2016 NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-4)

[Soca]

Prediction: Beyond hiding him on Bogut or Speights when possible I think the CAVS will eventually look to hide Love defensively by having him check Harrison Barnes. There's no ideal place to hide Love in this series including Barnes but he's probably the lesser of all evils even with his athleticism advantage. Simply because he's mostly catch and shoot and even on drives he's more straight line. Also, you can live with it if they try to give Barnes more FGAs.

Lebron guards Klay I bet.

I think Kerr's patience is running thin with Barnes though. Iguodala is getting more and more of Barnes minutes excluding when they play Draymond at center. I'm expecting Iguodala to remain in the starting lineup for this series against Lebron.

[moemoe2423]

.

[RapRising]

Voted Cavs in 7.

Cavs are not likely to win a Game 7 in Oakland. They will need to do it in 6 at most.

Well i was not looking like that about home court etc, but ye cavs in 6/7.

i think home court plays a big advantage every series
if it goes 7 gsw wins
i voted gsw in 6

[Yeezus_]

Warriors in 5. Cavs cant hide Irving and Love unless they decide not to play them.

[BigShotBargs_77]

Cavs in 7
Silver will cream his pants with excitement at all the game 7's

[Harold Finch]

Man I have to say this for me is the toughest finals matchup to predict in the last 6-7 years along with that 2013 Spurs - Heat series.

I've always thought to beat the warriors you need to grind it out and slow it down (Spurs 87-79 game) and was generally surprised to see the okc thunder outrun the warriors and beat them at their own game. I expected it versus the spurs but not gsw. Eventually though I think we say these past two games the warriors came back when okc started rushing the offense and having turnovers allowing the warriors to go into semitransitions. For me personally this series will be ugly aesthetically bc of the 3 point chucking. On a match up and story level it is great.

1) Okc lost not because their defense was bad despite the crazy warriors shooting in game 6 and 7 but their offense went cold and static. Cleveland doesn't run as well as okc but they are WAY more efficient in the half court set (which is why they should imo slow it down) and shouldn't have these cold stretches on offense okc did. In key stretches roberson missed or passed up open shots. Cleveland doesn't have a roberson as all their players can and will shoot.

2) On the flip side. Love isn't Ibaka and irving aren't even westbrook and def no roberson defensively. Basically what cle gains in offense they will lose defensively. They will abuse love and irving in the pnr. I think kyrie if he is concentrated will do ok but who are you gonna hide Love on? Barns? Draymond? Iggy (he killed them last yr). If curry and klay get hot + the player LOve is hidden on starts making shots then gsw will go on runs and take the lead

3) Cleveland's perimeter D. It's hard for me to gauge their defense bc I still can't tell whether the raps played well in games 3 and 4 or the cavs were cocky and not as concentrated. I feel they get really lazy. I felt the raps got a lot of open shots they missed (esp patterson) despite having much worse ball movement than gsw. Gsw torched okc and sa in the reg season so ya cle should def be worried. Lue says JR smith is their best def and if derozen destroyed him what is klay going to do to them?

4) Last yr they bogged the game down and kept it close but literally any time lebron went out for a cpl mins to rest the gsw warriors went on a run bc no one could create any offense. This is where kyrie imo is the key to this series. I kyrie plays ok defense and lights it up (i actually feel steph could have a harder time guarding him then russ bc of the better shooting) cavs will win this series.

5) If the cavs decide to bench love bc of defense what is the line up? lebron and tompson with slowing it down and crashing the boards after 3p shots? or will they use frye extensively (i think klay and steph will light him up).

6) I'm still not certain the warriors half court offense (ie sluggishness and TOs) and lack of continuous defensive intensity has been fixed. They look amazing in spurts but for the most part I think the cavs are more constant and precise.

7) Lebron. Words cannot express what this series means to his legacy. Imo a win here cements his legacy. He knows it. I thought he was really passive, efficient and monster yes, but passive in the playoffs. Obviously he didn't need to go to beast mode in the east but he sure does now. Problem is his jumper is suspect at best and we just say igoudala guard durant esp well and did a great job last year on lebron. To win this series, lebron has to revert back to his old self on defense (klay and draymond specifically) and get his jumper back. I think lebron knows this is his best chance and I think we will see lebron go into beast mode like last year but more efficient bc his team is more stacked with more spacing.

