2018 NBA FINALS - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors IV - Preview + Predictions (spoilers)

[fidstar]

I'm just having a laugh at all the "experts" on ESPN ...... just guessing like crazy, not one of them has any idea where LeBron is going, or anyone else for that matter.

LeBron probably has a good idea.

 

[peternorth]

LeBron James made a shot with 5:49 left in the second quarter that put the Cavs ahead by 1.

The next time he makes a field goal was with 5:40 left in the last quarter that cut the Warriors lead to 26 (i.e. the game was over).

He's just had one of the great playoff runs ever, but he can't do that. I think he only took a handful of shots in that whole time.

Some are suggesting he knew the end was near and gave up.

I do agree about the bolded bit. almost averaged a westbrook

LeBron probably has a good idea.

windhorst would

 

[peternorth]

About the time I first started supporting them - the year before they drafted Curry - when all my stupid mates were still on the Kobe bandwagon. My son went Raptors, me Warriors. Last few years have been fun, although the loss when Kyrie beat them at the end of game 7 when no-one could score a point in the last 4 minutes was tough.

What made you go the warriors?

 

[mickelboy182]

Even 5 years ago, no one would have seen it. The NBA is a weird place. I'm bias obviously, but it was/is good to see a team without much success do well.

I'd love it if in 5 years we were saying the same thing about, say, Denver, NO, Atlanta...

I hate hearing the sob story about Golden State tbh. Half the NBA have never won a championship, stuff your 'been a long time' scenario!

 

[Shade]

Can anyone translate this?

Twas a big day on the cans yesterday

 

[peternorth]

I hate hearing the sob story about Golden State tbh. Half the NBA have never won a championship, stuff your 'been a long time' scenario!

fidstar is genuine in what he said. If Denver or ATL get up and win a chip, he'd be the first here to congratulate the team and supporters.

The doggies did it. The Tigers did it. Anyone can

 

[mickelboy182]

fidstar is genuine in what he said. If Denver or ATL get up and win a chip, he'd be the first here to congratulate the team and supporters.

The doggies did it. The Tigers did it. Anyone can

Not really calling out him specifically, just the constant 'long-suffering' stuff brought up in the media and elsewhere. There are a handful of teams who have never won even a conference final...

 

[Langanis]

He'll finish at least second I believe might push for 1st on Kareem but he'll have to play at least another 6 or 7 years to do so.

Updated points tally. Next season LeBron should move up
- Regular Season points -> #7 to #4
- Total points -> #5 to #3

View attachment 509518

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[Langanis]

Can anyone translate this?

I tried but to no avail.

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[fidstar]

I hate hearing the sob story about Golden State tbh. Half the NBA have never won a championship, stuff your 'been a long time' scenario!

Okay, I wish the Lakers had won the last 5 championships.

Better?

 

[Macpotata]

After the dust has settled you know what, * LBJ and the Cavs. All the Durant and GSW hate and what for? LBJ did the exact same thing with the heat in 2010.


BOOM!!!

 

[kingkingston]

Rodman would also be abused for slacking off his direct opponent and grabbing rebounds.

And I say that as a huge Rodman fan.

Rodman was a good defender, with today's NBA, they focus on team defence more than one on one. He would be fine

 

[fidstar]

Rodman was a good defender, with today's NBA, they focus on team defence more than one on one. He would be fine

Rodman was certainly a great defender. He's also a Westbrook in that he slacked off his direct opponent and got extra rebounds. In the 90s when power forwards had 10 foot ranges, that's fine. Not so much today.

I'm not saying that he wouldn't be fine btw.

 

[kingkingston]

Rodman was certainly a great defender. He's also a Westbrook in that he slacked off his direct opponent and got extra rebounds. In the 90s when power forwards had 10 foot ranges, that's fine. Not so much today.

I'm not saying that he wouldn't be fine btw.

Westbrook played no defence, bit different from what Rodman did. Today's defence is a lot worse than when Rodman played in the 80's and 90's. Back then you could get right up in to them, now you can't as much. They didn't slacken off anyone back then, he use to defend Shaq when asked to

 

[fidstar]

Westbrook played no defence, bit different from what Rodman did. Today's defence is a lot worse than when Rodman played in the 80's and 90's. Back then you could get right up in to them, now you can't as much. They didn't slacken off anyone back then, he use to defend Shaq when asked to

?

Are we even talking about the same thing? I was talking about Rodman sagging on defense to get rebounds. It's not even debatable.

Also, you're romanticizing the 80s/90s.

Today's defense is as tough as ever. Team defense is at an all time high. The main thing making it easier is that players can't cheat to the key as often as they used to (because of the better shooting).

Back then the 3 point line wasn't defended well. The big guys always slacked off. Why do you think every driver was met with someone at the rim back then?

Here's a random clip from the 90s of the Bulls in their 72 win series.

Every screen is played with the big guy 5-10 feet back. They don' even put a hand up. Even when the guy was on fire.

