Preseason starting soon! And what better way to kick off the new thread than with LBJ news?
http://deadspin.com/did-lebron-james-get-hair-plugs-or-what-1636297518 (http://deadspin.com/did-lebron-james-get-hair-plugs-or-what-1636297518)
LBJ should man up and accept his baldness.
(http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2eke161tN1qmhdsio1_500.jpg)
At the NBA in Jax game, the Wizards beat the Pelicans 94-89, to an announced crowd of 7, 719 at JVMA.
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400583934
I was there. Jax native Patric Young got the biggest applause of the night by far when he came out in the 4th.
I don't know off the top of my head how those attendance numbers compares to last year's game, but just from an eyeball test I noticed a lot more empty seats. I'm sure that neither team held much regional interest didn't help ticket sales. (Nor that neither team was a "big" team, like the Bulls or the Lakers.)
^Yeah, a Pelicans/Wizards preseason matchup is a pretty tough sell anywhere.
Switch out one of the two teams with the Lakers, Bulls, Cavs, Heat, Rockets, Clippers, Thunder, Spurs, Heat, or Knicks, and you're probably looking at a sellout.
Desperately wanted to go to pay my proper respects to Paul Pierce, but got stuck at the office late.
Can't wait for the season to start.
New Orleans was the "home" team; before the game, I took a picture of myself with Pierre the Pelican:
(http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz177/bookcoverselection/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps69cf08f6.jpg)
This was the best I could get, as he wouldn't stop dancing to "Mo Money Mo Problems."
I was sitting in the front row, with the only thing separating me and the Pelicans bench was a section reserved for scouts and personnel from other teams. Did you know Bob McAdoo works for the Miami Heat? I was close enough to throw something at his head.
You would think the Magic would do a better job in embracing this market. But they don't.
^I've wondered about that. I don't know the specifics of how it became a Wizards-Pelicans game (the Pelicans having played the Magic here last year, remember), but I can tell you there was a fairly loud contingent of Magic fans at last year's Jax game. I enjoyed myself last night, but there's a difference between watching and enjoying a game just to watch and enjoy a game and watching a game because you are actively rooting for a specific team to win. The former was the case for me last night; judging from the general crowd response, I wasn't in the minority.
IT'S ON.
Can't wait.
I count ten teams that could potentially take the title this year:
San Antonio, Cleveland, LA, Dallas, Chicago, Golden State, Memphis, OKC, or even Portland or Houston.
A ton of the non-contenders are going to be a blast to watch too. Wiggins in Minnesota. Jabari Parker with the Bucks. The potential Kobe trainwreck with the Lakers. Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson taking over the Knicks (and supposedly angling to acquire Rondo this year and Marc Gasol in the offseason). Bosh stepping it up in Miami. Rondo hopefully healthy for Boston. The Wizards, Raptors, and Pistons. Etc.
If I had to pick a winner for the season right now, I'd go with Chicago.
I wouldn't count on Chicago because that means relying on a guy who hasn't played a full NBA season in two years. That's like expecting Wade to play at his 2006-2011 heyday for a full season. I'll root for Chicago and anyone who plays Cleveland, but I believe the Spurs are in line to win it all again.
I love Memphis, but the way that team is constructed I think their championship window closed when they got swept by the Spurs in the 2013 WCF. They're an aging team whose big offseason acquisition was the still-effective-but-ancient Vince Carter.
Prediction: Elfrid Payton bypasses Wiggins and Jabari in the Rookie of the Year sweepstakes.
Pretty amazing to see how sharp and quick Kobe Bryant is at 36 years old, in his 19th season, coming off of major surgery. Never been a big fan of the guy, but it'll be a travesty to see him waste his last two years with such a terrible team around him.
P.S. ^ Would not complain about Payton winning ROTY one bit. Really liked what I got to see of Aaron Gordon tonight too. Orlando isn't going to win many games this year, but they should be pretty fun to watch as they continue to rebuild.
Kobe shouldn't have taken so much money. They won't be able to get better by rebuilding, until he leaves.
^ Yeah, that contract is going to be an anvil around the Lakers' neck for the next two seasons. It's also going to an anvil around Kobe's neck if he ever has a change of heart and decides that he wants to spend his last year or two with a contender, as he's pretty much untradeable at ~$24 million a year.
Can't believe they lost Julius Randle last night too.
On the upside, angry Kobe is good for basketball:
(http://share.gifyoutube.com/mlxOoa.gif)
Hehe....
How I felt watching the Knicks win tonight!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1PamRYIEAARYkA.jpg:large)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10177218_1502987656617628_3719311436110201812_n.jpg?oh=49da1c13939566e88dd3bc0b1156608e&oe=54E591FE&__gda__=1425210311_c49bf0195883f731869a797d0696bda2)
Man, what a weird night. ESPN devotes an entire day to covering Lebron's homecoming. Cleveland practically throws an NBA Finals victory party prior to the game. You've got LBJ and Kevin Love out there flexing their biceps like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage thirty seconds into the first quarter. And in the end, the Cavs get blown out by a terrible Knicks team running maybe the worst triangle offense in NBA history.
The season is early, they'll figure it out, but it reminded me a lot of Lebron's early games with the evil empire. Too much extra passing. Too much deferring to Kyrie Irving. Incredibly sloppy passing and ball handling (those eight turnovers could have easily been ten or more if not for some good saves by his teammates). A your-turn, my-turn offense.
A couple of things really stick out:
1. Lebron is starting the season a LOT smaller than he typically does. He's always been such a physically dominant player for his size, I wonder how the leaner body and low-carb, no-sugar diet is going to work out for him.
2. Kyrie Irving is going to need to learn to play without the ball.
3. Vladmir Putin might be in over his head coaching this team.
***
P.S. Chris Bosh had FIFTEEN rebounds last night.
I think that's more than he had all of last season combined.
Now, now, losing by five points isn't a blow out. Unless you're working on a sliding scale where a team with as much talent as the Cavs losing at all to a team as bad as the Knicks qualifies as a blow out. Which maybe it does!
Anyway, yes, they'll figure it out. And I'm personally invested in this because I got LBJ on my fantasy team this year :/
The Cavs are .500 with the win vs Chiraq (I'm sorry, I love saying that), with James scoring 38 points. IMO LeBron coming back to the Cavs is great for the NBA; Storylines galore, intrigue to see if he could win it all in CLE the area where he's from, etc.
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400578314
When your girl leaves you for another guy, you don't cheer for the success of their relationship. So, me being the spurned Miami Heat fan, I hope Cleveland never wins a championship! I never thought I'd witness a week where I cheered for both the Knicks and Bulls. I guess there's a first time for everything. :D
It's cool to see the Lakers playing in their pajamas tonight!
A confused Lance Stephenson unintentionally video bombs Derek Fisher...
(http://giant.gfycat.com/HeartfeltGloomyIndianrhinoceros.gif)
I'll be spending a few days in Orlando in December, so I thought I'd try to catch a Magic game if possible. And it's possible. The only game that fits into my schedule is against the 76ers. Cannot WAIT.
Seriously, though, I know I'll have fun.
???
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Can't stop watching it.
Quote from: funwithteeth on November 04, 2014, 03:52:48 PM
I'll be spending a few days in Orlando in December, so I thought I'd try to catch a Magic game if possible. And it's possible. The only game that fits into my schedule is against the 76ers. Cannot WAIT.
Seriously, though, I know I'll have fun.
I try to get down at least once every year or two to see the Celtics play Orlando.
Always a good time.
Philly will be fun to see live.
When the Magic aren't playing particularly well, it's pretty easy to find dirt cheap tickets on the secondary market too.
Also, crazy to see the Cavs fall again, this time to the Jazz.
The Heat didn't start really playing well until Dwayne Wade deferred to Lebron, and I don't see the Cavs picking up steam until Kyrie Irving does the same.
How about Kyrie's line last night. 34 points on 23 shot attempts, with zero assists and one rebound.
Never gonna win when your point guard is putting up numbers like that.
Not sure I'd like to see it personally, and fairly certain that Cleveland wouldn't take the risk on an expiring contract, but swap from Kyrie for Rondo, and I think you've got a significantly better all around team.
