Wes to the Clippers.

[Knicks411]

ESPN had a stat, the clippers 4 man unit of Paul/JJ/Blake/Jordan was the best 4 man unit in the league; +16 or something per 100 possessions.

I could definitely see them flipping Crawford for a third big man. But then you need to have a lot of faith in Lance. Not sure how that fit is gonna work; Lance isn't a great shooter and likes having th eball in his hands. The clippers have a guy who is going to have the ball a lot and they need shooters. Still, had the top offense in the league last year. They should be in the top 3 or 5 this year.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Once again, the West will bludgeon and bloody themselves until someone claws in to the finals, and the East is JV.

 

[MikeSU02]

I'm very excited for when CP3 screams at DJ during a national televised game for the first time this upcoming season. Let's see how buddy/buddy they are then.

Can't wait for the NBA season.

 

[Knicks411]

I'm very excited for when CP3 screams at DJ during a national televised game for the first time this upcoming season. Let's see how buddy/buddy they are then.

Can't wait for the NBA season.

So, like, 3 minutes into the first nationally televised game of the season?

Once again, the West will bludgeon and bloody themselves until someone claws in to the finals, and the East is JV.

I'm thinking Durant leaves to go to an eastern conf team next summer

 

[MikeSU02]

So, like, 3 minutes into the first nationally televised game of the season?



I'm thinking Durant leaves to go to an eastern conf team next summer

Yes, exactly. Should be solid TV.

 

[Day2]

Houston beat them last year, so they deserve some respect.

The Clippers choked that series away.

 

[Day2]

I think they end up dumping Crawford and resigning little Rivers as his long term cheaper replacement.

Yep, that's the plan.

 

[Melancer46]

Once again, the West will bludgeon and bloody themselves until someone claws in to the finals, and the East is JV.

At least the Eastern teams will mostly be average-ish this year, versus the last few years where the majority were just terrible. Just don't have nearly as many contender-type teams as the West.

 

[Day2]

But then you need to have a lot of faith in Lance. Not sure how that fit is gonna work...

He's expected to back up Redick and Pierce.

 

[Alsacs]

Hopefully ABC on Christmas has Cleveland-SA and LAC-Dallas.

The Clippers gagged that series against Houston last year. Chris Paul sat out games 1 and 2 and they should have never lost a double digit 4th quarter lead in game 6.

I don't fear Houston. Dwight Howard isn't the same player. Harden is scary good offensively but not great defensively.

 

[Alsacs]

So, like, 3 minutes into the first nationally televised game of the season?



I'm thinking Durant leaves to go to an eastern conf team next summer

Durant could go anywhere. I would bet though either he stays in OKC or Washington. I can't see the Lakers or Heat which is the rumor.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Hopefully ABC on Christmas has Cleveland-SA and LAC-Dallas.

The Clippers gagged that series against Houston last year. Chris Paul sat out games 1 and 2 and they should have never lost a double digit 4th quarter lead in game 6.

I don't fear Houston. Dwight Howard isn't the same player. Harden is scary good offensively but not great defensively.

Golden State will play one of SAS or Cleveland IMO.

 

[jordoo]

I think Cleveland will have a chance because the teams in the West will really push each other especially in the 2nd round and the conference finals. Mean while if healthy the Cavs should sail through the east.

 

[Alsacs]

Cleveland will get a bye in round one, but Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington, Miami should ensure they have two tougher series. Lebron James will own the Eastern conference the rest of his career like Michael Jordan owned the NBA in the 90's.

 

[jordoo]

Cleveland will get a bye in round one, but Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington, Miami should ensure they have two tougher series. Lebron James will own the Eastern conference the rest of his career like Michael Jordan owned the NBA in the 90's.

Do you really think any of those teams will win more than one against the Cavs if they are healthy?

 

[OrangeDW]

Cleveland will get a bye in round one, but Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington, Miami should ensure they have two tougher series. Lebron James will own the Eastern conference the rest of his career like Michael Jordan owned the NBA in the 90's.

I do have some concerns with how Lebron's game will age when his physical gifts slow down. His passing skills and overall court sense and ridiculous size and strength for a guard won't disappear. He'll still be a very good player off those things alone. But I question how great of a scorer he will be once he's no longer explosive enough to burst his way to the hoop whenever he wants. He doesn't have the footwork, shooting, or low post skills of a Jordan or even of Kobe or Carmelo.

Jordan was still the best player in the league at 35, and could still get a bucket whenever he wanted. I'm not sure Lebron will be able to be that dominant go to scorer when he's 34-35 unless he really goes all out to improve on those things in the next few years, because the athleticism will start to fade very soon.

 

[Alsacs]

Do you really think any of those teams will win more than one against the Cavs if they are healthy?

Rose, Butler, Dunleavy, Gasol, Noah can beat Cleveland. Gasol missed 2 games in a tight Bulls-Cavs series that had 2 buzzer beaters.
Chicago can play with Cleveland.

 

[Alsacs]

I do have some concerns with how Lebron's game will age when his physical gifts slow down. His passing skills and overall court sense and ridiculous size and strength for a guard won't disappear. He'll still be a very good player off those things alone. But I question how great of a scorer he will be once he's no longer explosive enough to burst his way to the hoop whenever he wants. He doesn't have the footwork, shooting, or low post skills of a Jordan or even of Kobe or Carmelo.

