Embarrassing performance by LeBron.

 

These types of statements blow my mind.  Go back his last 13 playoff games until last year.  He is so consistently good and his stats are incredible that when he has a bad night, its "embarassing".  I dont know...he is a human being, like me and you.  Humans have bad days at work...i wouldnt call it embarassing. Substandard, sure...there is nothing embarassing about Lebron.

This team goes as LeBron goes.  It is specifically built around him.  When he is off or absent, it doesn't work

 

Yes.  And they were almost good enough without his peak effort.  Blowing the lead was the biggest disappointment.  It comes down to this...when they are not "locked in" you get what we saw last night.  When they think they just have to show up to win, dont respect opponent and dont focus...like regular season, like Pacers series.  It is what it is...boston is still a group of grown men professionals.  If you dont play hard, they have the ability to beat you

So many things had to go right for Boston. They played really hard but there aren't going to be many games where Lebron scores 11 and Smart scores 27. Very irritating but a complete aberration.

Last night was an embarrassment and an irritant.  We KNOW this is clearly the superior team in the East and one that is capable of beating the current Golden State Warriors to win the championship... But we obviously still have demons; the ones that manifested during the regular season; esp late in March and early April.  LeBron struggled all night, but regardless: we had a 21-point lead in the mid-3rd quarter against an inferior, Isaiah Thomas-less Boston Celtics team at The Q.  This team -- as it's wont to do -- simply got bored, fell asleep mentally and, as Lue has noted often, disrespected the game of basketball, and that's inexcusable... No way a Golden State or a healthy Spurs team blows a lead like that; not in the playoffs, no matter the opponent nor the win/loss situation.  So obviously it had to be that other players either stopped producing in the 2nd half and played down to LeBron's level of play (Love, Kyrie, especially) or simply didn't show up at all (Deron Williams, Jefferson)... Williams was especially bad in clanking shots and turning the ball over especially during that critical stretch late in the 3rd when Smart got hot behind the arc.

 

I know it sounds crazy, but Marcus Smart is a better fit at pg against the Cavs than Thomas -- he's big, physical (unlike IT) and can shoot the 3 when he's hot -- like last night.  Kyrie usually has his way offensively against the smaller Thomas.  But Smart gave Kyrie fits when no. 2 tried to drive the lane.  Kyrie was getting crowded out, blocked and often ended up turning the ball over because of Smart's superior defense.

 

I know tomorrow now becomes a "must win" or else we lose homecourt back to Boston and they return to TD Bank with both momentum and the belief they can beat the Cavs... Won't happen.  LeBron will likely focus, muscle up and the Cavs will blow Boston away much like Games 1 and 2... It's just that LeBron and this team have established an obvious and nagging blemish... I think this loss may put pressure on the team come June 1 when we go into Oracle against you-know-who.  I also hate the fact that, now, the team is forced to travel back to TD Bank to play at least 1 more game before those spoiled, pampered, A-hole fans... Oy!

Geez^ look at cleveland fans. How things have changed. No blemishes allowed. Ever. Let's forget that Jordan and Kobe teams rarely swept anything during their dynasties. There was a point in recent time where cleveland fans would love to be up 2-1 in a series with the next game at home.  And no tomorrow is not a must win because they have proven they can win on bostons court whenever they want. Again, this is an issue of not respecting the opponent, not an issue of "has Boston figured something out"

Again, this is an issue of not respecting the opponent, not an issue of "has Boston figured something out"

 

Yep. I can't remember, did something similar happen last year.....?

Tristan Thompson had one of the games of his life yesterday.  He was the only Cav who punched in at the time clock... Too bad his great effort was wasted.

