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2015 NBA Playoffs

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Comments

  • #752
    GoldFour4
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 5,015 Mod ✭✭✭✭GoldFour4


    New Thread for offseason

    New thread is up for the offseason and the draft with 10 days left until draft day. Please keep this thread for playoff talk only


  • #753
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Possibly written my last 2 articles on the NBA, Pundit Arena head honcho has been in touch to let me know they are discontinuing their coverage due to lack of interest. It is disappointing, but I was delighted with the opportunity PA provided me. I've enjoyed it, thanks to any on here who may have read some of my ramblings.
    I had to fight to get my last 2 articles published, I had them written before I was informed of the decision, so would appreciate anyone and all who give them a look.

    The first is a in depth look at game 4, and how The Warriors have managed to wrestle back momentum in this series. Includes some interesting stuff on JR Smith's career.. http://www.punditarena.com/basketball/comahony/nba-finals-game-4-deep-dive-game-won-lost/

    Second is a lighthearted look at the many weird moments in game 4.http://www.punditarena.com/basketball/comahony/nba-finals-weirdest-moments-far/
    It's quite obvious the editors decided not to even bother their arses doing a quick edit, so apologies for some errors in syntax.


  • #754
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    This could turn into a fantastic game if JR keeps this level of play up!


  • #755
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Story so far has been Cavs protecting the paint without Mozgov, thanks to J.R. Smith & James Jones. Haha


  • #756
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    So we are a quarter and a half in and LeBron's statline is already insane, 17-7-6. No you didn't misread that. He has been super efficient also.


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  • #757
    GoldFour4
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 5,015 Mod ✭✭✭✭GoldFour4


    it's getting to a point where LeBron is almost certainly going to get finals MVP regardless of outcome of the series. Winning this with Kyrie and Love out and with JR Smith and Delly as the top supporting cast would be amongst the greatest acts of carrying a team seen in the playoffs.

    Edit: He has 20-8-8 at the half and we're not exactly blown away by it, says it all really.


  • #758
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    Yeah LeBron is lighting up the stats but it will all count for zero if they don't win and that looks likely now in either 6 or 7. I've said all along that I suspect GS are quite happy to let him do so as long as they win and I think they'll continue to do so for whatever remains of the series. He had 34 shots last night, that's a huge load to carry consistently. I'd not be surprised at all to see GS win on Tuesday in Cleveland and end the misery then.


  • #759
    titan18
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,009 ✭✭✭✭titan18


    malistheman wrote: »
    it's getting to a point where LeBron is almost certainly going to get finals MVP regardless of outcome of the series. Winning this with Kyrie and Love out and with JR Smith and Delly as the top supporting cast would be amongst the greatest acts of carrying a team seen in the playoffs.

    Edit: He has 20-8-8 at the half and we're not exactly blown away by it, says it all really.

    Curry should get it if Warriors win. Don't really see how a losing team would have their player get it, no matter how good he's playing.


  • #760
    radharc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 969 ✭✭✭radharc


    titan18 wrote: »
    Don't really see how a losing team would have their player get it, no matter how good he's playing.

    Why not? It's the most valuable player of the series, cavs without lebron <<<< warriors without curry


  • #761
    Alessia Tender Puppet
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Alessia Tender Puppet


    titan18 wrote: »
    Curry should get it if Warriors win. Don't really see how a losing team would have their player get it, no matter how good he's playing.

    Because he's been by far the best player in the series and it's not even close he's having possibly the greatest finals ever I can't see how he Dosent get it


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  • #762
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    From memory I think it's only once gone to a player on the losing team (Jerry West) but even that may be wrong. This is the US, it's all about the winners. If GS win (as I think they will) it'll go to a GS player.


  • #763
    padraig_f
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭padraig_f


    Thoughts on game 5...

    - Good game, Curry's best game of the series, great in the 4th quarter.

    - The Cavs countered Golden State's small lineup with going small themselves, and taking Mozgov out. Seemed to work well for the most part.

    - David Blatt has had a good playoffs, both with that adjustment, and the defensive performance over the 5 games. Listening to Doug Thonus' podcast last night and he speculated if the Cavs' improvements on defense, and the absence of Irving & Love wasn't totally coincidental.

    - Dellavedova's a dirty *****. Did a move on Draymond Green where he hooked his arm and dragged it hard to the ground. I thought it should've been a flagrant-2 and ejection. No place in the game for that, intentional, potential to cause injury. If you're going do things like that, you shouldn't be on the court.

