2016 NBA Finals: Cavaliers - Warriors Discussion

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WARRIORS ON DA WAY TO CLEVELAND LIKE <a href="https://t.co/8MDFtTwpg7">pic.twitter.com/8MDFtTwpg7</a></p>&mdash; Mr. PRESIDENT™❄️☃ (@MacBari30) <a href="https://twitter.com/MacBari30/status/737487565465522176">May 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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For the record, I never said that Curry is a spoiled, entitled rich kid ... I said he sort of "comes off that way". Something about him makes people think "frat-boy douche".

I respect his ability, make no mistake of that guys.
 
I think what turns some people off on Curry is his cockiness. When he's staring at a guy after launching a 3, and it hasn't even gone in yet, that turns people off. Also his little dances like when he hit that 40 footer in OT to beat the Thunder in the regular season, that turns people off. He's a cocky son of a bitch haha.
 
It's early but surprised that game 1 over 60% on the Warriors. More surprised that only one other home team in Finals history (how far back that go & is it just for game 1 ?) had over 60%. I have a hard time believing one of Jordan's Bulls teams didn't garner 60% of the action.

Think you have to factor in the fact that Draymond is a damn idiot and will be suspended for a game this Series.
 
Dray is pretty tight with the league's resident psycho aka Matt Barnes, goes to him for advice apparently.
 
I don't see it as an easy task to beat the same team two seasons in a row. Cleveland knew from game one this season that they were seeing GSW in the finals. Their path to the finals was pretty damn locked and GSW's was getting more and more certain every day of the regular season. You've got one team, bitter off of a finals loss last season, waiting all year for revenge on one end. And you've got the Warriors. A team who has enjoyed new and ridiculous successes and distractions SINCE winning the title last season. Do they have home court? Yes. Are they a better team? Yes. I don't think that's in dispute. I just don't see why it's not valid to assign a high level of difficultly to what GSW is attempting to do here. Cleveland showed us they have the potential to put up a big 3 point output. Are they strong defensively? No. Can they outplay GSW on boards and points in the paint? Yes. Is it possible for them to close the gap on 3pt +/- from OKC's loss? I think so.

I'm not saying Cleveland SHOULD win. I just think Cleveland is getting written off and that's silly. This will be a close series. Cleveland will not lose in 5. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavs pull this off in 6 or 7...and I'll be rooting fucking hard for Bron for basically the first time in his career.

this is a solid argument in cleveland's defense...and i can visualize it going this way...but i doubt it, as i see defense playing the ultimate role as it usually does in pro sports final games and in this series gsw has a significant edge in d
 
Cavs' weak bench will ultimately be their downfall, just like OKC.

Do I think the Cavs could win this series, yes. You can never discount a team with LeCramps in it.

Do I think they will, no.
 
one more point that should be exposed here is the basics of work ethic and the results of such....those that work harder usually come out on top....gsw has never ever been deemed as lazy...a label that has been applied to some of the cav players...repeatedly...so once again an indicator rises in detriment to the cavs...and i will say this to those who say "this is the playoffs and everyone plays hard" that it is hard to just turn it on and get the same results as those who practice it daily...imho
 
one more point that should be exposed here is the basics of work ethic and the results of such....those that work harder usually come out on top....gsw has never ever been deemed as lazy...a label that has been applied to some of the cav players...repeatedly...so once again an indicator rises in detriment to the cavs...and i will say this to those who say "this is the playoffs and everyone plays hard" that it is hard to just turn it on and get the same results as those who practice it daily...imho

It could if the contention is true I guess.

Most of that "lazy" and "work ethic" stuff is left to the media, not sure how much stock we need to put in that. These guys are all pros...they all show up to do their jobs. If there's a guy or two on Cleveland who have this "rap," I'm sure there's a few on GS that do as well....Barnes would come to mind first for some reason, then Iggy when he was in Philly, I'm sure Bogut isn't a guy who was out there working his ass off like no one else his whole career either.

The point is there are probably a few guys like that on every team in the NBA, if there is something to some guys being lazy and not having a work ethic (I'm sure there are some coaches who've weighed in on former players, and you'd have to take their word WELL before any media member who may have an axe to grind or just be a douche.
 
