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

This image and caption made me laugh, this was before Russell Wilson made the comeback:

"rafael wrote:

I don't see starting or not starting Whiteside as a factor that matters for this season. Personally, I would focus on developing Whiteside for the long term. That would involve some starting and some coming off the bench (for the slightly different dynamic), but more importantly it would involve minutes. The minutes are what matters. The starting or not starting designation is largely meaningless.

I agree with you for the most part. I do think when those minutes occur can be important though. When he's out to begin the 3rd quarter and doesn't play for much of that quarter, and your team has clearly been struggling in that quarter, I think you have to change things up. If he's in foul trouble that obviously changes things, but I think it is unwise to sit him for a long period of time in a portion of the game the team has struggled with all season. I don't really care if he starts or not, though, if he's getting his minutes.

Seriously, tho - how much fun has it been for Heat fans to watch the Cavs play like crap?

"PhiNomina wrote:

Seriously, tho - how much fun has it been for Heat fans to watch the Cavs play like crap?

it's giggle worthy.

"Section126 wrote:

it's giggle worthy.

You think they make a big trade or fire the coach? Or should I say do you see Lebron making a big trade or firing the coach? I still think the tank is on to get Mark Jackson there.

"finfansince72 wrote:

You think they make a big trade or fire the coach? Or should I say do you see Lebron making a big trade or firing the coach? I still think the tank is on to get Mark Jackson there.

They made their "big" trades already (not counting Kevin Love before the season).

Harden - 45 points on 67% shooting (12-18).

That's how you make up from getting blown out at home 2 days ago. We must figure out a way to get back at Golden State on Wednesday. I hate them.

"PhiNomina wrote:

Seriously, tho - how much fun has it been for Heat fans to watch the Cavs play like crap?

There are extreme amounts of schadenfreude led by #TeamPetty. The Heat right now looks to have the brighter future, too.

Hey the Knicks won. That doesnt happen every month. :cry: :console:

"Boik14 wrote:

Hey the Knicks won. That doesnt happen every month. :cry: :console:

Mazel tov!

"Boik14 wrote:

Hey the Knicks won. That doesnt happen every month. :cry: :console:

They're going to choke away that #1 pick if they keep this up.

"aesop wrote:

They're going to choke away that #1 pick if they keep this up.

I don't think they have much to worry about

"PhiNomina wrote:

Seriously, tho - how much fun has it been for Heat fans to watch the Cavs play like crap?

Meh.

"Desides wrote:

There are extreme amounts of schadenfreude led by #TeamPetty. The Heat right now looks to have the brighter future, too.

wut.

"PhiNomina wrote:

Seriously, tho - how much fun has it been for Heat fans to watch the Cavs play like crap?

It is fun, but the coverage isn't the same.

If you think back to that 2010 season, literally every game was a life or death referendum on the entire Big 3 experiment and on LeBron's heart/clutch gene/legacy, etc.

Are the Cavs taking any sort of heat (no pun intended) at all? It certainly doesn't seem like it.

"schmolioot wrote:

It is fun, but the coverage isn't the same.

If you think back to that 2010 season, literally every game was a life or death referendum on the entire Big 3 experiment and on LeBron's heart/clutch gene/legacy, etc.

Are the Cavs taking any sort of heat (no pun intended) at all? It certainly doesn't seem like it.

I think most reasonable people thought the Cavs would struggle some to get it together. No one was promising 7 rings, everyone understands that it takes time.

"finfansince72 wrote:

I think most reasonable people thought the Cavs would struggle some to get it together. No one was promising 7 rings, everyone understands that it takes time.

They should have thought the same thing about the Heat, but they didn't.

And it had nothing to do with anybody "promising" 7 rings, which never actually happened anyway.

The Cavs are beyond merely struggling to fit everything together while still winning. They just aren't that good. Unless finally cracking the .500 barrier in the East is a great accomplishment for a team with 3 All Stars.

Kevin Love should be getting killed and having his manhood questioned everyday like Bosh did, but he's not. LeBron should be getting killed for loafing around on defense and only playing hard for the last 2 1/2 games, but he's not. And Kyrie should be getting killed for being, well, Kyrie, but he's not.

The media loves this cockamamie horse-crap story LeBron spoon fed to them that has allowed them to escape criticism. It's bull.

"schmolioot wrote:

They should have thought the same thing about the Heat, but they didn't.

And it had nothing to do with anybody "promising" 7 rings, which never actually happened anyway.

The Cavs are beyond merely struggling to fit everything together while still winning. They just aren't that good. Unless finally cracking the .500 barrier in the East is a great accomplishment for a team with 3 All Stars.

Kevin Love should be getting killed and having his manhood questioned everyday like Bosh did, but he's not. LeBron should be getting killed for loafing around on defense and only playing hard for the last 2 1/2 games, but he's not. And Kyrie should be getting killed for being, well, Kyrie, but he's not.

The media loves this cockamamie horse-crap story LeBron spoon fed to them that has allowed them to escape criticism. It's bull.

Well I think you hit the nail on the head. Everyone outside of Miami hated the big three and how that got put together so everyone was rooting against them. Honestly, you Heat fans just need to move on. I guess the fact that your team stinks right now adds to the hate but cmon, I mean move on already.

