NBA Playoffs

[champs99and04]

Love has held up pretty well given what they've asked him to do. He's probably a better perimeter defender than he gets credit for - he moves his feet pretty well and seems to understand positioning. He's not quick enough to spring back to the shooting pocket on step backs, but those shots are usually OK to give up.

Where he hurts you more, I think, is as a help defender. Doesn't give you much in the way of rim protection.

 

[intlzncster]

You've got to be kidding me. Steph is demoralizing.

 

[superjohn]

Curry is ridiculous.

 

[jleves]

Curry is ridiculous.

 

[intlzncster]

Cavs can't hit the open three to save their life.

Meanwhile Curry drills another in the corner. game over

 

[auror]

Curry has auto scope hacks.

 

[Scoe]

Curry wants that MVP.

 

[Scoe]

Curry definitely wanted to shoot that one its a wrap ball game over series over.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

This is gonna sound like i’m attacking specific teams, but I think something that doesn’t get talked about enough is the amount of moving/illegal screens are allowed in today’s game. Both of these teams have utilized it, literally guys hugging the defender to prevent him from getting over it.

 

[superjohn]

Cavs can't hit the open three to save their life.

Meanwhile Curry drills another in the corner. game over

They were draining them in the third quarter but getting in a shooting contest with the best 3 point shooter ever and another top 3 all-time shooter is not a winning formula.

 

[auror]

Well you're not beating the Warriors at home when Curry hits 9 3's on >50% shooting.

You're not staying within 15.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

See if I was trying to defend Curry I would face guard him and let him get to the basket if he gets by the guy. He’s taking 18 3 pointers for a reason. And he hasn’t been finishing in traffic as well as he has in the past.

 

[tzznandrew]

This is gonna sound like i’m attacking specific teams, but I think something that doesn’t get talked about enough is the amount of moving/illegal screens are allowed in today’s game. Both of these teams have utilized it, literally guys hugging the defender to prevent him from getting over it.

I agree. Both teams have been doing it and it's been incredibly frustrating to watch.

 

[superjohn]

This isn't meant as any sort of criticism on Lebron but Kevin Love is basically just a spot up 3 point shooter now just as Bosh was in Miami. These were dominant power forwards who turned into guys who just camp out at the corner 3 line playing with Lebron. It just seems like such a waste of two great players.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I agree. Both teams have been doing it and it's been incredibly frustrating to watch.

Like, the way the game is played and officiated is already hard enough on defenses, and now guys can grab the defender to get the matchup they want. This brand of NBA along with all the threes is not as fun to watch.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

This isn't meant as any sort of criticism on Lebron but Kevin Love is basically just a spot up 3 point shooter now just as Bosh was in Miami. These were dominant power forwards who turned into guys who just camp out at the corner 3 line playing with Lebron. It just seems like such a waste of two great players.

Well when Love tries to go in the post now he gets pushed around and blocked because of his lack of athleticism, he is playing to his strengths now, which haven’t been very strong.

 

[tzznandrew]

Like, the way the game is played and officiated is already hard enough on defenses, and now guys can grab the defender to get the matchup they want. This brand of NBA along with all the threes is not as fun to watch.

If they just called those--not even the moving picks, for the love of god, just the grabs you've identified--it would be so much more enjoyable.

 

[superjohn]

Guys, they used to clutch and grab way more in the past. As a perimeter player you were getting hand checked the whole time before getting laid out at the rim.

 

[auror]

This isn't meant as any sort of criticism on Lebron but Kevin Love is basically just a spot up 3 point shooter now just as Bosh was in Miami. These were dominant power forwards who turned into guys who just camp out at the corner 3 line playing with Lebron. It just seems like such a waste of two great players.

He cut to the basket a couple times tonight to great effect, especially in 3rd quarter when Cavs made their run. His post-ups are definitely few and far between now (but post-ups are generally not great plays unless you have a mismatch anyways).

I'm also not sure this is a LeBron thing as much as an NBA league thing. Boogie Cousins is shooting 3's in this era.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Guys, they used to clutch and grab way more in the past. As a perimeter player you were getting hand checked the whole time before getting laid out at the rim.

You always have to have a different opinion. We are talking about the illegal screens, not the hand checking in the past. Screens were tougher back then, but they weren’t illegal anywhere to this degree.

 

[Yardigan]

As someone who has suffered the same way Lebron has, shave your damn head already.

Agree....and you'd think the sitch is likely to get worse not better...am just curious....Thinking that having to shave a plug zone would be pretty high maintenance?...if /when he gives in...the plugs that are in the front....do they pull those out?

 

[champs99and04]

Cleveland has gotten absolutely nothing from the Smith/Korver platoon. 6 of 25 between them for the series. (I still think Korver should play more and Smith less).

Hard to say LeBron was great tonight but also hard to say he wasn't great. Everything runs through him. Even the plays he's not assisting on, he's racking up hockey assists. Defensively and on the boards his impact isn't what it could be if he played less minutes.

If there's a path for Cleveland to get back into this series, it's on the offensive glass. 34 offensive rebounds in two games compared to 11 for Golden State (some of that is the Warriors hitting more shots, but it's still an enormous number). We know Golden State has better players across the board, but that's a really small margin for error.

I'm still really bitter about game one. This series is closer than I thought heading in, but down 2-0, it probably doesn't matter. If it's 1-1 heading back to Cleveland, with Iguodala's return looking less likely, and something being off about Golden State compared to last year, you have a chance.

 

[Horatio]

The Cavs have held on to JR Smith for too long.
It’s killing them. The end.

 

[Robertelamin]

LeBron pads his stats in another finals loss.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

LeBron pads his stats in another finals loss.

In what sense? I’d love to hear this one.