If Cavs make the finals

[LightTheBeam]

Let's assume you guys make the finals against the warriors again... what do you anticipate the finals rotation to be?

I've liked LeBron since he came in the league and follow a lot of the Cavs, definitely rooting for Cavs over warriors

I'd like to see

Love/Nance
Green
LeBron
Korver/hood
Hill/Clarkson

This means no Smith, Calderon, Thompson, zizic. If you go 8 deep I could see using Calderon at another playmaker, or Smith as a shooter. That said Calderon could really only play when curry rests, and Smith while he can catch fire also can go ice cold.

I see this as the best way to matchup. If you can get consistent 3s out of Hood, Korver, and Hill, while Clarkson creates a few buckets for himself while LeBron rests, this could be closer than people think.

What's ur thoughts?

[Stillwater]

I think will utilize a 9-10 player rotation in the playoffs

[cheese318]

I agree. Put the Cavs Depth as a strength in the lineup. Zizic needs to play over TT. Nance should be the starter moving forward. Lue is never shy of benching anybody so he better serve TT some humble pie with limited minutes moving forward. TT can be utilized in a positive second unit lineup but if I don’t see TT creating energy plays on both sides of the ball he is not worth the offensive trouble he creates. He shrinks the court on the offense which is why I would avoid as much as possible to play him over Zizic.

My biggest worry come playoff time. Hood, Nance & Clarkson could use some playoff seasoning. I’m wondering how the players will handle the moments that make you a champion. Irving was able to seize those moments. Love played great in game #7 but had lackluster performances prior to the big game.

I believe this is the best version of Kevin Love/LeBron James on the court together. I definitely believe this could be a winning team but the fire power might be too little too late especially with the defense. If they don’t fix the defense they won’t make the finals. Raptors game is proof to that. First half giving up 79 points. Second half only 50. That’s a major difference.

I think will utilize a 9-10 player rotation in the playoffs

[LightTheBeam]

I agree. Put the Cavs Depth as a strength in the lineup. Zizic needs to play over TT. Nance should be the starter moving forward. Lue is never shy of benching anybody so he better serve TT some humble pie with limited minutes moving forward. TT can be utilized in a positive second unit lineup but if I don’t see TT creating energy plays on both sides of the ball he is not worth the offensive trouble he creates. He shrinks the court on the offense which is why I would avoid as much as possible to play him over Zizic.

My biggest worry come playoff time. Hood, Nance & Clarkson could use some playoff seasoning. I’m wondering how the players will handle the moments that make you a champion. Irving was able to seize those moments. Love played great in game #7 but had lackluster performances prior to the big game.

I believe this is the best version of Kevin Love/LeBron James on the court together. I definitely believe this could be a winning team but the fire power might be too little too late especially with the defense. If they don’t fix the defense they won’t make the finals. Raptors game is proof to that. First half giving up 79 points. Second half only 50. That’s a major difference.

I think will utilize a 9-10 player rotation in the playoffs

So if you guys use 9-10 players what do you think the rotation looks like?

Nance/zizic
Love/Green
Lebron/
Korver/Hood
Hill/Clarkson

Is the 10th JR or Calderon?

[Stillwater]

I agree. Put the Cavs Depth as a strength in the lineup. Zizic needs to play over TT. Nance should be the starter moving forward. Lue is never shy of benching anybody so he better serve TT some humble pie with limited minutes moving forward. TT can be utilized in a positive second unit lineup but if I don’t see TT creating energy plays on both sides of the ball he is not worth the offensive trouble he creates. He shrinks the court on the offense which is why I would avoid as much as possible to play him over Zizic.

My biggest worry come playoff time. Hood, Nance & Clarkson could use some playoff seasoning. I’m wondering how the players will handle the moments that make you a champion. Irving was able to seize those moments. Love played great in game #7 but had lackluster performances prior to the big game.

I believe this is the best version of Kevin Love/LeBron James on the court together. I definitely believe this could be a winning team but the fire power might be too little too late especially with the defense. If they don’t fix the defense they won’t make the finals. Raptors game is proof to that. First half giving up 79 points. Second half only 50. That’s a major difference.

I think will utilize a 9-10 player rotation in the playoffs

So if you guys use 9-10 players what do you think the rotation looks like?

Nance/zizic
Love/Green
Lebron/
Korver/Hood
Hill/Clarkson

Is the 10th JR or Calderon?

I'd go with 12 man rotation myself but the lineup will alter game to game series to series we have the depth this season. Nothing in stone.

[cheese318]

Looks like TT is going to keep ramping up his minutes. Zizic with DNP. Don’t think that’s a good decision

[cavs4872]

I imagine it'll be Hill-Hood-James-Nance-Love with Clarkson, Korver and Green as your bench guys, and JR/TT getting sparse minutes.

