NBA Finals Thread

[bballgrda]

The best part will be when people use Lebrons losing this series as some sort of significant blemish on his resume

 

[Walker11]

Right and teams who can compete on the 2nd tier level might just feel they are better off just tanking instead, making the league even less competitive.

The NBA could find themselves in a predicament. Tanking won't go THAT far but individual team incentives are varied and skewed right now. Junkies like me will watch the product regardless. But I am sure Silver must be slightly concerned. The NBA is ripe for exploding as the most popular league but the question of competition is very valid. There was a flukey set of circumstances which led to the possibility of this team but make sure it doesn't happen again. No maximum salaries, please. Done, problem solved.

 

[Scoe]

The best part will be when people use Lebrons losing this series as some sort of significant blemish on his resume

MJ would never let GS go off like this and would have simultaneously shutdown KD and Steph.

 

[Scoe]

The NBA could find themselves in a predicament. Tanking won't go THAT far but individual team incentives are varied and skewed right now. Junkies like me will watch the product regardless. But I am sure Silver must be slightly concerned. The NBA is ripe for exploding as the most popular league but the question of competition is very valid. There was a flukey set of circumstances which led to the possibility of this team but make sure it doesn't happen again. No maximum salaries, please. Done, problem solved.

Who in the upcoming years are closest to challenging GS my guess is Cleveland and SA.

 

[BUConn10]

bad look for the league tonight.

 

[Scoe]

The NBA could find themselves in a predicament. Tanking won't go THAT far but individual team incentives are varied and skewed right now. Junkies like me will watch the product regardless. But I am sure Silver must be slightly concerned. The NBA is ripe for exploding as the most popular league but the question of competition is very valid. There was a flukey set of circumstances which led to the possibility of this team but make sure it doesn't happen again. No maximum salaries, please. Done, problem solved.

Honestly I wouldn't blame teams for tanking as bad it would suck for fans and the league, i think a team like the Celtics should just collect picks hope GS falls off some, and get lucky. GS got lucky getting Curry, Thompson and Green in the draft.

 

[Walker11]

Who in the upcoming years are closest to challenging GS my guess is Cleveland and SA.

Cleveland, I guess. Weird things need to happen right now.

Honestly I wouldn't blame teams for tanking as bad it would suck for fans and the league, i think a team like the Celtics should just collect picks hope GS falls off some, and get lucky. GS got lucky getting Curry, Thompson and Green in the draft.

Ya, no point for the Celtics to tank when they have BK's picks. They are in a truly awesome situation. There are a lot of teams who I am very excited to see in 3-4 years. I would love to see an NBA where the Bucks, Sixers, Wolves are amongst the upper echelon. Please make an enormous leap, Giannis. Please stay healthy, Joel.

 

[Scoe]

Cleveland, I guess. Weird things need to happen right now.



Ya, no point for the Celtics to tank when they have BK's picks. They are in a truly awesome situation. There are a lot of teams who I am very excited to see in 3-4 years. I would love to see an NBA where the Bucks, Sixers, Wolves are amongst the upper echelon. Please make an enormous leap, Giannis. Please stay healthy, Joel.

Well ya I meant the Celtics should just stick with the draft and not trying to go after max FA just yet.

 

[intlzncster]

Steph wins the championship and decides he wants to bring a championship to his beloved hometown Charlotte Hornets this offseason. Or KD decides this was too easy and attempts to bring a 'ship back to OKC with Russ.

If they stay healthy, this is kinda unfair. I still think the Cavs make this a competitive series but GSW has too much talent. They will have a very difficult time resigning AI and Livingston, who are terrific role players who perfectly fit their system. The problem is that ring chasing vets will be lining up to join up with the Dubs. And the whole, having 3 of the best shooters ever, the 2nd best SF of all time, the best shooter of all time, the 2nd best jack of all trades player in the league, and of course, Javale thing.

Don't forget Zaza he was beastin tonight!

 

[bballgrda]

You jest, but he nearly started in the All Star Game for the West.

 

[Walker11]

Well ya I meant the Celtics should just stick with the draft and not trying to go after max FA just yet.

Ehh. By the time the Warriors are projected to break up, their speculative max FA signing would be about to come off the books. There is no shame with being the 2nd best team in the NBA, and if that has to be their goal with an unstoppable Warriors franchise, go for it and hope for luck.

The Warriors do appear unbeatable for the foreseeable future but we have seen it before in the NBA. Weird stuff happens. They are not going to run train on the league for the next 4 years even though it may be hard to envision otherwise after watching Game 1.

 

[bballgrda]

Ehh. By the time the Warriors are projected to break up, their speculative max FA signing would be about to come off the books. There is no shame with being the 2nd best team in the NBA, and if that has to be their goal with an unstoppable Warriors franchise, go for it and hope for luck.

The Warriors do appear unbeatable for the foreseeable future but we have seen it before in the NBA. Weird stuff happens. They are not going to run train on the league for the next 4 years even though it may be hard to envision otherwise after watching Game 1.

What do you think is the most likely way they get taken down?

A) Injuries
B) Splitting up
C) Other teams get better
D) None of the above

 

[intlzncster]

You jest, but he nearly started in the All Star Game for the West.

