NBA Finals 2015-2016 thread

[Phantom255x]

So the Cleveland Cavaliers win the Championship.

Meanwhile, the Sixers, Lakers and Celtics will pick 1-3 on Draft Night Thursday...

Wow times have changed (from the 1970s and 80s to now)

[eugen]

This GS team does not have a real leader. This is a big difference  refering CAVS. Can not closeup 3-1 final series, being 2 times in home court advantage. Are you kidding me?!

[PhoSita]

I heard someone is writing an alternate history novel about how in the mid 80s Larry Bird, Magic, and Isaiah Thomas teamed up and all went to Miami together and won two whole titles. After that they were referred to as "greatest ever" and "basketball gods."

Yes. They teamed up on the Lakers. Then Bird went to the Pacers and won a title in his hometown, Magic went to Detroit and won one for his hometown, and Isaiah went to Hell and won one for his dad.

That was the moment they all passed Bill Russell. In the hallway.

And the glare from Russell's 11 championship rings blinded all of them.

Nine rings. Nine were gifted by Sauron to the race of men. But Bill Russell took them all and demanded two more, so that they had to take two from the elves and give them to Bill Russell. And none of them were deceived for in the heart of Mount Doom Sauron made one ring to rule them all...and then looked at it and said "Ohhhh maaannnn! I'll never have as many rings as Bill Russell! Never! Never!" So he gave up trying and dropped the ring back into the fires from whence it came.

Years later Frodo James decided to leave the shire and go to Miami where he got....two. Then he went back to the Shire and got one whole more. Whoop.....de....dooo.

To me Russell will always be top 5 but I set him apart from the rest of the guys in consideration.  It was a different league and a different sport.

[Eja117]

I heard someone is writing an alternate history novel about how in the mid 80s Larry Bird, Magic, and Isaiah Thomas teamed up and all went to Miami together and won two whole titles. After that they were referred to as "greatest ever" and "basketball gods."

Yes. They teamed up on the Lakers. Then Bird went to the Pacers and won a title in his hometown, Magic went to Detroit and won one for his hometown, and Isaiah went to Hell and won one for his dad.

That was the moment they all passed Bill Russell. In the hallway.

And the glare from Russell's 11 championship rings blinded all of them.

Nine rings. Nine were gifted by Sauron to the race of men. But Bill Russell took them all and demanded two more, so that they had to take two from the elves and give them to Bill Russell. And none of them were deceived for in the heart of Mount Doom Sauron made one ring to rule them all...and then looked at it and said "Ohhhh maaannnn! I'll never have as many rings as Bill Russell! Never! Never!" So he gave up trying and dropped the ring back into the fires from whence it came.

Years later Frodo James decided to leave the shire and go to Miami where he got....two. Then he went back to the Shire and got one whole more. Whoop.....de....dooo.

To me Russell will always be top 5 but I set him apart from the rest of the guys in consideration.  It was a different league and a different sport.

Yes. Those were the days that the refs didn't coddle Lebron.

[Snakehead]

Curry stinks on defense.  Your ability to impact the game lessened if that's the case.

Kyrie is pretty weak too but he did impress me with effort in the Finals scrapping for steals.

LeBron was amazing.  I am not surprised.  If he had more help last year, as previously mentioned by LarBrd33, he could be doing a back to back here.

I'm sorry, but did you watch the game?  Curry doesn't stink on defense.  He's not Avery Bradley, but he was able to stay in front of LeBron on switches reasonably well, despite the huge mismatch in size and strength.  He's agressive at trying to poke away steals, and led the league in them.  Will he be all defense ever?  No.  Does he stink? Not even close.

Yeah I have watched a game or two.   He is not good on defense at all.  Other people cover for him constantly and on the switches you refer to he can get lost quite often.  Steals are also not a good measure of actual defense, especially for perimeter players.  That often means you gamble a lot.  If you've watched the Celtics for years you should know from watching Rondo.

Here is your great defender in action:

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/6/17/11962114/stephen-curry-defense-nba-finals-2016-warriors-vs-cavaliers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA_i_p2k2ck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXpSTV7yhAA

These are plays Harden gets killed for and he's doing it in the Finals.

[Rondo9]

I heard someone is writing an alternate history novel about how in the mid 80s Larry Bird, Magic, and Isaiah Thomas teamed up and all went to Miami together and won two whole titles. After that they were referred to as "greatest ever" and "basketball gods."

Yes. They teamed up on the Lakers. Then Bird went to the Pacers and won a title in his hometown, Magic went to Detroit and won one for his hometown, and Isaiah went to Hell and won one for his dad.

That was the moment they all passed Bill Russell. In the hallway.

And the glare from Russell's 11 championship rings blinded all of them.

Nine rings. Nine were gifted by Sauron to the race of men. But Bill Russell took them all and demanded two more, so that they had to take two from the elves and give them to Bill Russell. And none of them were deceived for in the heart of Mount Doom Sauron made one ring to rule them all...and then looked at it and said "Ohhhh maaannnn! I'll never have as many rings as Bill Russell! Never! Never!" So he gave up trying and dropped the ring back into the fires from whence it came.

Years later Frodo James decided to leave the shire and go to Miami where he got....two. Then he went back to the Shire and got one whole more. Whoop.....de....dooo.

To me Russell will always be top 5 but I set him apart from the rest of the guys in consideration.  It was a different league and a different sport.

