T minus 8 hours. Here's to everyone staying healthy and giving us a great series.

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

=======================================

to the tune of 73 wins.

by keeping the turnovers low, executing in the half court and getting to the FT line. Style of play can at least slow them down some but if you go out there all willy nilly chucking the ball up it's ova.


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

=======================================

Their length at each position is unmatched...they feasted on the offensive boards. Cleveland has Tristan who is obv an excellent rebounder but he hurts their spacing offensively so that's the trade-off.

along with some splashes of PF bron.

i'm expecting to see relatively little tristan and almost no mozzy.

Lue is gonna have to play Frye more than he's comfortable with. Obviously the trade-off with Love-Frye is the paint is going to open up for Steph...I can't think of any game, let alone series, where he was hesitant to shoot in the paint bc of defensive length...and that entire OKC series we saw him constantly pass the ball out bc of how long they are. Dealing with Ibaka, Adams, Roberson to Frye, Love, Shump...you know he's excited lol.

ideally you'd like to upshift lebron to 4 as early in Q1 as possible, to a) spare kyrie and get shump / delly onto S30 and b) move love off of draymond and protect him from having to switch the 1-4 P&R, which he's obv got no chance in hell of doing successfully.

but that move either makes love/frye your backline defender and rim guardian (which is problematic to say the least) or if you go with tristan, you're running 3 non-shooters (shump/TT/bron) and deading your space.

kyrie/dell/jr/bron/TT might be workable, if bron's having one of those nights where his J is going and can keep the defense honest.

but if they can't hit open shots they won't be on the floor as much
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

cleveland's best chance is going small (their bigs can't do what ibaka/adams/KD did defensively) and kyrie can't guard steph for 35+ every night.

with guys aren't really great scorers... eek...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

if GS is big i'm saying fuck it, putting lebron on dray, frye on barnes and love on bogut/ezeli so he can sag an extra step or two on those ball screens.

if they're small, try to hide love on iggy or shaun. it's not ideal but it is what it is. kerr would almost certainly adjust and start using love's man as the screener anyway, but you've just got to live with that.

they're going to have to score points to win this series and love-frye gives them their best shot.

I think dude is on Russian milk cartons.

As I saw saying in another post, I don't think CLE can really duplicate what OKC did to slow them down. They can off rebound some and try to control pace to limit the number of possessions..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

no reason for this series to go less than 6 honestly.

that doesn't involve an injury or a suspension to one of steph/dray/klay

as i said in GD, people say "oh, Lebron has all his tools this time and the Cavs won 2 last year w/out those tools."

well, the way the Cavs play this year is like a baby Warriors. BUT, you can't out-Warriors the Warriors. also, it's gonna be HILARIOUS watching Kevin Love and Channing Frye try to keep up on defense.

most of all though, Warriors walked so close to the sun w/out getting burned vs. OKC but it got REAL HOT and they don't want to feel that kind of heat again so i expect them to be LOCKED in.

and thats in a shootout... with the best 3 point shooting team in the history of the league lol


Folks who believe Frye or Love will have an impact are basically saying that they can live with those two giving up points on the defensive end. And can score at the same rate as the Dubs can


yeah not happening



>
>well, the way the Cavs play this year is like a baby Warriors.
>BUT, you can't out-Warriors the Warriors. also, it's gonna be
>HILARIOUS watching Kevin Love and Channing Frye try to keep up
>on defense.
>
>most of all though, Warriors walked so close to the sun w/out
>getting burned vs. OKC but it got REAL HOT and they don't want
>to feel that kind of heat again so i expect them to be LOCKED
>in.

Cavs win series.

And when they do, there will be 2 new agendas that you're gonna hear about for posterity.

I'm hoping it's not, because I want the Dubs to win as quickly as possible. But I doubt that's going to happen. This is probably going to take years off of my life.

I'm not going to be around these game posts that much, mostly due to personal/family shit that's going on right now that taking the luster off of this match-up, and then I'm going on a vacation. But I'll pop in when I can. I'll find a way to celebrate the W or take an L no matter how it turns out.

Until then, Dubs now and forever.

be much needed.

hope everything works out on the personal side. oks fam is here if you need us!

>hope everything works out on the personal side. oks fam is
>here if you need us!

I truly appreciate it. Sometimes... it just it what it is.

The Rematch

if Lue is able to make adjustments to what we're doing he'll really show his coaching chops... I like him a lot. Especially for standing up to PrimaBrona like he has.







GS in 6

GSW bout to brutalize them.

