The NBA Finals- Warriors vs Cavs

[immortal13 4,059]

Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Lebron James was a stacked, assembled super-team as well.

[Orca of Peace 109]

4 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

First off, I must have missed the part where LeBron was breaking down. We JUST started calling him the GOAT like 3 weeks ago and now he’s breaking down? The fuck?

 

Second, he plays 39 mpg in his career in Cleveland. He’s not dropping 7-9 minutes per game off his average next year. That’s insane. He’s also almost surely going to be on a much better team next year (Houston, Philly, any team of his own choosing) where he already won’t be required to play so much and can naturally get it down to ~36 mpg.

 

Third, you haven’t been paying attention if you think there’s a coach on the planet who could get LeBron James to cut more than half of an entire quarter off his PT just like that.

at this age, any human will be exhausted with so much work. Eyeball test shows exhaustion.  Going to Houston will allow him to sit a lot more, so you agree with the reduced minutes. 

[Goo Punch 4,275]

1 minute ago, Orca of Peace said:

at this age, any human will be exhausted with so much work. Eyeball test shows exhaustion.  Going to Houston will allow him to sit a lot more, so you agree with the reduced minutes. 

I do agree that he should see reduced minutes. I don’t agree that he should drop 7+ mpg off of his average.

[Pam Cummings 9,823]

7 hours ago, BigOrange1 said:

what exactly do you think would be happening if it was the celtics playing the warriors rather than the cavs?

I don't think the Celtics would stand a chance, but i do believe that defensively they wouldn't be allowing a lay up line for GS and they would do a better job of either denying KD the ball or doubling him to get it out of his hands. 

[Thatguy 9,295]

39 minutes ago, Goo Punch said:

“People who get it understand why.” LMAO, okie dokie Mr.Sanctimonious, guess I just don’t get it.

  Oh, and the homeless. Went to Fisherman's Wharf a few years back. Broad daylight. Came out and the window on my Audi looked like this. What did they steal? A homeless guy stole a blanket my daughter(5 at the time) was using on the trip over. Guy passing by says it happens more than once a day.

[Thatguy 9,295]

12 minutes ago, Pam Cummings said:

I don't think the Celtics would stand a chance, but i do believe that defensively they wouldn't be allowing a lay up line for GS and they would do a better job of either denying KD the ball or doubling him to get it out of his hands. 

   The doubling is what was causing those layups. GS shows like they are going to pick. If you hedge then the screener dives to the basket for a wide open layup. That works for them because they have so many shooters on the floor you have to stay home on, and the screener is someone athletic that can finish at he rim. Draymond's man is the only guy you sink off of to help, but if you do he is going to attack you and put you in a two way where either he finishes or throws a lob. The screener is the other guy you COULD help off of, which is why he is the screen and dive guy. Bottom line is they just have too much talent.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Thatguy

[MoJames 8,258]

KD also made the league predictable and boring as fuck. Warriors will be in the Finals as many years as this current core is assembled. No other team is coming close in the West in the next 5 years.
But hey, he went to UT one year, accomplished nothing here in between 2 Elite 8 appearances so go KD! Yay for being a bitch and choosing the team who embarrassed you in the WCF. 

Vic - https://streamable.com/kg4uo

Lol. Hookem KD.

[Thatguy 9,295]

23 minutes ago, MoJames said:

Vic - https://streamable.com/kg4uo

Lol. Hookem KD.

Hahaha...that's pretty funny. Even Vic has to admit that.

[GabrielsHorn 2,242]

5 hours ago, BoomMF said:

KD made the league as predictable as the 80s when the same 2 teams dominated Finals appearances. Everyone knows how shitty basketball was in the 80s. Boring af. They still tell stories of how sucky the 80s were.

 

 

There's a difference between 2 great teams and one team that's far and away better than the entire league. 

No one is beating the Warriors in the playoffs with their core 4. 

[satyanash 15,358]

41 minutes ago, GabrielsHorn said:

There's a difference between 2 great teams and one team that's far and away better than the entire league. 

No one is beating the Warriors in the playoffs with their core 4. 

MJ three-peats twice: "No one is beating MJ, Pippen, Rodman, and Phil Jackson".

Lakers three-peat: "No one is beating Shaq and Kobe".

