Series Thread: 1) Toronto Raptors vs 4) Cleveland Cavs

[DJ]

made it rather drunk late last night/early this AM in paint lol

I thought my writing sucked. Yours is really bad.

Hope you have a secretary that just requires your signature.

 

[DJ]

Nah.

He will be just fine next season.

Until he meets up with LeBron in the playoffs again.

Raps won't make the Finals.

James will be on the Lakers.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

He's under contract, dumb ass.

So was Kyrie, and many others.
Whatever the case, the Raptors need to break that core up.
Its only going to go downhill.
Their window to advance is gone( and so is most of my v cash).

 

[LogicMan]

will someone put a body on Love? Please ?

 

[DJ]

I guess why people see it differently between LeBron's all-star teams in Miami and with Kyrie/Love in Cleveland and MJ's all-star Bulls team is....

besides Rodman, Pippen was a grown All-Star in Chicago with Jordan. It wasn't like Jordan left a team to go join other all-stars, and than came back to Chicago after rodman had been acquired and Pippen grew to be an all-star.

Jordan was in Chicago from the beginning, Pippen grew to be an all-star WITH Jordan, and Rodman was acquired. And in the end, even though Pip and Rodman were all-stars, they still didn't get it done without Jordan.

The Bulls exceeded expectations by far when MJ went to play baseball....

 

[tlance]

Raps won't make the Finals.

James will be on the Lakers.

You never know.

If LeBrkn goes West, they could theoretically beat everyone else. They don't have a mental block against the Celtics. The Celtics will be better, but a series win against them would probably be more likely than against any LeBron team.

 

[GNG]

James will be on the Lakers.

 

[DJ]

You never know.

If LeBrkn goes West, they could theoretically beat everyone else. They don't have a mental block against the Celtics. The Celtics will be better, but a series win against them would probably be more likely than against any LeBron team.

Boston and Philly (they'll get some veteran this summer) are better equipped IMO to be the EC threat once James leaves Cleveland.

 

[tlance]

Boston and Philly (they'll get some veteran this summer) are better equipped IMO to be the EC threat once James leaves Cleveland.

I agree.

 

[DorianRo]

Boston and Philly (they'll get some veteran this summer) are better equipped IMO to be the EC threat once James leaves Cleveland.

The Celtics just need to stay healthy. They are an easy finals appearance this year if they were at full strength. LeBron or no LeBron. Cavs LUCKED Out with that one this year

 

[lebron23james]

I guess why people see it differently between LeBron's all-star teams in Miami and with Kyrie/Love in Cleveland and MJ's all-star Bulls team is....

besides Rodman, Pippen was a grown All-Star in Chicago with Jordan. It wasn't like Jordan left a team to go join other all-stars, and than came back to Chicago after rodman had been acquired and Pippen grew to be an all-star.

Jordan was in Chicago from the beginning, Pippen grew to be an all-star WITH Jordan, and Rodman was acquired. And in the end, even though Pip and Rodman were all-stars, they still didn't get it done without Jordan.

There was no Pippen walking in the door tho in lebrons first stint with the cavs...Jordan was 1-9 without pippen in the playoffs. Lebron's 2 teams (mia, cle) he's played recently are equivalent to what jordan had in Chicago and he has won 3 rings and 3 finals mvp. The team he has now is not equivalent. Jordan had much easier finals competition and that is why he has 6 and lebron had 3. It's not like Jordan really did anything better than lebron. They scored close to the same, lebron shoots a higher fg and 3pt%, gets more assists, rebounds, blocks, steals, etc...This mainly came down to luck of the era. Jordan didn't have the same level of finals competition. Karl Malone and stockton are no Durant, Curry, Thomspon and Green 73 winning team at the end of the day.

Winning rings comes down to luck almost. Lebron could have had 8 rings or 0 rings. Jordan with no Pippen probably has 0 rings...It's basically how good your team is and what is the competition. An individual can only impact a teams success to a certain extent. For example, Anthony Davis is probably better than Durant , but he doesn't have the same level of players around him so he will lose...Simple as that

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

The Celtics just need to stay healthy. They are an easy finals appearance this year if they were at full strength. LeBron or no LeBron. Cavs LUCKED Out with that one this year

LeBron being healthy and Kyrie injured isn't luck, it's pretty much expected.

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[trojanfan12]

The player that I didn't care for when he played but as time has gone on have grown a great amount of respect for is Larry Bird. Going back and watching some of his games in college and the NBA I'm amazed at the things he did and the way he saw the game before it happened.

Yeah, as a Lakers fan, I hated Bird during the 80's. But I also respected the hell out of him.

Now, since he retired and I read and heard what great friends he and Magic became and heard the stories the 2 of them have told over the years...he's become one of my all-time favorite non-Lakers players.

And he was Celtic!!

 

[LogicMan]

Yeah, as a Lakers fan, I hated Bird during the 80's. But I also respected the hell out of him.

Now, since he retired and I read and heard what great friends he and Magic became and heard the stories the 2 of them have told over the years...he's become one of my all-time favorite non-Lakers players.

And he was Celtic!!

i just think that wasa special and unique moment in the nba. from college into the pros, they were linked. it was just inevitable that it would play out the way it did. can we think of any other college to pro rivalry like how that played out?

 

[trojanfan12]

i just think that wasa special and unique moment in the nba. from college into the pros, they were linked. it was just inevitable that it would play out the way it did. can we think of any other college to pro rivalry like how that played out?

I can't. It was also fitting that they each went to the leagues most storied rivalry and they were each perfect fits for the cities/teams they went to.

Each would have been very successful if they reversed which teams they went to, but the fit wouldn't have been as good.

 

[LogicMan]

I can't. It was also fitting that they each went to the leagues most storied rivalry and they were each perfect fits for the cities/teams they went to.

Each would have been very successful if they reversed which teams they went to, but the fit wouldn't have been as good.

actually i dont think it would have mattered. each player immediately was thrown and excelled in the playoffs their rookie years.

Here at the other two that fit the narrative

Jabbar vs Hayes
Ewing vs Olajuwan

 

[PIBuckeye]

That's the best "deer in the headlights" look I've ever seen.....

 

[WiggyRuss]

That's the best "deer in the headlights" look I've ever seen.....

lets hope we see it again tonight.

3-0.

This has been a fun post season thus far. A lot of different emotions.

Watching LeBron do what he is doing has been just insanely fun. A buzzer beater like that on the home floor is just something a fan base will treasure.

I think deep down LeBron knows that this team is likely ot make it to the Finals.

I also think deep down LeBron knows that the Cavs will be huge underdogs in the Finals- and that if he can find a way to will the Cavs to the title he will have taken a huge step in becoming the consensus Greatest Player of ALL Time. Thats his goal and its within striking distance right now.

 

[larryjohn]

lets hope we see it again tonight.
3-0.
This has been a fun post season thus far. A lot of different emotions.

I'd expect Lebron would really like to finish it tonight -- especially to ensure he gets as much rest as possible.