Series Thread: 2nd Round: Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers

[gordontrue]

@purguy12 Avi bet pay up time. What do you think?

 

[Shanemansj13]

@purguy12 Avi bet pay up time. What do you think?

That reminds me I have to pick one for @Beengay fudgepackers

 

[Shanemansj13]

Here ya go Bengay

 

[SilverFalco8]

it is an interesting question. it all depends on if he wants to get the guaranteed money right now or wants to wait to make bank in the new cba. he loves home but I still think it is a pipe dream

There is talk about Thibs in Orlando or New Orleans if he gets the boot from Chicago. If he comes to the Pels i think Davis would stay. The Pelicans have quite a bit of talent on the team.

 

[Shanemansj13]

All losers need to have their new avi up by Monday or they will be suspended from the NBA forum

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Bulls wiki page has LeBron listed as owner.
Thats pretty funny.

I def wanted the Bulls to win.
They ended up doing exactly what I figured they would do.
Anyway, I felt a bit dirty rooting for Noah/Rose.
Fuck both of them once again.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Bulls wiki page has LeBron listed as owner.
Thats pretty funny.

I def wanted the Bulls to win.
They ended up doing exactly what I figured they would do.
Anyway, I felt a bit dirty rooting for Noah/Rose.
Fuck both of them once again.

Noah is such a scumbag.....Rose is pretty good dude- I like that he does not whine really at all, LeBron could use some of that because he can be a DRAMA QUEEN at times. Butler rarely complains either. What a steal at like pick 30 or whatever it was. Give that guy the max and hope he takes it at the 16 M or whatever and does not decide to wait a year to go for 20M a year once the cap goes up. I bet the Bulls try and have McDermont replace Dunleavy- the owner of the Bulls is pretty cheap and hates paying the luxury tax.

I will tell ya- people keep telling me, and I have seen stats and a game here or there where Mirotic shows this "rookie of the year" type ability- and the ability to be a very good stretch 4....I have to tell ya- I just have not seen that AT ALL against the Cavs. To me he seemed like he was in mentally over his head- the Shumpert clothesline was not the only dumb thing he did- he gave up some really dumb "and one's", fouled a lot, played poor defense- and couldnt hit his open shots. Maybe he just choked- but he did not show much at all besides the fact that he was mentally crushed by the Cavs.

Gasol was classy and went to the podium and answered a lot of hard questions last night. What a great pro- I am very surprised the Lakers did not either keep him- or at least trade him and get some value. To lose that guy for nothing did not make sense for the franchise- and their loss was the Bulls gain. The Bulls won game 1 in large part because of Gasol. He is still a damn good offensive player, a very good rebounder, and has lost a step defensively, but is still 7 foot.

I saw a good trade suggestion today----- maybe if I am the Bulls trade Gibson and a pick for Terrence Ross on the Raptors- Raptors get a very solid big man under contract for 2 years for a reasonable amount that plays defense and is competent offensively---- Bulls get a guy that can create his own shot and can shoot the 3....

The Bulls NEED a 3rd guard to go with Butler and Rose that can shoot the 3 and get his own shot. Maybe Snell is that guy- but ya would neverk now it when they never play him- it probably should be a legit NBA talent like a guy like Ross.

 

[WiggyRuss]

2 reason Cavs want to play Wizards (although Im picking Cavs over either).

1. Always nice to have HCA.

2. Hawks have the ability to get extremely hot...with several different players. If it comes down to like 2 of 3, they would have a fighting chance.

I think the Hawks present a problem for the Cavs in that- you know EXACTLY what the Hawks are going to do- they are going to run a ton of screens, and move the ball around the perimeter with very good passing and make the Cavs defenders chase them ALL over the place.

Its not like the entire Cavs roster is in great shape physically to be running around the court for 5 or 6 or 7 games. I cant imagine Kyrie trying to navigate multiple screens, and then chase guys from the weak side to the three point line when the Hawks start swinging it Spurs-style.


