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OT: NBA Finals

DutchDevil

DutchDevil

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Apr 21, 2015
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Who are you rooting for and who do you think will win?

I am cheering for Cleveland because of Kyrie and I really hope the time off has allowed his knee and foot issues to heal a little. He is going to have a tough matchup with Curry. Because of Love being out and Kyrie's injuries, I think Golden State will probably win.

Extra Credit: What is the over-under for the number of times Curry's mom is shown on t.v. per game?
 
I agree. I will be rooting hard for Cleveland because of Kyrie, but I think the rash of injuries will be too much to overcome. You don't win championships with no Love and a hobbled Irving. Lebron has been great to get them this far.
 
I'm starting to think Love is one of those really good players on a bad team. For a championship-caliber team he's probably a third option at best. Plus, there are murmurs out there that Love wasn't the best for team morale. Losing him obviously hurts, but I'm not sure it's hurt them as much some feared it would.

Anyway, I think Cleveland wins in the series in seven. The home team wins every game until the final one.
 
Cleveland. For Kyrie, of course, but also for Lebron, and hey, how about the friggin' city itself?

I hated Lebron for about 2 years for "the Decision," but I mellowed, and then the return? Holy mackerel, I love the principle of it, the nobility, the renewed loyalty, all of it.
 
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Cleveland for Kyrie like stated but I really like Curry, then at the same time I might vomit if Barnes gets one ha
 
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Got to pull for Cleveland because of the Duke connection and no matter how much I like Curry , Harrison Barnes and the Tar Heel connection cancels that out. OFC
 
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I agree with Pisgah, Sky, and LetsGoDuke...want Kyrie to get a title, but the possibility of the Falcon getting one sucks. I really like Curry, but it's not enough to offset Barnes. The Tar Heels have a connection on the Cavs (Brendan Haywood), but that's not nearly as bad as HB.

OFC
 
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Thought I would bump this one back to the top.

First of all, it sucks that Kyrie went down with another injury. I hate labeling players as injury-prone, but I'm afraid Kyrie is starting to get that label. He just can't stay healthy for the long stretches. The bad luck he's endured the past 4+ years is just awful.

Anyway, game one (until Kyrie got hurt) was unbelievable. And somehow, game two might have topped it. The Cavs are so depleted right now that even though they found a way to even the series, I'm just not sure Lebron is going to be able to play 42+ minutes and scores 40+ every night. Even he is human.

I'll say this....if Lebron and the Cavs do somehow find a way to win this series then this Finals goes down as one of the more impressive feats for a superstar. Lebron is surrounded by bit role players with Love and Kyrie out....it would be amazing if he carries them through.

For the record, I said Cavs in seven when the series started. If allowed to change my pick right now I'd say Warriors in six. I just don't see Lebron doing what he would have to do in order to get the Cavs through.
 
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dukiejay said:
Thought I would bump this one back to the top.

First of all, it sucks that Kyrie went down with another injury. I hate labeling players as injury-prone, but I'm afraid Kyrie is starting to get that label. He just can't stay healthy for the long stretches. The bad luck he's endured the past 4+ years is just awful.

Anyway, game one (until Kyrie got hurt) was unbelievable. And somehow, game two might have topped it. The Cavs are so depleted right now that even though they found a way to even the series, I'm just not sure Lebron is going to be able to play 42+ minutes and scores 40+ every night. Even he is human.

I'll say this....if Lebron and the Cavs do somehow find a way to win this series then this Finals goes down as one of the more impressive feats for a superstar. Lebron is surrounded by bit role players with Love and Kyrie out....it would be amazing if he carries them through.

For the record, I said Cavs in seven when the series started. If allowed to change my pick right now I'd say Warriors in six. I just don't see Lebron doing what he would have to do in order to get the Cavs through.
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It seems like when the first injury happens more are sure to follow. Looks like Kyrie has that curse. Just like it did with Grant. OFC
 
I'm well aware of the Jordan mythology, and I'm in my thirties so I remember watching him play very vividly. He is still alone on the top tier, but what Lebron is doing is pretty remarkable. If you took him away from the group he is trying to win a championship with (no Love, no Irving, no AV) and took Jordan away from any of his teams that played in the Finals and matched them up, I feel like those Chicago teams win with relative ease.
 
Scotty Pippen alone and without Jordan made Chicago much better than the current Cleveland team without Labron. At different years, Chicago had better players such as BJ Armstrong, John Paxon, Bill Cartright, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Tony Kucok, Ron Harper, Luke Longly, Bill Wennington, Craigh Hodges, Scott Williams, Horace Grant and others. Jordan was the best pro ever but he had great teammates and Scotty Pippen was about as good as Jordan.
 
gottagonow said:
Scotty Pippen alone and without Jordan made Chicago much better than the current Cleveland team without Labron. At different years, Chicago had better players such as BJ Armstrong, John Paxon, Bill Cartright, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Tony Kucok, Ron Harper, Luke Longly, Bill Wennington, Craigh Hodges, Scott Williams, Horace Grant and others. Jordan was the best pro ever but he had great teammates and Scotty Pippen was about as good as Jordan.
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Scotty Pippen wasn't even close to as good as Jordan unless we're talking about the degrees of annihilation they would both visit upon Greg Paulus' defense one-on-one. Come on.

