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

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Anybody know where I can find a lawyer pro bono ?

You get what you pay for.

 

[Wamu]

true...the Cavs have played good enough defense, where they can stand a 3 pt drought here or there....

we just matchup so well- especially with the Raptors beat up and playing 2 long series.....this isnt gonna be Goran Dragic covering lowry....hes gonna get a taste of Delly, Shumpert, Irving and i wouldnt even be surprised LEBron at times--- all who much much better defenders than Goran Dragic...

With no valunciunas its gonna be REALLY REALLY hard for the Raptors...they have prettyy much zero rim protection- and the Cavs arent gonna let Biyombo go crazy on the boards and dominate them like Miami did....

The Cavs better figure out how to play better than good enough D if they advance to the Finals. Like I said, I think they will. But if they only play good enough D against either G.S. or OKC they'll get torched.

 

[WiggyRuss]

It's not going to be a sweep.
Not that it means anything, but didn't they beat you 2 of 3?
If we see the all star guard combo playing at a high level, you're in for a fight.

And Goran isn't even a good defender, but statistically he's better then Kyrie.

well when your team is just exhausted and your best option is Dragic- of course Lowry is gonna go insane....your guys perimeter defense is pretty much trash. That series is over a LOT sooner if Lowry and DeRozan dont SUCK ass early on.

Lowry isnt gonna find it as easy as shredding a Miami defense with absoutely zero size and no guards that can defend a lick. Thats why Lowry and Biyombo just dominated the last few games of the series.

now they are up against a well-rested, pretty much injury free Cavs team. This isnt gonna be smoking Dragic off the dribble and turning the corner to see Udonis Haslem, lol.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Excellent. Just waiting for it to finally warm up so I can start hiking & hopefully some camping.

do you go anywhere cool locally?

 

[starbigd]

Maybe I'm crazy......I don't have a horse in this race, but I'm going Cavs in 4

I just don't see how the crappy Toronto offense can actually keep up in this. They STRUGGLE to get even average to good shots off before the shot clock.

I'm probably way off and it goes 7, LOL......but unless you guys see something I'm missing here, I think this is a quick series.

 

[bksballer89]

well when your team is just exhausted and your best option is Dragic- of course Lowry is gonna go insane....your guys perimeter defense is pretty much trash. That series is over a LOT sooner if Lowry and DeRozan dont SUCK ass early on.

Lowry isnt gonna find it as easy as shredding a Miami defense with absoutely zero size and no guards that can defend a lick. Thats why Lowry and Biyombo just dominated the last few games of the series.

now they are up against a well-rested, pretty much injury free Cavs team. This isnt gonna be smoking Dragic off the dribble and turning the corner to see Udonis Haslem, lol.

Yep Winslow, Richardson, and Deng are all trash defenders. The Heat perimeter defense is actually better than the Cavs

 

[WiggyRuss]

Toronto offense should play better in this series. It's the first below average defense they played this post season.

lol...you think the Toronto offense is gonna play better?

how? lol....cmon....i gotta give the HEat credit for competing- but by the end of the series your guys defense was atrocious from all the depth you lost. Your bigs were some of the worst i have ever seen play big minutes in a playoff series......contrast that with Love and Thompson and Frye.......Mozgov might not even see the floor in this series and he wouldve been the best option the heat had BY FAR those last 3 games.

Just having a full roster and fresh bodies is gonna seriously stmy the Raptors offense more than anything...

not only that- but unlike last year and in previous playoff series- LeBron has been a playmaker defensively...he has that ability with the depth the Cavs have and the fact that LeBron- is not even the Cavs LEADING POSTSEASON SCORER!!!! isnt that crazy?

I give the Heat tons of credit for how they fought--- but the difference in the defense, depth, that the Raptors are gonna see this series is far and away much better than what the Heat were throwing out there- ESPECIALLY later on in the series with no Whiteside, a gimped Deng, a couple rookies that have played BY FAR the longest seasons of their life- and a Dwade who had to try and carry the offense and had little left on the defensive end.......in some ways it actually reminds me of the Cavs in the Finals last year...