I mean -the Hawks are the EXACT opposite of the Bulls- a very fluid offense with multiple 3 pt shooters- the ball never stops- and they hit their open shots---- but their defense is not great-

The Hawks front line is Horford, Milsap, -- and their backup big men are Perio Antic and Mike Muscala. I mean WHAT A difference between Chicago. I mean- Horford is definitely the best big on any of the 3 teams with Love being out- but Pau is close to Horford- Milsap has not played great and supposedly has shoulder issues, Antic and Muscala arent shit.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Noah is such a scumbag.....Rose is pretty good dude- I like that he does not whine really at all, LeBron could use some of that because he can be a DRAMA QUEEN at times. Butler rarely complains either. What a steal at like pick 30 or whatever it was. Give that guy the max and hope he takes it at the 16 M or whatever and does not decide to wait a year to go for 20M a year once the cap goes up. I bet the Bulls try and have McDermont replace Dunleavy- the owner of the Bulls is pretty cheap and hates paying the luxury tax.

I will tell ya- people keep telling me, and I have seen stats and a game here or there where Mirotic shows this "rookie of the year" type ability- and the ability to be a very good stretch 4....I have to tell ya- I just have not seen that AT ALL against the Cavs. To me he seemed like he was in mentally over his head- the Shumpert clothesline was not the only dumb thing he did- he gave up some really dumb "and one's", fouled a lot, played poor defense- and couldnt hit his open shots. Maybe he just choked- but he did not show much at all besides the fact that he was mentally crushed by the Cavs.

Gasol was classy and went to the podium and answered a lot of hard questions last night. What a great pro- I am very surprised the Lakers did not either keep him- or at least trade him and get some value. To lose that guy for nothing did not make sense for the franchise- and their loss was the Bulls gain. The Bulls won game 1 in large part because of Gasol. He is still a damn good offensive player, a very good rebounder, and has lost a step defensively, but is still 7 foot.

I saw a good trade suggestion today----- maybe if I am the Bulls trade Gibson and a pick for Terrence Ross on the Raptors- Raptors get a very solid big man under contract for 2 years for a reasonable amount that plays defense and is competent offensively---- Bulls get a guy that can create his own shot and can shoot the 3....

The Bulls NEED a 3rd guard to go with Butler and Rose that can shoot the 3 and get his own shot. Maybe Snell is that guy- but ya would neverk now it when they never play him- it probably should be a legit NBA talent like a guy like Ross.

1. Gasol was tired of the Lakers throwing his name around in every trade the last couple of seasons.
He wasn't staying. Pretty similar to what happened with Ray Allen in Boston.

2. I really have nothing against Rose except he was picked #1 over Beasley.

3. If it wasn't for James, this Cavs team would def be one I would be rooting for.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I think the Hawks present a problem for the Cavs in that- you know EXACTLY what the Hawks are going to do- they are going to run a ton of screens, and move the ball around the perimeter with very good passing and make the Cavs defenders chase them ALL over the place.

Its not like the entire Cavs roster is in great shape physically to be running around the court for 5 or 6 or 7 games. I cant imagine Kyrie trying to navigate multiple screens, and then chase guys from the weak side to the three point line when the Hawks start swinging it Spurs-style.


I mean -the Hawks are the EXACT opposite of the Bulls- a very fluid offense with multiple 3 pt shooters- the ball never stops- and they hit their open shots---- but their defense is not great-

The Hawks front line is Horford, Milsap, -- and their backup big men are Perio Antic and Mike Muscala. I mean WHAT A difference between Chicago. I mean- Horford is definitely the best big on any of the 3 teams with Love being out- but Pau is close to Horford- Milsap has not played great and supposedly has shoulder issues, Antic and Muscala arent shit.

Should be a fun, long series.
The Hawks will try to replicate what the Spurs did to the Heat last year.
I'm sure Pops will be helping his protege.

In the end, it comes down to making shots.
If the Hawks get into mid season rhythm, they can easily win.


