Cleveland Cavalier 2017-2018 Season

posted by friendfromlowry

Cavs and Pacers game one Sunday at 3:30. Game two on Wednesday.

I'm expecting their path to be Indiana-Toronto (should win that series, will be tough though)-Philadelphia (ECF-coin flip for me here).

posted by BR1986FB

I'm expecting their path to be Indiana-Toronto (should win that series, will be tough though)-Philadelphia (ECF-coin flip for me here).

You have changed your threat to the cavs multiple times. Last it was the Cavs would most likely get bounced by the raps, and now all of a sudden the Sixers are a coin flip for you?   Vegas highly disagrees with you.  How about let these kids play in their first playoff series, before you overreact to a regular season winning streak?   On the top of my head, I can't think of a first time young playoff team making a serious run at the conference title in the last 15+ years.  Even Lebron had his bumps.  I don't know how anyone who has watched the NBA for the last 10 years can put that much trust in regular season results, especially when it involves Lebron.  

If it weren't for a favorable half bracket (aka Kyrie is out), I would confidently say the Sixers would not be in the ECF.    I think the Heat could actually give them trouble. 

posted by like_that

You have changed your threat to the cavs multiple times. Last it was the Cavs would most likely get bounced by the raps, and now all of a sudden the Sixers are a coin flip for you?   Vegas highly disagrees with you.  How about let these kids play in their first playoff series, before you overreact to a regular season winning streak?   On the top of my head, I can't think of a first time young playoff team making a serious run at the conference title in the last 15+ years.  Even Lebron had his bumps.  I don't know how anyone who has watched the NBA for the last 10 years can put that much trust in regular season results, especially when it involves Lebron.  

If it weren't for a favorable half bracket (aka Kyrie is out), I would confidently say the Sixers would not be in the ECF.    I think the Heat could actually give them trouble. 

Apparently you haven't been reading. If you scroll back on the Cavs thread I have recently said that Toronto is scared shitless of the Cavs right now. The Cavs might drop a game or two in that series but I think there's a better than decent chance they win it. This is only because Toronto is probably one of the more difficult arenas to play in.

You also must be forgetting that the Sixers have been without Embiid for awhile? In a game that mattered (for the 3rd seed), the Cavs got beat by an Embiid-less Sixers team. Granted, Philly has no answer for LBJ but the same can be said about Embiid with the Cavs. The Sixers, if they get to the ECF, are playing with house money. They have nothing to lose, they are confident and hotter than Hell. The Cavs have everything (i.e. Lebron) to lose.

posted by BR1986FB

Apparently you haven't been reading. If you scroll back on the Cavs thread I have recently said that Toronto is scared shitless of the Cavs right now. The Cavs might drop a game or two in that series but I think there's a better than decent chance they win it. This is only because Toronto is probably one of the more difficult arenas to play in.

You also must be forgetting that the Sixers have been without Embiid for awhile? In a game that mattered (for the 3rd seed), the Cavs got beat by an Embiid-less Sixers team. Granted, Philly has no answer for LBJ but the same can be said about Embiid with the Cavs. The Sixers, if they get to the ECF, are playing with house money. They have nothing to lose, they are confident and hotter than Hell. The Cavs have everything (i.e. Lebron) to lose.

I am well aware of what you last said about the Raps. I have read most of your posts in this thread and  you  have been fickle all year, thus why all of a sudden now the Sixers are a coin toss.    I have stood by my prediction from day one that the Cavs take the East.  

As for your second paragraph, you must be forgetting the playoffs are a different breed, especially when you factor in a Lebron team.  The Sixers treated that game like a game 7 playoff game (kinda like the Celtics treated their regular season games vs the cavs last year as game 7 playoff games).  The cavs up until the late 3rd quarter treated it like a "let's get this regular season over" game.  I actually watched the game and it was night/day with the cavs effort the first 3 quarters compared to the 4th.   If Cedi hits 3 wide open shots, the Cavs win that game.  I rather go streaking in the playoffs than in the regular season.  Let me know if the Sixers remain that hot in the playoffs when teams have more time to prepare for one matchup. 

While I am being positive before the playoffs start, I'd like to add the following:

- Think about how crazy Lebron has played in the finals the last 3 years.  He hasn't had to do that in the East yet, and if needed he would.

- As much as I think Lue is a shitty coach, he has low key been adequate or better in the playoffs.  It helps that Lebron plays more minutes at full effort, but I think Lue coaches better when he has one time to prepare for. 

I will stick with my original prediction....

Cavs will roll through the East and then lose 4-1 to whoever comes out of the West.

And all this Harden vs Lebron stuff....

Lebron is the real mvp, but that award has always been a joke.  Look at the Steve Nash years....

And Lebron is an average defender at best, but one of the best off the ball defenders in the game.  Harden in my opinion is one of the worst defenders in the history of modern basketball.  

posted by like_that

You have changed your threat to the cavs multiple times. Last it was the Cavs would most likely get bounced by the raps, and now all of a sudden the Sixers are a coin flip for you?   Vegas highly disagrees with you.  How about let these kids play in their first playoff series, before you overreact to a regular season winning streak?   On the top of my head, I can't think of a first time young playoff team making a serious run at the conference title in the last 15+ years.  Even Lebron had his bumps.  I don't know how anyone who has watched the NBA for the last 10 years can put that much trust in regular season results, especially when it involves Lebron.  

