The Official NBA Finals Thread: Game 7 - Cleveland Cavaliers are your 2016 NBA Champions

[al3xis]

Uh, yeah the defense thing is valid but you had LeBron trying to operate from 15 feet in with Mozgov/TT clogging the paint with their defender (they even paired the two at times) and JR as his only shooter (who was cold). Kyrie/Love/Frye are as much of an upgrade for the offense as they are negative on D, probably more so. That team last year was suited to make games a grind and keep it close, not win the series. This team likely isn't either but they do have the firepower needed to take advantage unlike the other if GS does not play well.

 

[hoopcoach]

Momentum W's..Mental toughness W's..Cavs not used to high level of competition from west Advantage W's..Going 6 or 7 Gsw Champs.. depending on Stephs knee how long series goes..

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Bron is the primary ball handler at the 5 tho... 5/1 and 5/2 PnRs all day... space with JR, Kyrie and 2 primary defenders in Delly and Shumpert for the defensive end....

Bron guarding Draymond on both ends will be must see TV.

To me, this would FORCE Kerr to size up with Bogut or Ezeli then you can have TT and Love on the floor.


20 mins of Cavs "death" lineup could work.

 

[Arthur Shelby]

View media item 2051095​

 

[onetrust]

Cavs going small will only get them ran out the building faster. I believe it's a mistake for any team to try to go small to match the Warriors. Going small is WARRIOR ball. If you want to have a chance to beat them, you have to be like OKC and go big. Once OKC tried to matchup by going small, it was a wrap for them.

 

[junglejim]

They tried Bron at the 5 last yr for stints and that didn't go over well..
Best lineup for the Cavs Dell, Kyrie, Jr Bron TT

I don't know man, putting an Kyrie at the 2 as an undersized 2 guard is going to get him murked by Klay.  Not to mention then they aren't cross switching now since Klay was probably going to guard Kyrie anyways.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Does anyone think that the warriors are already under Lebrons skin?? ... just based off the small comments he's been making all year it seems like he has something to prove against them & the people who have annointed Curry.

If we've learned anything it's that LBJ does not do well when other factor are in his head. If i'm GS i'm getting into his head early with draymond. If games 1 & 2 aren't close games i can almost guarantee this cavs team will fall apart by Gm 4

 

[junglejim]

Does anyone thing Mozgov is even going to be useful this year like last year?  The guy has only played a total of 40 minutes in the playoffs 

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Does anyone thing Mozgov is even going to be useful this year like last year?  The guy has only played a total of 40 minutes in the playoffs 

Trying to piece together any viable scenario where we'd see Mozgov on the floor. I don't see it. He has fallen out of favor in Lue's system. Putting him in would completely slow the game down for Clev.

Only way Clev wins is if they out shoot the Warriors from the 3. Curry, Klay and Green would also have to be off the entire series.

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Cavs going small will only get them ran out the building faster. I believe it's a mistake for any team to try to go small to match the Warriors. Going small is WARRIOR ball. If you want to have a chance to beat them, you have to be like OKC and go build. Once OKC tried to matchup by going small, it was a wrap for them.

But you absolutely cannot have Love or TT on th court during the Ws Death lineup

They HAVE to matchup and IMO the lineup I posted is good enough to compete for 20 mins MAX.


Think of a Bron(BH) involved in a PnR with Steph, Bron going downhill to the rim, steph has no chance!

 

[dman14]

interested to see what lineups lebron will implement for the cavs
will they go small and try to run with the w's deadly lineup or play big and try and dominate the boards like what the thunder did

only chance for cavs is to let lebron play in the post and spread with shooters
the w's 3 ball would have to dip if they were to have a chance

got w's in 6

 

[nick.]

Most made three-pointers per game during the 2015-16 reg season:
1. GSW
2. Cavs

Most made 3's per game in 2016 postseason:
1. Cavs
2. GSW

 

[onetrust]

But you absolutely cannot have Love or TT on th court during the Ws Death lineup

I honestly wasn't even thinking about them. I was more so thinking they would have to try and get Moz in there and hope that he could be effective. Like I mentioned earlier though, they don't have the bigs that a OKC had with the athleticism and length.

