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NBA Finals 2016 |OT| - The King demands seconds. The Chef delivers.
- Thread starter Gully State
- Start date
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i3allistic
Member
Dubs bench >>> Cavs Bench .....Lebron..Love and Kyrie gonna be gassed
serenewarfare
Banned
While the Cavs have been lights out from three (at times) this postseason, most of their guys are over-performing relative to what their expected point per shot values would be. OKC saw a similar thing happen in games 3 and 4 against GS, and when everything normalized they got beat three straight times. There is no guarantee Cleveland stays hot, and the averages suggest they won't.
Yeah, you can create almost any story you want by cherry picking certain numbers.
Bummer we even have until Thursday for this to start. All this pre-series is analysis is uh....interesting.
Here's the dates/times for the Finals - all times eastern
Game 1 - Thurs., June 2 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
Game 2 - Sun., June 5 - 8 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
Game 3 - Wed., June 8 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Quicken Loans Arena
Game 4 - Fri., June 10 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Quicken Loans Arena
Game 5* - Mon., June 13 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
Game 6* - Thurs., June 16 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Quicken Loans Arena
Game 7* - Sun., June 19 - 8 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
*If necessary
Game 1 - Thurs., June 2 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
Game 2 - Sun., June 5 - 8 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
Game 3 - Wed., June 8 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Quicken Loans Arena
Game 4 - Fri., June 10 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Quicken Loans Arena
Game 5* - Mon., June 13 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
Game 6* - Thurs., June 16 - 9 p.m. - ABC - Quicken Loans Arena
Game 7* - Sun., June 19 - 8 p.m. - ABC - Oracle Arena
*If necessary
Warriors in 6. I honestly think that potential unlocked OKC was the best shot anyone could have taken at the Warriors. Cleveland doesn't even compare defensively. Cleveland is the opposite of who they were last year. Love and Kyrie are defensive liabilities and what they offer on offense is great, but Warriors can feast.
Rastafarian42
Member
Warriors in 7.
I feel that Westbrook is a better player than Kyrie (and it's not even close) but Kyrie isn't going to lose you a game the way Westbrook can, because he has Lebron there to reign him in and take over when need be.
On the OKC side, Durant isn't a strong enough presence to do that to Russ, and Russ is too strong to allow that really.
Flip side is that Kyrie isn't going to win you any games like Russ can, which puts alot of pressure on LeBron.
ChaosZeroX
Banned
Go Warriors. So happy they came back.
On that bandwagon because I really don't like the Cavs lol
On that bandwagon because I really don't like the Cavs lol
The OKC team that showed up to the playoffs and smoked the 67 win Spurs and then lit up the first few games against GSW wasn't really the same team as during the season. Something awakened for a bit there.
Sure, have they shot better or something?
FYI, the first time I said as well I meant as well as GS.
Hypemaster
Member
Warriors sweep, may the land forever be cursed.
Baroquemantic
Member
Can't wait!
I'm rooting for the Cavs, but GS is such an offensive monster.
in 7
I'm rooting for the Cavs, but GS is such an offensive monster.
One of them
PadWarrior
Member
But still what? OKC is definitely better than Toronto but GS should have beaten them as quickly as Cleveland beat Toronto?
The teams that gave GS troubles (Milwaukee, Boston, OKC) did so with tall athletes switching everything on the defensive end. Outscoring GS isn't easy especially when you consider that GS has a top five defense and Cleveland's defense is average at best.
So, GS has a better offense and defense... where is Cleveland's advantage? I think they have to go big, try to outrebound them, slow the pace, and get their best defenders on the court. Like last year.
ryutaro's mama
Member
KD is not playing in this series though.
Yes the Cavs will have 2 more big time offensive weapons, but they are both terrible defensively. Plus Warriors players are older and better, Curry, Green and Thompson improved
Joei
Member
I'm predicting a Cavs win, but if they do lose the series, I agree, there is no way in hell it'll be in 5 games. Either way it goes, I'm guessing at least a 6 game series.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
OKC is the best-rebounding team in the league, and outplayed the Warriors in just about every facet of the game in G6 and G7. 3 point shooting was just too good.
The Cavs have shown they can get hot against porous defense, so GS will have to do better than they did last round. But I don't think you can bank on Lebron/Kyrie combining for 60 points as often as you could for Durant/Westbrook.