Geez^ look at cleveland fans. How things have changed. No blemishes allowed. Ever. Let's forget that Jordan and Kobe teams rarely swept anything during their dynasties. There was a point in recent time where cleveland fans would love to be up 2-1 in a series with the next game at home.  And no tomorrow is not a must win because they have proven they can win on bostons court whenever they want. Again, this is an issue of not respecting the opponent, not an issue of "has Boston figured something out"

 

I disagree.  It's a must win because you can't give any NBA team confidence in a short series, esp the team that won the Eastern Conference record-wise.  As I said, Boston matches up better against the Cavs with Smart at point rather than Thomas.  Another win by them would fuel confidence they can beat us in the series and they'd be going home.  I'm confident that the will win ... that said, they must follow through.

There we go!  Great come from behind at home tonight.  I have a feeling another Boston CLEparty is waiting to happen Thursday at the Gahhhhden.

Phew!  That's what have superstars is about... When LeBron got 4 fouls with 6+ minutes in the 2nd quarter (when Lue foolishly left him in after 3), and Boston was dominating the Cavs with 16 and 12 point leads, I saw it slipping away.. But then came Kyrie... and Love and Thompson were important elements as well, but this was about Kyrie Irving.  He kept  the lights on until LeBron was able to come back, play well and avoid any more fouls... Great win!

Geez^ look at cleveland fans. How things have changed. No blemishes allowed. Ever. Let's forget that Jordan and Kobe teams rarely swept anything during their dynasties. There was a point in recent time where cleveland fans would love to be up 2-1 in a series with the next game at home.  And no tomorrow is not a must win because they have proven they can win on bostons court whenever they want. Again, this is an issue of not respecting the opponent, not an issue of "has Boston figured something out"

 

I disagree.  It's a must win because you can't give any NBA team confidence in a short series, esp the team that won the Eastern Conference record-wise.  As I said, Boston matches up better against the Cavs with Smart at point rather than Thomas.  Another win by them would fuel confidence they can beat us in the series and they'd be going home.  I'm confident that the will win ... that said, they must follow through.

 

We will have to agree to disagree here.  I thought all of us Cleveland fans realized last year that its not a must win game until the other team has three wins...that holds even more true when you have Lebron on your team

Kyrie is a guy who plays best with swagger.  He got a lot of that back last night.  We can and did get through the first few rounds without him being special.  We need him to be a superstar in the Finals, like he was last year, in order to beat the Warriors.  So last night may prove to be huge.

Geez^ look at cleveland fans. How things have changed. No blemishes allowed. Ever. Let's forget that Jordan and Kobe teams rarely swept anything during their dynasties. There was a point in recent time where cleveland fans would love to be up 2-1 in a series with the next game at home.  And no tomorrow is not a must win because they have proven they can win on bostons court whenever they want. Again, this is an issue of not respecting the opponent, not an issue of "has Boston figured something out"

 

I disagree.  It's a must win because you can't give any NBA team confidence in a short series, esp the team that won the Eastern Conference record-wise.  As I said, Boston matches up better against the Cavs with Smart at point rather than Thomas.  Another win by them would fuel confidence they can beat us in the series and they'd be going home.  I'm confident that the will win ... that said, they must follow through.

 

We will have to agree to disagree here.  I thought all of us Cleveland fans realized last year that its not a must win game until the other team has three wins...that holds even more true when you have Lebron on your team

 

Come on, Believeland, I'm as dyed in the wool Cleveland/Cavs fan as anybody, but you can't tell me that, early/mid 2nd quarter, when Boston was dominating every aspect of the game last night -- including on the glass, which is absurd for one of the worst rebounding teams in the League -- and when LeBron, then, went out with 4 fouls, you weren't the least bit worried...  and remember, this is a Cavs team that, for the last umpteen games, hasn't won one when LeBron sits... That's not just fandom, that's craziness...

 

... yes, ultimately in the 2nd half our superior talent in Kyrie, with help from Love and Thompson, prevailed over the scrappy, lest talented Celtics.  But they certainly put a fear in me last night up till halftime.  And from the silence and stunned look of fans as the halftime buzzer sounded, I surely wasn't alone (and no, I'm not calling you Shirley).

^ was i worried? No.  I was frustrated because it was not the same product as we saw in games 1 and 2.  The role players are suppose to play better at home, that wasnt the case.  Look, one thing i learned in this decade of watching playoff basketball that i didnt know prior to being a big NBA fan is that rarely are there "themes" in a 7 game series.  no two games are alike.  If the cavs lost last night, there is high probability the cavs would again blow them out in Boston.  We have a good coach who can make adjustments from game to game.  Granted Stevens is excellent too...but we have a guy on the team who wants to be the best ever. He can be neutralized for a game or two, but certainly not 4.  Losing to boston dents his legacy, he knows that.  The one time  saw an actual theme was 2009 when we played orlando, every game was identical...with the cavs being overmatched by taller shooters.  Mike Brown made no adjustments and we lost the series.  Its going to be phenomenal in the finals when we play Mike Brown

Bottom line is that the Cavs truly are the most talented team in the East by a wide margin... BUT it is also a team with demons, chief being that they are wont to get complacent and bored when they have big leads and stop playing fundamental basketball.  In playoffs that can't happen because the 2 teams in a series have the opportunity to assess their opponent's weaknesses and every opponent is made up of NBA players -- if you give any player or team the belief they can win and give them the opportunity, they will in fact win, which is what Boston did on Sunday.  Same thing happened to us in Games 3 and 4 last year in Toronto.

 

... Obviously we have to be on full throttle all the time against the superior (than Boston) Warriors.  Fortunately, by necessity, complacency is never a Cavs' problem when we play Golden State.

... Obviously we have to be on full throttle all the time against the superior (than Boston) Warriors.  Fortunately, by necessity, complacency is never a Cavs' problem when we play Golden State.

 

Except when the Warriors beat the Cavs by a combined total of 59 points in the three games they won in the 2016 finals.

^ was i worried? No.  I was frustrated because it was not the same product as we saw in games 1 and 2.  The role players are suppose to play better at home, that wasnt the case.  Look, one thing i learned in this decade of watching playoff basketball that i didnt know prior to being a big NBA fan is that rarely are there "themes" in a 7 game series.  no two games are alike.  If the cavs lost last night, there is high probability the cavs would again blow them out in Boston.  We have a good coach who can make adjustments from game to game.  Granted Stevens is excellent too...but we have a guy on the team who wants to be the best ever. He can be neutralized for a game or two, but certainly not 4.  Losing to boston dents his legacy, he knows that.  The one time  saw an actual theme was 2009 when we played orlando, every game was identical...with the cavs being overmatched by taller shooters.  Mike Brown made no adjustments and we lost the series.  Its going to be phenomenal in the finals when we play Mike Brown

 

Kerr may be back for the Finals.

Cavs v. Warriors Pt III

 

LeBron passed Jordan in career playoff points.

Cavs in 6. Split there, split here...Cavs win game 5 and wrap it up here. Durant gets crushed by media

... Obviously we have to be on full throttle all the time against the superior (than Boston) Warriors.  Fortunately, by necessity, complacency is never a Cavs' problem when we play Golden State.

 

Except when the Warriors beat the Cavs by a combined total of 59 points in the three games they won in the 2016 finals.

I don't think it was complacency. It was more like stage fright. Remember even LeBron had ball control issues early on. Everything was trending Warriors: they had handled us twice during the season, had won 73 games and were holding the title. Once we truly got the sense we could beat them, there was no stopping us.

Warriors in 6.  They have too much damn talent with Durant taking the easy path, joining the best team in regular season history.  He'll get roasted either way...joined an already existing super team to win a title, or couldn't win a title on a super team.

Like the past two years, there will be a key injury and the team which gets hit with it will lose the series.

I know little to nothing about sports, but my son is a big Cavs fan so I've generally been following their progress. If they've won the Eastern Conference, why are Vegas odds so incredibly stacked against them being able to win, since they won last year? Are they somehow seen as a bad team even though they've won the conference finals? I don't understand.