Quote from: KenFSU on November 06, 2014, 09:00:51 AM
I try to get down at least once every year or two to see the Celtics play Orlando.
Always a good time.
Philly will be fun to see live.
When the Magic aren't playing particularly well, it's pretty easy to find dirt cheap tickets on the secondary market too.
Oladipo should be over his broken face by then, so I'm excited. Last time I went to a regular-season Magic game was during the post-Dwight & SVG/pre-Oladipo year where the team had no discernible direction.
I watched the Cavs game last night. Irving is a chucker. They aren't going anywhere until he changes his game. Oh, and their defense is horrible. I lost count on the number of dunks Utah had last night. Other than 2010 Wade being light years better than Irving, that's the most glaring difference I see between this Cavs team and the 1st/2nd year of the Heatles.
The Heat had an all-time great defense when both LeBron and Wade were 100% healthy on a roster featuring specialists like Battier. I doubt Cleveland ever reaches that defensive level with two matadors like Irving and Love. Oh, and don't let me get started on Waiters......
As for LeBron, I wonder if we've seen his best already? He's got a lot of mileage on that body.
Anthony Davis~!
Saturday night vs Spurs:
27 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, four steals
Last night vs. Cavs:
27 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, three steals, zero turnovers.
He's a stud. The last name is Davis too. ;)
wait...the NBA season started already?
Yes it has. Unfortunately, FSU's ends on Saturday night!
Who is it? Derrick Rose or Dwyane Wade?
(http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dwyane-rose.jpg)
(http://wac.9ebf.edgecastcdn.net/809EBF/ec-origin.nyc.barstoolsports.com/files/2015/02/drose.png)
Derrick Rose
(http://wac.9ebf.edgecastcdn.net/809EBF/ec-origin.nyc.barstoolsports.com/files/2015/02/dwade.png)
Dwyane Wade
http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2012/01/this-image-of-dwyane-rose-will-absolutely-mess-with-your-head/
Gators Bball coach Billy Donovan is going out west to OKC.
http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/oklahoma-city-thunder-billy-donovan-scott-brooks-sam-presti-kevin-durant-russell-westbrook-043015
Spurs REALLY got screwed there on that final play.
At least give them another timeout to plan an alternate play.
Kudos to the Clippers, they played a great series, but it would be a real shame to see the Spurs dynasty end like this....
Missed it. Kind of hard to believe the Spurs didn't make it out of the first round!
The Cavs just knocked the Bulls out of contention. I'd love to see LAC vs CLE in the finals. You can't go with the stars LeBron & Blake.
What a comeback for the Rockets!!!! I had pretty much given up hope...incredible turn of events in that 4th quarter.
I think the west will take the title. LeBron only scores 15 points and the Bulls still go down with out a fight. Sad!
Wow, I missed the comeback. Went to bed thinking the Clippers had taken care of business. Also, that Cleveland-Bulls series was hard to watch. That was some of the worst playoff basketball I've seen in a long time. I predict Tom Thibodeau will get canned.
Definitely beginning to look as though King James is winning the title again this year. That Dellavedova guy -- wow. If he can give them anything off the bench at all, Cavs look that much stronger.
The way it looks to me is the east is pretty horrible. The Cavs and whoever comes out of the east will get destroyed by any of the remaining western teams. Especially if their chances hinge on a guy like Dellavedova having to play like he did last night.
Quote from: thelakelander on May 15, 2015, 06:29:21 AM
Wow, I missed the comeback. Went to bed thinking the Clippers had taken care of business. Also, that Cleveland-Bulls series was hard to watch. That was some of the worst playoff basketball I've seen in a long time. I predict Tom Thibodeau will get canned.
What was insane was how sudden things shifted, and how suddenly it seemed the Clippers gave up. Commentators were questioning whether they had just hit the wall and were exhausted from both series going the distance. Down 19 within a matter of five minutes or so straddling the end of the third and start of the fourth suddenly it was a 5-point game. Then within another minute it was tied. And then a couple minutes later Rockets are up by ten. Crazy. The last four minutes the game had already been decided...it was silent at Staples. And this was entirely with Harden on the bench. He didnt come on in the fourth til it was time for the Clippers to start fouling.
