Podcast Episode 104: FINALS REMATCH!
2016-05-31https://soundcloud.com/ctb-5/episode-104-finals-rematch
Former CtBer Colin McGowan joins Nate Smith and David Wood as they broadcast during Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, and realize who the Cavs will be facing in the finals. Who terrifies us most? What are we looking forward to? What’s the vibe in the region as we anticipate the finals? How do the Cavs match up? We also take a look back at the Raptors series and discuss their future, and take a peak at the crazy contracts we’ll see this summer. We give the most love to this crazy likeable Cavs team, Tyronn Lue, the evolution of Saint Weirdo, and the even more amazing evolution of LBJ.
We can be heard above, on SoundCloud, or on iTunes.
After reading A LOT today about the upcoming finals match up against the dubs I was beginning to doubt my basketball knowledge but them I read your comments and found out that some you believe like I do that the Cavs have a chance.
After the dubs victory yesterday is like nobody is giving the Cavs a chance.
Again I believe it will be either Cavs in 6 or Warriors in seven.
Hiding the defensive deficiencies of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, the weakest defensive players in the rotation, is the Cavs’ biggest challenge.
The Cavs best line up has been Lebron, Delly, Shump, RJ, and Frye. The Cavs will need a line up out there that is able to switch everything. That’s how the Thunder were able to defend the Warriors so well in stretches.
So the question is, will Kyrie guard Curry or would you put him on Barnes?
If I was Lue I would consider playing JR on Curry, LeBron on Thompson and Ky on Barnes.
Yay or Nay?
Individual match-ups don’t even matter that much because the Warriors force your weakest defenders to switch onto Curry by setting screens. They target the weaknesses of your defense and exploit them as much as possible.
Cavs need a physical line up that is able to switch everything yet still get it done on the offensive end.
True but there’s no reason to make it easy on Curry by having Ky on him lol.
Cavs best line up may very well be Lebron, Frye, JR Smith, Shump, and Delly. Give in that JR doesn’t mentally check out of the finals this year.
JR may be one of the most important players in the entire series. We need him big time.
I think the Cavs starting lineup has to keep pace with the Warriors and when the second unit comes out, LeBron included, we should be able to take control of the game. The lineup you mentioned, although I would swap RJ for JR, is our “ace up our sleeve”. Toronto was completely taken back by it and the reason we still lost game 4 against them was that DeRozan and Lowry shot like crazy. Also if we had stayed with that lineup as opposed to bringing in Ky, I think we would had won that game. I still give GS… Read more »
So throwing this out there, any CtB watch meet-ups? I’m down to meet some of you f’ers in person lol.
Trying to maybe set something up. Any suggestions for a location?
I’m on the west side, so I would suggest maybe Kamms Corner? Plenty of options.
You also have Cleats still down by the Steelyards. Always have good wings.
I hate to say this, but Cols has somewhat of a point. There’s no great metric that gives the Thunder an inherent edge in defense over the Cavs. The Thunder’s defensive rating is 103.2 in this playoffs versus Cleveland’s 102.9 (lower is better). I will say that it’s significant that Cleveland is posting this number versus the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors while the Thunder posted it versus the Mavs, Spurs, and Warriors: the last two at least being vastly superior offensive teams to anyone the Cavs played. Cols’ bombastic boast doesn’t pass the gut test for me though.
Cavs posted this with many 4th quarters where our scrubs were in
Also the opponent’s scrubs….but you didn’t consider that, of course…
ill be honest Nate, I’m with you in spirit but the more I think about what Russell Westbrook actually does on defense, the less impressive he is on that end. He’s a gambler and a reach around threat. He doesn’t slow anyone down or pretect against penetration particularly well. There isn’t a whole lot of difference between our perimeter defense and okc’s. They are much better shot blockers though. And it made draymond Rush every shot he took at the rim. I think the numbers are pretty accurate…as in its a wash. We will win or lose based on controlling… Read more »
The Cavs don’t have the length to intercept passes the way OKC did in that series, and they sure as hell don’t have 6’10″/ 6’11” athletic freaks like Durant and Ibaka who can both guard the perimeter and guard the rim when necessary, and also effectively switch on pick and rolls when the Warriors’ small lineup is in. Luckily, it matters zippo what bombastic nonsense Cols wants to post, they have to play the games, and we get to see. Talk is cheap. If the Cavs are unable to effectively defend, and they get scorched, I’m sure Cols will not… Read more »
Great point on OKC’s length(add athletism) that bothered warriors.
Any NYC Cavs fans out there? Where are you planning to watch the finals?
If the Cavs shooters show up and make their open threes we win in 5.
I was thinking we get the sweep. Not like you to be so pessimistic, Cols.
He’s absolutely terrified of the Warriors. It’s actually a good sign that he picks Cavs in 5….if he picked them to sweep, it’d be because he gives them zero chance. Picking them in 5 means he thinks they have at least a tiny chance.
You’re crazy. Cols knows no fear.
His face is the face of abject terror.
