Thursday, December 27, 2012
Around the League
| 2012/13 Regular Season Awards | |||
| Award | Player | Pos | Team |
| Most Valuable Player | LeBron James | SF | Miami Heat |
| Rookie of the Year | Anthony Davis | C | New Orleans Hornets |
| Sixth Man of the Year | JR Smith | SG | New York Knicks |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Dwight Howard | C | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Most Improved Player | Goran Dragic | PG | Phoenix Suns |
| Coach of the Year | Erik Spolstra | HC | Miami Heat |
| All-NBA 1st Team | |||
| All-NBA 1st Team | Kyrie Irving | PG | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Russell Westbrook | PG | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| LeBron James | SF | Miami Heat | |
| Kevin Durant | SF | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Dwight Howard | C | Los Angeles Lakers | |
| All-NBA 2nd Team | |||
| All-NBA 2nd Team | Brandon Jennings | PG | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Kobe Bryant | SG | Los Angelese Lakers | |
| Josh Smith | PF | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Kevin Love | PF | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Al Jefferson | C | Utah Jazz | |
| All-NBA 3rd Team | |||
| All-NBA 3rd Team | Dwayne Wade | SG | Miami Heat |
| Chris Paul | PG | Los Angeles Clippers | |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | PF | Portland Trailblazers | |
| Blake Griffin | PF | Los Angeles Clippers | |
| DeMarcus Cousins | C | Sacramento Kings | |
| All-Defensive 1st Team | |||
| All-Defensive 1st Team | Paul George | SG | Indiana Pacers |
| Dwayne Wade | SG | Miami Heat | |
| Josh Smith | PF | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Kenneth Fried | PF | Denver Nuggets | |
| Dwight Howard | C | Los Angeles Lakers | |
| All-Defensive 2nd Team | |||
| All-Defensive 2nd Team | Chris Paul | PG | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Kyle Lowry | PG | Toranto Raptors | |
| Kevin Durant | SF | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | PF | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Anthony Davis | C | New Orleans Hornets | |
| All-Rookie 1st Team | |||
| All-Rookie 1st Team | Damian Lillard | PG | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Dion Waiters | SG | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | SF | Charlotte Bobcats | |
| Anthony Davis | C | New Orleans Hornets | |
| Bradley Beal | SG | Washington Wizards | |
| All-Rookie 2nd Team | |||
| All-Rookie 2nd Team | Austin Rivers | PG | New Orleans Hornets |
| Jeremy Lamb | SG | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Harrison Barnes | SF | Golden State Warriors | |
| Tyler Zeller | C | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Jonas Valanciunas | C | Toranto Raptors | |
LeBron wins his 4th, or 5th? I've lost count... NBA MVP Award... He averaged 24.5 ppg - 8.2 reb - 5.9 ast - 1.4 stl - 1.0 blk - he shot 51% from the field, 77% from the ft line and 34% from 3pt land... He is clearly the best player in the game today...
Cavaliers Point Guard Kyrie Irving has become a Superstar in the league in only his 2nd Season... His resume is filling up with accolades and his career has only just begun... NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA All Star, NBA All 1st Team... With Kyrie at the helm the Cavaliers future is bright... This Season Irving averaged: 26.3 ppg (3rd) - 7.7 ast - 4.9 reb - 1.3 stl...
Regular Season Scoring Champ
Carmelo Anthony led the NBA in scoring averaging 28.4 points per game... Melo scored over 40 points in 6 games this Season and his Season high was 48 points in a 110-99 loss to the Magic back on January 30th... His efforts helped the Knicks make the playoffs as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference...
Regular Rebounding Champ
Anderson Varejao won the rebounding Crown as he averaged 11.4 rebounds per game... Andy also led the league in Offensive Rebounds per game with 3.2... Combined with his 10.6 points per game and Andy is a walking double-double machine...
NBA PLAYOFFS
Western Conference
(1)
(8) 
(4)
(5) 
(3)
(6) 
(2)
(7) 
Eastern Conference
(1)
(8) 
(4)
(5) 
(3)
(6) 
(2)
(7) 
| April 1st 2013 - NBA Power Rankings | |||
| RK (LW) | Team | Record | Next Game |
| 1 () |  Miami Heat | 55-17 | |
| 2 () |  Indiana Pacers | 47-27 | |
| 3 () |  Los Angeles Lakers | 46-28 | |
| 4 () |  Minnesota Timberwolves | 44-24 | |
| 5 () |  Chicago Bulls | 48-23 | |
| 6 () |  Oklahoma City Thunder | 42-32 | |
| 7 () |  Philadelphia 76ers | 42-31 | |
| 8 () |  Dallas Mavericks | 45-28 | |
| 9 () |  New York Knicks | 39-32 | |
| 10 () |  Los Angeles Clippers | 41-33 | |
| 11 () |  Denver Nuggets | 38-36 | |
| 12 () |  Phoenix Suns | 37-37 | |
| 13 () |  San Antonio Spurs | 38-34 | |
| 14 () |  Utah Jazz | 39-35 | |
| 15 () |  New Jersey Nets | 38-35 | |
| 16 () |  Memphis Grizzlies | 35-38 | |
| 17 () |  Milwakee Bucks | 36-36 | |
| 18 () |  Atlanta Hawks | 36-38 | |
| 19 () |  Boston Celtics | 30-42 | |
| 20 () |  Portland Trailblazers | 32-41 | |
| 21 () |  Toronto Raptors | 34-38 | |
| 22 () |  Washington Wizards | 33-39 | |
| 23 () |  Sacramento Kings | 33-41 | |
| 24 () |  Detroit Pistons | 29-44 | |
| 25 () |  Golden State Warriors | 31-43 | |
| 26 () |  Houston Rockets | 28-45 | |
| 27 () |  Cleveland Cavaliers | 24-47 | |
| 28 () |  Orlando Magic | 26-48 | |
| 29 () |  New Orleans Hornets | 22-51 | |
| 30 () |  Charlotte Bobcats | 22-51 | |
The Miami Heat were the Pre-Season #1 team in the league and its no surprise that they are still ranked #1 in the Power-Rankings entering this final month of the Season... With LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh this team is simply loaded with talent and are the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals for a 3rd consecutive Season...
As you can see there are a few surprises both good and bad throughout the League... Perhaps the Biggest surprise has been the great play of the Minnesota Timberwolves this Season... Witht the hot start, many figured they would come back down to earth as the Season progressed, but, they haven't let up one bit and are currently the #1 Seed in the Western Conference with their 48-24 record...
Another surprise to many, on the opposite end of the spectrum is the dissapointing Season that the Boston Celtics are having... Currently sitting at 30-43 and 5.5 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, its not looking good for the Celtics to make one last run with Kevin Garnet and Paul Peirce... A complete Overhaul is surely soon to be in the Works in Boston...
Well folks the 2012/13 NBA All Star Game is upon us and your Cleveland Cavaliers are, unfortunately in a familiar position, LAST in the Eastern Conference Central Division, and dead last in the NBA with a 16-37 win / loss record...
Despite the Team's hardships over the course of the 1st half of the Season, there have been a few Bright Spots...
2nd year Point Guard and former #1 Pick Kyrie Irving has been voted to his 1st ever All Star Game... Through 53 games Kyrie is 2nd in the league in scoring, averaging 26.4 points per game... He also averages 7.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game...
