Anyone else have a strong feeling Cleveland still wins it all?

[Cocaine80s]

Im sensing a Golden State choke

[Gone_Fishin]

I think they would have to be favorites at this point. No lower than 1B with the Spurs.

[navy]

I think they will make the Finals and lose to Golden State in 6 or 7.

But if the Warriors have a key injury or get knocked out early then I would pick the Cavs over any other team.

[Dray n Klay]

I'm sensing a kevin love choke as well, lets not be overconfident.

The Cavs wouldnt make the playoffs without lebron

[stalkerforlife]

Hard to compete against a team that will get to rest in the conference playoffs, has three franchise players in their prime, and has the biggest payroll in the NBA.

How exactly would it be a choke by GS?

Cavs are easily the favorites.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Well neither Cavs nor Warriors will win, the 2016 champion will be San Antonio Spurs.

[sportjames23]

OP snorting his username.

[JohnMax]

Warriors in 4

[Dray n Klay]

Hard to compete against a team that will get to rest in the conference playoffs, has three franchise players in their prime, and has the biggest payroll in the NBA.

How exactly would it be a choke by GS?

Cavs are easily the favorites.

Yet LeBron is the only all-star on the team.




While the raptors have 2-all stars, heat have 2 all stars, hawks have 2 all-stars, bulls have 2 all-stars



Not so smart, are you Justin?

[Cocaine80s]

Hard to compete against a team that will get to rest in the conference playoffs, has three franchise players in their prime, and has the biggest payroll in the NBA.

How exactly would it be a choke by GS?

Cavs are easily the favorites.
Agreed.
Western Conference is weak af this year, Warriors cruise to the finals.
Also, 3 franchise players? Think you meant 4: Curry, Klay,Dray, Iggy

Warriors are easily the favorites

[stalkerforlife]

Yet LeBron is the only all-star on the team.




While the raptors have 2-all stars, heat have 2 all stars, hawks have 2 all-stars, bulls have 2 all-stars



Not so smart, are you Justin?

Due to his losing style of play.

And Irving being injured.

Love and Irving are literally franchise players...faaaaaar beyond all-star BS.

[Showtime2001]

OP snorting his username.
This.

[Dray n Klay]

Due to his losing style of play.

And Irving being injured.

Love and Irving are literally franchise players...faaaaaar beyond all-star BS.

Can't even make the all-star team in the 'weak east'



Heck neither of them ever made the playoffs as a 1st option


Just stop it Justin, you're embarassing yourself :facepalm

[GrapeApe]

There's a better chance of the Cavs not making the finals than winning the finals.

On a side note, has a team ever fired their coach mid-season and went on to win a title? The closest I can think of was Riley taking over for SVG in 2006, but Lue sure as hell ain't Riley.

[Pointguard]

I have it but I can't you why I have this feeling. I really think they are going to get tired for some reason before that. But subconsciously I keep thinking they are going to win it.

[GrapeApe]

Yet LeBron is the only all-star on the team.




While the raptors have 2-all stars, heat have 2 all stars, hawks have 2 all-stars, bulls have 2 all-stars

I highly doubt Bosh is returning this season.

Irving: 20/5/3 and a 20 PER
Love: 16/10 and a 19 PER

What teams in the east have better 2nd and 3rd options?

[Dray n Klay]

I highly doubt Bosh is returning this season.

Irving: 20/5/3 and a 20 PER
Love: 16/10 and a 19 PER

What teams in the east have better 2nd and 3rd options?

Any team in the league with more than 1 all-star

because neither Kyrie or Love are all-stars

[Inferno]

Nope

[GrapeApe]

Any team in the league with more than 1 all-star

because neither Kyrie or Love are all-stars

Huh? What does being an all-star have to do with production? What about an all-star with a post all-star game stat line of 0/0/0?

[ISHGoat]

I highly doubt Bosh is returning this season.

Irving: 20/5/3 and a 20 PER
Love: 16/10 and a 19 PER

What teams in the east have better 2nd and 3rd options?

What teams in the league have 2nd and 3rd options that cant defend a stop sign? What does any of that have to do with the other side of the ball? Nobody ever questioned Kyrie or Love's offensive talent. It's their lack of defense.

[GrapeApe]

What teams in the league have 2nd and 3rd options that cant defend a stop sign? What does any of that have to do with the other side of the ball? Nobody ever questioned Kyrie or Love's offensive talent. It's their lack of defense.

I know they're bad defenders, but my point was that the "not all-stars" argument is stupid. Damian Lillard wasn't an all-star and he's a top 5 MVP candidate.

