[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

I love how Draymond acts like he's never fouled a guy his whole life. Game's got a different feel than Game 1 huh? Anyone else care to call for the sweep?

Greens an embarrassment. His "I didn't do it" is getting really boring.

I called for a sweep in jest a few days ago but now i think its a real possibility. Judging the look on Lebron's face as he left the court I think he thinks its a possibility as well. Michael Jordan must be quietly enjoying this.

[Flying Ace]

I just think it's silly calling for a sweep, today and after game 1. Maybe after 3-0. But, when you have LeBron on the other side, nothing is certain until the game is over.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

I just think it's silly calling for a sweep, today and after game 1. Maybe after 3-0. But, when you have LeBron on the other side, nothing is certain until the game is over.

It may be silly but not impossible at all. The Warriors are 14-0 so far in the playoffs and they are handling the Cavs just as easily as the other teams they beat. They are something like 29-1 in their last 30 games. The Cavs know its not like last year. The Warriors are in their heads. Not likely but totally possible the Warriors will win the next 2 and sweep the playoffs. I'm not going to Vegas with this notion but I wouldn't bet against it either.

[HyeWarrior]

Originally Posted by ny325

Sorry HyeWarrior, I guess you never accidentally tapped a incorrect letter, while typing on a iPad keyboard. If that's the case, you are the only person I know, that's never accidentally spelled a word incorrectly. Kudos to you. Let me guess, your probably one of the many fair-weather LeFlop fans.

I don't particularly like Lebron, but I respect the guy. Basketball doesn't always have to turn into a circle jerk of who's the best player or who has the best stats. Seriously pointless to talk shit and call names on the players, this isn't high school. I appreciate the guys who have talent, Lebron is one of the few that is extremely talented in almost everything (except jumpshots). I hate Draymond sometimes, but let's be real, I'd love to have him on my team.

I just hope this goes longer than 4 games because I'm an actual fan of the sport. But yea, I'm rooting for the Cavs in this one because I'm a big fan of Irving. Oh and fuck Zaza for what he did in the WCF.

[Blindside_137]

You can't win shooting as poorly as the cavs have been doing. Lebron is showing up.

But their offense looks so incredibly forced. Lots of kyrie dribbling and isolation. You watch golden state and it's like a spin cycle with all the off ball motion around the perimeter. Almost every shot is wide open.

I wouldn't be surprised if the cavs play better at home and get both. I also wouldn't be surprised if the warriors get the next two. They look ridiculously good.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

It may be silly but not impossible at all. The Warriors are 14-0 so far in the playoffs and they are handling the Cavs just as easily as the other teams they beat. They are something like 29-1 in their last 30 games. The Cavs know its not like last year. The Warriors are in their heads. Not likely but totally possible the Warriors will win the next 2 and sweep the playoffs. I'm not going to Vegas with this notion but I wouldn't bet against it either.

I just feel like we're all having the same conversation at the same time as last year.

Sweep this, throwing the 3 fingers up that. Draymond overreacting to a made bucket, fans asking when the parade will be....and then we all know what happened last year. LeBron happened.

[ny325]

Warriors make it look effortlessly. On the other hand, Cleveland has to work hard on both sides of the floor. I picked Warriors in 5. LeBron just simply ran out of gas yesterday in the third quarter. Let's call it like it is. Cleveland never faced a team like this in their playoff run, nor in the Eastern conference all season. This Warriors team is deep, can shoot, run, and play defense. All around, SOLID.

[PR3CI5N]

Cleveland had enough trouble with GS last year. Now with the addition of KD, it's a wrap this year. Lebron is a one man show this series and the only player that doesn't look intimidated. I don't even like GS but damn they're good!

[ny325]

I say it's not good for the NBA, if Warriors sweep. Your going to have players perpetually trying to build these Super teams. So, for NBA fan, we just sit and wait for the finals.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

I just feel like we're all having the same conversation at the same time as last year.

Sweep this, throwing the 3 fingers up that. Draymond overreacting to a made bucket, fans asking when the parade will be....and then we all know what happened last year. LeBron happened.

I don't hear about anybody asking for a parade already. Warrior fans know by now that declaring victory too soon is a fool's game.

For me, I'm just saying its not silly to imagine the possibility. More likely Cleveland will bring a more competitive product on Wednesday. As far as LeBron happening, he happened on Sunday with an outstanding performance and a triple double. The Warriors still won running away.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by PR3CI5N

Cleveland had enough trouble with GS last year. Now with the addition of KD, it's a wrap this year. Lebron is a one man show this series and the only player that doesn't look intimidated. I don't even like GS but damn they're good!

