NBA Playoffs

[Cusefan0307]

Klay and Steph played their worst games of the year and GSW still won by 15? Yikes.

 

[RF2044]

Klay and Steph played their worst games of the year and GSW still won by 15? Yikes.

Put a fork in Cleveland.

 

[RF2044]

Delledova is a POS. He is dirty and goes for a low blow on Iguadola. That guy is dirty.

Delly is such a scrubby little hacker.

He really is a scrub. You'd think that eventually the refs would catch on to his antics, but they let him get away with that crap every game.

Personally speaking, I think Iguodala showed a tremendous amount of restraint. Veteran move to hold back from cold-cocking [pun intended] that chump for the nut shot.

 

[Tom K.]

Veteran move to hold back from cold-cocking [pun intended] that chump for the nut shot.

A veteran move would have been to walk away instead of getting in his face.

I don't like Dellavedova but the play looked like a mistake to me. He made a blind swipe from behind Iguodala and I don't think he could completely see where the ball was.

 

[Knicks411]

A veteran move would have been to walk away instead of getting in his face.

I don't like Dellavedova but the play looked like a mistake to me. He made a blind swipe from behind Iguodala and I don't think he could completely see where the ball was.

The issue is that at this point I don't think Delly deserves the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Ward]

Klay and Steph played their worst games of the year and GSW still won by 15? Yikes.

Agreed, my only thought in trying to find a positive for Cleveland is that GSW role players collectively played at their ceiling on the same night and Cavs role players were complete non factors for the most part. So it offsets Klay and Curry's nights a little bit but I'd be shocked if those two have similar production again this series as they did last night. Although on the other hand the big nights and lack thereof for the role players could just be due to match ups as well.

Also, will be interesting to see how much of Steph's struggles were due to Cavs game plan. Was fun watching LeBron cover him off the ball. You could tell he was taking it personal and really kinda strong arming him and hounding him.

 

[longislandcuse]

I want to say "well look at OKC/SAS Game 1"...but both those teams are proven in the West and SAS didn't get the worst games of the year from Kawhi and Aldridge and still blow their doors off.

Yikes. Game 2 should tell a lot about whether this will be a series.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I want to say "well look at OKC/SAS Game 1"...but both those teams are proven in the West and SAS didn't get the worst games of the year from Kawhi and Aldridge and still blow their doors off.

Yikes. Game 2 should tell a lot about whether this will be a series.

Problem is even if the role players fall back to earth for GSW, Klay and Steph are most likely going to double their output. I've seen three games between Cleveland and GSW this year and the common theme is they can't score enough. GSW is so good defensively, and Cleveland is playing an offense straight out of the 1990's.

 

[Knicks411]

Oh yeah, also on the Delly thing: How many people try to swipe at the ball with a balled up fist?

I normally can't keep up with the thread as the game is going on; so I'll say one thing that struck me is that Kyrie seemed to take a lot of shots off no passes. I liked GS in 5 before the series, I dont think game 1 changed my mind on that too much. Lebron needs to be the Lebron from 3 or 4 years ago and while he's still awesome, I don't think he's that guy anymore.

 

[Cusefan0307]

People think Westbrook is selfish, Kyrie is worse...

 

[Alsacs]

Role players play well at home. I think they will be fine in Oakland. Steph/Klay/Draymond just need to play well on the road and steal a game in Cleveland.

 

[OrangeDW]

A veteran move would have been to walk away instead of getting in his face.

I don't like Dellavedova but the play looked like a mistake to me. He made a blind swipe from behind Iguodala and I don't think he could completely see where the ball was.

Expecting someone not to react at all in anger when they get hit in the nuts is pretty unrealistic.

The refs were smart not to give Iguadala a T for getting in his face. Nothing happened and common sense says its almost impossible not to react there.

Also, whether it was on purpose or not it was still a scrubby, hacky, reckless play. Anyone else probably would have managed to foul him without the nutshot there.

Shouldve been a flagrant on Delly. That's how we stop fastbreaks now? Wild Tatanka tomahawk chops to the nuts?

 

[OrangeDW]

People think Westbrook is selfish, Kyrie is worse...

Falls asleep on D too.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The issue is that at this point I don't think Delly deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Going into the series, would anybody have taken a bet that Delly wouldn't be involved in an altercation this series?

 

[jordoo]

You could see early in that game that without the open shots the Cavs supporting cast usually get they would struggle. GST can score so much that they don't worry about one or two players going off and thus don't sell out on doubles and help. They just play straight up, switch and try to make you score over them. I don't think the Cavs are going to be able to score enough points to push this to 6 games. I think it goes 5 and 4 wouldn't shock me at all.

The competition level went up for the Cavs and down for the GST. You could see it in the body language for GST, everyone was at ease which wasn't the case against OKC.

 

[NineOneSeven]

A veteran move would have been to walk away instead of getting in his face.

