Lowest Milestone for "Success"

[Sherlock]

Also...consider this scenario...

We could face the Cavs in the 2nd round. Suppose we do and they beat us, but it's a tough fought 7 game series.

Now we don't make the ECF, we don't beat the Cavs, but we don't get embarrassed either. Doesn't that feel like it would be progress? Even if just incrementally so?

Agree with this. Cleveland is the measuring stick, so if we see them in the 2nd round, then that's when we get measured. This talk about ECF without considering when we see LeBron is a bit optimistic.

But a couple of additional pieces I'd add:

- need to win our first round series in 5 games or less (6 okay if we play the Wiz w Wall) including winning game 1, blowing out the opponent at least once, and not ever being blown out in our loss
- need to play a hard fought, competitive series against LeBron where we're in every game until crunch time. If we lose in 7, so be it. But it can't be because we choked, it has to be because LeBron performed at otherworldly levels.
- Lowry and DeRozan have to play at or above their reg season level throughout. No stinkers from either

Then I'd consider it a success.

[rapsfanz420]

1) Win Round 1, Game 1
2) Compete hard against the Cavs

Losing a series to any other team is a failure.

[DeDaM]

Successful year will be going to the finals.

1) We are better than most(if not all) teams in the east.
2) Cavs are not the same team that they were for last 2-3 years, Lebron will be Lebron but if we can contain the rest of the team then we cannot lose.
3) By far this year we have best team in the franchise history and who knows if we will have same group of players next year.

So for me we gotta get past the ECF to call this season a success.

[yogimvp]

finals.

how can anyone be content with getting knocked out by cleveland again? what a waste of a 1st seed.

[dalton749]

We just need to make it out of the first round. I’d rather play Boston, Indy or miami lol

[Vlade Divac]

For me it's simple. Lose to Cavs in ECF in competitive 7 games series. Anything less I would consider failure. I know some people will jump on me but I would just trade DD, KL and Ibaka and CJ for some young prospects and try to go from there. I am just tired to watch same thing over again for four years in a row.

[niQ]

I'd say ECF.

Btw, Making the Finals and Beating LeBron are the same thing in the East.

[HighUpNorth]

For me it's simple. Lose to Cavs in ECF in competitive 7 games series. Anything less I would consider failure. I know some people will jump on me but I would just trade DD, KL and Ibaka and CJ for some young prospects and try to go from there. I am just tired to watch same thing over again for four years in a row.

Trade everyone!!!! lets go back to being bottom feeding trash for 20 years!

great idea bro

[Jenga_tDot]

This year, I would say its make the finals.
The east has never been more opportunistic for us and we're the freaking 1st seed. If we lose to Lebron again we will never gain respect in the league, nor should we feel entitled to it. We will forever be "Chokers", "LeBron's bitches", etc...
Most likely we fail but success ain't easy.

[Mister Ze]

I'll take a day off and start a parade if we beat Lebron.

If we beat the Cavs in the semi-finals and lose in the ECF, I'd consider that success. I just wanna eliminate Lebron really.

[CoachJReturns]

This team is the number 1 seed in the conference. That means anything less than reaching the finals is underachieving. Finals should be the goal. Imo this team really only has this year and maybe next year to go as far as they can. It's now or never.

[CoachJReturns]

For me it's simple. Lose to Cavs in ECF in competitive 7 games series. Anything less I would consider failure. I know some people will jump on me but I would just trade DD, KL and Ibaka and CJ for some young prospects and try to go from there. I am just tired to watch same thing over again for four years in a row.

For me the bar is reach the finals. As a first overall seed anything else should always be a disappointing playoff run. And while I did want to blow it up this past off-season, I think the time to go that route now is not for at least another year. It's just not realistic after reaching the playoffs as the number 1 seed and in the summer of 2019 guys can be moved as expirings.
This off-season the goal is just to bring back FVV. He's no superstar prospect, but I think in the future he could be sort of like our Derek Fisher. A solid player who makes big shots and is a nice complementary piece beside a superstar.

[Sherlock]

For me it's simple. Lose to Cavs in ECF in competitive 7 games series. Anything less I would consider failure. I know some people will jump on me but I would just trade DD, KL and Ibaka and CJ for some young prospects and try to go from there. I am just tired to watch same thing over again for four years in a row.

What if LeBron leaves Cleveland and goes west in the offseason?

[vado]

ECF would be my success bar. The only way not making it is a failure is if we lost to Lebron in round 2 in 7 games. That wouldn't be a success or a failure to me.

[Skeezo]

Our thoughts at the beginning of the year don't hold any validity... Sure, if the bench didn't play as well as they did, maybe our expectations are lower from anybody including the media (this is a big point)... Big difference if you are going onto the playoffs as 4 or 5 seed with an entire bench of year two players... Unfortunately/Fortunately we are the #1 seed, and with that come an entire set of different expectations

• Raps have to win game 1s
• Raps have to have to win some series in less than 7 games
• Lowry/DeRozan have to perform

Of course the biggest consideration for success is the expectations against Lebron... Do we have to beat LBJ for success or are we satisfied with a Game 7... I am of the thought that unless we beat LBJ we will continue to be ridiculed in the media.

[teamLeiweke]

Losing to LeBron.

I am worried about the Wiz tho. They are a 50 win team. Wall was out. That’s not a typical first round squad. And they matchup well with us.

[OakleyDokely]

Given how well the young players have performed this year (specifically VV, Delon, OG, Siakam, Poeltl), I have hope for the future, so the season has already been a success in that respect.

[Vlade Divac]

Losing to LeBron.

I am worried about the Wiz tho. They are a 50 win team. Wall was out. That’s not a typical first round squad. And they matchup well with us.

I don’t think you have to worry about that. I don’t see Wiz finishing #8. They played decent game last night but last 6 minutes they were shell shocked when LeBron bullied them into oblivion, like he was playing vs high school team.

For me I really don’t care who we play in first round. If we win that round in convincing fashion I feel my excitement will come back. If we squeeze into second round I will have zero expectations and just wait and watch inevitable.


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[username1]

No one fouls out

[theaub]

Win the East

I don't see how losing to LeBron for a third straight year is acceptable. Especially when the options include losing a Game 7 at home.