"Pre-Season" GMAT Eastern Conference Finals

[damecurry]

Was gonna wait and post this at the same time as the WCF but we're struggling to get a final vote there and I don't see any reason/need to wait.

1. Cleveland vs. 2. Memphis
CLE:
PG: Kyrie Irving/Mo Williams/Matt Dellavedova
SG: Khris Middleton/JR Smith
SF: LeBron James/Luol Deng/Gerald Green
PF: Kevin Love/Marcus Morris
C: Timofey Mozgov/Anderson Varejao
2.
MEM:
Jrue Holiday / Norris Cole / Leandro Barbosa / Vince Carter
Jimmy Butler / Tony Allen / Jordan Adams
Kawhi Leonard/ Wilson Chandler / Matt Barnes
Draymond Green / Zach Randolph/ Jarell Martin
Roy Hibbert / Chris Anderson

[SimonFish]

Very close series here with the amazing match-ups (LBJ vs Kawhi, Love vs Green, Jimmy vs Middleton). I am going with CLE in 7 with HCA.

[spearsy23]

I'm taking Memphis in 6. As much talent as Cleveland has they still live and die by Lebron. Memphis has 5 different tough matchups to throw at him, and Can also put Butler on Irving. Randolph will beast off the bench and an unselfish Mem team will have slightly less trouble scoring than Cle. I feel weird about this pick after picking Chi over Memphis last round, but Cle is more reliant on perimeter scorers and I think the Grizzlies are set up perfectly to shut that down.

[ThunderFan123]

I think that 2/3 duo for Memphis is unstoppable. Cleveland does have LeBron. I just look at that Memphis bench and they have Randolph and Chandler coming off that bench. Memphis in 7 barely


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[pelifan]

I'd vote Cle personally. But I understand my team is a lot better than the sum of it's parts especially on the defensive end.

[DroppinDimes]

I'd vote Cle personally. But I understand my team is a lot better than the sum of it's parts especially on the defensive end.

I appreciate that pelifan Based on the votes, it makes it seem like its LeBron and the bums it would definitely be a heck of a series.


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[pelifan]

I'd vote Cle personally. But I understand my team is a lot better than the sum of it's parts especially on the defensive end.

I appreciate that pelifan Based on the votes, it makes it seem like its LeBron and the bums it would definitely be a heck of a series.


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That's a lot of shooting around Lebron. Lebron is an interesting case. I feel like he makes really untalented teams better than the sum of it's parts but on more talented teams they get worse than the sum of there parts. I don't understand why he can't play spurs ball and let his teammates score and create. He's very selfishly unselfish, him and Durant have so much talent and so much talent around them, I almost feel like they are too talented for their own good in some respects because they can do everything and so they don't need to play team ball and there are nights when they are better off Jordaning it.

[DroppinDimes]

I'd vote Cle personally. But I understand my team is a lot better than the sum of it's parts especially on the defensive end.

I appreciate that pelifan Based on the votes, it makes it seem like its LeBron and the bums it would definitely be a heck of a series.


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That's a lot of shooting around Lebron. Lebron is an interesting case. I feel like he makes really untalented teams better than the sum of it's parts but on more talented teams they get worse than the sum of there parts. I don't understand why he can't play spurs ball and let his teammates score and create. He's very selfishly unselfish, him and Durant have so much talent and so much talent around them, I almost feel like they are too talented for their own good in some respects because they can do everything and so they don't need to play team ball and there are nights when they are better off Jordaning it.

I kind of hear what you're saying but don't completely agree. I do agree he elevates the game of bums The Cavs had no business being in the finals this year, let alone winning 2 games. With that said, I don't think with more talent, his teams become worse. The guy is so damn good, his own teams just depend on him to do everything. I don't think he's ever been on a team that has gotten worse. You look when he was with the Heat. He carried that team to 2 titles and they had the big 3. Obviously with more talent around him, star players like Bosh and Love are going to see a dip in stats. That's just the nature of having a lot of talent on one team. There is only one ball. I truly believe that if Love and Kyrie were healthy, the Cavs would have won the title. Towards the end of the year, the Cavs were playing great basketball.


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[spearsy23]

I appreciate that pelifan Based on the votes, it makes it seem like its LeBron and the bums it would definitely be a heck of a series.


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That's a lot of shooting around Lebron. Lebron is an interesting case. I feel like he makes really untalented teams better than the sum of it's parts but on more talented teams they get worse than the sum of there parts. I don't understand why he can't play spurs ball and let his teammates score and create. He's very selfishly unselfish, him and Durant have so much talent and so much talent around them, I almost feel like they are too talented for their own good in some respects because they can do everything and so they don't need to play team ball and there are nights when they are better off Jordaning it.