8) Kerr >>>>>>>> Lue

9) Home court gsw and cavs playing worse on the road so far plus it is oracle.

I thought okc had this series and was blown away by those shots. I thought bs (I admit i find gsw arrogant and how the nba favors them). Then i rememberd in the regular season how many clutch wins they had. At this point it's not bs it's spectacular. That firepower plus inability to fully use love and frye offensively bc of their defensive matchups plus home court....GSW in 7

P.S. I can't wait for draymond to get his 7th technical and then the nba say "nah the rules don't apply to gsw and green. he won't be suspended it's the finals. $$$$$$$$$$$"

[Dirk]

The Cavs looked very soft against the Raptors. Thompson didn't look that great. Love moves and plays as if he is 57. If he's not hitting his 3 pointers, he is basically useless and a negative player. Last year, the Cavs stayed in games with defense and playing at a very deliberate slow tempo. They're lacking the size and athleticism that OKC has that almost knocked the Warriors out. It's really tough to see the Cavs winning the finals, Love, Irving, Smith looked extremely vulnerable on d vs the Raptors. A lot will have to change.

By the way, let me share another staple of the Warriors play (especially at home). Check out Green in the middle.

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

I was amazed that the Thunder never retaliated during that series. So many dirty or questionable plays. Adams is incredibly calm.

I have money on the Warriors (after game 5 - odds too good to pass up), but I'll be rooting for the Cavs to win it all. It's the lesser of two evils. I've just felt like it's two seasons where one team plays with a different brand of rules and I always root against the super favorite, so it's easy to root for the Lebrons in this case.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

The Cavs looked very soft against the Raptors. Thompson didn't look that great. Love moves and plays as if he is 57. If he's not hitting his 3 pointers, he is basically useless and a negative player. Last year, the Cavs stayed in games with defense and playing at a very deliberate slow tempo. They're lacking the size and athleticism that OKC has that almost knocked the Warriors out. It's really tough to see the Cavs winning the finals, Love, Irving, Smith looked extremely vulnerable on d vs the Raptors. A lot will have to change.

By the way, let me share another staple of the Warriors play (especially at home). Check out Green in the middle.

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

I was amazed that the Thunder never retaliated during that series. So many dirty or questionable plays. Adams is incredibly calm.

I have money on the Warriors (after game 5 - odds too good to pass up), but I'll be rooting for the Cavs to win it all. It's the lesser of two evils. I've just felt like it's two seasons where one team plays with a different brand of rules and I always root against the super favorite, so it's easy to root for the Lebrons in this case.

That looks like Green is just boxing out as the shot is going up.

[bigfat]

If I have to put down money I will put it on warriors win, however, if cavaliers beat warriors, raptors will look better as we at least hang with cavaliers for a few games

[SalamiNcheese]

Warriors are going to win this easily. It will probably turn out like the Raptors - Cavs series. Cavs will win a couple at home but get blown out every other game.

Warriors offence > = Cleveland's Offence

Warriors Defence >>>>> Cleveland's defence


Jr Smith, Love, Irving are all below average defenders IMO. Whose going to stop Curry and Thompson??

They also have this guy called Igodala who stopped Lebron last year in playoffs earning a Finals MVP.

Thompson Can slow down irving, Green can lock love up , Igodala on Lebron.

Bogut Iggy Green Curry Thompson. If cleveland goes Frye and Love irving lebron JR its lights out cause all you have to do is put Green on Frye and Harrison barnes on Love and then they have their Killer Small ball line up.

I predict 6 games but it won't be a close 6.

[SalamiNcheese]

Man I have to say this for me is the toughest finals matchup to predict in the last 6-7 years along with that 2013 Spurs - Heat series.

I've always thought to beat the warriors you need to grind it out and slow it down (Spurs 87-79 game) and was generally surprised to see the okc thunder outrun the warriors and beat them at their own game. I expected it versus the spurs but not gsw. Eventually though I think we say these past two games the warriors came back when okc started rushing the offense and having turnovers allowing the warriors to go into semitransitions. For me personally this series will be ugly aesthetically bc of the 3 point chucking. On a match up and story level it is great.

