Updated: Finals Thread

Post #1 » by **jbk1234** » Fri May 4, 2018 4:54 am

Didn't think I'd be making this thread but we'd be incredibly lucky to close out the Raptors quick and have that Celtics/Sixers series go six or seven.

I still think the Sixers figure out to play inside out with Embiid by Game 5 but I'd be very happy to see that young Celtics team in an ECF.

cheese318 · Post #2 » by **cheese318** » Fri May 4, 2018 5:11 am

I agree. I think the Cavs matchup better against the Celtics over the 76ers. Gotta beat TOR before worrying about the next round. Sweep could be en route but I expect a real close game on saturday

jbk1234 wrote:Didn't think I'd be making this thread but we'd be incredibly lucky to close out the Raptors quick and have that Celtics/Sixers series go six or seven.

I still think the Sixers figure out to play inside out with Embiid by Game 5 but I'd be very happy to see that young Celtics team in an ECF.

kiwibrindle · Post #3 » by **kiwibrindle** » Fri May 4, 2018 12:58 pm

Agree with all comments above. I'm glued to the tube again. If LBJ were to leave after this run there would be no reason to watch the Cavs at all.

Back to the topic: The biggest weakness I see on our squad is that we have no solid Big. Hood is solid when healthy at the one, JR is solid although has slowed, LBJ well I think we are okay at the 3 :-)

, if Klove has his head on straight he's fine, but TT, Nance, etc are weak against the likes of: Valanciunas, Horford, Embiid, Capela, McGee or anyone else we run into. That's the issue this year and we will be fine likely until if and when we run into the clips again in my mind. They have too much for an aging team

Stillwater · Post #4 » by **Stillwater** » Fri May 4, 2018 4:12 pm

^with Thompson stepping up our bigs are not an issue evident by game 7 round 1 and round 2 thusfar. Nance out played TT in the regular season and can easily fill those shoes etc.
We are a little thin on multiple scoring options compared to the top teams in the West but I think we match up well against all 3 remaining east teams.
I would rather face Philly due to the inexperience except for the pace. Looks like it will be Boston who is better coached and better defensively than Philly,but really has less offensive weapons than we do.

Post #5 » by **jbk1234** » Fri May 4, 2018 6:31 pm

kiwibrindle wrote:Agree with all comments above. I'm glued to the tube again. If LBJ were to leave after this run there would be no reason to watch the Cavs at all.

Back to the topic: The biggest weakness I see on our squad is that we have no solid Big. Hood is solid when healthy at the one, JR is solid although has slowed, LBJ well I think we are okay at the 3 , if Klove has his head on straight he's fine, but TT, Nance, etc are weak against the likes of: Valanciunas, Horford, Embiid, Capela, McGee or anyone else we run into. That's the issue this year and we will be fine likely until if and when we run into the clips again in my mind. They have too much for an aging team

With respect to the bolded, I was a Cavs fans before LBJ and I'd still be one after LBJ leaves. LBJ is the GOAT but the Cavs are my team. FWIW Horford has struggled badly against TT in the past.

kiwibrindle · Post #6 » by **kiwibrindle** » Sat May 5, 2018 1:59 am

Whatever. I was 11 when I saw my first cavs game at the old arena downtown behind one of the poles back and up in the corners for $3.00. They were my time and will always be my time. They sucked then before Austin was drafted and if LBJ leaves they will suck again. It’s just a fact a times they have not been worth watching.

Dupp · Post #7 » by **Dupp** » Sat May 5, 2018 8:22 am

Just depends how the team is run post Lebron. If it’s rebuild ala philly then yay. If it’s magic/ kings / Knicks yeah it’ll be a bit bleak.

I don’t trust our ownership. I’d love a complete fresh start from top to botttom but probably not gonna happen. Gilbert needs to sell while we have Lebron for it to be worth it.

Stillwater · Post #8 » by **Stillwater** » Sat May 5, 2018 10:19 am

kiwibrindle wrote:Whatever. I was 11 when I saw my first cavs game at the old arena downtown behind one of the poles back and up in the corners for $3.00. They were my time and will always be my time. They sucked then before Austin was drafted and if LBJ leaves they will suck again. It’s just a fact a times they have not been worth watching.

I think this mindset is fascintaing ...I suggest you enjoy the greatness of the best to ever lace em up and the fact that he came home at all should still make you happy for the City and pride for the organization.
Obviously LeBron leaving would be something the pessimistic dine on meanwhile watching the cake and pie get eaten by those living in the moment.
Nothing lasts in life but the Spirit within anyway

Post #9 » by **jbk1234** » Tue May 8, 2018 4:12 am

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Post #10 » by **jbk1234** » Tue May 8, 2018 6:02 pm

Dupp wrote:Just depends how the team is run post Lebron. If it’s rebuild ala philly then yay. If it’s magic/ kings / Knicks yeah it’ll be a bit bleak.

I don’t trust our ownership. I’d love a complete fresh start from top to botttom but probably not gonna happen. Gilbert needs to sell while we have Lebron for it to be worth it.

I think Gilbert is a pretty good owner tbh. The letter was a mistake but one made in the heat of the moment after LBJ didn't even call the man to let him know he was leaving. I didn't like what happened with Griffin, but Griffin wanted more unilateral control over the roster and Gilbert didn't want to give it. So even that situation I'm kind of conflicted about.