What boring years the 90s and early 2000s must have been. Face it, the NBA has done best when one team is dominant. That's just how the sport has always been. Never mind that Houston just took this GSW team to 7 games and could have won had CP3 not gotten hurt at the worst possible time.

[GabrielsHorn 2,242]

I don't understand how this is so hard to understand. The Warriors were already an all-time great team with 3 All Stars and added one of the best players in the NBA. When they were already an all-time great team, they had to have a Herculean effort from one of the greatest players of all time to lose. After that win, the team that beat them pre-KD lost it's second best player for role players. Sure they went to Game 7 once, but they've gone 16-1 and 15-5 in the playoffs since then with only one series in which the opposing team has won more than one game.

They aren't going to lose until one of those players leave, which seems unlikely based on the salary cap restrictions. It'd take another mega-team to assemble, and even then, it might not be enough. 

[Goo Punch 4,275]

You’ve got the fact that Houston just took GS to 7 and probably would have won if Paul had been healthy

GS doesn’t win last year without KD

The Spurs would have challenged in the West with Kawhi healthy and invested

OKC has so, so much talent and should be better but are held back by Melo and Russ

LeBron will be playing for Philly, Houston, or another stacked team next year that will be better than this year’s Cavs team

GS is about to win its second title in three years yet to hear these girls tell it they’re wrapping up their fifth straight sweep

But hey let’s all freak out about how one player made the entire league turn on its head when in reality it was an extremely top heavy league since well before he was born

[Goo Punch 4,275]

6 minutes ago, GabrielsHorn said:

I don't understand how this is so hard to understand. The Warriors were already an all-time great team with 3 All Stars and added one of the best players in the NBA. When they were already an all-time great team, they had to have a Herculean effort from one of the greatest players of all time to lose. After that win, the team that beat them pre-KD lost it's second best player for role players. Sure they went to Game 7 once, but they've gone 16-1 and 15-5 in the playoffs since then with only one series in which the opposing team has won more than one game.

They aren't going to lose until one of those players leave, which seems unlikely based on the salary cap restrictions. It'd take another mega-team to assemble, and even then, it might not be enough. 

They would have lost last year without KD and likely would have lost to Houston in the WCF without Paul’s injury, but yeah, they’re unstoppable. 

 

Also every great team has a ridiculous playoff record because the league has been a 2-4 team league for decades. KD didn’t change that.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Goo Punch

[GabrielsHorn 2,242]

It was a top heavy league, but it's a singular team at the top now. They've had one series where they went more than 5 games with KD in two years, something that didn't happen in either of the Bulls or Lakers run. The Lakers and Bulls also went 7 games in the Conference Finals twice during their runs, which may or may not happen next year.

KD made his decision which has worked well to win championships, but there's no doubt that the Warriors will win the Finals every year they have that core.

e: And I'll put my money where my mouth is. Provided the core four of the Warriors don't have a major injury or one of them leaves, I'll donate $100 to whatever charity either of you want if they don't win the championship next year.  

Edited June 7, 2018 by GabrielsHorn

[Goo Punch 4,275]

I will literally never get a legit answer when I ask what viable alternatives KD had if he wanted to end his NINE YEAR run in the league which included a grand total of one Finals *appearance* when he was already on a super team which lost 4-1. People act like he was coming off of his rookie contract. I believe 95% of the people bitching don’t even realize that he’d been in the league nearly a decade and had never sniffed a title. Had he stayed and lost for years to come these exact same people would call him a loser.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Machinator 32,102]

Hell, people were already calling him a loser. Remember Mr. Unreliable?

[immortal13 4,059]

24 minutes ago, GabrielsHorn said:

I don't understand how this is so hard to understand. The Warriors were already an all-time great team with 3 All Stars and added one of the best players in the NBA. When they were already an all-time great team, they had to have a Herculean effort from one of the greatest players of all time to lose. After that win, the team that beat them pre-KD lost it's second best player for role players. Sure they went to Game 7 once, but they've gone 16-1 and 15-5 in the playoffs since then with only one series in which the opposing team has won more than one game.

They aren't going to lose until one of those players leave, which seems unlikely based on the salary cap restrictions. It'd take another mega-team to assemble, and even then, it might not be enough. 

They had won 1 championship in the modern era, not sure that qualifies them as an all-time great team

[GabrielsHorn 2,242]

Yeah, the all time regular season winning team doesn't qualify as an all time great team. That makes perfect sense.