[Stillwater]

Games like the Miami game are concerning and we definitely are running out of time...my guess is we don't make it this year without some serious luck

[cheese318]

How is the Miami game even on your radar for judgement? Do you watch the games or just see the score and base your opinion? You do realize Love played 7 minutes and took and elbow to his front tooth and barely played. Next time before you comment you should know what your talking about because personally you’re opinion is flawed and just lacking intellectual thought

Games like the Miami game are concerning and we definitely are running out of time...my guess is we don't make it this year without some serious luck

[Stillwater]

How is the Miami game even on your radar for judgement? Do you watch the games or just see the score and base your opinion? You do realize Love played 7 minutes and took and elbow to his front tooth and barely played. Next time before you comment you should know what your talking about because personally you’re opinion is flawed and just lacking intellectual thought

Games like the Miami game are concerning and we definitely are running out of time...my guess is we don't make it this year without some serious luck

This is unnecessary man of course I watched the **** game ,my point was clearly over your head. The team needs to play "together" to close out the season going into the post season but we keep suffering injury after injury. Now Hill is out, it's not unreasonable to think we will have tough time getting to the finals playing like we have been.

[cheese318]

I agree 100% but since love came back the team has really increased its level of play. Hood has really started to finally shoot well and JR is transitioning to the gunner off the bench. As much as I like George Hill the team has consistently played well with Calderon as the starter (24-8) and I know a lot of that goes back to that long winning streak in the beginning of the season. I do like his grit on this team and he even looks better than he did last season as I thought he washed up. I just wish they played Zizic. I liked seeing Osman playing as well. So much depth but not sure the minutes are available for everyone. TT has played better of late but I hope we play matchups in the playoffs over making sure he’s happy with his playing time

How is the Miami game even on your radar for judgement? Do you watch the games or just see the score and base your opinion? You do realize Love played 7 minutes and took and elbow to his front tooth and barely played. Next time before you comment you should know what your talking about because personally you’re opinion is flawed and just lacking intellectual thought

Games like the Miami game are concerning and we definitely are running out of time...my guess is we don't make it this year without some serious luck

This is unnecessary man of course I watched the **** game ,my point was clearly over your head. The team needs to play "together" to close out the season going into the post season but we keep suffering injury after injury. Now Hill is out, it's not unreasonable to think we will have tough time getting to the finals playing like we have been.

[bb22]

The cavs are probably in the same position as last year: They lost Kyrie's presence and scoring, but gained some athletic players that can shoot and match up a little better with the warriors (Green, Hood, Hill, Nance).
I like the way Calderon runs the offense and his ability to knock down the open shot, but he will get eaten alive by Steph. Calderon would have to replicate what Delly did (2015 finals) on the defensive end, to warrant playing him significant minutes. While it's beautiful to watch how Calderon uses his high bbIQ on D, Hill/Hood/Clarkson are more physically capable on the defensive end.
If Lebron plays like a superhero, the cavs can win any series. What it will come down to is whether Love can find a way to be effective, and a few of the rotation guys stepping up and playing like all-stars.

[Stillwater]

GSW is finished by OKC in the first round lock it in.
Cavs have a tough out against Houston assuming both get there, but I don't think the Rockets are significantly better than this Cavs roster in a 7 games series

[cavs4872]

Do you guys like Kevin Love at center?

[gflem]

Do you guys like Kevin Love at center?

In a series against some teams yes. I like the fact the Raps don't just feed Val down low against him. Stupid imo, but they seem to believe he should shoot 3's.
If we make the finals against the W's I'm not sure. We need his shooting to spread the floor, but he can do that from the 4 position, and in my opinion we need Jeff Green to help at times to defend Durant, not at C which is where he has been starting lately. In the east playoffs Love should be fine at C, I just don't see any team being able to match up, but if we do get to the finals (which I expect) against either Golden State or the Rockets I am not sure how it plays out.

[cavs4872]

Do we even know what the starting five is gonna be vs. the Pacers? Hill-Hood-James-Green-Love?

[Stillwater]

Do we even know what the starting five is gonna be vs. the Pacers? Hill-Hood-James-Green-Love?

Probably
But does it really matter,I don't think so given the plethora of rotation options and changes in game etc. Osman and Nance definitely make us better as a team defensively so when neither are on the floor I don't like our defense nearly as much.

[yoyoboy]

Lue said Hill - Korver/Hood - LeBron - Green - Love is the starting lineup with Calderon, Clarkson, JR, Hood/Korver, and Nance off the bench.

Not the best it could've been, not the worst. Good decisions: Playing Calderon with blockhead Clarkson to prevent him from going ISO every time down the floor. Kicking Tristan out of the rotation.

Bad decisions: Kicking Cedi out of the rotation in favor of JR whose defense is just way too bad at this point for him to get serious floor time. Starting Green instead of Nance.

[Stillwater]

Lue said Hill - Korver/Hood - LeBron - Green - Love is the starting lineup with Calderon, Clarkson, JR, Hood/Korver, and Nance off the bench.

Not the best it could've been, not the worst. Good decisions: Playing Calderon with blockhead Clarkson to prevent him from going ISO every time down the floor. Kicking Tristan out of the rotation.

Bad decisions: Kicking Cedi out of the rotation in favor of JR whose defense is just way too bad at this point for him to get serious floor time. Starting Green instead of Nance.

it's smoke partially imo . I don't think there is any chance Osman doesn't get minutes in the playoffs given the defensive intensity that will be lacking without him. Granted he might not be ready for it, but I have confidence he can do the dirty work on any stage, just don't want him in there at the end of the game unless he has been on fire

[cavs4872]

Love our playoff slogan: "Whatever it takes"... yeah, it might take Calderon at center.

I want to start talking about the game but waiting for ducler to make the thread. We're actually pretty evenly matched, and whatever length we're missing with Love inside we make up with Hood on the wing.