The 2015 NBA Finals Game Thread AKA Battle Of The Australian Institute Of Sport

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,187
Cle just out of gas late.  Not sure they can do this without getting a little more out of the bench.
 

Jnai

is not worried about sex with goats
SoSH Member
Sep 15, 2007
16,123
<null>
coremiller said:
"Nothing like eating at the Delly"?  Seriously, MJax?
 
That was unbelievably awful.
 
Curry looks totally out of control and then swish. It makes no sense.
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,187
PC Drunken Friar said:
It goes from lebron...and then any difference between the second and fifth option?

Magic Mike.. Here we come!
 
Offensively not a lot; defensively, though, definitely.   I think the problem is they need guys six through eight to give them a little production and the other guys a little rest so they can be fresh at the end.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
LeBron getting NOTHING. My lord, this is crazy. That last play was a clear foul. There have been many of them. I don't understand. Not enough star power?
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,187
johnmd20 said:
LeBron getting NOTHING. My lord, this is crazy. That last play was a clear foul. There have been many of them. I don't understand. Not enough star power?
 
Yeah, I think in the 4th he really hasn't gotten any calls...which is pretty surprising
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
PC Drunken Friar said:
I think it'd be an upset if he didnt
Yes totally agrees and there is a precedent for a player from the losing team winning the award. It's a no brainier imo.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Cleveland REALLY needed this game. Going back more than halfway across the country and playing again in less than 48 hours heavily favors these Warriors.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
BigSoxFan said:
I think they'll grit out a Game 6 win but winning a Game 7 on the road seems like a tall order. LeBron couldn't have played better and they still lost by 13.
I dunno I originally liked this to go 7 but we saw how the Cavs reacted physically in Game 5 to the short rest. I think Tues has the potential to be an ugly game for the Cavs.
 

ilol@u

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 2, 2009
4,231
Foxboro
This is the LBJ I wanted to see the past 4 years. Him carrying a team single handedly because he is the greatest active NBA player. Not him deferring to D-Wade and Chris Bosh. Even though GSW has this championship in the bag and LBJ goes to 2-4 in the finals, I gained a lot of respect for LeBron and his game.
 

GeorgeCostanza

tiger king
SoSH Member
May 16, 2009
7,286
Found in central mass
ilol@u said:
This is the LBJ I wanted to see the past 4 years. Him carrying a team single handedly because he is the greatest active NBA player. Not him deferring to D-Wade and Chris Bosh. Even though GSW has this championship in the bag and LBJ goes to 2-4 in the finals, I gained a lot of respect for LeBron and his game.
Begrudgingly agree with you. I still think he's insufferable in many ways but this has been finals pantheon level performance from him. Hope it goes 7 so we get to see as much as possible.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
BigSoxFan said:
Definitely possible but I also think that LeBron will get some more whistles this time around. Problem for the Cavs is that the Warriors once again look like the Warriors - ball is moving quickly and Curry is draining ridiculous shots.
Kerr made the adjustment of the series by benching Bogut and going small to take Mozgov out of the game since he isn't capable of defending in that small lineup. The Warriors also adapted to the Cavs defense as they did with Memphis right around Game 4-5.
 

GeorgeCostanza

tiger king
SoSH Member
May 16, 2009
7,286
Found in central mass
HomeRunBaker said:
Kerr made the adjustment of the series by benching Bogut and going small to take Mozgov out of the game since he isn't capable of defending in that small lineup. The Warriors also adapted to the Cavs defense as they did with Memphis right around Game 4-5.
Bingo. Although let's not confuse Kerr with Red Aurbach, Bogut was the worst player on the floor so it wasn't the hardest decision he's ever had to make.
 

dhellers

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2005
4,203
Silver Spring, Maryland
GeorgeCostanza said:
Can only go with hand down man down so many times I guess.
Several years ago when the Mark J, Breen, and VanGundy crew first started announcing... it found it interesting.
So what happened? Did I get tired of their shtick; or did Mark J justGetStupid? 
It really is remarkable how insufferable he has become!
 
And can you imagine GSW going deep with Mark J as coach?
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
GeorgeCostanza said:
Bingo. Although let's not confuse Kerr with Red Aurbach, Bogut was the worst player on the floor so it wasn't the hardest decision he's ever had to make.
Agreed. I had been calling for Bogut to be benched all season as his suckitude had been hidden during the regular season if you didn't pay attention specifically to him.
 

