NBA Finals Cleveland vs Golden State

[slinslin]

We're still pretending that Bledsoe is better than Irving, right? I just want to be sure I remember.

Nobody said Irving does not have great games. He is still a chucker who plays disastrous defense.

But the definition of a chucker is that he will have great offensive games too.

 

[Russ Smith]

is it me, or does this just seem like a joyless NBA Finals? You watch the after game pressers, and everyone is so ho-hum.

Really hope we see something special the next two games (or at least one game) because for the most part, these games haven't really been competitive.

This one was competitive until that sequence where Iggy passed up a layup to kick it back and instead of a 5 point game Cleveland scored and it was 9.

I actually like how the Warriors finished though they realized if they were going to catch up it had to be with 3's so they started shooting them. They had like 7 in a row they missed them all, many of them open and Cleveland extended from 11 to like 16 and that was the game. But at least they tried to win the game. Kerr then pulled his starters.

 

[TJ]

Kevin Love's Finals performances, encapsulated into one photo.

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[Russ Smith]

Kevin Love's Finals performances, encapsulated into one photo.

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There's a clip of him in the first quarter trying to give LeBron a high 5 and Lebron snubs him and starts yelling at him and Love just turns and walks away dejected. Just a bad fit on that team I'm sure they will move him on.

 

[elindholm]

Nobody said Irving does not have great games. He is still a chucker who plays disastrous defense.

But the definition of a chucker is that he will have great offensive games too.

How often do chuckers score 30+ in three straight Finals games, leading his team to wins in two of them over what is considered to be a superior opponent?

Or, let me make it simpler: Get a list of all players who have scored 30+ in three straight Finals games, and tell me how many of them are chuckers.

 

[slinslin]

How often do chuckers score 30+ in three straight Finals games, leading his team to wins in two of them over what is considered to be a superior opponent?

Or, let me make it simpler: Get a list of all players who have scored 30+ in three straight Finals games, and tell me how many of them are chuckers.

Probably Allen Iverson. (48, 23, 35, 35, 37 pts; 41, 29, 30, 32, 32 Field Goal Attempts)

And just because no chucker has done this before, does not mean Irving is not a chucker.

Irving averages 2 less assists than Bledsoe while having higher usage. And here is a list of players who took more shots per posessions than Kyrie Irving : Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Demarcus Cousins, Michael Beasley and Damian Lillard. Cousins and Bryant are the only ones with a lower eFG%.

 

[elindholm]

Probably Allen Iverson.

I think you'd have a hard time finding many people who believe that Bledsoe is better than Iverson.

A label like "chucker" doesn't matter, of course. Irving is the second best player on a team that is two wins from a title. That's a level Bledsoe will never see.

 

[GatorAZ]

Irving is not chucking this series. He's shooting nearly 49% from the field, 40 from 3 and 90 from the ft line. He has out played Steph to this point and has the same amount of assists on 9 less turnovers. That said he could still wind up putting up a couple of stinker performances in the final two games. He's the kind of player a team lives or dies by the shots falling or not.

 

[TJ]

Irving is not chucking this series. He's shooting nearly 49% from the field, 40 from 3 and 90 from the ft line. He has out played Steph to this point and has the same amount of assists on 9 less turnovers. That said he could still wind up putting up a couple of stinker performances in the final two games. He's the kind of player a team lives or dies by the shots falling or not.

Irving has been great. LeBron has been great. Tristan Thompson has done well as a rebounder. Other than that, everyone else has been mediocre to awful.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Irving has been great. LeBron has been great. Tristan Thompson has done well as a rebounder. Other than that, everyone else has been mediocre to awful.

Yep...

 

[Russ Smith]

Side question since I see it so much in this series. is it me or is Richard Jefferson either the best in history at anticipating on freethrows, or does he just leave earlier than any other player in the NBA?

If you pay attention on FT's the Warriors are blocking him out until he's literally pushed out of bounds. he's been screaming about it the last 3 games as he's played so much more. And the Warrior bench and players have been begging for a lane violation on him the same amount of time.

You can call a lane violation on every FT so it's sort of pointless but he's like a DE that guesses the snapcount he gets in so early you think he either is incredibly quick off the line, or he's jumping earlier than everyone else and eventually the refs are going to either call him for it, or call the Warriors for pushing him out of bounds when he does it.

 

[Ronin]

Mike Jurecki ‏@mikejurecki 1m1 minute ago
Points scored in this series: Warriors Curry 111, Thompson 98, Green 59... Cavs Irving 141, James 140.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Heard a crazy stat at lunch... Went something like this: Green as a +/- line of plus 53 when he's playing the center position in this series and a minus 42 when he's not playing center... or something like that.
Wow!

 

[Russ Smith]

Heard a crazy stat at lunch... Went something like this: Green as a +/- line of plus 53 when he's playing the center position in this series and a minus 42 when he's not playing center... or something like that.
Wow!