    - I liked Jeff van Gundy's admonition of Mark Jackson when he began to compare Lebron playing at the 5 in the small lineup to Magic starting at centre in the 1980 finals. As soon as he started, van Gundy started shouting 'DON'T DO THAT! DON'T DO THAT!'. He was right, totally different starting at centre against a traditional starting lineup to playing against the Golden State small-ball lineup. Jackson tried to persist, but van Gundy kept repeating 'DON'T DO THAT'. Eventually Jackson saw sense and backed down.

    - Pity Klay Thompson isn't playing in these finals, the Warriors could do with someone like that. (Didn't he get a max contract?)

    - I thought Igoudala might be a candidate for Finals MVP, although missing all the free throws last night probably didn't help him.

    - Anyway, it was all about Curry last night...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si5phRZBlD4


  • #764
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    ButtersSuki wrote: »
    Yeah LeBron is lighting up the stats but it will all count for zero if they don't win and that looks likely now in either 6 or 7. I've said all along that I suspect GS are quite happy to let him do so as long as they win and I think they'll continue to do so for whatever remains of the series. He had 34 shots last night, that's a huge load to carry consistently. I'd not be surprised at all to see GS win on Tuesday in Cleveland and end the misery then.

    LeBron is shouldering an unbelievable load but I would be slow to criticise him about taking 34 shots. This is the weakest team, man for man, to make a Finals in years. The fact that they have won 2 games, and came within a hair of winning game 1 is an outstanding achievement on it's own. There is no consistent offense outside of LeBron, J.R might get hot for a half like he did last night, but he didn't score in the 2nd half. Thompson gets you some putbacks off offensive rebounds.

    Mozgov was totally nullified by simply doubling him on the entry pass into the post. Zach Lowe had flagged it coming in that Mozgov is a poor passer out of the post and panics when surrounded with defenders. He is a nice player, has a working midrange game and a soft touch around the rim. In game 4 he saw Draymond Green who is 6 foot 7 and on single coverage was able to just back into him turn around and score. Same for when Lee guarded him, Lee is taller but notoriously poor defensively. But he isn't at a level where he can get the ball and coolly find the man left open due to the double team on him. He turned over the ball 3 times in a row early, and consequently sat for most of the rest of the game.
    Shump might hit a 3 here and there, but he is on the court primarily to defend.
    Delly is not a good offensive player, he had a crazy game 3 but that was a one off. His handle is shaky for a point guard, he struggles when he sees a second defender on pick and rolls. His defense on Curry has been vital, but really all you want him to do on offense is shoot the 3 when open or else pass the ball. He throws the ugliest lob passes I have ever seen, and isn't good at kicking out the open guy on the perimeter when driving. Last night I saw a stat which said Delly has 15 baskets and 13 turnovers in this series.
    Jones might hit an open 3, but has gone scoreless in 2 games already. The Cavs only play 7 players, Miller saw about 3 mins last night.

    The Cavs have become a great team because of their defense. That has come about because their 2 weakest players defensively have been injured, Love and Irving. Ofcourse they would prefer to have Love and Irving out their, and the Cavs offense has struggled mightily without them, but the defense has been off the charts in their absence. I would still take having Love and Irving out their and having the d take a hit because of what they give you in offensive production, but flair play to Thompson, Shumpert etc who have been huge defensively.
    Many NBA analysts see their offense and instantly pan them. They forget that the important stat is not how many points you can put up, it is points differential. So if you have an elite defense and a passable offense you can do well. Similarly, when The Mavs won in 2011 they had great offense, but the defense was only just above average, with Tyson Chandler carrying them on that end. The games The Cavs have won this series, they held the Warriors to under 100 points, while they didn't crack 100 themselves in either of those games.


  • #765
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    buyer95 wrote: »
    LeBron is shouldering an unbelievable load but I would be slow to criticise him about taking 34 shots. This is the weakest team, man for man, to make a Finals in years. The fact that they have won 2 games, and came within a hair of winning game 1 is an outstanding achievement on it's own. There is no consistent offense outside of LeBron, J.R might get hot for a half like he did last night, but he didn't score in the 2nd half. Thompson gets you some putbacks off offensive rebounds.

