The NBA

[bluepiano]

So now I think there's some reason to believe that with a healthy Kyrie Irving last year the Cavs would have the back-to-back titles. I thought that Lebron deserved the MVP last year for making it a 6 game series, when the team's #2 and #3 offensive options were Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Delabadova.

The first half of game 7 felt like last year's series, with Lebron having to do it by myself. Fortunately for Cleveland, Kyrie came through big time in the second half. And Love made some good plays, though I've always felt he was overrated. In Minnesota he put up big numbers on a bad team. He's no superstar, despite being paid like one. More of a skilled role player.

The best players rise to the occasion when it matters, and Lebron again showed he's the best player in the world. I hate the word "choke," but Curry was pretty awful in game 7, after saying he needed to play the best game of his career. That behind the back pass, given the clock and game situation, was dumb grandstanding, and a couple of his three point attempts down the stretch didn't even draw iron. Curry's a great player, no doubt, but despite being the repeat league MPV he might actually be the third most valuable player (after Thompson and Green) on his team.

I'm happy for Cleveland. Those rust-belt Midwestern cities really need this kind of emotional uplift from their sports teams. Oakland is pretty much a blue collar town too. Which is why the Warriors are building a new arena in San Francisco, so the wealthy tech money SF fans won't have to lower themselves to go to Oakland for the games. I know some people in Oakland and they really feel burned.

Edited June 21, 2016 by bluepiano

[mojoween]

I took yesterday off from sports radio because I didn't work so it was easy to.  But I'm back to work today so I'm back in the First and Last, Mike & Mike, LeBatard routine and I'm already irritated.

Tell me, because I don't know...why the hell am I going to care what Earnest Byner thought during game 7?  Is it going to take The Fumble back? Are the Browns now suddenly going to win the Super Bowl because the Cavs won a championship?  (Short answer - no)

I've seen this on social media the last couple of days, that somehow this vindicates the Browns and I truly do not get it.  I mean, that guy with the jersey with the 27 QB names or however many it has on it retired it.  Because the Cavs won.  In basketball.

[Ohwell]

So LeBron is now calling himself the "Ultimate Warrior" to stick it to GS.  I call him the "Ultimate Asshole" because dude can't even win gracefully.  

Fuck him.

[Maximum Taco]

On 6/20/2016 at 0:10 AM, Carey said:

I guess the lesson here is to fire your head-coach mid-season; you might win a world championship!

 

On 6/20/2016 at 0:15 AM, xaxat said:

It worked for the Penguins!

Lesson #2: Have Evgeni Malkin on your side!

[isalicat]

No, Cavs fans, you don't get to claim some sort of retroactive victory for last year because you won this year. And LeBron is acting every bit the sore winner. No class at all there apparently. So glad to be a Warriors, not a Cavs, fan even this week.

[FuriousStyles]

Im neither a Cavs or Warriors fan generally, even though i did root for the Warriors to complete their historic season with a championship, and I generally dislike Lebron, but I saw nothing wrong with Lebron trolling the Warriors.  They were all running their mouths (even Ayesha got into the mix) about Lebron and he got the last laugh. If him wearing an "ultimate warrior" t-shirt is classless then I think the standards are just a bit too high for him. The NBA team in Oakland doesnt have a monopoly on the word "Warrior".

Lebron did his thing this series.  Led all players on both teams in every major category (points, steals, blocks, assists, rebounds).  As much criticism as that guy gets, if it were me, I would absolutely be sticking up my middle finger to everybody this week. Now if he's on instagram or whatever 2 months later still talking shit then ok...but I think the man deserves at least a week to speak his mind and enjoy this accomplishment however he sees fit.

Oh and that Kermit sipping tea hat Lebron had on is fire. Lmaooo

Edited June 21, 2016 by FuriousStyles

[Ohwell]

Utter bullshit right there.  LeBron is a dick.  Always has been; always will be.

[Crs97]

Well, to paraphrase a player, "Guys talk trash in this league all the time. I'm just kind of shocked some guys take it so personal."  Klay, Curry's wife, Steph himself, Green, etc. were all yapping about LeBron until he finally woke up and did something about it. I guess the Warrior fans got their feelings hurt.