The matchup is interesting because both the Cavs and Warriors have shown the ability to go super Nova from 3. OKC is better defensively than the Cavs, by quite a bit, but the Cavs are much more polished offensively. The thing that gives me some hope is that the Cavs seem to have an extra gear on defense and assuming they relaxed in games 3-4 vs the Raptors and assuming they don’t relax even for a quarter vs the Warriors, perhaps they will surprise the world and win this thing. Lebron is focused and relaxed, surrounded by weapons, go Cavs.
No. OKC is not better defensively than the Cavs. Where is this narrative coming from?
Thunder are longer. Not better at defense. The Cavs perimeter defense has been solid. Just gotta keep up the aggressiveness.
Also, part of defense if finishing the possession by rebounding and limiting second-chance opportunities. Thunder are the best in the league at that, but Cavs definitely have the rebounding advantage against the Warriors as well.
The Cavs chances will rest in LeBron’s ability to either make those midrange shots, or when opened, make some 3’s. If for whatever reason he isn’t able to do either, the Cavs have no chance. Good thing is that on the last two games against the Raptors, he did both well. Now i’m sure he will be able to attack the basket but both Iggy and Green have given LeBron issues in the paint. So although I still think he will use the penetration via the left lane to the basket, it won’t be as readily available as it was… Read more »
Speights and Ezeli will not be on floor together ever. Warriors PFs are Draymond and Barnes, that is it. Cs are Bogut, Ezeli, Mo and Dryamond.
I clearly saw Ezeli and Speights in the floor together yesterday, so… I get it, you are clearly a Warrior’s fan, cool by me. But I was not talking about who’s a starter and who’s not, I was only taking about the second unit. But talking about starters: Curry > Kyrie — not by much tho. Thompson > JR — this is a given. Thompson is your best player. LeBron > Barnes — duh. Love = Green — these two cancel each other. Thompson > Bogut. Specially on the offensive boards. Please do respond. I, and a lot of other… Read more »
Curry is better than point guard out there and most fans outside bay don’t know this but he is a pretty good defender and rebounder too. Faster you bring on Delladova, better for you because Kyrie can’t guard Curry. Love and Green don’t cancel each other, there is a reason Green is second team all NBA, the 2nd best defender in the league. Green > Love Thompson is not our best player, he is 3rd best behind Curry and Green. Shumpert or Richard Jefferson would be better match up for Cavs than JR Smith. Of course, every SF in the… Read more »
Well shit you’re right. I could had swore the two of played at the same time. Nice link. Glad you came back and we are having an actual conversation, I have tried to comment on other sites and it quickly degrades to name calling lol. Anyways, maybe I’m a homer but the way Love has been playing, along with the way Green played this past series, it seems like a wash to me. Will Green continue to let his temper get the best of him? Not sure, so we can only wait. At the same time you can say that… Read more »
Unfortunately, the Dubs’ bench, Livingston especially, has killed Cleveland in the past.
Yes, Livingston’s length causes a lot of problems and their bench is filled with players who know their role. Fortunately, we are back to having a bench this year. A year ago, our bench players were playing starters’ minutes and we just didn’t have the personnel to combat the Dubs’ second unit.
On Green, one thing going for you is that, he might get suspended one game. Green at C and as a play maker failed against OKC for most part of the series. Green’s actions also distracted team. Don’t expect the same result against OKC. Warriors death lineup against OKC worked only in final two games but against Cavs, expect that to work. Klay is the MVP of warriors so far but Curry is not far behind despite missing games and not being 100%. First, we have , seen close to 100% is final clinching game. Curry is unanimous MVP this… Read more »
Another note on Kyrie on Curry. Cavs have to send help to Kyrie defending Curry at 3pt. Curry then gladly drops the ball to either of Green or Bogut to lead 4 on 3 offense. If you let Kyrie guard Curry 1-1, a Curry flurry in 2 minutes can essentially guarantee a blow out or come back from what ever the hole warriors were in. Curry seemed to have got his rhythm back since he got injured. JR Smith is too small and too bad a defender to guard Klay. My opinions on Cavs players is mostly from the games… Read more »
BTW, check the game flow here, Mo Speights and Ezeli were not together. Those two and Bogut only play as C.
http://popcornmachine.net/gf?date=20160530&game=OKCGSW
Klay Thompson completely took over game 6 and kept them in the game long enough for OKC to choke it away. Same with the 2nd quarter of game 7.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/540/658/5e8.jpg
But what if that horse is still breathing Nate?!
It was extremely hot shooting from Klay that began from Thunder mental mistakes letting him heat up. The “2 time MVP” really had little to do with their comeback. It was more of an OKC choke job than Warriors brilliance. The Cavs won’t make these same mistakes. The Warriors are in for a rude awakening
lol. guess 31,9, 10, 2 has very little to do with winning. Those are pts, rebs, assists and steals. Oh, he also contained Westbrook to subpar shooting.