If it weren't for a favorable half bracket (aka Kyrie is out), I would confidently say the Sixers would not be in the ECF.    I think the Heat could actually give them trouble. 

Good points except for the bold. The Heat are trash and if they win that series then lolfail on me but the past couple weeks they've looked like shit. They lost to the Knicks by 24 points (LOL) less than a week ago.

posted by wes_mantooth

I will stick with my original prediction....

Cavs will roll through the East and then lose 4-1 to whoever comes out of the West.

 

And all this Harden vs Lebron stuff....

Lebron is the real mvp, but that award has always been a joke.  Look at the Steve Nash years....

And Lebron is an average defender at best, but one of the best off the ball defenders in the game.  Harden in my opinion is one of the worst defenders in the history of modern basketball.  

This is all that needs to be said. I don't think you'll find a more valuable and impacting player than Lebron the past 10-15 years but (conspiracy warning theory alert) I think the NBA would rather spread the award around than continually give it to the same guy. "Look! We're more than just Lebron! Nash, Curry, and Harden were/are elite players, too!" 

posted by friendfromlowry

This is all that needs to be said. I don't think you'll find a more valuable and impacting player than Lebron the past 10-15 years but (conspiracy warning theory alert) I think the NBA would rather spread the award around than continually give it to the same guy. "Look! We're more than just Lebron! Nash, Curry, and Harden were/are elite players, too!" 

At least I can say I'm confident (now) that Harden won't win it unanimously. One of the Cavs beat writers, Jason Lloyd, has already said he's voting for LBJ.

posted by BR1986FB

At least I can say I'm confident (now) that Harden won't win it unanimously. One of the Cavs beat writers, Jason Lloyd, has already said he's voting for LBJ.

If Cowherd  has a vote, he will vote for LBJ as well.   I wasn't worried about Harden actually being  MVP.  I just think it is a joke he is a lock for it.

posted by like_that

How about let these kids play in their first playoff series

Same can be said for Clarkson, Nance & Hood (limited playoff experience where the others have none). All three will be key contributors in the playoffs and even Nance said he "doesn't know how it's going to go" when asked about his first playoff experience.

posted by BR1986FB

Same can be said for Clarkson, Nance & Hood (limited playoff experience where the others have none). All three will be key contributors in the playoffs and even Nance said he "doesn't know how it's going to go" when asked about his first playoff experience.

 

Not even close to the same argument. 

1. You have the best player in the world with plenty of playoff experience.

2. You still have guys on the roster who have been to 3 finals.

3. You have other guys on the roster who have been battle tested in the playoffs.

4. Lebron's first year back he took a hobbled cavs roster with 0 to very limited playoff experience a couple games from winning it all.  That team had less playoff experience than this current team.

Come on.  You're comparing a Lebron led team to a team led by two 21 year olds with 0 playoff experience and a roster with limited playoff experience. 

Don't bet against Lebron until he proves otherwise.  How many years has it been since the Celtics series?  

Cavs in a sweep over the Pacers

Some posters on RCF are legitimately concerned about the Pacers.  I could be wrong, but I just don't see it.  If we have to worry about the Pacers, then BR you can start sizing me up for that avatar. 

Also, I take back my comment on how Lue is low key a solid playoff coach.  He set his 10 man rotation and Cedi isn't in it.  Why? 

posted by like_that

Some posters on RCF are legitimately concerned about the Pacers.  I could be wrong, but I just don't see it.  If we have to worry about the Pacers, then BR you can start sizing me up for that avatar. 

 

Also, I take back my comment on how Lue is low key a solid playoff coach.  He set his 10 man rotation and Cedi isn't in it.  Why? 

LOL, no....the Cavs will get past the Pacers. Like I said before, I do think they will get to the ECF but it's not going to be as easy as year's past. They will lose some games along the way.

posted by like_that

Some posters on RCF are legitimately concerned about the Pacers.  I could be wrong, but I just don't see it.  If we have to worry about the Pacers, then BR you can start sizing me up for that avatar. 

 

Also, I take back my comment on how Lue is low key a solid playoff coach.  He set his 10 man rotation and Cedi isn't in it.  Why? 

WAT?

posted by BR1986FB

LOL, no....the Cavs will get past the Pacers. Like I said before, I do think they will get to the ECF but it's not going to be as easy as year's past. They will lose some games along the way.

I agree with that.  We have been spoiled with a lot of sweeps.  I just disagree that the sixers would be a coin flip series.   

posted by like_that

I agree with that.  We have been spoiled with a lot of sweeps.  I just disagree that the sixers would be a coin flip series.   

Hey, I know that LBJ is still the greatest player on the planet until proven otherwise. I just don't trust his supporting cast as much as I have the past few years. At some point, the guys with him are going to let him down and he's not going to be able to bail their asses out.

Random, but I just realized that George Hill makes 20 mil a year (unless it was a misprint)....lmao Holy Shit!