    Mozgov was totally nullified by simply doubling him on the entry pass into the post. Zach Lowe had flagged it coming in that Mozgov is a poor passer out of the post and panics when surrounded with defenders. He is a nice player, has a working midrange game and a soft touch around the rim. In game 4 he saw Draymond Green who is 6 foot 7 and on single coverage was able to just back into him turn around and score. Same for when Lee guarded him, Lee is taller but notoriously poor defensively. But he isn't at a level where he can get the ball and coolly find the man left open due to the double team on him. He turned over the ball 3 times in a row early, and consequently sat for most of the rest of the game.
    Shump might hit a 3 here and there, but he is on the court primarily to defend.
    Delly is not a good offensive player, he had a crazy game 3 but that was a one off. His handle is shaky for a point guard, he struggles when he sees a second defender on pick and rolls. His defense on Curry has been vital, but really all you want him to do on offense is shoot the 3 when open or else pass the ball. He throws the ugliest lob passes I have ever seen, and isn't good at kicking out the open guy on the perimeter when driving. Last night I saw a stat which said Delly has 15 baskets and 13 turnovers in this series.
    Jones might hit an open 3, but has gone scoreless in 2 games already. The Cavs only play 7 players, Miller saw about 3 mins last night.

    The Cavs have become a great team because of their defense. That has come about because their 2 weakest players defensively have been injured, Love and Irving. Ofcourse they would prefer to have Love and Irving out their, and the Cavs offense has struggled mightily without them, but the defense has been off the charts in their absence. I would still take having Love and Irving out their and having the d take a hit because of what they give you in offensive production, but flair play to Thompson, Shumpert etc who have been huge defensively.
    Many NBA analysts see their offense and instantly pan them. They forget that the important stat is not how many points you can put up, it is points differential. So if you have an elite defense and a passable offense you can do well. Similarly, when The Mavs won in 2011 they had great offense, but the defense was only just above average, with Tyson Chandler carrying them on that end. The games The Cavs have won this series, they held the Warriors to under 100 points, while they didn't crack 100 themselves in either of those games.

    Not disagreeing with anything you wrote there, which again backs up the "let LeBron get whatever he wants and wait for the rest of the Cavs to beat you" logic I've had with this series. If I was GS that's what I'd do. Hell, get 60 a game for all I care as I know if you do the rest of the team ain't doing enough to win. GS are just too deep and too good a TEAM to let one guy beat them on his own, and in fairness to Kerr and the coaching crew, they understand this. I do think they got a little stage fright early in the series (understandable really as it's the first Finals for the team) but now they're in a groove and rolling.

    I'll write more about this in the morning (going to bed now) but it's deeper than LeBron taking 34 shots - it's the kind of shots he has to take. There's too many iso-plays where he has to do all the work from set up to shot. He's not getting easy fast break lay-ups (dunks) or easy open jumpers coming off a screen - he's having to work for everything. And in a funny way, he's part of the problem on this (more on this tomorrow). If you're Blatt, you don't want him taking 34 shots, you want better distribution across the team, but the reality is no-one is stepping up.


  • #766
    The Reservoir Dubs Anchorman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,380 ✭✭✭The Reservoir Dubs Anchorman


    An unbelievable effort by Lebron again last night, he is really out of this world at the moment. If they go back to Cleveland and win then this could come down to who has the biggest balls and to be fair I wouldn't want to back against Lebron then. Golden State are by far the better team the fact it's gone to 6 games is singularly down to Lebron, a remarkable MVP performance over the series win or lose in my opinion.

    GS do seem to have figured out a way to win though and it seems a long time ago that the Cavs led 2-1. All in all it has been a great playoffs with lots of great series and thoroughly enjoyable match ups.


  • #767
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    I think Blatt should roll the dice and give Shawn Marrion some minutes in what will be his last ever NBA game. He is washed up, but Marrior in 3-4 minutes spurts might be able to slash and drive to the ring. The Cavs offense struggles to such an extent that they need to try something. They only go 7 deep, and with Shump hurting his groin in the last game I think they need to give the likes of Marrion and Miller a look tonight. If they crash and burn Blatt can just yank them, it's win win.

    The news that Scott Foster is lead official tonight does not bode well for anyone who is hoping that we see a game 7. I saw Hardwood Paroxysm(a great follow on Twitter) tweet that the away team is 11-1 when he officiates. Expect LeBron not to get many calls tonight.


  • #768
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    buyer95 wrote: »
    I think Blatt should roll the dice and give Shawn Marrion some minutes in what will be his last ever NBA game. He is washed up, but Marrior in 3-4 minutes spurts might be able to slash and drive to the ring. The Cavs offense struggles to such an extent that they need to try something. They only go 7 deep, and with Shump hurting his groin in the last game I think they need to give the likes of Marrion and Miller a look tonight. If they crash and burn Blatt can just yank them, it's win win.