[Ohwell]

Yeah, like the Cavs fans got their feelings hurt last year.  And the year before, and the year before, and the year before..............

All I'm saying is when you finally win something, don't act like a dick.  I know LeBron isn't the only one who's acted like that, but he's the most recent one. 

One thing I do agree about is Curry's wife and other relatives/friends who feel the need to yap and complain on Twitter, facebook, etc.  They need to stop.  It's one thing for the players to do it because they're, you know, playing.  

[lam48]

3 hours ago, isalicat said:

No, Cavs fans, you don't get to claim some sort of retroactive victory for last year because you won this year. And LeBron is acting every bit the sore winner. No class at all there apparently. So glad to be a Warriors, not a Cavs, fan even this week.

The one that tidn't come across as classy was Klay. It looked like he bounced off the court and didn't congratulate the Cavs players.

Draymond was the Warrior that actually came off as classy. He came back and congratulated the Cavs players their due and was respectful in his post game comments.. 

2 hours ago, FuriousStyles said:

  They were all running their mouths (even Ayesha got into the mix) about Lebron and he got the last laugh. If him wearing an "ultimate warrior" t-shirt is classless then I think the standards are just a bit too high for him. The NBA team in Oakland doesnt have a monopoly on the word "Warrior"....

Oh and that Kermit sipping tea hat Lebron had on is fire. Lmaooo

Pretty much.  Especially Ayesha. Calling the league rigged was disrespectful and a really bad look.I mean it did she think it was rigged when the Warriors won 73 games and came back from a 3-1 deficit? Did she think it rigged when Steph has been getting endorsements and she landed a cooking show as a result of his association with the league? She's also poked at LeBron and Cavs fans at on Twitter in previous tweets. 

I think that her comments were distracting and may have taken away from Steph's focus of the game. Either way Steph didn't play that well in this series and bricked several threes in game 7. The best player for the Warriors for game 7 was Draymond and he tried to get them the championship. But they went away from getting him the ball in the second half. That was on Kerr and to a degree Curry, because he was the point guard and should have tried to faciliate things better.

The Warriors didn't play as well as they should have and the Cavs played better. LeBron willed that team to win and they did. Congrats to Cleveland. They deserved that win.

Edited June 21, 2016 by lam48

[twoods]

He hasn't finally won anything- this is his third ring.

What makes me laugh are all the sore Warriors fans talking already of their parade and who the finals MVP was going to be. Guess they need to take a seat- I couldn't even read anything on ESPN without getting annoyed with the comments. Figures after their team has finally won something the trolls would come out and play- now they are all silent. Congrats to Klay, 10 seconds of fame wife, and others who fueled Lebron.

I have loved how generally thrilled all the Cleveland fans are. Most have waited a lifetime to celebrate a major championship. 

[Ohwell]

7 minutes ago, twoods said:

He hasn't finally won anything- this is his third ring.

I'm talking about in Cleveland.

[twoods]

7 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm talking about in Cleveland.

It's their first time celebrating....well in forever. Give them a break. I can see people hating Lakers or Pats fans because they are ridiculously obnoxious and are used to winning, but let them bask. This could be their only championship for another 50 years for all we know.

On to something else- how in the world can the Warriors afford Durant? Are their players that underpaid? Craziness- they will pretty much be unstoppable if they get him.

Edited June 21, 2016 by twoods

[Ohwell]

11 minutes ago, twoods said:

This could be their only championship for another 50 years for all we know.

What you just wrote is far worse than anything I could have written.  LOL.

[twoods]

Just now, Ohwell said:

What you just wrote is far worse than anything I could have written.  LOL.

Maybe the Indians can pull it off, but yeah right on the Browns and if Durant is a Warrior, I doubt the Cavs will be repeating anytime soon. Just trying to be realistic. ?

[Ohwell]

By the way, good luck with the Browns and RGIII.  He just got there and already he's yapping on twitter.  That's partly what got him in trouble here in DC.  I liked him, but the guy needs to just shut up and PLAY.

[Jx223]

23 minutes ago, twoods said:

 

I have loved how generally thrilled all the Cleveland fans are. Most have waited a lifetime to celebrate a major championship. 