.

inthe cut w/ that dumb ass grin lmao.

RIP Rockers

.

.

But seriously, let's all enjoy what we are about to see

Should be one of the best finals evah, imo

.

and the mad making it would cause would be record-setting.

I think it'll be really hard for either team to win on the opponent's court.

I'd love for the Cavs to win so Kyrie (and Dahntay!) can get a ring... but I think GSW has a better chance of winning in Cleveland than vice versa.

I just hope it's good basketball.

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/06/02/warriors-cavaliers-nba-finals-playoffs-stephen-curry-lebron-james-klay-thompson

Matchups that will define the NBA Finals

No matchup is an island, entire of itself. Assigning any one basketball player to guard another has rippling implications for everything that happens on the floor. Game plans are formulated based on how the defense lines up and where it might be exploited. Actions are warped based on which players are involved on both sides of the ball. The work of a defensive stopper comes built-in with the opportunity cost of every alternative; assuming any specific responsibility foregoes another, making even the smallest lineup decisions an act of compromise. Basketball might not be a terribly complicated game, but it is complex in the way that all constantly evolving systems tend to be.

Keep this in mind when wading into this year’s NBA Finals, a bout between two flexible teams with all kinds of options available to them. Both the Warriors and the Cavs will have the burden of stopping a near-unstoppable offense. How they’ll go about doing so begins with a basic lineup structure which informs offensive feedback and then triggers defensive adjustment. Let’s start with the basics:

• Golden State’s lineup balance

By the end of the 2015 Finals, Golden State had bounced Andrew Bogut from the rotation entirely and come to entrust Draymond Green as their default center. It was small ball that unlocked the series; Cleveland’s frontcourt, undercut by Kevin Love’s season-ending shoulder injury, didn't have the means to run with the Warriors or defend them in space. Kyrie Irving’s absence further compromised the rotation to the point that it couldn’t really adjust once Golden State broke loose.

The dynamic refreshes with Love and Irving’s return, the addition of Channing Frye, and Cleveland’s newfound love of three-point bombing. Attacking and defending the Cavs now demands a different formula; starting Green at center simply doesn’t offer the same jolt that it did when Timofey Mozgov was his positional counterpart, left to plod his way through awkward cross-matches. Starting Bogut makes sense now in a way it didn’t then. Tristan Thompson is the closest thing Cleveland has to a traditional center in its rotation, which gives Bogut his best chance to play a role in this series by offering an anchor to the paint. Deny him that opportunity and he’ll be pulled out of his game to guard the likes of Frye or Love at the three-point line.
Getting even limited minutes from a traditional center could do wonders in preserving Green for each game’s most critical stretches. Keep in mind: Even in last year’s small-ball dominated Finals, the Warriors played with one of their three centers (Bogut, Festus Ezeli, or Marreese Speights) on the floor for more than half the series. Bogut deserves a chance to see what he can offer as a starter and the Warriors, who just outlasted the Thunder in a series by spreading out their minutes and being the fresher team at the end of games, could use his rim protection opposite LeBron James. Of course, in doing so, Golden State would help to accommodate…

• Kevin Love, in search of shelter

The last thing Cleveland should want is Love pulled out, 25 feet from the basket, to either hedge or switch on to Stephen Curry in the pick-and-roll. Love’s solid defense this postseason hasn’t gone unnoticed. That particular job, however, is beyond him—demanding better communication, quicker feet, and more productive instincts than he could reasonably claim. Golden State will go out of its way to put Love to the test at every opportunity. There’s nowhere to hide completely, though certain matchups offer Love more cover than others.

Bogut is among the most preferable. At this stage in his career, Bogut is both rangeless and fairly slow—qualities that render him significantly less dangerous in pick-and-roll or dribble hand-off situations than, say, Green. Any Bogut screen would allow Love to focus on guard attainment for a few beats with relatively little risk; a smart, well-coordinated defense can generally handle Bogut’s rumbles down the lane without compromising too much elsewhere on the floor.

Even if he doesn't take on Bogut, Love is best off avoiding a direct matchup with Green at all costs. It’s not just the shooting; the pick-and-roll chemistry between Curry and Green allows them to toggle angles and re-screen to string out defenders, all with a healthy flexibility in terms of space and angle. The wider breadth of options available to a pick-and-roll duo, the greater the potential for bigs like Love to get lost in the shuffle. Even Harrison Barnes would be a better starting matchup for Love, if not…

• Andre Iguodala, potential starter

The Warriors didn’t throw many deliberate double-teams at James in the 2015 Finals, but they applied pressure in their own way. Iguodala, one of the best denial defenders in the league, made LeBron work for every catch and then held his ground after claiming sound defensive position. The rest of Golden State’s defenders took a step inward and extended their arms—showing James a wall to the weak side that simultaneously shrank the court and deterred long passes. One of the most dominant players in the league was reduced, in part by his team’s injuries, to iso-post inefficiency.

