--Lue's rotations were dumb. Why take TT out? I know you guys hate him, but he has been the key to our success. He was out for a long stretch in the 3rd and we got killed. Dumb!
--I don't agree w/benching Love this late in the season. RJ did nothing last night. And Love played passive as a result.
--LeBron's careless passes and lack of passion last night befuddles me.
--The lack of ball movement really hurt the team last night.
--Well, it's do or die. We'll see, but it's going to be tough.
Love has been passive his entire tenure in Cleveland. He's very soft physically and mentally. I don't think a team can win a title with him being a major contributor. Try to move him for better athletes.
NBA officiating is terrible. LeBron is passive because every time he'd drive they'd rake through his arms, and he'd get no call. When the other team is allowed to foul you every time you have the ball, what do you do?
Meanwhile Curry is able to throw his defender away from him with both arms extended and putting his entire body weight into them every time he has a screen set for him and we get called for fouls if we so much as point at him. I know he has the physique of a little girl, so it's a natural reaction to try to protect him. However, it's ridiculous the mauling they let LeBron take in comparison.
The fouls they call on us are fouls a lot of the time, but it's the fouls they aren't calling against them that are screwing us. If the refs called it by the book, the Warriors would have to adjust to playing within the rules instead of being able to disregard them. I've heard the if they called every foul everyone would foul out argument, but, no, they'd have to adjust. We're having to adjust, while the Warriors are doing whatever they want. What's the point of having rules if you're not going to enforce them for one of the teams? Yes, they let both teams play physical at times, but it's so inconsistant a player doesn't know what is what. Call it by the book, otherwise why have one.
Kevin Love is terrible on Defense. He stands around a lot on offense. He's terrible in isolation. He doesn't cut well which makes it easier for us to be stagnant when he's on the court. At least RJ brings intensity. The bad D we play at times affects our O. Kevin Love can't switch...very well, and it kills us.
Channing Frye has been non-existent. We need to set up some plays where he trails for threes to try to get him involved, if he's going to play at all.
Our foul shooting was pretty atrocious. It may have cost us the game.
The Factory of Sadness churns away, bleh.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
--The lack of ball movement really hurt the team last night.
Bingo. Especially when comparing it to the Warriors style of play ... it's like polar opposites. We're seeing team ball vs non-team ball. As a coach it's a great teaching moment in terms of the right way to play the game on both ends (and yes, it helps that Golden State HAS the players that fit the system)
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
Time to shock the world like the Red Sox did several years back. I didn't realize until they said it last night that no team has come back down 3-1 in the Finals.
A couple of random thoughts:
I really hate how when Steph Curry is moving without the ball, he will initiate contact with the defender then pull away in an exaggerated fashion as if the defender were holding him. This guy gets more and more annoying as the games tick by.
LeBron has to be the most odd player in NBA history. Comes into the league and at first he doesn't display that killer instinct. Then he has moments of displaying that killer instinct. And you start to think to yourself, this guy has evolved. Then when you need him to really have that killer instinct, he gets passive again. It's maddening. I've made a statement the last couple of years that as long as you have LeBron on your team, your chances are greater than 0%. But I guess it just depends on which LeBron shows up. I think if he would have turned into beast mode, the Cavs win last night, and it's a whole new series. I just don't get the guy.
One more random thought - are the fans of GS really more deserving than the fans of Cleveland? Are GS players really more deserving than Cleveland players? In the cosmic world of karma, what the hell gives here? Will Cleveland ever get a turn? I'll be honest, it just doesn't seem like it.
LOL - The Rish will be upset with this news as well. KS just doesn't prioritize winning...
Meanwhile Curry is able to throw his defender away from him with both arms extended and putting his entire body weight into them every time he has a screen set for him and we get called for fouls if we so much as point at him. I know he has the physique of a little girl, so it's a natural reaction to try to protect him. However, it's ridiculous the mauling they let LeBron take in comparison.
The fouls they call on us are fouls a lot of the time, but it's the fouls they aren't calling against them that are screwing us. If the refs called it by the book, the Warriors would have to adjust to playing within the rules instead of being able to disregard them. I've heard the if they called every foul everyone would foul out argument, but, no, they'd have to adjust. We're having to adjust, while the Warriors are doing whatever they want. What's the point of having rules if you're not going to enforce them for one of the teams? Yes, they let both teams play physical at times, but it's so inconsistant a player doesn't know what is what. Call it by the book, otherwise why have one.
This is great. LeBron pushes off more than anybody in the league.
Iguodala guards LeBron, fights through Love's screen, stays with LeBron on the double team, LeBron kicks the ball out to a wide open Love at three point line, Love drives and Iguodala guards him perfectly, Love passes to LeBron who Iguodala strips. Incredible defense. He played like that the whole game.
Also, those who are crushing LeBron. He was having one or two guys collapse on him every time he drove. There is not much he can do at that point other than hope his teammates create shots. Which means Kyrie Irving gets the ball in his hands and iso ball begins.
