Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But the Thunder didn't beat the Warriors by raining down 3s. They beat them by dominating the boards and playing stifling defense. The Thunder only had 8 and 9 threes in their Game 3 and blowouts, respectively. The Thunder are also capable of matching GSW's warp speed pace of play.
Or maybe they'll limit Love to certain lineups. Who knows? All I know is that I wouldn't rely on crisp 3 point shooting alone to put them away.
The offense will be created through Lebron and Kyrie.
It really boils down to two things:
1. Can Love, JR, and anyone else behind the three point line make their quota.
2. I'm convinced Thompson will be a terror on the boards this series- can the Cavs capitalize on the second maybe third chances they will get.
And when all else fails and the Cavs play the cat and mouse drive or kick out game can Lebron and Kyrie finish at the rim. When the guys are hitting from the outside it makes a Lebron or Kyrie dash to the hoop unfair.
I love the Cavs chances for extra possessions this series and its reasonable to believe they will have them because the Warriors can turn it over and the Cavs protect really well also as I mentioned above Cavs will rebound the basketball just as they did this year and also last year in the finals.
On defense for the Cavs the Warriors are great, make some stops, hope they aren't on fire - crowd their shooters just as they did last year and capitalize on the extra possessions the Cavs will likely have on offense.
I realize GS is a savvy battle tested team that is better than a year ago. This Cleveland team a year ago in the Finals was playing Lebron Iso ball with Delly as a number 2 scoring option and Mike Miller counted on for significant minutes. It is awful hard not to excited about this team playing much better
Let the whole country underestimate the Cavs. Seems strange, given how the Warriors almost blew it last series. But the hype machine is back to record levels, despite trying their best to go out early against OKC. Whatever.
Cavs are incredibly well-rounded and I actually like how they match up against GSW. The only negative thing is that they don't have home court.
Kyrie Irving, Lebron James, and Kevin Love routinely score 20-25 per game. What is Golden State going to do about that? Lebron can go hard to the basket, or lately, he's been alright at threes too. Kyrie has a dangerous mid-length jump shot game. K-Love can get really hot from three. Then a guy like Frye comes in and all of a suddent drains 4 three pointers in like 5 minutes. Not to mention JR Smith being very consistent from long distance too.
Remember how last year, one Matthew Dellavedova shut down St. Stephen Curry for the first three games? Even after going to the hospital? JR Smith has been incredible on defense too, he never stops hustling. Lebron has always been a great defender. Thompson is going to be huge this series.
The biggest challenge is going to be minimizing Klay Thompson and St. Stephen Curry from three. But as I've just pointed out, Cleveland still has a lot going for it. This is going to be a much more difficult series for the Warriors than most people are acting. I fully expect the Cavs to win this one. You can all hate now, talk to me after it's over.
The last time a team repeat against the same team was the 1998 Bulls. Albeit, there has only been one opportunity since then and that was the Spurs and Heat in 2014. I don't think LeBron lets the Cavaliers lose this series, and he has a healthier squad this year. I think Cleveland takes it in 6 and it starts with them winning Game 1 Thursday.
Last year, despite my postings, deep inside I was actually rooting for LeBron and the Cavs to pull off the victory against the Warriors.
This year? I would love to see the Dubs win it all and cement their legacy as one of the great teams of all time with 73 wins. But I wouldn't be disappointed if LeBron and the Cavs win it all either.
Last year, despite my postings, deep inside I was actually rooting for LeBron and the Cavs to pull off the victory against the Warriors.
This year? I would love to see the Dubs win it all and cement their legacy as one of the great teams of all time with 73 wins. But I wouldn't be disappointed if LeBron and the Cavs win it all either.
Interesting read.
Kyrie Irving is gonna get his. Aside from maybe one game this postseason- he's lead the team and has been a big time scorer.
For me, Kevin Love needs to be Kevin Love and not some castaway misfit. He needs to draw the defense out and keep it honest. If the Dubs go small he needs to bang and get the short midrange game working.
Last year, despite my postings, deep inside I was actually rooting for LeBron and the Cavs to pull off the victory against the Warriors.
This year? I would love to see the Dubs win it all and cement their legacy as one of the great teams of all time with 73 wins. But I wouldn't be disappointed if LeBron and the Cavs win it all either.
That's why I want the Warriors to lose. My Mavericks have the most wins in a season without winning the title, thanks to the Dubs.
I think the Cavs have enough offense to keep up with the Warriors but, again, I question whether a small-mall, uptempo game isn't playing right into the Warriors strength. In addition, and probably more importantly, the Warriors still boast a top-2 defense that can limit the Cavs' effectiveness as they've done with Portland and OKC. I don't think the Cavs defense can claim the same.
I think the Cavs have enough offense to keep up with the Warriors but, again, I question whether a small-mall, uptempo game isn't playing right into the Warriors strength. In addition, and probably more importantly, the Warriors still boast a top-2 defense that can limit the Cavs' effectiveness as they've done with Portland and OKC. I don't think the Cavs defense can claim the same.
They played the Warriors pretty tough defensively in December. However, their main issue is that they still start two guys who are known League-wide as defensive liabilities. The good thing for the Cavs, though, is that those guys have been so good offensively that that hasn't really mattered.
I really don't care who wins, but I'll root for the Warriors.
IMO the Warriors had a lapse, but proved me right. An OKC/Warriors season (of just them playing) would be fun to watch, but the Warriors will just win a majority of games, and I think it will be the same with the Cavs. Part of that is coaching and the other part is just consistency. You don't win 73+Playoff games in the West without consistent talent from everyone on the team.
I think in part there's a few things that worry me about the Cavs; their coach is unproven, they play in the East, Smith, Love and Irving are wildcards, and Love and Irving are liabilities on defense. Ironically with them on D and having to produce, it may fall all on LeBron's shoulders again anyway.
However if the Cavs do produce, then it may be the Thunder/Warriors all over again... Cavs will most likely wind the boards and get to the line more often.
If Lue was crazy, he would start Shumpert and/or Dellavedova and try to disrupt Curry again. Or have Delly get under Green's skin and have Green get suspended...which I could easily see happening.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