James won’t be used in quite the same way now that Irving and Love are healthy again, though Iguodala remains Golden State’s top choice for contesting his post-ups and drives. Considering that Iguodala’s minutes will largely be tethered to LeBron’s, it would make sense for the Warriors to kick around the possibility of starting him at small forward—just as they did against Kevin Durant in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Barnes, who doesn’t move quite well enough to keep up with James, would be out of his depth in the opening minutes. Even Green didn’t fare well in the one-on-one matchup last time around, proof positive that LeBron can work over many of the best, most versatile defenders in the league.
Iguodala remains a rare exception. It’s possible that Kerr might bring him off the bench to start the series as a way to artificially depress his minutes. Otherwise it can be difficult to get Iguodala out of the game at all, particularly when his primary assignment is a high-usage creator who can turn a game in a matter of minutes. That danger is real, though it exists in equal measure at the beginning of every game and in any instance when Iguodala isn’t on the floor to fend off LeBron’s drives. Starting Iguodala might be the easiest way to maximize the alignment of their rotations, while also moving Barnes to the bench to help handle…

• The Kevin Love-Channing Frye space odyssey

Never is Cleveland’s offense more fluid than when both of its bigs can stretch the floor. LeBron has buckled defenses throughout his career by making crisp passes from inside a swarm of opponents. Irving is so valuable because he can slice through consecutive layers of defense to finish at the basket. Remove those degrees of difficulty and the Cavs max out their scoring potential. Open space is rarely more than a pass away—facilitated by Frye’s knockdown shooting and Love’s pick-and-pop game.

Golden State will need to be mindful of these lineups in the same way that opponents must batten down the hatches when Green slides over to center. In limited minutes throughout these playoffs, Cleveland has scored 121.7 points per 100 possessions with Love and Frye on the floor together, per NBA.com—a significant improvement on what was already the best offense of the postseason on balance. Their pairing leaves Bogut with no one to guard, Speights in way over his head, and Anderson Varejao out of his comfort zone. Ezeli might at least be able to scurry between contesting Frye and maintaining his other defensive responsibilities, though the best antidote is the most obvious one: Green and Barnes as the Warriors’ functional, flexible bigs.

Their footspeed alone would be a big help in the scramble of containing drives while minding shooters at every other position. Both Green and Barnes are quite switchable, too, which can negate the value of floor-spacing bigs if an offense takes too long to initiate or doesn’t execute its counters. Most important: Playing Barnes and Green opposite Love and Frye forces Cleveland’s bigs into the same fundamental binds. Whether they survive them will depend in part on…

• Who LeBron James defends

Cleveland’s best all-around defender is also its most important offensive player. That’s the kind of luxury a team has to couch in long-game thinking; asking too much of LeBron over the full term of a playoff series risks wearing him down, possession by possession, until compromising much of what makes him so good. A fresh, physical James could be more than the Warriors can handle. A sapped, overextended James wouldn’t have access to the level of command the Cavs desperately need.

As such, James might be best off assuming a lesser defensive role—like guarding Iguodala or Barnes—for as long as possible. Churning in the background, however, is the distinct possibility that Cleveland’s rotation might not allow it. J.R. Smith will walk a fine line in taking on Klay Thompson. Kyrie Irving will pick up Curry to start, though we’ll see Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova share in that responsibility at times. Tristan Thompson will likely be tabbed to guard Green by process of elimination, though his minutes will be fairly modest.

Each of those matchups presents problems—some slightly concerning, others clearly alarming. James, in moderate doses, is the way to quiet them. Cleveland has no better option for defending Green when Thompson is off the floor, and perhaps no better option for defending Green (and, by extension, his pick-and-roll partners) period. James has no business burning energy trailing Thompson all around the floor if Smith comes up short, though Shumpert might be able to handle that assignment if James can check Curry in spots. There’s a lot to untangle in deciding how to make best use of James’s defense without demanding too much, most of which is rooted in…

• Cleveland’s defense against Curry

Irving is in line for the biggest challenge of his basketball career: a ringer of pick-and-rolls and pin-downs that has effectively neutralized some of the best defensive players and systems in the league. His knack for suboptimal positioning will be attacked, as will his chemistry with a number of defensive partners. Should the Cavs start switching in an effort to stall the Warriors’ execution, then Irving will be all that stands between players like Green, Barnes, and Thompson as they work the post. Otherwise, he’ll have be tasked with restricting Curry through any means possible and spending his most in a constant, desperate state of recovery.