Quote from: RattlerGator on May 15, 2015, 08:54:17 AM
Definitely beginning to look as though King James is winning the title again this year. That Dellavedova guy -- wow. If he can give them anything off the bench at all, Cavs look that much stronger.
I remember him when he was at St Mary's going up against the Zags. What's funny is I read rugby news so I'm on Australian sports sites occasionally, and they've been talking him up so much this season. After Lebron's game winner the other night all the headlines were "Delly sets up Lebron's winner with stellar assist" (paraphrasing)
Jeff Prosser had me trippin in this morning on 1010; He said that LAC 'Clippered it up' losing that big lead to Houston.
The Warriors 'came out to playyyy' as they knocked off the Rockets 110-106 in Game 1. I know that was very cheesy. :D
Houston played well enough to steal game 1. They just ran out of fire power with Howard hurting himself.
Man, I didn't even realize the damn game was on. Sad.
It was close. Very close. Actually closer than I thought game 1 would be, as a Rockets fan.
My Bulls are out of it. Tibs will probably be let go.
I think the season is way too long.
I'm just excited the Magic finally didn't lose draft position this year.
It's the little things :)
Quote from: spuwho on May 20, 2015, 11:54:43 AM
My Bulls are out of it. Tibs will probably be let go.
I think the season is way too long.
Tibs should be let go. That was a horrible effort against a wounded Cavs team. This season was paved for the Bulls to finally make it back to the Finals and they blew it. That team's door is closing just as fast as OKC's and Indy's. Also, seems like your Bulls have another problem as well. Evidently, there are not enough balls allowed on the court for both Rose and Butler's egos to co-exist.
Quote from: ProjectMaximus on May 20, 2015, 11:40:40 AM
It was close. Very close. Actually closer than I thought game 1 would be, as a Rockets fan.
Enjoy the rest of your season for another week or two. Rocket's really needed that game last night. It's pretty crazy how good Golden State has become.
Quote from: fieldafm on May 20, 2015, 12:11:55 PM
I'm just excited the Magic finally didn't lose draft position this year.
It's the little things :)
After four straight years of seeing the Heat make the Finals, I finally understand how Magic fans feel....umm, no not really, because the Heat will be good again next year! Anyway, I was happy to see the Heat get to keep their pick in the draft this year. Knowing Pat Riley, I totally expect it to be packaged with a bucket of old basketballs, dirty socks and some +2020 future draft picks for some decent veteran bench help!
I'm confused...are they still playing meaningless (professional) basketball?
Freaking Atlanta Hawks. Still can't rise to the occasion when it really counts. Guess I'll need Golden State to carry out my wishes of Cleveland never winning a championship for the rest of LeBron's career!
^^^Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the MIA hatred of LeBron. He brought yall two championships. Many believe if it wasn't for Delonte West (rumored to be dating James's Mom) James would've never left Cleveland. I know that you disagree, but if there's one snakebitten sports city that deserves a championship, it's Cleveland.
At the finals, CLE over GS in 7. :)
Sure. Wade, Bosh, Allen, Miller and Battier brought LeBron two championships. Would have been three if "someone" had been ready for the big stage, played up to their level and held Jason Terry at bay in 2011 ;).
Anyway, have you ever been dumped for someone else? Did you become a cheerleader for the relationship the person left you for, to work out? Probably not. That's just the natural feeling of being on the bad end of a rejection. Despite the success of the last four years and completely understanding why he'd like to go back home (heck I still feel pull to go back to Central Florida sometimes), I'm not routing for them to win anything.
10 years from now, when that 30 for 30 comes out, I'd like for him to be on it, saying he made a mistake leaving MIA! :)
Warriors are lucky the second quarter had to end.
Quote from: thelakelander on May 20, 2015, 01:35:41 PM
Quote from: ProjectMaximus on May 20, 2015, 11:40:40 AM
It was close. Very close. Actually closer than I thought game 1 would be, as a Rockets fan.
Enjoy the rest of your season for another week or two. Rocket's really needed that game last night. It's pretty crazy how good Golden State has become.
