2015-16 NBA Eastern Conference OFFICIAL THREAD

[trojanfan12]

you mean the EC player of the month last month? On a team that is going to improve itsw in total from 53 to at least 60?

you mean the LeBron who was quoted a week or so ago stating he feels 10x better this year physically than last year? Who has more chase-down blocks this year than i have seen him have in the last 3 years combined?

Considering how you seem to think that the rest of the East has gotten worse, is the likelihood of the Cavs winning more games than last year a product ot them getting better or everyone else getting worse?

 

[trojanfan12]

well technically he came back in december so you were wrong.

maybe that was my imigination when he was playing Xmas day..maybe.. i was hallucinating that.

Either way, you were wrong or did you just wear the avy that turnup gave you because you really liked it?

 

[LAD]

Considering how you seem to think that the rest of the East has gotten worse, is the likelihood of the Cavs winning more games than last year a product ot them getting better or everyone else getting worse?

Awww come on now...to come to this conclusion would require a bit of logical thinking.

 

[LAD]

Either way, you were wrong or did you just wear the avy that turnup gave you because you really liked it?

OWNED!

 

[Wamu]

Awww come on now...to come to this conclusion would require a bit of logical thinking.

Logical thinking on SportsHoopla? NEVER!

 

[WiggyRuss]

Considering how you seem to think that the rest of the East has gotten worse, is the likelihood of the Cavs winning more games than last year a product ot them getting better or everyone else getting worse?

Cavs have gotten better to a certain extent- all though the 19-20 start skews things. To start out 19-20 and win 53 games last year was fairly impressive- they played really well down the stretch- and in particular- i loved how they played in the Boston series- it was the best they had ever looked an - d then of course Love goes down

The Cavs are just better this year- and are more familiar with eachother and LeBron's physical condition is so much better- all those things def help. Theya re just deeperto o- when Kyrie was down Mo Williams played great... RJeff is an actual FUNCTIONAL backup for LeBron thats shooting 40%

Delly is HEAD AND SHOULDERS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than he was last year its notev en funny

from the beginning of last yeart ill right now- while Tristans saats are still not as good as when he was featured and starting and playing a ton of minutes -he is such a better player now then at the beginning of last year and actually knows what he is doing.


Cavs are a lot better- and no team in the East added a game changer to their roster. If Toronto got Randolph to play PF or Boston got Horford- maybe idsin g a different tune

IF Bosh comes back healthy, and Whiteside keeps his 2 cent head on straight- they actually DO have more firepower than anyoneo utside of Chicago-----

 

[Heatles84]

If the reason he didn't come back early is related to his original injury I think that pretty much means those that said he'd play around Xmas were spot on. I'm pretty sure that timeline was based on medical opinions-hard to believe everyone who said that he'd be back around Xmas were lucky guessers.

Seriously. I guess we're all just really good at playing the guessing game. Like we didn't have any information to go off of and were constantly telling numb nuts that Kyrie would be out until late-December. Yeah, no solid information out there saying Kyrie could be out possibly until January, but we all (except for Wiggy) came to the same conclusion...and were right. Wiggy's backtracking again.

 

[Heatles84]

well technically he came back in december so you were wrong.

maybe that was my imigination when he was playing Xmas day..maybe.. i was hallucinating that.

You said he'd be back in November, so you were completely wrong.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Seriously. I guess we're all just really good at playing the guessing game. Like we didn't have any information to go off of and were constantly telling numb nuts that Kyrie would be out until late-December. Yeah, no solid information out there saying Kyrie could be out possibly until January, but we all (except for Wiggy) came to the same conclusion...and were right. Wiggy's backtracking again.

are you on crack? did you just read the article i posted from Cleveland.com? It had Kyrie coming back SOMETIME between opening night and january- and was equally skeptical about both of those ends of the spectrum.

 

[Wamu]

 

[Heatles84]

are you on crack? did you just read the article i posted from Cleveland.com? It had Kyrie coming back SOMETIME between opening night and january- and was equally skeptical about both of those ends of the spectrum.

I didn't need to read the article. I read other sources and am fully aware that he COULD come back in November. But we all explained to you that the Cavs had no reason to rush Irving back, especially after the surgery he just underwent. It's you who lacked logical thinking. You could argue it until you're blue in the face. But facts are facts. We all called it saying he wouldn't be back in November, except for you. We were right, you were wrong. No way to argue it.

