₦airaland Forum

SIRcumalot:
who do you think as been the best player in this warriors-OKC series so far?

KD and Ibaka. Ibaka has been underrated so far. He has shot really well and hit big 3s.

Russell is decent. He puts big numbers but he is so inefficient. Any decent player will average 27ppg if they shoot 28 shots per game.

SIRcumalot:
but Westbrook as always been like this,
Kobe picked Westbrook as his successor for a reason.
Curry as earned the right to be cocky,a lot of people expect him to stay the same but he didn't and that is all right.

Curry is not cocky. Jeez. He danced at the end of a dramatic win. Russell dances at the beginning of important games. Even Barkley says Russell is annoying.

Kobe picked Russell because they are both aggressive volume shooters and they learned from baba Allen Iverson

birdman:
its more than that bro. all the "im baaack" and dancing etc...you realize the reason even durant is playing pissed is all the extra-curricular crap these guys do. I bet you the most of the warrior starting 5 dont have many nba friends... when you showboat excessively, you rub the general nba family the wrong way. but lets leave that alone..if you can make curry's incredible shots, beat your chest all you want.

On to technical issues. You say OKC dont match up well with cleveland. At which positions? Because the backcourt of OKC >>> than backcourt of cleveland both on offense and defense.

And the cavs stretch 4's lose their advantage. Love and Frye can stretch you defense and knock down 3's but guess what? OKC has 3-4 forward-centers who are happy to run around all day. And they are the leagues top rebounding frontcourt this playoffs, negating Love and Thompson's offensive rebounds.

So where is this matchup favoring cavs other than the position Lebron is playing

Before I say anything, let me state unequivocally that you are one of the reasons threads like this exist but in this aspect, I respectfully disagree. I think you are a bit biased in your analysis.

1. I was going to explain the history of "I'm back" but since A40 has already hinted at it, it won't be necessary. I don't know why I can't shake the feeling that the explanation won't have mattered, and to be honest, I'm let down.

2. If KD is playing pissed (which he isn't) it will be just like the case of the small dog with potentials that every big dog liked until that small dog became a bigger dog and in a flash the other big dogs hated him.

I have seen an interview where KD said he knew Curry as a 10 year old in 98 when they where in a particular summer camp and he was taken aback by the fact that a small light-skinned (KD actually thought Curry was white) guy could shoot the ball from 35 ft and he was making them. That he is not surprised at Curry's range today many years after. Now 2 back to back MVPs after, KD is now throwing shades.

3. Warriors are actually one of the most liked teams. Kobe, called Green after game 4 to give some pep talk. This is Kobe the snob we are talking about. If he can like you, you must be LIKEABLE. And this is Green whom we all agree is quite dislikeable.

4. Lol @ back court. Andre Roberson and Westbrook better than Kyrie and JR Smith? Westbrook will score his buckets, but he cannot mark Kyrie. That's a given. JR Smith will shoot Roberson off the building. It is not even fair.

Thompson rebounds as well as Adams. Sure as a team OKC rebounds better but they shoot significantly poorer. Cavs will use Frye and Love to shoot Adams or Kanter to smithereens or stretch the defence.

KD and Lebron match up evenly. KDs jumpers are absolutely unstoppable. Lebron in the paint or to the rim is the same- unmarkable.

So let's talk about, home court, Cavs have it. 3pt shooting %, Cavs. Lebron vs KD? Lebron defecates on KD. I think like 17-4 or so.

The bench is even more worrisome. Waiters for all his athleticism, was let off by the Cavs. Delly defends better and his 3pt shooting is actually better. Jefferson has been big coming off the bench all through the post-season. The matchup isn't close.

Serge Ibaka has been underrated all P/Os but he has been decent. Problem is, Love prefers him marking at the perimeter, and Love won't have 4 straight bad games.

I feel like I am rambling. OKC to probably win 2 of their home games. But it smells like a 4-2 loss and the Cavs wins ahome may be imperial blow-outs.

I am sure you know this, because you are a Bron man. You want him to win that ring. Well, if he faces OKC (which looks increasingly likely, he will get that ring).

birdman:
okc deserves to go ahead and they are a better matchup. this cavs team will maul the warriors. okc has a backcourt that cannot only score, but can get physical. plus durant and westbrook are due one ring i think. did i mention they (westbrook and durant) are also humble, not dancing and beating their chest after every play. or chewing their mouth guard like its gum

1. OKC deserves to go ahead. YES.
2. They are a better matchup? FRAUD NO.
3. Cavs teams will Maul warriors? Comic relief.
4. Beating chest and raising one finger is him saying "God I am playing for you". He said he came up with it in college with his mum.