1) Okc lost not because their defense was bad despite the crazy warriors shooting in game 6 and 7 but their offense went cold and static. Cleveland doesn't run as well as okc but they are WAY more efficient in the half court set (which is why they should imo slow it down) and shouldn't have these cold stretches on offense okc did. In key stretches roberson missed or passed up open shots. Cleveland doesn't have a roberson as all their players can and will shoot.

2) On the flip side. Love isn't Ibaka and irving aren't even westbrook and def no roberson defensively. Basically what cle gains in offense they will lose defensively. They will abuse love and irving in the pnr. I think kyrie if he is concentrated will do ok but who are you gonna hide Love on? Barns? Draymond? Iggy (he killed them last yr). If curry and klay get hot + the player LOve is hidden on starts making shots then gsw will go on runs and take the lead

3) Cleveland's perimeter D. It's hard for me to gauge their defense bc I still can't tell whether the raps played well in games 3 and 4 or the cavs were cocky and not as concentrated. I feel they get really lazy. I felt the raps got a lot of open shots they missed (esp patterson) despite having much worse ball movement than gsw. Gsw torched okc and sa in the reg season so ya cle should def be worried. Lue says JR smith is their best def and if derozen destroyed him what is klay going to do to them?

4) Last yr they bogged the game down and kept it close but literally any time lebron went out for a cpl mins to rest the gsw warriors went on a run bc no one could create any offense. This is where kyrie imo is the key to this series. I kyrie plays ok defense and lights it up (i actually feel steph could have a harder time guarding him then russ bc of the better shooting) cavs will win this series.

5) If the cavs decide to bench love bc of defense what is the line up? lebron and tompson with slowing it down and crashing the boards after 3p shots? or will they use frye extensively (i think klay and steph will light him up).

6) I'm still not certain the warriors half court offense (ie sluggishness and TOs) and lack of continuous defensive intensity has been fixed. They look amazing in spurts but for the most part I think the cavs are more constant and precise.

7) Lebron. Words cannot express what this series means to his legacy. Imo a win here cements his legacy. He knows it. I thought he was really passive, efficient and monster yes, but passive in the playoffs. Obviously he didn't need to go to beast mode in the east but he sure does now. Problem is his jumper is suspect at best and we just say igoudala guard durant esp well and did a great job last year on lebron. To win this series, lebron has to revert back to his old self on defense (klay and draymond specifically) and get his jumper back. I think lebron knows this is his best chance and I think we will see lebron go into beast mode like last year but more efficient bc his team is more stacked with more spacing.

8) Kerr >>>>>>>> Lue

9) Home court gsw and cavs playing worse on the road so far plus it is oracle.

I thought okc had this series and was blown away by those shots. I thought bs (I admit i find gsw arrogant and how the nba favors them). Then i rememberd in the regular season how many clutch wins they had. At this point it's not bs it's spectacular. That firepower plus inability to fully use love and frye offensively bc of their defensive matchups plus home court....GSW in 7

P.S. I can't wait for draymond to get his 7th technical and then the nba say "nah the rules don't apply to gsw and green. he won't be suspended it's the finals. $$$$$$$$$$$"

Just wanted to say that I doubt Curry be guarding Irving much. He will most likely be hidden on JR smith.

[RaptorNews]

I'm excited for Lebron to go nuts this series though

I think the Cavs might even have a significant net positive when he's on the floor but get blown out when he isn't

[Son Goku 25]

Kyrie needs to try to neutralize Curry somehow... not sure what I expect from Love but you know Lebron will do anything possible.

[ZeriousLy]

We might get to see Final Form Lebron

[baller16]

People are hyping the Warriors up to much. Your going to see a very close and competitive series.

[Patman]

LeBron is going to go buckwild, but it won't be enough.

Curry/Dray PnR is going to abuse Kyrie and Love.

[GooniesNeverDie]

i don't think it'll be a cake walk for the warriors but they're the better team and should win in 6. lebron needs to go crazy for the cavs to win.. 30 points, 10+ assists average.

[Smitson]

Lebron is going super sayian 4 this series.

[KingTdot]

i hate Green, Livingston and Bogut, i hate jefferson and frye but not as much as those 3, im hoping for Cavs in 6, or them to win it in general so cavs wont be as hungry to get that first chip.

[bballsparkin]

GS in 6. OKC looked like the team to me but in game 7 the Warriors showed just how stacked a team they are. Lebron will need to go into godmode and his "co-stars" will need to step up big time to win imho.