Easily win, doesn't mean win easily.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

Noah is such a scumbag.....Rose is pretty good dude- I like that he does not whine really at all, LeBron could use some of that because he can be a DRAMA QUEEN at times. Butler rarely complains either. What a steal at like pick 30 or whatever it was. Give that guy the max and hope he takes it at the 16 M or whatever and does not decide to wait a year to go for 20M a year once the cap goes up. I bet the Bulls try and have McDermont replace Dunleavy- the owner of the Bulls is pretty cheap and hates paying the luxury tax.

I will tell ya- people keep telling me, and I have seen stats and a game here or there where Mirotic shows this "rookie of the year" type ability- and the ability to be a very good stretch 4....I have to tell ya- I just have not seen that AT ALL against the Cavs. To me he seemed like he was in mentally over his head- the Shumpert clothesline was not the only dumb thing he did- he gave up some really dumb "and one's", fouled a lot, played poor defense- and couldnt hit his open shots. Maybe he just choked- but he did not show much at all besides the fact that he was mentally crushed by the Cavs.

Gasol was classy and went to the podium and answered a lot of hard questions last night. What a great pro- I am very surprised the Lakers did not either keep him- or at least trade him and get some value. To lose that guy for nothing did not make sense for the franchise- and their loss was the Bulls gain. The Bulls won game 1 in large part because of Gasol. He is still a damn good offensive player, a very good rebounder, and has lost a step defensively, but is still 7 foot.

I saw a good trade suggestion today----- maybe if I am the Bulls trade Gibson and a pick for Terrence Ross on the Raptors- Raptors get a very solid big man under contract for 2 years for a reasonable amount that plays defense and is competent offensively---- Bulls get a guy that can create his own shot and can shoot the 3....

The Bulls NEED a 3rd guard to go with Butler and Rose that can shoot the 3 and get his own shot. Maybe Snell is that guy- but ya would neverk now it when they never play him- it probably should be a legit NBA talent like a guy like Ross.

Basketball aside, Noah is actually a good dude.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Should be a fun, long series.
The Hawks will try to replicate what the Spurs did to the Heat last year.
I'm sure Pops will be helping his protege.

In the end, it comes down to making shots.
If the Hawks get into mid season rhythm, they can easily win.


Easily win, doesn't mean win easily.

I mean- I agree with you- with the state the Cavs are in if a team brings their A game against them for 4 games in a series the Cavs probably lose. Everyone has injuries- and the Hawks are missing Sefolosha- but the Cavs are missing Love, Varejao- Kyrie has multiple leg injuries where even with 5 days rest a simple tweak here or there will put him back out. LeBron looked stiff and could not really post up hard and get to the basket in that last game- its a good thing all the other role Players just dominated from the outside. That might happen once in the series but its not gonna happen 3-4 times....

Hawks are really good- they move the ball well and shoot wellfromthe outside- its gonna be a bitch for the Cavs to cover them on theoutside - especially with all the injuries--- it remind of when guys used to have to guard Rip Hamilton running around half a dozen screens- it tires you out- and i think the Hawksare going to try and do that against the Cavs and just run them ragged. That does notbode well for Kyrie and his legs, Shumpert has the hamstring issue, Bron rolled his ankle, Thompson I thought was going to beseriously injured after that head over heels crash but it turns out he jsut had an NFL lineman size icepack on his shoulder.

Mozgov, Smith and Delly are going to have to come up with some good play again that is for sure.

 

[hockey878]

I think the best cavs lineup(s) in this series will be them going small, some variation of this:

Kyrie
Delly/JR
Iman
LeBron
Thompson/Mozgov

LeBron can deal with millsap, Thompson and Mozgov can't stop horford, but no one on the roster can. Probably want to have JR or Delly chasing Korver. Shump on Teague and Kyrie on Carroll? Not a great matchup anywhere for kyrie here.