Look, KD made the best decision for him, but it's clear who is going to win the championship every year Steph, Klay, Draymond, and KD are there. They are possibly the greatest team of all time. Just because they had one series that they went to 7 games doesn't discount how good and how dominant that they are. 

[Machinator 32,102]

3 minutes ago, immortal13 said:

They had won 1 championship in the modern era, not sure that qualifies them as an all-time great team

That 2015-16 squad was absolutely an all-time great team. They weren't a dynasty yet, though many people were (prematurely) anointing them as one.

[immortal13 4,059]

5 minutes ago, GabrielsHorn said:

Yeah, the all time regular season winning team doesn't qualify as an all time great team. That makes perfect sense.

Look, KD made the best decision for him, but it's clear who is going to win the championship every year Steph, Klay, Draymond, and KD are there. They are possibly the greatest team of all time. Just because they had one series that they went to 7 games doesn't discount how good and how dominant that they are. 

Championships are all that matters

[X-Wing @Aliciousness 103]

8 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

KD also made the league predictable and boring as fuck. Warriors will be in the Finals as many years as this current core is assembled. No other team is coming close in the West in the next 5 years.

But hey, he went to UT one year, accomplished nothing here in between 2 Elite 8 appearances so go KD! Yay for being a bitch and choosing the team who embarrassed you in the WCF. 

Yea fuck kd for being one of the worlds greatest basketball players right now and trying to win a championship. Where the hell does that guy get off?

Dude seriously? Also, I don’t think winning 7 of 7 national player of the year awards offered is “accomplishing nothing.” I also would not say losing in 7 games to the team that had the best nba regular season record ever is getting “embarrassed.” Kind of don’t think you watch basketball

[Machinator 32,102]

Just now, X-Wing @Aliciousness said:

Yea fuck kd for being one of the worlds greatest basketball players right now and trying to win a championship. Where the hell does that guy get off?

Dude seriously? Also, I don’t think winning 7 of 7 national player of the year awards offered is “accomplishing nothing.” I also would not say losing in 7 games to the team that had the best nba regular season record ever is getting “embarrassed.” Kind of don’t think you watch basketball

You're better off not replying to Vic.

[krevo 142]

2 hours ago, immortal13 said:

Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Lebron James was a stacked, assembled super-team as well.

lol.  Kevin Love has never played a day Cleveland like he did in Minnesota.  The Cavs "super teams" have never held a candle to the 3 + Durant Warriors team.  Their ability to score the ball at will has never been matched by any team I've see in 30+ years of watching.

[immortal13 4,059]

Just now, krevo said:

lol.  Kevin Love has never played a day Cleveland like he did in Minnesota.  

I never said he did. 

[Goo Punch 4,275]

6 minutes ago, krevo said:

lol.  Kevin Love has never played a day Cleveland like he did in Minnesota.  The Cavs "super teams" have never held a candle to the 3 + Durant Warriors team.  Their ability to score the ball at will has never been matched by any team I've see in 30+ years of watching.

Kevin Love has been really good for Cleveland and has been really good during these playoffs. He's had a whole slew of huge games for them. He's averaging 21 and 12 in these Finals and hasn't missed a FT. Of course he isn't going to put up a bunch of 20/20 games as his team's second or third option; he's still been a good player, and that includes these playoffs and these Finals.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Patrick Bateman 3,966]

29 minutes ago, krevo said:

lol.  Kevin Love has never played a day Cleveland like he did in Minnesota.  The Cavs "super teams" have never held a candle to the 3 + Durant Warriors team.  Their ability to score the ball at will has never been matched by any team I've see in 30+ years of watching.

If you truly believe this, then ask yourself why he isn't the player he was in Minnesota???  There has to be a reason, right?  It's not in the water?

[Goo Punch 4,275]

He “accomplished nothing” at Texas. You can’t make that up. He put the program on the damn map. That enough for you? 

[Patrick Bateman 3,966]

3 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

I’m pretty sure if Lebron goes to a good team next year, then his team will be better than the Warriors.  The role player rotation on the Warriors has degraded significantly from a few years ago when they started their run, and even the non-KD stars on the team are getting more complacent in how they play.  

On paper the Rockets series shouldn’t have even been competitive, but they won in 7 after CP3 got hurt and Houston missed like 27 straight 3s to give up a lead.