Now funny thing about OKC is. The way they have played this series against GSW is the way they alone could have played GSW.

They don't match up well against Cavs at all. It will be like Cavs vs Raptors. Each will steal close home games but Cavs will win because of home court.

OKC still depend on KD and Westbrook compared to a 3-man Cavs team.

Anyone who wants a Cavs vs OKC final, wants Cavs to win it. Period.

Donlittle:
They are some cocky kids, those boys from chesapeake bay but i am telling you i love it. This is what we wanted from the ECF all along. The west do not bow to anyone, and it makes the game fun. Although, These kids from OKC makes me want to break my TV when they start their antics

Don't mind them. Why don't they put KD and Westbrook on Curry as well? That's what they should answer.

The fact of the matter is, Curry is underestimated defensively and we have let pseudo-analysts run along with such travesty for a while.

Curry still ends up marking the best players because they always screen the player marking the so-called top PGs which means Curry has to switch to face the PG.

I don't know what they expect him at 6'3 to do. He is 3 inches shorter than the NBA average of players height. He will not be able to block many players. But what he is expected to do, he does it well. He steals the ball alot and garnered the best steal average in the regular season. Just this last game he stole the ball 5 times and 2 were very very important.

3 of 9 from the field and 7 turnovers when Curry was guarding you, Russ. I'd be laughing it off, too lol



I have said it for the bulk of the WCFs the refs have given useless fouls and each time lopsided to favor the home team. All the 30+ and 40 points KD and Russell have been getting always constitute of 10-17 FTs per game. It is ridiculous.

I implore Curry and Klay to keep driving to the paint early in the game to get KD and Adams into foul trouble. After that, the game is done.

A40:
Where is that ninja that said Curry cannot guard Westbrook

Personally, I think Kyrie is a better 1 on 1 player than Westbrook. It is harder for Westbrook to beat Curry with skill or trickery because that is not his forté. West will rather blow past you and fly in the air. He is more comfortable when taller players mark him because that's when his skill works best.

Klay could barely mark him yesterday.

A40:
That Bini boy has been powerless to stop Durant so far.

OKC didn't play their best yet they could have stolen this game. That missed 3 by Durant late and two key defensive plays by Curry.

If the Warriors want to steal Game 6. Chef and Klay need to cook early. Chasing an elimination game early on the road is a recipe for blowouts

The game was close because OKC outshot GSW at the 3-line.

As for Iggy, when refs have been calling stupid fouls since game 3, I am sure Kerr told him to just free KD.

KD is too great a player to be getting the easy fouls he gets.

Your last paragraph has been the difference in the game. They can't rely on the OKC of the regular season that couldn't close games. So GSW should aim for the lead from the 1st sec and play that way till the end.

Mizzzbeee:
MORE ENERGY!! Haven't seen steph mode for while now!!What we witnessed is steph from Earth... His alter ego Steph from Mars hasn't been around since the 17points OT Vs blazers . I hope he shows up! @lolawilliams your joke of the century is gradually turning into a "reality" rite

I totally agree and even Skip Bayless said same. There was a patch in Game 2, 3Q where he cooked and looked otherworldly, save that, he has pretty much looked like 2013 Curry.

The only difference yesterday was that he played with more attitude. It was refreshing to see him beat the big man and go for the lay-up during Isolation plays, instead of looking for a stupid pass like he did in games 1, 3 and 4.

I am looking for the 12-3pts-in-one-game Curry. Cross-over-step-back- hit-a-swoosh-shot Curry.

Credit "Black Mamba" Kobe for texting Draymond and talking to him. Wires where in the right areas in his head this game. Careless 3Q by MVP Curry almost let it slip with some carless Turnovers but stability was re-established.

This is an argument again for who wanted it more. The only difference between this game and the blow out losses was attitude.

The playoffs is truly about adjustments and strategy. I am convinced that if KD can get into foul trouble early on in game 6 GSW can steal a win. To beat OKC one just has to make sure the 2 superstars don't play well.

The bench did the job for GSW today. I could have taken a half-point win. Just like Curry said, GSW have to go to Chesapeake and play the game of their lives. It will really be difficult but not impossible.

I still believe.

OKC have played to their strength and as such deserve to be leading the series at this stage. Credit to Billy Donovan for taking care of his home court so far.

They have outfought and outhustled the Warriors, because barring that, their shooting hasn't been fantastic. That's why Luke Walton just said OKC seem to be playing with more aggression and like the team that wants it more. Perhaps, because I have been rooting for GSW all season I am waiting for a miracle of some sort to change the tie. We all got carried away with how easily Cavs dispatched Raptors in the first 2 games that most of us feared a sweep.