Depending on the health of kyrie, the best lineup for the cavs might not even include him (if he can't keep up defensively, his offense is meaningless)

Delly
Iman
JR
LeBron
Thompson/Mozgov

Delly on korver, iman on teague, jr on carroll, lebron on millsap, big on horford. that is the best matchup defensively.


This will be a series of small ball lineups IMO, the hawks bigs can shoot and they don't have a huge post presence beyond horford. This might be the matchup where the cavs (other than potentially GS) MOST miss Love. LeBron is going to have to play a lot of PF and guard Millsap a lot if they want to win IMO. Plus that forces millsap to guard JR or Shump on the other end. I think the Thompson Mozgov lineups will struggle with all the hawks outside shooting

 

[WiggyRuss]

I don't see it. I will admit I haven't seen or remembered every single Lebron game, but every time he needs to make a clutch basket to win the game, he bricks it. The closest he ever got to a moment like that was when he almost lost the ball, and passed it to Ray allen for a three in desperation and Ray allen hit it. He will never be the buzzer beater guy in the playoffs, but he is and will be a guy that can get his team titles. I've seen him miss free throws in the clutch, I've seen him miss lay ups in the clutch, and I've seen him kiss I'll advised three pointers in the clutch. I'm not saying he doesn't make big shots in the final few minutes, but he rarely makes shots that will end the game at the buzzer. Hitting huge shots like that is a skill that ordinary players like robert horry and Steve Kerr have had, but superstars like Lebron do not possess.

As I had predicted when this series started-

I think LeBron still has his vintage moment in him. Now a 2nd round shot could never be THE moment- it certainly is the buzzer beater that, if the Cavs get to the Finals- will be looked back on as a hugely significant moment.

LeBron is just master of the court. He keeps learning and adding things to his game.

I mean that chase down block on Rose that seriously might have saved the game the other night?!!! Someone please try and tell me he has lost a step after that.

I think he did a great job adjusting considering the defense he was playing and teh fact that the Cavs had to revamp their whole offense for this series because they were literally at one point because of injury like 0.8 of the Big 3 were on the court after LeBron hurt his back and was forced into facilitator mode in game 6.

A testament to both LeBron and the Cavs bench- LeBron was ZERO AND NINE (0-9) lifetime when scoring 15 or less in a playoff game.

Delly, Thompson, Smith, Shumpert, Mozgov, Jones- all received a huge boost from LeBron's ability to command the the game. Its not a coincidence guys like Delly and Shumpert both get better looks AND have more confidence when LBJ is guiding them.


Right now- if I HAD TO PREDICT what was going tohappen- I would predict the Cavs beat the HAwks in 6- and then lose to Golden State in 6. Golden State is practically the only team in the playoffs without a significant injury- and the Cavs are nowhere close to full strength without Love, no Varejao, a hobbled Kyrie that is not going to get 100% better until he has a few weeks to rest BOTH his left knee, his right foot, and his right hip.
I dont want to get ahead of myself- I nkow that the Hawks just won 60 plus games- and can shoot the lights out- and will be playing as the under-dog WITH home court advantage against a bunch of guys thatare beat to shit.----but the Cavs will probably winthat series and get to the Finals.

If LeBron could somehow summon the strength and fortitude to win the championship this year- break the curse- while doing it so short handed- it would go down as his best moment. -- and the turning point just might be that game 4 buzzer beater against Chicago.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Okay, there's one in a series he ultimately lost, right? And that clutch stat is meaningless. As I have said Lebron is great. He'll put you into position to win, but won't get you the final bucket to put you over the top. He shrinks when he's legitimately challenged. It's why he went to Miami to play with a clutch Wade. It's why he attracted a clutch Ray allen to Miami. He doesn't have those clutch players around him anymore. Kyrie might be but we don't know yet. If it's game 7 and the Bulls are up one with Cleveland bringing the ball up, I want Lebron taking the shot. Not only will he be keyed in on, but I can almost guarantee he'll miss it. I've seen him miss more clutch fts to win/put games away than I have seen him make a bucket at the end of the game to win. It's what sets the true greatest of all time players, like Jordan, from the great players like Lebron.

man Bro...you sure jinxed yourself.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

As I had predicted when this series started-

I think LeBron still has his vintage moment in him. Now a 2nd round shot could never be THE moment- it certainly is the buzzer beater that, if the Cavs get to the Finals- will be looked back on as a hugely significant moment.

