Cavs defeat Warriors 4-3 in 2016 NBA Finals

[Goodbyehorses]

f*&k

 

[Chris]

I just don't agree with this. And I think the 75% odds are pure lunacy.

The better regular season team is definitely the Warriors.

The better postseason team IMO is just as easily the Cavs. The Warriors have gotten the breaks beaten off of them twice now. Lost in Snoracle (while fully healthy), and were an epic Thunder collapse away from not even being here.

LeBron hasn't even been in killer mode yet. He has only had one 30 point game this postseason. He averaged 35 per game against the Warriors last year. He has an extra gear that has not been revealed yet.

I think the smart money is on Cleveland with the insane odds being thrown around.

Not going to waste my time arguing against my own team. I'll just say I hope you're right, and we'll see.

 

[CLEistheCITY]

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2016/...ls-golden-state-warriors-cleveland-cavaliers/

Not sure if this was posted, but this is good shit.

 

[Binkster]

It's just typical Finals excitement bravado. I don't think anyone legitimately thinks the Cavs are about to roll through the Warriors. If the Cavs win, it will be a monumental upset, one that will be talked about in Cleveland for generations. They definitely have a shot, but that ESPN BPI thing that says 75% Warriors/25% Cavs is probably close to being accurate.

This is the only truly delusional post in this thread.

 

[gourimoko]

You said you think the Cavs matchup well with them. please explain.

Kyrie - Steph; neither one of these guys can guard the other.
Steph = 26.7 PPG (19.5 FGA, .617 TS%) / 5.9 TRB / 6.1 APG / 1.8 STL / 4.1 TOV (+9 / WS48 = .204)
Kyrie = 24.3 PPG (19.2 FGA, .580 TS%) / 2.5 TRB / 5.1 APG / 1.5 STL / 2.1 TOV (+12 / WS48 = .228)

While Steph is clearly better here; I think it's important to note that Kyrie isn't that far behind. Also, Kyrie is far more efficient and in control compared to Russell Westbrook. And while Westbrook is better at creating for teammates, generating +6 more assist per game - we really do not need that from Irving.

While this matchup is beneficial for Golden State on paper, I think these two players will generally matchup up evenly when playing against one another.

Advantage Golden State?

Klay Thompson - JR Smith.
We don't really need to go over this, Thompson is clearly the better player. However, JR Smith has shown for an entire year, that he's more than capable of guarding the best perimeter wing on the floor and out at the perimeter. His defense on Kyle Korver should go a long way to indicate his ability to guard Klay in this series.

Advantage Golden State.

Draymond Green - LeBron James.
No real need to discuss this. James will be guarding Green primarily, IMHO.

Advantage Cleveland.

Harrison Barnes - Kevin Love.
Again, no need to discuss this.

Advantage Cleveland.

Tristan Thompson/Channing Frye - Andrew Bogut/Festus Ezeli.
This one is interesting, but, I don't think there's any real way to make this an advantage for Golden State.

I fully expect the Cavs to outrebound, outwork, and outplay their opponents if they play big.

Advantage Cleveland.

In a matchup scenario, again, I think the PG matchup slightly favors Golden State, however, I'm not willing to say Irving can't step up and outplay Curry. It's entirely possible.

Klay needs to get hot and stay hot.. He also needs to get open. We'll see what happens here.

Barnes, Green, Iggy, Ezeli, Bogut are not offensive threats that will put us out of games. Whereas Love and James can be worth 1-2 games a piece, easily.

I just don't think the matchup is all that skewed. This isn't 2014-15. We're designed to play the Warriors. I think we'll be fine.

 

[godfather]

You said you think the Cavs matchup well with them. please explain.

They will have no answer at all for us when we play Frye at the 5. They've yet to see a team that can play 5 floor spacers at once with the offensive firepower we have and it is going to cause them a lot of problems.

I think Frye is the key to this series.

They will have to extend their big men outside the paint. That's not what they like to do.

They will have to go small. That will work to our advantage. It will be a defensive nightmare for them. LeBron and Kyrie will get to the hoop without much resistance. There will be floor spacing on the court that will make them pay.