Kyrie's backcourt mate and #4 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft Dion Waiters is making a name for himself around the league... He has lived up to the billing coming out of the Draft, and despite the questions early on, he has delivered to this point... Through 53 games Waiters is averaging 16.8 points per game, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists... He has become a legit #2 scoring option for the Cavaliers and they appear to have one of the best young backcourts in the league...
Anderson Varejao just barely missed making his 1st All Star Game as his numbers have been down recently due to some nagging injuries... Despite those injuries, Varejao is averaging 10.9 points per game, 10.9 rebounds, and .8 blocks per game this year...
Outside of those 3, the Cavaliers haven't gotten much production from the rest of the team... Alonzo Gee is inconsistent, but still manages to score 11 points per game and play pretty good defense... Former #4 pick Tristan Thompson is developing nicely and averaging 10.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game...
Overall, despite the record, I don't think you can be disappointed with how the team has played in every game this year... Talent is clearly holding them back, but, the effort is there, and that's half the battle...
Around the League
| 2012/13 NBA All-Star Game Rosters | |||
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | ||
| Head Coach: Erik Spolstra (MIA) | Head Coach: Rick Adelman (MIN) | ||
| Pos | Starters | Pos | Starters |
| PG | Kyrie Irving - CLE (1st) | PG | Chris Paul - LAC (6th) |
| SG | Dwayne Wade - MIA (9th) | SG | Kobe Bryant - LAL (15th) |
| SF | Carmelo Anthony - NYK (6th) | SF | Kevin Durant - OKC (4th) |
| PF | LeBron James - MIA (9th) | PF | Kevin Love - MIN (3rd) |
| C | Andrew Bynum - PHI (2nd) | C | Dwight Howard - LAL (7th) |
| Pos | Reserves | Pos | Reserves |
| PG | Derrick Rose - CHI (4th) | PG | Russell Westbrook - OKC (3rd) |
| SG | Monte Ellis - MIL (1st) | SG | James Harden - HOU (1st) |
| SF | Luol Deng - CHI (1st) | SF | Andre Iguodala - DEN (2nd) |
| PF | Josh Smith - ATL (1st) | PF | Blake Griffin - LAC (3rd) |
| C | Greg Monroe - DET (1st) | C | Al Jefferson - UTA (1st) |
| PG | Brandon Jennings - MIL (1st) | PF | LaMarcus Aldridge - POR (1st) |
| PG | Kemba Walker - CHA (1st) | PG | Goran Dragic - PHX (1st) |
All Star Game MVP
24 points - 7 rebounds - 2 assists - 1 steal - 1 block
NBA Standings at the Break
| NBA Standings - Updated: Feb 17, 2013 | |||||
| ATLANTIC | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| New York Knicks | 30 | 20 | -- | 11-4 | 21-15 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 28 | 25 | 3.5 | 9-8 | 22-18 |
| Philidelphia 76ers | 26 | 25 | 4.5 | 8-9 | 20-15 |
| Toronto Raptors | 25 | 28 | 6.5 | 4-7 | 16-17 |
| Boston Celtics | 22 | 30 | 9.0 | 6-10 | 18-21 |
| CENTRAL | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Chicago Bulls | 38 | 14 | -- | 11-3 | 25-11 |
| Indiana Pacers | 36 | 17 | 2.5 | 6-5 | 23-13 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 26 | 25 | 11.5 | 9-9 | 20-20 |
| Detroit Pistons | 18 | 36 | 21.0 | 4-8 | 14-27 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 16 | 37 | 22,5 | 5-10 | 14-23 |
| SOUTHEAST | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Miami Heat | 38 | 12 | -- | 7-4 | 21-8 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 26 | 25 | 12.5 | 7-7 | 16-18 |
| Washington Wizards | 24 | 27 | 14.5 | 7-7 | 17-21 |
| Orlando Magic | 20 | 32 | 19.0 | 5-4 | 14-23 |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 17 | 35 | 22.0 | 4-8 | 11-22 |
| EAST PLAYOFF RACE | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Miami Heat | 38 | 12 | -- | ||
| Chicago Bulls | 38 | 14 | 1.0 | ||
| Indiana Pacers | 36 | 17 | 3.5 | ||
| New York Knicks | 30 | 20 | 8.0 | ||
| Brooklyn Nets | 28 | 25 | 11.5 | ||
| Philidelphia 76ers | 26 | 25 | 12.5 | ||
| Atlanta Hawks | 26 | 25 | 12.5 | ||
| Milwaukee Bucks | 26 | 25 | 12.5 | ||
| Toranto Raptors | 25 | 28 | 14.5 | ||
| Washington Wizards | 24 | 27 | 14.5 | ||
| Boston Celtics | 22 | 30 | 17 | ||
| Orlando Magic | 20 | 32 | 19 | ||
| Charlotte Bobcats | 17 | 35 | 22 | ||
| Detroit Pistons | 18 | 36 | 22 | ||
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 16 | 37 | 23.5 | ||
| NORTHWEST | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 30 | 22 | -- | 8-2 | 21-9 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 27 | 26 | 8.5 | 6-4 | 22-17 |
| Denver Nuggets | 27 | 27 | 9.0 | 4-8 | 22-18 |
| Utah Jazz | 25 | 29 | 11.0 | 6-6 | 23-20 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 19 | 34 | 16.5 | 4-8 | 15-24 |
| PACIFIC | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 36 | 18 | -- | 8-7 | 20-21 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 34 | 22 | 3.0 | 8-6 | 23-18 |
| Golden State Warriors | 25 | 27 | 10.0 | 8-6 | 17-22 |
| Phoenix Suns | 25 | 28 | 10.5 | 2-11 | 19-19 |
| Sacramento Kings | 24 | 30 | 12.0 | 9-5 | 19-19 |
| SOUTHWEST | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Dallas Mavericks | 30 | 22 | -- | 8-2 | 21-16 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 28 | 26 | 3.0 | 6-8 | 20-12 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 25 | 26 | 4.5 | 4-6 | 15-18 |
| Houston Rockets | 22 | 33 | 9.5 | 11-5 | 16-22 |
| New Orleans Hornets | 17 | 36 | 13.5 | 3-11 | 9-27 |
| WEST PLAYOFF RACE | W | L | GB | DIV | CONF |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 36 | 18 | -- | ||
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 34 | 16 | -- | ||
| Los Angeles Clippers | 34 | 22 | 3.0 | ||
| Dallas Mavericks | 30 | 22 | 5.0 | ||
| San Antonio Spurs | 28 | 26 | 8.0 | ||
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 27 | 26 | 8.5 | ||
| Denver Nuggets | 27 | 27 | 9.0 | ||
| Memphis Grizzlies | 25 | 26 | 9.5 | ||
| Golden State Warriors | 25 | 27 | 10 | ||
| Phoenix Suns | 25 | 28 | 10.5 | ||
| Utah Jazz | 25 | 29 | 11 | ||
| Sacramento Kings | 24 | 30 | 12 | ||
| Houston Rockets | 22 | 33 | 14.5 | ||
| Portland Trail Blazers | 19 | 34 | 16.5 | ||
Stay tuned as I progress through the 2nd half of the 2012/13 Season and head towards the Playoffs.
Through the first 20+ games the Cavs are led by Kyrie Irving who is averaging 24 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds per game...
Dion Waiters is throwing his name into the hat for Rookie of the Year considerations averaging 18 points per game and 6 rebouns, however, he's shooting a tough 38% from the field...