One of the bigger X-Factors is Draymond Green. I think it's inevitable that he picks up a technical or Flagrant 2 in one of the first few games, which will lead to a 1 game suspension and could swing the series, especially if the Cavs get a split in the first two. He's got to keep his head together and not flame out like he did for most of the series last year against Mozgoff.
Edit: And people are predicting Warriors in 5 because the two games they played against the Cavs this season (with both teams healthy) were so lopsided that it got Cleveland's coach fired.
they just played russ and kd tho
Baroquemantic
Member
I love these Dragonball GIFs.
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
The Cavs play Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson, JR Smith, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Those guys are all defensive liabilities and the only big they have that can even compare to the juggernaut that GSW faced is Tristan Thompson, who is garbage if he can't get offensive rebounds. Some of the players the Warriors will have defending them will be like having 20 pounds ankle weights being removed from you.
Cavs in 6.
Kyrie/LeBron have got this.
Kyrie/LeBron have got this.
I agree. Kyrie is unlikely to choke a game 6 away with turnover after turnover like Westbrook.
PadWarrior
Member
Lol this is perfect. Would Klay be future trunks?
Liquidsnake
Banned
So lets say Lebard goes 2/7
The_Almighty_Swan
Banned
A healthy Cavs team this time around easily handles the Warriors in 5
Joei
Member
With Dion Waiters as their other offensive threat. Cavs supporting group is clearly better offensively.
TheAutomator
Banned
That would require 2 more finals berths which is inevitable in the East so it's plausible.
and clearly worse defensively, which is how you actually beat golden state
That would work. Iguodala is clearly Piccolo. Important, just not the main guy.
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
I would argue the other way around. People get fooled with the Cavs beating the worst teams in the playoffs and having "that Lebron guy who I hear is good" and thinking they're going to win. Or thinking that Irving and Love are going to put up 20ppg each while locking down on defense. It's ridiculous.
Warriors are the favorites in Vegas, favorites in 538 predictions, favorites in ESPN BPI with the most likely outcome being a 5 game series win. Let's get real.
Cleveland's advantage is that GSW is smaller than any team they've faced and their best player likes to operate out of the paint which setups their offense. That allows for a slower game and the Cavs can run with anybody in transition.
Basically GS doesnt have the bigs to stop LeBron down low. Cleveland didnt play extremely fast or anything when they were blowing teams out, they are perfectly capable of slowing the game down. I want to see how they are gonna stop Kyrie for one.
The_Almighty_Swan
Banned
The Warriors struggled with a Cavs team last Finals that was riddled with injuries. Cleveland is healthy now and primed to give the Warriors all they can handle.
PadWarrior
Member
I wish I had photoshop skills to make this happen lol
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
Thank you for proving my point.
To me the most interesting thing is what lineups the Cavs employ.
The Thunder are the first team that were able to make the Warriors play left handed. Otherwise they pretty much dictate the tempo and rosters of the other team. Thunder could do it because they were so dominant on defense and the boards. Add in the fact that Westbrook was an automatic 2 off of any miss and they almost choked GS out.
Lue needs to figure out how to balance his offense and defense and come up with a gameplay for game 1 and 2. I think Cavs need to steal one and really put the pressure on GS. It seems very improbably to me that the Cavs will be able to handle the pressure of being down 0-2 (not taking about Bron, he will handle the pressure just not sure about the other Cavs).
The Thunder are the first team that were able to make the Warriors play left handed. Otherwise they pretty much dictate the tempo and rosters of the other team. Thunder could do it because they were so dominant on defense and the boards. Add in the fact that Westbrook was an automatic 2 off of any miss and they almost choked GS out.
Lue needs to figure out how to balance his offense and defense and come up with a gameplay for game 1 and 2. I think Cavs need to steal one and really put the pressure on GS. It seems very improbably to me that the Cavs will be able to handle the pressure of being down 0-2 (not taking about Bron, he will handle the pressure just not sure about the other Cavs).
80% of Clevelands offensive sets are going to be Lebron posting up and kicking out for a 3, or Kyrie driving and kicking out for a 3.
Anyone who loves the long ball is going to be in for a treat this series.
5 of the top 7 players in 3PM in the playoffs are in this season.
what's this fucking horse shit? why does g state get 2 days off after going to a game 7? why do they get 2 days off between games? they didn't need the rest in the conference finals, why do they need it now?
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
So you're saying that the Cavs are a different team from last year and are better, but the Warriors aren't?
Hickbilly Deluxe
Banned
Warriors in 5. My reasoning? Because its Cleveland, and they are not allowed to know happiness in any sport.
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