I think that the Parade tomorrow for the Cavs fans is going to be huge. I have heard that might be some pretty large numbers there, and that people are flying from all over the country to attend. It should be a very enjoyable experience for them. Also, I read that 30 for 30 is re-editing “Believeland” and is including the Cavs championship in the program, which I think is cool. I didn’t catch the program the first time around, but I might watch it when it airs with the new ending.

And speaking of the warriors I did hear about them wanting to pursue Kevin Durant. I hope that does not happen. I want KD to stay with OKC at least another year.  I really believe that both GSW and OKC rosters are mostly fine the way they are. I think that they both have championship caliber type of rosters.

I could see GSW getting rid of someone like Harrison Barnes, who didn’t really help them this series, but I don’t think they need to get KD in order to win another championship. I think they can do it with the roster they have now. I also wonder if Steph was more hurt than he is willing to admit in these playoffs. I had read he might get surgery, if he does and comes back healthier that will help the Warrior’s chances of going back to the Finals.

[pennben]

4 hours ago, FuriousStyles said:

Oh and that Kermit sipping tea hat Lebron had on is fire. Lmaooo

I loved that! Honestly, that's the only fashion statement he needed to make (although I found the shirt quite a bit of fun as well).  I've got to find one for myself.

[Jediknight]

4 hours ago, FuriousStyles said:

Im neither a Cavs or Warriors fan generally, even though i did root for the Warriors to complete their historic season with a championship, and I generally dislike Lebron, but I saw nothing wrong with Lebron trolling the Warriors.  They were all running their mouths (even Ayesha got into the mix) about Lebron and he got the last laugh. If him wearing an "ultimate warrior" t-shirt is classless then I think the standards are just a bit too high for him. The NBA team in Oakland doesnt have a monopoly on the word "Warrior".

Also, it was a wrestling shirt, and LeBron has worn wrestling shirts before.  This wasn't him just picking up one shirt to troll, there's a good chance he already had it before the Finals.

I don't see how him wearing that shirt, or the Kermit hat is bad.  Talk as much trash as you want as long as you back it up, which LeBron does.

[roamyn]

Ya know, when you haven't had one championship in 52 years (not counting The Force or this years Monsters), and have lost THE WAY CLEVELAND HAS LOST over & over, yet you can't give the fans or players ONE FRICKING WEEK to bask, rub it in a bit, then you must be a Trump supporter or Skip Bayless or Mark May. LOL

Seriously, no one understands the pain that we have been through, the pressure the players put on themselves.

Trash talk is a part of all sports, both by politicians, fans & players.  

And LeBron was gracious last year and he was this year at the post game interviews.  Until one of us "everyday" folks can get out there and do what he does, then we need to STFU.

[Crs97]

And, really, Cleveland has been awesome about the championship!  For so many years, it's been the punch line of the nation.  It finally puffs its chest a little, emphasis on little, and people are getting offended.  Where was their outrage when Cleveland was called the mistake on the lake and everyone else laughed?

Frankly, it's just been so joyous here.  The worst thing I've heard about Cleveland's celebration has been the false report of the stolen fire truck.  The police tweeted a picture of the people standing and cheering on top of it with a note that said, "See, the fire truck was not stolen.  This, however, is not okay."  Still makes me chuckle.

[mojoween]

I don't have a problem with a winner celebrating.  And I don't begrudge long-suffering fans their happiness.

But when I don't like the person who won, it's going to rub me the wrong way regardless what he does.  I'm a sore loser.

[pennben]

HA! That's honest.  I respect that.

[FuriousStyles]

18 hours ago, lam48 said:

I think that her comments were distracting and may have taken away from Steph's focus of the game. Either way Steph didn't play that well in this series and bricked several threes in game 7. ......

The Warriors didn't play as well as they should have and the Cavs played better. LeBron willed that team to win and they did. Congrats to Cleveland. They deserved that win.

