NBA Finals 2015: Cavs vs Warriors

[Pioneer10]

Shumpert has to got to stay healthy for the Finals.

The Rockets are missing Beverley and DMo. They lucked out when Allen got the hamstring injury. I think GSW is a great team but not only have they've been healthy they're opponents keep losing their best perimeter defenses. Sick of no one mentioning this while giving the East all sorts of craps. The immovable object lineups (Moz, TT, Shump, Lebron, and Delly) has more of a shot at stopping the unstoppable force (GS's offense) then people realize if we can keep our defenders healthy.

 

[scopedog]

You know what, fuck it. Let's beat the Warriors too. We have LeBron, they don't. Period.

 

[ajz20]

with a sweep Irving gets 9 days of rest. Always the outside dream Houston shocks the world but I am preparing for Golden state!

 

[Pioneer10]

I could see the Cavs playing GSW similar to ATL. They basically are just not giving up easy looks from 3. There was an awesome sequence where Korver was doing his usual Rip Hamilton routine and trying to get free and Shumpert essentially handed him over to Lebron when he got into the paint and then Lebron followed him around the next backscreen at which point Korver looked so frustrated he stopped running.

When you have guys who can guard multiple positions, the Cavs are going to keep someone from getting free from 3 and funneling the penetration towards Moz or TT. Tough to score on a team which has two elite defenders one of whom in Lebron who never really is in a mismatch no matter who he is guarding with rim protection behind them

 

[CavsRules]

with a sweep Irving gets 9 days of rest. Always the outside dream Houston shocks the world but I am preparing for Golden state!

Kyrie would be off 15 days, I believe. If he doesn't play anymore in this series, and the Cavs sweep(or just win it without him), the finals don't start till June 4th.

A lot of time off.. But, we don't know how bad the injury is. He could need 2 weeks, or 2 months.

 

[Cavatt]

GSW is a great team, but nobody has been playing the kind of defense the Cavs are playing now. I think that's going to be a bit of a shock to whomever we face.

That's exactly what I was thinking watching this game tonight. When I watch GS and the Rockets I was like, "Who is going to be the first on to defend?"

They defend for stretches, but it's a lot of run and gun. I think we will give them trouble. I still think they can win, but I think it is far from a foregone conclusion.

 

[Otsego Mar]

For as much as the Cavs love to switch on screens, I don't understand why they don't switch on Korver instead of having a guy try to shred his way through 5 screens per possession.

 

[Baseline Runner]

I could see the Cavs playing GSW similar to ATL. They basically are just not giving up easy looks from 3. There was an awesome sequence where Korver was doing his usual Rip Hamilton routine and trying to get free and Shumpert essentially handed him over to Lebron when he got into the paint and then Lebron followed him around the next backscreen at which point Korver looked so frustrated he stopped running.

When you have guys who can guard multiple positions, the Cavs are going to keep someone from getting free from 3 and funneling the penetration towards Moz or TT. Tough to score on a team which has two elite defenders one of whom in Lebron who never really is in a mismatch no matter who he is guarding with rim protection behind them

Exactly Smith, Shump, Delly and Lebron are all great perimeter defenders. They might not stop the Splash Brothers but they cant definitely slow them down enough to give us a fighting chance in that series.

 

[bigfoot5415]

Cavs beat Warriors in 6. This defense is demoralizing to our opponents, Lebron is in attack the rim mode, our rebounding is insane.

Not to mention Blatt will make Kerr look like the LA version of Mike Dantoni. I remember reading a quote somewhere but can't find it. It was basically saying, a team had worse players, a banged up bench, played on the road...and David Blatt coached them to a championship. The preparation and adjustments this guy is making looks easy to do while watching it all unfold from a distance, but he has this guy's knowing how to react to every movement the Hawks make. Then is able to adapt in the 2nd half knowing what Hawks are planning on doing. This guy us legit and anyone who knocks him is clueless.

 

[Dribble]

I think we'll need Kyrie at full strength in order to beat GSW, and i hope the rest days he'll get will be sufficient for his recovery.
If not, i believe we can even handle with him just being there on the court, even as a 3pt shooter with restricted minutes, because i believe we just can't play Delly so many minutes in a series like that against GSW, not only because of fatigue issues or the need of another scoring option, but even in a case where Delly gets into foul trouble like he did today, it's essential to have another PG.

 

[Mr. Orange]

^Delly's D was on point tonight. Love how he moves his feet.

 

[Rich]

I could see the Cavs playing GSW similar to ATL. They basically are just not giving up easy looks from 3. There was an awesome sequence where Korver was doing his usual Rip Hamilton routine and trying to get free and Shumpert essentially handed him over to Lebron when he got into the paint and then Lebron followed him around the next backscreen at which point Korver looked so frustrated he stopped running.

When you have guys who can guard multiple positions, the Cavs are going to keep someone from getting free from 3 and funneling the penetration towards Moz or TT. Tough to score on a team which has two elite defenders one of whom in Lebron who never really is in a mismatch no matter who he is guarding with rim protection behind them

I dunno. They're playing Korver tight but they are giving Teague some wide damn open looks and he isn't making them. That seems to be the game plan. Let Teague shoot from 3 ( or at least sag off enough that he has an open look..he's been hesitant to take some of them)and see what happens. That, obviously, will not work too well against Golden State.

 

[godfather]

The Cavs can and will beat the Warriors.

I keep hearing how poor the East is, blah, blah. NO is not a serious team. Memphis plays good defense, but are stuck in the stone age of basketball.

GS is struggling to beat a team lead by a mentally handicap coach, a star that flops for stardom, but isn't even doing it this series, and is dominating them.

Houston should be up 2-0, if they weren't so incompetent.

But they are. GS is really good. If Kyrie is healthy they can and will beat GS to win a title.

So rest Kyrie for the rest of this pre-season series, and he should be good to go.

 

[Spencer Hawes]

I'm 100% confident we can beat GS. This team is locked in on defense. Memphis gave us a glimpse of what perimeter pressure can do to the splash brothers. A heavy does of JR, Shump, Delly and Lebron will slow them down. And all 3 of our guys can drain 3's and make plays. Memphis had the D but lacked the offense on the perimeter. Once Tony Allen pulled his hamstring and GS literally left him alone on offense, the series was over. Can't do that with our perimeter guys.

 

[Pioneer10]

I dunno. They're playing Korver tight but they are giving Teague some wide damn open looks and he isn't making them. That seems to be the game plan. Let Teague shoot from 3 ( or at least sag off enough that he has an open look..he's been hesitant to take some of them)and see what happens. That, obviously, will not work too well against Golden State.

No the switch would be to give Curry the Korver treatment and have Shump run after him with some switches if they get caught downlow.
If I had to guess the Cavs will go small take away the open 3's from everyone else and dare GS to run offense thru Barnes and Green either in the post or creating from the wing.

With that being said how are you supposed to attack this team with Shumpert playing like this? Him and Lebron basically erase two wings and then you have two rim protectors behind them who suck up all the rebounds. I'm probably committing blasphemy but the defense reminds me of the Bulls with Jordan/Pippen/Grant able to just suffocate defenses. This team isn't built like the more recent great defensive teams like the Pistons and Celtics with elite defender at PG, bench 3D guy, and a hybrid PF/C so had to go back to the Bulls to get a comparison to what this team is doing. Two wings who can hurt you both on offense and defense, with an athletic PF with footspeed.