the best offensive players in the NBA- and is GREAT at both posting up, shooting the ball---- as well as passing the ball etc.

Thompson?- GREAT at rebounding just like Love- but he is a GREAT finisher on the pick and roll (him and Delly have connected for the most alley-oops in the league outside Lob City I believe), can switch on defense as good as any big man in the league, does not need the ball, has a crazy motor and is never hurt.




I mean- is it difficult to see that these 2 skill sets COMPLIMENT eachother rather than overlap eachother? These 2 guys make eachother BETTER when they play together. Thats why it was so freaking ignorant and stupid for people to just COMPLETELY ignore nuance and say- HEY- PF, PF- What is going on here?! That just shows a lack of intelligence and ability to see beyond a label that is not even really that accurate in todays modern NBA.

 

[trojanfan12]

ohhh....i mean

we saw how JR Smith was AMAZING -and definitely the 2nd best player on the court- on EITHER team- in the Eastern Conference Finals. Did he win MVP of that series or did LeBron? LeBron probably did- but JR was AMAZING----but then in the Finals we saw JR really really struggle big time.

To me this just proves what I have been saying all along. Jr Smith is NOT a #2 and probably not a #3. If you expect him to be- you will be dissapointed at some point. Like the Hawks series- he can do well for a while- but over the long haul- you *CANT trust JR Smith to be one of your best 3 guys.

However, when you have LeBron and KI and Love playing- and Thompson cleaning up the boards , and all that spacing- Jr Smith can absolutely be a DEVASTATING option as your 4th or 5th or 6th best guy.

Like i said the other day-

NO ONE IN THE EAST HAS MADE MORE 3's than JR SMITH since he joined the Cavs. NO ONE. Thats damn impressive - and AGAIN- vindicates me and proves all the people WRONG who insisted Smith was a cancer that the Cavs were forced to take.

Totally agree. He kind of reminds me of Lamar Odom when the Lakers were winning titles. Odom had the talent to be a #1 or #2 option (like JR does), he just didn't have what it took mentally and emotionally. However, as the Lakers #3 or #4 option, he made the difference in a lot of games and I'm not sure the Lakers would have been as successful without him.

 

[trojanfan12]

i mean- this is DEFINTELY not the first time he has started at center. HE started at center quite a bit for the Cavs pre-Bron's return.

and if you cant tell that Thompson and Love have skill sets that are extremely different i dont know what to tell you. I mean- is that hard to see?

I can without a doubt see if the Cavs had Kevin Love- and then traded for and gave Ryan Anderson a ton of money- that would create a log jam and some serious problems. Having 2 offensive focused guys that are weaker defenders and need shots would be REDUNDANT.

Love and Thompson though? Besides rebounding- where both are EXTREMELY elite players- they do things extremely differently. Love of course is one of the best offensive players in the NBA- and is GREAT at both posting up, shooting the ball---- as well as passing the ball etc.

Thompson?- GREAT at rebounding just like Love- but he is a GREAT finisher on the pick and roll (him and Delly have connected for the most alley-oops in the league outside Lob City I believe), can switch on defense as good as any big man in the league, does not need the ball, has a crazy motor and is never hurt.




I mean- is it difficult to see that these 2 skill sets COMPLIMENT eachother rather than overlap eachother? These 2 guys make eachother BETTER when they play together. Thats why it was so freaking ignorant and stupid for people to just COMPLETELY ignore nuance and say- HEY- PF, PF- What is going on here?! That just shows a lack of intelligence and ability to see beyond a label that is not even really that accurate in todays modern NBA.

Just because a guy can play center at times, doesn't mean it's going to work long term. Heck, the Lakers have used Bass at center a good bit and for the most part, he's done fairly well, especially against some of the lesser talented guys. However, guys like Aldridge, Gasol, Boogie, etc. kicked his ass.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

i mean- this is DEFINTELY not the first time he has started at center. HE started at center quite a bit for the Cavs pre-Bron's return.

and if you cant tell that Thompson and Love have skill sets that are extremely different i dont know what to tell you. I mean- is that hard to see?

I can without a doubt see if the Cavs had Kevin Love- and then traded for and gave Ryan Anderson a ton of money- that would create a log jam and some serious problems. Having 2 offensive focused guys that are weaker defenders and need shots would be REDUNDANT.