I don't understand how anyone can say anyone in the NBA is lazy. Maybe lazy by NBA standards but not overall. Even the most athletic of players have worked hard their entire life to perfect their craft. Iverson was given shit about practice. Practice. Practice. So is he lazy? Did he not work his entire life to get there? The Cavs are lazy? Really? What does that even mean in the NBA? They don't go to practice? They don't watch tape? Someone explain to me what "NBA Lazy" really is. Even the laziest NBA player isn't lazy. Between the election and sports coverage I can't stand the media.
 
I don't understand how anyone can say anyone in the NBA is lazy. Maybe lazy by NBA standards but not overall. Even the most athletic of players have worked hard their entire life to perfect their craft. Iverson was given shit about practice. Practice. Practice. So is he lazy? Did he not work his entire life to get there? The Cavs are lazy? Really? What does that even mean in the NBA? They don't go to practice? They don't watch tape? Someone explain to me what "NBA Lazy" really is. Even the laziest NBA player isn't lazy. Between the election and sports coverage I can't stand the media.

I'm not sure why lazy is the topic de jour today but I'll give you lazy. Lazy is more mental than physical; the guys who during a timeout hear their coach tell them run this play or defensive set and then go out and do the exact opposite. Some of the best examples of lazy in the NBA are Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters, and J.R Smith. Smith as we saw in last years Finals just does stupid things on the court at inopportune times and Waiters is the same way despite both having legit skills. Bennett was actually physically lazy and showed up fat and out of shape to his first training camp and it's not surprising that he is a complete bust. Don't know how many countless times I've seen bigs get switched out on guards at the 3 point line and they don't even put their arms up and at least try to use their length to defend...that's lazy.

Lazy can also be not improving your game and shoring up your weak spots. James Harden at some point has to stay focused and play something that resembles defense, and if Westbrook is going to continue to launch 3's he needs to start hitting better than 30% of them or learn to stop jacking it up. His own teammate Ibaka is a 6-10 power forward and has developed a much better stroke from 3 than him. Kawhi entered the league with a broken jumper and a 25% 3 point shooter in college and now 5 years later finished 3rd in the league in 3 pt %...not lazy. Draymond Green at 6-7 finishing in the top 10 in rebounds...not lazy. Some guys put in the work and effort and I think it shows versus those that don't.

That's what lazy in terms of the NBA means to me.
 
CTG groupthink running wild again. This is the same group of bozos and ref whiners who were throwing dirt on Golden State after game four last week.

Says the dude who went awfully quiet during Game's 3 and 4 of the ECF's.

Come on Tip, the odds of the Dubs pulling Game 6 out of the fire was incredibly fucking slim.

They were dead in the water,

fortunately for them the 'league' activated the magnetic rim and chip within the ball on every Klay Thompson shot in the 4th quarter.
 
I'm not sure why lazy is the topic de jour today but I'll give you lazy. Lazy is more mental than physical; the guys who during a timeout hear their coach tell them run this play or defensive set and then go out and do the exact opposite. Some of the best examples of lazy in the NBA are Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters, and J.R Smith. Smith as we saw in last years Finals just does stupid things on the court at inopportune times and Waiters is the same way despite both having legit skills. Bennett was actually physically lazy and showed up fat and out of shape to his first training camp and it's not surprising that he is a complete bust. Don't know how many countless times I've seen bigs get switched out on guards at the 3 point line and they don't even put their arms up and at least try to use their length to defend...that's lazy.

Lazy can also be not improving your game and shoring up your weak spots. James Harden at some point has to stay focused and play something that resembles defense, and if Westbrook is going to continue to launch 3's he needs to start hitting better than 30% of them or learn to stop jacking it up. His own teammate Ibaka is a 6-10 power forward and has developed a much better stroke from 3 than him. Kawhi entered the league with a broken jumper and a 25% 3 point shooter in college and now 5 years later finished 3rd in the league in 3 pt %...not lazy. Draymond Green at 6-7 finishing in the top 10 in rebounds...not lazy. Some guys put in the work and effort and I think it shows versus those that don't.

