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NBA 2018: Fear the Deer


Jaime L

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On 12/6/2018 at 2:09 PM, briantw said:

I'll take any team with LeBron on the roster in a seven game series over any NBA team but the Warriors.

This notion seems silly to me. For instance, last year’s Rockets took GSW to 7 (and would have won were it not for the infamous 27 missed 3s) whereas GSW straight up swept the Cavs. Would you have taken the Cavs over last year’s Rockets (with a healthy CP3)? That’d be a crazy take imo, those two teams were nowhere near each other, Bron and all. This year, there are several teams aside from the Warriors, including a few from the East, that I think could certainly take the LeBron-led Lakers in a series (although the difference is not as a great as the example I gave from last year).

I will say though that looking at this Cleveland team this year shows you just how damn good Bron was last year. People were trying to say that everyone was downplaying the rest of the team last year, but honestly... that team outside of him had no business being in the playoffs, let alone the finals.

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2 hours ago, IamMe90 said:

This notion seems silly to me. For instance, last year’s Rockets took GSW to 7 (and would have won were it not for the infamous 27 missed 3s) whereas GSW straight up swept the Cavs. Would you have taken the Cavs over last year’s Rockets (with a healthy CP3)? That’d be a crazy take imo, those two teams were nowhere near each other, Bron and all. This year, there are several teams aside from the Warriors, including a few from the East, that I think could certainly take the LeBron-led Lakers in a series (although the difference is not as a great as the example I gave from last year).

I will say though that looking at this Cleveland team this year shows you just how damn good Bron was last year. People were trying to say that everyone was downplaying the rest of the team last year, but honestly... that team outside of him had no business being in the playoffs, let alone the finals.

We're not talking about last year's Rockets, though.  Last year's Rockets no longer exist.  This year, I'll take LeBron in a seven game series over anyone but the Warriors.  

And even last year, I think LeBron probably finds a way to beat the Rockets if they make the Finals.  Harden is a notorious big game choker and Paul is always hurt by the end of the year, whereas LeBron is an absolute savage in big games at this point in his career and is a cyborg who is never injured.

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2 hours ago, briantw said:

We're not talking about last year's Rockets, though.  Last year's Rockets no longer exist.  This year, I'll take LeBron in a seven game series over anyone but the Warriors.  

And even last year, I think LeBron probably finds a way to beat the Rockets if they make the Finals.  Harden is a notorious big game choker and Paul is always hurt by the end of the year, whereas LeBron is an absolute savage in big games at this point in his career and is a cyborg who is never injured.

Don't overlook the Raptors. They're the best team in the league right now, and LeBron hates playing against Kawhi more than any other player in the NBA. 

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2 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Don't overlook the Raptors. They're the best team in the league right now, and LeBron hates playing against Kawhi more than any other player in the NBA. 

To be honest, I've watched them play once, as I usually don't start watching non-Cavs games until around when the NBA season actually starts around Christmas.  And you're right, Kawhi is about as close a thing to a LeBron stopper as exists in this league.  Kawhi basically compensates for the fact that Ibaka turns to dust when guarding LeBron.

I still remember that Game of Zones episode where Ibaka has the line, "I defend anyone....except LeBron."  :lol:

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12 minutes ago, briantw said:

To be honest, I've watched them play once, as I usually don't start watching non-Cavs games until around when the NBA season actually starts around Christmas.  And you're right, Kawhi is about as close a thing to a LeBron stopper as exists in this league.  Kawhi basically compensates for the fact that Ibaka turns to dust when guarding LeBron.

I still remember that Game of Zones episode where Ibaka has the line, "I defend anyone....except LeBron."  :lol:

This video says it all:

 

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7 hours ago, IamMe90 said:

I will say though that looking at this Cleveland team this year shows you just how damn good Bron was last year. People were trying to say that everyone was downplaying the rest of the team last year, but honestly... that team outside of him had no business being in the playoffs, let alone the finals.

That is true, but also his team was built around him, to maximise his playstyle. No idea what happened to George Hill, but most of the team was meant to catch and shoot 3 pointers or catch and dunk. Its not a wonder that they collapsed, and you're also conveniently leaving out Kevin Love being injured.

Also, by that logic, you can also say how amazing Mike Conley is. Just look at the Grizzlies last year! LeBron is great, the Lakers wouldn't be in a playoff position without him either, but that logic is just silly. 