You can pencil Anderson Varejao in for a double double every time he steps onto the floor... This guy is all hustle and gets to every loose ball and does ALL the dirty work for this team... Through 20+ games he's averaging 13 points and 14 rebounds per game... He's had 20+ rebounds in 5 games thus far and is getting some consideration on the Eastern Conference All Star Ballot...
The Cavs sit at 6-15 right now and while they have played tough, simply seemed outmatched on most nights... Like I said in my preseason predictions, this team is still a few pieces away from contending for the playoffs... The question now is, will they be patient and rebuild through the draft? or, will they panic and trade away players like Anderson Varejao and try to rebuild quickly?
"LeBron has his ring... When will you get yours?"
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Directed at Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert who promised the Cavaliers would "win a ring before the self proclaimed King" after the Decision...
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the hottest team in the NBA in LeBron Jame's final Season... They were Must See TV every night and regularly on Nation Television... Well, LeBron left (get over it) and the Cavaliers have fallen from the graces of the NBA's Elite Franchises and now find themselves trying to rebuild from the Ground up... The 2 years following the LeBron James era were not pretty... 19-63, followed up by a strike shortened 21-45...
Here is a look at the Roster and Rotation that the Cavaliers will bring into the 2012/13 NBA Season...
| Cleveland Cavaliers Depth Chart - 2012 | ||||
| STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
| PG | Kyrie Irving (83) | Daniel Gibson (61) | Jeremy Pargo (60) | |
| SG | Dion Waiters (R) (71) | CJ Miles (68) | ||
| SF | Alonzo Gee (71) | CJ Miles (68) | Luke Walton (66) | Omri Caspi (64) |
| PF | Tristan Thompson (68) | Samardo Samuels (63) | Jon Leuer (R) (63) | Luke Harengody (55) |
| C | Anderson Varejao (78) | Tyler Zeller (R) (65) | ||
As you can see, this team will go only as far as the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving will take them... Dion Waiters, who did not start for his Syracuse Orangemen in College will be asked to be the #2 Scoring Option on one of the youngest teams in the NBA... Anderson Varejao will get every rebound that he can reach, but, he isn't much of a scorer... Also, he's constantly dealing with Trade Rumors as teams that are on the verge of a Championship really value what he brings to the table... Tyler Zeller will backup Varajao and CJ Miles will be the teams 6th man...
It could be another loooooong Season for the Cavaliers and their Fans...
PREDICTION - 30-52... An improvement from the last 2 years, but, this team is still 2 or 3 pieces away from being a legit Playoff Contender
Stay Tuned...
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Everyone knows what happened to the Cavaliers and their Fans a few years back... Even so, I feel the need to recap it, quickly...
LeBron James, the 2 Time NBA MVP and Hometown Hero decided to leave the Cavaliers and join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to form the 1st (of many) "Super Teams" in South Beach... The first Season together the Maimi Heat reached the NBA Finals and were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games... Fans in Cleveland cheered the Mavericks victory, almost as much as if the Cavaliers themselves had won the NBA Championship...
That summer, the Cavaliers, who had the Worst Record in the NBA without LeBron James, landed a young Point Guard from Duke named Kyrie Irving and a young big man Tristan Thompson from Texas with the #4 pick...
Kyrie had an immediate impact on the Cavaliers and the NBA as he went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year in his first year... Thompson wasn't as successful but he has showed good signs that he can be a contributor on a winning team someday... Despite Kyrie's efforts the Cavaliers finished with a very poor record once again...
Meanwhile in Miami, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh were on their way to winning their first NBA Championship together...
Seeing LeBron hoist that Trophy was bitter sweet for many Clevelanders... Some fans had forgiven LeBron for leaving nearly 3 full years earlier, some fans were happy for him since he was from their hometown, while others still hated the idea of him ever winning anything...
One good thing that happened when LeBron got his ring and it wasn't happening in Miami... It was happening in Cleveland... For the 2 years after LeBron left, it seemed as though Cavaliers fans spent more time rooting against the Miami Heat, rather than caring how well, or poor, the Cavs themselves were doing... After the Heat's Championship, that has clearly changed... Local Sports talk radio is a buzz talking about what the Cavs are doing, and some are questioning if they are doing things correctly, who the coach is, who the players are, who the GM is - you know, your normal sports talk radio stuff... The pressure an eyes are definitely back on the Cavaliers and the Organization...
The Free Pass they've gotten over the past 2 years while the fanbase was preoccupied with rooting against LeBron and the Heat are over, and now, Clevelanders want to see their team win...
After the Miami Heat Championship, the Cavaliers were sitting pretty in the NBA Draft with the #4 Overall Pick... Many thought it was a done deal and their would take the Highly Touted SF from North Carolina, Harrison Barnes - (who would have been the #1 pick had he entered the draft after his freshman year) - However, to the surprise of many, the Cavaliers took the Slashing Philadelphia Shooting Guard from Syracuse Dion Waiters... Many fans and NBA People from around the league questioned the pick seeing as Waiters didn't even start for the Orange...
The Cavs made a trade later in the draft, trading back into the 1st round and selecting a Seven Footer from North Carolina Tyler Zeller... Many felt like getting a player of Zeller's quality that late in the 1st round was a steal for the Cavaliers...
So here we are... Now 2 full NBA Seasons after "The Decision"... 3 Top 5 picks from the last 2 Drafts... One of the brightest up and coming stars in the game today in Kyrie Irging... A fanbase that is know solely focused on what YOU are doing...
This is where our journey begins...
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Here are some images from the event.
President Obama with the Cavaliers and their Brand new Larry O'Brian Trophy.
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He is a nice shot of the Cavaliers giving President Obama his very own Cleveland Cavaliers Uniform!
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Here is a nice picture of President Obama with NBA Finals MVP Kyrie Irving.
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Now that the Cavaliers have been crowned NBA Champions, the Front Office will be hard at work to ensure that they don't become a "one hit wonder" and are able to sustain these winning ways for next year, and the foreseeable future...
With the NBA Draft just around the Corner, the Cavs Front Office has a few tasks to take care of before hand...
Stay Tuned as I will update you on All the Off-Season happenings from around the league.
I recently posted a question, to all my "loyal readers" <<-- really only a few, buts its cool
The question was, should I continue my 2k11 Franchise? or Start over new with 2k12?...
After a few responses I've decided that I put in too much time and effort to start over. Also, the fact that 2k12 has been out so long and the new 2k13 is right around the corner played a big factor in my decision <--- no pun intended.
So without further ado, here we go.
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As you remember, we left off with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, squaring off against the Memphis Grizzlies, the #1 seed in the Western Conference, in the NBA Finals...
Here is how those two teams stack up against each other...
Memphis Grizzlies
PG - Mike Conley (83)
SG - OJ Mayo (83)
SF - Rudy Gay (88)
PF - Troy Murphy (66)
C - Marc Gasol (80)
6th - Xavier Henry (72)
BN - CJ Watson (70)
BN - Kirk Hinrich (71)
BN - Sam Young (67)
BN - Mason Plumlee (69)
Cleveland Cavaliers
PG - Kyrie Irving (90)
SG - Reggie Bullock (75)
SF - Harrison Barnes (90)
PF - JJ Hickson (84)
C - Greg Oden (75)
6th - Trevor Ariza (77)
BN - Chauncey Billups (81)
BN - Brandon Rush (73)
BN - Hasheem Thabeet (67)
BN - Jon Diebler (67)
BN - Brandon Wright (66)
BN - Jeff Teague (68)
By looking at the two teams side by side above, you can see that the Grizzlies appear to be slightly more balanced and just a little deeper than the Cavaliers. Xavier Henry, CJ Watson and Kirk Hinrich are big contributers off the bench for the Grizzlies... Cleveland will counter with Chauncey Billups, Brandon Rush and Hasheem Thabeet... The Cavs also use 3-Point specialist Jon Diebler off the bench to give a spark when needed.