I dont think Ayesha's comments had as much impact on Steph's focus as did the constant chatter about him not being as great a player as the media is hyping him up to be.  He's heard it pretty much all year from the old heads of the game how he would not be as effective under the old rough and tumble rules. Then he wins unanimous MVP and the flood gates open up.. and Lebron himself made some underhanded comments.  Steph, I think took the challenge and wanted to personally prove all those people wrong by winning Finals MVP (added bonus because it would be against Lebron)...instead of just trying to do whatever it took to win the championship.  It was like when Draymond admitted during the season after a game that he was actively trying to get a triple double (instead of just playing within the flow of the game) and it almost cost them the game. He learned his lesson early on not to chase those personal accomplishments, and Im sure Steph will learn the same thing. #1 goal is to freaking win the game.  Game 7 Draymond was cooking, and Steph should have been trying to feed him instead of jacking up those shots or making crazy behind the back turnovers. I think it was game 5 where Klay had the hot hand, but only had 2 shots in the 4th quarter.  The coach and PG have to know better. With that said though, I'm not going to take away from what the Cavs did defensively on Steph.  They punished him as they should have and in the process may have actually given credence to what those old heads were saying. Rough up Steph enough, make him really work over those screens and run him ragged when he's playing defense and he's not going to be as dominant.

Edited June 22, 2016 by FuriousStyles

[isalicat]

Is it not obvious that Steph Curry was playing injured (as opposed to reacting negatively to the chatter on the interwebs which I doubt he pays any attention to for the most part)? I give the Cavs all the credit for playing exceptionally good offense but their defense was gifted by that water on the court in Houston. Hope Cleveland has a lovely parade today and enjoys it all tremendously.

[twoods]

I'm sure he was injured but never complained, but he played pretty awesome during the OKC series and it didn't seem as if he was hurting. There was so much time between the finals games than the WCF series as well. I'm sure he wasn't 100 percent, but like others above I wonder if all the criticism was getting into his head and he was trying to prove he could do it all. I'm sure he will destroy the league next year after he has some time for self reflection.

[bluepiano]

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 0:45 PM, lam48 said:

The best player for the Warriors for game 7 was Draymond and he tried to get them the championship. But they went away from getting him the ball in the second half. That was on Kerr and to a degree Curry, because he was the point guard and should have tried to faciliate things better.

That's when happens when your point guard is your leading scorer. And especially the two-time NBA, because he really wanted to save the day himself by hitting the big three. There's never as much glory in an assist. Curry clearly wanted to be the hero, and he rushed up a couple of threes down the stretch that missed badly. And that behind the back pass was really unforgiveable for a player of his stature.

The scoring point guard seems to be the way the league is going. Curry, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook. These are the high profile players that young players are going to try to emulate. The pure passing point guards who always put the team first, like John Stockton or Steve Nash, are a dying breed. (Stockton was actually an excellent shooter who easily could've averaged 20 a game, but that was not his role in Jerry Sloan's offensive scheme).

[Jx223]

Derrick Rose has been traded to the Knicks. I think that this could be a good move for them, depending on his health. They didn't have to give up much for him and it's being reported that while he will miss his hometown, New York was his first choice if he went somewhere else.

I had heard that Jimmy Butler might go to the Timberwolves and that Joakim Noah might be looking to leave too. Maybe the Bulls will end up revamping kind of like the Pacers/Blazers did a couple of years ago, when they lost a lot of their starters.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/16427840/new-york-knicks-acquire-derrick-rose-chicago-bulls

Also, Jeff Teague has been traded to the Pacers while George Hill is going to the Jazz. I like Jeff Teague and I hope he will fit in with the Pacers. 

Edited June 22, 2016 by Jx223

[roamyn]

1.3M people at today's parade.

Greats like Jim Chones, Bernie Kosar, Urban Meyer, JIM BROWN, Earnest Byner, Austin Carr, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

I'd like to thank the city for making Cleveland look beautiful,  God for the gorgeous weather, David Griffin for his elegant words,  Fox Sports for making the parade available on National TV, and the fans for being soooo great!

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO EVERYONE INVOLVED!

[kathyk24]

I have a reason to dislike Lebron because now some are claiming that he is a better forward than Larry Bird. I was a teen during eighties and I loved those Celtics teams. Comcast Sports New England did an excellent documentary on the 85-86 Celticsand it'sworth a watch.