The only evidence that suggests he might be up for the challenge is part of one game in last year’s Finals. Otherwise, most of the precedent on film points to this matchup being a problem—especially if the Warriors are able to knot up Irving and Love directly via two-man actions. Rarely are those two on the same page, which often either forces an additional rotation from elsewhere on the floor or yields an immediate opening. With Curry involved, there now exists the possibility that he might pull up for a three-pointer without really driving into the defense at all, should Irving and his pick-and-roll partner botch their defensive exchange.
Any kind of above-and-beyond defensive performance from Irving would go a long way in settling Cleveland’s playing rotation. Otherwise, Tyronn Lue might have to toy around with leaning hard on Shumpert (a better Curry foil, but not a perfect one) at the expense of his offense, playing Dellavedova (who isn’t as much a match for Curry as the narrative of the 2015 Finals would have you believe) more alongside Irving, or throwing LeBron into the mix for as many minutes as he can handle. None of these solutions is especially elegant, but this particular matchup leaves the Cavs in a pinch. Even the best, most aggressive defense possible from this group would still leave Curry the opportunity to cut backdoor—all without Mozgov around protect the basket. Irving might just have to make do, while using his positional alignment to attack…

• Klay Thompson, crossed in transition

Kerr never really committed to one primary defender against Irving in the regular season matchups between these two teams, though Thompson is decidedly the best direct choice among those available. Few perimeter defenders in the league do a better job of angling a ball handler in the direction of the help before continuing in pursuit; point guards, in particular, can feel Thompson right on their heels even after they turn the corner, and tend to rush shots or dribble into trouble because of it. Irving would be a handful in his own right, but Thompson is up to the challenge of hanging with his deceptive dribble and recovering to contest Irving’s mid-range jumpers.

The real trick will be if Thompson, should he get the job of defending Irving full-time, can fully make his way back into position when Cleveland transitions quickly into its offense. At the moment the Cavs collect a defensive rebound, Irving—who will essentially never defend Thompson in this series—might be on the opposite side of the court with a significant head start on the break. It’s then that the Warriors will need to pick up as they can and survive a possession at relative disadvantage, even if the action slows to attack their potential mismatches.

Golden State will have some options in those scenarios and is better equipped to scramble in transition than most. What they might not have is time; if Irving and James are running the ball aggressively, even a frantic point or call to a teammate might not come soon enough. It’s there that these kinds of cross-matches can fall flat. Whatever advantage there is to be gained by having Thompson defend Irving in half-court situations has to be protected in the chaos of a transition free-for-all. Even an isolated, dedicated matchup like this one can only succeed with the help of Thompson’s teammates.

.

This is going to be another OAK/OKC

LeBron ain't up for the bullshit like KD and Russell was
When LeBron start cripwalkin to the hole, it's over.

Nobody on OAK can stop him on boards

Yeah man, this is a very evenly matched series.

and not even weed.

Pardon me, ox...I'm already buzzed on cherry wheat.

Dubs in 6 tho', even though draygoon misses a game.

BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD
BOTH TEAMS PLAYED HARD

I like it. No need to tamper with the starting lineup just yet

/

,

Yes he did
Sorry Tristan

Three in ya grill piece

but not here guys

I'm not even watching the game yet ... at work and won't be able to catch it until late 4Q

was either.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2542287&mesg_id=2542287&listing_type=search#2542419

how many minutes STeph get to rest for when they go on a run like this

couldn't buy a basket on the Pacers when we needed it

you could just feel it coming can't ya?

NO MUTHAFUCKING JINX NIGGUH!!!

24 points from them. Which I guess is better than getting ass ate by Curry/Klay/Welven

but still

Cavs aren't quite NyQuil, but they might have a shot glass of Vicks 44 nearby

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2542287&mesg_id=2542287&listing_type=search#2542419

Large, strong, and quick

.

straight out of the soccer watching, drake listening pagebook

.

.

this shit can still go downhill quickly.

that said, they're up 11 right now w/ Steph and Klay having milk carton games.

that doesn't bode well for the Cavs if GS wins w/ milk carton games.

players have been crowding shooters landing space all game but because Kyrie falls down, it's a foul.

sheesh

.

fuck that little vegemite eating rodent face

get the fuck outta here mark jackson

f

I think that's instant natural reflex to nut up when someone punches you in the dick

#98 went in the wrong place

Delly is just naturally scrappy so Andre needs to chill.

