Series Thread: NBA Finals: Warriors vs Cavaliers

[LAD]

The Cavs have won ONE game out of FOUR. I'm not sure how the leap from that to them winning the series is made.

Last year the Dubs were a different team AND they've been healthy thus far. Thinking lightning will strike the same target for a second time is reaching IMO. If the Cavs can tie this series then of course the narrative SHOULD change.

 

[Wamu]

k, that was LAST season...

guess you can keep HOPING lightning strikes twice...

So what you're saying is the Cavs title from last year really doesn't count but the Warriors title from 2 years ago does. Also Miami's titles in '12 & '13 don't count either. Technically LeBron's 0-4 in the Finals.

 

[LAD]

k, that was LAST season...

guess you can keep HOPING lightning strikes twice...

Get out my head!!! Lol

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

The Cavs have won ONE game out of FOUR. I'm not sure how the leap from that to them winning the series is made.

Last year the Dubs were a different team AND they've been healthy thus far. Thinking lightning will strike the same target for a second time is reaching IMO. If the Cavs can tie this series then of course the narrative SHOULD change.

I dont know who would say that

My only statement was if GS loses tonight, the Cavs are winning this series

But i dont see it happening tonight

 

[trojanfan12]

Apples and Oranges

Miami and Cleveland became title contenders BECAUSE of Lebron, both those teams would have needed tickets without him

Durant joined a 73 win team that would be in the finals without him

I disagree. Not that either of those teams would have made the finals without Lebron. But let's not pretend that Lebron was dragging a bunch of scrubs to the finals like he did in his first stint in Cleveland. He still had 2 other all stars and some former all stars on the roster with him.

In both cases, there was already an all star player on the team and Lebron brought another one with him. So, the end result was that he played with 2 all stars and some former all stars on both teams. The only real difference is that KD didn't have to bring anyone with him.

 

[Black Adam]

i'll say it again, what do the Dubs have to be AFRAID OF...?

far as I know the series between the two is 1-1...

but for some reason the Dubs are "soooo afraid" of a challenge from the Cavs. LMFAO...

 

[Black Adam]

So what you're saying is the Cavs title from last year really doesn't count but the Warriors title from 2 years ago does. Also Miami's titles in '12 & '13 don't count either. Technically LeBron's 0-4 in the Finals.

I didn't say anything about that. just looked at the bottom line...

but if LeClown WAS 0-4...

 

[tlance]

Why didn't he stay in Cleveland then the first time around? He wanted to know he would be in the finals yearly. I have no issue with it just like I don't have a major issue with Durant. They want to play for championships every June but let's stop acting like KD is some criminal.

Because leBron didn't just want to get there, he wanted to win once he did. But, I agree. I don't have an issue with either players' choice. They earned the right to be free agents.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

I disagree. Not that either of those teams would have made the finals without Lebron. But let's not pretend that Lebron was dragging a bunch of scrubs to the finals like he did in his first stint in Cleveland. He still had 2 other all stars and some former all stars on the roster with him.

In both cases, there was already an all star player on the team and Lebron brought another one with him. So, the end result was that he played with 2 all stars and some former all stars on both teams. The only real difference is that KD didn't have to bring anyone with him.

The only way you can truly measure it is how those teams did before Lebron arrived, and how they did after he left

Lebron left a Cleveland team that was 2 years removed from an NBA finals, that team went on to have the worst record in the NBA

Lebron left a Miami team that won 2 NBA titles and that Miami team proceeded to suck for the most part

Lebron most recently joined a Cleveland team, with Kyrie, that happened to have the # 1 pick in the NBA Draft.......

Anyone watching this NBA Finals sees Kevin Love as a total defensive liability and a complete dissapointment offensively......Anyone that watched Bosh in the NBA finals with Miami, saw a player that was pretty good sometimes, and pretty invisible sometimes.....To say those 2 guys have played at an all star level on these teams would just be in-accurate

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Possible, not likely, based on recent history

What history is that?

Forget about the 2013 series. The Warriors had the same players but were young (Leonard was as well).
During this 67-73-67 run, only one team has a .500 or better record versus the Ws when complete. (SAS)
Only one team has two double digit wins in Oakland the last 3 years (SAS)
The Ws have destroyed everybody except SA and CLE when fully healthy.
The Spurs were up 23 points in the 3rd quarter as well before the injury.

Golden State probably beats the Spurs at full strength, but it is more like a 60/40 favor.

To suggest it is "NOT LIKELY" is completely underestimating how fucking good Kawahi Leonard is as a player.

 

[trojanfan12]

Let's pump the brakes on Love and Bosh being these automatic tickets to a finals

Love is ok, no better than tons of players in the league that could be the 3rd piece on this Cavs team, and a lot worse than a lot guys would be

Bosh NBA finals average was 11 points, he was as average as they come

Let's not. Both were all star players before they joined Lebron. When you have a big 3, especially when one or 2 of them are fairly ball dominant, someone is going to experience a drop in production due to fewer opportunities. After all, they still only use 1 ball.

In Miami, it was Bosh that had to experience the drop in production. In Cleveland, it's Love. I don't think anyone expected Bosh or Love to have the same level of production as they did with their previous teams.

