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

[mr.hockey4242]

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

Heat, absolutely.

Raptors, fuck no. They suck ass. Solid for a regular season but you just can't compete against good healthy teams in a 7 game series with guys like Lowry and DeRozan leading you.

 

[WiggyRuss]

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?

this is mostly coming from the same people who were talking about how strong the East was in February and how the East wont be nearly as easy as last year for the Cavs....lol....it just cracks me up.

This year the West had 3 and a half viable playoff teams...

Dallas was devastated by injuries and could barely field a full team by the end of their lone playoff series.

Memphis had no prayer of doing anything without both Gasol and Conley.

The Clippers would have lost to any team that made the playoffs- East or West- after they lost both Paul AND Griffin.

The Houston Rockets were a dysfunctional group that looked PISSED OFF when their "leader" hit a game winner to extend a series to 5 games- that was ONLY extended because of Steph's ankle injury.

Daminan Lillard is a really good player- but the rest of that team is really VERY VERY LITTLE- I could see any East team from Detroit on up giving that team a series and probably winning it.

Golden State skated once again to the Conference Finals. I dont know how you could say the Cavs road has been easier than Golden State's road thus far. Atlanta is DEFINITELY a better team than Portland.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Kyrie Irving played another great game tonight. LEBron James was without a doubt the best player on the floor- triple double and all- but Kyrie again led the team in points, and allows LeBron to do so many different things.

Kyrie usually takes over the offense at the end of the 1st qtr while LEBron gets a break...Lue than brings LeBron back against the other teams bench early in the 2nd....its worked really well for the Cavs and they can do it because Irving can carry them offensively. Another night where he shoots over 50%, and gets 20+...he is really establishing himself as a premier player this post season- i think hes starting to become what LeBron envisioned he could become when LeBron decided to come back.

 

[RobToxin]

I can maybe see Toronto stealing Game 4 at home if Cleveland has a letdown after going up 3-0. That's the closest the Raptors will come to competing in this series.

This is just a mismatch.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Skip Bayless– Verified account ‏@RealSkipBayless
No superstar has ever had an easier path to Finals than LeBron: Detroit was too young, Atl/Toronto have no stars, DWade lost Bosh&Whiteside.
8:00 PM - 19 May 2016
3,609 RETWEETS3,130 LIKES

 

[bksballer89]

View attachment 119940
Skip Bayless– Verified account ‏@RealSkipBayless
No superstar has ever had an easier path to Finals than LeBron: Detroit was too young, Atl/Toronto have no stars, DWade lost Bosh&Whiteside.
8:00 PM - 19 May 2016
3,609 RETWEETS3,130 LIKES

 

[bksballer89]

This easy path means nothing if he doesn't seal the deal in the finals

 

[WiggyRuss]

CLEVELAND -- Long before the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Toronto Raptors by 50 combined points in Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals to take a 2-0 lead in the series with Thursday's 108-89 win, Cleveland's captain just might have seen this success coming.

It was six weeks ago and the Cavaliers were reeling from a fourth-quarter collapse that cost them a winnable game in Chicago, a game the team was treating like a dress rehearsal for the playoffs with the postseason set to open up the following weekend.

The loss had an ominous feel to it, considering the Cavs played the "we'll be at our best when it really matters" card all season long. There they were, giving their all to try to shore up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference but were being denied by the Bulls' relatively unknown rookie Cristiano Felicio, who looked like the second coming of Charles Barkley as Cleveland's late-game execution was in disarray.

LeBron James lingered in the back of the visitors locker room at the United Center that night, feet plunged in a bucket of ice water, when he was lobbed a pick-at-the-scab type of question.

"So are you guys really going to be ready to play 20-25 games that matter starting next week after a night like tonight?"

"Twenty-five games?" James said incredulously to ESPN.com and then tapped Tristan Thompson, who was seated next to him, on the shoulder to bring him in the conversation.

"Tristan, how many games do we need to win in the playoffs to win a championship?" he asked.

"Sixteen," Thompson said.

"Exactly," James reiterated. "Sixteen."

 

[WiggyRuss]

"It's not easy," said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who passed Pat Riley's record for most consecutive playoff wins to begin a coaching career with the victory over the Raptors in Game 2. "It's a lot of work. It's a lot of preparation, trying to stay ahead of the game, trying to figure out what they're going to do next. My coaching staff today was right on point what we thought they might try to do. …



Ty Lue erasing Riley from the record books is just too lovely for words...lol


The Cavs clearly look like a close-knit bunch that genuinely enjoys one another and joking around. In the locker room, players were often having conversations with each other and messing around a bit like throwing a towel on Channing Frye's head during interviews. A few times during their presser, LeBron James whispered and smiled with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Big Three are getting tighter with each win it seems.



there is absolutely ZERO chance that Kyrie, LeBron and Love are not on the Cavs roster come Game 1 of next year. ZERO CHANCE.

ZERO CHANCE

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

CLEVELAND -- Long before the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Toronto Raptors by 50 combined points in Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals to take a 2-0 lead in the series with Thursday's 108-89 win, Cleveland's captain just might have seen this success coming.

It was six weeks ago and the Cavaliers were reeling from a fourth-quarter collapse that cost them a winnable game in Chicago, a game the team was treating like a dress rehearsal for the playoffs with the postseason set to open up the following weekend.

