The Cavs breezed through the Eastern Conference, but the Eastern Conference is basically junior varsity. If the Cavs played in the West they'd be the fourth best team in the West behind the Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder. What you're seeing now is the Cavs actually playing some real competition.
Also I don't know if people are aware, but LeBron is 31 years old. It's clear to me that he has lost a step. The old LeBron five years ago would have scored 40 on the Warriors, and his team would have been competitive against the Warriors.
I was trying to explain to people here that Cleveland was in the JV league when they actually thought that Cleveland would beat gsw in the finals bases on their ease in the eastern conference finals. Look at their records. Gsw has a much better record in a much better conference. That alone is very telling... As is the two times GS and Cleveland met up during this regular season. I knew the Cavs would be no match for GS, but I thought the Cavs would at least put up a fight. This isn't even fun. Maybe it will get more interesting in Cleveland.
I don't understand the logic behind anyone who actually guessed the Cavs would beat GS in the finals (besides die-hard Cavs fans). I just don't follow that logic at all, if there is any.
And, Lebron was putting up 40+ points in the finals last year and they still lost.
LeBron averaged 36 in the finals last year, the games he scored 40, he had to take over 35 shots to get there, and his fg pct was only 40%. Plus he had to score all those points, they had no other option on offense. The old LeBron five years could have averaged 40+ in this series, and shot at least 50% from the field. As you can see, it's hard for him to score now, it takes a lot of energy out of him.
You should be happy, if things keep going the way they're going, your boy Draymond will be Finals MVP.
I was a huge Jordan fan, but Jordan RARELY was an underdog going into the Finals. LeBron's teams have not been the favorites in 5 out of the 7 Finals he's appeared in. Jordan was only the underdog in 2 out of 6, and even in those Finals, the discrepancy between Jordan's teams and the favorites (the Suns and the Jazz) was miniscule. The Warriors are just 1,000 times better than the Cavs!
"LeBron's teams have not been the favorites in 5 out of the 7 Finals he's appeared in."
Good point, but he didn't win any of the times his team was the underdog. The only time he won was when he abandoned Cleveland to go to the star stacked Miami Heat... Didn't return to Cleveland until THEY were stacked with "talent."
Another thing I don't like about LBJ is that he plays coach, GM, and owner of the Cavs... He makes all the decisions. We all know David Blatt's fate was in LBJ's hands, and LBJ made the decision to have him fired. Whatever Lebron says goes. They also traded new talent for already established talent (per Lebron's command) so LBJ would have a ready-made championship team. Too bad they're STILL not going to win. There has been so much drama circulating the Cleveland team, all stemming from Lebron, that they simply do not even deserve to win a championship. They are NOT a championship team. They're a team with one superstar whose ass they kiss so much that it has destroyed any team effort aspect for the team. This is what happens when you let one player play coach, GM, and owner.
Lebron could murder his entire team, along with their head coach, and the arena would still be full for him and the owners would still kiss his ass.
Nina that's not totally accurate but there's much truth in what you said. As I've said I'm a Cavs fan but not a fan of Lebron mainly because he did a lot of the same stuff his first time around as this time.
The first time the Cavs mortgaged their future to appease him and all along he was planning on leaving but never said a word about it. He strung everyone along, management, his teammates, and the fans. Then he smacked everyone in the face with his egotistical decision. While others cried about him leaving and wanted him back I said good riddance, stay away. I never forgave him for how he treated the Cavs and Northeast Ohio.
The Cavs were slowly building a young talented team since he left. Now here we are again, he came back and wanted Kevin Love who has been OK but seems soft and easily gets injured. They gave up 2 players picked #1 in the draft one of them a rookie then, Wiggins is going to be a star, and another 1st round pick to get Love. I was totally against that trade and argued it with friends when it happened.
Blatt had a lesser team playing better in the playoffs last year and a better record this year than Lue who replaced him at the midway point of the season. Blatt might not have been the answer but he deserved to at least finish this season. The Cavs claim that Lebron had nothing to do with the coaching change but I doubt that's true.
Now here we are again. Because strange things can happen the Cavs still have a tiny chance to pull this off but the odds say no way! LeBron is on a 1 year contract, after they lose I wouldn't be surprised if he bolts again leaving the Cavs and fans high and dry again just like last time.
Nina, you're mostly correct. The one thing I'll disagree with you is on the point that he didn't come back to Cleveland until they were stacked with talent. When he came back they were one of the worst teams in the league, (they might have had the worst record in the league the year he came back, I'm not sure). They had Kryie Irving, they had just drafted Andrew Wighins, so there was some talent, but I wouldn't say they were stacked. If you remember they traded for Kevin Love after LeBron had signed with the Cavs. He won two championships in four years with Miami, then he chose to come back to lowly Cleveland, I'll give him credit, that took heart, to leave a great team to go to a lottery team.
All your other points are spot on though. Good points too TheeOSU.
"If you remember they traded for Kevin Love after LeBron had signed with the Cavs."