This Series should be an even matchup <<--- if you already know I won, just play along
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*NOTE* Since I advanced past the Finals, I don't have access to my game scores or stats from each game... I can look through my roster at my player and team news stats though to get some Idea of the results...
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GAME 1
Game 1 of the NBA Finals went to the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite 35 points from Cavaliers Forward Harrison Barnes, the Cavs still came up short...
OJ Mayo was the player of the game for the Grizzlies as he came off the bench and absolutely shot the lights out. Mayo dropped 40 points on the Cavs and they simple couldn't slow him down at all.
Grizzlies win 116-113 and take a 1-0 Series lead.
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GAME 2
Game 2 was a back and forth battle all game long. The Cavaliers relied heavily on Harrison Barnes to carry the scoring load and he did just that. Barnes rained buckets from the opening tip on his way to a career high 44 points.
Along with Barnes, Kyrie Irving had a fabulous game as well. 25 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Irving was the ring leader all game long and really the catalyst of the entire offense. Without him, Barnes would not have been able to go off the way he did.
Cavs win 110-108. Series - Tied 1-1
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GAME 3
After spiting the 2 games in Memphis, the Series shifted to Cleveland and Quicken Loans Arena for 3 straight. The Cavaliers knew they had to cease the Opportunity to play in front of a Championship Starved and Frenzied fan base at Home. Harrison Barnes picked up where he left off in Game 3, scoring 18 point in the 1st quarter on his way to another huge game as he would score 40 points for the second straight game. Kyrie Irving again flirted with a triple double with 20 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds as the Cavs took won game 3 and took a 2-1 lead in the Series.
Cavs win 112-100 and take a 2-1 Series lead.
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GAME 4
Looking to take a commanding 3-1 Series lead, the Cavaliers took the floor in Game 4 with a Attacking Mindset. Harrison Barnes, who had back to back 40 point games in Games 2 and 3 was not as dominant in Game 4... Barnes finished Game 4 with just 17 points, but his 15 rebounds and 3 steals really made up for his lack of Scoring...
Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving picked up the slack in the scoring department for the struggling Barnes, and then some... Kyrie, who had flirted with a triple double in the first 3 games, finally got it in Game 4... Kyrie scored 38 points, dropped 13 assists and hauled in 11 rebounds, for what was truly one of the greatest NBA Finals performances of recent memory... Greg Oden and Hasheem Thabeet were monsters in the paint in Game 4, both hauling in over 10 rebounds and blocking 4 shots each... There presence was felt big time, as the Cavaliers held the Grizzlies under 100 points for the first time in the Series.
Cavs win 98-88 and take a 3-1 Series lead.
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GAME 5
Being up 3-1, one would think that the Cavaliers would be lose and wouldn't feel very much pressure, well, if you think that, you obviously don't know the history of Cleveland Sports... To say that the teams and the fans of Cleveland have been cursed would be an extreme understatement... For the sanity of my fellow Cleveland Sports fans, I wont go into any furthur detail or bring up any of those horrific moments of the past that we've all tried our best to forget...
In Game 5, this Cavaliers team had a chance to ease some of the pain from the past... If they could get 1 more victory, they would bring home the first Championship for the City of Cleveland in over 50 years...
No pressure, right?
Knowing what was on the line, the Cavaliers came out like gangbusters... Behind one of the loudest crowds in all of the NBA the Cavaliers took an early 15 point halftime lead on the Grizzlies... Cleveland fans could taste it at this point... In the 2nd half however, the Grizzlies were able to fight back, and tie the game at 90 with just over 7:00 minutes to go... From that point forward however, the Cavaliers would buckle down and go on an amazing 13-5 to give Cleveland its first Championship since Jim Brown and the 1964 Cleveland Browns...
Cavs win 103-95 and win the NBA Finals 4-1
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Kyrie Irving was named the 2013 NBA Finals MVP... For the series Kyrie averaged 23 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds per game.
Thanks to some good fortune in the NBA Draft lottery a few years back, that landed the Cavaliers the #1 and #2 picks in the NBA Draft (Barnes and Irving), Dan Gilbert's promise to the Cleveland fans came to fruition. His team, did in fact win a Championship before the "self proclaimed king" won one...
Now, can they do it again?
Friday, June 22, 2012
Posted on June 22, 2012 at 01:40 PM.
Here is my dilemma. I've put in a ton of time on 2k11, as you can see by this dynasty report here. Now, I'm getting that itch to start one with 2k12...
My question to you is...
1. Do I continue my 2k11 Association and see if I can repeat as NBA Champions?
2. Do I start over, and rebuild the Cavs, AGAIN, in 2k12?
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If I decide to start over, here is my 1st question to you all...
I'm going to sim Year 1, like I did with 2k11 and start with the Rookie Draft...
Couple questions for you guys...
1. Who should I target in the draft?
2. Who should I target in FA?
One thing I was thinking about, was trying to somehow acquire Russell Westbrook and play him as my SG (his natural position)... What are your thoughts on what I could possibly offer OKC for him? Keep it fair...
Thanks, and stay tuned.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
If my 2k11 Association is any indication of how "real life" will go from here on out, the Cavs should reach the NBA Finals in 2014
*Side Note*
For everyone that left a comment about my 2k11 Association, Thank you! I'm sorry I haven't got around to making one for 2k12, I've been so busy with "real life" (wife, kid, work) that I haven't had much time with the game this year.
I'm still holding out hope that I'll be able to make a new Blog for my 2k12 Cavaliers though.
Thanks again for Following.
-Cg
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Here is a quick recap of the Western Conference Finals.
Game 1: 99-90 - Grizzlies
- Rudy Gay: 28pts, 11reb, 2ast
- OJ Mayo: 22pts, 4reb, 3ast
- Kobe Bryant: 34pts, 6reb, 7ast, 3stl
- Dwight Howard: 19pts, 14reb, 3blk
Game 2: 87-70 - Grizzlies
- Troy Murphy: 19pts, 10reb
- Rudy Gay: 19pts, 7reb, 3stl
- Dwight Howard: 20pts, 16reb
- Kobe Bryant: 20pts, 3reb, 2ast, 6-16fg
Game 3: 81-67 - Lakers
- Kobe Bryant: 31pts, 3reb, 7ast, 5stl
- Dwight Howard: 16pts, 12reb, 4blk
- OJ Mayo: 19pts, 7reb
- Rudy Gay: 15pts, 8reb
Game 4: 99-81 - Lakers
- Kobe Bryant: 29pts
- No other stats, the game wont allow me to see the stats for some reason?
