Will the Cavs Repeat? (game, Warriors, Lakers, greatest)
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You are reaching. I personally think the Dubs are the team to beat. They have a different team- really it's not to say the composition of their last team wouldn't win it this year. On paper, I can make an argument they had a better "team" last year. This season they will need to come together quickly and share one basketball and find out what rotations will work- major growing pains here but it goes without saying they have until May/June to figure it out.
To take it the extreme like your prior post suggests that goes a little far IMO.
There were lots of folks saying a Cavs advantage was the fact they had the more rested team Irving out for 25 games. I don't see how missing an entire offseason and basically rehabbing a bad injury is an advantage. I don't think changing coaches in season is an advantage, and definitely not changing scheme and tempo mid season. Can't predict key injuries, but this will be a better Cavs team
Yes. When someone says Alabama's varsity football team is a "huge" favorite to beat Kentucky, what do you think it means?
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastcoastbias
You are reaching. I personally think the Dubs are the team to beat. They have a different team- really it's not to say the composition of their last team wouldn't win it this year. On paper, I can make an argument they had a better "team" last year. This season they will need to come together quickly and share one basketball and find out what rotations will work- major growing pains here but it goes without saying they have until May/June to figure it out.
They don't have a better team on paper than they did last year. They had more depth last year, but the quality of that depth does not compare to the most recent addition to their starting 5. Mo Speights was not a game changer (he was, if anything, a poor man's David West, who the Warriors have now acquired). Bogut was an effective rim protector who logged approximately 16 minutes per game and had a negative OBPM during the playoffs. Harrison Barnes is inferior to Kevin Durant in every way imaginable as it relates to the game of basketball. Festus Ezeli may have been traded even in the event that the Warriors won the title last year. The biggest loss to their bench was Leandro Barbosa, but if it comes down to shipping off Barbosa to get KD, you won't find a single GM in the League who doesn't make that decision. It's a no brainer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastcoastbias
To take it the extreme like your prior post suggests that goes a little far IMO.
Yes. When someone says Alabama's varsity football team is a "huge" favorite to beat Kentucky, what do you think it means?
They don't have a better team on paper than they did last year. They had more depth last year, but the quality of that depth does not compare to the most recent addition to their starting 5. Mo Speights was not a game changer (he was, if anything, a poor man's David West, who the Warriors have now acquired). Bogut was an effective rim protector who logged approximately 16 minutes per game and had a negative OBPM during the playoffs. Harrison Barnes is inferior to Kevin Durant in every way imaginable as it relates to the game of basketball. Festus Ezeli may have been traded even in the event that the Warriors won the title last year. The biggest loss to their bench was Leandro Barbosa, but if it comes down to shipping off Barbosa to get KD, you won't find a single GM in the League who doesn't make that decision. It's a no brainer.
Weird comparison but I'll play. I guess I don't see Cleveland Cavs Basketball on the same level as Kentucky Wildcat football. I thought Ohio State Football is "arguably" the second best team and the separation between the top 2 teams is very small.
Again I can make an argument that the 14-15 Dubs and 15-16 Dubs were deeper and could play better team basketball than the 16-17 version. Granted, the 16-17 team hasn't suited up yet.
I hope for Dubs sake that Iggy is Iggy 14-15 and not 16 Finals, but you have to wonder if the Dubs GM dangled him out for Iman Shumpert.
Even in this new day and age of "Super" teams it is clear you need the role guys- maybe not in the last minute of Game 7 in the NBA Finals but you need guys off the bench or the guy that redirects some shots or comes in and plays a little D. We'll see if the Dubs are any better or any worse.
They can't control what other teams will do- I personally think the Cavs had the right plan to attack the 15-16 Dubs, the Cavs haven't changed much but they will (if they make it) be facing a new team and a different challenge. I'm personally thrilled that Bogut and Ezeli are gone and they will be relying on some youth, also nice from Cavs perspective that Barbosa is gone and I'm thankful Iggy is another year older.
Yes. When someone says Alabama's varsity football team is a "huge" favorite to beat Kentucky, what do you think it means?
They don't have a better team on paper than they did last year. They had more depth last year, but the quality of that depth does not compare to the most recent addition to their starting 5. Mo Speights was not a game changer (he was, if anything, a poor man's David West, who the Warriors have now acquired). Bogut was an effective rim protector who logged approximately 16 minutes per game and had a negative OBPM during the playoffs. Harrison Barnes is inferior to Kevin Durant in every way imaginable as it relates to the game of basketball. Festus Ezeli may have been traded even in the event that the Warriors won the title last year. The biggest loss to their bench was Leandro Barbosa, but if it comes down to shipping off Barbosa to get KD, you won't find a single GM in the League who doesn't make that decision. It's a no brainer.