 

[bksballer89]

What people need to realize is that for the first time ever there is no pressure on Toronto. All of their previous 4 series together, they had HCA and had all the pressure in the world to win. In this series they can play free and loose as there's no pressure on them at all.

 

[Wamu]

do you go anywhere cool locally?

I like going to Este Park, it's the closest. I also go to Roosevelt & Arapaho national forests.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Yep Winslow, Richardson, and Deng are all trash defenders. The Heat perimeter defense is actually better than the Cavs

Deng was hurt- and Winslow and Richardson played like my ass on the road during the playoffs for the most part--- not only that--- but shit--- 2 rookies playing in probably AT LEAST double- if not triple the most games they have ever played...you cant fault rookies on the road that have played a ton of games to come up short in the postseason...if you are relying on that its either A. a function of injuries- which it was- and B. a function of your GM shortchanging your bench- which it was.

 

[bksballer89]

Deng was hurt- and Winslow and Richardson played like my ass on the road during the playoffs for the most part--- not only that--- but shit--- 2 rookies playing in probably AT LEAST double- if not triple the most games they have ever played...you cant fault rookies on the road that have played a ton of games to come up short in the postseason...if you are relying on that its either A. a function of injuries- which it was- and B. a function of your GM shortchanging your bench- which it was.

Winslow and Richardson played like ass OFFENSIVELY on the road. Their defense never dropped off.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I like going to Este Park, it's the closest. I also go to Roosevelt & Arapaho national forests.

cool....

i guess i was talking about a little more locally....the Chagrin reserve area of the metroparks is EXTREMELY close to where my parents live and is just beautiful. One of the downsides of living in the city without a dobut.

 

[Wamu]

cool....

i guess i was talking about a little more locally....the Chagrin reserve area of the metroparks is EXTREMELY close to where my parents live and is just beautiful. One of the downsides of living in the city without a dobut.

Oh my bad, well I got outta Akron once & for all more than 10 years ago. But when I was there I usually went down to S. Ohio or to WV. Spent alotta time in the Metro Parks hiking as well.

 

[WiggyRuss]

What people need to realize is that for the first time ever there is no pressure on Toronto. All of their previous 4 series together, they had HCA and had all the pressure in the world to win. In this series they can play free and loose as there's no pressure on them at all.

i mean- how can u really hold the Heat accountable for that loss? THEY HAD NO BIG MEN!!! they had a lineup where Joe Johnson and Deng STARTED- YES STARTED at PF and C...you want win like that against a good NBA team!

that game 7the only guy over 6' 8" that played was Josh McRoberts and he played 15 minutes!!! Thats just unheard of!!!! the Toronto offense was just licking its chops!

The Heat just didnt have enough depth, and were gassed- and Wade had a GREAT GREAT effort- but when u expand all your energy on offense- you dont have much left for the defensive side- and probably the best 2 HEat defenders were ROOKIES that looked clueless at times in the postseason (all though looked very good at times too).....

honestly- its very analogous to the Cavs loss the Warriors last year in a lot of ways...

 

[WiggyRuss]

Maybe I'm crazy......I don't have a horse in this race, but I'm going Cavs in 4

I just don't see how the crappy Toronto offense can actually keep up in this. They STRUGGLE to get even average to good shots off before the shot clock.

I'm probably way off and it goes 7, LOL......but unless you guys see something I'm missing here, I think this is a quick series.

i gotta agree....

i have the deeply-seeded Cleveland Sports Paranoia Gene- but even i cant see how Toronto mounts a challenge sans Valunciunas.

the only way is if Lowry just goes INSANE....and the Cavs have depth, and a lot of well rested bodies to throw at him.

