not calling GUILE but this team continues to not look like hot garbage with the new guys

(still hate seeing Ky in that jersey)

George Hill is killing it IMO.

LeBron looks to be pleased with the changes.

man, if Pipe ever puts down the Hennessy.

.

this looks like a playoff Cav team.

the team actually looks like it likes playing with one another. after one game.

and Kev ain't even back yet.

even TT looks like he remembered how to play basketball.

they did themselves a favor like a muhfucka. niggas tucked they whole summer in, lolz. like "wade, rose, IT, crowder... NOPE! reset. bye, old niggas"

with that said, just so we're all on the same page, i think it's a good time to get on record.... we're officially in #noexcuses territory now, right? he's got enough to win the conference, yes?

because i've seen jalen, stephen a, barkley, broussard, shannon, and pretty much all the blogs, podcasts, and basketball twitter declare them as the consensus east favorites after the trades.

so he's got enough help now, right? ion't want niggas switching they story up if he don't get there, like "those guys really weren't that good after all" or "they didn't have time to gel" or whatever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

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Lmao. You’re such an imbecile

The so called GOAT shouldn't have any problem going with this squad and winning. #NoExcuses #StatPaddingTurd

let's be clear - it's been #NoExcuses for y'all and the Stephen A. camp for years now, regardless. There would've been no excuses for y'all before the trade - and no excuses now - despite the fact that one win with a new squad means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of challenging a severely disproportionately talented team like GSW.

Unless you're saying before this trade you thought Rodney Hood, JC, Nance Jr., and George Hill were the secret ingredients to beating Golden State...

but somehow I missed that analysis.

-->

Yea that's reasonable - but I still don't think it should be looked at as a gimmie - it's really not. Boston and Toronto are much, much better this year and Cleveland has to gel on the fly. That said - yes - they should be able to win the conference (assuming Love comes back right) - and I think it should be lauded as a significant accomplishment if they can win the East with essentially a brand new squad forming with <30 games left.

-->

and stood on it. Even after they got decimated by Houston. I just don't feel like there is a team in the East that can beat Lebron, Love and three semi-competent players in a 4 game series. At least, not this year.

He's just that good at basketball. He got niggas
saying Jordan Clarkson is better than prime Wade, it's
comedy

Lebron MAKES niggas good. It's not that complicated.

Earlier this year he got tired of carrying old washed
up bums and coasted, as he's earned the right to

cause i know if i was out here looking stupid AF trying to make that half hoodie look a thing, my day 1's would check me off top.

at first i thought it was just on there from putting it on and off and just being laissez-faire w/ having it hang off - but dude premeditated the look like "oh i'm bout to kill cats w/ this half hoodie flow" lol wtf.


-->

lolz. it's sooooo bamma.

and they dipped into Area 21 at half-time. He was rocking it. My wife said..."is that hoodie stuck to his head? How does it stay exactly half way on?". I couldn't give her an answer.

he's worn it like that in multiple clips throughout the season on 2KTV too


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

I guess he’s like fuck it now lol

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVy5ievU0AAdG0U.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/Mohiam%2BBeneGesserit-1984.jpg

I think they're both badly undervalued as acquisitions beyond the obvious addition-by-subtraction math.

I think their respective contributions are actually significantly more valuable to a contender then for a team like this current Lakers bunch.

I think JC, Nance, Hill and Hood will prove worthy of a 'ballin since the trade' post soon enough.

Nance is a nice hustle guy but when Love gets back I don’t see him being a regular part of the rotation

I don't think he be able to go 0-7 immediately after going 6-6 in the same stretch too often now.

Plus those stretches where he's hitting will be much more valuable on a team with an established, veteran star to step in once his heat subsides each game.

>Nance is a nice hustle guy but when Love gets back I don’t
>see him being a regular part of the rotation

Can't disagree more. I think he's a quality rotation player on any good team, whose energy will probably be the catalyst for a few wins all by himself, but these are just educated guesses at this point. I have an affinity toward both for being bright spots in a bad period, so it's certainly possible that my perspective is colored by that.

him becoming a major contributor for the Cavs

We'll see going forward, but the other three are significant offensive threats, two of which have all star potential.

Plus, Nance is what, 2.5 seasons in? You tend to talk about this team without consideration for how ridiculously young they are.

Nance is far more valuable to Cleveland than the Lakers.

going forward? sure, he'll have opportunities. but i don't see him in their playoff rotation this year.

Watch.

surpassed him almost immediately when they joined the team. Nance is 25 years old so he's not exactly some young kid out here lol.