I kind of hear what you're saying but don't completely agree. I do agree he elevates the game of bums The Cavs had no business being in the finals this year, let alone winning 2 games. With that said, I don't think with more talent, his teams become worse. The guy is so damn good, his own teams just depend on him to do everything. I don't think he's ever been on a team that has gotten worse. You look when he was with the Heat. He carried that team to 2 titles and they had the big 3. Obviously with more talent around him, star players like Bosh and Love are going to see a dip in stats. That's just the nature of having a lot of talent on one team. There is only one ball. I truly believe that if Love and Kyrie were healthy, the Cavs would have won the title. Towards the end of the year, the Cavs were playing great basketball.


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He didn't say they get worse, just worse than the sum of their parts. I can kinda buy it, Lebron does everything and unless you surround him with guys who basically shoot and defend he is going to cut into their effectiveness in other areas. The team is still better because they have Lebron, but there isn't as much of an increase as adding Lebron would suggest. It's really subjective and I don't know that there's a definite answer, but you WOULD think a team with Lebron/Wade/Bosh would have done more than they actually did.

[Note30]

Memphis here that defense is just crazy scary, if they can hold a team passing system this could be better than most teams in the NBA right now.

[spearsy23]

Memphis is up 3-1

[DroppinDimes]

That's a lot of shooting around Lebron. Lebron is an interesting case. I feel like he makes really untalented teams better than the sum of it's parts but on more talented teams they get worse than the sum of there parts. I don't understand why he can't play spurs ball and let his teammates score and create. He's very selfishly unselfish, him and Durant have so much talent and so much talent around them, I almost feel like they are too talented for their own good in some respects because they can do everything and so they don't need to play team ball and there are nights when they are better off Jordaning it.

I kind of hear what you're saying but don't completely agree. I do agree he elevates the game of bums The Cavs had no business being in the finals this year, let alone winning 2 games. With that said, I don't think with more talent, his teams become worse. The guy is so damn good, his own teams just depend on him to do everything. I don't think he's ever been on a team that has gotten worse. You look when he was with the Heat. He carried that team to 2 titles and they had the big 3. Obviously with more talent around him, star players like Bosh and Love are going to see a dip in stats. That's just the nature of having a lot of talent on one team. There is only one ball. I truly believe that if Love and Kyrie were healthy, the Cavs would have won the title. Towards the end of the year, the Cavs were playing great basketball.


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He didn't say they get worse, just worse than the sum of their parts. I can kinda buy it, Lebron does everything and unless you surround him with guys who basically shoot and defend he is going to cut into their effectiveness in other areas. The team is still better because they have Lebron, but there isn't as much of an increase as adding Lebron would suggest. It's really subjective and I don't know that there's a definite answer, but you WOULD think a team with Lebron/Wade/Bosh would have
done more than they actually did.[/
quote]

4 consecutive NBA finals and 2 championships is a success. It's easy to think they should have done more but at the end of the day, that team was flawed beyond the big 3. When they lost to the Spurs, Wade was ineffective considering he was playing on one leg. It was going to be hard to beat the Spurs with a healthy Wade, let alone a banged up Wade.





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[spearsy23]

I kind of hear what you're saying but don't completely agree. I do agree he elevates the game of bums The Cavs had no business being in the finals this year, let alone winning 2 games. With that said, I don't think with more talent, his teams become worse. The guy is so damn good, his own teams just depend on him to do everything. I don't think he's ever been on a team that has gotten worse. You look when he was with the Heat. He carried that team to 2 titles and they had the big 3. Obviously with more talent around him, star players like Bosh and Love are going to see a dip in stats. That's just the nature of having a lot of talent on one team. There is only one ball. I truly believe that if Love and Kyrie were healthy, the Cavs would have won the title. Towards the end of the year, the Cavs were playing great basketball.


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He didn't say they get worse, just worse than the sum of their parts. I can kinda buy it, Lebron does everything and unless you surround him with guys who basically shoot and defend he is going to cut into their effectiveness in other areas. The team is still better because they have Lebron, but there isn't as much of an increase as adding Lebron would suggest. It's really subjective and I don't know that there's a definite answer, but you WOULD think a team with Lebron/Wade/Bosh would have
done more than they actually did.