    The news that Scott Foster is lead official tonight does not bode well for anyone who is hoping that we see a game 7. I saw Hardwood Paroxysm(a great follow on Twitter) tweet that the away team is 11-1 when he officiates. Expect LeBron not to get many calls tonight.

    Expect him to get injured in the warm up and Joey Crawford to step in and eject Curry in the first minute for dribbling the ball.


  • #769
    padraig_f
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭padraig_f


    I think the Warriors are going to close it out tonight. Interesting bit I picked up from the Dunc'd On podcast....Kerr anticipated the Cavs going to Mozgov down low early in game 5 to try and punish the small-ball lineup. Kerr had his guys prepped, and they doubled Mozgov straight away (probably for the first time in his career), causing 2 early turnovers, forcing Blatt to take him out of the game. Might be interesting to watch that one early in the game tonight (or if Blatt even starts Mozgov).

    I'll watch the game tomorrow morning. Feels like the Cavs have played all their cards, but will be interesting to watch all the same.


  • #770
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    padraig_f wrote: »
    I think the Warriors are going to close it out tonight. Interesting bit I picked up from the Dunc'd On podcast....Kerr anticipated the Cavs going to Mozgov down low early in game 5 to try and punish the small-ball lineup. Kerr had his guys prepped, and they doubled Mozgov straight away (probably for the first time in his career), causing 2 early turnovers, forcing Blatt to take him out of the game. Might be interesting to watch that one early in the game tonight (or if Blatt even starts Mozgov).

    I'll watch the game tomorrow morning. Feels like the Cavs have played all their cards, but will be interesting to watch all the same.

    You didn't need to listen to Dunc'd On to pick up that nugget Podge:pac:

    buyer95 wrote: »

    Mozgov was totally nullified by simply doubling him on the entry pass into the post. Zach Lowe had flagged it coming in that Mozgov is a poor passer out of the post and panics when surrounded with defenders. He is a nice player, has a working midrange game and a soft touch around the rim. In game 4 he saw Draymond Green who is 6 foot 7 and on single coverage was able to just back into him turn around and score. Same for when Lee guarded him, Lee is taller but notoriously poor defensively. But he isn't at a level where he can get the ball and coolly find the man left open due to the double team on him. He turned over the ball 3 times in a row early, and consequently sat for most of the rest of the game.


  • #771
    GoldFour4
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 5,015 Mod ✭✭✭✭GoldFour4


    My brain says the Warriors win it all tonight but personally I want to Cavs to win just so we can delay having no basketball for another few days!


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  • #772
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Congrats to the Warriors, they were the better team over the series. Cavs can hold their heads high, without Love and Irving it was a big accomplishment to win even 2 games in the finals. Replace LeBron with any other player in the league on that Cavs team and they get swept. To paraphrase Churchill, "Never in the world of basketball, was so much owed, by so many to one person." Cavs will be better next year, and won't be far away either. Rumours abound that David Blatt's job could be under pressure, which is crazy to me, I like Blatt and hope he survives. He will only improve as a coach.
    Again congrats to The Dubs, they deserve it, most consistent team over the course of the season.


  • #773
    Carcharodon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,002 ✭✭✭Carcharodon


    Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes BABY
    Brilliant, well deserved, can't believe it, been here 10 years and nevet thought it would happen.
    Delighted for iggy, where as lebron was clearly the best player, no one can deny the effort and effect iggy had on this series, immense.
    So happy for the likes of iggy and lee, they are true team players, well deserved.
    Roll on friday baby, parade time !!!


  • #774
    D2D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,391 ✭✭✭D2D


    Congrats to the Golden State Warriors, the best team won and deserved the series :)

    LeBron put up insane number all series but Iggy was unbelievable matching up on him. Defence wins Championships so good call to give him Finals MVP.

    Gotta say though, I'm damn proud of my Cavs this season. Those mid season trades for Shump, JR and Moz changed our season completely. Lost Love in the First Round and Kyrie, who was only at 60% for the playoffs, in Game 1 of the Finals and still made a series of it.
    Carcharodon wrote: »
    Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes BABY
    Brilliant, well deserved, can't believe it, been here 10 years and nevet thought it would happen.
    Delighted for iggy, where as lebron was clearly the best player, no one can deny the effort and effect iggy had on this series, immense.
    So happy for the likes of iggy and lee, they are true team players, well deserved.
    Roll on friday baby, parade time !!!