Game 5: 96-95 - Lakers
- Dwight Howard: 22pts, 8reb
- Kobe Bryant: 14pts, 9reb, 8ast, 5stl
- Marc Gasol: 15pts, 6reb, 2blk
- Rudy Gay: 14pts, 8reb, 2stl, 4blk
Game 6: 88-83 - Grizzlies
- OJ Mayo: 28pts, 2reb, 1stl
- Rudy Gay: 16pts, 13reb, 4stl, 2blk
- Marc Gasol: 13pts, 13reb
- Kobe Bryant: 27pts, 1reb, 5ast, 2stl
- Dwight Howard: 19pts, 12reb, 2blk
Game 7: 113-85 - Grizzlies
- OJ Mayo: 24pts, 2reb
- Rudy Gay: 23pts, 9reb, 3blk
- Mike Conley: 15pts, 3reb, 11ast, 5stl
- Dwight Howard: 19pts, 6reb, 4blk
- Kobe Bryant: 15pts, 4reb, 6ast, 5-20fg
Gasol, Conley, Mayo, Gay, and rest of the Grizzlie were able to knock off the Lakers. The Grizzlies didn't do it with star power, they did it as a team. After winning 60 games during the regular season, the Grizzlies still had many doubters (including myself) entering this series. However, they were able to prove everyone wrong and move on to the NBA Finals...
So who will the Grizzlies be facing in the NBA Finals? Lets head over to the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers and see how that series turned out.
Eastern Conference Finals Recap
If you've been following my Association regularly, you will know that I control all 30 teams, and only play as the Cavaliers. With that being said, here is a recap of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 1: 109-101 - Heat
- LeBron James: 36pts, 3reb, 8ast, 2stl
- Dwayne Wade: 31pts, 7reb, 4ast, 2stl
- Chris Bosh: 16pts, 11reb, 5blk
- Harrison Barnes: 26pts, 5reb, 2ast
- Reggie Bullock: 17pts, 2reb
- Kyrie Irving: 15pts, 2reb, 11ast, 2stl
Game 2: 92-74 - Cavaliers
- Harrison Barnes: 21pts, 9reb, 1ast, 3stl, 2blk
- JJ Hickson: 18pts, 10reb, 2blk
- Kyrie Irving: 10pts, 4reb, 13ast, 4stl
- LeBron James: 31pts, 9reb, 5ast, 3stl, 3blk
- Dwayne Wade: 5pts, 1reb, 1ast, 1stl, 2-9fg
Game 3: 110-108 - Cavaliers
- Brandon Rush: 26pts, 1reb
- Harrison Barnes: 25pts, 8reb, 2ast
- Kyrie Irving: 22pts, 17ast, 3stl
- LeBron James: 33pts, 3reb, 5ast, 1stl
- Dwayne Wade: 26pts, 4reb, 9ast
- Chris Bosh: 19pts, 12reb, 2ast, 2stl, 1blk
Game 4: 107-99 - Heat
- No Stats... Game wont let me view any stats from 5/18???
Game 5: 104-95 - Cavaliers
- Kyrie Irving: 28pts, 5reb, 14ast, 2stl
- Harrison Barnes: 24pts, 8reb, 2ast
- Dwayne Wade: 27pts, 6reb, 5ast, 3stl, 1blk
- LeBron James: 22pts, 5reb, 4ast
Game 6: 120-111 - Heat
- LeBron James: 33pts, 8reb, 13ast, 2stl, 1blk
- Dwayne Wade: 32pts, 2reb, 4ast, 4stl
- Mario Chalmers: 15pts, 6reb, 5ast
- Kyrie Irving: 37pts, 3reb, 8ast, 1st
- Harrison Barnes: 22pts, 4reb, 2ast
Game 7: 117-108 - Cavaliers
- Harrison Barnes: 43pts, 6reb, 1ast, 1blk
- Kyrie Irving: 35pts, 3reb, 12ast, 1stl
- Reggie Bullock: 15pts, 6reb, 4ast, 3stl, 1blk
- LeBron James: 45pts, 11reb, 3ast, 2stl, 1-9(3pt)
- Dwayne Wade: 16pts, 7reb, 8ast, 1stl
- Mike Miller: 15pts, 4reb, 2stl
Game 7 between the Cavs the Heat was an instant classic. LeBron James, and Harrison Barnes were like two heavyweight fighters standing toe to toe in the middle of the ring. They were trading hey-makers all night long and neither player would give an inch. Every time LeBron came up with a big play, Barnes was right there to make a big play of his own. It was very reminiscent of the LeBron vs Paul Pierce dual in the East Semis a few years back.
To the delight to Cavs fans everywhere, Barnes and the Cavs were able to win the battle and knock off the in Seven games. The win not only advances the Cavaliers to their 2nd NBA Finals in team history, but, It also gives the fans some closure in the whole LeBron James fiasco. The Cavaliers organization has clearly moved on, and now, maybe the fans will be able to move on as well.
The win vs the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals allows the Cavs to advance to the NBA Finals, where they will be matched up against the Memphis Grizzlies, who shocked the star studded LA Lakers over in the Western Finals...
Stay tuned for a preview of the 2012/13 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Memphis Grizzlies...
Three Years since the Cavaliers and their fans had to suffer through the debacle that was "The Decision". Since then, however, the Cavaliers organization has been rebuilding from the ground up.
After finishing with the worst record in the NBA the year after LeBron left, the Cavs lucked out and won the #1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. They lucked out again, when the LA Clippers draft pick, (traded to get Mo Williams and Jamario Moon) ended up being the #2 pick. With those two picks, the rebuilding process would begin for the Cavaliers and their fan base.
Kyrie Irving #1, and Harrison Barnes #2 along with Jon Diebler in the 2nd round gave the Cavaliers a great foundation moving forward. Although they only won 36 games in their first year together, Kyrie Irving won the NBA Rookie of the year while Barnes finished a close 2nd. Both Irving and Barnes made the NBA All Rookie 1st team and it was clear that this team would be really good sooner, rather than later.
Fast forward to Irving and Barnes 2nd full season in the NBA. The Cavaliers won 50 games, and the Central Division Title. Harrison Barnes made his first NBA All Star Game and Irving would finish the Season 4th in the NBA in Assists per game. At the trade deadline the organization made a bold move, acquiring some key pieces for the stretch run. Chauncey Billups, Trevor Ariza and big man Greg Oden were brought in to help this team reach its full potential.
Lets take a look at the 2012/13 Eastern Conference Finals Preview...
Lets see how the rosters matchup head to head:
Cleveland Cavaliers
PG - Kyrie Irving (90)
SG - Reggie Bullock (75)
SF - Harrison Barnes (90)
PF - JJ Hickson (84)
C - Greg Oden (75)
6th - Trevor Ariza (77)
BN - Chauncey Billups (81)
BN - Brandon Rush (73)
BN - Hasheem Thabeet (67)
BN - Jon Diebler (67)
BN - Brandon Wright (66)
BN - Jeff Teague (68)
Miami Heat
PG - Mario Chalmers (72)
SG - Dwayne Wade (98)
SF - LeBron James (99)
PF - Chris Bosh (85)
C - Udonis Haslem (66)
6th - Mike Miller (69)
BN - Baron Davis (72)
BN - Chris Wright (71)
BN - Eddie House (61)
BN - Damian Lilard (69)
BN - Carlton Mathews (61)
BN - James Jones (57)
As you can see by looking at the rosters head to head, the Cavaliers have a great advantage at the PG spot. Kyrie Irving should be able to do whatever he wants vs Mario Chalmers.
However, the Cavs are outmatched at the SG and SF spot. Wade vs Bullock is not a good matchup for the Cavs, so, look for Ariza to play allot of SG vs Wade in the series to try and slow him down.
