The Official 2016 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Vince, Pt. II]

I actually think either Love or Irving is fine, it's just that with both of them you can't hide the defensive inefficiency.

[Groundhog]

Sure, but their scoring output is supposed to make up for it (and did throughout the season/playoffs to this point). Neither of them has showed up on either end this series. Love looks lost, and Kyrie is playing like he did last season, rather than the guy we've seen these playoffs. It's a large part mental I think, so I'm semi-interested to see how both guys do at home.

[nol]

Yeah, Love in Cleveland has essentially been just any other stretch 4 who can't take advantage down low when a wing guards him (and obviously lacks the skillset to do much off the dribble when teams close out on him hard) and that has nothing to do with his touches or the playcalling.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by nol

That particular moment has been going on since 2014. The Cavs are paying $34 million combined to the 2nd- and 3rd-best power forwards on the roster (plus whatever that multiplies out to with the luxury tax), so that limits how they can fill in the rest of the roster. If only they had a cheap, young wing defender with potential...

Between the series going back to Cleveland and Kevin Love potentially missing the game, Wednesday will be the best chance for the Cavs to steal one. Not fair to compare the Finals performances between the two coaches when Blatt had the advantage of playing the entire series without Love.

Agree!

If Love doesnt play it will at least force them to do something different such as play small and more athletic. Clearly, this Cavs team isn't built to be very effective against this long, athletic, and quick team they are facing for the 2nd straight year.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

It's a large part mental I think, so I'm semi-interested to see how both guys do at home.

If you had told me in the summer of 20141 that Cavs fans would be hoping that the starting PG and the starting PF of the Cavs would play better at home than on the road, I would have said that is an appropriate expectation for Delly and Thompson. The idea that we are talking about Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love is fascinating.

[Abe Sargent]

I was telling folks all day today that he Cavs are winning tonight, and then losing the rest o the series. We'll if my prediction holds.

[wustin]

I'm convinced that refs always favor the home teams for some goddamn reason.

[nol]

The Warriors aren't doing very well tonight, which will needlessly increase the heat of the Kevin Love takes but this game so far is why I wasn't going too hard on Kyrie despite him being just as bad as Love the first two games - when Kyrie has it going offensively, there isn't really anything a team can do by way of scheme or personnel to mitigate that, plus he has come back from a pretty tough injury and had to play himself into shape after missing the preseason ad a quarter of the regular season.

[kingfc22]

Cavs are not going to shoot 71% the entire game and the W's are not going to shoot 35% the rest of this game.

[wustin]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Cavs are not going to shoot 71% the entire game and the W's are not going to shoot 35% the rest of this game.

This feels like one of those games where Warriors cannot buy a shot. They've had some losses like this throughout the season. I don't expect them to come back, Cleveland playing good defense and getting the boards.

[Abe Sargent]

Well that was a fun game for Cavs fans and Warriors haters.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Having already purchased tickets to game five, I was slightly conflicted about the two games in Cleveland. I didn't really WANT the Warriors to lose either of the games, but it certainly would be nice to go to a Finals game. In the end, I decided pre-game that I was still rooting for a sweep.

The loss (and the manner in which it happened) completely confirmed that belief.

Is anyone else mystified at the completely ridiculous swings within almost each individual series we have had this post-season? The Spurs blew the doors off the Thunder, then got mopped up pretty well right after. The Warriors were blown out by the Thunder multiple times only to come back and win by a nearly comfortable margin. Now the Finals see-sawing back and forth from blowout to blowout. Seems...odd.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Having already purchased tickets to game five, I was slightly conflicted about the two games in Cleveland. I didn't really WANT the Warriors to lose either of the games, but it certainly would be nice to go to a Finals game. In the end, I decided pre-game that I was still rooting for a sweep.

The loss (and the manner in which it happened) completely confirmed that belief.

Is anyone else mystified at the completely ridiculous swings within almost each individual series we have had this post-season? The Spurs blew the doors off the Thunder, then got mopped up pretty well right after. The Warriors were blown out by the Thunder multiple times only to come back and win by a nearly comfortable margin. Now the Finals see-sawing back and forth from blowout to blowout. Seems...odd.