Finally, somebody willing to simply agree that the Warriors are good.

As you say, you don't have to like them to simply admit they are good. Most posts here are about losing in the finals last year or nut sack infringements or dirty plays or unfair hiring of KD, weak competition, blah, blah, blah. They are doing something remarkable right now. They are 14-0 in the playoffs and so far dominating the team that was supposed to teach them what's what. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are putting on a remarkable performance.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by ny325

I say it's not good for the NBA, if Warriors sweep. Your going to have players perpetually trying to build these Super teams. So, for NBA fan, we just sit and wait for the finals.

As with all sports, there have been dominant teams in the NBA since the beginning of time. I hate it too. But honestly, name a time in any sport where all the teams had anywhere close to an even chance of winning. Right now those dominant teams are the Warriors, Cavs, Spurs, Thunder, ??. Warriors and Cavs remain. The pendulum will swing, but there is always going to be lopsided strength among teams. In those rare occasions when most teams are evenly matched, it only happenstance on the way to the pendulum swinging toward another lopsided league. I don't have an answer for it, but I think that's the way it is. If you are a fan of one dominant teams, you get to pound your chest for a season or two until a power shift occurs. During seasons when a fan's team is, let's say lacking, then the proper conduct for that fan is to piss on the powerful team, blame them for dirty play, blame the refs for favorable calls, blame the players for having the audacity to change teams, blame the fans for being on bandwagons, whatever those things are. What is not allowed it for fans of opposing teams to acknowledge greatness when it's staring at them in the face and honoring true achievement for the love of the sport itself.

[BavarianDevil]

There's no way the Cavs can keep up with the Dubs. They are simply too fast. They made a big mistake yesterday trying to keep up in a shootout. They may keep in tight in the first half but halfway through the 3rd quarter is when the fatigue creeps in. By the 4th quarter it's just a matter of when the game is over and they rest Curry, Thompson, KD and Green.

However like a few have said anything can happen but with KD this year they are pretty much unstoppable.

[HyeWarrior]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Finally, somebody willing to simply agree that the Warriors are good.

As you say, you don't have to like them to simply admit they are good. Most posts here are about losing in the finals last year or nut sack infringements or dirty plays or unfair hiring of KD, weak competition, blah, blah, blah. They are doing something remarkable right now. They are 14-0 in the playoffs and so far dominating the team that was supposed to teach them what's what. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are putting on a remarkable performance.

Lol, absolutely no one is discrediting GS' talent. The problem across the league is that this sort of super team makes the sport borderline boring to watch. Aside from soccer, no other sport is so one-sided. There needs to be a CBA revision of some kind, otherwise we're going to continue seeing super teams rise and fall. Ringlets all-stars will just continue taking pay cuts to go to a contender and hopefully get that ring before retiring. In theory, that doesn't sound like a big deal, if a player is willing to sacrifice pay, then who cares? But it's just going to constantly be the same 2-4 teams getting to the finals every year. It's so lopsided to the point that teams will tank or avoid going hard in FA because it's essentially pointless. Example: Lakers have plenty of talent to trade and deal for picks/current all-stars, but what's the point if GS owns the west for the next 3-6 years?

Long story short: no one is knocking on the Warriors being good. They're arguably more talented than the 90's Bulls and early 2000's Lakers. Cleveland knew what was coming since last year, hence adding Korver and Williams off the bench, but it's just not enough so far. Its insane what's going on in the NBA right now, and we'll be able to talk about it in the next few decades.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by HyeWarrior

Long story short: no one is knocking on the Warriors being good.

You aren't but other posters not so much. It doesn't matter to me; fans will be fans, but I'm simply puzzled by it. I'm sure I'm bias, but it sounds to me like non-Warrior fans are criticizing the Warriors because they are good.

You refer to it as this type of super team. Keep in mind the Warriors built this team over the years the hard way. This was not a NY Yankee-style talent purchase. Other than the addition of KD, almost every key team member was grown in house. This is a remarkable story really. Sports is about winning. The Warriors are winning in an unprecedented way. They didn't buy it, they earned it.

[ny325]

Rumor has Chris Paul going to the Spurs, and Melo to the Cavaliers.

[F30lolz]

I was listening to some sports radio show on the way to work yesterday and it was mentioned if any possibility LeBron would leave Cleveland for another team that had a younger nucleus to take down the GSW. Durant/Curry will resign with GSW, making them the favorites for at least another 5 more seasons, however, how long can they keep Klay Thompson? Back to my point, aside from Irving and LeBron, the Cavs don't have other great quality stars. Love is as best a C+, Maybe a B- player and their bench is meager.