Most significant of the loss is that I suspected that the team to win game 4 will win the series in 6. Therefore, it does appear OKC have this one on lock. But before jumping the gun there are a few things that should be mentioned.

Curry (not Green, Barnes or anyone else) but MVP Steph Curry killed his team yesterday. Lazy passes following the PnRs, having leeway to the board but missing easy lay-ups numbering more than 4 in my memory, unforced turnovers, then generally just shooting really poorly.

What frightens me the most is that virtually every shot by GSW had just one player in the paint trying to rebound. I know Kerr was afraid of fastbreak points, but I think greater emphasis should be placed on getting the rebound than otherwise just like in Game 2.

Free throw shooting has been another b-word. Curry's FTs lacked it's characteristic arc and he missed 2 early in the game, but since GSW were at that point competing for rebounds, first half still ended just 4 points deficit.

Klay Thompson really carried this team yesterday and reduced the 19 point deficit to 8 but Curry who should have taken the mantle was just pisspoor.

It seems the series is poised to give the W to the team whose 2 superstars get good scoring numbers which means that if Curry had as good a game as Klay did, GSW may have stolen a win.

On the otherside, some fouls on GSW just don't get called (Like one by Durant on Mareese Speight, on Iggy and Green) while easy fouls are given to KD in particular.

It is purely scientific at this point. A win at game 5 by GSW just feels like post-poning the evil day. My head says OKC got this in 6 or even 5 but my heart says Curry reaches for his inner M.J and forces a game 7 at home court for a dramatic win similar to Rockets vs Clippers of last season WCSFs.

I'd go with my heart.

SmooshCHN:
You understand what I'm trying to say.. Do you play Basketball??

I played but not professionally and last played in 2011. Lol

SmooshCHN:
Sorry if your feelings got hurt. No vex. You might believe differently but go watch videos. please note I'm not referring to in game basketball and even if tho. One on one situation, I'd rather play against Westbrook. So far you block his lane to drive to the basket and let him settle for jumpers. Honestly Westbrook is hard to guard, Curry is harder I believe.

Westbrook is faster and more athletic but that is all. Once you prevent him from driving, he is stuck with his inconsistent jumpers.

Curry on the other hand, has better handling and shooting range. He won't even need to drive into the paint, if he keeps jumping, you'd keep hearing the swoosh.

Curry can be in OKC and improve them, but Westbrook can't improve GSWs play because he shoots low percentages.

birdman:
we half way there bros. it can happen. i should get a bottle of holy water for the next game just in case...

Mine and Curry's God will shame our naysayers. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Seriously, I am unusually tensed about game 4. How loud the OKC fans were in game 3 was deafening.

Anyways, KD didn't win a ring this season. James faffed in another final. I just couldn't tell who won the ring though

lolawilliams:
Cleveland later defeated houston 91_77. The Cavs held the Rockets to a season low in points with just 11 from Harden on 2-for-10 shooting.He missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

Cavs later defeated blazers 105_100 this same regular season

My dear I love your arguments even though they are emotive and sometimes hollow.

For example, the 91-77 game came before the 106-100 game (so one can argue that when Rockets had hit their stride and were on the verge of making it into the playoffs they beat your Cavs). In fact, the 105-76 drubbing of Cavs by PTB too, was after the 105-100 loss.

So try another spin. Nobody here has said Cavs aren't good. We only said they would not have had an 8-0 run heading into the WCFs (had they been in the west)

SIRcumalot:
one thing I stressed the last time was the team with the better talent.
I believe Cleveland also beat both those team once this regular season and unlike how difference between atl-blazer isn't so clear to some,that isn't so when it comes to the cave and those teams above.
so that picture only reaffirm what I believe to be true.

The Cavs are not a more talented team than OKC. GSW swept OKC during the regular season, but haven't swept them now during the playoffs.

So your argument that the Cavs being more talented than ATL or DET is the reason for the sweep falls flat because the Cavs are equally more talented than even Houston and PTB yet were molested by PTB and lost from leading by 20 to the Rockets.

The point is, unlike the east where the 2nd, 3rd etc teams play featherweight/low calibre Playoff games and thus get swept by a good Cleveland team, in the west even the so-called weaker teams usually show a strong representation of themselves at home which will prevent a sweep.

Thus, as great as GSW, or Spurs or OKC are, I knew that without any serious handicap from the teams they played, there wouldn't have been any sweeps. And the same would've befallen Clev if they were in the west.