If Lebron goes to Houston, Boston, or Philly, I think his team is the favorite next year unless GS also somehow adds a significant piece.  This Cleveland team is hot garbage outside of Lebron and Love (who is a much worse sidekick than the guys Lebron would have on those other teams), they’re shooting poorly, and they’re still playing GS competitively just based on Lebron.

Ding, ding, ding..... Warriors bench has turned sub par.  Totally agree except for maybe Philly, in which I still think they'd be marginal underdogs.  But frankly, if that bench doesn't get any better, Houston will have a chance to overtake them anyway.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18,913]

My bold prediction: Cleveland wins game 4. Game 5 is worth about $25 million in gate receipts to the Ws and it has a decent IMPACT league wide on BRI. 

[Patrick Bateman 3,966]

Uhm..... 

Other stats:

Curry -- ORtg -- 106, DRtg -- 113, +29

KD -- ORtg -- 132, DRtg -- 108, +56

1 or 2 more games I guess....

Edited June 7, 2018 by Patrick Bateman

[Orca of Peace 109]

1 hour ago, Goo Punch said:

He “accomplished nothing” at Texas. You can’t make that up. He put the program on the damn map. That enough for you? 

UT made the FF in 2003 

[Goo Punch 4,275]

Making one Final Four does not put a program on the map. Having a transcendent, global supersatat attend and then endlessly rep your program does. It’s no coincidence that our success rate with HS AA’s skyrocketed after KD was here. 

[texaslong 678]

Watched a little of ESPN this morning and Ryan Hollins (Memphis Center) came on and said Curry had a great game yesterday and is deserving of the Finals MVP. Said Curry was the reason Durant was out in position to succeed last night. Hatin really hard.

[52-80 19,378]

Before KD = 2x sweet sixteen, elite eight, final four

With KD = second round..

After KD = 1x elite eight

 

Lol...really made a huge impact on the program there.

[joeycovers 399]

56 minutes ago, Goo Punch said:

Making one Final Four does not put a program on the map. Having a transcendent, global supersatat attend and then endlessly rep your program does. It’s no coincidence that our success rate with HS AA’s skyrocketed after KD was here. 

Agree with this 100%. Most probably cant even name last years F4 teams. I'm pretty certain the majority of fans know where KD attended college though. 

 The way kids associate Jordan with UNC is the way they now associate KD with UT. Unfortunately we just have not had a Dean Smith or Roy Williams. 

[joeycovers 399]

20 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Before KD = 2x sweet sixteen, elite eight, final four

With KD = second round..

After KD = 1x elite eight

 

Lol...really made a huge impact on the program there.

Before KD how many HS AA did we have?  Aldridge, Gibson?

Since..Turner, Kabongo, Bamba, Bradley, Hamilton, Joseph, Thompson, Allen

I'm sure i forgot a few.   

KD made a huge impact on the perception of UT hoops. Now we need a coach to maximize that

[52-80 19,378]

2 minutes ago, joeycovers said:

Before KD how many HS AA did we have?  Aldridge, Gibson?

Since..Turner, Kabongo, Bamba, Bradley, Hamilton, Joseph, Thompson, Allen

I'm sure i forgot a few.   

KD made a huge impact on the perception of UT hoops. Now we need a coach to maximize that

I'd rather have wins on the court than recruiting charts.  Same thing for football.  Those AA?  Mostly disappointments.

[hobbes2702 13,351]

2 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

I'd rather have wins on the court than recruiting charts.  Same thing for football.  Those AA?  Mostly disappointments.

What does them being disappointments have to do with KD helping putting UT basketball on the map?

[MoJames 8,258]

7 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

What does them being disappointments have to do with KD helping putting UT basketball on the map?

He just isn't aware that he can simply concede an argument without trying to deflect. 

[kopp0e 1,135]

7 hours ago, immortal13 said:

Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Lebron James was a stacked, assembled super-team as well.

Agreed, but Kevin Love goes into hiding at the most inopportune times in the Finals...

[kopp0e 1,135]

45 minutes ago, joeycovers said:

Before KD how many HS AA did we have?  Aldridge, Gibson?

Since..Turner, Kabongo, Bamba, Bradley, Hamilton, Joseph, Thompson, Allen

I'm sure i forgot a few.   

KD made a huge impact on the perception of UT hoops. Now we need a coach to maximize that

And thusly helping the XII to become more than a 1 trick pony in Kansas, at least now the league is considered one of the toughest in the NCAA...