.

Dude just got hit in the privates, most likely he's going to react heated. I give that a common foul, he was reaching for the ball but caught the wrong kind.

most dudes would have pushed Delly AT LEAST.

affter he made contact he looked up i'm not sure what (the clock) he wasn't going for no ball at all.

you can argue he wasn't going for iggys nuts but that was an obvious intentional foul attempt.

.

.

Both teams are scrapping so hard, I love it.

holy shit

Great game from him

just too damn long for any guard to contest

Knows defensive tendencies extremely well and sets up accordingly and then offensively, has his spots where he knows he can get his shots off vs most matchups.

dude hasn't sat very much this game

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2542287&mesg_id=2542287&listing_type=search#2542419

Stepping up when the usual guns are having an off game, so sick to watch.

I grin so wide when he balls out, overcome so much. Dude is nasty.

for this to be competitive

Love was killing them and they sat him?
No Frye line ups?

Just put LeBron or Kyrie out there with 4 others who can't score?


fucking Livingston. Not Curry. Not Klay. But Livingston and Garbosa and fuckin' South Bay man.

dudes forgot what real teams played like.

they didn't even play their normal game tonight. not once during their playoff run did they put a line up without at least 2 scorers. and their best defensive minutes were played in line ups with their supposed worst defensive players.

too many players playing dumb and passive tonight and not being put in a position to succeed.

they won't win game 2.

they just went thru an ecf against toronto
who may have had the flabbiest & sickest deep playoff run in recent memory.

iono if they been thoroughly conditioned for this championship grind.

1 of them was a wash with Portland

the only team that was clearly better than who the Cavs faced on the Worriers' path was OKC.

the Cavs lost tonight because they were playing like shit in shit rotations against a team with actual bench players (btw, no other team in the West really has anything comparable to the Warriors bench, including OKC)

has nothing to do with blowing out the teams they faced in the playoffs.

they should lose to those teams. but i'd take them thru the cavs whole run rn. prob make the finals man. the east is literally gutter water and i can only be unimpressed by what i saw by the cavs so far in the playoffs.

you cant get to the finals not playing anybody you could actually lose to and then expect to beat maybe the GOAT team. that's just not happening.

warriors just too battle tested the last 2 years.

>warriors just too battle tested the last 2 years.

they had damn near the "easiest" route to the championship last year, and none of this talk exists here.

they win a few more games in the regular season and everyone is calling them the goat. how I wished OKC had finished them off to shut all of that up.

I feel you...they aint GOAT. No way. NO way.


But please, please don't front like the East ain't some d-league sh!t.

Like, it isn't even debatable.

I respect "Cavs can't pick who they play" a lot more than trying to deny what every non-bias person sees.


The east is horrible. It isn't opinion, its fact.


The Raptors, Doc. The Raptors! hahaha

Cmon man...

Switch to "Cavs play who they play"...it means more because it's true.

Just reply "I've been hating on LeBron James since he whispered in Gilbert Arenas's Ear", drop the mic and move on

http://www.sbnation.com/2016/5/26/11781600/cavaliers-lineup-lebron-james-channing-frye-breakdown-backup

how Bron KYrie and Love were gelling


lol sure it looks that way against Toronto


not so much against the best team defense in the league. They reverted back to iso ball real quick last night .

through whoever gets put up against them lolol

.

Cleveland is getting advantages in terms of size match-ups when the Warriors switch on picks, but Cleveland either doesn't know how or doesn't want to punish the Warriors in the low post.

Has to be frustrating to watch if you're a Cleveland fan.

klaycurry are ICE COLD right now
go with the flow Steve!!!

right back in there thank god after the timeout

.

but I'm emotionally wiped out from the WCF. I wanted OKC to win so bad, I got nothing left...lol.

The entire OKC series as well

... Delly is going to go Kangaroo MMA expert on his ass. If he shoots a three pointer, turns around, and stares at Cleveland's bench before it's going in then expect an "accidental" nut punch next possession.

Dahntay sitting over there ready for his 60 seconds of work.

Delly is with the shits as well.

wasted opportunity.

shit the bed the first 95% of the war
then just come in at the end to carry tehe flag and torch like they were solely responsible for the victory

that run just seemed impossible to replicate.