Isn't that what is likely to happen when teams begin to rely more and more on 3's? It might be a better overall strategy but the variability is greater in small sample sizes.

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Is anyone else mystified at the completely ridiculous swings within almost each individual series we have had this post-season? The Spurs blew the doors off the Thunder, then got mopped up pretty well right after. The Warriors were blown out by the Thunder multiple times only to come back and win by a nearly comfortable margin. Now the Finals see-sawing back and forth from blowout to blowout. Seems...odd.

Cavs hit the same amount of 3's last night compared to games 1 and 2 combined.

Also why is Thompson bitching? He says he got screened in the middle of the key but it was clearly the top of the box. Aren't the Warriors the team who runs the most illegal screens? Not sure I'd want to be calling out dirty players after what we've seen in this playoff season.

[nol]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Isn't that what is likely to happen when teams begin to rely more and more on 3's? It might be a better overall strategy but the variability is greater in small sample sizes.

Yep. Also margin of victory during the playoffs doesn't have nearly as much predictive power as it does during the regular season.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by wustin

I'm convinced that refs always favor the home teams for some goddamn reason.

Human nature. It's really difficult to be objective on bang-bang calls in an NBA atmosphere. I'm not saying that to make an excuse, it's just really hard to do that kind of thing. Even with the right kind of person and great training I don't think you can/could completely get rid of the effect.

[AENeuman]

So several Warrior players and coaches are doing an annual event for a Y my wife oversees. The event is scheduled on game 7.

The branch director has had direct communication with a few Warrior members (one is on their board), they all said, "don't worry, it will go 5 games, we want to win at home."

First, seems like last night kept to their plan. Second, it would be so cool if they do it here, it's been a long time since any championship was won at home.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Vince Pt. II

Is anyone else mystified at the completely ridiculous swings within almost each individual series we have had this post-season? The Spurs blew the doors off the Thunder, then got mopped up pretty well right after. The Warriors were blown out by the Thunder multiple times only to come back and win by a nearly comfortable margin. Now the Finals see-sawing back and forth from blowout to blowout. Seems...odd.

I don't buy the 3-point explanation, but I also don't think this is necessarily accurate. In Spurs-Thunder, Game 1 was a Spurs blowout but that was just one of those 'stuff happens' games. #2, #3, and #5 were all close ones. Oklahoma City should have won Game 6 against Golden State but they didn't finish. There have been shifts in these series, but I don't think they were that huge. Really I think it's just a case of one game being one game for the most part, and then there's the fact that the team that got hammered has more desperation/requirement to change tactics, play tougher/better, etc. where the team that won is mostly going to try to do the same thing again. It's sort of a swinging pendulum IMO.

If Cleveland blows out Golden State again in game 4 then it's more of a thing here, but I think that's unlikely. My money's on the first at least semi-close game in the series.

[Alf]

Cavs playing more physical in game 3, getting an early lead and Irving finally effective on offense was key there.

I agree with Brian there, I think game 4 will be the first close game as Warriors want to win it to finish at home.

[wustin]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

Cavs hit the same amount of 3's last night compared to games 1 and 2 combined.

Also why is Thompson bitching? He says he got screened in the middle of the key but it was clearly the top of the box. Aren't the Warriors the team who runs the most illegal screens? Not sure I'd want to be calling out dirty players after what we've seen in this playoff season.

Warriors set their illegal screens on the perimeter. Mozgov did it at the top of the key with his back parallel to the basket. The former we've seen a million times, the latter...who sets a pick like that? I don't think it was dirty, Mozgov wasn't aware of how he was positioned and Klay was trying to chase after Kyrie as fast as possible.

[Groundhog]

Gutsy call by Lue to have Love come in off the bench. Probably the right move, and it might even motivate Love a little to play with some fire.

[Abe Sargent]

Well thjis is nice, being an actual game thus far not a blow out

[Groundhog]

I'm finding it a bit weird how loose Curry is still passing the ball out of the trap... Had a couple of them very nearly get picked, and one taken outright.