Not sure why you say that. Rockets have a chance...if they play their best they can beat anyone. I'm not expecting them to win this series but I'll take 2 to 1 odds if you give it.
Yes, they have a puncher's chance. Especially if they can win tonight.
wow. What happened on that last play? Why did Harden stop driving to the basket?
Wow, what an ending!!! Why didn't Harden shoot the ball?
He pulled a Lebron. ;) I actually thought we had it when he brought the ball down the court.
Dang..I'll still take 2:1 but it might not be a smart bet.
Them GS Boyz are blowing H-Town outta the arena! Just bring on GS and CLE already!
Warriors have just to much scoring power. I believe they'll be to much for LeBron's injured Cavs. Atlanta was never a true number one seed.
Yeah, GS has too much firepower than any of the other remaining teams. Cavs should sit Irving for the rest of their series with Atlanta, because it's pretty clear the Hawks are pretenders.
I would love to have seen them with Thabo Sefolosha playing against the Cavs; that was such a huge loss for a team that was a finely tuned ensemble.
GS is destroying us. As a true fan I'm still holding onto that historic sliver of hope, but I know it looks like the Warriors are in another tier.
Unfortunately Game 1 of the Finals is set for June 4. Won't be any sooner than that.
Al Horford just got ejected!!! Wow!
June 4th can't come fast enough....
Quote from: I-10east on May 24, 2015, 09:39:51 PM
Al Horford just got ejected!!! Wow!
Absolutely crazy call.
I thought the Hawks, however, showed that they are much, much more than mere pretenders. If both teams were at full strength, this would be a very compelling series.
Cleveland and full strength would have Irving, Love, and Anderson Varejao. I think Atlanta would struggle to rebound. With a healthy Wall, Washington would have been a much better matchup.
Ennis, you and I are just destined to disagree on these here thangs I guess! I love Brad Beal, and was impressed with Washington against Atlanta in the playoffs, but a full strength Atlanta (3-1 this regular season against the Wizards) would easily handle Washington.
Haha. Atlanta is talented but they come of as soft to me. A team built for the regular season that will struggle when the game slows and the stakes rise in the playoffs. Sort of like Indy the last few years. They almost folded against a wounded Wizards team and they're making guys like JR Smith look like all stars now. Perhaps they lack deep playoff experience and this sweep will help them in the future?
Well the Rockets decided to finally play this first quarter...
Unfortunately, they didn't play through the end of the second quarter.
Warriors vs Cavs, Warriors in 6.
I would argue that it is King James, the greatest basketball player I've ever seen, who is making guys like J.R. Smith look like all-stars now.
But add that to our list of disagreements. We'll see what Golden State (I presume) can do to J.R. Smith.
Quote from: thelakelander on May 25, 2015, 06:51:51 PM
Haha. Atlanta is talented but they come of as soft to me. A team built for the regular season that will struggle when the game slows and the stakes rise in the playoffs. Sort of like Indy the last few years. They almost folded against a wounded Wizards team and they're making guys like JR Smith look like all stars now. Perhaps they lack deep playoff experience and this sweep will help them in the future?
They definitely miss Thabo Sefolosha, who had his leg broke by the NYPD.
Yes, they miss him, although I'm not sure it would have mattered if the Cavs were healthy too. At this point, everyone is walking wounded. The Cavs are playing with two starters out for the year and another resting because he's literally not needed to get past this series.
Quote from: RattlerGator on May 26, 2015, 11:21:02 AM
I would argue that it is King James, the greatest basketball player I've ever seen, who is making guys like J.R. Smith look like all-stars now.
But add that to our list of disagreements. We'll see what Golden State (I presume) can do to J.R. Smith.
What about Jordan? For 5 of his 6 championships, I went into the season knowing no other team stood a chance at beating the Bulls. A lot of great players like Malone, Ewing, Barkley, etc. never got a ring because that guy was on the court. Being a Heat fan, I couldn't stand him, but I'll admit he was as cut throat of a player as I've ever seen.
Hey, I love Jordan but it is absurd what people have done in mythologizing him. In my final analysis, LeBron is not only the most diverse basketball player ever but also the most gifted passer for a big man with the highest basketball IQ in the game today. He can play every position on the court *and* he can defend every position on the court.