 

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2 hours ago, Proudfeet said:

.

Also, by that logic, you can also say how amazing Mike Conley is. Just look at the Grizzlies last year! LeBron is great, the Lakers wouldn't be in a playoff position without him either, but that logic is just silly. 

 

Uhhhh, no. The griz have Gasol back at full health, and have one of the best rookies in the draft. So not a good comparison at all. 

 

You do have to factor in Love's absence, but they were trash before he got injured as well. LeBron is just THAT good, especially given how weak the east was last year. 

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14 minutes ago, Relic said:

Uhhhh, no. The griz have Gasol back at full health, and have one of the best rookies in the draft. So not a good comparison at all. 

 

You do have to factor in Love's absence, but they were trash before he got injured as well. LeBron is just THAT good, especially given how weak the east was last year. 

The comparison is not perfect, but it is fair. The Grizz have a fantastic rookie, but the Cavs are missing Love. Either way, that is besides the point. My point was not that LeBron isn't that good nor that Conley is as good as LeBron. I'm saying that saying Cleveland's roster without LeBron is bad because of this year's results is excessively reductive. 

Also, Cavs were trash with Love, but so were many other teams that have since recovered. Not that I was expecting Cavs to be a playoff team this year, but I thought that they could be where the Nets are now.

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1 hour ago, Proudfeet said:

The comparison is not perfect, but it is fair. The Grizz have a fantastic rookie, but the Cavs are missing Love. Either way, that is besides the point. My point was not that LeBron isn't that good nor that Conley is as good as LeBron. I'm saying that saying Cleveland's roster without LeBron is bad because of this year's results is excessively reductive. 

Also, Cavs were trash with Love, but so were many other teams that have since recovered. Not that I was expecting Cavs to be a playoff team this year, but I thought that they could be where the Nets are now.

The Cavs were bad with Love, to be sure, but they also fired the coach who coached those games, and their team has clearly improved since.  They're still not good, but they're not embarrassing any more.  The trades have helped as well, getting rid of some guys who didn't want to be there and also clearing the way for Sexton to start, which needed to happen.

And Love only played in four games and was playing hurt, so it's really hard to derive much from those.

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On 12/13/2018 at 5:06 PM, Tywin et al. said:

Don't overlook the Raptors. They're the best team in the league right now, and LeBron hates playing against Kawhi more than any other player in the NBA. 

Bucks, Nuggets, GSW > Raptors this season

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4 minutes ago, IamMe90 said:

Guess who swept the Raptors?

;)

Look at that less than one minute response time!

*throws handkerchief at your feet*

Clean that spittle from off thy chin!

 

(also, someone doesn’t know what a sweep means)

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On 12/20/2018 at 11:02 AM, SkynJay said:

I know this one!  The Nuggets.

The second win with both teams playing two starters, so hard to figure if that means anything at all.

I legit love watching your team, even without Harris, Millsap and Barton. Jokic is playing at an MVP level this season, and Monte Morris and Jamaal Crawford are making amazing progress. Favorite team in the West right now! Sad that Jokic got ejected on the softest ass call ever the other night :(

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On 12/18/2018 at 3:37 PM, Tywin et al. said:

Look at that less than one minute response time!

*throws handkerchief at your feet*

Clean that spittle from off thy chin!

 

(also, someone doesn’t know what a sweep means)

I was obviously referring to the Nuggets, see above...

:ph34r:

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6 hours ago, IamMe90 said:

I legit love watching your team, even without Harris, Millsap and Barton. Jokic is playing at an MVP level this season, and Monte Morris and Jamaal Crawford are making amazing progress. Favorite team in the West right now! Sad that Jokic got ejected on the softest ass call ever the other night :(

I have always tried to go to a few games a year but I admit we have spent stupid money this year to watch this team live.  How can I not when three times a night I see a pass that should probably lead Sportscenter?

And while I suspect these injuries will eventually get the Nuggets (they have been lucky to face Toronto shorthanded during this time for example) they have legitimately put Jokic in the long shot MVP conversation which I never thought was possible.  Watching him spin six times on his pivot foot until the defender is finally out of position never stops being funny.

I expect the Nuggets will become a major fan favorite come playoff time if they can make any kind of run; underdogs vs the world kind of thing that 'play the game right' to the bitter fan bases that have realized they will never have their own James or Greek freak.

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