Game Thread: Cavs @ Spurs

[TurnUpTheHeat]

and Mecca- it was funny--- like hours before the game- the Spurs fan critizized JR and I got on Parker- and those 2 guys were positively great for each team..haha....

Thompson played great too- those rolls to the basket he just takes its so freaking strong....I really like how he matches up against Aldridge.

The truth- is- against the Spurs anyway- going small with Thompson at center and LeBron at PF- might be the way to go.....have Delly cover parker, Kyrie on Green, and then Shump on Leonard...

I believe we saw a Finals preview last night.
If both teams are 100% it would be an awesome series.
I'd still take Spurs because they will have HC, and I think they have more weapons to make adjustments with over a long series.

 

[Mecca]

Kyrie will get the best of Parker when it matters- right now Kyrie is really having a tough time with his specialty- finishing at the rim- not only that- but he is around a career 40% 3 pt shooter and is currently shooting 27%....its gonna take a little time with him...

Spurs played well- the Cavs made a lot of mistakes though- not only that- but seriously that shooting was so bad in the 4th- and a lot of those were uncontested- one of them- a kyrie 15 wide open jumper i cant believe he missed- once i saw that it was like- its just not gonna happen tonight.

How good is Kahwi?

Bron is still the a top 2 player, it's still up for debate between he and Curry.

I have Kahwi as the 3rd best sf, behind Bron and Durant.

But, Damn......the gap is closing fast.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I agree but I highly doubt James will go MIA in a playoffs series. He will put the team on the back if he has to . Love on the other hand will just go MIA and be the reason they lose.

James will always get his, but I think dealing with Khawi leaves him pretty drained by the 4th qtr.

 

[Mecca]

and Mecca- it was funny--- like hours before the game- the Spurs fan critizized JR and I got on Parker- and those 2 guys were positively great for each team..haha....

Thompson played great too- those rolls to the basket he just takes its so freaking strong....I really like how he matches up against Aldridge.

The truth- is- against the Spurs anyway- going small with Thompson at center and LeBron at PF- might be the way to go.....have Delly cover parker, Kyrie on Green, and then Shump on Leonard...

Oh, Gawd...please don't put that goon, Delly, on Parker.....lol

 

[Mecca]

James will always get his, but I think dealing with Khawi leaves him pretty drained by the 4th qtr.

Totally agree.

He makes Bron work on both ends.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

How good is Kahwi?

Bron is still the a top 2 player, it's still up for debate between he and Curry.

I have Kahwi as the 3rd best sf, behind Bron and Durant.

But, Damn......the gap is closing fast.

Leonard is top 8 player in the league (5-8).
Top 4 are James, Curry, Davis, Durant.

 

[trojanfan12]

Someone needs to give Love a pep talk.

The Spurs can get away with Aldridge having a bad game because they have West.

If Kevin lays an egg, the Cavs are cooked.

I thought the announcers hit on a good point last night. In the Cavs offense, Love has basically been turned into a 3 point specialist. He can score inside, get offensive boards and is an excellent passer from the post, but in this offense, he just hangs out at the 3 point line.

 

[Mecca]

Leonard is top 8 player in the league (5-8).
Top 4 are James, Curry, Davis, Durant.

Based on skill, Davis is a MONSTA!

But, he spends a lot of time in the land of broken toys.

 

[trojanfan12]

I'd still take Spurs because they will have HC, and I think they have more weapons to make adjustments with over a long series.

And they'll have the best coach in the business making the adjustments.

 

[trojanfan12]

How good is Kahwi?

Bron is still the a top 2 player, it's still up for debate between he and Curry.

I have Kahwi as the 3rd best sf, behind Bron and Durant.

But, Damn......the gap is closing fast.

I thought Charles Barkley nailed it last night. He said that Steph is the best offensive player in the world and that Lebron is still the best player. But. it's close enough that because of the age difference, if he's starting a team, he's taking Kawhi over Lebron.

 

[Mecca]

I thought the announcers hit on a good point last night. In the Cavs offense, Love has basically been turned into a 3 point specialist. He can score inside, get offensive boards and is an excellent passer from the post, but in this offense, he just hangs out at the 3 point line.

Yep.

They want him to be a stretch 4 exclusively.

He can knock that shot done, easily.

But, that's not his comfort zone and is a waste of his abilities.

Here's the thing: He knew what he was signing up for.

They did try to get him involved more early in the Season.