That's what lazy in terms of the NBA means to me.
Good post.
 
Great post ArizonaKid, but I do feel like you're throwing "lazy" and "stupid" or "having an inability to grasp concepts and structure" as well as "lack of focus" into the same boat. They all play out the same way though, I hear what you're saying. Coming to camp fat is lazy, not working on your game is lazy, but it is NBA lazy, as long as we agree on that I'm good. A lot of these guys, especially the really good raw ones, just don't see how lucky they are. You can take a 5'11 white boy with no hops and will practice 6 hours a day and he'll never make the NBA. Now put that same guy in a 6'8" frame with some leaps, and well, that is a different story. The gene pool lottery comes into play and when you're born that way you just don't appreciate it always. Look at LeBron, amazing player, hard worker, best in the league of overall talent. Put all this talent and drive into the body of a 180 pound 5'11" kid, where does that get him? A mid-tier D1 scholarship?
 
You can take a 5'11 white boy with no hops and will practice 6 hours a day and he'll never make the NBA. Now put that same guy in a 6'8" frame with some leaps, and well, that is a different story. The gene pool lottery comes into play and when you're born that way you just don't appreciate it always. Look at LeBron, amazing player, hard worker, best in the league of overall talent. Put all this talent and drive into the body of a 180 pound 5'11" kid, where does that get him? A mid-tier D1 scholarship?

Don't tell JJ Barea that. Mark Price was 6 feet tall and not exactly a physical specimen, nor was John Stockton at 6-1. Give the kid a couple inches and he could be a 2 time MVP like Steve Nash.

Bruce Bowen was by no means blessed athletically besides being tall and really not even basketball skills wise either but I've never seen anybody work harder and turn such a limited skill set into a productive NBA career. Dude couldn't hit a jump shot leaving college and was below average his first couple years in the league and eventually lead the league in 3 pt. %...wasn't something he was born with that was earned in offseasons spent in the gym spending countless hours hoisting thousands upon thousands of shots.

Too many players are the inverse of Bowen and coast on their physical skills & are more interested in the money and the fame than working on their game.
 
Don't tell JJ Barea that. Mark Price was 6 feet tall and not exactly a physical specimen, nor was John Stockton at 6-1. Give the kid a couple inches and he could be a 2 time MVP like Steve Nash.

Bruce Bowen was by no means blessed athletically besides being tall and really not even basketball skills wise either but I've never seen anybody work harder and turn such a limited skill set into a productive NBA career. Dude couldn't hit a jump shot leaving college and was below average his first couple years in the league and eventually lead the league in 3 pt. %...wasn't something he was born with that was earned in offseasons spent in the gym spending countless hours hoisting thousands upon thousands of shots.

Too many players are the inverse of Bowen and coast on their physical skills & are more interested in the money and the fame than working on their game.
:shake2: Great Post
 
By any chance has anyone come across what Golden State shot % wise or what their offensive efficiency was when Mozgov was on/off the court in last years Finals ?

I know he was -8 in plus/minus and the Cavs were -50 for the series. I recall that when he wasn't out there the Warriors had a lot easier time scoring in the paint, seems that's what happens whenever I watch them vs a D with no rim protector. If Thompson, Love, and Frye are the big man rotation might be a weakness they can exploit.
 
The big Russian is not part of Lue's rotation, I'll be shocked if he sees significant minutes, perhaps out of desperation if the Cavs go down 3-0, and it's clear nothing's working. He's now a 30-30 guy, as they say, gets in the game only if the Cavs are up or down 30. Lue's system and rotation haven't faced Golden State yet, he's going to play the guys who got him there. I would too.
 