"finfansince72 wrote:

Well I think you hit the nail on the head. Everyone outside of Miami hated the big three and how that got put together so everyone was rooting against them. Honestly, you Heat fans just need to move on. I guess the fact that your team stinks right now adds to the hate but cmon, I mean move on already.

Move on from what?

Enjoying the Cavs struggling? Why?

And I wouldn't say the Heat "stink". We're not a championship contender but we have a pretty good team that if it stays healthy will make the playoffs and maybe put a scare into somebody the first round. We understand our goals are more modest now.

The Cavs goals on the other hand should be championship or bust, though nobody seems to be holding them to that

"schmolioot wrote:

They should have thought the same thing about the Heat, but they didn't.

And it had nothing to do with anybody "promising" 7 rings, which never actually happened anyway.

The Cavs are beyond merely struggling to fit everything together while still winning. They just aren't that good. Unless finally cracking the .500 barrier in the East is a great accomplishment for a team with 3 All Stars.

Kevin Love should be getting killed and having his manhood questioned everyday like Bosh did, but he's not. LeBron should be getting killed for loafing around on defense and only playing hard for the last 2 1/2 games, but he's not. And Kyrie should be getting killed for being, well, Kyrie, but he's not.

The media loves this cockamamie horse-crap story LeBron spoon fed to them that has allowed them to escape criticism. It's bull.

Finally cracking .500? They've been under .500 for all of 2 calender days recently, and like 17 days total this season and been ahead of Miami nearly all season I believe despite the Heat having the "better coach" and Riley, and not Dan Gilbert. Oh we have 3 All-stars? So do the Heat, in Wade, Bosh, and Deng (and two of those three have played multiple seasons together unlike the Cavs all-stars). I'm sure you'd pin that on injury issues though, while failing to recognize any of the same with the Cavs.

No, it is not some great accomplishment, but no one has said it was either.

"Stitches wrote:

Finally cracking .500? They've been under .500 for all of 2 calender days recently, and like 17 days total this season and been ahead of Miami nearly all season I believe despite the Heat having the "better coach" and Riley, and not Dan Gilbert. Oh we have 3 All-stars? So do the Heat, in Wade, Bosh, and Deng (and two of those three have played multiple seasons together). I'm sure you'd pin that on injury issues though, while failing to recognize any of the same with the Cavs.

No, it is not some great accomplishment, but no one has said it was either.

Deng's certainly not an all star this season and I think he's only made it once before.

And why are you comparing yourselves to the Heat? We're not your competition. I thought the Cavs goal was to compete with the Spurs and Warriors and Rockets.

If the Cavs are satisfied finishing a few games ahead of the Heat then I'm sure they'll accomplish that goal.

"schmolioot wrote:

Move on from what?

Enjoying the Cavs struggling? Why?

And I wouldn't say the Heat "stink". We're not a championship contender but we have a pretty good team that if it stays healthy will make the playoffs and maybe put a scare into somebody the first round. We understand our goals are more modest now.

The Cavs goals on the other hand should be championship or bust, though nobody seems to be holding them to that

Im a Wizards fan so I hope the Heat and Cavs both struggle and lose. I just think Heat fans are still so very obviously bitter. I mean you just won a couple of titles and have to rebuild so you shouldn't be angry, it is what it is.

"schmolioot wrote:

Deng's certainly not an all star this season and I think he's only made it once before.

And why are you comparing yourselves to the Heat? We're not your competition. I thought the Cavs goal was to compete with the Spurs and Warriors and Rockets.

If the Cavs are satisfied finishing a few games ahead of the Heat then I'm sure they'll accomplish that goal.

Deng has been a 2x All-star (just like Kyrie).

I'm comparing to the Heat because that's what you're a fan of and the most easily relate-able to you. And yes, the Cavs goal is to be in that upper echelon of teams like the Spurs and Warriors and Rockets, but typically that takes time. The Rockets were the 8th seed when they got Harden, then 4th after they got Howard. The Warriors weren't a top seed right when they got Curry, or right when they got Thompson, or right when they got Draymond Green or Iguadola. They were 6th seed last year, and 6th seed the year before.

I doubt the Cavs would be satisfied with finishing a few games ahead of the Heat, but I'm not a Cav, so I might still get some satisfaction out of it.

"PhiNomina wrote:

wut.

Cavs are in salary cap hell and have moved most of their future prospects in an attempt to win RIGHT THE HELL NOW, which so far is not looking very good.

Meanwhile, on the Heat, everyone except Bosh expires in 2016, allowing Riley the chance to pull a 2010 II.

So, yeah, the Cavs have a broken roster that doesn't live up to expectations, and no future assets with which to improve or build. You're stuck with this dysfunction. The Heat are going to make the playoffs while rebuilding. Again.

"Desides wrote:

Cavs are in salary cap hell and have moved most of their future prospects in an attempt to win RIGHT THE HELL NOW, which so far is not looking very good.

Meanwhile, on the Heat, everyone except Bosh expires in 2016, allowing Riley the chance to pull a 2010 II.

So, yeah, the Cavs have a broken roster that doesn't live up to expectations, and no future assets with which to improve or build. You're stuck with this dysfunction. The Heat are going to make the playoffs while rebuilding. Again.

I don't think the Cavs can be counted out just yet, I mean cmon now. The Heat would be much better off getting a lottery pick or two instead of counting on a free agent class in 2016.