Thompson will most likely guard Irving.
Shout out to SamRayNot who gets to see his Dubs in the Finals essentially for the first time.
Shout out to SamRayNot who gets to see his Dubs in the Finals essentially for the first time.
NBA Playoffs Game Thread
- Thread starter JohnnyTheBone
- Start date
They discussed trying to move the finals up 2 days if both series' ended in sweeps, (which didn't happen) but there were a lot of logistical issues. So it probably wouldn't have happened anyway, despite the long break. It is a long break in the action but that is simply the result when you have 5 game and a 4 game conference finals.
The NHL is the opposite right now. Both series' are going 7. So the delay is much less.
The NHL is the opposite right now. Both series' are going 7. So the delay is much less.
Thompson out indefinitely? That makes things much more interesting. Didn't see CLE with much of a chance at full strength.
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/12976292/klay-thompson-golden-state-warriors-concussion
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Doesn't give any indication of timetable. Looks like the long break is probably going to help GS much more than CLE at this point.
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/12976292/klay-thompson-golden-state-warriors-concussion
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Doesn't give any indication of timetable. Looks like the long break is probably going to help GS much more than CLE at this point.
And shout-back to DJBMH for bringing a cool "Strength in Numbers" shirt to me in NYC! I like the motto: not sure if the triple-entendre is intended, but I think of it as an ode not just to the power of teamwork and the power of a raucous homecourt but also to the power of advanced stats.DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
Full disclosure: as I explained to DJBMH over beers, the Dubs have really been "my team" *only* since about 1987. When they last won in '75 I was barely hoops-conscious or anything-conscious, but was Celtics fan by default (though I do remember thinking "Golden State Warriors" was a super cool name, and wondering where this magical Golden State was, and how I could get there). And obviously, like any self-respecting Bostonian, I was a rabid Cs fan throughout the early-mid Bird Era. But somehow after the death of Bias something died in me (not just in my Celtics fandom, but possibly in general); and, as a UC Berkeley freshman, I found myself looking for at least one Bay Area sports team to call my own. The Warriors had that cool name, and great unis, and a mutual enemy in the Lakers, and were a natural choice. (I'm lukewarm-to-cold on pretty every other Bay Area team except Cal football and hoops). Listening to Greg Papa call games in the Sleepy Floyd era got me through many a dull evening of homework.
And so a budding romance was born, blossomed during Run TMC, and grew to a fever pitch with the drafting of Webber and ensuing '93 playoff season ... of course followed by basically 15 straight years of misery. (Simmons' classic How to Annoy a Fanbase in 60 Steps is well-worth a read or a re-read for details). And after 2004, they became my "c'mon you losers, do this just ONCE before I die" team of choice. So yeah ... I'm savoring every minute of this season right now.
Obviously, breath still held on the Finals, which look to me like close to a 50:50 proposition, especially with a week for LeBron and Kyrie to get healthy.
For fun, here's a revisit of the finals prognostications in the preseason Port Cellar NBA prediction thread.
CLE over LAC (Grin&MartyBarrett)
SAS over CHI (Kliq)
GSW over CLE (Sam Ray Not)
CLE over GSW (DeJesus Built My Hotrod)
LAC over CHI (Troy OLeary)
GSW over CLE (TheDeuce222)
SAS over CLE (Nomar813)
Special shout-out to TheDeuce222, not just for joining the "Dubz4Eva" fanboy twins in predicting the Warriors in the finals, but also for this:
CLE over LAC (Grin&MartyBarrett)
SAS over CHI (Kliq)
GSW over CLE (Sam Ray Not)
CLE over GSW (DeJesus Built My Hotrod)
LAC over CHI (Troy OLeary)
GSW over CLE (TheDeuce222)
SAS over CLE (Nomar813)
Special shout-out to TheDeuce222, not just for joining the "Dubz4Eva" fanboy twins in predicting the Warriors in the finals, but also for this:
Ugh, don't remind me of the picks...
I actually don't think this series is going to be very close, I'm sure we will talk about this more over the next week, but one thing I'd like to point out is how well GS has handled the bigs they have faced so far. Part of the reason Cleveland smoked Atlanta was because of their ferocious offensive rebounding numbers, and Thompson and Mozgov ate Atlanta alive winning the offensive rebound battle 55-27. GS has already gone through The Brow, Gasol & Z-Bo and Dwight Howard in this playoffs and they out-rebounded the Rockets on the offensive glass 67-48, they should have no problem dealing with Cleveland's bigs. That forces Cleveland to become a shot-making team, and Cleveland has some work to do there. LeBron has been brilliant this post-season, but he hasn't been as efficient as he has been in past seasons. JR and Shumpert are streaky shooters, Kyrie's status is up in the air, I just don't know offensively how Cleveland is going to manage to keep up on offense against the Warriors when the W's are firing on all cylinders.
I actually don't think this series is going to be very close, I'm sure we will talk about this more over the next week, but one thing I'd like to point out is how well GS has handled the bigs they have faced so far. Part of the reason Cleveland smoked Atlanta was because of their ferocious offensive rebounding numbers, and Thompson and Mozgov ate Atlanta alive winning the offensive rebound battle 55-27. GS has already gone through The Brow, Gasol & Z-Bo and Dwight Howard in this playoffs and they out-rebounded the Rockets on the offensive glass 67-48, they should have no problem dealing with Cleveland's bigs. That forces Cleveland to become a shot-making team, and Cleveland has some work to do there. LeBron has been brilliant this post-season, but he hasn't been as efficient as he has been in past seasons. JR and Shumpert are streaky shooters, Kyrie's status is up in the air, I just don't know offensively how Cleveland is going to manage to keep up on offense against the Warriors when the W's are firing on all cylinders.
It should go deep. Cleveland controlling tempo could disrupt the Warriors rhythm as could the long layoff. I'd be very surprised if Cleveland didn't have home court after the first two games.Devizier said:
The Akron Smackdown.BigSoxFan said:
What are the chances of the two best (healthy) basketball players in the world right now being born in the same smallish town in Ohio, pop. 198,000?
Haha, LeBron is such a Steph fanboy.
Interviewer: "How do you slow him down?"
LeBron: "The same way you slow me down. You can't."
Interviewer: "How do you slow him down?"
LeBron: "The same way you slow me down. You can't."
Doesn't Robert Horry have like 6 or 7 Championship rings? That man got some serious mileage out of a career 7/5 line.BigSoxFan said:
Big shot Bob. I know he and Fisher were role players but I would argue that for most of their finals appearances, both were hugely important to their teams' respective success. Also, unless anyone objects, I might start a NBA Finals Game thread. I love me some NBA but now there are just two teams left standing.
Sure, if so...this seems like a fitting epitaph for the thread:
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/are-the-nba-playoffs-boring/
Hopefully redeemed by a great Finals!
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/are-the-nba-playoffs-boring/
Hopefully redeemed by a great Finals!
DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
Fisher is a big reason the Celtics did not add an 18th banner in 2010. Fisher pretty much won Game 3 at the Garden. If it wasn't for his performance, I am convinced the Celtics win that series in 5.
Steve Kerr expects Thompson will be cleared to play in game 1.
http://www.nba.com/2015/news/05/30/kerr-expects-thompson-to-play.ap/
http://www.nba.com/2015/news/05/30/kerr-expects-thompson-to-play.ap/
Agreed, he was never really just a guy along for the ride for his rings. He earned that nickname with some phenomenal buzzer beaters.DeJesus Built My Hotrod said: