Stanton smashed the Clevelander sign today with a homerun.. I'd say that's a bad omen for Cleveland Cavaliers fans..
Agreed on all points - though I believe you are leaving out one major thing: LeBron and Wade are making more money now.
So the Heat would have Bosh and Lebron with max deals, Dragic near that and Wade playing for what the league minimum? You think the owner would put that team together and pay the taxes? I doubt it. I think its wishful thinking at best.
Bosh got the max after Lebron left. He and Wade would have been compromised deals if Lebron had stayed.
Would have, maybe, its kind of pointless to argue about things that never happened. I don't think the Heat would be the same team just with Lebron added. Your talking about Bosh giving up like 50-60 million dollars, I don't see that being even slightly possible.
True on all of those accounts. The Cavs team COULD beat the Heat team if we could have some fantasy scenario where Lebron could play against himself but I doubt they could win 4 of 7. The Heat team wasn't streaky and did play much better defense. Lue, to me at least, was soundly outcoached the last two games in Toronto and might very well end up losing this series if he can't figure out who to play and how to stop Toronto.
I don't think anyone would argue Cleveland couldn't win a couple games. I actually have a hard time seeing this Cavs team beating those Pacers though.
Whiteside just tweeted that anyone watching the playoffs now sees how important the center position is lol Love this guy
This Cavs team is good, I think they would beat anyone from that time other than the Heat and I think they would have taken the Heat to 6 or 7 in a tough series.
The dynasty will have to wait. Series over. Golden state ain't winning 3 straight over this Thunder group. OKC is a juggernaut right now. - sent via Tapatalk -
OKC is on a mission. Donovan has really been the difference, imo, in taking that talent and bringing them together. They are just physically dominating GSW. Last year's GSW was a more intense defensive team in the playoffs. And, their passing was crisper. Perhaps the most telling stat is GSW has 11 assists and 20 TOs. OKC is just physically dominating them. Pretty impressive how they have put it together after getting obliterated by the Spurs in that game 1 of their series. I think GSW will take their home game to make it 3-2, but can't see them winning at OKC in game 6. I'd have to say OKC is the odds on favorite to win the title. LeBron can match their intensity; but neither Love nor Irving know how to up their game. Cleveland just can't match the physical, playoff intensity of OKC. - Reminds me of the Lakers-Celtics in the 80s in that the Lakers struggled in their first finals against them to match the Celtics physicality. But, they toughened up. GSW will not win another title, imo, unless they get more physical and toughen up their players (they actually were tougher last year - Green was tougher and Iguodala was a bigger presence both defensively and offensively).
Just seemed like a good idea to bet a team that had not lost 2 games in a row all year. These playoffs are screwy. Cavs better not let me down, getting close to the point of no return for these playoffs.
Just had a vision...you have seen Kyrie trying to stay in front of Kyle Lowry...Imagine Russ Westbrook in that series.... trump card......Bron owns KD's soul. KD gets HIS...but LOSES...A LOT to Bron Bron.
On the one hand man I hate to see Barkley gloat on the whole small ball thing. On the other, if ANY team can win three straight to pull the series out of nowhere it's the Dubs.
Pretty sure thing GS will win the next game, and the Thunder will face heavy pressure to close it in Game 6
I think Westbrook is just unstoppable for long stretches and yeah Kyrie can be a little lazy or sloppy when it comes to defense. Durant has been playing defense, its a rough 1-2 punch with those two. Both guys are capable of being the best player on the floor on any given night and both are top 5 players in the league right now. Durant might be staying put, I can't see him leaving if they win a title unless there is some kind of wink wink deal to get Westbrook a year or two there later.
I've just never been a fan of how that Cavs team was put together. I believe that you start with defense. I see that as the most important factor in winning a championship. I see Irving and Love as defensive liabilities and even Lebron is now a shell of what he was on the defensive side (he's still a beast offensively). I think your stars set the tone for the whole team and this team lacks that defensive mindset. They can do it in spurts but I don't see them as consistent enough against the really good teams. I know some assume that I have a bias against the Cavs b/c I'm a Heat fan. I do root against the Cavs b/c of my dislike of Gilbert and the way their fans have behaved, but I can and do separate that from my analysis of a team.
I'm not a Heat fan. And, root for the Cavs b/c of Cleveland's hapless sports teams. But, you are spot on. Kyrie's offensive game was such that he was going to be a high draft pick. But he could have spent another year in coach K's system and learned some defense (He really only had about 10-15 games in college b/c of his foot injury). If you have athleticism you should be able to learn how to play defense - it's foot work, fundamentals, and desire. When you watch Irving, his defensive set up is terrible. He looks like he is getting low, but he's just bending his waist. Which actually doesn't put him in good position. It's almost like a bad O-lineman who doesn't past block well b/c he doesn't use his legs (which has some similarities to guarding dribble penetration in the NBA). Westbrook will destroy Irving, if they make it through (even though I'm partial to GSW). Durant, imo, doesn't have to be the clutch closer - just score his 30, rebound and use his length on D.
Cleveland's defense is above average. They have some individual players who could be a lot better but considering they don't have a big rim protector I think they do good enough to win a title. They are in the top end of the league in most defensive stats. They aren't a bad defensive team and they were in the Finals last year and will more than likely be in the Finals again. Its pretty obvious you can't separate your analysis from the fan hate. Nothing wrong with that but it is what it is. I hate the Heat as a Wizards fan so I can admit that some of the crap I give the fans or the team is based on that, it is what it is.
The best kept secret in the NBA? Kevin Durant is a REALLY REALLY REALLY good defender. People just see him as this skinny, lanky guy and don't notice that he can be suffocating.
Cleveland was 10th in the NBA in Def. Eff. 8 playoff teams were ranked ahead of them (SAS, GSW, ATL, MIA, BOS, CHA, LAC, IND) If we have a OKC vs. CLE finals...you will have #10 vs. #12....it will be the Worst defensive team matchup in Modern NBA History. (There has been at least 1 top 5 Defensive team in over 20 of the last 30 finals, and a top 10 in every one)
Yup. Great tools to smother guys and recover too. And against small-ball he can be a bit of a presence at the rim with that reach.
They are an inconsistent defensive team. Against very good offenses like you have in the West, they can't stop them enough or score enough. And my analysis and predictions on the Cavs has been pretty accurate. I thought they were the best team in the East last year and this. I said they'd make the finals and lose. And I predict the same this year unless the WCC suffers a key injury. Whatever lack of separation you want to see, it hasn't affected my analysis. I don't downgrade the Cavs b/c I root against them. I don't talk crap to bug their fans. But I do believe that you need to be a better and more consistent defensive team to win championships (or get lucky) and Cleveland wasn't built with that goal in mind. That's not fan hate. That's an unbiased opinion based on years of watching basketball.
IMO the difference in the GSW/OKC series is that OKC has stepped up their D while GSW has taken a step back. Yes, Curry's injury is a factor, but GSW's poor defense is an even bigger factor. That's where I think Billy Donovan has made the biggest difference. He's got that team thinking defense. Durant's defense has improved. I see more buy-in from the whole team. Donovan's teams at Florida were not the most talented, but they played great team D.
Who are the very good offenses? I don't know if it is only the top 3 teams in the West, or are there more (and whom)? Furthermore, there's no very good offense in the East in your opinion, right?
Joakim Noah wants out of Chicago..... hmmmmmmmmmmm. Power rotation of Hassan, Bosh and Joakim....who's is better?
What kind of contract would Noah command? Just wondering where all this room will be to add Noah and Keep Deng and Johnson
I was thinking of the top 3 in the West when I made that statement. I don't believe any team in the East was better than Cleveland. I do believe that a Miami team with Whiteside could have scared the Cavs, but probably would have lost in the end.