Series Thread: 2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs 7) Indiana Pacers

[WiggyRuss]

Here's the thing wiggy. The Celtics don't have the expectations that your Cavs have. After the 1st two games I don't expect them to make any sort of a comeback. I think this current Celtics roster has reached it's peak. In the off season Ainge has to change the roster up.

i think there is a lot of truth to that.

this whole "exceeds" expectations thing is stupid to me though.

If you expect to make $25,000 dollars in a year- and you end up making $50,000 thats all well and good- you exceeded your expectations.

id rather be the guy that expected to make a $100,000 and made a $100,000 though.

 

[Black Adam]

Can't disagree w/ that. But the same thing can be said for the Warriors & Spurs. Obviously 1 of the 2 isn't making it outta the WC. I look @ it this way w/ those 3 teams...

-Spurs: the old vets trying get to 1 more rodeo
-Warriors: a loaded team w/ championship expectations from everyone since the season started
-Cavs: they have LeBron (and wiggy), anything less than a title is a bust season (and they should just start getting disappointed now, I don't see them repeating w/ that shit D they have)

absolutely 100% on the button...

 

[Wamu]

absolutely 100% on the button...

wiggy will disagree.

 

[Wamu]

i think there is a lot of truth to that.

this whole "exceeds" expectations thing is stupid to me though.

If you expect to make $25,000 dollars in a year- and you end up making $50,000 thats all well and good- you exceeded your expectations.

id rather be the guy that expected to make a $100,000 and made a $100,000 though.

Is Dan Gilbert really only 5 feet tall?

 

[Black Adam]

meanwhile, lemme channel my "inner LeBron"...

 

[Black Adam]

wiggy will disagree.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Is Dan Gilbert really only 5 feet tall?

when he is sitting down he is acutally taller.

sitting on a gigantic wallet will do that

 

[WiggyRuss]

LeBron- got a question for ya-

any way you dont got down as at least the 2nd best player of all time?



ehh not bad defense....lol.

 

[TJL]

LeBron- got a question for ya-

any way you dont got down as at least the 2nd best player of all time?



ehh not bad defense....lol.

If he gets a career ending injury right now, I would say that's the only way he doesn't go top 3.

 

[WiggyRuss]

If he gets a career ending injury right now, I would say that's the only way he doesn't go top 3.

i can get behind that

if he died in a plane crash tomorrow hed without a doubt still be top 5 though.

by the time he is done its gonna be at least #2 barring something catastrophic. but knock on wood---- you look at the guy and his injury history and his commitment to his health and training- and you see why there is so much reason for optimism.

its not often you get a guy who has otherwordly talent like lebron and pair that with otherwordly work ethic.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I mean- when you are 19-0 in your last 19 1st round games- how can you blame a guy for seeing the 1st round as a warm-up and using it to prepare for the battles that lay ahead.

That is pretty unreal.

I mean- he is always playing either the 7th or 8th seed--- but to so consistently dominate is just unbelieavble. I mean- thoses teams have good players too--- youd think that it would be so incredibly unlikely to just sweep the first round year in and year out.

i mean- i dont think-except in very limited circumstances- you can ever "expect" a sweep against any playoff team--- but LeBron has done it- for YEARS in a row now in the first round.

its incredible really.

I wonder if you had 10 bucks at the beginning of those 19 games- and just bet the KING to win each game- how much you would have by now. lol.

 

[TJL]

i can get behind that

if he died in a plane crash tomorrow hed without a doubt still be top 5 though.

by the time he is done its gonna be at least #2 barring something catastrophic. but knock on wood---- you look at the guy and his injury history and his commitment to his health and training- and you see why there is so much reason for optimism.

its not often you get a guy who has otherwordly talent like lebron and pair that with otherwordly work ethic.

I still will have a hard time putting him in front of KAJ or MJ, unless he literally wins a title like the next 3 years and adds another MVP.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I still will have a hard time putting him in front of KAJ or MJ, unless he literally wins a title like the next 3 years and adds another MVP.

the one thing that works against KAJ and Magic is that they played together.