[roamyn]

2 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I have a reason to dislike Lebron because now some are claiming that he is a better forward than Larry Bird. I was a teen during eighties and I loved those Celtics teams. Comcast Sports New England did an excellent documentary on the 85-86 Celticsand it'sworth a watch.

And that's LeBron's fault..how?

[Magog]

Quote

1.3M people at today's parade.

Greats like Jim Chones, Bernie Kosar, Urban Meyer, JIM BROWN, Earnest Byner, Austin Carr, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

I'd like to thank the city for making Cleveland look beautiful,  God for the gorgeous weather, David Griffin for his elegant words,  Fox Sports for making the parade available on National TV, and the fans for being soooo great!

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO EVERYONE INVOLVED!

That was a lot of fun to watch. This has been an excellent past several days for all over Northeast Ohio & Cavaliers fans all over the country. I just hope that it doesn't take another 52 years for another one. I also hope that while celebrating, that J R Smith & Iman Shumpert are laughing at the Knicks. 

 

Quote

They were all running their mouths (even Ayesha got into the mix) about Lebron and he got the last laugh. If him wearing an "ultimate warrior" t-shirt is classless then I think the standards are just a bit too high for him. The NBA team in Oakland doesnt have a monopoly on the word "Warrior"....

Oh and that Kermit sipping tea hat Lebron had on is fire. Lmaooo

Pretty much.  Especially Ayesha. Calling the league rigged was disrespectful and a really bad look.I mean it did she think it was rigged when the Warriors won 73 games and came back from a 3-1 deficit? Did she think it rigged when Steph has been getting endorsements and she landed a cooking show as a result of his association with the league? She's also poked at LeBron and Cavs fans at on Twitter in previous tweets. 

I think that her comments were distracting and may have taken away from Steph's focus of the game. Either way Steph didn't play that well in this series and bricked several threes in game 7. The best player for the Warriors for game 7 was Draymond and he tried to get them the championship. But they went away from getting him the ball in the second half. That was on Kerr and to a degree Curry, because he was the point guard and should have tried to faciliate things better.

The Warriors didn't play as well as they should have and the Cavs played better. LeBron willed that team to win and they did. Congrats to Cleveland. They deserved that win.

I wonder if there was a conspiracy when Stephen Curry made that stupid backhand pass in the 4th Quarter. Or when Le Bron came out of nowhere &  block Iguadola's lay up. Kyrie Irving making that 3 pointer in Stephen Curry's face has got to be part of a conspiracy. Though it would of been pretty easy to me to make an excuse when the Cavaliers lost to the Warriors last June, I didn't make one.

Revenge taste so sweet & I'm wondering how much Stephen Curry enjoyed that champagne celebration on Sunday Night. He was rubbing it in our faces last June when the Warriors won it & during this season. I didn't forget the comment that he made about it. 

 

Quote

Derrick Rose has been traded to the Knicks. I think that this could be a good move for them, depending on his health. They didn't have to give up much for him and it's being reported that while he will miss his hometown, New York was his first choice if he went somewhere else.

Someone should find him & give him a hug. He can't get the Bulls to the top (bad luck & injuries) & now he's going to suffer with the Knicks. He will never get a sniff of being in the NBA Finals. I also feel sorry for the player whoever gets picked by the Knicks in the NBA Draft tomorrow night.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Magog

[Maximum Taco]

15 hours ago, Magog said:

Someone should find him & give him a hug. He can't get the Bulls to the top (bad luck & injuries) & now he's going to suffer with the Knicks. He will never get a sniff of being in the NBA Finals. I also feel sorry for the player whoever gets picked by the Knicks in the NBA Draft tomorrow night.
 

No need to feel sorry, the Knicks don't have a pick in tonights draft.

Denver owns their 1st rounder, and Houston owns their 2nd rounder, and the Knicks don't own anybody else's pick.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

19 hours ago, Magog said:

Revenge taste so sweet & I'm wondering how much Stephen Curry enjoyed that champagne celebration on Sunday Night. He was rubbing it in our faces last June when the Warriors won it & during this season. I didn't forget the comment that he made about it. 