This is an example of what LeBron does if you guard him with one guy:
Bottomline, the Warriors decided to make the non-LeBron Cavs beat them and they failed. It didn't help that Lue ran his guys into the ground by playing up tempo and not subbing.
Another coach would not make a damn bit a difference. The Warriors are the better team...way better. They are impossible to beat in a seven game series imo. Heck we wouldn't win it with Phil Jackson in his prime as head coach. Last year the excuse was that we were injured and now it's coaching. This Warriors team would be right there with the Bulls of the mid nineties. They are that good and in all likelihood we'll be finished after Monday night.
Congratulations to our 2016 NBA Champion CLEVELAND CAVALIERS!!! Greatest comeback in sports history... Hail to the King!
The great QB guru and the Moneyball group: 1-15 Record of Criminal Haslam owned Browns: 20-60 (0.250)
Another coach would not make a damn bit a difference. The Warriors are the better team...way better. They are impossible to beat in a seven game series imo. Heck we wouldn't win it with Phil Jackson in his prime as head coach. Last year the excuse was that we were injured and now it's coaching. This Warriors team would be right there with the Bulls of the mid nineties. They are that good and in all likelihood we'll be finished after Monday night.
GS vs 90s Bulls would end the way GS/OKC should of if you replaced Durant and Westbrook with MJ and Pippen...
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
Take out the 'Do Or' part of the threat title. They had to have Game 4, and although they still have a pulse, Cleveland needs to win twice on the road and I don't see that happening. The Indians are your next best bet to end the title drought.
I get that is it EASY to say we aren't going to win, especially now, and since many Cleveland fans have a loser mentality.
You're right a lot of us do, myself included. But it's tough to have a winning/positive mentality when most of us have never seen a Cleveland team win anything. Honestly it's hard not to say "well here we go again." the minute things go south.
I get that is it EASY to say we aren't going to win, especially now, and since many Cleveland fans have a loser mentality.
You're right a lot of us do, myself included. But it's tough to have a winning/positive mentality when most of us have never seen a Cleveland team win anything. Honestly it's hard not to say "well here we go again." the minute things go south.
There's no arguing this but there's no reason to think it can't happen for us either. It just hasn't-for a long time.
Remember the 80's when the Saints used to be the whipping boys of the NFL? Finally came around for them didn't it?
WE DON'T NEED A QB BEFORE WE GET A LINE THAT CAN PROTECT HIM my two cents...
The thing is that I think the schedule really ended up biting us in the ass. Only having one day off after the effort we put in on Wednesday was a recipe for the lack of effort we saw in the second half of Friday night's game. In the end it's no excuse, both teams had to play on the same schedule but it sure seems obvious to me now. I'm hoping that even with the travel an extra day will help Monday.
In the end though, nothing is going to matter if we don't take care of what we can control. Missed foul shots and bad substitutions are just going to kill us. I know Mozgov has had a less than stellar year, but seriously he couldn't have boxed out Varajo and provided some hard picks at the other end? And I realize that TT's foul shooting is one of the reasons he sat towards the end of the game but man, get them in foul trouble even if he does shoot 50%, it makes it easier for the other guys.
What it all comes down to though is that ISO ball is our worst enemy. I don't really care that Lebron and Kyrie took like 33 of our 38 shots in the second half, but the problem is that they took them after 20 seconds of pounding nails. If the ball had been moving and they took all those shots I believe the results would have been much different.
We're not done yet but reason clearly says we have no chance to beat them 3 games in a row. So I'm officially on to irrational hope!
Game 5 - Draymond is suspended and we show up fired up like in game 3 Game 6 - Home game and it propels us to play well Game 7 - Divine intervention
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
We deserve to be down 3-1 We have been out hustled, outplayed, and outsmarted in all 3 losses. I however just can't get into the NBA much anymore. They have allowed the games to be turned into circus side shows. With all the holding, shoving, elbowing, grabbing, pushing, flopping, traveling, and hacking that is now allowed it looks more like the WWE than it does the NBA.
We deserve to be down 3-1 We have been out hustled, outplayed, and outsmarted in all 3 losses. I however just can't get into the NBA much anymore. They have allowed the games to be turned into circus side shows. With all the holding, shoving, elbowing, grabbing, pushing, flopping, traveling, and hacking that is now allowed it looks more like the WWE than it does the NBA.
I agree with you, although I still watch most of the playoffs.
In my opinion the AAU dominance in high schools has destroyed the true game of basketball. Too much focus on individuals, brands, flash, 3 pointers, dunks, special handshakes, neon uniforms, etc.
No longer are kids/young men brought up with a sense of accountability, loyalty, teamwork, fundamentals, humility, etc.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
well.....if we still lose game 5 with green out, then i dunno what to say
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
The Cleveland hate is strong in the mainstream media over this, comparing Green's antics with Lebron's. Not sure why, Green is a thug who aims for the junk with his feet and his hands. LeBron just drives hard and pushes off. He doesn't strike out.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir