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****The Official 2014-15 NBA Thread****

Discussion in 'Other Sports Forum' started by schmolioot, Jul 7, 2014.

  1. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    It doesn't DICTATE anything. You are a gambling man, you know this.

    The Cavs are a heavy underdog, this isn't news to anyone around here...but to pretend that means anything extra is silly. Underdogs win everyday in sports.
     
  2. Rouk

    Rouk Well-Known Member

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    I dunno how to judge this cavs team they looked pretty damn solid tbh. However, the east is also a massive butthole I'm still amazed the hawks made it that far. Plus cavs seems pretty beat up so I would say the warriors win in 5 or 6.
     
  3. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    Agree, I think Cle finds 2 wins in this series based on Brons will alone.
     
  4. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Not at this point of his career. I certainly wouldn't like it and if he went to either of those teams, or the Celtics, or probably the Bulls, I'd be pretty upset. I really don't think I'd hate him, though. I didn't hate Jason Taylor when he went to the Jets, I just didn't like it.
     
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  5. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'm curious who everyone thinks the long layoff will hurt more. My guess would be the Cavs. The stars are going to continue to be stars. LeBron and Curry won't cool off because this is who they are. Thompson has been underperforming a bit as of late, so it's probably reasonable to assume his play actually improves regardless of time off. Guys like JR Smith, though, who are hot coming out of this last series and playing above their heads a little bit might cool off with the extended break. It will be interesting to watch.
     
  6. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Oh I hated when JT went to the Jets. HATED it. Disgusted me. I hope you dont have to experience it with Wade in another uniform.
     
  7. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    If JR is playing above his head, I wouldn't know it. He has played like this all season for the Cavs.

    Also, given that Klay Thompson has a concussion and Kyrie's knee tendinitis, I think the layoff helps both teams equally.
     
  8. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Really? In the ECF he scored 18 ppg compared to less than 13 in the regular season (with Cleveland). He shot 50% from the field compared to less than 43% in the regular season. He shot 47% from 3 compared to 39% in the regular season. Seems to me he's playing at a much higher level right now.
     
  9. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    I wasn't just considering the ECF when I replied, but rather the playoffs as a whole (45.7% on FGs, 39.7% on 3's). I also wasn't just thinking of shooting percentages and pts to be honest when considering him playing above his head. I was thinking willingness to rebound and hustle on defense in addition to strong shooting ability (ability to hit 6+ 3's on any given day), as I thought that he was generally regarded as just a shooter by most people (I know that is what I thought before he arrived).
     
  10. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    And thats what makes Lebron so great, he inspires. JR was playing lazy, careless basketball in NY and it showed. Now? He looks like a great piece to at worst the Eastern Conference champions.

    Thats why when these idiot Cavs fans try to call Phil out for trading him Im forced to explain THAT isnt the same JR Smith.
     
  11. GARDENHEAD

    GARDENHEAD Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    So JR Smith played lazy in NY, but played inspired in the ECF? And you're attributing this to Lebron? Don't make me laugh. Did it ever occur to you that ANY PLAYER would be inspired when they're in the conference finals?!?!?

    Lebron is an all time great. He's the best basketball player in the world. But let's not give him magical powers.
     
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  12. Ludacris

    Ludacris Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    JR Smith is as capable of shooting 6 of 7 from outside every night as he is shooting 1 of 7 every night. He is an extremely streaky shooter.
     
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  13. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    JR Smith wasnt playing lazy in NY, he was asked to do too much when he wasnt out til 4AM clubbing posting drunk pics on Instagram and Twitter. Its the same JR Smith but now hes being asked to play a role instead of being a primary option. Ditto Shumpert who was and probably still is with being a rapper as he is an NBA player. Google Iman Shumpert raps....hes probably a better rapper then NBA player lol.


    On a completely different note, Frank Asshola (or Isola...whichever you prefer) who Ive repeatedly asked on Twitter what its like to cover a team and an owner you clearly hate, insists the Knicks will sign Dwayne Wade this offseason if the Clippers dont. I personally dont think theres a chance in hell this happens but Asshola has been right before so it legitimately has me worried.
     
  14. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    ANY player huh? Not really.

    And the difference between NY JR and Cle JR is night and day and started when he was traded to Cleveland not just the ECF.

    One of his greatest attributes (Bron) is to make players around him better, if you can't even admidt that I'm not sure what to tell you.
     
  15. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    Not interested in the Wade rumors, we need young studs in this rebuild. Iman is the classic under appreciated player that championship teams need. And frankly his defense on Klay will go a long way in deciding if this series is going to be anyone's to take.

    I picked GS in 6, but if Kyrie is 90% and Iman D's up Klay then Lebron will fulfill his destiny a lot earlier than anyone anticipated.
     
  16. Serpico Jones

    Serpico Jones Well-Known Member

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    Dan LeBatard has an excellent column on the Wade situation in the Herald. It also delves into the formation of the big three and how LeBron refused to give up money to keep Haslem which forced Wade to have to do it himself.
     
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  17. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Sounds like a Lebron ego move. For all my dislike of the Heat you'll never hear/read criticism from me about Wade like I constantly give Lebron. Wade is a guy who wants to win, Lebron wants to win but only to feed his ego IMO
     
  18. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    It's way too early in the process for anyone to know anything with regards to Wade IMO. I'd still be shocked if he went anywhere, but the Knicks make very little sense outside of the fact that they could offer him a lot of money.
     
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  19. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Pretty sure LeBron's refusal to take a discount has a lot to do with the player's union and fighting the owners on salary issues. Stars taking less money (after being already restricted due to max contracts) is a HUUUGE boon for owners. It's most likely why he signed a short-term deal with the Cavs. If the best player in the league is deflating the price of stars it's a bad move for all players.
     
  20. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    I'm a GIANT homer and the best I've been able to do is convince myself Cavs can take them to 6 instead of 5. Anyone out there think the Cavs can win this series?
     
  21. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    They can if the role players play above their heads for the Cavs and Curry doesn't get enough help. This isn't David vs Goliath. I'd be surprised not stunned. That said I think GSW in 5.
     
  22. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    What you're saying is correct but I have zero belief that would be his reasoning.
     
  23. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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  24. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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    The same people, and the same methods used to make series lines, are the same ones I used when I was paid to do an analysis of the Spurs-Heat series last year. My analysis said Spurs in 5 was as equally likely as Spurs in 6, and the Heat had No chance of winning the series.

    We now have over 30 years of advanced data that remarkably predicts win totals within 4 games for 25-28 teams each year.

    If the Cavs win, it would be a shocking upset.
     
  25. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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    This is the biggest pile of BS ever posted in idolatry to Lebron James.

    Look..I won't even get into it with the numbers, I will just leave the link here:

    http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithjr01.html

    That is JR Smith's career. Look at the per 100 poss. numbers, and his advanced numbers, then look at his totals/averages.

    YOU tell me HOW MANY seasons he had that were better than this past year in Cleveland. YES..in NEW YORK TOO!

    The man was a 6th man of the year for ****s sake. I personally saw him bust his ***, playing as hard as anybody possibly can defending Wade and Lebron in our series 3 years ago. His problem in that series was his shooting against a Blitzing, trapping Heat defense that forced him into bad shot after bad shot. But Compete? He did.
     
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  26. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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  27. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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    Even better radio clown. LOL
     
  28. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Some people on Twitter are worried about the LeBatard article being a problem, but I didn't read it as negative to Wade at all.

    So, he was like everybody else and didn't think LeBron would come here until he personally told him he would consider it?

    How is that a negative? Wade still got on board with the idea and made the sacrifices. Whether it was "his idea" or not is irrelevant to me.

    The Heat and Wade are facing a math problem. When you take out the emotions, that's what it is. This isn't about the Heat or Arison being cheap or not wanting to pay him. In a salary cap league, the math is what it is.

    If we give Wade what he wants, we have to hope that the Wade/Bosh/Dragic/Whiteside core is good enough, because that will be it. It seems good on paper, but we have not seen 1 minute of that foursome.

    Albert Random had another great article with all the numbers broken down, and in short, there is no great solution for the Heat other than Wade declining the option and tabling the discussion for a year.

    Even the "compromise" of Wade opting out, taking a 1 year max of around $22 million, and tabling anything further until next summer carries extreme tax consequences for the Heat if both Deng and McBob return.

    I don't know what the answers are.
     
  29. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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    I love Wade....but he signed a $90 Million dollar deal with LiNing two years ago. He is not in the poor house.

    Riley is trying to sell him on Dynasty II, with a starting 5 of Dragic, Wade, Durant, Bosh, Whiteside.

    If Wade doesn't "sacrifice" for the sake of an attempt at another max player, then you can absolutely blame Wade, when we lose in 6 to Cleveland in the ECF's, because he wanted every damn penny on the table.

    Now..we come full circle...How the hell do you think Wade got that contract from LiNing anyway?

    Here's how:

    1) Heat were a Historically good team, very relevant nationally, and globally.
    2) The Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat have the largest Chinese sponsorship base.
    3) 2 + 2 equals 4.
     
  30. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    http://heathoops.com/2015/05/dwyane-wades-contract-negotiations-with-miami-heat-stall/

    Here's the Albert Random article I was referring to

     
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  31. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Even if we don't get Durant, we'll still have the cap space to sign another good role player or two.

    I understand Wade's point, I really do, but if he wants to win, he's the guy that has to take the (relative) shaft.

    In a capped world, this is life. I'm sure if there were no cap and Arison could pay him whatever he wanted for "services rendered" he would do so.
     
  32. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Is Wade's only sticking point the total money or is there any concern with him to lock into the multi-year deal now since health is a bit of a question for him?

    Like - a 3 yr deal NOW that guarantees $45mil covers him in case he has a major injury this year or misses significant time and has zero leverage to get anything next year.

    Or is he not worried about this aspect?
     
  33. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    I'd like to think I'm not a giant Cavs homer (just a normal Cavs homer), but I think it is reasonable to think the Cavs can take the series to 6 games. I also think they can win it, I just don't find it likely. I'd say they have like a 25% chance of winning the whole thing.
     
  34. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'm sure that's a big part of it.

    Even if he opted out and took the 1 year max, there's no guarantee he'd recoup the additional $20 million. The Heat would be under no obligation and if he suffered through an injury riddled season, he'd have a lot less fan sympathy on his side after being paid $22-23 million.

    However, with every team having cap space in 2016, and only 2 or 3 really big time free agents, I find it hard to believe there won't be ONE team out there willing to pay Wade $10-15 million per for 2 years
     
  35. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Pretty sure he's very worried. If Wade were to opt in and test free agency next year, he's in for an eye opener. Some teams might offer him 3 years 27 million. The guy turns 34 in January and misses 20-30 games per season the past 2-3 seasons. He's not going to get 12 million per season offers from any team other than the Heat.
     
  36. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Kyrie being healthy and going off is the only real wild card, to me. He was scoring 24 pts per game on 59% TS% through the first 6 playoff games before his injuries. If he unleashes a 50 pt game or something insane like that, Cavs are a different team.

    But at the same time - who the hell does he guard?

    Just don't like the matchups for the Cavs.
     
  37. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Plus there's the Heat basically wink-nodding that they'll pay him in perpetuity for some created position after his career is done and he no longer counts on the salary cap.

    It's like what the Denver Broncos got in trouble for doing back when they won Super Bowls with John Elway and Terrell Davis.
     
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  38. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    I wonder if there is any scenario where Whiteside comes back to earth a bit and doesn't end up getting a max.
     
  39. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    His "coming back to Earth" is still Deandre Jordan, who is going to get close to the max from somebody.

    and Whiteside is younger with more offensive potential.
     
  40. Serpico Jones

    Serpico Jones Well-Known Member

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    I think the Knicks would offer him a healthy contract. They need a star and a leader on that team and they also need someone to excite that moribund fan base. I think Frank Asshola is right about the Knicks and Wade which is scaring the **** out of me.
     
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