[Vic Mackey 47,848]

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Before KD = 2x sweet sixteen, elite eight, final four

With KD = second round..

After KD = 1x elite eight

 

Lol...really made a huge impact on the program there.

Fucking this. KD is a great talent but he accomplished nothing here on paper and stuff you can actually measure. I don't care about high school AA's and all that junk. In fact, since KD left, this program has been out of the 1st weekend one time. One! So yeah, that is not putting UT on the map or setting them up for success.

TJ Ford >>> KD in terms of his legacy at UT and it isn't even close. 

[Dutchrudder 11,228]

4 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

He “accomplished nothing” at Texas. You can’t make that up. He put the program on the damn map. That enough for you? 

Oh fuck you, he didn't do that on his own. Give Rick Barnes some credit you ungrateful asshole. 

[Gene Parmesan 4,062]

Accomplished nothing and put the program on the map.  The truth is somewhere in the middle.

[Chad 1,728]

On the bright side this should be the last Cavs/Warriors finals we're subjected to for the foreseeable future. It's nothing short of a miracle the Cavs reached the finals this season as bad as they were at certain points of the regular season and playoffs as well. LBJ carried that sorry ass team all the way, Love was good at some points in the playoffs, but other then that it's been all LBJ. Where has Korver been in the finals? He's scored what 4 points in 3 games? Outside of several games in the post season George Hill has been largely invisible. JR Smith is forever a meme. If I'm LBJ I'm packing my bags immediately at the end of Game 4 when Golden State inevitably sweeps the Cavs and getting the fuck out of Cleveland for good.

[Sidney Sherman 66]

3 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Before KD = 2x sweet sixteen, elite eight, final four

With KD = second round..

After KD = 1x elite eight

 

Lol...really made a huge impact on the program there.

Offensive playstyle: pickup ball

[BigOrange1 6,607]

5 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Uhm..... 

Other stats:

Curry -- ORtg -- 106, DRtg -- 113, +29

KD -- ORtg -- 132, DRtg -- 108, +56

1 or 2 more games I guess....

it's not even fucking close.

[52-80 19,378]

3 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

What does them being disappointments have to do with KD helping putting UT basketball on the map?

Because he didn't - TJ Ford did.  Going to the Final Four puts the program on the map.

Whatever fucking map KD put the program that has UT losing in the 1st and 2nd round, can someone please take it off?

 

[Vic Mackey 47,848]

Because he didn't - TJ Ford did.  Going to the Final Four puts the program on the map.
Whatever fucking map KD put the program that has UT losing in the 1st and 2nd round, can someone please take it off?
 

There's no reasoning with some. They equate his NBA career to mean he accomplished something at UT. He didn't. He damn sure didn't put them on the map. To say a Final 4 doesn't put a program on the map is asinine. But somehow since we got high school AAs that means the program is on the map? I don't get it. TJ Ford put this program on the map.

[Machinator 32,102]

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2018/06/warriors-cavs-ratings-decline-game-3-overnight/

Quote

The numbers remain historically strong, but Warriors-Cavs ratings continue to lag.

Wednesday’s Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 3 earned a 12.7 overnight rating on ABC, down 5% from last year (13.4) but up 8% from 2016 (11.8), both of which featured the same matchup.

The 12.7 is the third-highest for Game 3 of the NBA Finals since 2001 (16.1), trailing last year and 2015, when the same Warriors-Cavs matchup had a 13.7.

Four of the six highest Game 3 overnights over that span have been Warriors-Cavs games, with the 2016 matchup tied for fifth. The two exceptions are Lakers-Pistons in 2004 (12.6) and Lakers-Nets in 2002 (11.8).

Golden State’s narrow win peaked at a 15.4 from 11:15-11:30 PM ET, off 1% from last year’s peak (15.6), but up 15% from the 2016 mark (13.4). The 2016 game was a Cleveland blowout.

Unlike last year, when overnights grew 5% from Game 2 to Game 3 (from 12.8 to 13.4), Wednesday’s number was unchanged from Game 2. Keep in mind the scenario was almost exactly the same as last year, with Golden State up 2-0 in the series and eking out a close win.

Overnights have now declined for all three games of the series, though none of the declines have been by more than 5 percent.

ESPN has not disclosed the local ratings as of Thursday morning.