Yes, clearly you didn't... 

I always find it sad that people can't just celebrate a victory without continuing to exude bitterness. 

[twoods]

I feel sorry for the poo kid from Cal who got booed by the usual classless Boston fans. Another reason to hate all of their teams...

Excited to see what Ingram can do for the Lakers. Lots of youth and talent- they just need to gel and now that Mr. Ball hog is gone, hope they do decent next year.

[FuriousStyles]

Derrick Rose, Melo, and KP...hmmm this should be very interesting.  Im kind of on the fence about this move right now.  I guess it all the depends on whether Rose can stay healthy and how much KP is  improving over the summer (hopefully he's gained some weight too). 

[Jx223]

I really like Serge Ibaka and I think he did some nice things for the Thunder. When I intially heard today that they were shopping him around, I had hoped that rumor wasn't true. But now that he's been traded to the Magic, I think that the Thunder got a nice return for him in Victor Oladipo and the other two picks they acquired. I think that Victor is a nice young player with potential. 

I also wonder who will end up getting Jimmy Butler. The Wolves and the Bulls were in talks regarding him, but the Wolves weren't willing to give up Kris Dunn and Zach Lavine. I think that Jimmy could be a nice addition to the T-Wolves as well as other teams.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Jx223

[ketchuplover]

Bucks got Thon Maker who should change his first name to Your in my opinion.

[Archery]

I just watched ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary, "Believeland" on Netflix.  It ended with the Cav's loss in 2015 to GSW.  I had only vaguely known about the Browns/Indians/Cavs history in Cleveland.

Let's just say that now I totally get LeBron on his knees on the court, sobbing his heart out.  I get it.  That's a lot to carry on your shoulders.  

Actually, as a Boston fan, I can totally empathize with both teams:  the end of a life-long drought (coming back from a 3-0 deficit, no less, hello, 2004 Red Sox) AND losing a championship game after a record-breaking stellar season (hi, there, 2007 Pats).  

Edited June 25, 2016 by Archery

[DrSpaceman73]

Not a Lebron fan, but I respect his talent.  I wanted GS to win but Lebron and Kyrie really just willed this team to a title. 

Kyrie especially surprised me the most.  He had a great series.  Lebron deserved the MVP but Kyrie was a close second, IMO.  He was hitting everything all series. 

And Kevin Love, on the other hand, was absolutely useless. 

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 8:58 PM, Archery said:

I just watched ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary, "Believeland" on Netflix.  It ended with the Cav's loss in 2015 to GSW.  I had only vaguely known about the Browns/Indians/Cavs history in Cleveland.

Let's just say that now I totally get LeBron on his knees on the court, sobbing his heart out.  I get it.  That's a lot to carry on your shoulders.  

Actually, as a Boston fan, I can totally empathize with both teams:  the end of a life-long drought (coming back from a 3-0 deficit, no less, hello, 2004 Red Sox) AND losing a championship game after a record-breaking stellar season (hi, there, 2007 Pats).  

 

Boston also won 11 titles in 13 years and 16 in the first 40 years of the NBA.  Plus I think the Bruins won some in their as well. its hard for me to feel too bad for Boston fans and the Red sox drought considering that.  Not really the same as Cleveland. 

[DrSpaceman73]

I like what the pacers have done.  They never get big name free agents but Bird is great at using the second tier guys in free agency and trades. 

I find is astonishing so many "experts" think George Hill for Teague is a BAD move, especially when Bird has made it clear he wants a more uptempo style and more scoring, which is how Teague plays and hill does not.  Sure his defense may be better, but defense is a whole lot about effort and can improve if that is a focus.  This seems like a great trade to me.  Teague KILLED Hill and the pacers in the playoffs a few years back. 

Young to the Pacers is basically replacing David West.  Teague, George, Young and Myles Turner I think make for a great 4/5 starting lining up.  ANd Pacers still have $30 million to spend in cap space.

 

Will it be enough to catch Cleveland?  Probably not, but it brings them a whole lot closer than this year

[Crs97]

Quote

And Kevin Love, on the other hand, was absolutely useless. 