I don't like Dellavedova but the play looked like a mistake to me. He made a blind swipe from behind Iguodala and I don't think he could completely see where the ball was.

what knicks said... after all the problems, there is no credibility or benefit of the doubt left with him

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The competition level went up for the Cavs and down for the GST. You could see it in the body language for GST, everyone was at ease which wasn't the case against OKC.

That's a great point, and why I generally root for the team that comes out of the West. They've got the tougher road.

 

[NineOneSeven]

You could see early in that game that without the open shots the Cavs supporting cast usually get they would struggle. GST can score so much that they don't worry about one or two players going off and thus don't sell out on doubles and help. They just play straight up, switch and try to make you score over them. I don't think the Cavs are going to be able to score enough points to push this to 6 games. I think it goes 5 and 4 wouldn't shock me at all.

The competition level went up for the Cavs and down for the GST. You could see it in the body language for GST, everyone was at ease which wasn't the case against OKC.

This. GS will allow the big 3 to score points off some isos. They won't allow the Smiths, Fryes, Jeffersons of their team to get wide open looks. Those guys will score more points (can't score less..), but the strategy imployed by GS won't be to double Lebron every screen because he is too good finding the open man.

 

[jordoo]

That's a great point, and why I generally root for the team that comes out of the West. They've got the tougher road.

Yep, the Raptors took 2 games from the Cavs and they aren't even a playoff team in the west. I knew the Cavs had almost zero chance to win the finals after that.

 

[Tom K.]

Expecting someone not to react at all in anger when they get hit in the nuts is pretty unrealistic.

Shouldve been a flagrant on Delly. That's how we stop fastbreaks now? Wild Tatanka tomahawk chops to the nuts?

I've seen players just walk away after getting worse. I'm pretty sure we saw it just last week right? When Draymond kicked Adams. No?

A flagrant foul. You can't be serious?

Oh yeah, also on the Delly thing: How many people try to swipe at the ball with a balled up fist?

Go watch it again. He didn't make a fist. Open palm.

Like I said, I don't like the guy either. He looks like a weasel and I hate his game. But there is nothing here.

Draymond quietly kicked Kyrie Irving in the 1st quarter. Everybody miss that?

 

[Tom K.]

Yep, the Raptors took 2 games from the Cavs and they aren't even a playoff team in the west. I knew the Cavs had almost zero chance to win the finals after that.

I highlighted previously, in this thread, that the Raps had a winning record against the West (19-11 I think) and something like 8-2 against the 4-8 seeds in the West. Just stop with the narrative that the Raps aren't a playoff team in the West. It's nonsense.

 

[RF2044]

I've seen players just walk away after getting worse. I'm pretty sure we saw it just last week right? When Draymond kicked Adams. No?

A flagrant foul. You can't be serious?



Go watch it again. He didn't make a fist. Open palm.

Like I said, I don't like the guy either. He looks like a weasel and I hate his game. But there is nothing here.

Draymond quietly kicked Kyrie Irving in the 1st quarter. Everybody miss that?

Hitting an opposing in the dick is not a valid defensive play.

Just because Green--who is another cheap shot artist--did it to Steven Adams in the last series doesn't make it acceptable nor something that should be tolerated.

 

[Tom K.]

Hitting an opposing in the dick is not a valid defensive play.

Just because Green--who is another cheap shot artist--did it to Steven Adams in the last series doesn't make it acceptable nor something that should be tolerated.

I'm not saying it's acceptable, I'm saying it's possible to just walk away and let the refs review it and handle it.

It's not inconceivable that he was making a play on the ball. Again, he was trailing Iguodala, a bigger player, and probably tried to anticipate where the ball might go. Then Iggy picked up his dribble.

The convo I'm seeing in here, you'd think Delly stabbed him.

 

[jordoo]

I highlighted previously, in this thread, that the Raps had a winning record against the West (19-11 I think) and something like 8-2 against the 4-8 seeds in the West. Just stop with the narrative that the Raps aren't a playoff team in the West. It's nonsense.

I don't believe they would have been had they played a complete western conference schedule. No doubt the bottom of the West was weaker than its been in a while. Regular season games against non conference foes aren't always taken as seriously as they should be. The numbers support you for sure but I'm not sold.

 

[RF2044]

I'm not saying it's acceptable, I'm saying it's possible to just walk away and let the refs review it and handle it.

It's not inconceivable that he was making a play on the ball. Again, he was trailing Iguodala, a bigger player, and probably tried to anticipate where the ball might go. Then Iggy picked up his dribble.

The convo I'm seeing in here, you'd think Delly stabbed him.

Let me guess--you must be a cleveland fan. That's the only possible explanation for rationalizing away what Delly did.

He. Hit. Him. In. The. Junk.

Iguodala showed unbelievable restraint, despite getting in his face. And it drew the correct response from the officials. Nobody just walks away after getting drilled in the "lower midsection" -- especially when said contact comes on a BS defensive play on a fast break.

Unreal.