Yes I remember, LBJ is the reason they traded for K Love, of course it happened after he signed with them! He was trying to construct a championship team; Cleveland did WHATEVER Lebron wanted to make his comeback to Cleveland as cushy as possible. It didn't take "heart" for Lebron to do that (that's hilarious), he knew the Cleveland staff would bend over and obey his every wish which is exactly why they traded for Love.
I think "guts" is a better word. If he had stayed in Miami he probably would have probably won the title last year, but he compromised his championship winning to go to back to Cleveland.
While I'm not a fan of LeBron, I certainly have respect for him. He is a 4 time MVP, two time champion, two time finals MVP. Since his third year in the league (I believe he's in his thirteenth year now) all his teams have won at least 50 games (besides the lockout year). He led the league in scoring. He's been 1st team all NBA defense quite a few times. Quite simply he is one the greatest players of all time.
There was no heart in LeBron's decision to come back. His wife and kids were hounding him that they all wanted to go back home to friends and relatives. He's been back 2 years now so he can tell them it didn't work out and he only has a couple years left to win another championship elsewhere if he decides to bolt again.
They said the same thing about Nick Saban when he was coaching the Miami Dolphins in the eearly 2000s - i.e. that his wife did not like Miami - Miami is def very different from Cleveland and most places for that matter and is def not for everybody.
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Carlosspicyweiner is crying on some boobies as we speak.
If anyone still believes LeBron should be in the conversation of GOAT you never saw Jordan play. MJ not have allowed this.
I turned the game off mid-way through the 2nd Quarter. Then forgot about it completely.
Also I don't know if people are aware, but LeBron is 31 years old. It's clear to me that he has lost a step. The old LeBron five years ago would have scored 40 on the Warriors, and his team would have been competitive against the Warriors.
I don't understand the logic behind anyone who actually guessed the Cavs would beat GS in the finals (besides die-hard Cavs fans). I just don't follow that logic at all, if there is any.
And, Lebron was putting up 40+ points in the finals last year and they still lost.
You should be happy, if things keep going the way they're going, your boy Draymond will be Finals MVP.
Good point, but he didn't win any of the times his team was the underdog. The only time he won was when he abandoned Cleveland to go to the star stacked Miami Heat... Didn't return to Cleveland until THEY were stacked with "talent."
Another thing I don't like about LBJ is that he plays coach, GM, and owner of the Cavs... He makes all the decisions. We all know David Blatt's fate was in LBJ's hands, and LBJ made the decision to have him fired. Whatever Lebron says goes. They also traded new talent for already established talent (per Lebron's command) so LBJ would have a ready-made championship team. Too bad they're STILL not going to win. There has been so much drama circulating the Cleveland team, all stemming from Lebron, that they simply do not even deserve to win a championship. They are NOT a championship team. They're a team with one superstar whose ass they kiss so much that it has destroyed any team effort aspect for the team. This is what happens when you let one player play coach, GM, and owner.
Lebron could murder his entire team, along with their head coach, and the arena would still be full for him and the owners would still kiss his ass.
The first time the Cavs mortgaged their future to appease him and all along he was planning on leaving but never said a word about it. He strung everyone along, management, his teammates, and the fans. Then he smacked everyone in the face with his egotistical decision. While others cried about him leaving and wanted him back I said good riddance, stay away. I never forgave him for how he treated the Cavs and Northeast Ohio.
The Cavs were slowly building a young talented team since he left. Now here we are again, he came back and wanted Kevin Love who has been OK but seems soft and easily gets injured. They gave up 2 players picked #1 in the draft one of them a rookie then, Wiggins is going to be a star, and another 1st round pick to get Love. I was totally against that trade and argued it with friends when it happened.
Blatt had a lesser team playing better in the playoffs last year and a better record this year than Lue who replaced him at the midway point of the season. Blatt might not have been the answer but he deserved to at least finish this season. The Cavs claim that Lebron had nothing to do with the coaching change but I doubt that's true.
Now here we are again. Because strange things can happen the Cavs still have a tiny chance to pull this off but the odds say no way! LeBron is on a 1 year contract, after they lose I wouldn't be surprised if he bolts again leaving the Cavs and fans high and dry again just like last time.
All your other points are spot on though. Good points too TheeOSU.
Yes I remember, LBJ is the reason they traded for K Love, of course it happened after he signed with them! He was trying to construct a championship team; Cleveland did WHATEVER Lebron wanted to make his comeback to Cleveland as cushy as possible. It didn't take "heart" for Lebron to do that (that's hilarious), he knew the Cleveland staff would bend over and obey his every wish which is exactly why they traded for Love.
While I'm not a fan of LeBron, I certainly have respect for him. He is a 4 time MVP, two time champion, two time finals MVP. Since his third year in the league (I believe he's in his thirteenth year now) all his teams have won at least 50 games (besides the lockout year). He led the league in scoring. He's been 1st team all NBA defense quite a few times. Quite simply he is one the greatest players of all time.