Support NeoGAF

[Vault Dweller 111]

Was the narrative different as the 73 win Warriors rolled through the playoffs last year though? It's the rubber match between all time great player and superteam, we should be hyped not already planning the funeral

I don't think this version of LeBron gets swept. I doubt he'd even go down in 5.

 

[FZZ]

Was the narrative different as the 73 win Warriors rolled through the playoffs last year though? It's the rubber match between all time great player and superteam, we should be hyped not already planning the funeral

I don't think this version of LeBron gets swept. I doubt he'd even go down in 5.

They were shaky last year

Didn't have a sweep IIRC

 

[ryutaro's mama]

no it won't.

Reverse KONEX never works.

 

[Vault Dweller 111]

They were shaky last year

Didn't have a sweep IIRC

Would've swept the Rockets if a Chance the Rapper concert was on the line tbh

 

[metalslimer]

The steph injury sucked a lot of air out of the room and then they went down 3-1. Any of the invincible feel they had was gone by the finals even if most people thought they would win.

 

[BlackNMild2k1]

Would've swept the Rockets if a Chance the Rapper concert was on the line tbh

I hope Chance books his encore performance during the time slot of Game 5 of the next series too. But don't forget to send them Warriors some VIP backstage passes.

 

[darkwing-buck]

The way GS is playing I don't even know if Houston or San Antonio can steal a game from them. Maybe SA.

 

[Vault Dweller 111]

The way GS is playing I don't even know if Houston or San Antonio can steal a game from them. Maybe SA.

Jazz will beat em in 7.

 

[darkwing-buck]

Jazz will beat em in 7.

Joe Pringles the difference maker.

 

[Vault Dweller 111]

Joe Pringles the difference maker.

He'll guard KD and Steph at the same time.

 

[timetokill]

They need a mercy rule for the playoffs or something, 18 point average win isn't competitive, it's not good TV. It's just sad.

 

[Surfinn]

https://youtu.be/yEoaN9qIxFs

Alright. Now I feel bad for thinking the other one was cool. This crushes it

 

[darkwing-buck]

They need a mercy rule for the playoffs or something, 18 point average win isn't competitive, it's not good TV. It's just sad.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

Alright. Now I feel bad for thinking the other one was cool. This crushes it

 

[Hyperactivity]

Okay obviously the Warriors are an insanely great team and should be favorites. But this "16-0" "non competitive finals" stuff seems silly. Not even mentioning the fact that we seem to be forgetting that we did this exact same thing last year.

LeBron with absolutely nobody took the Warriors to 6.

Cavs will still have the best player on the court.

Kyrie loves to play against Steph

LeBron has always been KD's daddy.

KD's health is spotty, not to mention Kerr.

I still don't think Curry has played particularly well (for him) in the finals the past two years.

Not saying I wouldn't bet on GSW, but to act like it's already a done deal? Even after last year? Man...

I still don't understand how the Cavs got as far as they did in 2015, looking back.

Quick Question, who the fuck stops the Warriors? Curry's ankles breaking again? Klay getting caught with weed?

Rockets shoot 100 3s and just have to strike the lottery on those shots

 

[FZZ]

I still don't understand how the Cavs got as far as they did in 2015, looking back.



Rockets shoot 100 3s and just have to strike the lottery on those shots

They should've been up 3-1 against the Dubs

Game 1 was robbery

 

[Vault Dweller 111]

Isn't there also a history of super teams not doing it in year 1? Admittedley all I personally know about is Malone Lakers and LeBron Bosh Heat.

 

[sf2fanatic]

Speaking of dancing, any new news on another Step Up movie?

 

[darkwing-buck]

Isn't there also a history of super teams not doing it in year 1? Admittedley all I personally know about is Malone Lakers and LeBron Bosh Heat.

2008 Celtics went all the way their first year together.

 

[Line_HTX]

*RKO's sf2 in Persona outta nowhere

 

[Vault Dweller 111]

2008 Celtics went all the way their first year together.

Ah yes silly me. I let the Bill Simmons hot take cloud my memory,

 

[TTG]

For a second I got excited thinking that's from last night, but I see Livingston dressed. Those knees and calves, so healthy. How do you get a 28 point lead in the first quarter? Doesn't seem possible.