A line up of Frye, Love, James, JR, and Kyrie will pick them apart.

This is a team that's struggled a lot defensively in the post season. They've not seen an offensive team like this. Not even close.

I think we are going run Curry and Klay off the three point line a lot more than the Thunder did. I think Lue will have a much better plan than Billy did. Sure, they're going to score. That's going to happen.

But we match up well across the board with them. We got guys in Shump and Delly that can at least defend Klay and Curry well.

My only issue is our interior defense. It's got to be good. But, I don't really fear GS's ability to get to the basket that much. I prefer they attack the basket than launch threes personally. You gotta live with something with them. We just can't allow a free layup drill to the bucket either.

But we figured out how to keep guys like Teague out of the paint.

 

[Binkster]

I'm so tired of the lazy "But who will Love and Kyrie defend?" narrative when Golden State's defense has been statistically worse.

Their center is hurt, their PG's D is overrated, Draymond is regressing big time.

Has anyone stopped to wonder how they're going to defend the Cavaliers' torrid offense when they could barely stunt OKC's isolation offense?

 

[I'mWithDan]

Just to re-iterate that offense will win this.....

Warriors are only 6-4 this post season when the opposing team scores 100.

Warriors give up 115+ points a game in losses......they only have given up 100 points (on average) in their wins.

GSW only has one loss when the opposition has scored under 100 and that was when Curry got hurt.....a loss to Houston (97-96).

If the Cavs offense continues like it has, they have a chance. If it doesn't, this might be a short series.

 

[Green Lantern]

I was just on a board that said that the Cavs will get swept because Kyrie, Love and JR are all bad defenders so that means that Bogut/Green, Curry and Thompson will have big games.

They must not have watched the Cavs defense lately..when they turn it up, they can play..
People tend to forget that the Cavs have more deadlier weapons than what OKC has..how are the Warriors going to defend all the shooters the Cavs have now?

 

[buzzdog]

I want to see us blitz and trap their guards enough to always keep them off balance with extreme ball pressure and body-on-body physicality, to force them to give the ball up or to drive to the rim. Then I want to see our help defense playing on a string and attacking the outlet passing lanes when they do try to rotate the ball to the weak side. Finally I want to see late contests on their guys going to the paint, there's been a ton of blocks and forced misses from this strategy in this year's playoffs.

We can't play that style 100% of the time and we'll have to change our defensive style constantly to keep them off balance. Maybe mix in a little tight perimeter zone from time to time, then some tight non-switching man defense, then switch everything for awhile. Throw the kitchen sink at them but the basic staple defense will need to be the blitz/trap/ball denying style.

Regardless of which defensive style we're using we'll have to always beat them back in transition, and deny easy passes to perimeter shooters. I'd rather let them take it to the paint and either try for late blocks or just give hard fouls.

 

[iamacavalier]

Good preview from fear the sword... http://www.fearthesword.com/2016/5/...e-for-how-the-cavaliers-can-beat-the-warriors

Favorite part was talking about Shump. He really bothered and has bothered Thompson in the past. And played well on curry last year. If he can play that next level D and just shoot average from 3 that would be huge. Here is the video they showed from last playoffs.

 

[ice cream man]

Klay Thompson - JR Smith.
We don't really need to go over this, Thompson is clearly the better player. However, JR Smith has shown for an entire year, that he's more than capable of guarding the best perimeter wing on the floor and out at the perimeter. His defense on Kyle Korver should go a long way to indicate his ability to guard Klay in this series.

Advantage Golden State.

Draymond Green - LeBron James.
No real need to discuss this. James will be guarding Green primarily, IMHO.

Advantage Cleveland.

Harrison Barnes - Kevin Love.
Again, no need to discuss this.

Advantage Cleveland.

Tristan Thompson/Channing Frye - Andrew Bogut/Festus Ezeli.
This one is interesting, but, I don't think there's any real way to make this an advantage for Golden State.

I fully expect the Cavs to outrebound, outwork, and outplay their opponents if they play big.

