That fadeaway where LeBron jumped and flew like 12 feet sideways behind the backboard while casually tossing it in was just mean.
God, what a pathetic performance by Toronto. Someone must go, and if it were up to me, it’d be DeRozan, who’s overrated anyway.
Yes, I know, it’s so hard to beat Lebron. Indiana beat them three times and damn near knocked Cleveland out of the playoffs. What’s Toronto’s excuse? They have none.
What kind of chances does Houston have against GS? It’d be nice not to have GS vs Cavs part 4.
Well, they’re 2-1 vs Golden State this season, but their first game was the Rocket’s season opener and they haven’t played since January, so that’s all pretty much meaningless.
Pelicans had better push the Warriors with all their might. Need a fatigued Golden State vs rested Houston.
Rockets-Cavs wouldn’t be bad at all. Even Rockets-Celtics could be tolerable.
This offseason made me feel pretty dumb. For years my brother and I (with whom I generally discuss basketball) have talked about how DeRozan is an inefficient volume scorer who doesn’t seem to make sound basketball decisions and because of this won’t ever win in the playoffs.
Then this year we both kinda fell for it and noticed how he was less of a ball stopper and even worked a little on the three.
Then came the playoffs…
Regarding game four, they quit plain and simple and it was downright painful to watch the coach in the fourth. Someone will answer for it, I just don’t know who. I don’t love Dwayne Casey - never have - but this isn’t just him.
So was Portland, and look at what a sorry mess they made of things.
As I type this DC is hanging on by a hair. And he was short-listed as coach of the year. Not gonna happen.
To brag: the Raptors are the first first-seeded team in their conference in forty years to get swept before the conference finals.
Frankly I’m looking forward to Houston-GS, I kinda have been the last third of the season. After that, eh - GS-anybody-but-the-Cavs would be tolerable ;).
So if it comes down to Warriors v Cavs, then whom to root for? I suppose I will root for the Cavs, since they’d be underdogs, but I won’t really enjoy the Finals very much if this is the way it turns out.
One of our local radio guys, who also talks about gambling a lot, mentioned that the line for the Rockets/Warriors series was -190 GS / +155 Houston. -190, if I’m reading this odds calculator correctly, assumes GS has about a 65% chance to win the series. I’ve never understood where vig comes into those sorts of calculations, but w/e. EDIT: Of course, his tweet doesn’t have a cite for that line, and he may have been making it up. I can’t find a futures line when I looked this morning.
Seems a bit high to me though. I don’t think this Warriors team is as good as last year’s 67 win team, or the 73-win team, where I’d agree with a 65-35 chance. For one, Igoudala and Pachulia are a year older, not a year better.
Besides getting Chris Paul, the Rockets have improved by Clint Capela making some pretty large strides over this season, and I’m not confident in the Warriors’ ability to check him. Well, other than going completely small, but Harden/Paul/Gordon/Ariza/Tucker (or Mbah a Moute) isn’t a bad one against that sort of lineup.
There used to be a site that went through every NBA team, every 5-man combination, and listed the best plus/minus for each, as well as shooting percentages, opp shooting, etc… I can’t find it, but it was great for answering these type of questions.
I’d guess Warriors in 7, but I really wouldn’t be surprised by either team winning in 6.
Toronto just fired their coach. Still a coach of the year candidate. I hope he wins.
Their loss didn’t feel like bad coaching. He’s just taking the fall for player’s choking. LeBron massacre.
The Cavs should hire him to replace Lue and beat Toronto again next year.
Who else should take the fall for a whole team choking?
Man, the Raptors are ingrates. Should they fail to make the playoffs next year, they deserve it.
Reminds me of the 49ers trying to “send a message” by firing Harbaugh after he led them to a Super Bowl appearance, and they fall off the cliff.
How about “nobody?” Why does anyone have to take a fall? Why is a four-game sample more telling than the 82+ game sample that preceded it? The guy has been your best coach ever, by a wide margin.
And now I’m hearing rumors that the Raptors are looking at Mike Budenholzer, which is hilarious. Maybe when you fire a guy who just won the most games in the franchise’s history because he got swept by LeBron James in the playoffs, you should super quick check to make sure the guy you want to hire in his place didn’t do exactly the same thing four years ago.
Or the Chargers firing Schottenheimer after he helped the Chargers go 14-2 in 2006, but lost to the Patriots 24-21 in the divisional playoff game.
Then again, you can’t fire all of the players…
The series against Cleveland was a disgrace.
Look, thsi wouldn’t be the first thing I’d do, to be honest; I would trade Demar DeRozan, but I can understand if that’s harder to do.
That said, while I like Dwane Casey and think he’ll do fine things elsewhere, the success of this team largely goes to Masai Ujiri. Ujiri has had to drag Casey into the future as he built the team; the new-look offense that did so well this past regular season was one Casey adamantly did NOT want to try, but was ordered to. Casey was not Ujiri’s guy, and I can quite understand if Ujiri wants his guy.
Budenholzer’s name hasn’t once come up in any local reports. My guess is they’ll give the job to Nick Nurse.
George Karl was fired by the Denver Nuggets after a season in which he won coach of the year, too. I didn’t think that was the right move. But in Toronto’s case, it might not have been the right move, but they can defend it. You can’t get swept away in the 2nd round like that as a #1 seed.
Lebronto learned he is no longer in Toronto last night.
Last nights Cavs loss made me start wondering if we will see him sweep the Raptors, then get swept himself.
As for the Raptors, I think it was stupid to fire the coach.
The Raptors won’t be a better team by firing James. How were they before? This isn’t the change they need.