More fire power on the Warriors than the Cavs. Cavs have 3 all stars.  The Warriors have 4-5. 

I know little to nothing about sports, but my son is a big Cavs fan so I've generally been following their progress. If they've won the Eastern Conference, why are Vegas odds so incredibly stacked against them being able to win, since they won last year? Are they somehow seen as a bad team even though they've won the conference finals? I don't understand.

 

The Warriors kept their three best players, and probably six of their top eight (on a team that came up just four points shy of winning the title last year) and then added a top 5-6 player in the entire league.

 

The Cavs simply turn it "off" at times, mostly in the regular season.  Their GAF meter can go up and down depending on when they feel like playing hard.

I know little to nothing about sports, but my son is a big Cavs fan so I've generally been following their progress. If they've won the Eastern Conference, why are Vegas odds so incredibly stacked against them being able to win, since they won last year? Are they somehow seen as a bad team even though they've won the conference finals? I don't understand.

 

The Warriors kept their three best players, and probably six of their top eight (on a team that came up just four points shy of winning the title last year) and then added a top 5-6 player in the entire league.

 

The Cavs simply turn it "off" at times, mostly in the regular season.  Their GAF meter can go up and down depending on when they feel like playing hard.

 

They've lost one game in the entire postseason.  I'd say their GAF meter is pretty damn high right now..

I know little to nothing about sports, but my son is a big Cavs fan so I've generally been following their progress. If they've won the Eastern Conference, why are Vegas odds so incredibly stacked against them being able to win, since they won last year? Are they somehow seen as a bad team even though they've won the conference finals? I don't understand.

Vegas odds are much as about emotion as they are facts. They are looking to take peoples money. On paper based on stats from this year it's probably 80% favoring GSW, but the history from Lebron and these two teams say it's much closer to 60/40 or slightly less than even still favoring GSW. Either way it's an all-time rematch.

 

One question. Can Steph defend the 3? I know he gets steals on the move. Who is he defending in the starting five? JR? Lebron, no. Kyrie, no. Love, no. Tristan? but then he would be into far for transition points. Whom did he cover at Christmas?

 

Thanks all. Interesting.

I know little to nothing about sports, but my son is a big Cavs fan so I've generally been following their progress. If they've won the Eastern Conference, why are Vegas odds so incredibly stacked against them being able to win, since they won last year? Are they somehow seen as a bad team even though they've won the conference finals? I don't understand.

 

The Warriors kept their three best players, and probably six of their top eight (on a team that came up just four points shy of winning the title last year) and then added a top 5-6 player in the entire league.

 

The Cavs simply turn it "off" at times, mostly in the regular season.  Their GAF meter can go up and down depending on when they feel like playing hard.

 

They've lost one game in the entire postseason.  I'd say their GAF meter is pretty damn high right now..

 

Just the outside perception.  They're also highly reliant on one player (LeBron) whereas the Warriors would still be OK without one of their Big 4.  Probably lose but they'd have a chance at least.

Klay's a bum

 

Durant

Curry

Green

 

Bron

Kyrie

Love

 

It's pretty even, plus the Cavs have a way deeper bench.

Klay is no bum.  Top 3 shooting guard in the league right now.  NBA record for most points in a quarter.  He can beat us.  But a streaky hot JR can nullify him.

 

I do think the Warriors will miss Barbosa and Bogut against the Cavs.  The re-emergence of Javale McGee mitigates the loss of Bogut.  The guys we have to watch out for are Livingston and Iggy.  Those two have the potential to swing the momentum of a game/series.  I can't understate how crucial it was that the injury slowed Iggy down last year.

While I was driving to get lunch Phelps on 92.3 was discussing how few minutes Love actually played in last year's finals after going out with the concussion in Game 2.  I hadn't realized that, the Cavs are basically adding him back if he stays healthy.

I know it sounds crazy but adding Kyle Korver is often overlooked by many folks nationally, including Vegas oddsmakers.