But here we are. The only thing seemingly MORE impossible than a Bulls-esque run is the idea that one team could have two of the five best shooters of all time on their team at the same time.

.

Always surprises me when coaches don't pull starters quicker when the game is clearly out of hand...just unnecessary to increase your risk profile.

that was a mistake by Kerr, luckily it didn't come back to bite them.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2542287&mesg_id=2542287&listing_type=search#2542419

Missed way too many layups. Bron gotta trust his jumper. He be dead ass open.

those line ups were atrocious.

that was some of the best ball Kevin Love has played all season, and he wasn't even in his "corner 3 point shooter" role.

wasted.

fuck it. they got 3 days to fix it.

they were out there fighting and then they lost all focus tryna build a lead.

>that was some of the best ball Kevin Love has played all
>season, and he wasn't even in his "corner 3 point shooter"
>role.
>
>wasted.
>
>fuck it. they got 3 days to fix it.
>
>

,

..damb.

and people said i was crazy to suggest that love & irving's injuries actually HELPED the cavs last year.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

frye 4 MVP

https://twitter.com/notcleveland/status/738577150597419009

That's why you gotta live with him out there


He'll make some bonehead plays. Especially in transition


But then he'll do something at a critical point in the game. If he doesn't strip Bron there the outcome might have been different

Bron could've either dunked that or had a easy assist, but the steal to the fast break points made it toast.

and just go.

If the Warriors bench scores 40+ points the Cavs will lose the next game.

Shaun Livingston exploiting mismatches every time he gets across half court. If he goes 8 for 10 or close to it next game the Cavs lose.

A possibility exists that the Cavs get swept if tonight repeats itself next game.

.

Steph and Klay will not go 8 for 27 again this series. They went 8 for 27 and the Warriors still won. This was a game the Cavs could've stolen but the Warriors prevailed.

This isn't a reverse jinx at all. Shaun Livingston is a difference maker that does not get the credit he deserves.

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

=======================================

somehow.

Casual fans notice this sh!t now.


The two conferences have never been this far apart then in the past few years.


Who is the best non-Cavs player in the 'offs this year??

Sh!t is sad and completely uninteresting.


Folks were big uppin Boston and Charlotte this year lol lol lol.

A patched together AND broken Miami team nearly made the conference finals.

It is boring as sh!t when you don't have a dog in the race.

but of course the better teams are already out West so if you want to join a contender you gotta stay there or go where HE AT. lol

if whoever else big free agent goes to Toronto or Miami or Matrix forbid Washington and they STILL lose

then will you see how dumb this shit is?

LeBron + "help" until LeBron is old and ineffective is gonna be favored. and none of the teams have built anything resembling "one piece away" from challenging. the same is true of much of the Western Conference, they just have 3 of the best teams over there by means of luck in drafting/FA acquisition/trading, etc.

they broke the Pacers up
Big 3 broke up
Sixers still "processing"

so on and so forth

if you make this argument about the East I fully expect you to make an argument about how the NBA needs to do something about the Worriers having that much on their squad

that's a pimp slap to start the series...

Livingston and Barbosa were killin them...

Doesn't look like the Cavs match up all that great...especially not if the Warriors play like this.

2-9 when guarded by Iggy/Dray.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2542423&mesg_id=2542423&listing_type=search#2542494

was gon' be the x-factor for the Cavs to get W's vs. GSW?

He had 17 and 13 and the Cavs got ran off the court.

the Love-related narrative = "we're worried about his defense, especially in the Pick and Roll"

whether he'd actually produce on offense was definitely tossed around a lot.

.

Where was Smith and Frye? It was like big 3 iso and no shots for anyone else. The offense looked bad with little movement and it resulted in probably their worst shooting game this playoffs.

Next game will be better. Lol @ the overreaction here. Extrapolation from a small data set is bad practice

>Next game will be better. Lol @ the overreaction here.
>Extrapolation from a small data set is bad practice

forcing their Big 2 in to NyQuil Mode for the majority of the game was about the only positive besides Kevin Love not being a complete sieve on either end

I get the ISO was done to slow the game down, but you can't be ISO-ing out there with one person who can score. it's not 2006.

And they still won by 15. I'd be worried if I'm a Cavs fan

played out gives me ANY confidence the Cavs can make this competitive less known win it. Lets see the adjustments for game #2 but if they can't pull off a win and go down 0-2 this series is over.
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As JVG said early on after a long Klay 3, there are some looks that for anyone else other than the GS starting guards would be considered bad shots. Makes them so hard to defend but they were missing last night.