If LeBron wanted to take down GSW year after year, he would have to leave Cleveland. Unless Melo and Wade came to the Cavs but even then not sure they could still take down GSW. Melo doesn't play D and he doesn't make the players around him better and Wade is getting old.

[mookie45]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

Melo doesn't play D and he doesn't make the players around him better and Wade is getting old.

This.

Depending how this series ends will allude to how much more firepower the Cavs need to stay relevant in future Finals against the W's.

Signing one could do the trick or signing both won't be enough.

Honestly, I want the Heat to resign Wade for a year so he can retire down here. He deserves it (fan perspective). Riley on the other hand is a business man.

[ny325]

I can slowly see the window closing on LeBron's finals run. Boston has a number one pick, and plenty of money to sign a big free agent. I'm not saying Boston will take Cleveland, just make it more difficult for them to advance.Yes, maybe Cleveland could dominant the east for a couple of more years. However, as far as winning a championship, I don't see it.

[F30lolz]

I'm about to start a thread 'How To Make GSW Terrible Again'. Let's face it, outside of maybe SAS, nobody in the west has a chance to dethrone them. Even if SAS get CP3, he has lost a step, though he is better than Tony Parker right now. Boston does have that numero uno pick coming up and that will help, however, they should keep the pick and not trade it for an aging star.

[John Tanglewood]

Originally Posted by ny325

Rumor has Chris Paul going to the Spurs, and Melo to the Cavaliers.

and water is wet. thanks for that.

[John Tanglewood]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

Melo doesn't play D and he doesn't make the players around him better

Originally Posted by mookie45

This.

I'll tell you another 'this'. Melo is a better defender than Kyrie Irving, and ALSO Kevin Love. And all of your 'coffee break' generalized talks about Melo are so misinformed it should be a crime.

Compare, you ask? Well sure!
Let's look at the season the Cavs won, last year. A typical argument is that Melo is getting old so let's look at him as an "old man" vs the much younger Kyrie and Love.

Defensive win shares (estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to his defense). I'll even throw Durant in here:
Kyrie - 9.7%
Love - 19.7%
Melo - 30.4%
Durant: 30.9%

Hmmm.....now, how often do you constantly hear people calling out Durant for his shitty, lazy defense? I'd say never, yet here they are----almost exactly the same defenders in terms of effort given.

Kyrie with 9.7%!! that's fucking terrible! And on a playoff team! Let's see if he kicks it up a bit in the playoffs...

How about Defensive win shares for just the playoffs (all seasons)
Kyrie - 1.3
Love - 0.8
Melo - 2.2

So what do we conclude from this? A) Melo is a better defender in the playoffs than both Kyrie and Love, and B) Love is a terrible human being in terms of playing defense in the sport of basketball.

Melo doesn't make his teammates better!!, you say? Well let's see how good Kevin Love is compared to those two?
Assist percentage (an estimate of the number of teammate field goals a player assisted while he was on the floor)
Kyrie - 30% (point guard)
Love - 12.6%
Melo - 16.4%
Durant - 17.9%

Damn, so with all the info so far it seems like Melo is much better at defense (in reg season and playoffs) than both of Cleveland's stars, and he assists at a higher rate than their non-point guard, and very close to the rate of SUPERSTAR 2ND BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD DURANT WHOSE TEAMMATE AVERAGED A TRIPLE DOUBLE THIS YEAR. And he's right next to Kevin Durant that regards. My lord, that's kind of impressive considering the SHIT team he played with.

How else do you want to try shitting on Melo? He's not as good a rebounder when compared to Love? Well no shit, but when you compare Melo's rebounding to the other 2 best SF/PFs on the planet, here;s what you get:
Defense Rebound % (an estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor):
LeBron: 10.8%
Durant: 10.6%
Melo : 10.4%

His rebounding is almost identical to LBJ and Durant.....so I guess he's not that lazy after all like most people say?

Lastly, we'll look at Player Efficiency Rating - a measure of per-minute production standardized such that league average is 15.
Lebron: 27.7
Durant: 25.0
Love: 22.0
Melo: 21.1
Kyrie: 20.9

So, if anything this tells you that Melo (who doesn't have the luxury of playing with fucking LeBron James) is just as efficient as Kyrie and Love, despite having to carry most of the main load for his team every night.

If you're going to sit here and try to tell me Melo won't make the Cavs better, just take a look at the stats again. I'm not saying Melo is the missing piece to helping the Cavs beat GS (he's not.....maybe not even if Melo AND Paul were on the Cavs), but he sure as shit is not going to make them a worse team.