    Enjoy it mate, ye deserved it:)


  • #775
    Paully D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Congrats to the Warriors and unlucky Cavs.

    The fact that the Cavs even made a series of that really is testament to them (well, LeBron I suppose :)). They'll be back even better next season for sure and it's already hard to see past them reaching another Finals.


  • #776
    The Reservoir Dubs Anchorman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,380 ✭✭✭The Reservoir Dubs Anchorman


    Congrats to GS totally deserved as previously mentioned the best team all season.

    I do think Lebron should have got MVP but delighted for Igadola as he was GS best player throughout the finals.

    Cavs will win one with Lebron though so chin up D2D!


  • #777
    Paully D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    A fitting read over 3 years and now 1 championship later:

    http://grantland.com/features/how-annoy-fan-base-60-easy-steps/


  • #778
    leggo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,061 ✭✭✭leggo


    leggo wrote: »
    I'm tempted to back the Cavs for tonight (I just want a second bet to parlay it with to get some value if anyone has any decent shouts).

    I think Kyrie's injury rules out a legitimately competitive series, as I think the wear-and-tear of going it alone against the Dubs D will tire LeBron out by the end of the series (like last year against SA). But as a one-off, FU-game where he goes insane trying to prove a point like he did against Boston a few years ago, I think tonight is a good shout with the news of Kyrie fresh in the mind. You could also see Golden State taking their foot off the gas a little assuming it's sewn up, before copping on and getting back to business, ala the Rockets series.

    I still think GSW in 6 with LeBron winning another game in Cleveland.

    Don't say I never get anything right. :p:pac:


  • #779
    North of 32
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭North of 32


    Paully D wrote: »
    A fitting read over 3 years and now 1 championship later:

    http://grantland.com/features/how-annoy-fan-base-60-easy-steps/

    Bill Simmons is so excellent.


  • #780
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Paully D wrote: »
    A fitting read over 3 years and now 1 championship later:

    http://grantland.com/features/how-annoy-fan-base-60-easy-steps/

    Simmons is a very talented writer, and the NBA Finals has been less fun in his absence. Since news of his departure from ESPN broke there have been no BS Reports, or Ball Don't Lie Podcasts. Similarly he has not written one article for Grantland, the website that he himself established, with the backing of ESPN. Simmons has removed himself totally from the world of sports journalism, as we await his next move. You have to imagine it tortured him not to even write 1 tweet on his feelings during the Finals. But Simmons is stubborn, and obviously decided he wasn't going to even send a measly tweet, if he was leaving ESPN, he was going to do it his way.

    I think we all should be thankful for Simmon's, during his last contract negotiations he made it clear that he would't sign on with the website again unless they gave him his own website(ESPN would own it, but he would share some of the revenue, have full editorial control and also be the biggest name writer.) Many doubted Simmon's ability to put together a team of writers capable of writing insightful long-form articles on Sports and pop culture. Simmon in the years since Grantland has launched has proved all the naysayers wrong, and created the most interesting American Sports website out there.

    Simmon's made some amazing hires, taking gambles on obscure names like Zach Lowe, who worked for a small time Boston Sports newspaper before Grantland. Lowe has been a revealation, changing the way NBA reporters write about the NBA.
    What I really appreciate about Zach Lowe is that he very clearly works hard to produce analysis that is actually valuable. He's not content with lazy narratives like "player x missed/made a big shot, so they are now a choker/clutch", he actually digs deep into the gametape and takes a look at what's actually happening on these plays.

    I have learned more from reading Zach Lowe over the past few years than I have from reading anyone else. That is just one example of Simmon's ability to hire the correct guys.

    Below is Simmon's first post on Grantland, outlining his hopes and dreams for it.

    "I would love to tell you that this website will work, that we’ll entertain you five days a week and blend sports and pop culture successfully. The truth is, I don’t know for sure. This site will keep changing over the next few months just like Jimmy’s show kept changing in 2003, hopefully for the right reasons and not the wrong ones. We are still hiring people. We are still finding writers. We will eventually have a sports blog and a pop culture blog (launching next month), user comments (later this summer), a podcast network (ditto), a quarterly publication we’re doing with McSweeney’s (four a year, starting this winter), and who knows what else. You figure out what works, you figure out what doesn’t work, you keep moving. That’s the next nine months for us. Eventually, we will evolve into what we are. Whatever the hell that is.
    We had four goals for this site. The first was to find writers we liked and let them do their thing. The second was to find sponsors we liked and integrate them within the site — so readers didn’t have to pay for content, and also, so we didn’t have to gravitate toward quantity over quality just to chase page views. The third was to take advantage of a little extra creative leeway for the right reasons and not the wrong ones.12 And the fourth was to hire the right blend of people — mostly young, mostly up-and-comers, all good people with good ideas who aren’t afraid to share them."

    I think we can safely say he achieved what he set out to do.


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  • #781
    Carcharodon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,002 ✭✭✭Carcharodon


    D2D wrote: »
    Congrats to the Golden State Warriors, the best team won and deserved the series :)

    LeBron put up insane number all series but Iggy was unbelievable matching up on him. Defence wins Championships so good call to give him Finals MVP.

    Gotta say though, I'm damn proud of my Cavs this season. Those mid season trades for Shump, JR and Moz changed our season completely. Lost Love in the First Round and Kyrie, who was only at 60% for the playoffs, in Game 1 of the Finals and still made a series of it.



    Enjoy it mate, ye deserved it:)

    Thank you, warriors season couldn't of gone any better really, not only did they win but they did it without any drama or distractions.
    Next step is going to be to keep the team together, curry will get his pay day of course but joe lacob will have to pay the fines to keep greene there. They should have plenty of revenue from the new stadium and new tv deal to absorb it I would think.

    Lebron still has a lot left in the tank for a number of years, they are definitely favs for next year with a healthy squad.
    As big a fan as bogut as I am, I would like to see a more active big man, festis looks like he is coming into his own which would be fantastic but someone like jordan would be perfect


  • #782
    NufcNavan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    I think that it could be argued that the Warriors season was a convergence of dozens of factors that fell in their favour. Kerr did the right things to keep the Curry/Klay/Iggy/Green healthy....most notably actually using Barnes/Livingston/Barbosa/Ezeli/Lee/Bogut for extended periods of time, but most importantly, those bench Players actually contributing at a very high level ( especially for Bench Players ) throughout the entire series. The Bench not only came in kept the Cavs "at bay", they pushed them back on a regular basis. Especially towards the end of the series. Livingston, Barbosa and Ezeli stepped in and scored at critical times.

    Ignoring the whole "Warriors Bench outperformed the Cavs Bench" argument, playing a good # of minutes allowed Curry/Klay/Iggy to rest. Halfway through the 3rd quarter, Lebron was gassed and deferring far more than he should have. To be fair, the guy pretty much played 99% of the game ( which I understand why ) but not having a reliable bench to allow for their Starters to rest doesn't help at all.

    On a side note, if it weren't for those early years where Curry had those season ending ankle injuries. I doubt that the Warriors would have been able to sign him to the extension that they got him at $11 mil per year ( a real cheap price considering his production ). Right after that signing, that's when he started to play relatively injury free and at the level that he's playing now.

    That $11 mil probably allowed them to free up Cap Space to make other key signings.


  • #783
    PizzamanIRL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,147 ✭✭✭PizzamanIRL


    malistheman wrote: »
    Great idea for the bracket, here's the link to the boards group for anyone trying to find it.Bracket competition

    Someone almost got a perfect bracket on the international leaderboard. The only prediction wrong was Spurs in 7. So close


  • #784
    Paully D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Paully D wrote: »
    Warriors in 6 over the Cavs in the final with the Golden State offense proving too much to handle.

    Meh, not bad. :pac:


  • #785
    NufcNavan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    BTW, LeBron is NOT the first finals player to lead his team in all 3 categories. Don't know where that started but it's ********.

    Magic Johnson, 1987 vs. Boston: 26.2/8.0/13.0 plus 2.3 steals. And he shot 54.1% from the floor and 96% (24/25!) From the FT line. He had all that workload, and had just 13 total turnovers in 6 games.

    Not only did Magic lead LA in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in that finals, but he was 2nd in FG%.


  • #786
    Alessia Tender Puppet
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Alessia Tender Puppet


    won the boards bracket victory lap :D



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  • #787
    ec18
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,729 ✭✭✭ec18


    NufcNavan wrote: »
    BTW, LeBron is NOT the first finals player to lead his team in all 3 categories. Don't know where that started but it's ********.

    Magic Johnson, 1987 vs. Boston: 26.2/8.0/13.0 plus 2.3 steals. And he shot 54.1% from the floor and 96% (24/25!) From the FT line. He had all that workload, and had just 13 total turnovers in 6 games.

