June 17, 201511 yr The better team won. I tweeted last night that if GS wasn't making shots, Lebron could almost pull it off on his own. But when they were making shots, he couldn't. Had it not been for Mosgov's help, the Cav's may not have won a game. Shumpert, JR Smith, and Dellavadova are trash. Shumpert is hurt, but yes on the other two.
June 17, 201511 yr Na, they're just the luckiest team in league history apparently....:lol2: They won all four series that included significant injuries to their opponents or were the result of injuries. They played a green Pelicans team because Durant and Ibaka were hurt and OKC missed the playoffs. Conley was hurt. Howard was hurt for much of the year and Houston never really had much rhythm with him. And then they played a team in the Finals that lost two of its three all stars. List one team that has had that much luck fall their way on their way to the title. Not saying they wouldn't have won anyway, we'll never know that but they were blessed this year.
June 17, 201511 yr Cavs may have looked different if they'd have kept Wig. Just sayin. Their small line-up would have been more dynamic.
June 17, 201511 yr They won all four series that included significant injuries to their opponents or were the result of injuries. They played a green Pelicans team because Durant and Ibaka were hurt and OKC missed the playoffs. Conley was hurt. Howard was hurt for much of the year and Houston never really had much rhythm with him. And then they played a team in the Finals that lost two of its three all stars. List one team that has had that much luck fall their way on their way to the title. Not saying they wouldn't have won anyway, we'll never know that but they were blessed this year. I agree a lot bounced their way in the form of opposition. On the flip side, they took care of business and rolled through the playoffs. The first sign of any adversity (being down 2-1 twice), they took those series more serious and brought the wrath in not losing another game with only 1 of those 6 games ever being in any doubt.
June 17, 201511 yr They won all four series that included significant injuries to their opponents or were the result of injuries. They played a green Pelicans team because Durant and Ibaka were hurt and OKC missed the playoffs. Conley was hurt. Howard was hurt for much of the year and Houston never really had much rhythm with him. And then they played a team in the Finals that lost two of its three all stars. No, we can never know, but these hypotheticals on injuries aren't straightforward. If players had been healthy for long stretches of time, we wouldn't have been looking at Warriors/Thunder in the first round anyway because OKC isn't an eight seed when they're healthy. And the Cavs greatest success in the Finals was when they managed to clamp down defensively and keep the Warriors' shooters from going off. Had Love and Irving been healthy, Dellavedova and Thompson don't get all those minutes, the team isn't as good defensively but we have a Finals with a lot more scoring for both teams and a much different look than the one we got.
June 17, 201511 yr No, we can never know, but these hypotheticals on injuries aren't straightforward. If players had been healthy for long stretches of time, we wouldn't have been looking at Warriors/Thunder in the first round anyway because OKC isn't an eight seed when they're healthy. And the Cavs greatest success in the Finals was when they managed to clamp down defensively and keep the Warriors' shooters from going off. Had Love and Irving been healthy, Dellavedova and Thompson don't get all those minutes, the team isn't as good defensively but we have a Finals with a lot more scoring for both teams and a much different look than the one we got. For that matter, the Cavaliers had no shortage of being helped thorough the Eastern conference playoffs by other teams' misfortunes as well. Great post. :thumb:
June 17, 201511 yr "LeBron James needs more help." The rallying cry of 75% of LeBron's career. The exceptions being his first three years in Miami. Not fully dismissing the notion, but it just seems to follow him each season.
June 17, 201511 yr We for instance let's slot OKC into the 4 seed. Running through the 8 seed Spurs, 4 seed Thunder and then the Rockets and a healthy Cavs. Trust the Warroirs to get through that? As for Delly and TT, they're better in small doses. If Cleveland's healthy they play fewer minutes and their faults don't become as exposed. LeBron becomes efficient with the full roster. Completely different series with Cleveland healthy. Maybe still not enough, but they would have had a chance.
June 17, 201511 yr And the East is garbage. Atlanta is horrible as a 1 seed, Chicago is chronically overrated due to their regular season record, and everyone else is bad. No hiding that.
June 17, 201511 yr Poor form when your team loses to complain about injuries and claim the other team was just lucky instead of giving them their due. Warriors would've beaten them all healthy or not. They were clearly the best team in the league this season.
June 17, 201511 yr Poor form when your team loses to complain about injuries and claim the other team was just lucky instead of giving them their due. Warriors would've beaten them all healthy or not. They were clearly the best team in the league this season. I tend to agree. The Cavs "healthy" through the season (with their Big 3) went 53-29. A 14 win differential. 5th best in the league and probably about where they were. In fairness, after their slow 19-20 start, them and the Warriors had the league's best records with some of the Cavs' losses being at the end when things were decided.
June 17, 201511 yr Lebron now 2-4 in finals Cleveland 0-2 Miami 2-2 3 of the 4 defeats have concluded on his home court. That sucks. Not his play sucks, that just plain sucks for him.
June 17, 201511 yr I don't watch very much NBA but will occasionally watch the playoffs. One problem I have with the league is they allow too much hacking and fouling to occur. Golden State was clearlty the best team this year but they get away with a lot of no-call fouls, more so than what Cleveland did. Some of those guys would last about 10 minutes in a college game the way they slap and hack and push one another. Curry for one is very good at that skill.
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