[12be]

LeBron makes it to the finals he is #1 all time

[12be]

We're talking about the third greatest player of all-time, anything is possible.

[Beastmode88]

We're talking about the third greatest player of all-time, anything is possible.

Yeah like adding another L to his resume.

[12be]

Yeah like adding another L to his resume.

Will still be #1 all-time if he makes the finals with zero supporting cast, you mad?

[GrapeApe]

Will still be #1 all-time if he makes the finals with zero supporting cast, you mad?

Only on ish is a 3x all-star PG and 3x all-star and 2x all-NBA PF considered zero supporting cast. Hakeem won a title with no all stars and only 1 career all star appearance from his supporting cast. Hakeem = #1 all-time?

[Beastmode88]

Will still be #1 all-time if he makes the finals with zero supporting cast, you mad?

Goes from 3rd to 1st cause he can beat the weakest conference to date then gets locked down by another role player in the final? :sleeping

[12be]

Only on ish is a 3x all-star PG and 3x all-star and 2x all-NBA PF considered zero supporting cast. Hakeem won a title with no all stars and only 1 career all star appearance from his supporting cast. Hakeem = #1 all-time?

You mad they were nothing before LeBron came in to carry them?

Bunch of empty stat frauds

[COnDEMnED]

No. Unless LeBron gets injured, history indicates Cleveland has a weak chance, say 1/7, in winning the championship. Those statistics rise to 2/7 if the Cavs pick up Ray Allen for the playoffs.

[dazzer87]

Only if OKC makes it.......but chances are no....

[Captain Hooker]

Lebron's current situation right now shows that he isn't a capable #1 option in a star studded team. He is more suited as an all-around, do it all side kick. He is more of a glue guy. He should let Irving be the first option in the offense.

[Cold soul]

Nope no chance.

[coin24]

I doubt they make it out of the east

[Dray n Klay]

I doubt they make it out of the east

I doubt you ever leave your basement.

[AirBonner]

I doubt you ever leave your basement.
Ruthless :lol

[coin24]

I doubt you ever leave your basement.


I bet your dads glad he left:lol

[3ball]

The Cavs wouldnt make the playoffs without lebron


The Cavs have one of the most stacked rosters in the league, as usual

This year's supporting cast has added enough help on top of Lebron's 25/7/6 to win nearly 60 games this year (their likely year-end total).. Similarly, in 2009, Lebron's Cavs added enough help on top of his 28/8/7 to win 66 games.

Compare that to Jordan's supporting cast in 1989, who only added enough help on top of his 33/8/8 to win 47 games.. Yet Jordan took that team to ECF and 6 games with the champion Bad Boys - Lebron couldn't do that in 2009, although he might this year, despite his far weaker stats.

[Dray n Klay]

The Cavs have one of the most stacked rosters in the league, as usual



Lebron is the only all-star on this team. Let me repeat that, Lebron is the only all-star on this team. This team has less help than the '85 Bulls with Woodridge as the supporting cast

[3ball]

Lebron is the only all-star on this team. Let me repeat that, Lebron is the only all-star on this team. This team has less help than the '85 Bulls with Woodridge as the supporting cast
Sorry bud, but Kyrie and Love were all-stars last year or the year before....And remember, an all-star is a top 2 or 3 player at their position in the conference.

Woolridge was NEVER an all-star or a top 2-3 player at his position, so MJ had less help relative to his competition than Lebron had.

Ultimately, Jordan never missed the playoffs despite having no all-stars early in his career, and went 6/6 the instant he got just 1 all-star.

Otoh, Lebron missed the playoffs twice despite having an all star teammate, and only went 2/4 with two all-star teammates in Miami.

[bigkingsfan]

Jordan had BJ Armstrong stacked.

[GrapeApe]

You mad they were nothing before LeBron came in to carry them?

Bunch of empty stat frauds

They're both putting up good stats this season, especially for 2nd and 3rd options. Offense isn't the problem. The issue is defense. They're bad defenders, but Lebron and Shump aren't the defenders they once were either. They also lack rim protection. Their offensive talent might still get them to the finals, but they're not beating GS or SA with that defense. No chance.

[GrapeApe]

Sorry bud, but Kyrie and Love were all-stars last year or the year before....And remember, an all-star is a top 2 or 3 player at their position in the conference.

Woolridge was NEVER an all-star or a top 2-3 player at his position, so MJ had less help relative to his competition than Lebron had.

Ultimately, Jordan never missed the playoffs despite having no all-stars early in his career, and went 6/6 the instant he got just 1 all-star.