Advantage Cleveland.

1. JR cannot stop Klay. No way. He couldn't stop Derozan. Klay is more than a stand still 3pt shooter.

2. Draymond will not be guarding LeBron unless he gets switched. If they do end up sticking him on LeBron, great - lets get Draymond in foul trouble. Draymond will likely be on Love, in which case I'd still want Love to go at him and get him in foul trouble. Regardless, we HAVE to involve Love more than we did against Toronto. Iggy/Barnes will be guarding LeBron. When Iggy is on LeBron, LeBron should be in the post, not the perimeter. Otherwise let Irving/Love run the show.

3. I would start Fry and Love together. We can't stop them, but we can control how efficient our offense is. This lineup would render Bogut useless.

4. Talking about matchups in pretty useless as well in my opinion. OKC switched everything which is the way to go, even if we end up with Love on Curry multiple times. They will have to work harder to get open shots this way. One screen or back-cut if we don't switch. If we switch, multiple drive and kicks will be needed.

5. You forgot one important matchup: the benches. Livingston and Barbosa will destroy us. Always have.

I think we get destroyed in Game 1. Then we gotta take Game 2. I think the only way the Cavs win this series is if they go up 3-1 like the Thunder did. I predict Warriors will win the series. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Sportsguy5]

Lebron quote on underdog, overdog is funny. Never really heard of overdog.

 

[buzzdog]

Good preview from fear the sword... http://www.fearthesword.com/2016/5/...e-for-how-the-cavaliers-can-beat-the-warriors

Favorite part was talking about Shump. He really bothered and has bothered Thompson in the past. And played well on curry last year. If he can play that next level D and just shoot average from 3 that would be huge. Here is the video they showed from last playoffs.

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about.

 

[BimboColesHair]

1. JR cannot stop Klay. No way. He couldn't stop Derozan. Klay is more than a stand still 3pt shooter.

2. Draymond will not be guarding LeBron unless he gets switched. If they do end up sticking him on LeBron, great - lets get Draymond in foul trouble. Draymond will likely be on Love, in which case I'd still want Love to go at him and get him in foul trouble. Regardless, we HAVE to involve Love more than we did against Toronto. Iggy/Barnes will be guarding LeBron. When Iggy is on LeBron, LeBron should be in the post, not the perimeter. Otherwise let Irving/Love run the show.

3. I would start Fry and Love together. We can't stop them, but we can control how efficient our offense is. This lineup would render Bogut useless.

4. Talking about matchups in pretty useless as well in my opinion. OKC switched everything which is the way to go, even if we end up with Love on Curry multiple times. They will have to work harder to get open shots this way. One screen or back-cut if we don't switch. If we switch, multiple drive and kicks will be needed.

5. You forgot one important matchup: the benches. Livingston and Barbosa will destroy us. Always have.

I think we get destroyed in Game 1. Then we gotta take Game 2. I think the only way the Cavs win this series is if they go up 3-1 like the Thunder did. I predict Warriors will win the series. I hope I'm wrong.

Bolded 1: no...just...no...2 completely different players on offense...Klay plays more like Korver (always in motion, uses off ball screens, cuts off the ball well, uses his pump fake well)...DeRozan is an ISO, mid post, mid range player...saying JR couldn't stop DeRozan so he can't stop Klay makes no sense, considering they play completely different on the offensive end...JR has always struggled against guys who back him down or ISO him...he has handled guys who play more off the ball very well, on the other hand...just ask Korver who shat all over Avery Bradley in the Celtics series, then was non-existent against JR...excuse me...1st team All Defense Avery Bradley...

Bolded 2: Have you not been watching our games so far? Our bench has been terrific...our main bench 4 with LeBron to open the 2nd and 4th quarters has been our best lineup in the playoffs so far. Delly, Shump, RJ, LBJ, and Frye have been our best 5 man combination so far, and they are absolutely destroying teams (+52 points per 100 possessions in 70 minutes)...

My god...on our own board people are giving the Warriors too much credit, while giving our own team too little...this is fucking ridiculous...