He comes off as the soft, entitled, spoiled rich kid is why I think people question his toughness.

i don't get that at all

I hate him with his kid up there, but I am in the minority there i bet



lets just he light skinned and doesnt wear chains.....thats people perceive him a certain way
 
I don't understand how anyone can say anyone in the NBA is lazy. Maybe lazy by NBA standards but not overall. Even the most athletic of players have worked hard their entire life to perfect their craft. Iverson was given shit about practice. Practice. Practice. So is he lazy? Did he not work his entire life to get there? The Cavs are lazy? Really? What does that even mean in the NBA? They don't go to practice? They don't watch tape? Someone explain to me what "NBA Lazy" really is. Even the laziest NBA player isn't lazy. Between the election and sports coverage I can't stand the media.

they say Kobe was back in the gym 2 weeks after a ship

and turning the lights on 530AM before anyone was there


some people are gifted....some people are gifted and work hard as fuck

I always go back to Ricky Williams. Do you think that guy really loved football? Or did it just come easy to him and he could acash a check?

See what Im saying?
 
It's a job. Not every athlete loves what they do. They're just good at it. Hiroki Kuroda has said in the past that he finds baseball boring and mundane (thru a translator).... He was just great at it and his parents put him in that direction
 
since 2007 , no team won ATS game 1 of NBA finals when off a 7 games serie with 2 days rest like the warriors. when you fuel this with revenge for cavs+ love and irving back,gonna be tough to win by more than 6 pts in first game in a game that should be decided in last couple of minutes
 
What's that sample size? Like 3? I'd much rather be in the Warriors position than in the cavs position to be honest
 
Says the guy with Steph Curry as his avatar.....lol.

Good posts earlier about players that worked hard and made it despite their size, but unfortunately they are the exception and not the norm, like me hitting parlays.
 
Says the guy with Steph Curry as his avatar.....lol.

Good posts earlier about players that worked hard and made it despite their size, but unfortunately they are the exception and not the norm, like me hitting parlays.

Except for the Giants & Nets, I am completely impartial for every other team in every sport. The avatar is there because I was born the same day as him. Kinda makes me sad at the same time... And Curry is the hottest topic in sports. Shocker.



Do you think Curry just make all this up?....

https://twitter.com/i/moments/738151409674117121
 
For those of you wanting to bet the Cavs on a series price, take a look at MVP instead. Cavs series price I'm seeing is +165 but Lebron MVP is +250. Now there's a chance someone else can win the MVP like Iggy did over Curry, but let's face it, if the Cavs win it'll be on Lebron's shoulders.
 
In other news Dellavedova has left Nike and signed a 3-year shoe deal with Chinese brand 'Peak'.

The 'Delly-1' drops July 1st.
 
I took Draymond over 23.5 points+rebounds -115 tonight along with 1st Half under 109.

Also took Iguodala to average over 8.5 points/game in the series -110...should see a look of court time this series.

Have Golden State in 5 +333 and in 7 +300.

Interesting stat this postseason: Cavs have only contested 57.7% of shots this postseason, worse than any other team except Memphis. Golden State at 66.2%.

Added Warriors -5.5.
 
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Metrics clearly on the Warriors side.

Running all 'predictors', the Dubs lowest predictor gives them a 70% chance of winning it all.

All the others are high 70%'s to mid-90%'s.
 
Probably take the Points in every game.

Why does everybody like GS so much? Probably get out rebounded again.Defense really ain't that good. And they turn the ball over Alot.
 
Probably take the Points in every game.

Why does everybody like GS so much? Probably get out rebounded again.Defense really ain't that good. And they turn the ball over Alot.

Yet they still win.

The SOS between the two teams is laughable, Cavs played tulips.
 
If the warriors lose the series, they will have lost as many games in the playoffs as in the regular season. Amazing
 
Wait GSW defense isn't good now??
Wow...rebounding is the Achilles heel but that mattered last series, doubt it does in this one.

Great team defense
 
If you think the rebounding for the Cavs and shot blocking is even in the same league as OKC you simply don't watch enough NBA.

Triston Thompson and Channing Frye are not Adams/Ibaka.

And the Cavs are not even close to the Thunder athletically.

They are a superior offensive team to the Thunder but Kyrie and Love won't be wide open for 3's.

Their best chance is to play like they did last season and they've moved away from that.
 
Yeap let's keep it in the fairway here, very good defense, especially come game time in the 4th
 
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