I think the Cleveland Cavaliers are deserving of a lowkey thread

[blackzeus]

Who's bytch this is?

Who bytch this is?

 

[HoopLife]

Ideally the Cavs starters have 3 plus defenders out of 5. With Kyrie clearly making improvements on defense, the Cavs should really start to click next month with Shumpert back. I think its going to translate to the playoffs, enough to get them to the ECF. Lebron hasn't fallen off until we have evidence.

The problem is the Cavs havent done any of the shyt OP is talking about and it doesn't look like they will this season. They still have to figure out how to use Love and rely on iso ball too much even if Kyrie and Lebron are elite at it. When the ball doesn't move they're predictable.

I rather rely on Elite iso ball than running up and down all day like some analysts would have us believe. Looking to run everytime is what causes tired legs in the 4Q. Iso ball mixed in with high PNR with Love is going to be our primary offense. One of our main problems is no one can hit a open 3 it seems. Lebron/Kyrie/JR are the best 3point shooters so far this season. Love is having a down year from 3point land.

 

[blackzeus]

I rather rely on Elite iso ball than running up and down all day like some analysts would have us believe. Looking to run everytime is what causes tired legs in the 4Q. Iso ball mixed in with high PNR with Love is going to be our primary offense. One of our main problems is no one can hit a open 3 it seems. Lebron/Kyrie/JR are the best 3point shooters so far this season. Love is having a down year from 3point land.

My point was that they are able to be flexible, they could go small ball, twin towers, run Hi-Lo, run an ISO swing offense with Bron and JR, go big with Shumpert at the 2, JR at the 3 and Bron running point, etc etc, the point is this is a team with a lot of options now on the way to run their offense

 

[blackzeus]

The Hawks have made the playoffs 7 straight years. Teague & Al have been into the second round before so experience with our stars isn't an issue. Outside of Bron, Kyrie & Love haven't even BEEN to the playoffs. If you're gonna try to discredit us b/c of "experience" you can use that excuse for that entire CLE squad, I don't see how it applies to us

Still don't see CLE getting out of the first round if they gotta play CHI or WAS in the first round. TOR is in flux and maybe gets it together but I don't see them as an East threat anymore. I'm just not impressed by CLE...I think y'all just see Bron and think it'll all just magically work out. I don't see it

JR Smith
Shumpert
MozGawd
Haywood ( has a ring )
Mike Miller
James Jones

 

[Floyd Pinkerton]

Let's be reality though, outside of OKC and San Antonio these other teams in the West ain't championship teams, I don't care what the records are, they don't have the right characters. I think it's going to be a very interesting second half of the year to say the least to see how everything plays out in the West

This is what bothers me about the whole East/West disparity narrative.

No one with an IQ above room temperature would argue that there are significantly more talented teams in the West, and that is a "deeper" conference, but that doesn't change the fact that only 2 or 3 are true contenders to make it to the Finals. Likewise, the East has only 2-3 potential Finals teams, but a dumpster fire from the 5-seed on down. You could certainly argue that it is more likely for the best teams in the West to get knocked out earlier than they should due to the wealth of talent, poor matchups, and whatnot, and it would be a valid argument, but it is usually the glut of teams in that 3rd-6th seed range that end up feasting on each other and furthering the narrative.

Ultimately, you tend to see the same results from each conference from the 2nd round of the playoffs onward barring injury, i.e. two of the best three teams making the conference finals and very few upsets. Especially with the first round expanded to 7 games, the NBA playoffs system is simply not built for 4-8 seeds to make, let alone win, the Finals.

You will likely never see another 1995 Rockets or 1999 Knicks (lockout-shortened season) again without extreme circumstances -- such as OKC potentially this year with their early-season injuries.

 

[blackzeus]

[QUOTE="blackzeus, post: 11805526, member: 2400"]

It's a shame the playoffs aren't set up by who's got the best record, it's disgusting how these pathetic azz EC teams make it to the playoffs with an under .500 record

 

[AkaDemiK]

Cavs are going to fall apart in the playoffs. When it's win or go home and that impeccable defense they are playing continues doing what it does When love's man continues to get free looks at the rim because he's incapable of defending it When kyrie doesn't know when to not shoot when jr knows when to not shoot but does it anyway when Bron tries to force himself to do everything and doesn't involve his teammates when you realize this is not the Miami Heat from the past 4 years and they never will be

 

[blackzeus]

Cavs are going to fall apart in the playoffs. When it's win or go home and that impeccable defense they are playing continues doing what it does When love's man continues to get free looks at the rim because he's incapable of defending it When kyrie doesn't know when to not shoot when jr knows when to not shoot but does it anyway when Bron tries to force himself to do everything and doesn't involve his teammates when you realize this is not the Miami Heat from the past 4 years and they never will be

We'll revisit this post in May

 

[AkaDemiK]

We'll revisit this post in May

don't forget to...plz

 

[Ace2306]

If you think atl or Toronto are going further than cleveland then you don't know basketball. But let y'all tell it.

 

[CoCKy GeNiuS]

someone averaging 26/13 inflated or not are dominant stats. 15/4 not so much

and i'm not taking shots at wiggins, he has great upside and has been improving tremendously but he wouldn't put up 15 a game on the cavs this year. that was my point.

He just put up 15 in the first quarter, WIGGINGS....

He's cooking right now, do your self a favor and be quiet, enjoy the supper....

 

[DoubleJ13]

The Deandre analogy was to state that as long as AD is playing off alley oops, rebounds, basically above the rim stuff, yes, I agree. If not, he would go through the same adjustment Love is going through not having the ball in his hands all the time. And yes, I said Love can stretch the defense, and from small ball to twin towers is an option. I did say that it's easy to have great numbers as the best player on a sh*tty team, but Love is a much more skilled player than AD. And yes, the Pelicans are a sh*tty team, sorry to break your heart.

You pretty clearly don't watch the Pelicans at all

 

[Amphibious]

Check the standings son they ain't even in the top 5

Standings don't mean shyt.

 

[King Biko]

Yes if and only if AD is doing his best Deandre Jordan impression. Love needs the ball in his hands, he has to adjust to not having the ball in his hands for 10 seconds on every 24 second shot clock Love will stretch out the defense, can shoot from anywhere on the court, and is a rebounding machine. Again, it's easy to have crazy numbers as the best player on a sh*tty team

The Pelicans had the same record as the cavs earlier this week and no other all star or "lebron James" hof caliber player on there team and they are in the west. How could you say they are a shytty team and big up the cavs?? And if you were a gm and took love over ant Davis you would lose your job that exact day.

 

[King Biko]

It's crazy that people consider 18ppg-10rpg from your third best player as horrible and Wiggins would have contributed more for this team. Bosh didn't even average numbers like that as the third option. Not to mention we still have Iman for the defense that Wiggins would have supposedly brought to this team. People will do anything to make believe there bullshyt opinions. Like Wiggins>Love for the Cavs

Bosh impact on miami was bigger than stats. Love is no chris bosh