I wouldn't mind OKC extending the series tomorrow to not give Rockets a rest advantage over the Spurs, everything else is whatever. Utah Clips should be good.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Enjoy him while he lasts Oakland. After a championship or two with the Warriors he's going back home to finish his career with the Wizards

 

[Hyperactivity]

Enjoy him while he lasts Oakland. After a championship or two with the Warriors he's going back home to finish his career with the Wizards

He doesn't want to be in D.C., too many memories, too many contacts, etc.

Klay and Draymond, well most likely Klay, is more likely to be the one that definitely leaves, due to cap space issues.

 

[TTG]

Can we rank color commentary instead of players for a minute? Because I've been enjoying Brent Barry.

Doris
Kevin McHale
Brent Barry
.
.
.
Jeff Van Gundy
.
.
C Webb
Jon Barry
Greg Anthony?

---everyone below this line should have their vocal chords removed

Reggie Miller
Mark Jackson
etc.

 

[Macadinho94]

I wish the ban on Warriors talk was more strictly enforced.

Bit of revisionist history going on here Lyle, we all agreed the ban was on Cavs talk during the season. It's bad enough we have to put up with the Celtics.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Reverse KONEX never works.

I'm just being honest. I've never had a problem being objective about my team's chances. While I don't agree that the Cavs have a 4% chance or whatever the going line is, I wouldn't say it's more than a 25% chance either.

When was the last time you saw the Cavs play well? 4 full quarters? I've seen GSW do it a couple of times in their opening series. I haven't seen the Cavs do it since...February?

When was the last time you saw Kevin Love play well? Been 3 weeks ago maybe? And now even Kyrie is looking iffy with dips in FG% and 3P%. What's left? Asking LeBron to score 40 a game @ 50%+?

Look, I obviously reserve the right to reassess based on future results in the next series (and beyond should they go that far). But my very sober analysis is that Kevin Love is going to have to find his offensive rhythm and do so *consistently*, which is something I don't think he's ever done in a CLE uniform. Kyrie is going to have to get stronger. Deron is going to have to continue playing as well as he has (suprisingly!). The rest of the role players can't have one of those no-show nights they've had over the last 2 months in any game. That's a lot of things that have't been going right finding a way to go right all of a sudden. Them's long odds indeed.

The degree of difficulty is higher for CLE than it is for GSW. It's not impossible, but it's also not likely based on where the 2 teams appear to be right now.

 

[True Savior]

I hope I can see this Warriors team playing like this for the entire playoffs. Just flat out dominating. These last two years were disappointing as fuck. Do a 2014 Spurs. Go out there and embarrass the adversaries. I don't even like the warriors but we need great teams playing great basketball and winning. Set an example.

I needed to see good basketball after so much shitfest in the day before.

 

[darkwing-buck]

Can we rank color commentary instead of players for a minute? Because I've been enjoying Brent Barry.

Doris
Kevin McHale
Brent Barry
.
.
.
Jeff Van Gundy
.
.
C Webb
Jon Barry
Greg Anthony?

---everyone below this line should have their vocal chords removed

Reggie Miller
Mark Jackson
etc.

Brent Barry is great, his brother on the other hand...

 

[the_batman]

did you really put Doris at the top and C Webb that low?

I hope I can see this Warriors team playing like this for the entire playoffs. Just flat out dominating. These last two years were disappointing as fuck. Do a 2014 Spurs. Go out there and embarrass the adversaries. I don't even like the warriors but we need great teams playing great basketball and winning. Set an example.

I needed to see good basketball after so much shitfest in the day before.

if you want them to be like the 2014 Spurs, they need to get rid of all the all-stars and just play good team basketball. instead they brought together all these amazing shooters that can bury weak-willed opponents.

 

[legend166]

I still don't understand how the Cavs got as far as they did in 2015, looking back.

Bunch of young guys playing in their first Finals. I think Barbossa was the only one to have been to a Conference Finals beforeN?oo surprise they got tight.