Love and Thompson though? Besides rebounding- where both are EXTREMELY elite players- they do things extremely differently. Love of course is one of the best offensive players in the NBA- and is GREAT at both posting up, shooting the ball---- as well as passing the ball etc.

Thompson?- GREAT at rebounding just like Love- but he is a GREAT finisher on the pick and roll (him and Delly have connected for the most alley-oops in the league outside Lob City I believe), can switch on defense as good as any big man in the league, does not need the ball, has a crazy motor and is never hurt.




I mean- is it difficult to see that these 2 skill sets COMPLIMENT eachother rather than overlap eachother? These 2 guys make eachother BETTER when they play together. Thats why it was so freaking ignorant and stupid for people to just COMPLETELY ignore nuance and say- HEY- PF, PF- What is going on here?! That just shows a lack of intelligence and ability to see beyond a label that is not even really that accurate in todays modern NBA.

You keep rearranging the truth instead of conceding the point that you are wrong.

Tristan can play center in this small ball era, yes.

But, despite all the passive aggressive retorts about ignorance, they play the same position.

Tristan is not elite.

His numbers are not much better than Ed Davis or Bismack Biyombo.

No Team outside the Cavs would have given him that contract.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Just because a guy can play center at times, doesn't mean it's going to work long term. Heck, the Lakers have used Bass at center a good bit and for the most part, he's done fairly well, especially against some of the lesser talented guys. However, guys like Aldridge, Gasol, Boogie, etc. kicked his ass.

Thompson is absolutely the type of guy that CAN make it work- ESPECIALLY in todays NBA....

15-20 years ago playing a 6'10" guy at center would be a problem....today---having a 6' 10" center that IS so damn fast and mobile like Thompson- that can switch onto a guard and play them solidily in a big and roll situation is basically the KEY to a good defense in todays NBA where the pick and roll and spacing is everything.

Sure- when you get against a Cousins or Marc Gasol there might be issues- but how many guys are like that in the whole NBA? A guy like Aldridge that is mostly a mid-range guy Thompson can DEFINITELY cover. For a team like Golden State? having a center like Thompson i believe is a HUGE advantage- especially when they go with their most devastating lineup with Draymond at center.

Who in the NBA that the Cavs would face in the East or the Finals even has a center that would cause Thompson to be moved out of that position? Im trying to think- and i really cant think of it----DeAndre Jordan is one if the Clips could make the Finals....other than that? Who is out there on a team the Cavs are competing with that would force the Cavs to move Thompson off the center position? I cant name one- which to me- totally proves he is more than capable of playing the position well.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i just think its hilarious that SOOOOO many people this summer said it was dumb to sign Thompson- that Love and Thompson were redundant, BLAH BLAH BLAH

and the FACTS and STATISTICS show that they play EXTREMELY well together- ESPECIALLY defensively- where the Cavs have the 4th rated defense in the league when those 2 share the court...lol.....its just soo funny...all this crap- the Cavs dont have a good enough defense with Love?!! remember that? Well?- EASILY a top 10 defense - and right now I believe they are top 3 in defensive efficiency.....Thompson and Love cant play together? HAHA....sooooo funny...its just great how time had vindicated me in so many of these debates.

The original debate included both Mozgov and Andy being productive, which they haven't been.
If they don't become, your depth comes from where?

Thing is, you can mix and match any of those guys against most teams and still be ok.
You can't against the Spurs or Warriors in a 7 game series and if you can't win a 7 game series against either of those teams, then you can win every game until that point and your seasons still a bust.

 

[WiggyRuss]

The original debate included both Mozgov and Andy being productive, which they haven't been.
If they don't become, your depth comes from where?

Thing is, you can mix and match any of those guys against most teams and still be ok.
You can't against the Spurs or Warriors in a 7 game series and if you can't win a 7 game series against either of those teams, then you can win every game until that point and your seasons still a bust.

why cant you mix and match those guys against hte Spurs and Warriors? I think the Cavs front court matches up EXTREMELY well with both of those teams.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Just because a guy can play center at times, doesn't mean it's going to work long term. Heck, the Lakers have used Bass at center a good bit and for the most part, he's done fairly well, especially against some of the lesser talented guys. However, guys like Aldridge, Gasol, Boogie, etc. kicked his ass.

He doesn't want to get it.

By his logic, Draymond Green is a Center too since he played that position in the finals.