I think the top 6 teams in the West (playoff teams minus Mavs and Pelicans) could all beat this Cavs team in 5.
Well time to stay off ESPN again for the next couple days, all they'll be talking about is Lebron going to his 5th straight finals.
Yeah, that's what I am thinking. Mavs could not, Pelicans would put up a fight, but ultimately lose. Teams like the Spurs, Clips, Rockets... yeah, they would most likely win, in 6 IMO. The Warriors look significantly better (deeper) to me.
I'm not going to praise LeBron for beating up on a depleted Eastern conference for several years, let alone a undermanned Hawks team. Also he struggled against the Bulls right? How come we can just forget certain things about LeBron after he has a few stellar games. He's an amazing athlete and I won't take his accomplishments away from him. He worked hard and earned it. But it almost feels dirty watching the media throw him these individual parades. I don't think it's right to compare him to MJ.
Yeah, and there's always the possibility that Dellavedova reduces the Warriors' roster by one or two players. But just consider the fact that the Cavs have been playing injured/depleted teams all along, they themselves are depleted, and now they're about to play a fully healthy 67-win team that has the #1 defense, the #3 offense and the current MVP. LeBron is practically the basketball ideal and they're on a streak, as you point out, but they are the quintessential paper tiger IMO.
If I'm the Hawks, I move Teague this summer rather than waiting till next summer. They plan on letting Dennis the menace taking over for him anyway, might as well go ahead and fix the roster. The only way they can keep the band together and improve is if both Carroll and Millsap are willing to wait. If they let the Hawks go shopping first, they'd have close to $10m to grab Asik or R. Lopez. Then they can take care of their own. If they don't want to wait, you've got to let at least one of them go and make a trade. Nets, Pacers, and Kings can use a PG. The latter two would require a 3rd team to get involved cause their tradeable pieces suck. Get either Asik or R. Lopez as part of a 3 team S&T. But since the Nets are blowing up the roster, I think their best move would be Teague and Millsap for Brook Lopez, Jack, and Plumlee (since they're desperate, you could probably get some future draft consideration too). Solves size, scoring, rebounding, vet leadership off the bench, backup big who plays above the rim, and FINALLY allows Horford to play his natural position. I'm drafting Dekker to help compensate for losing your starting SF and to eventually replace the aging Korver. Lopez/Plumlee Horford/Scott Korver/Dekker Thabo/Bazemore Dennis/Jack
Hawks were 43-9 with Thabo. They were 17-13 without him. I think with Thabo (and Korver for an entire series), the Hawks could have pushed the Cavs to 6. Still, the Cavs are missing Love. Kyrie is hobbling around. They haven't had Varejao. Cavs are basically going to make the finals for a long time unless the NBA decides to do something about the stupidly weak East.
I can only say it so many times, all part of the narrative. East freaking sucks, a Cavs team full of LeBron and scrubs swept the 1 seed. I just hope the Warriors finish off the Rockets and Curry, Thompson and Green stay healthy and Delavadova doesn't take out any of their knees. Otherwise we will hear how this is the greatest championship ever achieved if the Cavs somehow win.
