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Cavs vs. Warriors -- 2017 NBA Finals

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Who wins?

  • Cavs in 4

    Votes: 23 8.4%
  • Cavs in 5

    Votes: 20 7.3%
  • Cavs in 6

    Votes: 146 53.1%
  • Cavs in 7

    Votes: 55 20.0%
  • Warriors in 7

    Votes: 2 0.7%
  • Warriors in 6

    Votes: 10 3.6%
  • Warriors in 5

    Votes: 7 2.5%
  • Warriors in 4

    Votes: 12 4.4%

  • Total voters
    275
  • Poll closed .
We have none.
From what I see the sentiment is different. Everywhere I look I see that we will win but I think it's so ppl can hype themselves up for when LeBron fails.

All the outlets iv seen has had more Cavs winners than Warriors but I doubt it's genuine when you factor in all the trash talk about LeBron
 
This has been a weird year. It went by so fast and it doesn't feel like Finals time. And we haven't had any competition in the playoffs to really put me on edge. I've been pretty relaxed the whole time like it's meaningless regular season games. Actually, I was probably more worked up in the regular season with our struggles :chuckle:

So it is strange. The Finals are coming up and I'm just super calm. The intensity is about to get ramped up a thousand notches though. Once the ball is tipped in game 1, I think the reality of it all will set in. But right now, I'm completely relaxed and calm. Not a bit worried. Maybe partly because we already won a ring so that pressure is off. And if we lose, meh. It will really suck, but everyone expects us to lose. Only something to gain. Something monumental.
 
Here's how the Cavs look coming into the Finals. As compared with the best playoff stats in NBA history.


+14.3 NRTG
122.7 ORTG

+13.7 NRTG ---------> 2001 Lakers (best in recorded playoffs history to this point [through The Finals])
119.9 ORTG ---------> 1987 Lakers (best in recorded playoffs history to this point [through The Finals])

+16.3 NRTG ---------> 2017 GSW
118.0 ORTG ---------> 2017 GSW



The Cavs numbers are so good, it's pretty incredible. The Cavs are a juggernaut. The question is are they good enough to beat another juggernaut who seems a bit better than them?

But make no mistake, this isn't David vs Goliath. It's not even close to that. But I hope that people see it that way, particularly the Warriors themselves.

The Warriors were getting drilled by the Spurs, until they intentionally re-injured the Spurs' best player.

Those numbers look a little different, with Kawhi playing. It's possible even that Warriors don't advance.

Just sayin'.
 
This has been a weird year. It went by so fast and it doesn't feel like Finals time. And we haven't had any competition in the playoffs to really put me on edge. I've been pretty relaxed the whole time like it's meaningless regular season games. Actually, I was probably more worked up in the regular season with our struggles :chuckle:

So it is strange. The Finals are coming up and I'm just super calm. The intensity is about to get ramped up a thousand notches though. Once the ball is tipped in game 1, I think the reality of it all will set in. But right now, I'm completely relaxed and calm. Not a bit worried. Maybe partly because we already won a ring so that pressure is off. And if we lose, meh. It will really suck, but everyone expects us to lose. Only something to gain. Something monumental.

Well, like I said before the World Series last year: just don't break my heart.

What did the Indians do? They went out and broke my heart.

Getting demonstratively beaten by a better team, I'm fine with. Just please don't blow a lead.
 
Had a dream last night that Cavs went up 3-1 then close it out in 6 and I was worried that Cavs would repeat the Warriors in 2016. Crazy
 
I feel like if there was social media in the late 90s the Bulls would have been unlikable. JOrdan got every touch foul imaginable and Dennis Rodman was kicking camera men.

Agreed. It's a different age. If LeBron punched Korver in practice I'm pretty sure you won't have people fawning over him saying "that's just how competitive he is!"
 
I feel like if there was social media in the late 90s the Bulls would have been unlikable. JOrdan got every touch foul imaginable and Dennis Rodman was kicking camera men.
Interesting.

I think if they were around today they'd be heel, but moreso bc American culture started supporting the anti hero.

We used to love stifler, we kicked him off the screen for Michael cera
 
The emotional highs and lows of the last two finals, for me, were about as extreme as you can get. 2015, I felt like the Cavs could win even without Love. They came out, punched the Warriors in the mouth early in game 1, had the last shot to win it, failed. Then Kyrie went out, which I just knew was a season ender, and I was sure it was over....

Then they won games 2 and 3. I remember my best friend flew in for the weekend, and on the ride back from the airport, we talked about how little sense it made for the Cavs to even be ahead in that series. I remember saying, "Maybe it's just one of those things that's meant to be." Well, it wasn't. The world went back to normal, and the Warriors won that series.

The Cavs entered the 2016 finals, and I was positive they had a "shot," but that they would ultimately lose. After all, the Warriors won 73 games(!) and avoided elimination three times against the Thunder. The Cavs got blown out in games 1 and 2, and it only reaffirmed my fears. The win in game 3 gave me a glimmer of hope, but the loss in game 4 ended that. I resigned myself to another finals loss. Then Draymond was suspended. And Bogut got hurt. Kyrie and Bron went off. The tide really started to turn. The Cavs won game 5. They won game 6. I still knew the odds were against them in game 7, but one game to win it all and your team has LeBron James? If you had told me at the end of game 4 that the Cavs would win on a Kyrie three in game 7, I would have told you to "fuck off." It was night and day.