 

[MVP]

Cavs going small will only get them ran out the building faster. I believe it's a mistake for any team to try to go small to match the Warriors. Going small is WARRIOR ball. If you want to have a chance to beat them, you have to be like OKC and go big. Once OKC tried to matchup by going small, it was a wrap for them.

I'm not sure that was the case for the majority of the last series, it worked in Game 7, but I think OKC's small ball lineup was a net positive against GS's for the entire series. Their own death lineup was the most effective. The shooting of the Splash Bros, specifically Klay was the difference. Cleveland doesn't gave the personnel to do it though.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

interested to see what lineups lebron will implement for the cavs
will they go small and try to run with the w's deadly lineup or play big and try and dominate the boards like what the thunder did

This only works when you can switch everything on defense. Clev isn't the same offensive rebounding team as OKC either.

 

[awwsome]

Saw somebody in here say that the Cavs defense in more solid than OKC.


Sometimes I wonder what game y'all watching.

 

[dman14]

interested to see what lineups lebron will implement for the cavs
will they go small and try to run with the w's deadly lineup or play big and try and dominate the boards like what the thunder did

This only works when you can switch everything on defense. Clev isn't the same offensive rebounding team as OKC either.

they are still a very formidable offensive reb team
thompson/bron/love can go after the ball

steph/dray PnR is gonna give the cavs fits

 

[ValarMorghulis]

But you absolutely cannot have Love or TT on th court during the Ws Death lineup

I honestly wasn't even thinking about them. I was more so thinking they would have to try and get Moz in there and hope that he could be effective. Like I mentioned earlier though, they don't have the bigs that a OKC had with the athleticism and length.

Bruh....

Mozgov going to be Chicken Kiev for those guards....

If its Bron, I think its a different story.


You can put Kyrie on Iggy.... If Iggy posts and scores some 2s you live with it because at least its not the 3 ball.

I think you invite them to take 2s and if they beat you scoring 50 2-pters you say GG

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Remember when okc's death lineup was a thing? Lol

 

[junglejim]

All I can say I am glad I am not Lue.  It seems like whatever lineup he has will result in some huge mismatch on the defensive end, but doesn't really seem like they create that many plus matchups with any of their lineups.

 

[everysingletime]

Cavs going small will only get them ran out the building faster. I believe it's a mistake for any team to try to go small to match the Warriors. Going small is WARRIOR ball. If you want to have a chance to beat them, you have to be like OKC and go build. Once OKC tried to matchup by going small, it was a wrap for them.

But you absolutely cannot have Love or TT on th court during the Ws Death lineup

This. Okc stayed big cuz their bigs were good at staying on the floor when the warriors went small. Ibaka and Adams can defend the perimeter.

 

[dland24]

Clevelands D is alot more solid than OKCs was.

Is it fair to say Lebron will be the best defensive player on the floor?

These two posts made me laugh.  

 

[awwsome]

These two posts made me laugh.  

****** is wild.

 

[darthska]

Anyone who can't readily admit that last year's finals team was a bunch of reserves vs. a well-put-together team, you're just hating. Period.

Like that question should be one of the prerequisite questions to determine whether you're a hater or truly unbiased.

Last year's Finals was like watching a sheep being led to slaughter. Yes, the 'needs more help' line gets tired, but it absolutely applies to last year. C'mon.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Bruh....

Mozgov going to be Chicken Kiev for those guards....

If its Bron, I think its a different story.


You can put Kyrie on Iggy.... If Iggy posts and scores some 2s you live with it because at least its not the 3 ball.

I think you invite them to take 2s and if they beat you scoring 50 2-pters you say GG

Right, but this is not OKC. They won't settle taking long 2's.

GS is going to attack the paint if it's welcomed and we all know what happens when the paint opens up--Someone is standing in that corner or elbow open for a 3. It's a vicious cycle man.

The ONLY way this works is if the man guarding the ball handler fights over that screen and stays in front of ballhandler, so the helper doesn't have to hedge hard and continue to guard the paint. It's similar to what Clev runs with Lebron and Delly/Kyrie. It's the strongside high elbow screen with Frye on the opposite elbow and LeBron or Jefferson diving to the paint.