The Boards are gonna be a joke...if the Cavs dont just dominate the boards totally and completely ill be very very surprised.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

well when your team is just exhausted and your best option is Dragic- of course Lowry is gonna go insane....your guys perimeter defense is pretty much trash. That series is over a LOT sooner if Lowry and DeRozan dont SUCK ass early on.

Lowry isnt gonna find it as easy as shredding a Miami defense with absoutely zero size and no guards that can defend a lick. Thats why Lowry and Biyombo just dominated the last few games of the series.

now they are up against a well-rested, pretty much injury free Cavs team. This isnt gonna be smoking Dragic off the dribble and turning the corner to see Udonis Haslem, lol.

You act like I'm picking against the Cavs?

Regardless, Lowry is a very god player who often does well against the Cavs.
Didn't you suggest that James couod be asked to guard him at times?
If that's the case, then why?

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i gotta agree....

i have the deeply-seeded Cleveland Sports Paranoia Gene- but even i cant see how Toronto mounts a challenge sans Valunciunas.

the only way is if Lowry just goes INSANE....and the Cavs have depth, and a lot of well rested bodies to throw at him.

The Boards are gonna be a joke...if the Cavs dont just dominate the boards totally and completely ill be very very surprised.

So avi bet?
It's not a sweep.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i mean- how can u really hold the Heat accountable for that loss? THEY HAD NO BIG MEN!!! they had a lineup where Joe Johnson and Deng STARTED- YES STARTED at PF and C...you want win like that against a good NBA team!

that game 7the only guy over 6' 8" that played was Josh McRoberts and he played 15 minutes!!! Thats just unheard of!!!! the Toronto offense was just licking its chops!

The Heat just didnt have enough depth, and were gassed- and Wade had a GREAT GREAT effort- but when u expand all your energy on offense- you dont have much left for the defensive side- and probably the best 2 HEat defenders were ROOKIES that looked clueless at times in the postseason (all though looked very good at times too).....

honestly- its very analogous to the Cavs loss the Warriors last year in a lot of ways...

Didn't that same Heat lineup have a pretty easy win in game 6?
It came down to the advantages that HC brings you.
If game 7 was in Miami, we'd have beat them again with that same, small lineup.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

lol...you think the Toronto offense is gonna play better?

how? lol....cmon....i gotta give the HEat credit for competing- but by the end of the series your guys defense was atrocious from all the depth you lost. Your bigs were some of the worst i have ever seen play big minutes in a playoff series......contrast that with Love and Thompson and Frye.......Mozgov might not even see the floor in this series and he wouldve been the best option the heat had BY FAR those last 3 games.

Just having a full roster and fresh bodies is gonna seriously stmy the Raptors offense more than anything...

not only that- but unlike last year and in previous playoff series- LeBron has been a playmaker defensively...he has that ability with the depth the Cavs have and the fact that LeBron- is not even the Cavs LEADING POSTSEASON SCORER!!!! isnt that crazy?

I give the Heat tons of credit for how they fought--- but the difference in the defense, depth, that the Raptors are gonna see this series is far and away much better than what the Heat were throwing out there- ESPECIALLY later on in the series with no Whiteside, a gimped Deng, a couple rookies that have played BY FAR the longest seasons of their life- and a Dwade who had to try and carry the offense and had little left on the defensive end.......in some ways it actually reminds me of the Cavs in the Finals last year...

Mozgov would be no teams best option.
He's been garbage all season.

 

[WiggyRuss]

You act like I'm picking against the Cavs?

Regardless, Lowry is a very god player who often does well against the Cavs.
Didn't you suggest that James couod be asked to guard him at times?
If that's the case, then why?

when did i suggest Lowry was bad? I think Lowry is EASILY a top 10 player in the East and possibly around a top 5....especially in importance to his team....If I was just picking for next season and i didnt think of age- id take Lowry over John Wall probably.

Lowry has played well against the Cavs too....but as far as I can tell- unless DeRozan starts playing better- hes the only guy you have to worry about....the Cavs could game plan to let Lowry get 40 and still win by double digits.