[nol]

Definitely the easiest it's been to root for Kevin Love in quote a few years.

[Groundhog]

Kevin Love the rim protector!

[wustin]

Yeah home officiating is a joke

[EagleFan]

How do they not call that foul? It was obvious and a really bad play by the defender.

[wustin]

Blow the call, then give Kerr a tech for damage control?

lol okay

[Groundhog]

Yeah, shouldn't have jumped at Iggy. Very lucky (from my biased opinion, at least) to not get called for that.

[Groundhog]

I wouldn't be surprised if the GSW bench was warned already, after that Green drive on Love.

[EagleFan]

The worst part of that play is that if you are a coach showing a defender what not to do (or will get called for a foul every time) it would be that play. Don't jump across the shooter like that, flailing away towards his arms.

[EagleFan]

dola: right up until the point where the defender jumped he had actually played it well. Made him pick the ball up and take a low percentage shot.

[wustin]

On another note, aside from passing and defending Lebron is playing like crap.

[Groundhog]

I think LeBron is doing an OK job at not forcing it, but I do agree with JVG that he needs to put up the shot when they give him space, especially late in the clock. GSW are playing him the same way they have all series long, and even way back to last year's finals. He's trying to take advantage of all the attention by making the pass, but the spacing is strangely poor for the most part.

[wustin]

These refs are awful

[Groundhog]

Yep, really poor officiating.

[Groundhog]

Don't know where all that motion on offense the Cavs had in the first half went. Taking 14 seconds now to set up nothing.

[kingfc22]

Cavs going with the OKC iso offense which plays right into the Warriors hands

[Groundhog]

Feel like I'm watching OKC again.

[kingfc22]

Huge shot by Barnes. This is the time when the Warriors usually lock it down on defense and put teams away.

[Groundhog]

Frye really botched that.

[bob]

When the refs won't call any fouls in the lane, it really helps to be a jump shooting team

[Groundhog]

Some great individual defensive plays in the 4th Q from Klay and Draymond, but the Cavs have really beat themselves tonight by throwing the playbook out the window this Q. Despite the bad D, they still would've had a chance if they could get something/anything going on offense.

[Marmel]

Lebron melted down in this 4th quarter. Then instead of even trying to shoot some threes, he pads his stats with layups and is content to trade 2 points. Typical Lebron.

[wustin]

I think what happened was they were trying to iso for Lebron to attack the basket down the stretch but for some reason once Lebron got inside instead of even attempting a shot he either turns the ball over or tries to kick it back out. Just very good defense by GSW.

[Groundhog]

Yeah, they were, but I don't know why... And it wasn't even good iso because of the poor floor spacing a lot of the time. What they were doing in the first half was working really well, and LeBron wasn't even really handling the ball. Then we get to make or break 4th quarter time and we start playing iso-23. Really shitty way to end a game, and most likely a Finals campaign. I don't know how much of it is Lue and how much of it is LeBron just calling the game himself, but either way Lue is not the answer if he isn't able to keep his team disciplined down the stretch.

It was good D by GSW, sure, but it's not like Cleveland was making it tough for them.

[Subby]

Man I wish we could see how good CLE could have been with Wiggins instead of Love. Thank god GSW never bit on that Love-Thompson trade.

[bhlloy]

How much of Lebrons legacy is going to be the fact they outside of the Miami years he forced himself on teams as a de-facto GM and surrounded himself with questionable talent and yes-men coaches?

[nol]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

How much of Lebrons legacy is going to be the fact they outside of the Miami years he forced himself on teams as a de-facto GM and surrounded himself with questionable talent and yes-men coaches?

LOL every team in the history of professional basketball has questionable talent when compared to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. So rude of him to force himself back to Cleveland when the Cavaliers were so close to figuring it out with all the top-5 picks a 'real' GM acquired for them after he left the first time.

[wustin]

Cleveland would've been decent with Irving and Wiggins. If we use hindsight for the 2011 draft, Greekfreak, Gobert, and Adams would be top 3 picks. I still don't understand why Bennett was taken first.