Series Thread: Eastern Conference Finals: 1) Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25) vs. 2) Toronto Raptors (56-26)

[Shanemansj13]

Your Mom needs to take away your computer privileges.

4-8 more east in the depth for the most part. LA and Memphis were devastated with injuries, no way around it

 

[bksballer89]

That's part of the problem with your theory. You're looking at the team Memphis had when the playoffs started. A healthy Memphis is probably the 2nd best team in the East. 3rd at worst.

I agree with this. If we're saying Memphis is fully healthy than that's a different story. Houston and Dallas were really bad this year. They would struggle to beat any of the bottom 4 out East except for Detroit

 

[trojanfan12]

But they werent healthy. I thought the point of the conversation was right now. Not in the future when they are healthy.

The discussion was about the east vs. the west. Health has to be taken into account. When the teams are healthy, OKC, Memphis and the Clippers are all better than anyone in the east not named Cleveland and OKC might be as good as Cleveland. Add GSW and the Spurs to the mix, who are better than Cleveland (or at least would be favored in a series) and you now have 5 teams in the west that would be no worse than 2nd in the east.

 

[trojanfan12]

4-8 more east in the depth for the most part. LA and Memphis were devastated with injuries, no way around it

Just stop.

 

[trojanfan12]

I agree with this. If we're saying Memphis is fully healthy than that's a different story. Houston and Dallas were really bad this year. They would struggle to beat any of the bottom 4 out East except for Detroit

Agree about Houston and Dallas. But if you're making comparisons like this, you need to assume fully healthy teams because the majority of the time, that's what you have. The run of injuries that hit both Memphis and the Clips was a pretty rare thing. Picking a season in which an outlier like that happened is essentially cherry picking.

 

[gordontrue]

Guys. Take 2 seconds and look at the SOS numbers. Raptors won more games than okc with same SOS.

Pistons and Hawks were 8-0 vs Rockets and Blazers.

Hawks were 2nd best defense in the league.

If you want to talk about a healthy Memphis team... you gotta talk about a healthy heat and Toronto team as well.

It's embarrassing reading this stuff about Toronto being an 8 seed in the west. Lol.

 

[bksballer89]

Agree about Houston and Dallas. But if you're making comparisons like this, you need to assume fully healthy teams because the majority of the time, that's what you have. The run of injuries that hit both Memphis and the Clips was a pretty rare thing. Picking a season in which an outlier like that happened is essentially cherry picking.

Agree but if it also should be noted that if the teams out East were healthy (Miami with Bosh/Hassan) and Toronto with JV then Cleveland would not run through the east so easily

 

[gordontrue]

Agree about Houston and Dallas. But if you're making comparisons like this, you need to assume fully healthy teams because the majority of the time, that's what you have. The run of injuries that hit both Memphis and the Clips was a pretty rare thing. Picking a season in which an outlier like that happened is essentially cherry picking.

You guys are killing the east teams for their current state but want to compare them to the Memphis in a healthy state which they were never in all year?

 

[trojanfan12]

Agree but if it also should be noted that if the teams out East were healthy (Miami with Bosh/Hassan) and Toronto with JV then Cleveland would not run through the east so easily

Oh yeah, I'm in complete agreement with that. In fact, when the Heat were healthy, I thought they had at least a solid punchers chance at beating the Cavs. Imo, when healthy, they are the only team in the east with the ability to defend the Cavs from the paint to the 3 point line.

 

[trojanfan12]

You guys are killing the east teams for their current state but want to compare them to the Memphis in a healthy state which they were never in all year?

Actually, Memphis was in a healthy state most of the year. That's why they managed to hang on and make the playoffs. When the injuries started they were sitting at 4th(?) in the west and then dropped to 7th. If they had not played as well as they did prior, they would have fallen out of the playoffs.

Also, this was an overall comparison which assumes all are at full strength.

 

[Darth Dawkins]

Yikes that was hard too watch.

Raptors were much better all year, that's the first time they have lost two in a row since March.
They played great D all year and were scoring a lot of points, the problems are as follows imo.

-Losing JV is huge, he was playing great ball, also, it takes away the Biyombo factor. During the regular season and first few games of the playoffs Biyombo would come in and just kill it, he looked like an all-star at times (until you see him launch a free throw), playing a lot of minutes he's not nearly as effective, in spurts but overall not nearly as effective.

-Lowry is just not a guy that can give you 80+ games in a season. He breaks down at the end of every year. This crap started 25 games or so ago. He was playing at an elite level and now he's just a broken down, tired guard who's hurting his team. Casey is a "dance with the partner who brought you" kind of guy and Lowry is hurting them right now.