What do you think LeBron's trophy case would look like if say- he played with a prime-Tim Duncan for a significant part of his career?

he would have already skyrocketed passed anyone not named MJ.

 

[TJL]

the one thing that works against KAJ and Magic is that they played together.

What do you think LeBron's trophy case would look like if say- he played with a prime-Tim Duncan for a significant part of his career?

he would have already skyrocketed passed anyone not named MJ.

It's a fair point bud

 

[trojanfan12]

You respond to me a second later....hmmm. It's just funny that posters that dislike Lebron talk about him constantly I enjoy it

What's hilarious is that people point out genuine basketball related reasons to show that the Cavs appear vulnerable and you have no answer other than "they're all haters."

You and Wiggy even think that math is a "Lebron hater."

 

[WiggyRuss]

What's hilarious is that people point out genuine basketball related reasons to show that the Cavs appear vulnerable and you have no answer other than "they're all haters."

You and Wiggy even think that math is a "Lebron hater."

I just think we think its contradictory to say "they are vulnerable" and then in the next breath say "no way they dont get out of the East".

 

[trojanfan12]

Can't disagree w/ that. But the same thing can be said for the Warriors & Spurs. Obviously 1 of the 2 isn't making it outta the WC. I look @ it this way w/ those 3 teams...

-Spurs: the old vets trying get to 1 more rodeo
-Warriors: a loaded team w/ championship expectations from everyone since the season started
-Cavs: they have LeBron (and wiggy), anything less than a title is a bust season (and they should just start getting disappointed now, I don't see them repeating w/ that shit D they have)

Bottom line, if you are the Warriors, Spurs or Cavs...your season is a bust if you don't win the title.

 

[trojanfan12]

I just think we think its contradictory to say "they are vulnerable" and then in the next breath say "no way they dont get out of the East".

There you go, making shit up again.

They do look vulnerable and no one has said no way they don't get out of the East. What has been said is that they look vulnerable because of the defense, that it looks like this year will be more of struggle to get out of the East than the previous 2 years, but their offense should should be good enough.

Basically, that means that while there is a chance they don't get out of the East, it's unlikely because the rest of the East hasn't caught up to them yet.

It's entirely possible for them to be vulnerable, but still the favorite to get out of the East, which is what most on here are saying.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Bottom line, if you are the Warriors, Spurs or Cavs...your season is a bust if you don't win the title.

totally agree-

however- that doesnt mean that its not fun as hell to watch the Cavs go deep into the playoffs in a year-in-year-out basis

i dont think ANY Cavs fan expects the Cavs to win 5-6 titles if LeBron is here for 7-8 years in this - his 2nd stint.


but if he wins 2-3 titles, and makes 5-6 Finals- itll be a helluva run and tons of fun for the us fans- and will also cement him as one of the - if not the greatest to ever play.

Im torn.

Half of my thinks that all the adversity and hardship this team has faced- from Channings parents both dying this year- to JR smiths daughter- to all the injuries- to all the scrutiny- will bring them together. The other half of me thinks maybe this just isnt there year.

In order to win a championship- no matter who you are- you have to catch some breaks here or there. Its yet to be seen who will catch those breaks.

a turned ankle by a steph curry, or a hamstring pull by lebron, or a knee injury flaring up for kyrie, or a bad call here or there- or a team getting red-hot from 3- could change anything for any team out there. Whoever wins the NBA title this year will have done so by being immensely talented, and catching some breaks. Last year some of those break went the Cavs way. Hopefully the same happens this year.

 

[WiggyRuss]

It's entirely possible for them to be vulnerable, but still the favorite to get out of the East, which is what most on here are saying.

i just think thats horseshit spewed by haters and alarmists. but thats simply just my opinion- though i think some other people share it as well. shane and mskings and tjl for example- though i dont want to explicitly speak for them.