 

[trojanfan12]

Cavs have gotten better to a certain extent- all though the 19-20 start skews things. To start out 19-20 and win 53 games last year was fairly impressive- they played really well down the stretch- and in particular- i loved how they played in the Boston series- it was the best they had ever looked an - d then of course Love goes down

The Cavs are just better this year- and are more familiar with eachother and LeBron's physical condition is so much better- all those things def help. Theya re just deeperto o- when Kyrie was down Mo Williams played great... RJeff is an actual FUNCTIONAL backup for LeBron thats shooting 40%

Delly is HEAD AND SHOULDERS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than he was last year its notev en funny

from the beginning of last yeart ill right now- while Tristans saats are still not as good as when he was featured and starting and playing a ton of minutes -he is such a better player now then at the beginning of last year and actually knows what he is doing.


Cavs are a lot better- and no team in the East added a game changer to their roster. If Toronto got Randolph to play PF or Boston got Horford- maybe idsin g a different tune

IF Bosh comes back healthy, and Whiteside keeps his 2 cent head on straight- they actually DO have more firepower than anyoneo utside of Chicago-----

Makes sense. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if it's true improvement or everyone else getting worse/standing pat. It was a tad worrisome, imo, when they seemed to take a step back under Lue. They were 30-11 when Blatt was let go and went 11-6 in the first 17 games under Lue.

They've won their last 3 and are now 14-6 under him, so it looks like they are adjusting and getting back on track.

I think a healthy Bulls team can give them a good run in a playoff series and the Heat could actually be a threat if they get Bosh back and Whiteside keeps being a beast. But I think the east is still the Cavs to lose even if both of those things happen.

 

[LAD]

Cavs have gotten better to a certain extent- all though the 19-20 start skews things. To start out 19-20 and win 53 games last year was fairly impressive- they played really well down the stretch- and in particular- i loved how they played in the Boston series- it was the best they had ever looked an - d then of course Love goes down

The Cavs are just better this year- and are more familiar with eachother and LeBron's physical condition is so much better- all those things def help. Theya re just deeperto o- when Kyrie was down Mo Williams played great... RJeff is an actual FUNCTIONAL backup for LeBron thats shooting 40%

Delly is HEAD AND SHOULDERS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than he was last year its notev en funny

from the beginning of last yeart ill right now- while Tristans saats are still not as good as when he was featured and starting and playing a ton of minutes -he is such a better player now then at the beginning of last year and actually knows what he is doing.


Cavs are a lot better- and no team in the East added a game changer to their roster. If Toronto got Randolph to play PF or Boston got Horford- maybe idsin g a different tune

IF Bosh comes back healthy, and Whiteside keeps his 2 cent head on straight- they actually DO have more firepower than anyoneo utside of Chicago-----

This is an interesting thought-which brings me to this one:

If the Cavs are just better than last year then why are they 11 games back of the #1 team in the league-in arguably a less competitive conference (by your own admission)? Lets go even a step further- Warriors are 13-1 in their division & 32-4 in their conference. Cavs are 6-5 in their division & 27-12 in their conference. The Warriors have played more teams in their own division than the Cavs have in theirs yet still have a much better record. All of those things point to improvements.

So when we look at those things can we really say the Cavs have improved or that they simply are in pretty much the same place they were last season? And really the only negative would be if they regressed...which I'm not saying is the case.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Makes sense. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if it's true improvement or everyone else getting worse/standing pat. It was a tad worrisome, imo, when they seemed to take a step back under Lue. They were 30-11 when Blatt was let go and went 11-6 in the first 17 games under Lue.

They've won their last 3 and are now 14-6 under him, so it looks like they are adjusting and getting back on track.

I think a healthy Bulls team can give them a good run in a playoff series and the Heat could be actually be a threat if they get Bosh back and Whiteside keeps being a beast. But I think the east is still the Cavs to lose even if both of those things happen.

that is the interesting thing about Blatt and one of the main criticisms--- he really never stuck to a system- he tried to win every game at the expense of really instituting a system and making the players work things out.