As OSU said, Cleveland is really gonna have to be crisp with their ball movement and execution bc other than Lebron mid-post and some KLove pin-downs, they had no consistent good looks

Plus Steph and Klay shooting well will negate anything the Cavs do on offense.
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when the Warriors wanna lock in they can D up better than most anyone because they are so adept on their switches.

i wish i had the clip, but in the 4th quarter kyrie was trying to use a bron pick to switch defenders and whomever was guarding them was just not letting kyrie have his way. it was hilarious, because Kyrie and Bron actually ran into each other at the top of the 3-point line because they couldn't figure out how to get their main defender to switch.

you got some Ohio in ur blood based on your screenname tho, so i'mma let you cook.

No one could keep Bron from going to the rim, so why stop going to the rim? That will create easier shots for everyone else.

The offense has to start with Bron, not Kyrie...and honestly, the way the second unit played, I would put Kyrie in the second unit so they have someone who can create.

I was like uh oh cause i assumed he do it all game.

No reason for kyrie to have 12 ft attempts and bron only 4.

give them a legit scoring option

Bron needs to be more aggressive early getting Dray or Klay into foul trouble.
Charlie Frye needs to play a lot more with the second unit.
Stop turning the ball over with far better ball movement.

>Find some way to stop Shaun Livingston
>

CAVS could come back and take the next 3 inna row just like OKC did SA after being blown out Game 1.

But I said last week that this series was to be decided by SUBS not the starters.

thats how we stop fastbreaks now?

if you can arm drag people and have it be a double foul
if you can kick someone in the nuts and have it being considered "inadvertent"
if you can kick someone while flopping

then yes, a nut punch is a common foul in today's NBA

On the defensive end, whoever Kyrie is guarding is probably going to score or draw enough help to get someone else open.

On the offensive end, the ball lives and dies in his hands. They don't even bother to try and run a set once the ball comes to Kyrie. He was 1-9 when he dribbled the ball up the court and didn't pass.

It's also a sad state of affairs that Richard Jefferson is better scoring around the rim than MAX PLAYER Kevin Love.

He is like a really wack version of Iverson. Matter fact, dead that comparison, because he doesn't have Iverson's relentlessness or heart. He's a ball-hogging gun and a sieve on D.


If Bron had Lillard on this team, this would be a series. But it's not, cause they got Kyrie.

I have no idea how anyone could think that. When Kyrie had teams like the Blazers, they went right back to the lottery.


It's simple, Lillard passes the ball and makes people around him better.


Kyrie has never done either of those things.

Oh okay, sure, there is an argument to be made there.


But in terms of who is actually the better PG in an actual NBA context, I don't think it's up for debate anymore.

I'd say Lillard is a better outside shooter than Kyrie. Kyrie definitely has better handles than Lillard though.

He also gets hard points, by putting teams in foul trouble.

>He also gets hard points, by putting teams in foul trouble.

I'll agree he's a better finisher than Lillard. It's a crying shame he doesn't pass off on the double teams he draws when he penetrates since that'll make him so much more deadlier a player, but his dribble penetration is so good, you can almost excuse it to a slight extent.

Have to wonder when his athleticism fades if he'll finally start to dish the ball off more.

And he'll never have it.

but it's possible Kyrie doesn't think passing the ball and opening up the floor is something that's worth the time to learn and adapt to his game. It appears he's just willing to gun it out in the attempt to win games. Has to be interesting the conversations him and LeBron have since LeBron looks to dish off the ball when the open man is there.

And his mind doesn't mentally work that way.

All great passers (Magic, Bird, Kidd, Stockton, Rondo, Nash, Lebron) have that gift from when they're young players. Kyrie doesn't have it.

He's not automatic, but he's still more of a threat with the outside shooting that Kyrie is.

but I feel like Lillard has a higher trajectory

..ever since irving & love's injuries last year, cavs fans (and warrior critics) kept pushing the injury agenda (as if every team doesn't deal with injuries every year).

its part of the game.

then you have people acting like lebron beat the warriors twice on his own. as if his supporting cast didn't contribute, some of them playing well above their average/expectations. truth is, the TEAM didn't give up. they battled hard to steal a game on the road, then pushed for momentum by winning the 1st game on their own floor.

still, the warriors were (and still are) simply too much for the cavs. coaching, depth, and talent eventually became the difference in the series.

different year, same story.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

this shit was close most the game. Warriors could indeed sweep but slow down and see what happens game 2... Did people actually expect Cavs to take Game 1 or something?

which the dubs immediately went on a run to put the cavs away for good.