Now, I'm not saying most of them couldn't adapt to today's game. And Rodman would be fine on the defensive end (he had great lateral movement and was a work horse).

All I'm saying is that he couldn't play how he used to and sag off and get rebounds and not get called out for it (like Westbrook is).

 

[kingkingston]

?

Are we even talking about the same thing? I was talking about Rodman sagging on defense to get rebounds. It's not even debatable.

Also, you're romanticizing the 80s/90s.

Today's defense is as tough as ever. Team defense is at an all time high. The main thing making it easier is that players can't cheat to the key as often as they used to (because of the better shooting).

Back then the 3 point line wasn't defended well. The big guys always slacked off. Why do you think every driver was met with someone at the rim back then?

Here's a random clip from the 90s of the Bulls in their 72 win series.

Every screen is played with the big guy 5-10 feet back. They don' even put a hand up. Even when the guy was on fire.

Now, I'm not saying most of them couldn't adapt to today's game. And Rodman would be fine on the defensive end (he had great lateral movement and was a work horse).

All I'm saying is that he couldn't play how he used to and sag off and get rebounds and not get called out for it (like Westbrook is).

i had to laugh, very funny.

good clip, Abdul Rauf was a very talented scorer, in some ways he was Steph before the league had a Steph

Also you need to remember that there was no defensive three second rule back then, but the players still picked up their opponent full court more often than they do now. Players are forced to defend now or be close to an opponent by the rules. Also there was way more contact back then and it was allowed to be done. Defenders got up in the offensive players faces more often.

No player now can come close to Rodman as a rebounder, he was a freak at it

 

[peternorth]

Rodman was such a smart player.

 

[kingkingston]

Rodman was such a smart player.

when he wasn't getting in to trouble, he was a smart defender. Players back then had so much more basketball smarts than they do today

 

[fidstar]

when he wasn't getting in to trouble, he was a smart defender. Players back then had so much more basketball smarts than they do today

wat?

This is a league that hadn't worked out 3>2.

 

[kingkingston]

wat?

This is a league that hadn't worked out 3>2.

if you don't know what players with basketball smarts are, then i can't help you.......players use to play off each other on instinct way better than they do today.

They still shot threes back then, just not as many. Doesn't matter how you score in reality, as long as you score

 

[fidstar]

if you don't know what players with basketball smarts are, then i can't help you.......players use to play off each other on instinct way better than they do today.

They still shot threes back then, just not as many. Doesn't matter how you score in reality, as long as you score

Please explain to me with any evidence what so ever why you think the players back then had more "smarts"?

Did players all of a sudden become dumber? Even though they do a lot more on both ends of the floor than ever before, there's a bigger player pool (meaning theoretically there'd be more "smart" players), and players that were just thugs have been generally removed out of the game (they had a job because they were tough, not "smart").

 

[kingkingston]

Please explain to me with any evidence what so ever why you think the players back then had more "smarts"?

Did players all of a sudden become dumber? Even though they do a lot more on both ends of the floor than ever before, there's a bigger player pool (meaning theoretically there'd be more "smart" players), and players that were just thugs have been generally removed out of the game (they had a job because they were tough, not "smart").

having smarts is like reading the play and playing off each other like the best players do when they click. Like Jordan and Pippen did, or reading the defence so you can do damage against them. Rodman was a very smart defender, he knew how to defend nearly everyone. Stockton and Malone were like chalk and cheese and played off each other beautifully. These days you just don't see that cohesion as much in the game play. It is a lot of ISO and pick and roll and a lot less of players actually moving without the ball.

If you think today's basketball is the best we have ever seen, you are sadly mistaken. So many bad defenders, so many mistakes, So many bad shots taken.

Problem is people like yourself think that players are just naturally smart basketball players.......unfortunately that isn't the case and the NBA went through a period of teams drafting athletic players who had no basketball smarts at all and it killed the brand for awhile. It has started to change though

 

[Langanis]

After the dust has settled you know what, **** LBJ and the Cavs. All the Durant and GSW hate and what for? LBJ did the exact same thing with the heat in 2010.


BOOM!!!

But before LeBron got to the heat they were a 50% win team the year before they weren't contenders until he and bosh got there and when he left they barely made the playoffs that is the LeBron x-factor

When Jordan left the bulls pippen still took them to the playoffs and almost made the finals in the year Jordan jumped to play baseball.

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[Look2Me4Guidance]

if you don't know what players with basketball smarts are, then i can't help you.......players use to play off each other on instinct way better than they do today.

They still shot threes back then, just not as many. Doesn't matter how you score in reality, as long as you score

That’s because they were allowed to play with instinct!

Teams are far more regimented today with schemes, etc. Individuals may not be smarter but teams as a unit are vastly superior in terms of acumen.

3 points is always more than 2 points.

 

[peternorth]

Here is a smart player

and mason cox