Honestly- Ty Lue the other day just REFUSED to call a timeout Phil Jackson style (even cited Phil in the postgame presser on it)- saying that he is willing to lose an extra regular season game or two if it means the players take accountability and actually RUN A SYSTEM

when things got tough under Blatt- the system would break down- and wed get a ton of hero ball- and thats good against the VAST majority of opponents when you are as damn talented as the Cavs--- but in the long run its just not a good thing. Griffin realized that. Griffin saw that at the end of a win vs. the Clippers under Blatt that the locker room was in bad shape and worse off then a hard fought loss. It just wasnt working.

Now the excuses are gone- and Ty Lue is putting it on the players to work it out and stick to a system and share the ball---- instead of devolving into hero ball when things got tough. That will cause them to lose an extra game or two in the short term- but will provide big dividends in the long run.

I mean- we even saw how exhausted the Cavs were - especially early under Lue with their new style...Iwas ready to fire Lue 1 qtr into his tenure when i saw a 1st quarter lineup with NO Bron, Love or Irving on the floor- only to learn after the game that each guy ASKED OUT because they were exhausted.....certainly playing like that will hurt them short term- but provide dividends long term. You without a doubt have to give Lue time to institute his system--- there are some major changes- like Love being in the post and getting more elbow touches, LeBron in the post more etc....

 

[trojanfan12]

Honestly- Ty Lue the other day just REFUSED to call a timeout Phil Jackson style (even cited Phil in the postgame presser on it)- saying that he is willing to lose an extra regular season game or two if it means the players take accountability and actually RUN A SYSTEM

That was the thing that, at first, was maddening about Phil when he first came to the Lakers. The Lakers would be playing poorly, getting beat and Phil would just sit there like he didn't have a care in the world. He was eventually asked about it and said that it was important for the players to trust the system, learn how to work things out on their own and he had no problem letting them lose a game or 2 along the way figuring it out.

Lue was a Laker for 2 of the 3 titles when they got the 3-peat, so it makes sense that he would learn that from Phil.

 

[WiggyRuss]

That was the thing that, at first, was maddening about Phil when he first came to the Lakers. The Lakers would be playing poorly, getting beat and Phil would just sit there like he didn't have a care in the world. He was eventually asked about it and said that it was important for the players to learn how to work things out on their own and he had no problem letting them lose a game or 2 along the way.

Lue was a Laker for 2 of the 3 titles when they got the 3-peat, so it makes sense that he would learn that from Phil.

Lue played under Phil, Pop, both Van Gundys, Doc--- played with His Airness, Mamba etc....he is like the basketball Forrest Gump.

 

[trojanfan12]

Lue played under Phil, Pop, both Van Gundys, Doc--- played with His Airness, Mamba etc....he is like the basketball Forrest Gump.

 

[WiggyRuss]

This is an interesting thought-which brings me to this one:

If the Cavs are just better than last year then why are they 11 games back of the #1 team in the league-in arguably a less competitive conference (by your own admission)? Lets go even a step further- Warriors are 13-1 in their division & 32-4 in their conference. Cavs are 6-5 in their division & 27-12 in their conference. The Warriors have played more teams in their own division than the Cavs have in theirs yet still have a much better record. All of those things point to improvements.

So when we look at those things can we really say the Cavs have improved or that they simply are in pretty much the same place they were last season? And really the only negative would be if they regressed...which I'm not saying is the case.

well.....uhhhh...the difference between 61 wins (which i predict) and 53 wins- is fairly significant....8 wins is about 10% of the schedule...so yah- thats a pretty significant improvement- and would give them the best mark in the conference both THIS year and LAST year and the Year before that...

if the Cavs end up with 61 wins- it would give them the most wins in the East over the last 3 seasons...id say thats pretty solid.

 

[WiggyRuss]

i do have to give the heat some credit- i didnt think it was possible in todays NBA to be a better than average team having absolutely PUTRID 3 pt numbers.......its really really hard- and requires a very big degree of difficulty- to win in this league having a 3pt game that is reminiscient ofthe 70's--- but Miami does it somehow.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

you mean the EC player of the month last month? On a team that is going to improve itsw in total from 53 to at least 60?

you mean the LeBron who was quoted a week or so ago stating he feels 10x better this year physically than last year? Who has more chase-down blocks this year than i have seen him have in the last 3 years combined?

Didn't James 'rest'the game after he said that?

And isn't Whiteside the current back to back defensive player of the month?
Yet you claim Tristan is more valuable.