The loss had an ominous feel to it, considering the Cavs played the "we'll be at our best when it really matters" card all season long. There they were, giving their all to try to shore up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference but were being denied by the Bulls' relatively unknown rookie Cristiano Felicio, who looked like the second coming of Charles Barkley as Cleveland's late-game execution was in disarray.

LeBron James lingered in the back of the visitors locker room at the United Center that night, feet plunged in a bucket of ice water, when he was lobbed a pick-at-the-scab type of question.

"So are you guys really going to be ready to play 20-25 games that matter starting next week after a night like tonight?"

"Twenty-five games?" James said incredulously to ESPN.com and then tapped Tristan Thompson, who was seated next to him, on the shoulder to bring him in the conversation.

"Tristan, how many games do we need to win in the playoffs to win a championship?" he asked.

"Sixteen," Thompson said.

"Exactly," James reiterated. "Sixteen."

I'll give you 16-1 odds that the Cavs don't go 16-0.
I'll give you the same 1-1 odds I've offered all season that they don't get to 16.
Of course you won't take either.

My real question to you, has to be this:

Why in the fuck do you post the same shit, on a daily basis, if you don't believe it?

 

[gordontrue]

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.

Of course the Thunder are a much better team right now than the Raptors. Especially with JV out.

But this notion of no one in the East outside of Cle being able to beat anyone in the west is just laughable, imo. This notion of the Raptors being a low seed had they played in the West is factually incorrect.

The Hawks have had disappointing finishes to back-to-back great seasons and some of that blame belongs on the players/team not playing up to their level in the playoffs. But a LOT of that blame rests on the fact that they went up against a focused LeBron.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I'll give you 16-1 odds that the Cavs don't go 16-0.
I'll give you the same 1-1 odds I've offered all season that they don't get to 16.
Of course you won't take either.

My real question to you, has to be this:

Why in the fuck do you post the same shit, on a daily basis, if you don't believe it?

I posted it because i thought it was interesting and entertaining, and the Cavs are on a 10 game playoff winning streak, and its fun as hell and all the reporters are saying they have never seen LeBron so locked in.

Try and enjoy the NBA playoffs....maybe that bug up your ass will die an you can relax a little bit!!!

NOW 16-0 would CERTAINLY be something we have never seen? lol....it sounds like this reporter was trying to pick at LeBron and he decided to mess with him- all though- read the full article- LeBron suggets his dreams come true!!! LOL

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

This easy path means nothing if he doesn't seal the deal in the finals

Of course.
Easy path, hard path, it championship or bust for every team but the Raptors.

I said when James went back, that his best chance to win would be seasons 1 and or 2.
If they can't / don't win this year, then I'm confident it won't happen with this core.

 

[WiggyRuss]

This easy path means nothing if he doesn't seal the deal in the finals

i know you intended to mock me when you suggested i think the Cavs would win each game by over 17 points......icertainl didnt think that- but for some reason you said it----


.but as it stands, the Raptors are gonna have to RALLY to get the average margin down to 17....LOL.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Kyrie really looked completely focused and really strong. The commentators were remarking how on one play he took Lowry into the lane, made contact and opened up space- and Van Gundy remarked that Kyrie must be a lot stronger than he looks to be able to do that and finish in traffic like he does.

We really are seeing the evolution of a really great player finally starting to enter his prime years. LeBron has to LOVE that.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I posted it because i thought it was interesting and entertaining, and the Cavs are on a 10 game playoff winning streak, and its fun as hell and all the reporters are saying they have never seen LeBron so locked in.

Try and enjoy the NBA playoffs....maybe that bug up your ass will die an you can relax a little bit!!!

NOW 16-0 would CERTAINLY be something we have never seen? lol....it sounds like this reporter was trying to pick at LeBron and he decided to mess with him- all though- read the full article- LeBron suggets his dreams come true!!! LOL

I'm not even interested in the Cavs/Raptors series.
I said I wouldn't be before it ever started.
The Warriors series is fun, because it's competitive.

The Finals should be fun, no doubt.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I'm not even interested in the Cavs/Raptors series.
I said I wouldn't be before it ever started.
The Warriors series is fun, because it's competitive.

The Finals should be fun, no doubt.

well for a guy who says he has barely watched the series and he doesent care about it- you sure do love trying to cut the Cavs down and comment on the series PLENTY....lol....we all know what that is about though.

i mean- you comment on this series on like a 5-1 ratio as the thunder series- even though- you dont care about this series- admitted you hadnt really watched--- while saying how interested you are in the thunder series...i mean cmon now.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Of course it would be totally insane for it to happen....but if circumstances combined where the CAvs did go 16-0 in this postseason- that would have to go down as the greatest accomplishment in NBA history right? Sweeping the playoffs?

The Lakers were 1 game short i think the year they beat the 76'ers 4-1......its just a crazy thing to think about.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i know you intended to mock me when you suggested i think the Cavs would win each game by over 17 points......icertainl didnt think that- but for some reason you said it----


.but as it stands, the Raptors are gonna have to RALLY to get the average margin down to 17....LOL.

I still say they win a game.
Either way, it's meaningless.
You played Akron, Eastern Michigan, and Bowling Green.
Alabama is next on the schedule.
Win that one, and they'll get credit.
Lose it, and it's another year of abuse coming.

 

[bksballer89]

i know you intended to mock me when you suggested i think the Cavs would win each game by over 17 points......icertainl didnt think that- but for some reason you said it----


.but as it stands, the Raptors are gonna have to RALLY to get the average margin down to 17....LOL.

I would never mock you