Jordan was still the best player in the league at 35, and could still get a bucket whenever he wanted. I'm not sure Lebron will be able to be that dominant go to scorer when he's 34-35 unless he really goes all out to improve on those things in the next few years, because the athleticism will start to fade very soon.

Lebron's game will allow him to be a point forward. He already has lost some explosiveness, but Lebron's post game is a lot better.

 

[Knicks411]

I do have some concerns with how Lebron's game will age when his physical gifts slow down. His passing skills and overall court sense and ridiculous size and strength for a guard won't disappear. He'll still be a very good player off those things alone. But I question how great of a scorer he will be once he's no longer explosive enough to burst his way to the hoop whenever he wants. He doesn't have the footwork, shooting, or low post skills of a Jordan or even of Kobe or Carmelo.

Jordan was still the best player in the league at 35, and could still get a bucket whenever he wanted. I'm not sure Lebron will be able to be that dominant go to scorer when he's 34-35 unless he really goes all out to improve on those things in the next few years, because the athleticism will start to fade very soon.

I think you short change Lebron's post-up game a little bit. He's really good down there, and I would expect him to work on that too as he gets older. He went from having no post game to a great one in just a few years, some of that is based on brute strength, and as he loses a step or two teams may be able to put bigger guys on him, but I think he'll still be a really good scorer.

I think the athleticism has already started to fade a little. Don't think he's the athlete he was in 2012 or so. I doubt he's going to be the best player in the league when he's 34 or 35 like Jordan was, though that might be more because Anthony Davis is going to be a monster, but I think he's going to be right there. I would imagine he's not going to lead the league in scoring like Jordan did in 98, but they should be able to throw him the ball in the post and with his great passing get a good look for someone.

Jordan as a 34 year old in 98 averaged 38.8 MPG. That's crazy to me. Lebron hasn't cracked that total since 2011.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

I hope I live long enough (half joking, half serious) to see the Cavs win the title next year. I'm deep into the Social Security, Medicare Advantage, cheaper movie ticket demo, I'm past the giddy naive stage (barely), but I don't see LeBron, Love, Kyrie, Thompson, Mozgov, Rakeem (yeah, baby), et al., being beat by anyone next season. This year was a the trial by fire for everyone -- Blatt, his staff, the gm Griffin, the other gm LBJ, Love, Irving, Dion (oops, never mind) -- and they limped to the finish line and still gave a team for the ages a good fight.

Next season, short of anything tragic, I don't see 31-year-old player for the ages LeBron James and some seriously talented teammates losing to anyone. They've been through the ringer, two of the big 3 suffered serious injuries in the playoffs, they sniff that trophy, they want it, by George, I think they're gonna get it. I gotta email my bookie.

 

[Alsacs]

I hope I live long enough (half joking, half serious) to see the Cavs win the title next year. I'm deep into the Social Security, Medicare Advantage, cheaper movie ticket demo, I'm past the giddy naive stage (barely), but I don't see LeBron, Love, Kyrie, Thompson, Mozgov, Rakeem (yeah, baby), et al., being beat by anyone next season. This year was a the trial by fire for everyone -- Blatt, his staff, the gm Griffin, the other gm LBJ, Love, Irving, Dion (oops, never mind) -- and they limped to the finish line and still gave a team for the ages a good fight.

Next season, short of anything tragic, I don't see 31-year-old player for the ages LeBron James and some seriously talented teammates losing to anyone. They've been through the ringer, two of the big 3 suffered serious injuries in the playoffs, they sniff that trophy, they want it, by George, I think they're gonna get it. I gotta email my bookie.

Cavs come out flat next year. Lebron coasts thru till December. David Blatt becomes the fall guy and is fired. Tyronn Lue becomes HC and they go on a roll. Cavs clinch 1 seed and steamroll to the Finals. The West champ though is 50/50 I don't know if they win, but they are there in the end.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Cavs come out flat next year. Lebron coasts thru till December. David Blatt becomes the fall guy and is fired. Tyronn Lue becomes HC and they go on a roll. Cavs clinch 1 seed and steamroll to the Finals. The West champ though is 50/50 I don't know if they win, but they are there in the end.

Just a hunch and decades of watching hoops, but I think the Cavs are gonna have a different opponent in the finals next season (which is less than four months away!). I like a lot about your scenario, but instead of Lue I see them staying with the Jew (full disclosure: I was raised in a kosher home), who, after leading the Cavs to the promised land, leaves the room on top and, a few years shy of the big 6-0, goes back home to Israel with a ring and second-place finish and the confidence he can hang with the best.

The Republican National Convention (boo, hiss) is going to be in Cleveland next July, the GOP would've liked to have held the convention in late June, but wisely moved it back. If the Cavs win the title next June, it'll take a month to clean up from the revelry.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm thinking Durant leaves to go to an eastern conf team next summer

Here's hoping.

Although I do think the Heat may be dangerous this year.

 

[Knicks411]

Here's hoping.

Although I do think the Heat may be dangerous this year.

If they could get to a playoff series where the starting unit is healthy, I could see it. The starting 5, on paper, looks pretty good.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If they could get to a playoff series where the starting unit is healthy, I could see it. The starting 5, on paper, looks pretty good.

Just saw that they also signed Gerald Green. That could be a sneaky good pick up.