NBA Finals 2017: Warriors vs Cavs

[Split T]

I'd take Klay over, CP3, Butler, George, Wall.

What constitutes a superstar? I would argue Draymond is probably more recognizable than KAT or Paul George. I think if youre one of the 3 best at your position, you're probably in the superstar conversation no?

To me a superstar is someone who can be the best player on a championship team. I can't see Klay leading a team to a title without players better than him.

So LeBron and KD, thats it?

Curry and Kawhi have already won titles as the best player on their teams and I already listed the players I thought were superstars.

[Cap]

W's down 7 in the 4th. Is this the first time they have been in this position in the playoffs?

[carey]

Curry and Kawhi have already won titles as the best player on their teams and I already listed the players I thought were superstars.

Hmm. Spurs last won in 2014 during Kawhi's 3rd year? I think he only averaged like 12 points that year and it was still very much TP & Duncan's team. I know he did explode for one huge playoff game though. I'm not sure I'd call him the best player on that team at that time. Bit of a nitpick I know.

[Flagrant Fowl]

The Cavs are playing better in game three, but they're benefiting from favorable whistles as I predicted would happen.

[Flagrant Fowl]

LOL Cavs.

[bajanguy008]

Bron had no legs again in the 4th. He's been "resting" on D whole playoffs, having to mark KD and play at that pace just been hurting him

[carey]

https://twitter.com/MichaelVPina/status/872663021247762432

I guess Bron just can't sit.

[Split T]

Curry and Kawhi have already won titles as the best player on their teams and I already listed the players I thought were superstars.

Hmm. Spurs last won in 2014 during Kawhi's 3rd year? I think he only averaged like 12 points that year and it was still very much TP & Duncan's team. I know he did explode for one huge playoff game though. I'm not sure I'd call him the best player on that team at that time. Bit of a nitpick I know.

That's probably fair, the finals were his coming out party, he was finals MVP. But it was probably more the next season when he established himself as the star of the spurs.

[JustWinBaby]

Bron had no legs again in the 4th. He's been "resting" on D whole playoffs, having to mark KD and play at that pace just been hurting him

I really do not want to hear anyone ever complain about Mike D'Antoni playing his star players too many minutes, unless every coach that has ever coached Lebron James receives the same criticism.

I know he is important, probably a cyborg but he has played too many minutes his entire career. It is really amazing that he can still compete at the level he still does.

[Superbone]

Just as I thought, Durant stacking the Warriors is the difference between there being competitive NBA basketball for years to come. What a shame.

[TOO]

Just as I thought, Durant stacking the Warriors is the difference between there being competitive NBA basketball for years to come. What a shame.

Its a shame, forever a bum in my eyes.

[Ring_Wanted]

LeBron played extremely poor defense on Durant's three to put the W's one up with 45 secs left. That play right there puts the nail in the coffin. Fatigue or no fatigue, you never drop that deep behind the three point line. Good luck retooling this offseason, Cavs.

[Ring_Wanted]

https://twitter.com/MichaelVPina/status/872663021247762432

I guess Bron just can't sit.

The Warriors went 10-0 while LeBron was no the bench.

The carrying is unreal in the series: triple double with over 30 points and something absurd like 65TS% or so.

[ShelC]

I take no pity on LeBron. He's getting beat at his own game, which is playing on a stacked team. Let's not act like the Cavs don't have talent around LeBron. Let's not act like this is the 2007 Cavs with Boobie Gibson, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Eric Snow, etc. He's got Kyrie, he's got Kevin Love, he's got Tristan Thompson, he's got solid role players in Shumpert and JR. The Cavs added Deron Williams and Kyle Korver during the season because LeBron wasn't happy with their bench.

LeBron's tired? He rested during the season with all the games he'd take off. He was saving himself for the playoffs right? And let's not act like he had a tough road to to get to the Finals either. Swept the Pacers, swept the Raptors, beat the Cs (who didn't have IT) 4-1.

What I want to know is, what's Tyronne Lue been doing all year? He had all year to figure out how to use the guys around LeBron, to develop an offense when LeBron sits but seemingly hasn't figured it out. What's the Cavs identity, besides LeBron? They're not a great defensive team and while the stats show they're a very good offensive team, they're not the Ws. So now the Cavs are getting exposed a bit, as a team that got by on talent rather than execution. Give the ball to Kyrie. Give the ball to LeBron. Hope that Love is hitting his 3s. Not gonna work this time.

[Indy]

That was a fun game to watch. Too bad the Cavs blew it in the end. Now I kind of am rooting for a sweep just because of how crazy it will be to see that (and the backlash around the league).

