NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavs VS Golden State Warriors

[Black Adam]

I doubt he could/would leave after the season they win, if they ever do.
I couldn't imagine him not taking the positive PR hit ( well deserved), plus he's not going to be at the opening night ring ceremony?

i hear ya. i think that guy'll NEVER miss an opportunity to be covered in glory. that's just how the guy's wired...

 

[LAD]

Just don't say that his legacy is diminished because of another Finals loss. The Cavs never had a prayer against GS and many of us were saying this in January. Now all of a sudden he is expected to win? The Warriors are better.

I think those of us who actually watch the games all season already knew these Cavs would be no match for GS, even fully healthy. There are certain Cavs fans that constantly posted how much better this team is than last year, how much better they are than that last year he played with the Heat while the rest of us tried to tell them that just wasn't the case.

But Wiggy always tries to compare apples to oranges & then uses lopsided sample sizes to try and support his case. This was clearly one of those times. It is no secret to the rest of us that Love has been terrible on defense all year, clearly there is plenty of film to prove that case.

So what you're now seeing are people digging in on Wiggy & his counterparts now that what they knew to be the truth all along is finally out in plain view...even if he refuses to log on & post about it.

 

[LAD]

Personally I believe the Cav's made a huge tactical error. They should have kept Wiggins and developed him. Lebron would have had to wait a year or two before being a serious contender, but it doesn't look good for him now any way. At this point he would still be in the playoffs but would have Wiggins instead of Love and Wiggins would be a rising star about to shine with one of the best forwards in the NBA and instead he is stuck with shitty ass Love and the Cavs would have some money this summer to sign some one like Durant to play with Lebron.

We said all of this when news of the trade first came out...it's finally coming to fruition.

#itpaystobepatient

 

[LAD]

I just think if he had the option of handpicking their roster, they would have much better role players. I'll give you Kyrie, K-Love, James Jones, Mike Miller, Shawn Marion, and Mo Williams. After that I think it was the GM. As I stated before, I also do think he requested Waiters to be traded for a true Center. Didn't think he expected to get Shump and JR in that trade as well. They were just looked at as throw ins because both were really bad for a terrible knicks team

Why do you think he would've done better? Because he's proven to pick winners in the past? I mean outside of Wade & Bosh not many other players have turned out to be winners.

 

[Kold]

That would be quite hilarious. What's another team that the Cavs fans absolutely loathe? To be fair, I wouldn't mind Lebron on the Lakers so I could see CL67's reactions. LOL

i REALLY hate it when you're right....(grumble grumble grumble)...

If there's one thing CL has been consistent about, it's been that he never wants to see Lebron in a Laker uniform. Even we would have the debates on the old CBS board about prime, Miami Lebron coming to LA, CL continued to say no, I don't want that idiot on my team.
EDIT- This was the CL post that I was TRYING to quote, not the other one

yeah yeah...

BETTER be glad i happen to like you clowns...

 

[LAD]

I posted it. It wasn't my original thought though. Cowherd said it yesterday morning on his show and it makes a ton of sense.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

he's not gonna leave but he's gonna force someone's hand and get new teammates or a new coach, GM, what have you...

 

[LAD]

LeBron went to Cleveland because it was home and he saw the potential for a team that could contend.

Once he made that decision he did what hundreds of other players have done.... recruited available players to come join him.

Gordon, I really like you. But do you really think he went home to contend for a title with a team that couldn't even make the 8th spot in the playoffs in the East without him? He had wiggins traded for Love because they already hade Kyrie. He figured Love & Kyrie would compliment him until he realized they don't work as hard as he does.

 

[LAD]

That roster comparison is a good one, but that Laker team did not win. I agree the Cavs could have beat them. If that makes them championship caliber in some year, then ok. Just not this year.

I think it was equally ridiculous for Kobe to be blamed for the '08 loss too.

As for the Finals loss thing, there is no way anyone will ever convince me that a Finals loss is somehow worse than losing sometime before. The logic there just does not make sense. A loss is a loss. Getting to the Finals is better than not getting there.