    Not only did Magic lead LA in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in that finals, but he was 2nd in FG%.

    and you know he won the championship :P


  • #788
    The Reservoir Dubs Anchorman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,380 ✭✭✭The Reservoir Dubs Anchorman


    NufcNavan wrote: »
    BTW, LeBron is NOT the first finals player to lead his team in all 3 categories. Don't know where that started but it's ********.

    Magic Johnson, 1987 vs. Boston: 26.2/8.0/13.0 plus 2.3 steals. And he shot 54.1% from the floor and 96% (24/25!) From the FT line. He had all that workload, and had just 13 total turnovers in 6 games.

    Not only did Magic lead LA in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in that finals, but he was 2nd in FG%.

    Lebron is the first player to lead BOTH teams in all 3 categories so I guess that is where it started..


  • #789
    buyer95
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,344 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Extraordinary article from ESPN'S Mark Stein. http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming


  • #790
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    My post from the 2nd November last:

    Just watched the Golden State - LA game - is there a more exciting (offensive) back court in the league than Curry and Thompson? Looking forward to seeing them in the flesh in a few weeks (PLEASE DO NOT GET INJURED IN THE INTERIM!). Ok, my overdue predictions for the year:
    East: 1) Cavs 2) Bulls 3) Wizards 4) Raptors 5) Hawks 6) Charlotte Hornets 7) Knicks 8) Heat( I really wanted to omit the Heat here, that pick comes down to how much you trust Bosh's ability to get back to his Toronto days.I think that Stan could find a way to get Detroit into the playoffs also.)

    West 1) Spurs 2) Clippers 3) Grizzlies 4)OKC 5) Warriors 6) Rockets 7) Mavs 8) Trail Blazers (Suns won't be far away. It's just hard to see any of last years teams slipping out of the playoffs. The Blazers are the most likely to have a regression year imo, and I have a sneaky feeling about the Pelicans. Davis could possible drag his team kicking and screaming into the 8th spot.


    MVP: It's too easy to say LeBron and though he is the best player in the league part of me thinks he will suffer from voter fatigue again. So, that, and Durant out for part of the season ruling him out I'd going to throw in a wild card - Joakim Noah. This is contingent on the Bulls winning the East (which I think they will) and the press hankering for a team player over individual style MVP a la the real old days. Wild card - either Chris Paul or Blake Griffin from the Clipps; and, and I'm not joking here - writer/cocah/commentator favourite Anthony Davis has a real shot at this if the Pelicans make the Playoffs.
    Rookie of the Year: Smart - I think he's going to get major minutes in Beantown and in the ROY race that's a huge factor.
    Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis
    Most Improved Player: Anthony Davis (again - if it's possible to win more than one award, this is the guy to do it). Or Blake Griffin (seriously).
    6th man: Isiah Thomas
    Breakout Player: Mason Plumlee (prob should have been ROY last year in hindsight - check the stats and the +/-)
    Coach of the year: Thibs (or potentially Blatt)

    East:
    1. Bulls - obviously contingent on the 1st 5 staying injury free.
    2. Cavs
    3. Raptors
    4. Wizards
    5. Atlanta
    6. Charlotte
    7. Miami
    8. Brooklyn

    West:
    1. San Antonio - you just can't knock them, the coach or their consistency.
    2. Clippers - have to improve on Year 2 with Doc
    3. GSW - I said they'd win the West last year, think they have a real shot this year again if Bogut in particular can stay healthy.
    4. Houston - only this high due to OKC losing ground early but on their day could beat anyone, Think the Parsons loss will ultimately be something they regret
    5. OKC - would have been way higher save for the current injuries, prob. 2nd to be fair but losing Durant and Westbrrok early will hurt them. That said, if you're going to lose guys to injury better now than any other time.
    6. Dallas - look seriously good offensively
    7. Memphis
    8. Portland

    The East will be a bit of a joke again this year with really only 2 teams competing for it while the West will see really good teams not make the Play Offs again - which is a shame.

    Finals:

    Bulls V someone from the West (lol). Really torn on this, my head says San Antonio but they're going to have to beat at least 2 really really good teams to get that far. I see anyone from San An, OKC, the Clippers or GSW legitimately have a shot at winning the West and ultimately, it all. I'm going to say San An or GSW, but this is a fricking coin toss.

    ______________________________________________________________
    I'm taking a bow for that, I've been on them for the last 2 seasons now as anyone who reads my posts will know.