He is what he is, a hustling, athletic tweener forward that doesn't quite have the size to be a defensive presence in the post nor the lateral quickness to guard guys on the wing. He's a rebounder and a dunker and that's about it.

what impressed the most was the spacing. Guys have all the room they need to create off the dribble and Hill, Hood, and Clarkson can all space out on the three point line and if kicked out to - can knock it down or beat somebody off-rhythm with quickness. Game is going to be so much easier for Bron with this squad.
-->

(c)JC in the post-game interview

how Clarkson scored well on the Lakers and had to bust his ass to get an uncontested shot, and now he's just shooting open jumpers on the Cavs.

Cav's GM should be GM of the year because if you ask me they got EXACTLY the right pieces to contend.

the question is going to be can THIS Cav's team beat the Dubs or Houston (I love the Dubs but even I can admit Houston gonna be a big problem for them).

i think its closer than people think. i think other than some more rim protection/rebounding, the Cavs got exactly the right piece for the new guys to excel and for those guy to allow Lebron to excel.

.

>the question is going to be can THIS Cav's team beat the Dubs
>or Houston (I love the Dubs but even I can admit Houston gonna
>be a big problem for them).
>
>i think its closer than people think. i think other than some
>more rim protection/rebounding, the Cavs got exactly the right
>piece for the new guys to excel and for those guy to allow
>Lebron to excel.

cavs got a solid big in Nance Jr. who can score in the post and is good in the pick n roll.

they got 3 other guys who can shoot it from anywhere on the floor.

one of those guys, George Hill, is the composed, veteran PG they've been missing forever...the kind of PG who doesn't really look to score like a Kyrie OR a Isaiah Thomas but more to facilitate, play defense, etc.

they also have Kevin Love coming back...he should only benefit from these new guys spreading the floor as well.

> Nance Jr. who can score in the post
>

I'm not saying he is Hakeem. He also has room to grow, is extremely athletic (more than any other player on the team besides Bron) and his scoring from anywhere on the court should improve, given the minutes, playing with the guys he is now with.

George Hill?!

Kyrie is a beast but he is still one player.

I think this combo can create some matchup issues for GS.

>Kyrie is a beast but he is still one player.
>
>I think this combo can create some matchup issues for GS.
>
>

Love
Bron
Hood
Clark
Hill
Jay Arruh

and when i say scorer i'm not saying they can just get 30 at will. what i'm saying is that when you pass them they ball they can reliable make a shot.

and FWIW Nance Jr.will give you some buckets when he's in the right places on the court.

that's more than you could say about last year's Cavs team. If it wasn't in Bron or Kyrie's or Love's hands they were basically screwed.

>Love
>Bron
>Hood
>Clark
>Hill
>Jay Arruh

between Hill and Clark combined they might get Kyrie's offensive production, so basically you think Rodney Hood is going to get them over the top vs the Warriors? The same Rodney hood that lost his starting job to a rookie in Utah?

>>Love
>>Bron
>>Hood
>>Clark
>>Hill
>>Jay Arruh
>
>between Hill and Clark combined they might get Kyrie's
>offensive production, so basically you think Rodney Hood is
>going to get them over the top vs the Warriors? The same
>Rodney hood that lost his starting job to a rookie in Utah?

first of all, i never said they're gonna beat GSW or HOU. i simply said i don't think it's as far as people might think. it's all about mix for any team and if this is the right mix for lebron to be at his max and everyone around him to be at their max? maybe they win.

as for Hood...what does Donovan Mitchell have to do with Rodney Hood's play in Cleveland. he SHOULD have lost his job if Utah if Donovan Mitchell is the better player...and he is. That doesn't make Hood an utter bum.

is worried now that he's on the Cavs lol

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/02/paul-pierce-celtics-after-game-ceremony-jersey-retirement-cavs-blowout-photos-reaction

They put his shit after the game, Kobe’s was live at halftime lol

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<---- 5....
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=======================================

wish they could have kept Quinn

but so far: Ky, Dahntay, and now Rodney

i was gonna pull for bron against the warriors anyway, but this makes it a real agenda.

.

I thought this was gonna be like when the Knicks had Melo and J. Anus and "pieces" on their team -- ultimately underwhelming. But NyQuil been killing it in a way not quite the same as, but comparable to when KD was there

Once again, NBA to rescue for Bron.. saved his ass from that 2nd round KO... Good job Silver..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

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https://i.imgur.com/Tvujt4v_d.jpg

and they were discussing the Cav's moves. I was unaware that Jae Crowder's mother died the DAY he got traded to Cleveland. Jackie MacMullan was saying he didn't have a good offseason and that's why he appeared heavy and sluggish this season. She also said he hated playing with Lebron. He never got a consistent amount of shots like he did in Stevens' offense...just however many shots Lebron decided to give him that night. Maybe sleazy Quin can get him in the offense and get him back to what he was in Boston. I'll be pulling for the dude.