Jordan never lost in the finals... but he never made it there at all w/ a cast as underwhelming as Lebron has had the 2 times he's made the finals w/ the Cavs. Lebron is also the only player outside the Celtics dynasty from the '60s to make the finals 5 years in a row.

Jordan's career is over and we've grown accustomed to thinking of him as the GOAT. He has deserved that. Lebron deserves a spot in that discussion, but he's not done, so not only would we have to give up our entrenched view of Jordan, but we also have to project what Lebron will accomplish. It's not a discussion that can be settled now, and might not be settled with any consensus long after Lebron is retired and in the Hall of Fame.

If I'm picking one guy to take the final shot to win the game, I'm going w/ Jordan every time. If I'm picking a guy who can get you to that point practically by himself, I lean solidly, if not entirely, toward Lebron. And if I had to pick a teammate, a neighbor, a business partner, a babysitter, the leader of a weird cult I might get into, it's Shane Batti- Wait, what were we talking about again? Lebron. I'd pick Lebron.
 
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Yeah, Jordan is definitely still the guy you want taking the last shot. For example, Lebron has had a shot to win each of the first two games in regulation, and missed each time. I can't imagine Jordan doing that. Even so, Lebron has a chance to do something Jordan never did, which is to carry a team devoid of any other All-Star to a championship. I don't think he will, but his performance has been great.
 
If it's possible I think people sometimes underestimate how great Jordan truly was during that stretch in the 90s. Sure, the officials took care of him at times, but find me a superstar that didn't get the same treatment. It's pretty common in professional basketball, and to a degree in the NFL as well.

If the Cavs somehow win this year's finals, then IMO, it would immediately put Lebron into the top three or four of all-time, without a doubt. But it doesn't tarnish Jordan's legacy. If anything, in a sense it only adds to it.

I think people starve so much for a new best ever that we forget how good others were before a certain player. People don't like Lebron and I get that....I'm not a huge fan either. But he's the most dynamic player of his generation and one of the best ever whether I like him or not. Same goes for Jordan. People need to put their pettiness aside and recognize obvious things.

And I'll admit, Jordan certainly had a better cast around him than what Lebron has had in 2007 and this year....but Jordan was still Jordan. When he had the ball last it was almost as if you conceded defeat in your mind. Not only was he a great basketball player, but mentally he's as tough as they came. That's what, IMO, separates him from the rest....moreso than basketball skill alone.
 
Dattier said:
Scotty Pippen wasn't even close to as good as Jordan unless we're talking about the degrees of annihilation they would both visit upon Greg Paulus' defense one-on-one. Come on.

Dat Pippen was a great player, one of the top 50 of all time, sure, not as good as Jordan but as close to me anyway as one could hope for in a teammate. I remember when they both played how much in awe I was of the pair but vividly remember how many great shots Pippen made that seemed impossible. When Jordan went out of the game and Pippen was still on the court Chicago was still a great team. With Pippen and Jordan they were pretty unbeatable. Pippin also won 6 NBA Championships and I don't think either win six without the other.
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Dude... totes quote fail.

Pippen is one of the greatest sidekicks in NBA history and an all-time top 50 player. But we're not talking about Jordan, Russell, Wilt, Kareem, or Lebron as the GOAT company; Pippen was somewhere in the 20s at best. From where Kelly Tripucka is looking, there may be little difference between the guy at the front of the line and the guy who is 20-somethingth in line, but when we're talking about the two of them side-by-side, no question Jordan is head and shoulders above Pippen.
 
I agree with Dattier. Without Pippen I think Jordan probably still wins titles. Maybe not six, but he still has titles....plural. Pippen without Jordan likely can't say the same thing. The two were such different players that that's what also made them such a great pair. Pippen didn't have the offensive tools to be a true, go-to offensive player over a sustained time period. On certain nights sure....but not over the course of his career. Jordan obviously had Pippen to take some pressure off him, but it was moreso the other way around. Teams didn't have to key on Pippen. He's a top 50 all-time player....but I think Jordan helped immensely with that.
 
I have to agree with dj about Pippen. He was a very good player but if it hadn't been for Jordan he would not be a top 50. Pretty soon there will have to be an updated top and and some will fall out of the top 50. I believe Piipen will be one of those. Too many good players coming through. OFC
 
I don't think there will ever be another NBA player with Jordans accomplishments and Its OK and fine to see a player in a different way than another person. I was always a Pippen fan and amazed at his overall talent level. I do agree with you that Jordan would have won titles, probably just not six though but I also feel Pippen helped Jordan's cause as well. We'll never know who would have won what without the other though. Jordan scored around 33.5 points and 6 boards a game in his playoff games and Pippen 19 and 8. I have no problem with calling Pippen a great sidekick but to me he'll always be more.
 