But, when the going gets tough, they revert back to him being an afterthought.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Yep.

They want him to be a stretch 4 exclusively.

He can knock that shot done, easily.

But, that's not his comfort zone and is a waste of his abilities.

Here's the thing: He knew what he was signing up for.

They did try to get him involved more early in the Season.

But, when the going gets tough, they revert back to him being an afterthought.

Chris Bosh and Kevin Love play with LeBron and are relegated to 3-point shooting. LeBron is supposed to be the best at making his teammates better though. Not to mention the fact that LeBron is performing worse with his jumpshot than even old man Kobe this year.

 

[Mecca]

I thought Charles Barkley nailed it last night. He said that Steph is the best offensive player in the world and that Lebron is still the best player. But. it's close enough that because of the age difference, if he's starting a team, he's taking Kawhi over Lebron.

I would too.

What is he, like 24?

I have always been seduced by scoring when picking my favorite players.

But, Kahwi and Butler are making a strong case for 2 way players.

Those guys are rare and phenomenal.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yep.

They want him to be a stretch 4 exclusively.

He can knock that shot done, easily.

But, that's not his comfort zone and is a waste of his abilities.

Here's the thing: He knew what he was signing up for.

They did try to get him involved more early in the Season.

But, when the going gets tough, they revert back to him being an afterthought.

Yeah, you'd think they'd figure out a way to get and keep him more involved. His overall skillset is part of why he's such a good 3 point shooter. The other stuff he can do keeps him involved and helps him establish a rhythm. Plus, the defense can't just focus on defending him at the 3 point line.

The defense doesn't have to try to make him one dimensional, the Cavs offense is taking care of that. I think he knew what he signed up for in the sense that he would be sacrificing some of his game because of Lebron and Kyrie, but I doubt he thought he was signing up to just hang out at the 3 point line.

 

[gordontrue]

The Rockets would have a better shot at winning if the Cavs hadn't lost to the Spurs. Cavs are gonna make the Rockets pay for it. Cavs/Warriors should be a great game.

I hope you're right, but I worry about how the Cavs responded the last time they played a b2b after losing a close game to a top-2 team on the road. Blazers handed them their worst loss of the season.

 

[Mecca]

Chris Bosh and Kevin Love play with LeBron and are relegated to 3-point shooting. LeBron is supposed to be the best at making his teammates better though. Not to mention the fact that LeBron is performing worse with his jumpshot than even old man Kobe this year.

True.

Kevin has very little room to operate in the paint because Tristans range only extends to the length of his arms, Bron is a slasher, and besides fancy dribbling, Kyrie's biggest strength is finishing at the rim.

So, Kevin just floats.

 

[bksballer89]

Chris Bosh and Kevin Love play with LeBron and are relegated to 3-point shooting. LeBron is supposed to be the best at making his teammates better though. Not to mention the fact that LeBron is performing worse with his jumpshot than even old man Kobe this year.

Bosh shot way less 3's with Lebron than Love is doing. Nearly half of Love shots are 3's

 

[Mecca]

Yeah, you'd think they'd figure out a way to get and keep him more involved. His overall skillset is part of why he's such a good 3 point shooter. The other stuff he can do keeps him involved and helps him establish a rhythm. Plus, the defense can't just focus on defending him at the 3 point line.

The defense doesn't have to try to make him one dimensional, the Cavs offense is taking care of that. I think he knew what he signed up for in the sense that he would be sacrificing some of his game because of Lebron and Kyrie, but I doubt he thought he was signing up to just hang out at the 3 point line.

Oh, I think they gave him a modified version of the pitch Dallas gave Deandre.

But, he should have known better...lol

He is the 4th, if Tristan has it going, 5th option.

 

[trojanfan12]

But, he should have known better...lol

Yep and he could have gotten out, but chose to stay, so that's on him. Like you said, I'm sure they promised him that things would be different, but I wonder what he's thinking now.

 

[trojanfan12]

True.

Kevin has very little room to operate in the paint because Tristans range only extends to the length of his arms, Bron is a slasher, and besides fancy dribbling, Kyrie's biggest strength is finishing at the rim.

So, Kevin just floats.

This is why, despite Love and TT playing well together at times, it's not a good long term solution, imo. It's why the "twin towers" of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum worked while trying to do the same with Pau and Dwight was a disaster. Bynum could operate farther from the basket than Dwight, so Pau wasn't relegated to being 15 feet or further from the rim all of the time like he was with Dwight.