 

[beat]

Curry just pulled a Nick Young but made the shot. This is insanity.
https://twitter.com/SportsQuotient/status/856726237884162048

The lookaway three is one of his trademarks; he's done it a bunch of times over his career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsB2l_-XYVo

 

[Cipherr]

Quick Question, who the fuck stops the Warriors? Curry's ankles breaking again? Klay getting caught with weed?

Contract expirations. The team as it is assembled now is some of the most ridiculous shit the NBA has probably ever fucking seen. It's amazing to me how the Heatles generated hatred that permeated their entire first 2 seasons together, yet this ridiculous GSW team sorta trailed off around the ASB.

 

[TTG]

The lookaway three is one of his trademarks; he's done it a bunch of times over his career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsB2l_-XYVo

The one where he looks at the opposing bench that's trying to throw him off is the best, against Sacramento.

Also worth noting: a 2015-16 Curry sighting!

Contract expirations. The team as it is assembled now is some of the most ridiculous shit the NBA has probably ever fucking seen. It's amazing to me how the Heatles generated hatred that permeated their entire first 2 seasons together, yet this ridiculous GSW team sorta trailed off around the ASB.

So much of that was media/bullshit driven, I think people are over it. Oh no, a player decided to work where he wanted to after completing a 9 year contract and extension with the team that drafted him. Lebron also committed the biggest sin is sports, or so it at least appeared, with that tv show and introduction parade, arrogance. Contrast that with Steve Kerr, the most disarming, aw shucks guy when he's working to make it a little easier media hype wise for his players.

 

[ViciousDS]

not sure how they are going to afford both KD and Curry next year

both are due the max of max due to their play and performance.

Question is, who takes the paycut


only person I can think of is KD.....but how much of a cut is it worth to him to play on the team

 

[the_batman]

not sure how they are going to afford both KD and Curry next year

both are due the max of max due to their play and performance.

Question is, who takes the paycut


only person I can think of is KD.....but how much of a cut is it worth to him to play on the team

if only star players not on the Spurs would take pay cuts to maintain talent.

 

[TTG]

He's already on a great(I thought at the time fair) contract. Draymond is getting 15 mil over 4 years. Having listened to some cap nerds on the matter, the only question for next year is if Durant takes all the money, thereby making it harder to resign Iggy, or slightly less. I think it may work regardless, but someone on the end of that rotation may have to bail.

Long term, there's a good chance Curry takes less. It makes sense for everyone and I don't think he'll get his ego wrapped up in salary numbers. Who knows though.

 

[beat]

Contract expirations.

I think age will get them more than keeping the team together.

GS probably can keep the core (Steph, KD, Dray, Klay) intact even with the salary cap, and even Iguodala and Livingston over the next two years. Almost definitely at least one of Iggy and Shaun. Reclamations (JaVale) and ring-chasing bigs (West, Pachulia to a degree) are gonna be a puzzle every year, but even if those work out, Iguodala and Livingston are a little older (33 and 31) than the rest of the core (29, 28, 27, 27) and so project to fall off just a bit ahead of the big four.

Meanwhile, maybe I'm buying into Giannis hype, but I really think the Bucks are the team of the future after this Warriors team. (Yes, yes, LeBron's awesome, but he's 32 and has an tremendous number of minutes on his NBA odometer.) Giannis is just 22! Their entire core is scary young. They've already got the length to give these Warriors a lot of trouble. Minnesota or the Jazz are also good picks to maybe challenge the Warriors. All three of those will peak years from now.

 

[Caddywompus]

did you really put Doris at the top and C Webb that low?

Cwebb's got a great voice he's easily my favorite modern former NBA commentator


I've always liked Brent Barry's segments on The Starters but as a commentator? Eh, maybe he's so natural he blended in to the point where he's never stood out. But that gm last night, was it the WAS/ATL game, he seemed flat and bland. Though I'll take that over someone obnoxious like Mark Jackson. I hope someone else gives him a coaching gig soon so we can be rid of him.