I thought The black falcon had a coming out party. He's shooting knuckle balls out there.
 
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I love Dellavedova. All I'm hearing is that he is not a good NBA player from guys like Collin Cowherd. He's in the NBA isn't he. He's doing a job on Curry and most definitely is a good NBA player the last 2 or 3 games. OFC
 
DJ said in an earlier that even LeBron was human. I don't know if he is or not as he's built like the Terminator and plays like a basketball machine. 1st player to ever score at least 40 points in the 1st 3 games. Almost another triple double and you have to think he's willing Cleveland to a title. When Kyrie went down everyone said GS in 4, now maybe Cleveland in 5.
 
What LeBron is doing is truly remarkable. I'm starting to think he can keep this up for the majority of this series, but I don't think his teammates can keep up. Dellavedova won't score 20 the rest of the series, Shumpert and Smith are who they are going to be and Mozgov can get his, but not every game.

We haven't seen the best of the Warriors yet and it's coming. I think Golden State will win it, but Blatt isolating LeBron almost every possession is actually a brilliant move and will keep Cleveland in it until they aren't.

This has been one of the best played finals I have ever seen.
 
dukehokie said:
What LeBron is doing is truly remarkable. I'm starting to think he can keep this up for the majority of this series, but I don't think his teammates can keep up. Dellavedova won't score 20 the rest of the series, Shumpert and Smith are who they are going to be and Mozgov can get his, but not every game.

We haven't seen the best of the Warriors yet and it's coming. I think Golden State will win it, but Blatt isolating LeBron almost every possession is actually a brilliant move and will keep Cleveland in it until they aren't.

This has been one of the best played finals I have ever seen.
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dukehokie I agree, it has been a great series so far and I hope it goes 7 games.
 
timo0402 said:
Don't worry b/c lebron is going to single handily get him a 5 year deal worth about 10-15M's.
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True. It will be a bad investment, but the guy deserves it nonetheless. No way his body holds up past his mid 20s. The NBA season is too long IMO. It doesn't take 80 games to figure out who the best teams are.
 
gottagonow said:
I don't think there will ever be another NBA player with Jordans accomplishments and Its OK and fine to see a player in a different way than another person. I was always a Pippen fan and amazed at his overall talent level. I do agree with you that Jordan would have won titles, probably just not six though but I also feel Pippen helped Jordan's cause as well. We'll never know who would have won what without the other though. Jordan scored around 33.5 points and 6 boards a game in his playoff games and Pippen 19 and 8. I have no problem with calling Pippen a great sidekick but to me he'll always be more.
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IMO Lebron does more for his team than Jordan did.The best evidence is that when MJ left for baseball the Bulls won 55 games the next year. When Lebron left the Cavs were the worst team in the league
 
The Cavs without Lebron wouldnt win 20 games right now. This team has zero business being on the same court as golden state- yet somehow he is willing them to just be tougher then the Warriors. It's pretty impressive, quite frankly, possibly the most impressive ever if he pulls it off.
 
Jnood said:
I thought The black falcon had a coming out party. He's shooting knuckle balls out there.
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Hey, go easy on Barnes, he is not doing that bad. It's not like he did not score a single point while Lebron torched him for 40.

Wait...
 
dellavedova.jpg
 
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timo0402 said:
The Cavs without Lebron wouldnt win 20 games right now. This team has zero business being on the same court as golden state- yet somehow he is willing them to just be tougher then the Warriors. It's pretty impressive, quite frankly, possibly the most impressive ever if he pulls it off.
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The Cavs would suck on offense without Lebron, but they'd be pretty good on D. They're playing with more effort and toughness than GS.
 
Lebron has 3 game winning buzzer beaters in his playoff career. Same number as Jordan. I think Lebron will add to that number. Lebron is 6-11 on game winning shots in the last 5 seconds of the game. Jordan was 5-11. Just because Jordan had more iconic shots doesn't mean he was a better closer.
 
I really do think we are seeing one of those sports moments right that wil be talked about for years with Lebron and what the Cavs have done so far in the finals. They may indeed lose the next three to Golden State but it sill doesn't take away from what Cleveland has done the first three games. Look at it this way. If Larry Bird had lost McHale, Johnson and Parrish, Magic had lost Worthy , Jabbar and Scott and even if the greatest Michael Jordan had lost Pippen, Rodman and Kukoc for the playoffs and finals how would it have effected their teams with the championship title that year. We are witnessing something great and whether you like James or not he is at the top of the greatest list of basketball players who ever played the game. OFC
 
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