Otoh, Lebron missed the playoffs twice despite having an all star teammate, and only went 2/4 with two all-star teammates in Miami.

But you claim Jordan won in 1991 with no all-stars even though Pippen was an all-star the year before. Hypocrite much?

[SpaceJam]

Nope.

[3ball]

But you claim Jordan won in 1991 with no all-stars even though Pippen was an all-star the year before. Hypocrite much?
That's just a statement of fact - Jordan is one of the only players EVER to win a ring with no all-stars.

Hakeem did it too in 1994, but Otis Thorpe was an all-star in 1992.

If Lebron does it this year, than we'll add him to the list, although everyone will know that he actually has 2 former all-stars on his team who are still in their prime.

And btw, if Kyrie and Love played with Jordan, they'd still be all-stars.... Lebron cratered Love's stats, and he's taken the shine off of Kyrie's game.. Otoh, guys like Pippen and Grant played to full capacity alongside Jordan (compared to their 1994 stats without Jordan).

[GrapeApe]

That's just a statement of fact - Jordan is one of the only players EVER to win a ring with no all-stars.

Hakeem did it too in 1994, but Otis Thorpe was an all-star in 1992.

If Lebron does it this year, than we'll add him to the list, although everyone will know that he actually has 2 former all-stars on his team who are still in their prime.

And btw, if Kyrie and Love played with Jordan, they'd still be all-stars.... Lebron cratered Love's stats, and he's taken the shine off of Kyrie's game.. Otoh, guys like Pippen and Grant played to full capacity alongside Jordan (compared to their 1994 stats without Jordan).

I still don't understand the all-star logic, from you or Lebron stans. Goran Dragic made an all NBA-team and he wasn't an all-star. Lillard will probably do the same this year. The all-star argument completely disregards everything after January, which is absurd. By your logic you'd rather have an all-star who averages 4/2/1 on 35% after the all-star break than a non all-star who averages 25/5/5 on 50% and makes an all-NBA team.

[robby712]

All star, no all star, Jordan, Lebron, Finals record, improving team mates, 1st option, 2nd option, 90% of the threads are made up of this bull shit. Is like no one knows bball or like almost everyone gets retarded when trying to post something.

Ok, Jordan is the greatest player off all time. Most of the world agrees. He had great talent, great mental toughness and great circumstances to succeed, and he did it. He has great individual awards and great team accomplishments. Because of his talent , his skills and the right circumstances he was in, his reign was almost one of a kind. But it WAS. It is almost 20 ****ing years since his last championship. 20 years full of great players, Shaq,Duncan,Garnett,Wade,Kobe,Lebron, and so on and instead of enjoying them, most of you bash them because they can't be Jordan. Two players can't accomplish the exact same things, 20 years apart? No shit!?

Now to Lebron. I am a Heat fan, so I can't hate the guy that brought 2 championships and was a part of one of the most spectacular 5 years stretches in NBA history. Did he choke in 2011? Hell yeah, but no one gives the Mavs and Carlisle the respect they deserve, because they played him great. That Heat team wasn't a team, their roles were not well determined and the role players were ..well, shit. With that said, I don't like the way LBJ acts off the court, all the drama and sometimes on the court you can see he is not mentally tough. The fact that he did not play college ball hurt his skills from a fundamental standpoint and being home in Cleveland all those years made him a spoiled bitch. If he was drafted to the Pistons and those boys or by the Heat with Riley there, I believe he would of had much more success in his career, and I'm not referring about the talent he had around him, but more about his mental development. And saying he would of had more success about a guy with 4 MVP's , 2 championships and 5 consecutive Finals is scary.

Yes, Cavs can win it all this year. I really hope Bosh comes back and we give them trouble in the Playoffs, but they are the favorites in the East. Oh, and cut the Irving,Love bullshit. They did nothing without LBJ and they would do nothing if they had their own team. They are only scorers.Very good ones, but they don't impact the game enough. I'd say Love can actually do more than score, but he is soft. Cavs have a negative record when Lebron is not playing and neither Love or Kyrie made the playoffs on their own. It's normal for their stats to go down when they have two more players that take shots on their team now. I've seen Kyrie shoot too many dumb shots when he had so much better options to believe that he can achieve something on his own in this league.

Guess what, KG went from 22 to 18, Pierce from 25 to 19.6 and Allen from 26 to 17. Stats drop when you are giving up shots. You just keep finding ways to hate on players because they are not Jordan. And that's sad.

[Labissiere]

Still? Makes it sound like they are defending champs.