I leveraged that point by stating that Cleveland would not have swept PTB. You can take it to the bank.

SIRcumalot:
I think this is relevant.

Portland beat Cleveland 105-76 this same regular season.

Houston beat Cleveland 106-100 from 20 points deficit.

If you claim the regular season has nothing to do with the playoffs then there lies your answer.

Congratulations to OKC. They deserved their win. What to me was particularly impressive was their tactical discipline all through the first half (as I didn't see the 2nd).

They had a lot of fast break points, few turn overs but most of all, they made alot of buckets in the paint which shows how aggressive they were all game.

Games of this magnitude could work either ways, so just like I told our in-house Lebron fans, the series is far from over.

The game looked evenly poised at the beginning of the 2nd Quarter but something happened suddenly that I could not explain watching the game.

Tied at 40 all, Curry broke past the double team and was able to pass to an unmarked Green but without much pressure, he missed the ensuing Lay up. Then Bogut followed soon and missed an easy tip in. Green again couldn't hold a good pass following a pick and roll and before one could yell "Jack Robinson" OKC led by 8, following 3 drives to the paint by Russell and Waiters- and another mid-range Jumper by waiters.

The subsequent possession in GSWs favor saw Green again get fouled by Adams but he left a trailing foot close to Adams groin and even though a foul was called on Adams and Green would get to make his 2FTs, Green would also get a flagrant 1 for his trailing leg, and GSW inexplicably crumbled after it.

Harrison Barnes, Green, Curry and Klay have alot of introspection to do following this scandalous loss. But they have history on their side going by last season when they were in the same predicament against Memphis and Cavs.

As much it bites me to say this, I am convinced that the winner of the game 4 will go on to win the series in 6.

OKC seem to be a whole 'nother kettle of fish at Chesapeake so it is hard to look beyond them, but then this GSW team cannot lose back to back games.

I guess it is fair to say that it appears marginally likely that GSW will steal a home game at Chesapeake, but whatever the case is, I can bet my bottom dollar that Green, Klay and Curry won't be as atrocious as I saw them this morning.

I guess it is also fair to say, KD and Russell won't both be let to have great scoring numbers or percentages- again.

True champs always use adverse moments like this to bounce back. I see alot of Djokovic in these GSW players. Count them out at your own peril. #DubNation

47-72 at the half.

OKC have attacked the paint and drawn fouls. GSW have looked rattled with the bench looking way more comfortable than the first team.

Curry and Klay have shot poorly and Green (bless his soul) is having the worst game of this playoffs.

25points deficit looks insurmountable, but the 3rd Quarter will determine it especially against a team such as GSW.

Game of 2 halves still. Never forget.

Too many FTs allowed by GSW. OKC have been attacking the paint well and Waiters has been decent.

Green has been a bit off. Even Klay and Curry. But they will cook. Basketball is a game of 2 halves.

I G G

Initial Gra Gra

Fear not my people. GSW got this.

SmooshCHN:
This is the Kyrie Lola was hyping?? Turnover, Crossover specialist. Raptors needs to play like this every game.

When we were giving them analysis they were just typing hash tags everywhere. I said Raptors are atrocious away but we can judge them by their home games.

So someone convince me again how PTB would not have stolen 1 game from the Cavs?

FT Cavs 84 Raptors 99

Corey Jo pocketed Kyrie in this game.

Donlittle:
not if lowry is taking them contested threes, they wont win lol.


They should just give the ball to derozan let him create offense.

I swear.

Donlittle:
I do not know if toronto will win this game, but they are definitely showing the world how to defend against these guys.

They better win this game. Kyrie and Love are good as dung in this game. They just need to match Cavs bucket for bucket.

JR Smith is cooking. Lowry and Biyombo need to wake up.

That was a clean block on Lebron yet Refs call it a foul. How?

Lebron TRAVELLED. Why don't they call it?

What was Lebron doing there?

Been watching. The fouls on Lowry have been questionable. I hope Raptors sustain the momentum.

SIRcumalot:
Is there any metric in the league that will stand up to intense scrutiny ?
Warriors are a great defensive team but focus on offense( and when locked in defensively are the best in the league) atl,is a team whose offense isn't so good and focus more defense to win games.
But this was never about the warriors.

ATL still have teague,they have Schroeder like you mentioned earlier,
they have the better coach the better roster hence are stronger. For however people harp on about heart and courage the team with most talent will win the cavs are way better than the hawks the hawks are Better than the blazers.

Kyrie and dame are too similar for me to pick,Kyrie can be locked in on defence when he has to,I'll point to the last season final series first game.

