Official Finals Prediction Poll

[Fafnir]

If JR Smith keeps shooting like he's Klay Thompson or Steph and they dominate the glass the Cavs will push it to 6 for the Warriors.

I just don't think this version of the Cavs team matches up better with the GSW than last years, they play into the GS game plan.

[Fafnir]

I think CLE takes finals in 6 games. They didn't have a full healthy squad last year. I expect LeBron to play a lot more aggressive this year's finals, more or less his performance in game 6 of conference finals this year.

I'm happy to be wrong though

How was he not aggressive in last years Finals?

[A Future of Stevens]

As others have said, the cavs defense will be their downfall. Kevin Love is an embarrassment to half of the game of basketball  (espn said he's allowing 65% at the rim) and kyrie is no russell westbrook in being able to stop curry.

Also the wildcard lebron will be up against his best defenders by far. Stop and think about who lebron has actually had to go up against to this point. Caroll is too small to contain him, and the hawks couldn't defend a paper bag (wing wise.) Stanley Johnson may have been lebrons hardest assignmentry offensively.

The new look cavs strength is this huge reliance on the 3pt shot, and they aren't better than the warriors at this skill.

Warriors in 6.

[JohnBoy65]

I'll take Warriors in 6. I think the Cavs are good enough to win 2 games. Lebron can win 1 game and then their 3 point shooting can win them another game.

Can Shumpert run the point? Why not test out Shump/Smith/Lebron/Frye/Thompson lineup. Shump would do horrors to steph in my opinion.

[slamtheking]

prior to the OKC series, I would have said GSW in 5 but Curry looked human as did Green and Barnes/Iggy were not much help.

Going Cavs in 6 because I think Bron is highly motivated to get this title for Cleveland --> would allow him to jump ship for greener pastures next year with no ill will from Cleveland that could impact his legacy or brand.

[Atzar]

GS in 6.  Wouldn't shock me if they wrapped this up sooner. 

I'm trying to think of how Cleveland could fit their puzzle pieces together in a way that would limit GS's offense, but I just can't come up with anything.  Irving can't guard Curry or Thompson.  Nowhere to hide.  Love can't guard Green when GS goes small.  Smith will do a respectable job against Thompson I think, but LeBron can't guard everybody else. 

Cleveland should have a large advantage on the glass, and I think they win one game by slowing the game down and catching GS on a poor shooting night.  And I wouldn't be surprised to see LeBron win one largely by himself.  But I don't think this series makes it to the seventh game.

[Moranis]

I don't understand the Cavs hype on this board. The level of competition each team faced in the playoffs was majority different. OKC might be better than Toronto and Atlanta combined.

How does Cleveland stop the 1/4 PnR? How does Irving and Smith contain Curry and Thompson when Roberson and Westbrook couldn't? Can Love even play in this series?

Warriors in 5 or 6. Beyond an injury, I just don't see any way that Cleveland comes out of this series.

Shumpert will get huge minutes in this series.  He will shut Thompson down just like he did last year. 

Irving and Curry went toe to toe in game 1 last year as well.  They were pretty much even.

Thompson did a number on Green as well.

People seem to forget that really only Iggy and Curry played well for the Warriors last year in the Finals.  I'd expect a pretty similar series, except James won't get nearly as tired since he will actually have some offensive help something he just didn't have last year.  The Cavs basically had a 7 man rotation in the Finals of James, Mozgov, Smith, Shumpert, Thompson, Dellavedova, and James Jones.  That team took 2 games from the Warriors.  The Cavs are basically running a 9 man rotation in the playoffs and Mozgov, Jones, and Mo Williams aren't even in that 9.  The Cavs are a significantly better team than last year and it isn't close.

[max215]

Warriors in 5.

[hwangjini_1]

I don't understand the Cavs hype on this board. The level of competition each team faced in the playoffs was majority different. OKC might be better than Toronto and Atlanta combined.

How does Cleveland stop the 1/4 PnR? How does Irving and Smith contain Curry and Thompson when Roberson and Westbrook couldn't? Can Love even play in this series?

Warriors in 5 or 6. Beyond an injury, I just don't see any way that Cleveland comes out of this series.

Shumpert will get huge minutes in this series.  He will shut Thompson down just like he did last year. 

Irving and Curry went toe to toe in game 1 last year as well.  They were pretty much even.

Thompson did a number on Green as well.

People seem to forget that really only Iggy and Curry played well for the Warriors last year in the Finals.  I'd expect a pretty similar series, except James won't get nearly as tired since he will actually have some offensive help something he just didn't have last year.  The Cavs basically had a 7 man rotation in the Finals of James, Mozgov, Smith, Shumpert, Thompson, Dellavedova, and James Jones.  That team took 2 games from the Warriors.  The Cavs are basically running a 9 man rotation in the playoffs and Mozgov, Jones, and Mo Williams aren't even in that 9.  The Cavs are a significantly better team than last year and it isn't close.

perhaps in the sense that love and irving are healthy. but perhaps not when we consider that love/irving as a pair were, by far, the worst defending pair of regular players in the nba against the pick and roll. it wasnt even close in terms of points allowed.

love will give up more points than he creates/makes and the cavs cannot hide him when he is on the court. irving's defense will not stop GSW either. in terms of defense, last year's playoff team was better than this one.

i think love and irving will not get the large number of minutes we might expect.

the cavs will score, but they defense will be their downfall. warriors in 6.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Warriors SWEEP!

[passesofftodj]

I'll take the Warriors in 7.  I think they may be down 3-2 so it could be Cavs in 6.  Kyrie's d is just awful and Lovenis just as bad on that end. 

[PhoSita]

The Warriors are a lot better than last year too, though.

They're also a really bad matchup for a Cavs team that has succeeded mostly by burying other teams in made shots.

[Vox_Populi]

I wonder how Cleveland will defend the pick and roll. Switching isn't really an option.

[The Oracle]

Cavs in 6.  G.S. is drained from the OKC series and drops game 1 tonight and the 3 games in Cleveland.  Draymond gets suspended for game 3 or 4.  They have all the pieces to beat them this year that were clearly missing last year.  They should spread G.S. out using the Frye/Love combo and attack Curry relentlessly with Lebron/Kyrie/Delly.

[CelticSooner]

Warriors in 6.

The only way Cleveland wins this series is if LeBron goes absolutely nuts and can't be stopped. He might just have to if Love is the weak link.