Gilbert has spent piles of money on the roster. He flew down to FL, hat in hand, to talk to LBJ about coming back. He let Blatt go even though he didn't want to. He didn't trade Kyrie for PG when LBJ refused to extend. As a result, the Cavs already have at least one rebuilding piece. The opportunity to screw up at the deadline was really, really high and he didn't panic.

Dupp · Post #11 » by **Dupp** » Fri May 11, 2018 9:14 am

I like that Gilbert spends but think he’s been really bad outside that.

This board is strange. There was a lot more traffic before lbj came back

Stillwater · Post #12 » by **Stillwater** » Fri May 11, 2018 9:50 pm

Dupp wrote:I like that Gilbert spends but think he’s been really bad outside that.

This board is strange. There was a lot more traffic before lbj came back

Based on what? Apparently the common theme is this and I don't understand it really. If an owner is passionate about the game, loves to spend whatever it takes and happens to also have a Napoleon complex I don't really think the latter makes him a bad owner.

Post #13 » by **jbk1234** » Wed May 16, 2018 4:18 am

So I think Boston's taking this series. Starting TT pretty much worked. Love had a good game. LBJ had a good game. Korver had a pretty good game. We still lost and that should be deeply concerning.

Playing at home will help. Lue not waiting until after his starters are gassed to make substitutions and/or call time out will help (if he does it). We can be more disciplined with the ball but that's tied to fatigue too IMO. We can, and probably should, get more physical. I feel like we're getting a lot of ticky tack fouls called on us, and if you're getting the call anyway, get your money's worth. Plus, we probably benefit if the officials have to step in and call the series tighter.

But at the end of the day, one of Clarkson, Hood, or Jeff Green are going to have to have a good game for four games this series and I just don't see it. Boston's too deep, too young and too athletic for us to beat them with a short rotation in a seven-game series. It's not just the minutes you're asking our starters and/or Korver to play, it's the number of minutes in a row and the fact that we have to play full tilt for all of them.

bmurph128 · Post #14 » by **bmurph128** » Wed May 16, 2018 6:01 pm

I've adjusted my expectations so that I can enjoy what might be the last games of LeBron's career in Cleveland.

But I'm not convinced we will lose the series. Boston's offense is not great - we've seen stretches in both games where they've gone cold. The main issue the Cavs have is correctable: rotating. We played defense with more effort against both Indiana and Toronto - the Garden is a very tough place to play, Boston is fired up because they can finally play with us.

Four days off is a huge benefit for the Cavs and LeBron. The Celtics play much worse on the road, and our role players should play decently at home.

I think there's a good chance this goes back to Boston tied at 2-2. If that happens I think the Cavs can still win this series. For as up and down as I am with Lue, he's been consistently great at making adjustments in the playoffs.

Post #15 » by **jbk1234** » Tue May 29, 2018 2:59 pm

Read on Twitter

Stillwater · Post #16 » by **Stillwater** » Tue May 29, 2018 4:08 pm

Love the fact everyone is counting this team out...Lebron's greatness has certainly outshined the rest of the roster, but the notion they are scrubs is a joke.

gflem · Post #17 » by **gflem** » Tue May 29, 2018 10:25 pm

I haven't felt really good about this most of this season, so why start now. It hasn't kept them from making the finals anyway. The one thing different this season, their bench isn't overwhelmingly better this year. In fact it is pretty even imo. If Iggy isn't fully healthy for the entire series I think it swings in the Cavs direction.

cheese318 · Post #18 » by **cheese318** » Wed May 30, 2018 3:23 am

Steph Curry is getting annoyed of the hoopla LBJ is getting with the media saying he has done this all by himself. He even stated something along of the lines how great LeBron James has been in the ”EASTERN CONFERENCE”.... they need to blow that up for LeBron to read. Lot easier for Steph to congratulate his teammates and not saying LeBron is not appreciative but Curry has three top 25 players right next to him to pick up his slack when he is having a bad night.

I just wish the media kept shoving it in KD’s face that he cannot carry a team like LeBron to the finals. He is such a b**** when that storyline up and he gets defensive stating last year he showed he was better than lebron. Maybe weaker not better

Stillwater wrote:Love the fact everyone is counting this team out...Lebron's greatness has certainly outshined the rest of the roster, but the notion they are scrubs is a joke.

Hoopz Afrik · Post #19 » by **Hoopz Afrik** » Wed May 30, 2018 4:34 pm

I'm optimistic. It might be unreasonably and borderline delusional but I think/hope the Cavs can do the impossible.

cheese318 · Post #20 » by **cheese318** » Wed May 30, 2018 8:22 pm

As much as I would love to see that I don’t think it’s going to happen. Iggy being down will be important but not enough from my perspective especially since they have been managing without him for the last 3-4 games. If it happened in the middle of this series it would have had a bigger impact like when Bogut/Iggy being hurt in 2016.

Cavs need to steal Game #1 to make me believe. Wouldn’t it be amazing going back to Cleveland up 2-0. It’s always nice for wishful thinking

LeBron_da_Don wrote:I'm optimistic. It might be unreasonably and borderline delusional but I think/hope the Cavs can do the impossible.