That's an unbeatable package.
Jordan clearly didn't possess that kind of package, and LeBron has done this all while standing in the shadow of the Jordan myth. Michael Jordan never had to deal with any of this kind of foolishness -- and LeBron has successfully handled this since coming into the NBA as an 18-year-old.
Again, as an 18-year old.
Hell, LeBron even outpaces Jordan as a 3-pt. shooter !!!
I won't even get into the whole situation of taking that awful Cleveland team to the NBA finals in his first stint as a Cavalier. Jordan absolutely couldn't have done that.
People who genuflect to Michael Jordan and harp on Jordan's six titles, I just ignore. He had serious All-Stars with him. SERIOUS all-stars. And he never took a hodge-podge team to the NBA finals. Never.
King James is the greatest basketball player of all time, in my opinion. Jordan is the more accomplished between the two, clearly. Those are two separate things to me.
Being a die-hard Heat fan, I watched probably 98% of the games LeBron played in over the past 4 years. You're right. He can play the 1 through the 4 and while he won't make talents like Wade, Bosh, Love or Irving better, he'll make average guys like JR Smith, Shumpert, Chalmers, Damon Jones, etc. look like superstars.....sort of like Shaq during his prime. However, with a game on the line, Jordan was a monster.
With that said, this year's wounded Cavs team looks more like that 2007 team that got swept in the Finals. Only Iverson's team may have been a tad worse in recent decades. Barring injury, I'm not sure they have the fire power necessary to keep up with Golden State over the course of a seven game series, even with LeBron running through the East.
What will be interesting is the off-season. Will Love stay? Will they resign Smith, Shumpert, Thompson, etc.? If so, they'll dominate the East again. If not, their window may close faster than OKC's.
I agree with RattlerGator, I'm sick of Jordan's mythologization; I never liked him TBH. I never will wear Jordans (sweat shop shoes that blacks all over the country are dying for) if it was the last sneaker on Earth. Jordan was a great player, as is a quite a few out there including LeBron. Jordan had very underrated teams (top flight specialists; shooters, rebounders etc) that he won championships with. Scottie Pippen was one of the most underrated players that I can think of.
Don't be a hater just because you never liked him. :) I hated his guts during his era. My team (like the rest in the league) never stood a chance in the 1990s. LeBron is great. But Cleveland isn't striking fear in anyone's hearts....even with LeBron and a healthy Irving and Love. It's pretty wide open now for any team to make a move or two during the summer and compete in 2016.
^^^Despite me not being a fan a Jordan, I gave him his props, and said he was a great player. I think that the super-commercialization, and number of championships (Robert Horry has 7 by that standard :D ) further added to the status of the Omnipotent one. :)
With the Cavs having time to heal up, since HOU won the last game, I think that they are gonna give eventual GS a helluva run in the Finals. I think that people are underestimating CLE's defense. Cavs in 7.
Irving is just as broken as Wade. He needs the entire summer off. Cavs D is actually better without Irving and Love. They just aren't as good offensively. With that said, it won't be a sweep. Golden State in 6.
This is the most excited that I've been concerning the NBA for a while. I can't wait for the finals to start!
This could turn out to be a truly great series. LeBron's uniqueness happens to fit with the in-season pieces they've put together in Cleveland to make for a truly underestimated team. It's almost as if these castaways were exactly what the Association needed to exhibit just how great LeBron is. And then along comes slight Steph Curry to give us the beauty of the game from the opposite end -- I agree, I-10east, I'm excited to see what's gonna be what and I'll be pleased with either winner.
By the way:
Ten of the 11 former Florida Gators basketball players in NBA advanced to the league's postseason for the 2014-15 season. The Gators were represented on nine of the 16 playoff teams with four starters and six reserves active for competition. The 10 total UF players in the postseason marked the most of any school this year.
Three have since advanced to the 2015 NBA Finals, representing both of the teams remaining in the field. As such, a former Florida player is guaranteed to win the NBA Finals for the *fifth* consecutive season.
http://www.onlygators.com/05/28/2015/florida-gators-in-2015-nba-playoffs-finals/#ixzz3bRN3hXUz
I thought I'd add this as a way of saying Thank You, Billy Donovan! The State of Florida is going to miss that man.