The SF matchup between LeBron James and Harrison Barnes could be the matchup that determines the series. Which ever player can win that matchup, his team has a good chance of winning the series.
The PF matchup between Bosh and Hickson is a wash, and the Cavs have the advantage at the Center position with Oden vs Haslim. I also give the advantage to the Cavs in the bench matchups.
With Billups, Ariza, Rush, Diebler and Thabeet coming off the bench, the Cavs are a legit nine deep. The Heat however, really only have two contributers, Miller and Davis off the bench. If they get a starter in foul trouble, that could speel trouble for the Heat.
Conclusion / Prediction
The Miami Heat and LeBron James, are still searching for their first NBA Championship since "The Decision". Three years ago LeBron made "The Decision" because he felt like the Cavaliers were not good enough to win it all.
So, he took his "talents" to South Beach in pursuit of a championship. Things have not gone as planned for the self proclaimed "king" however. In his first year in Miami, the Heat were defeated in Seven game by the LA Lakers. In the Following season, the Heat were ousted in the 2nd round by the eventual NBA Champion New York Knicks. Well, its now year 3 for the King and how ironic is this? He going to have to go through his hometown team to reach the NBA Finals. You gotta love the drama here.
During their teams rebuilding process over the last couple seasons, the Cavaliers fans have had to get creative during the NBA Playoffs since their team was not participating. Whats a Cleveland fan to do when their team isn't in the playoffs? Why, HATE THE HEAT of course. The past two seasons, while their team was at home licking their wounds after a tough season, the Cavaliers fans made it a point to root against LeBron and the Miami Heat at any chance they got. "Hate the Heat" watch parties sprung up all over town during Heat playoff games and when the Heat lost in the playoffs, without winning the NBA Title these past two seasons, it was "almost" as good as the Cavs winning.
Now, the Cavaliers and their fans really have something to root for. They now, have the opportunity to "Hate the Heat" and root for their Cavaliers at the same time. Believe me when I tell you this, the Cavs fans what to win, but, a win vs the LeBron and the Heat would be something that this town would never forget. knock LeBron out of the playoffs yet again.
Prediction:
Unfortunately for Cavalier fans, I don't think its their time right now. I think LeBron, Wade and Bosh are simply going to be too much to overcome. Even with the emotion from the fans, I look for the Heat to take this series in 5 or 6 games. Your time will come Cavs fans, I just don't think its now.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 07:08 PM.
The Eastern Conference Semi Finals had two terrific matchups. The #1 Seed Miami Heat, vs the #4 seed Chicago Bulls and the #2 seed Cleveland Cavaliers vs the #3 seed, and last years NBA Champion, New York Knicks. If you read my Western Conference Semi Finals Recap, you will recall that I talked about a big upset in the East. Well, I'll tell your right now, The Chicago Bulls did not upset the #1 Seed Miami Heat...
With that being said, here is a recap of the East Semis.
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS
Its been a few years since the Heat knocked off the Bulls in the 2011 NBA Playoffs and the Bulls still don't have a legit sidekick for their superstar PG Derrick Rose. That weakness was apparent in this series as the Heat took care of Chicago easily in 5 Games.
Game 1: 113-87 - Miami
- Dwayne Wade: 33pts, 5reb, 3ast, 1stl, 2blk
- Chris Bosh: 25pts, 12reb
- LeBron James: 24pts, 11reb, 3ast
- Derrick Rose: 28pts, 2reb, 5ast
- Luol Deng: 18pts, 6reb, 2ast
Game 2: 117-95 - Miami
- LeBron James: 34pts, 9reb, 6ast, 3stl, 1blk
- Dwayne Wade: 29pts, 6reb, 8ast
- Chris Bosh: 23pts, 12reb
- Carlos Boozer: 24pts, 5reb
- Derrick Rose: 24pts, 2reb, 8ast
- Luol Deng: 18pts, 4reb, 2ast, 2stl
Game 3: 82-78 - Heat
- LeBron James: 26pts, 10reb, 4ast, 2stl, 1blk
- Dwayne Wade: 20pts, 7reb, 4ast, 4stl, 1blk
- Chris Bosh: 15pts, 9reb, 2blk
- Derrick Rose: 20pts, 3ast, 1st, 4to
- Carlos Boozer: 15pts, 8reb, 4ast
- Joakim Noah: 8pts, 9reb, 2ast, 2stl, 3blk
Game 4: 111-90 - Bulls
- Derrick Rose: 30pts, 4reb, 9ast, 1stl
- Carlos Boozer: 27pts, 8reb, 2ast, 3stl
- LeBron James: 30pts, 7reb, 7ast, 2stl
- Chris Bosh: 17pts, 5reb, 5to
- Dwayne Wade: 12pts, 1reb, 5ast
Game 5: 107-81 - Heat
- LeBron James: 29pts, 9reb, 11ast, 5stl, 1blk
- Dwayne Wade: 24pts, 6reb, 4ast
- Chris Bosh: 23pts, 10reb
- Derrick Rose: 25pts, 2reb, 6ast, 3stl
- Luol Deng: 15pts, 7reb
- Joakim Noah: 8pts, 13reb, 4ast, 3blk
The Bulls had no answer for the 4 peat MVP LeBron James. LeBron averaged 28.6pts, 9.2reb, 6.2ast, 2.6stl, 1.2blk per game in the series. LeBron lived up to the regular season MVP Award in this one, and was clearly the best player on the floor for the entire series.
And now for that upset special that I've been promising you. If you've been following my association blogs, you know that I am controlling the Cavaliers. Well, I control all 30 NBA teams, because I simply don't trust the CPU to manage anything properly haha. Anyway... I've been controlling the Cavs since Season 1, in the "post LeBron era". Its taken me two full seasons to rebuild and pick up the pieces since "his highness" decided to turn his back on his hometown faithful.
Coming into this season the Cavaliers thought they had a great shot at making a deep run in the NBA playoffs. Comming off of a 36 win season in Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes' rookie season of 2011/12, the Cavs and their fans were very excited going into the 2012/13 NBA Campaign.
Irving and Barnes did not disappoint leading the young Cavaliers to a 50-32 record and the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. After a 1st round dismissal of the quickly aging Boston Celtics, the Cavs would have to face the 2011/12 NBA Champion New York Knicks and their "NYC Big 3" of Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in the East Semi Finals.
Here is a recap of how the Cavaliers were able to pull off one of the biggest upsets in NBA History...