I wasn't even kidding the guy played really well tonight. My boy was pumping him up pregame, and I was making fun of him. Every time I turned around, he was doing something else.

 

[intlzncster]

What do you think is the most likely way they get taken down?

A) Injuries
B) Splitting up
C) Other teams get better
D) None of the above

A

 

[Walker11]

What do you think is the most likely way they get taken down?

A) Injuries
B) Splitting up
C) Other teams get better
D) None of the above

Probably injuries. If KD and Steph complete this offseason as Dubs, the splitting up option seems to be off the table. I can't really see another team getting to that level. 2 top 5 players, 4 top 20, all being perfect complements to each other - what a ridiculous core.

Who knows, if something weird happens, it will probably be Draymond related. I wouldn't put anything past that guy off the court.

 

[Scoe]

Ehh. By the time the Warriors are projected to break up, their speculative max FA signing would be about to come off the books. There is no shame with being the 2nd best team in the NBA, and if that has to be their goal with an unstoppable Warriors franchise, go for it and hope for luck.

The Warriors do appear unbeatable for the foreseeable future but we have seen it before in the NBA. Weird stuff happens. They are not going to run train on the league for the next 4 years even though it may be hard to envision otherwise after watching Game 1.

It doesn't bother me either way I'm a Knicks fan so no matter what happens they will always suck so I have nothing to worry about.

 

[traitor71]

GS looked unbeatable tonight. I disagree that it was a blow out all the way - the Cavs were close enough at the half, thanks to LBJ, but too many mistakes and missed too many open shots to keep it close.

Curry isn't winning any championships if he leaves GS, unless he goes to the Spurs.
KD isn't going anywhere either. He showed his true colors when he came to the Ws. Once you show the yellow, no sense trying to cover it back up.

Cleveland was outclassed from top to bottom tonight, with the exception of James.

Most entertaining part of the game was the close up of the ridiculous carrying that goes on. Silly, really, that it's gotten to that point. Carry the ball like a serving platter, 4 steps to the rim . . . yikes.

If the next three are blowouts, this will end up being the worst playoffs I can remember.

I don't see the Cavs lasting much longer, in any event. Maybe a year or two, but that's it. James carried them for half tonight, but hard to see him doing it in a couple of years.

It was only close in the first half because Golden State missed a boatload of layups. I don't expect Cleveland to turn the ball over like they did, but even if they play well they will need help from Golden State to win. The Warriors just have so many lineup options that it feels like Cleveland will always be at a disadvantage.

 

[Kembacity]

Yeah hearing KD wants to take less money to keep that core together was like trash to my ears. Going to be horrible for the sport. So the real only way to compete now is to get lucky in the draft a few years consecutively and build a nice core of extremely talented cheap young guys, and then attract talent to go with them once they blossom, or to be a team that has the climate and market to attract a few stars to come together.

That game last night was crazy, Durant was possessed, and good god Draymond is a piece of S***, that play where he backed down lebron, pinned LeBron's arm and got the shot and the foul was horrendous. Even without them being a superteam, I can't stand many of the Warriors. You've got the league's new Bruce Bowen in Draymond, and Steph being such a fake diva that they're nauseating to watch. I liked Steph a few years ago, but to me he does not know how to handle 'greatness'. He just always comes off as such a lame punk who thinks he's the coolest kid on the planet.

I used to dislike LeBron, and I now love the stone faced warrior thing he does on the court. When he showed emotion people hated him, so now he just plays great and has that stone face so no one can say a thing about him

 

[MadDogRevival]

I used to dislike LeBron, and I now love the stone faced warrior thing he does on the court.

Funny, I used to really dislike him as well, while always loving his game. As time has worn on, my respect for him has grown a lot. He's a class guy, a good person, and humble, all things considered.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

The best part will be when people use Lebrons losing this series as some sort of significant blemish on his resume

Well I mean he gets worshiped/ compared to MJ for beating down on crap teams on his cakewalk journey to the finals every year.

So it would only be fair.

 

[intlzncster]

Funny, I used to really dislike him as well, while always loving his game. As time has worn on, my respect for him has grown a lot. He's a class guy, a good person, and humble, all things considered.

Hahahahahahahahahahahah

Least humble guy in the NBA who actually pretends to be humble.

But I enjoy watching him play. I just think he's a dingle. There's no way Lebron should be a flop king either.

 

[Adios]

Wrong thread, but the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Back on topic.

 

[joober jones]

I'm gonna go with Golden State but I'm not sure on the number of games. Let's say in 5, just to be different. 7 games would be more exciting though.
Anyways, I figure that San Francisco has pretty good sourdough pizza. What kind of pizza does Cleveland have? Nothing anybody cares about.

Donato's is pretty good.

 

[tzznandrew]

Cavs playing much better tonight. Firing on all cylinders on offense, and playing better defense. Golden State is WAY too sloppy today. They're still down 6...

They can't rest James for even a second and stay in the game.

 

[awfuldan]

Cavs playing much better tonight. Firing on all cylinders on offense, and playing better defense. Golden State is WAY too sloppy today. They're still down 6...

They can't rest James for even a second and stay in the game.

Yep. Lebron looks really focused. Shumpert on Durant makes sense. How can you ask Lebron to guard Durant all game? Did not work at all last game.