GeorgeCostanza

tiger king
SoSH Member
May 16, 2009
7,286
Found in central mass
2005's #1 pick in the NBA draft, Andrew Bogut, is the worst player on the court in 2015 finals. That's got to sting the ego, but at least you don't hear a peep about him being disgruntled. I didn't see much of him in his younger NBA days outside of games against the Celtics, but was he always shitty? His stats were never eye popping, especially for a #1 pick. Was that CP3s draft class?

Edit: yup it was. D-will too. Not a great draft aside from a small handful of players.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Nooooo, Bogut was skilled for a player his size and one of the best defensive 5's in the game while leading the league in blocks one year. He was very very good. His elbow injury won't allow him to fully extend his arm affecting his shot and lower body injuries have robbed him of his agility.
 

GeorgeCostanza

tiger king
SoSH Member
May 16, 2009
7,286
Found in central mass
Thanks for that HRB. So he's like Nique with the Celtics. A putrid shell of his former self.

Any insight on Steph Curry's ball handling and passing? Is he really as lacking in those areas as these finals have shown?
 

sibpin

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
2,741
Fresh off the boat
ilol@u said:
This is the LBJ I wanted to see the past 4 years. Him carrying a team single handedly because he is the greatest active NBA player. Not him deferring to D-Wade and Chris Bosh. Even though GSW has this championship in the bag and LBJ goes to 2-4 in the finals, I gained a lot of respect for LeBron and his game.
 
You had the chance to see him single-handedly carry a NBA team into the playoffs from 2007-2010. The difference between those seasons and this one are that in 3 of those 4 seasons, there was a competent Eastern Conference team (Celtics twice, Magic once) that could stand up to just-LeBron. Throw the 2008-2012 Celtics in the way of these injured-Kyrie, Love-out Cavs and every incarnation of those Celtics win out. The whole reason LeBron joined up with Wade and Bosh in the first place was because he's been in this position before, it sucked, and he wasn't winning any rings with it. That's also the reason he left a Miami team that was absolutely crushed by the Spurs for a team with two young All-Stars in Irving and Love - he knows he needs help to win.
 
This series for LeBron has been incredible and I believe he should be the Finals MVP unless Curry buries the Cavs early with 40 on Tuesday. But I'll gladly take LeBron and two All-Stars against the best of the West over what this series has become. He's not a cheat code and saying "you don't get my respect playing alongside two Hall of Famers" - which wasn't even enough of a supporting cast for two seasons - holds him to an impossible standard. Tim Duncan has been the beneficiary of great supporting casts and great coaching - and I don't feel deprived of the chance to respect his greatness just because he played with Robinson, Ginobili, Parker, and Leonard.
 
Nevertheless, I'm glad even those with the most extreme LeBron disrespect/dislike are finally coming around to his greatness. It makes the legacy of the 2008, 2010, and 2012 Celtics so much sweeter knowing that they came against one of the most terrifying opponents at the peak of his powers.
 

ElUno20

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
6,055
ilol@u said:
This is the LBJ I wanted to see the past 4 years. Him carrying a team single handedly because he is the greatest active NBA player. Not him deferring to D-Wade and Chris Bosh. Even though GSW has this championship in the bag and LBJ goes to 2-4 in the finals, I gained a lot of respect for LeBron and his game.
I understand this common take from sports fans but i will never in a billion years agree with it. I dont, and will never, think higher of lebron or any player for losing. I dont give two shts who a guy has to defer to in order to win or what he has to do. Just win.

You think lebron is taking solace in winning that last segment of sports fans respect? My guess is he probably is wishing he had kyrie or love for at least one or two quarters to try and win a title
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,617
ElUno20 said:
I understand this common take from sports fans but i will never in a billion years agree with it. I dont, and will never, think higher of lebron or any player for losing. 
 
 
It isn't about losing. It is about his performance in the face of adversity. It's about Budo/Bushido, Gameness, Fighting Spirit, whatever you want to call it. You're basically saying when Rocky lost in Rocky 1, he was just a loser and you didn't think anything of him, he lost.