Game 1: 109-108 - Knicks
- Chris Paul: 21pts, 2reb, 7ast, 5stl
- Josh Boone: 17pts, 11reb
- Carmelo Anthony: 16pts, 9reb, 5ast
- Harrison Barnes: 32pts, 3reb, 3ast, 3stl
- JJ Hickson: 16pts, 7reb
- Kyrie Irving: 12pts, 4reb, 13ast
Game 2: 96-83 - Cavaliers
- Harrison Barnes: 28pts, 4reb, 2ast, 3stl
- Kyrie Irving: 24pts, 4reb, 10ast, 2stl
- Greg Oden: 9pts, 15reb, 2blk
- Carmelo Anthony: 23pts, 9reb, 4ast
- Chris Paul: 13pts, 6reb, 7ast
- Amare Stoudemire: 8pts, 14reb, 3blk
Game 3: 107-90 - Cavaliers
- Kyrie Irving: 20pts, 4reb, 15ast
- Reggie Bullock(R): 22pts, 7reb
- Carmelo Anthony: 31pts, 6reb, 4ast
- Chris Paul: 21pts, 4reb, 6ast
- Amare Stoudemire: 16pts, 11reb
Game 4: 110-95 - Cavaliers
- Harrison Barnes: 31pts, 4reb
- Kyrie Irving: 23pts, 2reb, 15ast, 7to
- Carmelo Anthony: 25pts, 7reb, 3stl
- Amare Stoudemire: 19pts, 12reb, 3blk
Game 5: 103-96 - Knicks
- Carmelo Anthony: 38pts, 10reb, 2ast, 3stl
- Chris Paul: 17pts, 1reb, 10ast, 4stl
- Harrison Barnes: 26pts, 2reb, 2ast, 2stl, 2blk
- JJ Hickson: 23pts, 8reb, 2blk
- Kyrie Irving: 22pts, 7reb, 15ast, 9to
Game 6: 108-96 - Cavaliers
- Harrison Barnes: 27pts, 8reb, 6ast, 2stl
- Kyrie Irving: 17pts, 4reb, 11ast, 2stl
- Greg Oden: 16pts, 11reb, 2blk
- Carmelo Anthony: 35pts, 9reb, 2ast
- Chris Paul: 14pts, 3reb, 9ast, 2stl
- Amare Stoudemire: 8pts, 7reb
Last summer when the Cavaliers decided to re-sign their 24yr old PF JJ Hickson to a long term 6yr $101m dollar contract, some people said it was a bad move. The Cavs brass however, feels like JJ has the potential to develop into one of the best Power Forwards in the game. In this series, JJ showed everyone just what he is capable of. JJ Hickson outplayed Knicks PF Amare Stoudemire in the series and was a big reason why the Cavs were able to upset the Knicks. In the series Hickson averaged a solid 16.3pts and 8reb a game vs Amare who averaged only 12.6pts and 11reb per game. Now, Amare did have better rebounding numbers, but, only 12.6pts per game from him is not acceptable. JJ Hickson did a tremendous job on him defensively in the series.
The MVP of the series for the Cavaliers is a toss up between Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes. Both players brought their "A" games and together were the main reason the Cavs were able to pull off the upset.
Barnes was a scoring machine, as Carmelo didn't really have an answer for him all series. Barnes put up: 32, 28, 20, 31, 26, and 27 points for an average of 27.3. That is nearly 6pts more per game than his 2012/13 season average of 21.4pts per game. He really stepped his game up in this series and the Cavs needed every single bucket.
Kyrie Irving also had a monster series. It felt like every basket the Cavs made was off of an assist from Irving. For the series he averaged: 19.6pts, and a ridiculous 13.1ast per game. Kyrie was 4th in the NBA in assists per game with 8.8.
The win vs the Knicks in the the East Semis sets up "the" matchup that every Cleveland Cavaliers fan has been waiting for since "The Decision" back in July of 2010. The Cleveland Cavaliers will square off against the Miami Heat for the right to go to the NBA Finals.
How fitting is this really?
I'm not going to do my "East Finals Preview" here, since this is already a pretty long blog post, and given the magnitude of the situation between LeBron and the Cavs... Stay tuned however, as I will be posting a separate "East Finals Preview" very soon...
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 05:51 PM.
The Conference Semi Finals have been completed, and we have seen one rather large upset in the East, but I'll get to that in a bit, for now however, here is a quick recap of the Western Conference Semi Finals...WEST CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS
The #1 seed Memphis Grizzlies took care of business knocking off the Nuggets in 5 Games and pretty much dominating the entire series.
Game 1: 119-77 - Memphis
- Rudy Gay: 27pts, 8reb, 2ast, 2stl
- Marc Gasol: 15pts, 13reb, 2blk
Game 2: 108-84 - Memphis
- Xavier Henry: 26pts, 8reb
- Troy Murphy: 18pts, 4reb
Game 3: 98-78 - Denver
- Enes Kanter: 24pts, 10reb, 5stl, 2blk
- Wilson Chandler: 18pts, 5reb
Game 4: 104-94 - Memphis
- OJ Mayo: 21pts, 2reb
- Marc Gasol: 9pts, 17reb, 5ast
Game 5: 98-93 - Memphis
- OJ Mayo: 40pts, 4reb
- Marc Gasol: 14pts, 10reb
OJ Mayo led the way for the #1 Seed Grizzlies as he averaged 21 points per game in the series. He also had a huge 40 point game in Game 5 to close out Denver.
This was thought to be the year that Oklahoma City could finally get over the hump and make it all the way to the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant is fresh off his 3rd scoring title in only his 6th year in the NBA. The Thunder have a great young, athletic Point Guard in Russell Westbrook and legit post defenders in Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Great depth off the bench with the little spark plug Nate Robinson and the versatile Thabo Sefolosha. This team, on paper, is one of the most complete teams in the NBA and yet they didn't manage to win a single game in the Conference Semi's vs the LA Lakers.
Game 1: 104-101 - Lakers
- Kobe Bryant: 34pts, 6reb, 6ast, 4stl
- Dwight Howard: 17pts, 16reb, 5blk
- Kevin Durant: 31pts, 5reb, 1ast, 2stl
- Russell Westbrook: 20pts, 4reb, 6ast, 3stl
Game 2: 106-89 - Lakers
- Kobe Bryant: 35pts, 4reb, 9ast, 2stl
- Kalin Lucas: 19pts, 3reb, 3ast
- Kevin Durant: 20pts, 6reb, 1ast, 3stl
- Russell Westbrook: 22pts, 2reb, 7ast
Game 3: 110-82 - Lakers
- Kobe Bryant: 39pts, 1reb, 6ast, 1st
- Dwight Howard: 18pts, 11reb, 2ast, 1blk
- Pau Gasol: 13pts, 17reb, 3blk
- Kevin Durant: 21pts, 11reb
- Russell Westbrook: 14pts, 4rec, 7ast
Game 4: 112-106 - Lakers
- Kobe Bryant: 36pts, 4reb, 8ast, 4stl
- Dwight Howard: 18pts, 14reb, 4blk
- Kevin Durant: 37pts, 4reb
- Russell Westbrook: 28pts, 2reb, 4ast, 2stl
As you can see by the stats listed above, Kobe Bryant is on an absolute mission right now. He is simply not allowing his team to lose. In the 4 Game sweep of the Thunder, Kobe average 36pts, 3.7reb, 7.2ast, 1.3stl...
During these playoffs vs Houston in the 1st round, and now vs OKC, Kobe has averaged 32.5pts, 6reb, 6ast per game.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS PREVIEW
The Western Conference Finals look to be a great matchup on paper. We've got the #1 seed Memphis Grizzlies vs the #3 seed LA Lakers. On paper is looks like the Lakers have more "star power" with players like Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. The Grizzlies might be the most balanced and complete team in the NBA however. Lets take a look at both of their rosters head-to-head...