-Carroll missed half the season and inserting him back into the lineup so late in the season screwed up their chemistry. They look so out of sorts at times, they didn't look that way all year.

-For some reason they can't finish a quarter, the last two minutes of every quarter has been death for this team in the playoffs in every series. It wasn't this way during the regular season. I have no idea why it's happening now but I think it has everything to do with what I have posted above.

Having said all that, Cleveland is a superior team, wish the Raps were giving everyone a more entertaining series. I hope Toronto can make a series of it but if not I hope Cleveland wins it all, that City deserves some joy.

 

[lebron23james]

Raptors just look bad because the cavs are really good

The third string in the blowout 2 nite had 2 starters playing in the finals last year

 

[Heatles84]

Guys. Take 2 seconds and look at the SOS numbers. Raptors won more games than okc with same SOS.

Pistons and Hawks were 8-0 vs Rockets and Blazers.

Hawks were 2nd best defense in the league.

If you want to talk about a healthy Memphis team... you gotta talk about a healthy heat and Toronto team as well.

It's embarrassing reading this stuff about Toronto being an 8 seed in the west. Lol.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. You ready to say that the Raptors are going to beat the Thunder in a playoff series? I didn't think so.

Also, the Thunder had a rookie head coach that needed to get acclimated to the NFL. We saw the same thing happen with Lue when he took over midseason.

Regular season only means so much. We remember seeing Thibs' Bulls look like world beaters in the regular season. Come the playoffs, you knew they were going to fold. Same thing with the Hawks. They were the number 1 seed last season, yet get swept by Cleveland.

Love my Heat, but we're no better than the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder. We're maybe around the Clippers in terms of talent and effectiveness in the playoffs with a healthy Whiteside and Bosh.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I'm to lazy to go back. So, sorry if this is repetitive....

But, did Lowry really for leave the court to blow off some steam?

If so, he's a shitbird.

The Captain goes down with the ship.

 

[Heatles84]

Yikes that was hard too watch.

Raptors were much better all year, that's the first time they have lost two in a row since March.
They played great D all year and were scoring a lot of points, the problems are as follows imo.

-Losing JV is huge, he was playing great ball, also, it takes away the Biyombo factor. During the regular season and first few games of the playoffs Biyombo would come in and just kill it, he looked like an all-star at times (until you see him launch a free throw), playing a lot of minutes he's not nearly as effective, in spurts but overall not nearly as effective.

-Lowry is just not a guy that can give you 80+ games in a season. He breaks down at the end of every year. This crap started 25 games or so ago. He was playing at an elite level and now he's just a broken down, tired guard who's hurting his team. Casey is a "dance with the partner who brought you" kind of guy and Lowry is hurting them right now.

-Carroll missed half the season and inserting him back into the lineup so late in the season screwed up their chemistry. They look so out of sorts at times, they didn't look that way all year.

-For some reason they can't finish a quarter, the last two minutes of every quarter has been death for this team in the playoffs in every series. It wasn't this way during the regular season. I have no idea why it's happening now but I think it has everything to do with what I have posted above.

Having said all that, Cleveland is a superior team, wish the Raps were giving everyone a more entertaining series. I hope Toronto can make a series of it but if not I hope Cleveland wins it all, that City deserves some joy.

JV is a huge loss and it is what it is. The Raptors just don't have the personnel now to defend Cleveland.

Lowry is a huge disappointment. I've been hearing about how he's in much better shape this season and how he's going to do well in the playoffs. Once the lights got brighter, he's shrunk. I'm sorry, seeing him go to the lockerroom because he needed to blow off steam was the worse thing he could've done. If that's not the biggest sign of mental weakness, I don't know what is.

Cleveland will sweep.

 

[Heatles84]

I'm to lazy to go back. So, sorry if this is repetitive....

But, did Lowry really for leave the court to blow off some steam?

If so, he's a shitbird.

The Captain goes down with the ship.

Yes. He's sucked. This has been confirmed since game 1 of the playoffs.

And some team is going to over pay for Derozan.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Yes. He's sucked. This has been confirmed since game 1 of the playoffs.

And some team is going to over pay for Derozan.

I am going to laugh my ass off when he gets $25 mil...

Thank god we don't have cap space or Doc would probably be all over it....lol

I want Bazemore

But, he hates us and will get more than the $11 mil we have.

 

[Heatles84]

I am going to laugh my ass off when he gets $25 mil...

Thank god we don't have cap space or Doc would probably be all over it....lol

I want Bazemore

But, he hates us and will get more than the $11 mil we have.

I'm sorry, Mecca. You deserve better.

 

[Heatles84]

I will admit, kind of funny.

 

[Hambombs]

The iggy, draymond, klay trio on lbj, love, Irving will be fun to watch if we make it.