 

[Wamu]

I didn't say anything about that. just looked at the bottom line...

but if LeClown WAS 0-4...

As a Lakers fan you should stop harping on LeBron's Finals record. The Logo himself was about 1-8 in the Finals. Wilt was about 2-4. Now does their Finals record hurt either of their legacies? Nope.

 

[Black Adam]

As a Lakers fan you should stop harping on LeBron's Finals record. The Logo himself was about 1-8 in the Finals. Wilt was about 2-4. Now does their Finals record hurt either of their legacies? Nope.

what harp? that's gonna be his record, ain't it...?

and do I brag about that finals record of any of those players? do find the posts. i'll wait...

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

What history is that?

Forget about the 2013 series. The Warriors had the same players but were young (Leonard was as well).
During this 67-73-67 run, only one team has a .500 or better record versus the Ws when complete. (SAS)
Only one team has two double digit wins in Oakland the last 3 years (SAS)
The Ws have destroyed everybody except SA and CLE when fully healthy.
The Spurs were up 23 points in the 3rd quarter as well before the injury.

Golden State probably beats the Spurs at full strength, but it is more like a 60/40 favor.

To suggest it is "NOT LIKELY" is completely underestimating how fucking good Kawahi Leonard is as a player.

Leonard is awesome, absolutely awesome, but Golden State is its 3rd straight finals, so thats the history im talking about

 

[tlance]

Yeah, I don't blame KD at all.

It was a weird set of circumstances.

The stars aligned in a crazy way. All in the same offseason:

1) A historically great team barely lost the championship
2) KD became a free agent
3) There was a collosal jump in the salary cap

All 3 of those things happend, giving KD an unprecedented opportunity. Don't blame him for taking it. I don't have to like the result, but I'm not gonna disparage him for doing what a lot of people would've done, either.

Let's not forget that he tried, and repeatedly failed to win with Westbrook in OKC. His circumstance and reasoning for leaving were almost identical to LeBron's for iniially leaving Cleveland.

They each left squads who were contenders, but would have needed a lot of breaks to ever win a title and they both went to squads that were heavy Vegas favorites after they signed. Miami's win total the previous year is irrelevant because they added Bosh in FA also. Prime Wade and Bosh with a couple other small pieces would have been contenders on the same level as Cleveland had LBJ stayed put.

 

[LAD]

Let's not. Both were all star players before they joined Lebron. When you have a big 3, especially when one or 2 of them are fairly ball dominant, someone is going to experience a drop in production due to fewer opportunities. After all, they still only use 1 ball.

In Miami, it was Bosh that had to experience the drop in production. In Cleveland, it's Love. I don't think anyone expected Bosh or Love to have the same level of production as they did with their END

Of the two I think Bosh adjusted the best.

 

[trojanfan12]

The only way you can truly measure it is how those teams did before Lebron arrived, and how they did after he left

Not true. There were huge roster turnovers when Lebron arrived and when he left. If Lebron had joined each team and they kept the exact same roster that they had before he arrived, then I would agree. But that's not what happened.

For example, Cavs fans like to say Lebron joined a 33 win team. That's not at all true. There were 11 players on that team the season before Lebron arrived that were not on the team when he returned. So the team that won 33 games, was not the team that Lebron joined.

 

[LAD]

Let's not. Both were all star players before they joined Lebron. When you have a big 3, especially when one or 2 of them are fairly ball dominant, someone is going to experience a drop in production due to fewer opportunities. After all, they still only use 1 ball.

In Miami, it was Bosh that had to experience the drop in production. In Cleveland, it's Love. I don't think anyone expected Bosh or Love to have the same level of production as they did with their previous teams.

Of the two I think Bosh adjusted the best.

 

[Black Adam]

What history is that?

Forget about the 2013 series. The Warriors had the same players but were young (Leonard was as well).
During this 67-73-67 run, only one team has a .500 or better record versus the Ws when complete. (SAS)
Only one team has two double digit wins in Oakland the last 3 years (SAS)
The Ws have destroyed everybody except SA and CLE when fully healthy.
The Spurs were up 23 points in the 3rd quarter as well before the injury.

Golden State probably beats the Spurs at full strength, but it is more like a 60/40 favor.

To suggest it is "NOT LIKELY" is completely underestimating how fucking good Kawahi Leonard is as a player.

funny part about Kawhi is the guy's imo great already and STILL strives to get much better. heard that most folks refer to him as being a "basketball robot"...

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Let's not. Both were all star players before they joined Lebron. When you have a big 3, especially when one or 2 of them are fairly ball dominant, someone is going to experience a drop in production due to fewer opportunities. After all, they still only use 1 ball.

In Miami, it was Bosh that had to experience the drop in production. In Cleveland, it's Love. I don't think anyone expected Bosh or Love to have the same level of production as they did with their previous teams.

Oh is that right? Who is suffering the drop in production on the All Star team known as the Golden State Warriors?

Its ok to try to diminish Lebron if you want, but lets not act as if Bosh and Love couldnt continue playing at an all star level because Lebron came to town...

You wanna discuss all the teams with multiple hall of famers that played alongside ball dominating players?

There are a few