Memphis Grizzlies
PG - Mike Conley (83)
SG - OJ Mayo (83)
SF - Rudy Gay (88)
PF - Troy Murphy (66)
C - Marc Gasol (80)
6th - Xavier Henry (72)
BN - CJ Watson (70)
BN - Kirk Hinrich (71)
BN - Sam Young (67)
BN - Mason Plumlee (69)
LA Lakers
PG - Kalin Lucas (70)
SG - Kobe Bryant (97)
SF - Ron Artest (73)
PF - Pau Gasol (91)
C - Dwight Howard (91)
6th - Lamar Odom (75)
BN - Andre Kirilenko (70)
BN - Manny Harris (73)
BN - Brad Miller (61)
BN - Jamal Tinsley (61)
I think the Lakers have a much better front court, with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, vs Troy Murphy and Marc Gasol for the Grizzlies. The backcourt of Conley, Mayo and Gay have the advantage over Lucas, Bryant and Artest and I feel like the benches are pretty much a wash for both teams.
Front Court - Advantage = Lakers
Backcourt - Advantage = Grizzlies
Bench - Advantage = Even
The Key for the Lakers in this series is going to be how each of their "stars" plays. If Kobe Bryant continues to play like he played in the first two rounds, then the Lakers should be able to win the series. If Kobe isn't himself, or, he cools down a bit, they are going to have to lean on Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol and hope that they can impose their will on the Grizzlies' bigs in the paint.
For the Grizzlies, they have to figure out a way to slow down Kobe. They can't allow him to get off any shot he wants. OJ Mayo, and Rudy Gay are going to have to make it tough on him. Easier said than done, but, if they want to win the series, this is a must. If Kobe does go off, the Grizzlies can still win, but they are going to have to handle Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. They simply can't allow all three guys to dominate the series or it will be over quickly. If Troy Murphy and Marc Gasol can continue they solid play, and battle with Howard and Pau, then the Grizzlies will have a much better chance of winning the series...
Prediction
Lakers in 7 Games... I'm still not convinced that the Grizzlies have what it takes to go all the way. Even though they won 60 games in the regular season I'm still not sold on OJ Mayo or Rudy Gay being "that guy" that can carry you when things get tough. We all know, the Lakers have "that guy" that can get them a bucket at any given moment. Its the 6 time NBA Champion, 3 time NBA Fianls MVP Kobe Bryant.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
WEST
1) Grizzlies
2) Thunder
3) Lakers
4) Warriors
5) Nuggets
6) Rockets
7) Trailblazers
8) Clippers
EAST
1) Heat
2) Cavs
3) Knicks
4) Bulls
5) Nets
6) Pacers
7) Celtics
8) Raptors
Here are the results for the 1st round of the playoffs. No real upsets, although, in the West the #1 seed Grizzlies were pushed to Game 7 by an up and coming Clippers team. Also, the #2 seed Thunder were pushed to the limit, 7 games vs the 7th seeded Blazers... The 1 and 2 seeded Grizzlies and Thunder would eventually finish off their 1st round opponents, but it wasn't easy.
In the East, the Bulls and Nets played an **** series which ended with Chicago winning in Game 7.
Here are the results from the rest of the 1st round playoff matchups...
WEST
(1)Grizzlies over (8)Clippers 4-3
(5)Nuggets over (4)Warriors 4-2
(3)Lakers over (6) Rockets 4-1
(2)Thunder over (7)Blazers 4-3
EAST
(1)Heat over (8)Raptors 4-2
(4)Bulls over (5)Nets 4-3
(3)Knicks over (6)Pacers 4-0
(2)Cavs over (7)Celtics 4-1
2nd ROUND MATCHUPS
After an exciting 1st round that saw 3 game 7's, we move onto the 2nd round, the Conference Semi Finals...
In the West we have...
(1)Grizzlies vs (5)Nuggets
(2)Thunder vs (3)Lakers
In the East we have...
(1)Heat vs (4)Bulls
(2)Cavs vs (3)Knicks
WEST - BREAKDOWN
The Grizzlies vs the Nuggets are two complete teams, with no real superstars on either side. The Grizzlies were led in scoring by OJ Mayo, who averaged 20.5ppg during the regular season and Rudy Gay who was right on his heals averaging 19.2... The Nuggets were led by 2nd year big man Enes Kanter who averaged 21.8ppg and 10.8reb during the regular season. The Nuggets got all around effort from everyone on their roster all season long, as you can see by their leading scorers. After Kanter, their next leading scorers are Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari who averaged 13.2, 13.1 and 13.0ppg respectively.
The marque matchup in the 2nd round of the Western Conference Semi-Finals is the (2)Thunder vs the (3)Lakers. This series is full of superstars on both teams... Kevin Durant the back to back NBA Scoring Champ, along with Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kendrick Perkins go up against a Laker squad that has Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. It should be a battle.
The key matchup of course will be between Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. I think the winner of that matchup will win the series.
EAST - BREAKDOWN
There are two "sexy" matchups in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals... The 1st one is:
LeBron, DWade, CBosh vs DRose and the rest of the Bulls great role players. We've seen this matchup before, in the 2011 NBA Playoffs and it didn't work out well for Chicago. During the regular season the Bulls were led by their All NBA Point Guard Derrick Rose who averaged 24.0ppg, 8.9ast, 2.5reb and 1.3spg. Their 2nd leading scorer was Boozer at 175ppg and 8.8rpg...
Miami was led by none other than LeBron James who won his 4th consecutive MVP Award during the regular season. LeBron averaged 27.3ppg, 8.6rpg, 5.9apg, 1.7spg 1.5blkpg, and was unreal in the 1st round of the playoff vs the Raptors, averaging over 30ppg. Don't forget about the other two guys, DWade and CBosh and the Heat have some solid depth coming off the bench now, with veteran point guard Baron Davis throwing in 6.1ppg...
I look for the Heat to take out the Bulls simply because they have too much talent on the floor at any given time.
The upstart Cavaliers have finally made their return to the playoffs. During the regular season the Cavs won 50 games and were led in scoring by SF Harrison Barnes who averaged 21.4ppg along with 7.1reb, 3.2ast and 1.6stl. Their 2nd leading scorer was PG Kyrie Irving, at 18.2ppg, 3.0reb, 8.8ast, and 1.3stl.
After signing a 6yr $100m dollar contract last offseason. The 24yr old Hickson averaged 15.1ppg, 8.7reb and 1.0blk.
The road to the top has taken a little bit longer than anticipated but, the Cavs are back with a great young core of PG Kyrie Irving, SF Harrison Barnes and PF JJ Hickson and the blockbuster move the made at the trade deadline bringing in solid veterans Chauncey Billups, Trevor Ariza and Greg Oden, the Cavs appear to be legit NBA Championsip Contenders right now.
They may have gotten a raw deal however, as they have drawn the 2011/12 NBA Champion New York Knicks in their 2nd round matchup. Since the "big 3" was assembled down in South Beach, the Knicks have been able to put together their own NYC Version...
With Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. The Knicks rode those 3 Superstars to the NBA Title last year, and they are looking to repeat. This past season Carmelo led the team in scoring at 26.2ppg followed by Amare at 21.9ppg and then Paul with 19.8ppg. Paul also led the league in assists with 11.0apg and led the league in steals with 2.4stl per game. Some would argue that he was the real league MVP and not LeBron James in Miami.
The Knicks have big time firepower coming off their bench with PG/SG Jimmer Fredette and PF Kenyon Martin. Also, starting SG Landry Fields is a solid 10ppg 5reb per game player for them...
I look for the Cavs to give it all they got, but, in the end I think the Knicks have too much talent. I think the Cavs are at least one more year away but, I expect this series to go the full seven games.
Stay tuned as my next update with review the Conference Semi Finals and give you a preview of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals...
cgalligan
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