 

[TTG]

Iggy has stepped it up here in the final part of the year. We'll see how he does against tougher competition, but GSW may want to keep him until he retires. Livingston on the other hand, he's cool as a reliable ball handler and a curve ball with that point guard post up game at 6'7 and one of the highest release points in the game, but I've been looking at him all year and if he wants to get payed, then it's see you later. I don't want to intimate that I don't enjoy watching him play, but there's gotta be a limit somewhere. Both of them got exposed last year against the Cavs, so let's see who is viable this year.

On the other side, Lebron is gonna be in 10 straight finals, at least.

 

[Vanillalite]

Wall and Beal got theirs, but the rest of their squad didn't play above their limits like game 1 and 2. Meanwhile the Hawks had everyone get involved vs the brick city they built.

Still think Hawks probably lose cause in a game 7 on the road Wall is just better than anyone we got.

Team vs team though their squad isn't dramatically better. I might even say the Hawks are definitely better outside of Washington's big 2.

 

[Marz]

LeBron will slide into a Karl Malone-esque role over the next 5 years imo. He'll play 4 and bulk up a lil bit and still have the insane court vision and passing ability out of the post. Honestly could see him playing another 10 years with 3-5 more MVP caliber seasons and then the latter part of his career deferring to Kyrie. Good thing for LeBron going forward is that Kyrie isn't even 25 so LeBron will have a prime Kyrie for as long as he chooses to chase that elusive 6th ring.

 

[LionPride]

Imagine prime Dwight on the Hawks rn

Imagine

 

[panthapanda]

Wall and Beal got theirs, but the rest of their squad didn't play above their limits like game 1 and 2. Meanwhile the Hawks had everyone get involved vs the brick city they built.

Still think Hawks probably lose cause in a game 7 on the road Wall is just better than anyone we got.

Team vs team though their squad isn't dramatically better. I might even say the Hawks are definitely better outside of Washington's big 2.

Hawks should be up 3-1 right now tbh.

Thanks Bazemore! Almost fucked it up last night too!

 

[BassForever]

LeBron will slide into a Karl Malone-esque role over the next 5 years imo. He'll play 4 and bulk up a lil bit and still have the insane court vision and passing ability out of the post. Honestly could see him playing another 10 years with 3-5 more MVP caliber seasons and then the latter part of his career deferring to Kyrie. Good thing for LeBron going forward is that Kyrie isn't even 25 so LeBron will have a prime Kyrie for as long as he chooses to chase that elusive 6th ring.

Doesn't he need a 4th and 5th ring first?

 

[BadAss2961]

LeBron will slide into a Karl Malone-esque role over the next 5 years imo. He'll play 4 and bulk up a lil bit and still have the insane court vision and passing ability out of the post. Honestly could see him playing another 10 years with 3-5 more MVP caliber seasons and then the latter part of his career deferring to Kyrie. Good thing for LeBron going forward is that Kyrie isn't even 25 so LeBron will have a prime Kyrie for as long as he chooses to chase that elusive 6th ring.

10 more years in Cleveland? He's probably just one or two Warrior beat downs away from leaving again.

 

[Servbot24]

10 more years in Cleveland? He's probably just one or two Warrior beat downs away from leaving again.

I think he really wants to avoid leaving just cuz it will look bad. He'll try to GM himself some more players

 

[Jacce]

10 more years in Cleveland? He's probably just one or two Warrior beat downs away from leaving again.

He will retire in Cleveland. He got them a title. Against the best regular season team of all time down 3-1. Has nothing else to prove. He is already a locked top 3 player of all time, no need to leave for championships when he has won Cleveland in the most iconic way possible.

People leave to win championships, Lebrons legacy is set and done. No reason to go now.

 

[BadAss2961]

I think he really wants to avoid leaving just cuz it will look bad. He'll try to GM himself some more players

Nah, LeGM deadlocked that team. His next move is easier justified now that he gave Cleveland their championship.

I still think he would've pitched a fit and looked for greener pastures last year had the Warriors just won in 5 like they were supposed to.

 

[panthapanda]

Yeah LeBron ain't leaving unless the GM and ownership grows the balls to sneakily trade him when he becomes a corpse.