4 consecutive NBA finals and 2 championships is a success. It's easy to think they should have done more but at the end of the day, that team was flawed beyond the big 3. When they lost to the Spurs, Wade was ineffective considering he was playing on one leg. It was going to be hard to beat the Spurs with a healthy Wade, let alone a banged up Wade.


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It's not that they weren't successful, they really were, but you can make the case that they had the two best players in the world plus a third top 10 guy going into year 1. Post year 1 things got weird, Wade and Bosh both had to sacrifice big time to fit Lebron's game (rightfully since he was the best player). Wade became a Scottie Pippen good number 2. For most players that isn't a knock, but Wade was better than Pippen so that's immediately turning into 'less than the sum of the parts.' Then you add Bosh who goes from a do it all semi-star to somebody who is closer to Draymond Green, again still great but less than what he was supposed to be. On paper those Heat had two players with top 20 all time peaks (Maybe even a case for two top ten) and a third sure fire hall of famer all in their prime, plus multiple 3&D players. They really should have been Shaq and Kobe Lakers Dominant if you look at the names, but the overall team was less than that. And while they still made the finals yearly they had no real challengers in the East, even the teams they struggled with (with the possible exception of the Bulls, but I don't buy it) wouldn't have had a chance in the finals.

[damecurry]

I don't understand how cleveland's down in this series, personally, honestly I think they are by far the best team constructed.
CLE in 6, yeah memphis has a fantastic team concept, fit, structure and definitely one of the best defenses I've ever seen assembelled here. But Cleveland also fits like a glove, has a great supporting cast, and the best player in the world. As a warrior fan who watched Lebron win 2 games with a bunch of mediocre role-players around him in the finals, with kyrie/love healthy a vastly better version of shump in middleton, I mean if they're healthy no one is touching this team imo.

[MadNESS]

This series is tough.

Memphis has like 5 guys to throw at lebron, that could literally slow him down.

If Jrue was healthy, and Hibbert was what he once was, I'd say Memphis in 5, but I am going to take Memphis in a tight game 7.

I like the Cavs team don't get me wrong, but the Cavs have already shown with Kyrie and Love that they don't mesh together well.

Again tough, but Memphis in7

[DroppinDimes]

At least we can move on to the finals Removing myself from this and acting just as a fan, I have no idea how the Cavs lost this. The Cavs have the advantage at 3 of the starting spots and I would even say 4 spots because Love is more talented than Green and they have the best player in the world. Memphis could throw who ever they wanted at LeBron but it really wouldn't matter. No one can stop the guy. Even if they decided to try to take him out the game which you can't, you have Kyrie, Middleton, and Love who are some of the best players at their position.

Memphis is good defensively but they can't stop everyone on the Cavs. On the offensive end, Memphis lacks a true go to guy. Butler and Leonard are good 2 way players but they are not elite scorers. The team also doesn't have very good shooters.

Anyway congrats to Memphis though. Let's get the Finals started.


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[pelifan]

At least we can move on to the finals Removing myself from this and acting just as a fan, I have no idea how the Cavs lost this. The Cavs have the advantage at 3 of the starting spots and I would even say 4 spots because Love is more talented than Green and they have the best player in the world. Memphis could throw who ever they wanted at LeBron but it really wouldn't matter. No one can stop the guy. Even if they decided to try to take him out the game which you can't, you have Kyrie, Middleton, and Love who are some of the best players at their position.

Memphis is good defensively but they can't stop everyone on the Cavs. On the offensive end, Memphis lacks a true go to guy. Butler and Leonard are good 2 way players but they are not elite scorers. The team also doesn't have very good shooters.

Anyway congrats to Memphis though. Let's get the Finals started.


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Lol I beat Cleveland with Middleton... That would never happen.

[DroppinDimes]

At least we can move on to the finals Removing myself from this and acting just as a fan, I have no idea how the Cavs lost this. The Cavs have the advantage at 3 of the starting spots and I would even say 4 spots because Love is more talented than Green and they have the best player in the world. Memphis could throw who ever they wanted at LeBron but it really wouldn't matter. No one can stop the guy. Even if they decided to try to take him out the game which you can't, you have Kyrie, Middleton, and Love who are some of the best players at their position.

Memphis is good defensively but they can't stop everyone on the Cavs. On the offensive end, Memphis lacks a true go to guy. Butler and Leonard are good 2 way players but they are not elite scorers. The team also doesn't have very good shooters.

Anyway congrats to Memphis though. Let's get the Finals started.


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Lol I beat Cleveland with Middleton... That would never happen.

I'm pretty shocked as well I guess I'll just call it LeBron hate it's all good though, it's a game.



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