Like I posted above, Thompson is your best player and should get his recognition. Unfortunately with Curry’s crazy 3pt shooting ability, the media/fans don’t bother paying attention to Thompson. As far as OKC, if you read throughout other posts during the OKC/GS games, you will clearly see regular posters wanting to face OKC because they are a simple “two trick pony” – with only KD and Russell being a threat. That’s why me, and I bet a lot of other people, were surprised to see GS down 3-1. Now with GS, the biggest issue is your 3pt making abilities but… Read more »
Here’s the key to winning 4 games against Golden State: play better than they do. We have the talent, the system, the players, the everything to beat Golden State. Neither team is a juggernaut defensively, but I do believe that when we are rolling defensively, we’re better than they are defensively. Both teams can hit threes in bunches. Kyrie needs to play defense in this series like he did in Game 1 of the Finals last year. I thought that was the best game I’ve ever seen him play. He has a bunch of steals and actually played good defense… Read more »
Taking game 1 would go a long way for us winning this series.
I believe Draymond’s got suspension looming two-fold. If he gets one more flagrant, that is a suspension. If he gets one more tech, that is a suspension. If I understand the rules correctly, it is possible for him to get a flagrant in game one, get suspended, get a tech in game three and get another suspension? I was under the impression the tech/flagrant counts were independent of each other. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Love the Nate comment about acoustic guitar christian rock solo. Perfect.
GSW won that series by playing ISO ball. Klay ISO is the entire reason they were in the games 6 and 7 long enough for OKC to blow it.
I wonder if all the “beautiful game” people will recognize this. In the NBA playoffs ISO wins you games.
Did you see how much good iso ball for Durant and Russ the last 4-5 minutes of game six? It lost them the series to Golden State. And GSW did not play iso ball. Many of Klay’s shots were after 2-3 passes that created the catch and shoot for him.
Klay won game 6 with ISO ball. It’s the players, not the system. Klay was amazing.
If they are just playing ‘iso ball’, why do you keep saying you hate their style of play? They are playing your favorite kind of basketball. They should be your favorite team of all time, dominating with ‘iso ball’ as they are.
Curry and Thompson have 2 techniques for attacking. It all starts with a high screen. If you switch then they go ISO and mess around until they get a step-back three. If you fight through then they go moving screens or pass out and initiate the 4-on-3 attack.
Since OKC was switching consistently it resulted in lots of step-backs over Ibaka, Adams, and sometimes Durant. My hope is that the Cavs vary their approach and surprise the Dubs with traps, sometimes.
As long as Love + Kyrie don’t combine to go 4-28 in a game again, and Curry + Thompson don’t combine to go 28-40 from 3 in a game, we have this.
Seriously, the Cavs aren’t going to miss as many threes as the Thunder did.
They also are very unlikely to defend GS as well as OKC did. Either on the perimeter or the interior.
This is not true at all.
It is. Sorry.
Nope.
Roberson is one heck of a defender. Very impressed by his D.
We’re gonna need the JR Smith cheat codes for sure; and hope that Frye is still programmed to destroy
OKC almost pulled it off. The two things the Cavs will do much better than the Thunder are
1. We will make our open threes and we much better shooters surrounding our stars
2. We don’t turn the ball over
You are right. It wasn’t Golden States brilliance that won them the series. OKC and their dumb point guard, bad shooting, and countless mental mistakes that lost them three straight games. OKC should have been up 20 at halftime in Game 7. But they don’t put a body on Klay and they let them back in the game. The Warriors are so beatable
For the record, Valenciunas is better than Biyombo.
I thought this might be a celebratory type of podcast, but 10 minutes or so in, Nate wants to talk about the only two bad games of the playoff run.
I wake up this morning with the excitement that these next few weeks could be the most epic of our (sports fans) lives, and with the dread that we don’t quite have the skill set (especially defensively) to pull it off.
The key to beating the Warriors: consistently hit shots and capitalize off turnovers. I believe the Cavs will do both. I’m still in disbelief that the Thunder didn’t win either of the last 2 games – they looked like the better team to me. But it’s a relief.
Full disclosure: I’m a LeBron fan, not really a Cavs fan. I’ve never been this confident about a LeBron-led team going into the finals than right now. I think people are going to be really surprised at this finals when the Cavs look like the better team throughout.
tough series – to win 4 against GS..means we have to win at leats 1 at their court if not 2 in order to win the series. will be tough. K Love has to show up with extra set of balls and not play like he did against Raptors in games 3 and 4 (played w/ fear).
only way we win the series is if all 3 show up EVERY game…
have a chance for sure but I think Vegas has it right… as much as I die to see Cleveland to win one finally
There is a 100% chance Cavs: the Blog is the best Cavs coverage around
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You can’t control who you play, only how you play against them. I believe the Cavs are prepared for this challenge. GS vaunted offense looked like it unraveled in that last series. They pretty much relied on the splash brothers to win those final two games. Cavs are much more balanced.
I want us to start Mozgov so he can punch Green in the nuts once and then have a seat. God I hate the Warriors.
That’s what Dahntay Jones is for.
Agree with Colin…it’s almost unbelievably aggravating to play a good game against them, then they activate the Curry or Klay cheat code, and there’s not a freaking thing you can do about it. Aggravating isn’t even the word, it’s infuriating, and even that’s not nearly a strong enough word.
It requires obscenities that arent appropriate for CtB.
The same thing can be said about Kyrie going off for 40.
The Thunder had a great game plan and limited them. We limited them last year with scrubs. It’s not as hard as you think