    Thoughts on the Finals - yes LeBron was the sheet, but you can't win a series that way unless it's in the East. GS were too deep and ultimately too good to let one guy beat them. Though outside of Boston they're my favourite team now I think all the "legacy" talk is premature simply because they play in the West. Imagine how many games that team would have won in the East this year - they'd have put Chicago's 72-10 season under enormous pressure and likely have surpassed it. It'll be interesting to see what kind of moves they make in the off-season. Yes they've had some breaks as previous posters have alluded to but no team wins a Championship without some breaks. San An drafting Timmy when they already had Robinson, the Cavs getting 3 No. 1 picks in 4 drafts etc. etc. Everything clicked for them this year but like most elite teams they're one injury away from a Playoff exit.

    Re. the LeBron/Blatt thing, it's one of the many reasons I can't warm fully to the guy. I'd believe that article fully having seen his behaviour courtside in the flesh in the past. I understand his frustration on some levels, but he has to learn to park it in public at least. He's had bum coaches previously (the All Smiling Bluffer Mike Brown springs to mind) but Blatt is no joke and deserves some respect. You look at the way the GS players sacrificed everything for the common good and the dividends it paid, I can't see LeBron doing that unless someone like Riley, Phil Jackson or maybe a Larry Bird gets his hands on him - though I doubt any of those have the energy or the appetite at this stage of their loves. Even Riley was a backseat passenger in Miami, but you could see he had some clout over LeBron at least.

    I posted previously about LeBron being part of the problem for the Finals and here's why. It's a catch 22. When you have a guy who's dominating like that and taking more shots than the rest of the team combined it becomes a cycle where the role players just eventually start thinking what's the point...he's just going to go ISO or 1 v 5 again. And it's deflating for everyone. I said often throughout the series GS were more than happy to let LeBron chew up the stats and to the average fan it looks like he's controlling things when the reality is it's the opposition. Look, they did exceptionally well to win 2 games in the Finals given the roster - but I think that's down to some butterflies on GS's part in the first few games as it was unchartered territory for all their players (I don't think any of the roster had even been to a Final Four in college previously) so it's understandable I think to give them some slack, as much as LeBron's supposed dominance. Put simply, the Cavs were never going to win with LeBron scoring 40+ per game. What they needed was Lebrong scoring 25+ and someone else consistently scoring 20ish and 2 more guys in double figures. That's how you win at this level.


  • #791
    Feenix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 232 ✭✭Feenix


    sorry to go off topic, but does anybody have any idea how i cancel NBA league pass? Really starting to annoy me now


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  • #792
    PizzamanIRL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,147 ✭✭✭PizzamanIRL


    Feenix wrote: »
    sorry to go off topic, but does anybody have any idea how i cancel NBA league pass? Really starting to annoy me now

    It's been ages since I had one but you log in and go to billing or my package and just cancel it.


  • #793
    Alessia Tender Puppet
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Alessia Tender Puppet


    Feenix wrote: »
    sorry to go off topic, but does anybody have any idea how i cancel NBA league pass? Really starting to annoy me now

    i had to email them there was no option there for me at the time


  • #794
    NufcNavan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    Final post on Lebron and what transpired with the Cavs.

    He's the best player in the NBA. If anyone doesn't like it, they're free to prove otherwise.

    However, Since Lebron has returned to run/play for/coach the Cavs, he has forced one of the worst trades in recent NBA history and turned his coach into a punchline.

    I'll ask if he's not making the same mistakes he made during his last Cavs run where he influenced every personnel decision, but the Cavs made that bed when they brought him back and essentially gave him full control. If they didn't want to deal with that they could have said no, and we all know they would rather have what they have now than go back to how they were from 2011-2014.

    This 'competitive league' nonsense is rubbish. LeBron James tips the scales of any team he's on regardless of how the other 450 players are distributed among the other 29 teams. He's a walking competitive advantage similar to how Jordan, Bird, Magic and Shaq were. If he wasn't that good, he wouldn't have as much power as he does. The NBA will never have true parity as long as the rules allow only 5 players on the court for each team at a time. That's just basketball. The potential will always be there for a special talent to come in and overpower entire teams by himself.

    Blatt IS largely irrelevant. He isn't 1/100000000th as valuable to the Cavs as LeBron James. But he also knew that coming in. He could have offered to resign and find less brutal job, and I'm sure the Cavs would have been happy to accept and spend that money on a more established coach. But he took the money, didn't he?


  • #795
    GoldFour4
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 5,015 Mod ✭✭✭✭GoldFour4


    Loved seeing this story pop up on reddit today. It's cool how engrained in the NBA Curry has been all his life.

    Curry Donating jersey


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