LeBron is just master of the court. He keeps learning and adding things to his game.

I mean that chase down block on Rose that seriously might have saved the game the other night?!!! Someone please try and tell me he has lost a step after that.

I think he did a great job adjusting considering the defense he was playing and teh fact that the Cavs had to revamp their whole offense for this series because they were literally at one point because of injury like 0.8 of the Big 3 were on the court after LeBron hurt his back and was forced into facilitator mode in game 6.

A testament to both LeBron and the Cavs bench- LeBron was ZERO AND NINE (0-9) lifetime when scoring 15 or less in a playoff game.

Delly, Thompson, Smith, Shumpert, Mozgov, Jones- all received a huge boost from LeBron's ability to command the the game. Its not a coincidence guys like Delly and Shumpert both get better looks AND have more confidence when LBJ is guiding them.


Right now- if I HAD TO PREDICT what was going tohappen- I would predict the Cavs beat the HAwks in 6- and then lose to Golden State in 6. Golden State is practically the only team in the playoffs without a significant injury- and the Cavs are nowhere close to full strength without Love, no Varejao, a hobbled Kyrie that is not going to get 100% better until he has a few weeks to rest BOTH his left knee, his right foot, and his right hip.
I dont want to get ahead of myself- I nkow that the Hawks just won 60 plus games- and can shoot the lights out- and will be playing as the under-dog WITH home court advantage against a bunch of guys thatare beat to shit.----but the Cavs will probably winthat series and get to the Finals.

If LeBron could somehow summon the strength and fortitude to win the championship this year- break the curse- while doing it so short handed- it would go down as his best moment. -- and the turning point just might be that game 4 buzzer beater against Chicago.

I was wrong for this series, but how can you honestly cheer for Lebron? The guy left his own hometown, and your hometown team to get an easy ticket to a few titles. Now he comes back because he feels bad about it? How can you cheer for that guy again? Seriously? It's why I see all current Cavs fans as a complete joke.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I was wrong for this series, but how can you honestly cheer for Lebron? The guy left his own hometown, and your hometown team to get an easy ticket to a few titles. Now he comes back because he feels bad about it? How can you cheer for that guy again? Seriously? It's why I see all current Cavs fans as a complete joke.

I can cheer for him for a few reasons.

First, he is from about 20 minutes from where I live and he does a ton for the community- always has- even while in Miami

Second, of course I was furious when he left- especially how he left, and how the Cavs had mortgaged everything they had future wise and then he basically gave up in the Boston series. He was 25 then- If i was held accountable for everything i did at 25 i don't know if i would have gotten into law school. lol...everyone deserves a break and a second chance- and almost immediately once he joined the Heat- within like the first 18 months- there were already grumblings that he would be back some day and had a bad taste in his mouth with how it ended and that the authoritarian regime there was not reallyhis style. LeBron likened it to college- going away for 4 years and coming back- and having my own college experience- I cant begrudge him that experience even if it sucked for Cleveland fans

Third, I gotta admit- if he came back he was looking a roster that was not looking great. Shaq was retiring and didnt do much- Jamison was a bust of a trade, he sucked in the playoffs. The only guys worth much on the Cavs at that point were Mo Williams, Andy Varejao, JJ Hickson, Boobie Gibson-and thats pretty much it if I am not mistaken. Year after year of mortgaging the future caught up with them. Being totally honest- he had a lot better chance to win when he left- and he came back to Cleveland partly for that SAME reason- he just simply had a better chance to win here again.