I think he had the highest plus minus stat in the entire NBA this year although when you win 73 games it probably stands to reason.

James was incredible last night but the main reason he was that good on defense was they put him on whoever was playing the 5 and then he just played free safety and at his size and agility that was scary to watch. Hopefully with Green back in game 6, that will change.

I also hope to see a lot less Ezeli and Varejao, I just can't stand all the flopping by AV and Ezeli's inability to catch the ball and constantly coming out too fast on hedges killed the Warriors last night. He was open the whole game but the guards are afraid to pass to him because they know he either won't catch it, or won't finish, or will get fouled and miss the FT's.

Bogut is travelling with the team, they don't have MRI results yet but are said to be cautiously optimistic he doesn't have structural damage.

Would be great to get Green back AND for Bogut to be able to play.

 

[Ronin]

Bogut out for the rest of the finals.
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2016/story/_/id/16209675/andrew-bogut-knee-done-finals-need-surgery

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[TJ]

Sucks for Bogut, but GSW is not losing two more games because he's out.

 

[elindholm]

Sucks for Bogut, but GSW is not losing two more games because he's out.

Probably not, but it puts more pressure on Green to stay out of foul trouble, which could affect how aggressively he plays.

 

[Russ Smith]

Probably not, but it puts more pressure on Green to stay out of foul trouble, which could affect how aggressively he plays.

Bogut has been in foul trouble most of the series but he played a nice role in the first 2 wins. 10 points in 15 minutes in the first game most early which helped get them off to a good start. and then 5 blocks and 6 boards in 15 mins in game 2.

Game 5 was sort of bad, 4 fouls 2 turnovers( think 2 of the fouls were illegal screens which are both fouls and turnovers) but he did have 3 blocks in 8 minutes before getting hurt.

Out for the series but no surgery so that's good for the future.

Green is the obvious guy to step up now, of the 3, Varejao has outplayed both Speights and Ezeli but I really hate watching him flop and I suspect with all the attention recently the refs are going to be looking for it if he plays often.

I kind of figure with days off etc the Warriors and Cavs are both going to go for broke in game 6 I wouldn't be surprised to see Green start at the 5 and play as long as he can.

 

[sunsfan88]

I think you'd have a hard time finding many people who believe that Bledsoe is better than Iverson.

A label like "chucker" doesn't matter, of course. Irving is the second best player on a team that is two wins from a title. That's a level Bledsoe will never see.

Kobe has often been labeled as a chucker even in his prime too so I guess slin would take Eric Bledsoe over prime AI & Kobe.

A label like "chucker" doesn't matter, of course. Irving is the second best player on a team that is two wins from a title. That's a level Bledsoe will never see.

I'm not sure Bledsoe will ever be even 3rd best on such a team.

 

[Ronin]

I am really excited for tonights game, this may be the best game of the series. Cleveland wins tonights game to force a game 7.imo

 

[Russ Smith]

I am really excited for tonights game, this may be the best game of the series. Cleveland wins tonights game to force a game 7.imo

I always get nervous before the games and again today. I keep telling myself it's house money because I expected them to play and lose to San Antonio in the conference finals and they could have easily lost to OKC, but now they are 1 win away from repeating it would be awfully tough to see them lose 3 straight.

When Kyrie and LeBron play like that they are awfully tough to beat you just have to hope they can't do it 3 straight games.

 

[Ronin]

I always get nervous before the games and again today. I keep telling myself it's house money because I expected them to play and lose to San Antonio in the conference finals and they could have easily lost to OKC, but now they are 1 win away from repeating it would be awfully tough to see them lose 3 straight.

When Kyrie and LeBron play like that they are awfully tough to beat you just have to hope they can't do it 3 straight games.

GSW Have to limit the "others" tonight, don't let J.R Smith or Richard Jefferson go off tonight.

 

[Russ Smith]

GSW Have to limit the "others" tonight, don't let J.R Smith or Richard Jefferson go off tonight.

They actually did that in game 5. Smith had 10 early in the game and never scored again. Love had 2, Thompson 6, Jefferson 8.

If you had told me before Game 5 Cleveland would get 12 points total from their bench, even without Draymond I would have said the Warriors win. But the Warriors only got 15 off their own bench.

 

[Ronin]

They actually did that in game 5. Smith had 10 early in the game and never scored again. Love had 2, Thompson 6, Jefferson 8.



If you had told me before Game 5 Cleveland would get 12 points total from their bench, even without Draymond I would have said the Warriors win. But the Warriors only got 15 off their own bench.

Well if it brings you any comfort....the warriors are 14-1 after a loss this season. Let's hope they make it 15-1 tonight.


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[Mainstreet]

I'm not rooting for either team but I would not be disappointed if the GSW wrapped up the series tonight.

IMO, this series has been ugly because of the officiating or lack thereof.