The new musical queues and all. There's one group I don't care for but the eps with Amin and Jackie are almost always stellar.

Jackie's stories about hanging out with Shaq and Larry Bird are priceless.

>She also said he hated playing with Lebron. He never got a
>consistent amount of shots like he did in Stevens'
>offense...just however many shots Lebron decided to give him
>that night. Maybe sleazy Quin can get him in the offense and
>get him back to what he was in Boston. I'll be pulling for
>the dude.

Jae Crowder to @kristenkenney: "I got back to having fun playing basketball with a great group of guys."

"I love playing within a system. It'll be fun."

https://twitter.com/Ben_Dowsett/status/962904457112514561

I know it was only one day but these niggas looked young and they were having fun.

Got those old heads out the paint and now it looks like we may actually have a decent final this year.

How the hell you look like you been playing together for years after a few practices?

their new teams

but goddamn it was funny to see how sour PP, KG and all the celtics circle looked. pissed all in their cornflakes.

>but goddamn it was funny to see how sour PP, KG and all the
>celtics circle looked. pissed all in their cornflakes.


I've always been a KG fan but fuck those other dudes

Rondo, KG, Allen, Pierce and Celtics brass all there reminiscing on 10 years ago when they were championship caliber. And Bron is *still* dominating the East, winning titles, and playing MVP-ball.

His longevity is ridiculous and the Celtics do everything they can to downgrade it (including Ainge's darts) - but it's simply something we'll never see again in terms of consistent championship appearances.

-->

>Rondo, KG, Allen, Pierce and Celtics brass all there reminiscing on 10 years ago when they were championship caliber.

KG, Allen and Pierce have all had long and productive careers. They were all allstars in their mid 30s. I don't think they are that upset at the idea that a dude 10 years younger them is still dominating.

None of them played MVP basketball for this long (let alone for a couple of years). Pierce had many, many bad years in Boston before 2 hall of famers joined him - and KG did jack for his first 11 years. Ray's duration is excellence is most impressive in that bunch.

-->

an mvp level.

yesterday...sure...it was "paul pierce day" *rolls eyes*

Otherwise, i don't see it unless they been talking shady or something. Fro what i've heard, kg and pierce all speak highly of lebron and i would assume the same of ray.

The Bath Salts game was one of the most upsetting games
in Celtic history. Ask Bill Simmons. He has an amazing
article about that.

The Celts team that lost to Bath Salts Bron was, in the
eyes of many Celtics fans, a better and more likeable
team than the 2008 team. Lebron completely shattered
that era. After that is when they made that nuclear
Brooklyn Nets trade and broke it up.

and obliterated them in many iconic moments. They thought they had gotten the upperhand 10 years ago but as it turns out - Bron dismantled their era in as dramatic fashion as one could imagine - and then destroying them on Brooklyn was just to add insult to injury.

Both PP and KG are bitter about it - you can tell. Of course they respect Bron (as he respects them) - but the Boston rivalry turned into a one-sided slaughter - and that's why Boston can't stand LeBron. He's buried their hopes and dreams for an entire decade.


-->

by the time the Bath Salts game came around the "big 3" were all 35+ lol

like i said, they've always have positive things to say about bron as far as PP and KG is concerned.

while they were competing and losing to him, of course they were salty about it. 10 years later, ya'll just bsing.

https://twitter.com/marcjspearsespn/status/962822577130524672

Yeh, KG really hates him.

via ESPN in 2012:

"<Pierce & James> have a fierce competition that has been nurtured organically through postseason battles and periods of authentic dislike, genuine bad blood and some hard-won respect."

http://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/14513/the-long-history-of-the-james-pierce-rivalry

Like I said - of course they have mutual respect - but all you have to do is listen to PP talk about him in general and it's always with a negative bias trying to downplay his greatness.

Pierce always felt that Bron couldn't hold him and both KG and PP furthered the erroneous narrative (about pre-ring LeBron) that somehow James was soft and not built like them; not a winner. Rondo just flat-out didn't respect LeBron (prob still doesn't). It wasn't just normal competitive behavior with Boston.

So yes - there was respect (enemies often "respect" each other) - but there was also genuine dislike.

-->

to Miami to team up with Wade & Bosh to have his own “big 3”

>while they were competing and losing to him, of course they were salty about it. 10 years later, ya'll just bsing.

>Like I said - of course they have mutual respect - but all you
>have to do is listen to PP talk about him in general and it's
>always with a negative bias trying to downplay his greatness.
>

yeah, I'm gonna need some RECENT quotes on that

>
>So yes - there was respect (enemies often "respect" each
>other) - but there was also genuine dislike.
>

keyword: was