Fourth- he is the best player on Earth and CHOSE to come to Cleveland. Not EXACTLY a free agent hot spot (though few places really are- i mean flagship NBA franchises like the Spurs and Celtics never get jack shit in free agency either- the Cavs actually did get Shawn Kemp in FA and he had a few all star years left which is actually a TON more than Boston or San Antonio have gotten in the last 20 years plus).

fifth, It was fun when LeBron was here. Its fun again now. I do have to say- Kyrie Irving is my favorite Cav- the kid who signed a 5 year max extension, just turned 23 and has 3 all star appearances, and has been tabbed by Kobe Bryant as the next big NBA super star. Its good for the city- the city is hopping on game nights again- not only during the playoffs but the regular season.

Sixthly, it was pretty awesome for Dan Gilbert to hit him hard like that going out the door- and then watch him choke his balls off against the Mavericks. Of course that was not going to last- but seeing that and all the shit he took for that series almost made him sympathetic again and acted to release a lot of the vitriol like air hissing out of a balloon.

Lastly- he has made it his mission to end the Cleveland championship draught which has endured since 1964. We have survived the Shot, the Fumble, the Drive, the Decision, Jose Mesa blowing game 7 in the bottom of the 9th, the Browns moving to Baltimore where they end up winning 2 super bowls, - If LeBron was willing to put himself on the line to come here- and take on that monumental task then i have to support him. It will be the hardest thing he has ever done because so much history is against him- whichever Cleveland team wins one first will have done so carrying around 500 lbs of baggage- He risked his career in a way making this choice- if he never wins it hear and ends with 2 titles you know he will not have accomplished the goals he had in mind. If he can end the drought- thereis no doubt- ALL IS FORGIVEN.

I totally get what you are saying - I swore Iwould never root forhim again when heleft- and it just goes to show you that time and circumstance can change a lot of things.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I can cheer for him for a few reasons.

First, he is from about 20 minutes from where I live and he does a ton for the community- always has- even while in Miami

Second, of course I was furious when he left- especially how he left, and how the Cavs had mortgaged everything they had future wise and then he basically gave up in the Boston series. He was 25 then- If i was held accountable for everything i did at 25 i don't know if i would have gotten into law school. lol...everyone deserves a break and a second chance- and almost immediately once he joined the Heat- within like the first 18 months- there were already grumblings that he would be back some day and had a bad taste in his mouth with how it ended and that the authoritarian regime there was not reallyhis style. LeBron likened it to college- going away for 4 years and coming back- and having my own college experience- I cant begrudge him that experience even if it sucked for Cleveland fans

Third, I gotta admit- if he came back he was looking a roster that was not looking great. Shaq was retiring and didnt do much- Jamison was a bust of a trade, he sucked in the playoffs. The only guys worth much on the Cavs at that point were Mo Williams, Andy Varejao, JJ Hickson, Boobie Gibson-and thats pretty much it if I am not mistaken. Year after year of mortgaging the future caught up with them. Being totally honest- he had a lot better chance to win when he left- and he came back to Cleveland partly for that SAME reason- he just simply had a better chance to win here again.

Fourth- he is the best player on Earth and CHOSE to come to Cleveland. Not EXACTLY a free agent hot spot (though few places really are- i mean flagship NBA franchises like the Spurs and Celtics never get jack shit in free agency either- the Cavs actually did get Shawn Kemp in FA and he had a few all star years left which is actually a TON more than Boston or San Antonio have gotten in the last 20 years plus).

fifth, It was fun when LeBron was here. Its fun again now. I do have to say- Kyrie Irving is my favorite Cav- the kid who signed a 5 year max extension, just turned 23 and has 3 all star appearances, and has been tabbed by Kobe Bryant as the next big NBA super star. Its good for the city- the city is hopping on game nights again- not only during the playoffs but the regular season.

Sixthly, it was pretty awesome for Dan Gilbert to hit him hard like that going out the door- and then watch him choke his balls off against the Mavericks. Of course that was not going to last- but seeing that and all the shit he took for that series almost made him sympathetic again and acted to release a lot of the vitriol like air hissing out of a balloon.

