Many, MANY NBA fans HATE KD for leaving OKC and joining the team his former team couldn’t best. I can’t say I disagree. It’s generally perceived as a gigantic pussy move, and again, I can;t really disagree with them. The NBA is fucked up that way.
If the Warriors win, then Lebron joins the Warriors next year.
Okay, I’ll admit that I might have been a little too bedazzled by the Warriors. They are probably not the best team of all time, and they might not even be in the top 5 even if they win a game 5. Sorry, but any team that gives up 80+ in the first half is probably disqualified from that discussion. They are still a very, very good team, and I think they are still the obvious favorite to win the Series.
However, even with a 3-1 lead, a championship is no longer something they or their fans can bank on. The ghosts of last year started to appear in the first half of game 3, and they definitely reappeared last night with Kyrie Irving’s aggressive performance, K-Love hitting threes and grabbing rebounds, and most ominously of all, Draymond Green’s emotional instability in big moments. In fact Green’s 4th quarter meltdown is when I finally decided to turn off the TV and go to bed. The Warriors had been creeping back into the game before that happened. But Green is increasingly becoming a huge distraction for the Warriors.
Last night showed why Lebron James sometimes tends to pass up shots because he knows that Cleveland is so much more dangerous when other players are getting involved. When Kyrie Irving is taking it to the basket and when Kevin Love is scoring, it just opens up so many other things on offense.
I do expect the Warriors to come out with a lot more intensity in Game 5 but again, with a player like Draymond Green creeping closer to the edge, that is something that could work against the Warriors. And it seems like Mike Brown is the only guy who has the balls to get in his face about it. I know Kerr likes to be calm but Gregg Popovich, one of his mentors, would never have tolerated this shit and would have probably eaten him alive right in front of his players if anyone had pulled some of his stunts.
Excellent post, IMHO. Every word is spot on.
Excellent post, marsh.
I think you’re spot on in that Jordan is arguably a better offensive player than Lebron, and that’s not going to change at this stage of Lebron’s career. Jordan was unparalleled in creating his own offensive space. He didn’t need much space to beat you either. Just a step or two toward the basket, stop, jump, and shoot. He was also an extremely accurate shooter even when facing tight defenses. He could also shoot over defender’s hands better than just about anyone I’ve seen. Kobe probably is the most reminiscent of Jordan in that respect. Lebron’s accuracy goes down when he’s facing more aggressive defenders. Lebron needs a little more open space on the perimeter, or as you point out, he just drives it to the basket. Jordan could play better in traffic, whereas Lebron has occasionally lost the ball when trying to driving into double teams.
However, as you pointed out, James at other things. As you say, he chases down blocks as well as anyone we’ve seen. And James is also an excellent rebounder, which is a crucial stat. Giving your team extra possessions, even if it’s just an extra one or two per game, can be critical in tight contests. I think James also tries to facilitate more, and tries to get others involved more. He takes he for that, but when other players step up, it’s really effective.
That foul thing was total bullshit. Admit you fucked up and move on; why make shit up that everyone knows is a lie? [political shot redacted]
In any case, I believe it was Paul Pierce who commented during halftime that you have to “play historic” to beat the Warriors, and he’s right; the Warriors weren’t playing badly, they scored almost 70 points in the first half, it just wasn’t enough; they were up against a jacked-up team backed into a corner that, on this night, could do no wrong. Can they do it another 3 games? It would be a legendary feat if they could, but frankly I don’t think they can.
If the Warriors win, it seems doubtful the same Cavs team would be able to beat them next year. LBJ is under contract with Cleveland for another year; after that he will probably take his talents elsewhere again and the Cavs will be rebuilding. So it may make sense to start the rebuilding now while LeBron’s and Kyrie’s stocks are still sky-high. LeBron wants more rings and would probably share some limelight with KD to get them and arguably could use some more rest breaks during games. A blockbuster deal between the 2 teams would surprise me but wouldn’t shock me. Cleveland fans would be upset, no doubt.
It won’t just be Cleveland fans.
I don’t like what KD did. Hate? Nah, we’ve seen stuff like this happen for years. It’s the NBA, where one player can make a massive difference, and contracts are capped. If the money’s gonna be the same, or close, why not chase the best place to get a ring?
Nah, his player option isn’t until after next season. If things continue the way they are, he’ll be a Celtic.
That’s a far better synopsis than I could ever hope to put together.
Nor did KD have to have a televised extravaganza regarding his “Decision”…
If the Cavs can beat the Warriors in Game 5 - and not just eke out a win, but actually win in convincing and dominant fashion - then this series gets very interesting. At that point, Golden State will be holding a 3-2 series lead, going to Quicken Loans Arena where the Cavs will have a rabid, nuts home crowd. If the Cavs win in Game 6 - which they would probably be favored to do so, in such a scenario - then suddenly it’s Game 7 and the Warriors have all the pressure in the world not to undergo a historic collapse.
Again, this all assumes the Cavs win Game 5, which is highly iffy, but if they do, suddenly all the momentum breaks their way and the psychological factor goes against Golden State.
I think even a 1-point win by the Cavs makes the series very interesting. The Cavs outplayed the Warriors for much of Game 3, and they blew them out of the water in Game 4. We could easily have a 2-2 series now. If the Warriors lose, and particularly if Draymond Green’s emotions become the focus of another loss, then I think the doubt begins to creep in, even with Kevin Durant. Maybe not so much doubt on the part of the Warriors as much as a lot more confidence on the part of the Cavs. The Cavaliers have been a very dangerous team with their backs to the wall these last 2 years.
I hated The Decision. Years later, it still pisses me off - not because of the decision itself, but the fact that James wouldn’t even tell Dan Gilbert beforehand. It’s one thing to leave, it’s another to openly shit on your team and fans on the way out the door, then wonder why so many people are angry.
And not only that, but just the sheer self-aggrandizement of needing an hour long TV “special” to declare your intentions to the world while cloaked in a thin veneer of charity was pretty fucking galling.
The fact that Cleveland shed the “haven’t won a title in 50+ years” burden last year also lets the Cavs play more relaxed and more dangerously.
nm
Meh. It was a dumb decision by a fairly young guy who may have been manipulated by Jim Gray/ESPN and Maverick Carter. He has been a model teammate, citizen, and family man, which one doesn’t always see in athletic supernovas.
In this vein, KD is reported to have gotten 0 reps for the bench press of 185lbs during training camp. 0. I know he’s not a muscle player and his lanky frame benefits his style but damn! That is glaringly weak for any NBA player.
Honestly, I don’t really buy into the notion that the players really put the burden of a franchise’s past failures on themselves. I mean, it probably does add a little more pressure when they’re in a game 7 situation, as they’re more likely to get those kinds of questions from reporters. But I think that the players who actually play want to win a championship and feel the same pressure to do so in any given year. The difference between a team or group of individuals who have won a championship probably have a better sense of where they stand. They can probably shake off a loss better than a team that’s never won it. Psychologically, I think the Cavs have a slight edge in that a) they’ve been playing better than the Warriors the last two games, and b) they won in dominant fashion last night.
The Decision was a product of an ESPN / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube generation player attention-whoring himself the way that pretty much most people his age attention whore themselves. Look, I’m old school just like most people here, but I give Lebron a pass for that one – turn the page. He made a young man’s mistake. All indications are, Lebron James is a decent guy and an outstanding teammate.