[Indy]

Bron had no legs again in the 4th. He's been "resting" on D whole playoffs, having to mark KD and play at that pace just been hurting him

I really do not want to hear anyone ever complain about Mike D'Antoni playing his star players too many minutes, unless every coach that has ever coached Lebron James receives the same criticism.

I know he is important, probably a cyborg but he has played too many minutes his entire career. It is really amazing that he can still compete at the level he still does.

This is a ridiculous take. Maybe if Mike made the finals once we could talk about if he played the best player on the planet (maybe ever) too many minutes. But he hasn't.

[Indy]

LeBron built the team around exactly as he wanted it. And not only that, this is a Cavs team that has had 3 #1 picks in the last 6 years AND LeBron. If you can't build a super team with that, what can you do?

People complain about the Warriors being a super team, but they built that team. They drafted Curry at 7. Klay at 11. Green at 35. The rest of their key players are older vets or guys that weren't doing much elsewhere. They were good enough to build this team AND manage their cap where they could add the best FA in a year where their top 3 were already under contract. We paid almost the same amount for Bledsoe/Knight/Tyson as they did in Curry/Klay/Green this year (38M vs 42M). And have you ever been to Oklahoma City? Why would you want to play there when you could pick any team in the world?

[O_Gardino]

I'm completely with shel and indy on this one.

The Cavs are a 51 win team getting whooped by a 67 win team. They should have won at least 60, but they sleep walked through the regular season. Now that lack of competitiveness and mental preparation are hurting them.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I take no pity on LeBron. He's getting beat at his own game, which is playing on a stacked team. Let's not act like the Cavs don't have talent around LeBron. Let's not act like this is the 2007 Cavs with Boobie Gibson, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Eric Snow, etc. He's got Kyrie, he's got Kevin Love, he's got Tristan Thompson, he's got solid role players in Shumpert and JR. The Cavs added Deron Williams and Kyle Korver during the season because LeBron wasn't happy with their bench.

LeBron's tired? He rested during the season with all the games he'd take off. He was saving himself for the playoffs right? And let's not act like he had a tough road to to get to the Finals either. Swept the Pacers, swept the Raptors, beat the Cs (who didn't have IT) 4-1.

What I want to know is, what's Tyronne Lue been doing all year? He had all year to figure out how to use the guys around LeBron, to develop an offense when LeBron sits but seemingly hasn't figured it out. What's the Cavs identity, besides LeBron? They're not a great defensive team and while the stats show they're a very good offensive team, they're not the Ws. So now the Cavs are getting exposed a bit, as a team that got by on talent rather than execution. Give the ball to Kyrie. Give the ball to LeBron. Hope that Love is hitting his 3s. Not gonna work this time.

Great take, admittedly never been a Lebron's fan, mostly because, as great as he is, and as huge of a force he is in the court, even admitting how big he usually delivers, he likes to play the GOAT card when he wins, and the "poor supporting cast" when he loses.

He left the Cavs to build a Super team in Miami, believing at first that 3 players were enough to win, and then leaves Miami for a Cleveland team with an already solid fundation in place, even taking the luxury to trade a freshly obtained 1st top rounder, for a handpicked piece in Kevin Love. It's just that Golden State managed their structure better to take advantage of the right player in the right moment. Meanwhile, Lebron the GM forced the Thompson and Smith contracts, the Kevin Love trade and later deal.

[JustWinBaby]

Just as I thought, Durant stacking the Warriors is the difference between there being competitive NBA basketball for years to come. What a shame.

Could happen but it has happened before. One of the most stacked teams of all time IMO was the 83/84 Lakers, and they didn't even beat the STACKED Celtic team that year.

This is what the first seven from that team looked like.

Kareem
James Worthy
Jamaal Wilkes
Magic Johnson
Byron Scott
Michael Cooper
Bob Mcadoo

There have been others, like the Celtics of that era. It was a foregone conclusion that we would see the Lakers versus the Celtics playing in the finals forever.

It seems obvious to me to the league is finally evolved into the vision of Mike D'Antoni. If you do not have the horses to play that way, you really have little chance to compete until there are rule changes back to the way the game was played when it was a big man's league based on holding and grabbing and pounding it inside.

This is what get's me interested in guys like Issac for our future. I really do not claim to be an expert on the talent available. But big guys that can run the court, shoot the 3 and defend are what this league is all about. Size and athleticism is required at all positions. Some say that the Warriors play small ball. With Durant on the court you are not a small team. Everyone in the Warrior's small ball line up can run, shoot and pass. Everyone is a willing passer. It is lethal. Imagine Durant or Thompson added to our 7 SOL teams.

I am excited about Chriss and Bender going forward. It will be very interesting to see whom we add this off season.