No. What Russell did for the game from Basketball and a social standpoint transcends what almost everyone did.

[Beat LA]

I wonder if Klay Thompson's contusion caught up with him in this game.  I'm not making excuses for him, but still. #datthightho

[Rondo9]

Curry stinks on defense.  Your ability to impact the game lessened if that's the case.

Kyrie is pretty weak too but he did impress me with effort in the Finals scrapping for steals.

LeBron was amazing.  I am not surprised.  If he had more help last year, as previously mentioned by LarBrd33, he could be doing a back to back here.

I'm sorry, but did you watch the game?  Curry doesn't stink on defense.  He's not Avery Bradley, but he was able to stay in front of LeBron on switches reasonably well, despite the huge mismatch in size and strength.  He's agressive at trying to poke away steals, and led the league in them.  Will he be all defense ever?  No.  Does he stink? Not even close.

Yeah I don't think you pay much attention.  He is not good on defense.  Other people cover for him constantly and on the switches you refer to he can get lost quite often.

I don't think Curry is a bad defender, but he is foul prone.

[LarBrd33]

Incredible capper on one of the greatest seasons in nba history.  Back to back 3-1 deficits erased.  This one came down to the final minute.  Amazing.

I know a lot of people are salty, because they hate Lebron irrationally, but from a basketball standpoint I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.  The more I watched the Warriors the less I respected their style of play.  It's exciting but essentially "trick shot basketball". They jack up uncontested 50 footers and make an improbable amount of them.  If the game goes in that direction; it will kind of suck.   It's nice to see a team win with traditional basketball skill.  I watch this game because you get to see the greatest athletes in the world do amazing things.  As much as I love Steph curry, seeing a team win because of home run derby ball really undermines the sport a little.

[Beat LA]

King James.  Basketball God.

Hes earned the king nickname but MJ is the god

[SparzWizard]

Crazy how Tyronn Lue outcoached Steve Kerr this entire series, eh? 

[Eja117]

Incredible capper on one of the greatest seasons in nba history.  Back to back 3-1 deficits erased.  This one came down to the final minute.  Amazing.

I know a lot of people are salty, because they hate Lebron irrationally, but from a basketball standpoint I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.  The more I watched the Warriors the less I respected their style of play.  It's exciting but essentially "trick shot basketball". They jack up uncontested 50 footers and make an improbable amount of them.  If the game goes in that direction; it will kind of suck.   It's nice to see a team win with traditional basketball skill.  I watch this game because you get to see the greatest athletes in the world do amazing things.  As much as I love Steph curry, seeing a team win because of home run derby ball really undermines the sport a little.

And for my 15 thousandth post....I actually agree with virtually all of that.

[Snakehead]

Incredible capper on one of the greatest seasons in nba history.  Back to back 3-1 deficits erased.  This one came down to the final minute.  Amazing.

I know a lot of people are salty, because they hate Lebron irrationally, but from a basketball standpoint I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.  The more I watched the Warriors the less I respected their style of play.  It's exciting but essentially "trick shot basketball". They jack up uncontested 50 footers and make an improbable amount of them.  If the game goes in that direction; it will kind of suck.   It's nice to see a team win with traditional basketball skill.  I watch this game because you get to see the greatest athletes in the world do amazing things.  As much as I love Steph curry, seeing a team win because of home run derby ball really undermines the sport a little.

I agree so much.  I have hated the idea of no true centers in the league and a guy who doesn't play any defense being able to actually dominate.  I hope the young big men in the league keep improving, they rid us of the terrible hack-a rules, and we can right the ship.

[CelticSooner]

Incredible capper on one of the greatest seasons in nba history.  Back to back 3-1 deficits erased.  This one came down to the final minute.  Amazing.

I know a lot of people are salty, because they hate Lebron irrationally, but from a basketball standpoint I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.  The more I watched the Warriors the less I respected their style of play.  It's exciting but essentially "trick shot basketball". They jack up uncontested 50 footers and make an improbable amount of them.  If the game goes in that direction; it will kind of suck.   It's nice to see a team win with traditional basketball skill.  I watch this game because you get to see the greatest athletes in the world do amazing things.  As much as I love Steph curry, seeing a team win because of home run derby ball really undermines the sport a little.

TP. I tend to agree. I feel like they were much better in the regular season at scoring outside of jumpers. The playoffs were a different story tho. Got pretty ugly at times.

[LarBrd33]

Incredible capper on one of the greatest seasons in nba history.  Back to back 3-1 deficits erased.  This one came down to the final minute.  Amazing.

I know a lot of people are salty, because they hate Lebron irrationally, but from a basketball standpoint I'm pretty pleased with this outcome.  The more I watched the Warriors the less I respected their style of play.  It's exciting but essentially "trick shot basketball". They jack up uncontested 50 footers and make an improbable amount of them.  If the game goes in that direction; it will kind of suck.   It's nice to see a team win with traditional basketball skill.  I watch this game because you get to see the greatest athletes in the world do amazing things.  As much as I love Steph curry, seeing a team win because of home run derby ball really undermines the sport a little.

And for my 15 thousandth post....I actually agree with virtually all of that.

Tp eja. 

And I'm with you for the most part that Jordan is still the best of all time.  But bron just closed the gap in an unprecedented way.

Do you think Michael Jordan is relieved because the 72 bulls remain unmatched - or a little concerned because Lebron is officially on his block.