Lastly- he has made it his mission to end the Cleveland championship draught which has endured since 1964. We have survived the Shot, the Fumble, the Drive, the Decision, Jose Mesa blowing game 7 in the bottom of the 9th, the Browns moving to Baltimore where they end up winning 2 super bowls, - If LeBron was willing to put himself on the line to come here- and take on that monumental task then i have to support him. It will be the hardest thing he has ever done because so much history is against him- whichever Cleveland team wins one first will have done so carrying around 500 lbs of baggage- He risked his career in a way making this choice- if he never wins it hear and ends with 2 titles you know he will not have accomplished the goals he had in mind. If he can end the drought- thereis no doubt- ALL IS FORGIVEN.

I totally get what you are saying - I swore Iwould never root forhim again when heleft- and it just goes to show you that time and circumstance can change a lot of things.

You're finding so many reasons to love him. That's why you're a joke to me. He's a great player, I'll agree with that. But he not only left the team that drafted him, but he left his own fucking home town. I don't give a fuck what you have to say, he's a douche bag and a coward. He left Cleveland, a town who's whole economy depended on him (as well as being his home town) to go to a team who's fans don't even give a shit. Seriously, the heat were making commercials to convince fans to come and watch the whole game, rather than just the 2nd and 3rd quarters. You're a complete joke to me. You can come up with as many reasons as you want to defend yourself In This debate, but the fact remains that your super hero left you when you needed him the most. I honestly have no idea how you can cheer for someone like that.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

You're finding so many reasons to love him. That's why you're a joke to me. He's a great player, I'll agree with that. But he not only left the team that drafted him, but he left his own fucking home town. I don't give a fuck what you have to say, he's a douche bag and a coward. He left Cleveland, a town who's whole economy depended on him (as well as being his home town) to go to a team who's fans don't even give a shit. Seriously, the heat were making commercials to convince fans to come and watch the whole game, rather than just the 2nd and 3rd quarters. You're a complete joke to me. You can come up with as many reasons as you want to defend yourself In This debate, but the fact remains that your super hero left you when you needed him the most. I honestly have no idea how you can cheer for someone like that.

This post is really the joke.

1. He was a FA. He earned the right to go wherever he wanted, both times. He sure didn't put the Cavs or Heat through all the drama that many other players have while under contract.

2. As far as the economy, that is way overblown. People still go to restaurants and bars. Not only that, nobody other then the Cavs paid him for his presence or services. He owed nobody there or here, in that regard, anything.

3. The Heat fans are good before, during, and after James being here. Miami is known for people being culturally late to everything. The commercials were stupid, but they weren't about trying to attract fans in general, they were trying to lure them into coming a bit earlier. They also offered discounted food pre game, etc...

 

[trojanfan12]

Gasol was classy and went to the podium and answered a lot of hard questions last night. What a great pro- I am very surprised the Lakers did not either keep him- or at least trade him and get some value. To lose that guy for nothing did not make sense for the franchise- and their loss was the Bulls gain. The Bulls won game 1 in large part because of Gasol. He is still a damn good offensive player, a very good rebounder, and has lost a step defensively, but is still 7 foot.

That classiness is why Pau was my favorite Laker the whole time he was in L.A. and why I wanted to see him get 1 more ring with the Bulls. Even with him being sick of his name being mentioned in every trade rumor involving the Lakers for 3 years, he still waited as long as he possibly could through FA before going to the Bulls. If 'Melo had signed with the Lakers, Pau would still be on the team.

As for not getting anything for him, it's not too much of a problem. Obviously, they'd rather get something, but with him being an FA, they were limited in what they could have gotten. The only way to get anything was via sign and trade. The Lakers got greedy and asked for too much, Pau was willing to take a little less than they thought and they lost the sign and trade opportunity.

Chances are, any players that they would have gotten in a trade would have made them just good enough to fall out of the top 5 lottery picks, while still not making the playoffs, so in the long run, they may be better off with how things played out.