Sure, for a team like Portland for example. Why? Because they were never expected to make the playoffs period. But when you have a team- that first off has the highest salary to their core guys than any other team in the league & second off has an aging LB-J that creates very high expectations.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Gordon, I really like you. But do you really think he went home to contend for a title with a team that couldn't even make the 8th spot in the playoffs in the East without him? He had wiggins traded for Love because they already hade Kyrie. He figured Love & Kyrie would compliment him until he realized they don't work as hard as he does.

Good point.

I think Cavs fans , management and players went into this thinking Love was as good as his hallow stats on a horrendous Team and that Kyrie would change.

They were wrong on both accounts.

Kyrie doesn't want to be Steve Nash.

He wants to be a miniature James Harden.

 

[LAD]

To be honest with you guys I don't dislike Lebron as much as most Heat fans. I'm over what he did with them in 2014 by screwing up any plan B they had by waiting so long to sign.

Clearly...

 

[bksballer89]

Clearly...

Problem?

 

[LAD]

I am sure that was part of the equation.

What these guys are saying is that he got to hand pick his team. Having influence and forcing the Love trade is not the same as hand picking a team. Sorry.

By signing in Cleveland, there were a number of roster constraints LeBron was accepting. 1 was Kyrie Irving, and the second was either Wiggins or the best piece they could get in exchange for him. That was Love.

Clearly LeBron wanted Love over Wiggins. While it is easy to say that was a bad decision in hind sight, the majority of NBA analysts felt that Love improved their chances to win right away. LeBron was not the only person pushing for this deal.

If @trojanfan12 equates forcing the Love trade (which they might have wanted to do anyway) with hand picking a roster, then whatever. That is a gross exaggeration about what happened though.

Where they messed up was keeping Kyrie over Wiggins. Fine if they wanted Love...but trade Mr. injury prone for a younger-and most importantly- healthier Wiggins.

 

[trojanfan12]

he's not gonna leave but he's gonna force someone's hand and get new teammates or a new coach, GM, what have you...

Great another Heat fan.

Seriously though, welcome!!

 

[LAD]

It's a bad decision NOW.

But, the Cavs were in win now mode.

They didn't have the luxury of waiting for Wiggins to mature.

TF12 said it best: nobody saw the Warriors coming.

True...no one saw GS doing this well...but funny how Cleveland has been forced to wait anyway- just in the form of losing instead of rebuilding/developing new talent.

But, had they kept Wiggins (something I think we all said was the better choice at the time) at least there would be a silver lining right now. GS is pretty young which barring injury would leave most to believe they will be contenders for a while. Wiggins is on the way up and is even younger than most of GS's core. Never know how he could've developed with the experience of playing with LBJ.

 

[trojanfan12]

ust don't say that his legacy is diminished because of another Finals loss.

His legacy is diminished because he'll 2-5 in the finals.

 

[trojanfan12]

We said all of this when news of the trade first came out...it's finally coming to fruition.

#itpaystobepatient

To be fair, Lebron knew that his window for leading a team to a title is closing. He is in "win now" mode. He didn't want to have to wait 2-3 years for Wiggins to develop, if he ever did. Love was an established star that Lebron figured could help him win right now.

Unfortunately for him, it hasn't worked out that way thus far. But it was the right move at the time given his goals.

 

[trojanfan12]

View attachment 125784

Some noob.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I just think if he had the option of handpicking their roster, they would have much better role players. I'll give you Kyrie, K-Love, James Jones, Mike Miller, Shawn Marion, and Mo Williams. After that I think it was the GM. As I stated before, I also do think he requested Waiters to be traded for a true Center. Didn't think he expected to get Shump and JR in that trade as well. They were just looked at as throw ins because both were really bad for a terrible knicks team

I do agree with you that Lebron if anything would have had a major influence on the starting line up and left the rest up to them. There is only so much control a player can have yeah - Lebron gets too much credit and blame. That being said, however Kevin Love was a mistake, Shawn Marion isn't that good any more and Mo Williams is good, but not championship great. Lebron would have been better to sign that two year deal in Miami and waited for Wiggins and Irving to develop.

 

[LAD]

If there's one thing CL has been consistent about, it's been that he never wants to see Lebron in a Laker uniform. Even we would have the debates on the old CBS board about prime, Miami Lebron coming to LA, CL continued to say no, I don't want that idiot on my team.
EDIT- This was the CL post that I was TRYING to quote, not the other one

I think his opinion about not wanting LBJ on the Lakers was a consensus among Laker fans.