I mistyped here. I meant to say they didn't have a better team on paper last year than they do this year.
I figured that.
You could be right, personally I think its closer- all reports are saying that the young big they drafted looks good. I know they couldn't keep Bogut but I think it was mistake letting him go and won't make it easier losing some of the depth pieces they lost.
Aside from their shooting prowess, I thought their biggest strength was the chemistry they had. Green/Curry/Thompson/Durant...and just one ball and I want to see how that works out. I personally think their lineup will be juggled and one of those guys will run with a second unit more. I think dismissing teams like Cle, SAS or next in line is being too dismissive especially at year one with that core.
I think some of the elite teams can trade shots with their first unit- where they got you in the past- it was the second unit that would come in take a 2/3 point game and make it 8/9 point game and maybe force an earlier substitution and hurt another team down the stretch.
Aside from their shooting prowess, I thought their biggest strength was the chemistry they had. Green/Curry/Thompson/Durant...and just one ball and I want to see how that works out. I personally think their lineup will be juggled and one of those guys will run with a second unit more. I think dismissing teams like Cle, SAS or next in line is being too dismissive especially at year one with that core.
I'm not dismissing Cleveland; I only said GS is a heavy favorite. In other words, if the Warriors don't win a championship this year, the narrative won't be that they lost to a worthy, equally-matched adversary. The narrative will be that the most offensively stacked team of all-time, which should have obliterated all foes by a margin of 20, couldn't get the job done. A loss in the 2017 Finals would absolutely dwarf their loss in the 2016 Finals.
It will take some time for Durant to fit in, but he's not a ball-dominant player, and he's playing on a team that already has a well-established offensive identity. It's a completely different situation from that Miami team where you had 3 ball-dominant players coming together and a new playbook has to be invented from scratch. I think Durant's strengths are suited to what the Warriors do best.
Durant doesn't hold the ball much at all. Here is the time of possession per game for some players around the NBA.
Russell Westbrook - 8.1 mins
John Wall - 7.7 mins
Kyle Lowry - 6.5 mins
James Harden - 6.3 mins
Kyrie Irving - 5.8 mins
Stephen Curry - 5.5 mins Lebron James - 5.1 mins
Demar Derozan - 4.0 mins
Dwyane Wade - 3.8 mins
Carmelo Anthony - 3.4 mins Kevin Durant - 3.4 mins
Paul George - 3.1 mins
Draymond Green - 2.6 mins
Demarcus Cousins - 2.5 mins
Kawhi Leonard - 2.5 mins
Paul Millsap - 2.1 mins
Anthony Davis - 1.9 mins
Klay Thompson - 1.6 mins
Al Horford - 1.5 mins
Andre Drummond - 1.2 mins
James Harden is the biggest ball-dominator of any non-PG in the NBA. Lebron is #2. Durant doesn't really touch the ball that much (relatively speaking) considering his outstanding offensive output and secondary ball-handling responsibilities. Klay Thompson doesn't need many touches at all to get 22.1 PPG.
This is what I expect to see a lot of this year. Durant doesn't hold the ball long before shooting. Starting with the third clip, he catches, takes one dribble, then releases. In the 4th clip, he pops out, catches, then shoots. In the 5th clip, he flashes to the FT line, catches, and shoots. In the 6th clip, he curls, catches, one dribble, then shoots. In the 7th clip, he goes reverse off a screen, catches and shoots. You get the point.
That whole Finals was rigged..like Silver told Golden State " lay down and let Lebron win, you had your turn last year"
WTF?! Are you playing with me? How was it rigged? I bet you didn't feel it was rigged when Golden State was up 3-1 or when they came back from that 3-1 hole to beat the Thunder. Golden State had 3 chances to win that series and didn't finish the deal. Don't use Draymond being suspended as an excuse, he came back for Games 6 & 7. Bogut being injured didn't make a difference because everybody still thought they'd win the series without him. The Warriors celebrated like they were already back-to-back champs before they played Game 5. The Cavs played like the hungrier team in the last 3 games and took the series, the Warriors didn't have that hunger in those last 3 games which is why they choked away The Finals. They are the '07 Patriots of the NBA: great regular season but didn't get it done when it counted most.
Haha this is ridiculous. Will the Cavs repeat? Is this with the mindset that the Warriors team bus drives off a cliff after winning the WCF again?
Well if Curry shows up again like he did...who knows.
We all know the Durant v. Lebron narrative too.
Warriors again are the team to beat- and I'm sure 10/12 other contending teams would gladly keep that mantle on them.
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