There was really no point in the where you were felt the cavs were going to win.


... Did
>people actually expect Cavs to take Game 1 or something?

you mean besides the people that thought the cavs could win the series?


Its only one game whether they won by 2 or 20 and i agree the series is faaaar from over but losing by double digits when the other teams top 2 players were off is not a good look.

>you mean besides the people that thought the cavs could win
>the series?

Even my friends in Cleveland expected an L game 1, though I'm sure they expected it unfolding differently

I know people think Klay and Steph will go off and they damn sure could but I think the Cavs can steal this one.

for most of the game bar a bad stretch in the 3rd.

it's how bad the Cavs looked trying to stop the Dubs in general.

like, they just couldn't keep up.

you're right - it's just one game.

but it looks like a bad precedent for the Cavs.

wait until Varsity steps up and turns it back on
Then wait until SPLASH brothers turn it on

that's 3 games right there

just need to grind out a 4th

and kind of like the Warriors altho not my team. But man, when I came in here and saw all the gloating it made me want to root for the Cavs. lol

When they started making a little run until Lebron got stripped on that fast break, I was all c'mon steal this shit and there will be so many Ls to take here! lol Its all good tho, I'm just a basketball fan and want to see good games, hoping it can be competitive series but if not, I'm not losing sleep.


Also, the whole narrative around Steph and Klay kinda puts me off. They can just have off nights, or its cuz they are 70%, never due to the other team's defense. Russ and KD have off nights, they are chokers, same with Lebron and Kyrie or any big stars. I get they got the win, and kudos to Warriors for having a great bench that came thru for them but they also kinda choked on the big stage and it has to be said. Steph airballed a corner 3, when does that happen?

weeks in the playoffs...assuming that he's healthy, its reasonable to expect that his rhythm was thrown off.

I said before the term 'choke' is certainly overused but it definitely doesn't apply to what happened yesterday. lol

i think w/ Klay though he really missed some shots he doesn't usually miss (wide open 3 he airballed, for example).

with Curry i think it's two things. in quarters 1-3 it seems like the refs are letting opposition manhandle him (which is really the only way you can stop him). as such, it seems like he's trying to be patient and be a facilitator and then try taking over in the fourth quarter when they call the game tighter and he can get more open looks w/out being held when he's running through the lane and whatnot.

credit to cavs on that...at the same time AWWLLLL the attention they gave curry freed up a ton of other dudes for layups on defensive breakdowns. Kyrie was guilty multiple times.

But it ain't easy to stop them. You need a perfect sstorm of near perfect defense as well as klay and steph not being in one of those zones. OKC was able to do what they did bc their length disrupted so much of GS passes that they usually get away with. So even if they got cause snoozing long ass durant and ibaka waas getting deflections.

because, you still lost by 15.

i don't know where you go from there if you're the Cavs considering the likelihood of steph/klay being shut down each game is near zero.

and also much better finishing around the rim. They caused a lot of turnovers too and finished on the other end.

so while you have that splash to worry about you also can get better looks on offense.

will be interesting to see how game 2 plays out.

out.

Ball went straight down each time...no foul.

problem is GW knows it and is just feeding Kyries man and thats an automatic 2.

i'm not making excuses for him. it is what it is.

Cavs would be STUPID to not hold him.

runs through the paint. The refs letting em so its good d. No shame in that.

You got the Dubs coming off a long series and the Splash brothers looking more like the plop brothers and you can't get it done? You're through. Let the hype evaporate, GS about to make Vex_Id and them cry. Steph Curry about to take his place alongside John Elway.

Lue was confident at the begginning of the 3rd qtr. Said he was fine with focusing on the 2 stars and letting the rest of the team get theres cause it was a 4 pt. lead.

I think they realize this bench is a problem and will change things up a little.

Love was beasting, Bron was bullying but gotdamn Kyrie was dribbling the air out of the ball. That wasnt the same Cavs offense from the playoffs. Frye and Smith have to shoot the damn ball if they plan on playing more than 4 games

They used a short bench against a long one.

Bron played a good not great game, Irving was doing too much, Love was good for stretches. They need their stars all playing well to have a chance here.

perfect opportunity to catch the dubs while they lackin
and these gilligans blew it.

before last night (per Lowe)

nah i kiiid.

dude putting together lineups that change the course of history.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CkDcjaIXEAA1pbh.jpg

https://twitter.com/RobMahoney/status/738771130748522497

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2542287&mesg_id=2542287&listing_type=search#2542419


because i just be talkin...