^My guess is Deron Williams plays a bigger role in these Finals.  It was not too long ago that he was considered a top 3 PG in the league and he quickly gotten himself back into shape since being signed by the Cavs.  He has played very well these past few games.

 

On the down side, we don't have Delly.  He really harassed Curry and got in his head the past two Finals.

The Warriors have 4 of the top ~20-25 players in the league.

 

The Cavs have 3.

 

In an open draft of the two rosters, it'd go LeBron, Durant, Curry, Irving, Klay, Draymond/Love.  So the Cavs will need to pick up the slack with TT, JR, Korver OR have LeBron go insane for a couple games.

The Warriors have 4 of the top ~20-25 players in the league.

 

The Cavs have 3.

 

In an open draft of the two rosters, it'd go LeBron, Durant, Curry, Irving, Klay, Draymond/Love.  So the Cavs will need to pick up the slack with TT, JR, Korver OR have LeBron go insane for a couple games.

 

You can't reduce the game of basketball to a simple rating of individuals on both teams.  Sure, if the Cavs didn't have Lebron and Kyrie, there'd be a significant talent gap that would be nearly impossible to overcome.  But I think the talent levels are close enough and the two rosters both have enough star power that the game will be determined by subtleties (bench depth/performance, who has an off night and when, guys getting into foul trouble, injuries or lack thereof, making free throws, etc.).

Well the beauty of this is we will find out which is the better team soon enough. 

^It going to be a long week of waiting...

^It going to be a long week of waiting...

 

I'll take the wait...as long as Lue, LeBron and the gang are spending hours with film working up schemes to disrupt and dismantle Golden State. 

 

Is it too early to take a poll on attendance for the 2nd championship parade?  :drunk:

Mike Brown is back again:  http://nypost.com/2017/05/26/this-is-mike-browns-chance-for-revenge-on-lebron-james/

 

Also mentioned in the article, his son Cameron plays football at Case Western Reserve.

Mike Brown is back again:  http://nypost.com/2017/05/26/this-is-mike-browns-chance-for-revenge-on-lebron-james/

 

Also mentioned in the article, his son Cameron plays football at Case Western Reserve.

 

My cat that just passed away was originally with my cousin who took him to her rental car office at times.

 

He bit Mike Brown.

Mike Brown is back again:  http://nypost.com/2017/05/26/this-is-mike-browns-chance-for-revenge-on-lebron-james/

 

Also mentioned in the article, his son Cameron plays football at Case Western Reserve.

 

My cat that just passed away was originally with my cousin who took him to her rental car office at times.

 

He bit Mike Brown.

 

LOL I take that as a good omen.

 

I don't dislike Mike Brown, he was one of the many issues that the Cavs had the first time around with Lebron. However his stints at LA and back again in Cle proves that his coaching isn't that great. So keep your trap shut.

 

 

Since Mike Brown can't make adjustments, expect the warriors to win early in this series.  I believe they will win game 1 or game 2, and I think they take game 3 in cleveland. I think Cavs will figure out how to shut them down as the series progresses. They have two coaches essentially, Lue and Lebron. The warriors have a bad coach, a guy who has never won a championship as their star and a bunch of three point shooters

My cat that just passed away was originally with my cousin who took him to her rental car office at times.

 

He bit Mike Brown.

 

I find that animals are a better judge of humans than other humans.

Since Mike Brown can't make adjustments, expect the warriors to win early in this series.  I believe they will win game 1 or game 2, and I think they take game 3 in cleveland. I think Cavs will figure out how to shut them down as the series progresses. They have two coaches essentially, Lue and Lebron. The warriors have a bad coach, a guy who has never won a championship as their star and a bunch of three point shooters

 

Mike Brown is no Red Auerbach, but the fact that he has been hired by the Cavs (twice), the Lakers, and has now been entrusted with the GSW sans Kerr, belies this notion that he is so terrible.  Don't forget that he took a team to the Finals which had Sasha Pavlovich, Drew Gooden, and Eric Snow in the starting lineup.