This year? I'm choosing to go in with zero expectations. I can't help but feel like they have a really good chance to win it all, even though my head keeps telling me I'm delusional. I think about all the open looks Barnes missed last year, I replace them with KD shots, and it's terrifying. But then I think about the Warriors trying to defend Kyrie or LeBron with... anyone, and it's fun. So with all that said....


Head says Warriors in 5. HEART SAYS CAVS IN 6.
 
You guys fall into the "But they have more All Stars.. are more Talented.." trap

It wont matter because we are tougher, more resillient alot more Clutch.. have the closest Team i ever seen.. they all cover for each other on and off the Court..

Those Intangible things are more important than raw talent.. especially against a Team that lacks in them.. GSW heavilly relies on their Talent.. they are arrogant.. and look bad when you hit them.. Their two main guys have build a reputation of Choking in the biggest Moments.. Steph has come up way short in the last 2 Finals and KD was "Mr. Unreliable" even starting in 2014.. that was before he almost suffocated choking against GSW.. One 35 Point Game from him and they dont even make the finals..
 
There is only one ball, we already know how to play with it. We have clear structure and much improved Kevin Love (and confident). Yeah they replaced HB with KD, but HB knew his role. And it's not just adding numbers to box scores and voila you know the winner. Steph will still have to play defense(lol) on KI. LeBron will be super motivated against KD(giving everything he has and playing the most effective), which is scary because he has monstrous Playoffs so far and he still was having fun...
This is the best Cavs team wide level of play IMO. I'm counting on Korver or JR to go nuclear to add to big3 and tt. Derron can also bully Steph big time (would be my suprise 2 guards SC hunt attack).
 
There is only one ball, we already know how to play with it. We have clear structure and much improved Kevin Love (and confident). Yeah they replaced HB with KD, but HB knew his role. And it's not just adding numbers to box scores and voila you know the winner. Steph will still have to play defense(lol) on KI. LeBron will be super motivated against KD(giving everything he has and playing the most effective), which is scary because he has monstrous Playoffs so far and he still was having fun...
This is the best Cavs team wide level of play IMO. I'm counting on Korver or JR to go nuclear to add to big3 and tt. Derron can also bully Steph big time (would be my suprise 2 guards SC hunt attack).
It would be beautiful if GS had an identity crisis during the Finals and Steph and KD couldn't figure out who is supposed to score when and where. I'm guessing they want KD to be "the guy" in the Finals. But maybe KD wants Steph to be the main guy. Who knows. If they move the ball and play team offense well, that is what would be toughest for us. But if it becomes an iso game, even with them adding KD, I'm much more confident in our ability to win that. LBJ and Kyrie know each other and pick their spots well.

And KD hasn't played in the Finals in awhile. And never played under this sort of pressure. I wonder how prepared he is for it. LBJ has been to 7 straight. Kyrie has the confidence of the personal success he had last year. We are used to this spotlight and are ready. It helps that they start with their home crowd I guess, but it could benefit us huge to jump on them in game 1 if KD especially isn't ready for that sort of intensity and spotlight.
 
There is only one ball, we already know how to play with it. We have clear structure and much improved Kevin Love (and confident). Yeah they replaced HB with KD, but HB knew his role. And it's not just adding numbers to box scores and voila you know the winner. Steph will still have to play defense(lol) on KI. LeBron will be super motivated against KD(giving everything he has and playing the most effective), which is scary because he has monstrous Playoffs so far and he still was having fun...
This is the best Cavs team wide level of play IMO. I'm counting on Korver or JR to go nuclear to add to big3 and tt. Derron can also bully Steph big time (would be my suprise 2 guards SC hunt attack).

Thats the thing.. this is not NBA 2K17 where talent is basically all that Matters.. Chemistry,Intanibles, Knowing your Roles etc all dont matter. And even in NBA 2K17 you start to hit the law of diminishing returns.. GSW is not simply adding KD.. Klay and Draymond get less shots.. Iggy plays less.. And after all as you said there is only one ball.

At their best against inferior Opponents GSW is even scarier thats true. But we basically are the only Team the NBA where that does not applies to.
Colin Cowherd said very correctly "They got better at beating up 90% of the League even worse.. but have not gotten better at what the 10% can exploit(He said this assuming SA would have Kahwi and Parker)

Only we can make Steph and KD spend nearly all of their energy on defense guarding Ky and Lebron(if we keep switching clever if they want to hide them)
Only we have a guy like TT who can both stop any P&R.. switch to even Curry and also grab 5 Offensive Boards against them.
Only we can match their 3pt Bomardment.. we are even the better 3pt Shooting Team.. We can easilly outshoot them
Only we can Physically Intimitade them.
Only we know how to guard the Splash Bro's
Only we have the one Player KD cannot Win against
 

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