I am not the cavs fan egging on Cleveland if I was really a cavs fans the path of least resistance to the trophy is what I would pray for and that path is through Oklahoma.

What I find interesting is,
similar situation (series split)okc-gsw. swap any team In the league into the warriors position you and A40 will change your tune.

The point about stats is that they should be used wholistically to tell the story not one side of it.

ATLs better coach, roster is debatable. Doc Rivers thought he had same and lost. Everyone thought SAS had same they still lost. It boiled down to matchups and people knew OKC were too quick and athletic for SAS so the advantage went SAS away because of their very strong home form. So on that premise, saying ATL are better than PTB doesn't add up. After all, ATL had a better regular season than Cavs last year and still got swept.

Telling me to check Kyrie in game 1 of the NBA finals for defence is like showing me 2000 NBA finals game 4 where Shaq made all his free throws to prove to me that he wasn't a bad free throw shooter.

I didn't claim Lilliard is a defensive stalwart but that he is marginally better than Kyrie at playing defence.

I and A40 are not giving any advantage to OKC because there is nothing guaranteeing them 2 wins at the Chesapeake. So that advantage is non-existent. Same way I would not have given any advantage to the Raptors, had they stolen a game at Ohio.

SmooshCHN:
So Are The Cavaliers This Good Or Are The Raptors This Bad?

Cavs have improved as Lebron seems to trust his team mates better. Their movements have been good and they have distributed the ball well.

Love hasn't been relegated to just post-up shooting, Channing Frye has added some spice with his 3pt shooting, Thompson has helped protect the rim and their bench has helped in many ways. So yes, Cleveland are really improved.

But on the flip side, Raptors have been atrocious away from homecourt. They have been drubbed and blown out by the Pacers twice 101-83 and 100-83. And had poor outings to a depleted Miami away from home, so it is unsurprising that the best team in the East will blow them out in 2 games.

Perhaps, a true assessment of Raptors will come on Saturday when they play ahome for the first time in this series. They will need Kyle Lowry to play better than his last 2 terrible games have been.

The truth is without JV they are missing another scorer who can give them 16+ to augment the contributions of Kyle and Derozan who can give 50+ on a good day.

Cleveland have had way more fire power than most teams in the east because Lebron, Kyrie and Love have been averaging 23+ ppg (which is already better than the 66+ ppg of the Raptors scorers) and they still have JR Smith, Frye and Jefferson that have been contributing an average of 10+ ppg.

When one considers that JV is out. It will really be an arduous task for the Raptors to steal a game against the Cavs except Lowry shoots well and drops 30+ and bench players like Biyombo and Corey Jo help out offensively too.

SIRcumalot:
Firstly, I never said milsap or hoford will guard dame I don't know where you got that from.
Is there any big on the blazers that can match those two was what I implied

Kyrie is just as good a scorer and they both are bad defenders,saying dame is a better defender isn't saying much.

All this doesn't make the statics wrong DER says the hawks are the 2nd best in the league I believed it same way I accepted It when the warriors where the best defensive team in the league last season despite high scoring,no reason it should change now.

Yeah it is the toughest task in the league but not impossible they (already knocked off an historical great team so it nothing new)especially when you're doing it at home and you've two of the top 5 players in your team.

For whatever Milsap and Horford can do, Lilliard and McCollum will do more as was proven by their stats both during the regular and P/Os.

Kyrie is not just as good. Kyrie in his right is an all-star but in the 2016 regular season, he didn't score better than Lilliard. Lilliard is a marginally better scorer and he has waay more range.

I agree that both are not your typical defenders, but Lilliard is still marginally better in that department and the margins can tell some stories. Lilliard's weakness is his glaring inconsistency which isn't something Kyrie cannot be accused of.

I am telling you why the statistics are sometimes flawed. If a team averages 90ppg on offence and concedes 92ppg, they could very well end up last in their conference and still be judged the best defensive team. Whereas another team could average 120 on offence and 99ppg on defence and be the 9th team in terms of defensive ranking.

To emend the correlative flaw, you have to consider that if you scaled down the offence to 100 as a base the team with 120ppg will become 100 on offense and 82.5ppg conceded thus making them better defensively.

What this means in effect is that if GSW laid more emphasis on defence as they usually would, they would have had that 102ppg conceded drop to something in the region of 89/90 ppg. That is why on a good defensive day like game 2 they limited OKC to 91 points.

If we are talking about tough tasks and possibilities then it is the more reason you lot should pipe the Cleveland trumpets low. As it is not that hard a task for GSW to beat them over a 7-game series than it is for any team, much less OKC to beat them back to back.