It'll be nice to see a new team as a title winner for once, even though LeBron's presence maybe makes the Cavs seem less "new" to the Finals. I've been watching the NBA since 1984, and in that time span, the only teams to have won titles are the Celtics, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Heat, and Mavericks. I just wanted to see a different franchise win it this year. Now, that's guaranteed.
What would LeBron do without James Jones and his five straight trips to the finals ;)?
Seriously though, it's kind of crazy that only 8 franchises have won titles over the last 31 years. Out of those 8, the Mavericks are the only one to not win multiple titles.
CANNOT wait for the Finals.
Also, five straight Finals appearances for Lebron.
That's pretty wild.
Nowhere near ready to put Lebron in the same conversation with Jordan, but curious how you guys think Lebron stacks up to Kobe as an all-time great. Obviously Lebron's the better all-around player, but I still think Kobe's had the better career.
Heard a crazy (related) trivia question a few weeks ago: When was the last NBA Finals played without Tim Duncan, Dwayne Wade, or Kobe Bryant?
LeBron is a better all around player and teammate. Kobe is the exact opposite. Kobe has had the better career but LeBron could probably go on to play another decade at a decent level.
Quote from: Steve on May 28, 2015, 12:02:06 PM
Heard a crazy (related) trivia question a few weeks ago: When was the last NBA Finals played without Tim Duncan, Dwayne Wade, or Kobe Bryant?
Jordan's last ring in 1998.
Yep. Pretty amazing.
Of all of the league, It seems like the NBA struggles with parity the most.
Quote from: Wacca Pilatka on May 28, 2015, 10:05:53 AM
I've been watching the NBA since 1984, and in that time span, the only teams to have won titles are the Celtics, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Heat, and Mavericks. I just wanted to see a different franchise win it this year. Now, that's guaranteed.
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the Finals this year for that exact same reason and the fact that both teams have rookie coaches, have been historically awful, and are clearly the best teams in their respective conferences this year.
What's just as incredible as the fact that only a select number of teams have championships over the last 30 years were how many stellar teams had multiple opportunities to contend for a title and just couldn't get over the buzzsaws they ran into: Blazers, Pacers, Knicks, Suns, Jazz, Nets, Thunder. Mavs are the lone exception with their well-earned title.
Only because the King wetted in his pants! Wade stepped back after that loss to help LeBron elevate his game to the guy dragging the Cavs with him today!
Quote from: Steve on May 28, 2015, 12:29:30 PM
Yep. Pretty amazing.
Of all of the league, It seems like the NBA struggles with parity the most.
With the smaller rosters, having one transcendent player just has that much bigger of an impact, I guess. An NFL team can saddle a brilliant quarterback with a pedestrian roster and not rise above 8-8, or the early 00s Rangers can feature prime A-Rod and a terrible pitching staff and finish with a losing record. But there's no way an NBA team with a healthy, prime-years Jordan or LeBron or Shaq wins fewer than 50 even with a weak supporting cast.
And it almost seems detrimental to have a deep, balanced roster of good players, because such teams almost always fall to the team with a transcendent star or two, even if the latter has animated corpses making up most of the rest of the roster.
^Pretty much. Those one or two transcendent players typically have the talent to elevate their game to incredible levels that significantly exceed their norm. So even a Michael Jackson, held down by a team of Titos, can win a few individual games on their own. However, they become unstoppable when Tito starts nailing his tunes.
Quote from: Wacca Pilatka on May 28, 2015, 10:05:53 AM
It'll be nice to see a new team as a title winner for once, even though LeBron's presence maybe makes the Cavs seem less "new" to the Finals. I've been watching the NBA since 1984, and in that time span, the only teams to have won titles are the Celtics, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, Heat, and Mavericks. I just wanted to see a different franchise win it this year. Now, that's guaranteed.
You can also argue that Houston wouldn't even be on that list if Jordan hadn't taken a year and a half off to play baseball. In fact, it's crazy to think of just how many legit championship-caliber teams in that era simply couldn't get past Jordan:
The Ewing/Pat Riley Knicks.
The Malone/Stockton Jazz.
The Barkley/KJ Suns.
The Clyde Drexler Blazers.
The Reggie Miller/Rick Smits Pacers.
The Shaq/Penny Magic.
^ Agreed. I doubt Houston would be on that list.
Amazing how many good teams of the 80s and 90s never got a sniff of the title.
Then there were the very solid teams that were doomed to plateau at winning 50-55 and lose in the second round of the playoffs to one of the teams you mentioned (or earlier, the Lakers or Celtics or Pistons). Dominique's Hawks, the Run TMC Warriors, the Mark Aguirre Mavericks...Malone and Stockton were at that juncture for a solid 8 or 9 years before they made the Finals.
For a while there, the West was an absolute bloodbath with the Suns, Rockets, Blazers, Jazz, the Kemp/Payton Sonics, and the early Robinson Spurs fighting it out for the opportunity to lose to Jordan.
Tied series baby!!!
The Cavs arguably should be up 2-0 right now, with that controversial travelling call on Timofey Mozgov (no one's talking about) in Game 1. What do LeBron have to do to get a foul call by the refs?? Klay Thompson had a nice game; Steph Curry, not so much.
^Haha, they benefited from a dude missing a freaking two handed dunk on a fast break, a few missed travels by LeBron and Mozgov, and Curry looking more like 2011 Finals LeBron. Another benefit was JR Smith running out of stupid fouls to toss out before completely blowing Cleveland's chances. I point all this out simply to say that over the course of a game, things tend to even out. Anyway, based off Irving being made of glass, I'm upping my prediction to Warriors in 5. LeBron is great, but he's human too. He's going to run out of gas as this series goes on.
Yep Cavs almost blew this one as well. I havent followed the NBA as much since Lebron left Miami. The NBA seemed to be better when the hate for Miami Heat was an all time high, now its just meh.
Lebron didn't get called on a couple travels, but there were some guys fouling him like crazy that were never called so it evens out. As a Cavs fan, I'm a little worried about fatigue, too, especially if we go to 6 or 7 games with GS having home court advantage, and we keep this 7 man rotation up. It has been a couple of gritty, physical games so far. I don't think my heart can take all these crazy games. They're becoming the new Kardiac Kids...no, the Cardiac Cavs!
It's crazy to think that this series could've easily been 2-0 Cavs, 2-0 Warriors, or 1-1 as it currently stands.
Quote from: Fallen Buckeye on June 08, 2015, 06:45:39 PM
As a Cavs fan, I'm a little worried about fatigue, too, especially if we go to 6 or 7 games with GS having home court advantage, and we keep this 7 man rotation up.
Yeah, I think fatigue did LeBron in both nights. Heck, he played 50 minutes last night! In both games, he hasn't been nearly as effective down the stretch. However, he's doing so much on both ends of the court, it should be expected. Ultimately, I think this is what things will boil down to. One team is playing with 10 guys and the other is running with a 7 man rotation. In a long series, fatigue will probably become a serious issue.
To GS's dismay, the GOOD JR Smith is playing them tonight! Uh oh!!!
Are there any good sports radio stations in Jax that cover more than Jags and Gator football during the offseason? I was surprised that I couldn't find any location station carrying the Finals tonight. I know people here love UF football......but it's freaking June!
Amazing how fast these so called big leads can evaporate.
My God. This is setting up to be one of the most intriguing finals of all time with all the injuries Cleveland has been dealing with and keeping hoy shooting Golden State under %40 shooting. Can't wait till Thursday!
Quote from: thelakelander on June 08, 2015, 07:19:40 AM
I'm upping my prediction to Warriors in 5. LeBron is great, but he's human too. He's going to run out of gas as this series goes on.
(My Stephendare impersonation ;D)
LOL! I'll admit, i'm wrong. No need arguing the obvious. Good game by Cleveland. I still expect Golden State to win but the series will be much longer than originally expected. I don't know if this is more about LeBron or living proof of the theory that a jump shooting team can't win a championship. We'll know for sure by the end of the weekend.