NBA Finals Game 2 Open Thread
I'm surprised a thread hasn't been made yet about game two. LeBron seems like he's being a little more assertive tonight, which is important for the Cavs to be successful, I think. I know that's always been the knock on him - he passes too much - but I thought he was pretty passive in a lot of ways the other night.
I'm developing more and more of an appreciation for Harrison Barnes. He's a very good role player who just seems to do what the team needs him to do. He's not a guy who disrupts the flow of the other guys, and just does what he can.
Also, Leandro Barbosa has always been fun to watch. I just like the way that guy moves on the basketball court. He's always been quick, but he just changes gears so nicely that he catches you by surprise.
I couldn't agree more!
I thought that was always his game. Then again, I think I stopped watching basketball after he bulldozed his way to 25 straight points to beat the Pistons in the 2007 ECF.
I think that's his problem sometimes - he looks for a foul. If he would just go hard to the basket like a mini-Shaq, I think he would be fine. He runs into trouble, in my opinion, when he tries to do all kinds of fancy footwork, double-pumps, etc. I understand why smaller guys need to try all that tricky stuff, but that doesn't suit him.
has never developed a "go-to" game. Jordan had the free throw line extension fade away. Bird could abuse you on either baseline. Kareem had the sky hook, Magic the baby hook. Kobe could create shots at the rim from impossible angles, and was more effective at drawing fouls in this regard than any player I have ever seen - he could kill about every opposing run by creating contact and getting to the line.
Lebron has never defined the area of his game that he is going to kill you with. He is good at everything, but not unstopptable at anything. This, in my opinion, is what seperates him from the "true greats." He has difficulty imposing his will because he hasn't ever clearly defined what his will is.
don't know if he will play for all that much longer to be honest with you. He looks engaged only sporatically, it is clear that he wants out of Cleveland again. I think he likes and wants to continue being a celebrity, but I don't know as though he looks like he plans on it being in basketball for very much longer. He had a full blown supporting role in Trainwreck(very funny in the role BTW). He just looks really over basketball right now IMO.
Basketball has truly been his LIFE since middle school, even more so than other high level players. It does not look like he enjoys playing the game all that much to me anymore, like Tiger Woods in golf since about 2012. Just going through the motions.
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not going to call it amazing. It was amazing that he got that Cleveland team to the finals before skipping town, but the last two teams he has been on were "super-teams" that the Lakers and Celtics began employing in the mid 2000s. When you go out and spend a ton of money specifically to bring hand picked players to go to the Finals it should be surprise nor is it "amazing" that they have got there. Losing what is going to be 2 out of 7 times speaks greater volumes than the number of times he got there in this regard.
LBJ has made to the Finals 7 straight years and is the only player to accomplish this feat. I'm not a LBJ fan, but to dismiss it as not amazing is dumb.
It's extremely hard to get to the finals where everything has to fall right to make this possible. Winning one is also hard as well.
actually what is dumb is being wrong about things. He has not been to 7 straight NBA finals.
It's only been six, plus another separate one with Cleveland. But that's still pretty amazing, IMO.
Durant, Kawhi Leanord, and Chris Paul all signed with the Hawks next year and they made it to the Finals would you find it to be amazing?
If they made it in 2017...and 2018...and 2019...and 2020...and 2021...and 2022...then yeah, I'd still find it to be amazing.
And make sure that in at least one of those years, Kawhi Leonard gets injured early in the playoffs. And take Chris Paul out for one of those Finals series.
that is not what he did though. He did it one time until the players around him declined and then he went to another team that stocked up just like the last one.
I don't think Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are as good as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but fine. Let's say they are. I don't care. Any guy who is the catalyst for a team making six Finals appearances in a row is pretty amazing. And in addition to that, LeBron is the guy who makes the Cavaliers team go. They're not good without him because they're a bunch of disaparate parts with very mediocre role players.
If you don't think it's impressive, oh well.
not say it wasn't impressive, I said it wasn't "amazing." I could Power Point this for you if you want.....
have a loaded roster who didn't quite make the NBA Finals. Not that easy.
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Agreed. In some ways the Warriors remind me of the Pistons back in the early 2000s. Not in their style of play, but in the sense that each player knows his role and buys in to the system. The Cavs just don't have that same type of chemistry.
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...And the Cavs fired David Blatt why?
God forbid Lebron is coached by an actual coach.
Blatt got these scrubs to 2 wins last year in the Finals against the same team. Kerr isn't even trying and he's outcoaching Lue.
Shit is hilarious.
Lebron got them those two wins; these are not the same teams that played last season--Golden State is playing at a higher level this year.
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Kyrie and K-Love. Last year Cavs team is worse than this year Cavs team yet somehow, this year Cavs teams played worse so far.
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I might be the only one perhaps, but this is rather the series that I was hoping for - Golden State and Oklahoma City. That seems like it would have been far more entertaining, at least based on the early going of this series. If Cleveland is going to play like that in Cleveland, this might be over inside the next few days.
they did play brah?
The Thunder defended to perfection. Even when Golden State came back the Thunder still were playing steller defense.
Cleveland on the other hand may as well have cardboard cutouts of Love and Irving because they can't defend anything.
I'm not ready to call this series yet. They haven't played in Cleveland. Weird things happen when you go on the road. But if GS gets one in Cleveland, this is going to be a short series.
Golden State is just so much better. The East may be deeper, but the top of the West is so much better. The West has 3 teams that would beat Cleveland in a series most of the time.
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Never seen a team fold so quickly in the Finals. Wow... This is sad.
/cue creepy scene in training day
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I knew this wasn't going to be a series because OKC was GS's best matchup. OKC is probably killing themselves right now knowing they let a finals opportunity vs. a team they can clearly dominate, slip throught their hands. BTW where's the dude saying how Curry can't compete with LeBron? I didn't know LeBron was such a traveling brute until tonight. He's all power and little finesse or poise. If Curry can keep this level of play or close to it for most of his career he should go down as the GOAT. Seriously, how do you beat a guy who you constantly have to defend, somethimes 30 feet from the basket? He can easily take you to the hoop with his quickness, can hit the pull-up and has superb court vision. He just looks 3 steps ahead of everyone at all times.
Can anyone else not stand Iman Shumpert's hair? It's just too long and douchey. Really hope Draymond pulls him down by it.
I don't judge people by their hair.
I prefer to judge people on whether they wear socks with their sandals or not.
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Can anyone else not stand Iman Shumpert's hair? It's just too long and douchey. Really hope Draymond pulls him down by it.
So is it possible to give an entire bench the Finals MVP?