I know this is the prevailing opinion, but I am going to have to disagree.  First, everyone knew the Warriors were a bad match up for him; then he gets a nasty concussion in game 2 that I don't think he had fully recovered from by game 4 and maybe even 5, no matter what he says; the public had set him up to be the biggest scapegoat, unfairly IMO (when LeBron and Kyrie were on fire for 82 points, did people really want Kevin to demand the ball to pad his own numbers?); then in game 7 he goes lights out on the boards and has an amazing 4th quarter stop guarding Curry of all people.

He needs to work on his defense, but I am glad he is staying in Cleveland!

[mojoween]

Can Kevin Durant just sign with someone at midnight so I don't have to hear about him anymore?

[DrSpaceman73]

Kevin Love averaged 8 points and 5 rebound in the finals

Shot 17/47 from the field, 5/19 from 3 point range

8 assists and 9 turnovers

Hardly stellar numbers for a starter that is supposed to be the #3 player on the team.  those are mediocre back up player numbers. 

[Jx223]

On 6/29/2016 at 9:46 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

I like what the pacers have done.  They never get big name free agents but Bird is great at using the second tier guys in free agency and trades. 

I find is astonishing so many "experts" think George Hill for Teague is a BAD move, especially when Bird has made it clear he wants a more uptempo style and more scoring, which is how Teague plays and hill does not.  Sure his defense may be better, but defense is a whole lot about effort and can improve if that is a focus.  This seems like a great trade to me.  Teague KILLED Hill and the pacers in the playoffs a few years back. 

Young to the Pacers is basically replacing David West.  Teague, George, Young and Myles Turner I think make for a great 4/5 starting lining up.  ANd Pacers still have $30 million to spend in cap space.

 

Will it be enough to catch Cleveland?  Probably not, but it brings them a whole lot closer than this year

I like the trade for Jeff Teague too, Dr. Spaceman. I remembering reading some comments elsewhere  from a while back where some people were okay with George being traded. Some people were okay with the Pacers getting a more traditional passing point guard. I have always liked Jeff Teague and I could see this trade benefiting the Pacers. I also think that Al Jefferson is a nice pick up too. I think that the Pacers roster is shaping into something nice and potentially underrated.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Jx223

[roamyn]

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 1:37 AM, Crs97 said:

I know this is the prevailing opinion, but I am going to have to disagree.  First, everyone knew the Warriors were a bad match up for him; then he gets a nasty concussion in game 2 that I don't think he had fully recovered from by game 4 and maybe even 5, no matter what he says; the public had set him up to be the biggest scapegoat, unfairly IMO (when LeBron and Kyrie were on fire for 82 points, did people really want Kevin to demand the ball to pad his own numbers?); then in game 7 he goes lights out on the boards and has an amazing 4th quarter stop guarding Curry of all people.

He needs to work on his defense, but I am glad he is staying in Cleveland!

Thank you for showing Love some, love.

Now that Delly's most likely gone (sob), Kev becomes my 2nd favorite player after Kyrie.

PPG isn't the be-all to end-all.  Without him spider monkeying all over Curry, that game may have been tied at 92.  

Edited July 2, 2016 by roamyn

[Archery]

On 6/30/2016 at 0:39 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Boston also won 11 titles in 13 years and 16 in the first 40 years of the NBA.  Plus I think the Bruins won some in their as well. its hard for me to feel too bad for Boston fans and the Red sox drought considering that.  Not really the same as Cleveland. 

Not asking you to feel bad for Boston fans, just pointing out some parallels between the 2003-04 Red Sox and the Cavs.  Cleveland is its own story.  

[Rick Kitchen]

So Timofey Mozgov is going to be the answer to the Lakers' needs, hm?

[DrSpaceman73]

These salaries are crazy in the NBA

$30 million a year for Conley

$9+ million for Dellavadova

$16 million a year for Mozgov. 

Dellavdova and Mozgov contributed almost nothing to the Cavs in the postseason.  And I am not saying that figuratively, I mean it literally. 

[LexieLily]

It is insane that basically two-thirds of the guys that got deals today are all going to making more, and sometimes up to twice as much as Steph Curry and James Harden.