 

As for the Warriors roster, anyone suggesting that it is anything but deadly potent is kidding themselves.

Since Mike Brown can't make adjustments, expect the warriors to win early in this series.  I believe they will win game 1 or game 2, and I think they take game 3 in cleveland. I think Cavs will figure out how to shut them down as the series progresses. They have two coaches essentially, Lue and Lebron. The warriors have a bad coach, a guy who has never won a championship as their star and a bunch of three point shooters

 

Mike Brown is no Red Auerbach, but the fact that he has been hired by the Cavs (twice), the Lakers, and has now been entrusted with the GSW sans Kerr, belies this notion that he is so terrible.  Don't forget that he took a team to the Finals which had Sasha Pavlovich, Drew Gooden, and Eric Snow in the starting lineup.

 

As for the Warriors roster, anyone suggesting that it is anything but deadly potent is kidding themselves.

 

Its certainly deadly...but the media hypes them more than they deserve to be.  Lets face it...if the cavs werent decimated two years ago, you can argue these guys wouldnt have a ring.  The Cavs have a track record of taking the Warriors out of their game.  They dont splash threes all game against the Cavs.  Curry has never looked like an MVP against the cavs.  The Cavs know how to muck games up against the warriors and take them out of their rhythm.  If they are marginalized (why would anyone think it will be different this year?)...then the two most important players for GSW are Green and Durant.  Durant has a lifetime 5-18 record vs Lebron and has never gotten "over the top". and we know how hard that is to get over the top.  I just think the Media sways everyones feelings on this.  Are they great?  Yes.  Are they unstoppable.  Not a chance.  They havent sniffed a test yet.  My bad, they did when the Spurs had Kawhi and they were getting blown out.

^There's no question that having no K. Love and losing Kyrie to the Klay Thompson knee-to-knee bang in OT in Game 1, doomed our championship run for 2015 (and of course, we still somehow managed to go up 2-1 on the Warriors in those Finals with a worn-out LeBron leading a bunch of guys named Joe).  The constant to Curry not looking like an MVP against the Cavs has always been Kyrie.  Kyrie outplayed him in Game 1 of 2015 and blocked his shot with 24 seconds left in regulation which could/should have led to a Game 1 Cavs win had LeBron decided to drive to the hole on the following play rather than dribbling down the clock for a 3-point shot that clanked ... which begat overtime ... which begat losing Kyrie to the aforementioned knee bang.

 

Kyrie's eyes seem to light up with Steph's on the floor.  His competitive nature no doubt refuses to allow him to accept that Steph is better than him-- and, in fact, Kyrie overall may be a better player than Curry -- switch Kyrie for Steph and see who does better in the other guy's situation -- especially, see whether Steph meshes better with LeBron.  And of course, not only did Kyrie bury critical shots leading to GSW's demise in the 2016 Finals as well as in the Christmas Day 2016 game, he frustrated Steph so much that Steph fired his (in)famous mouthpiece into the Q stands after he fouled out in Game 6. 

we need at least one insane game out of nowhere from jr (as usual) and like something something from korver shooting-wise and if everybody else consistently plays at their own top level we are good. thats asking a lot , but hey now or never its time to step up an prove the cavs are no fluke vs gsw like the media kind of try to make them out to be.

I won't be surprised either way. It seems a win-win for the Cavs as long as you don't get blown out, you either beat GSW, or GSW had to sign freaking KD to beat you.

 

I do feel like the cavs lost those first two games last year in part to them trying to run complex switching schemes on D. It seemed once they simplified their D and trusted their talent things got much tighter the rest of the series. Plus they started running straight at Steph on offense.

 

Is possible JR and Draymond will make through the series without getting T'd up? Now that's unbelievable.

 

Edit: Holy crap, I forgot GSW only score 89pts in game 7.

 

Updated logo for next year.