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Cleveland Cavs (2016 NBA Champions)

If Kyrie is really hurt, I don't see how this gets there.
What I took away from the last 2 games is that if Lebron and Kyrie play average, once you add JR back into the mix with Shump, Delly, Thompson, Moz ... it should've been a 5 game series. If Kyrie gets back on point, they'll win more games... if he's hurt and doesn't rebound... it's over.
Lebron isn't at that point where he can (or even willing?) to win a 7game series all on his own anymore.

I honestly wonder that myself. I look at him sometimes and wonder if he feels like it's Cleveland 2009 all over again. And some part of that is justified. Especially when I'm sure he realizes that winning a title next year will be 10x easier, provided everyone (or at least he, Irving, and Love) is healthy. Is it worth it to put in the effort now and lose to the Warriors in five games? If he gives it everything he has (and who knows how much he has left -- but I promise he doesn't miss that layup with 25 seconds left three years ago) we still probably lose in the Finals.

Blatt said that Kyrie has had a sore foot and may have re-aggravated it tonight. Kyrie at 100% is a defensive liability. Him on one foot is a layup line. Why bother? Love and Irving got a taste of the playoff experience. Pack it in and hope for better luck next year. Maybe the Warriors aren't unbeatable next year. Maybe the injuries break in our favor instead of against us. Maybe the Cavs can install an actual offense in the offseason instead of vanilla PNR plays and LeBron isolations. I know the offense was humming there before Love was hurt, but imagine this team with actual plays. Backdoor cuts. Multiple looks. That's a Cavs team that I wouldn't want to face.
 
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I honestly wonder that myself. I look at him sometimes and wonder if he feels like it's Cleveland 2009 all over again. And some part of that is justified. Especially when I'm sure he realizes that winning a title next year will be 10x easier, provided everyone (or at least he, Irving, and Love) is healthy. Is it worth it to put in the effort now and lose to the Warriors in five games? If he gives it everything he has (and who knows how much he has left -- but I promise he doesn't miss that layup with 25 seconds left three years ago) we still probably lose in the Finals.

Blatt said that Kyrie has had a sore foot and may have re-aggravated it tonight. Kyrie at 100% is a defensive liability. Him on one foot is a layup line. Why bother? Love and Irving got a taste of the playoff experience. Pack it in and hope for better luck next year. Maybe the Warriors aren't unbeatable next year. Maybe the injuries break in our favor instead of against us. Maybe the Cavs can install an actual offense in the offseason instead of vanilla PNR plays and LeBron isolations. I know the offense was humming there before Love was hurt, but imagine this team with actual plays. Backdoor cuts. Multiple looks. That's a Cavs team that I wouldn't want to face.

Not sure if serious....
 
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I honestly wonder that myself. I look at him sometimes and wonder if he feels like it's Cleveland 2009 all over again. And some part of that is justified. Especially when I'm sure he realizes that winning a title next year will be 10x easier, provided everyone (or at least he, Irving, and Love) is healthy. Is it worth it to put in the effort now and lose to the Warriors in five games? If he gives it everything he has (and who knows how much he has left -- but I promise he doesn't miss that layup with 25 seconds left three years ago) we still probably lose in the Finals.

Blatt said that Kyrie has had a sore foot and may have re-aggravated it tonight. Kyrie at 100% is a defensive liability. Him on one foot is a layup line. Why bother? Love and Irving got a taste of the playoff experience. Pack it in and hope for better luck next year. Maybe the Warriors aren't unbeatable next year. Maybe the injuries break in our favor instead of against us. Maybe the Cavs can install an actual offense in the offseason instead of vanilla PNR plays and LeBron isolations. I know the offense was humming there before Love was hurt, but imagine this team with actual plays. Backdoor cuts. Multiple looks. That's a Cavs team that I wouldn't want to face.

You never pack it in because you never know what might happen. I don't see the Warriors as unbeatable this year, but what happens if Curry or Thompson go down in game 1 of the Finals? Would it mean less to win if the Warriors lost their best player? The Cavs have lost their 3rd best player, the Wizards have lost their best, the Clippers and Griz have had injuries to their start PG's Who's to say the Warriors even make the Finals. Lebron might have 5 good years left in him and I doubt he wants to punt on a season because they've had some injuries. He just needs to get his shit together and put the team on his back. His shooting (at least against Chicago and pretty much the whole season) has been off. He needs one of those transcendent games tomorrow to let the Bulls know he isn't going away.

If Kyrie is hurt and can't fully recover they need to cut down his minutes and turn him into more of a spot up shooter. If that is the case Delly is going to have to step up, which he seems to have done at least over the past couple games. They will need to move the ball more with JR and Shump to make up for Kyrie's reduced production. With the shooting the Cavs have they should be a able to get good looks pretty much every possession if they just cut down on the stupid TO's.
 
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Lebron cant beat the Bulls by himself. He single handedly kept us in the game last night, but Kyrie cant have another down game.
Kyrie looked like he didn't want to be there. Im assuming he was injured because he had no explosivness on either side of the ball.

Without Kyrie at a high level this series is over.

This Bulls team is the deepest they have been since Rose was drafted. If they beat us, I expect them to get to the Finals.
Our injuries have really ruined our year. With Love, Varejao, and Smith not being suspended, we could have SWEPT the Bulls.
We still have a punchers chance, and I know we can win.

Even if we don't advance at least these guys got some good experience and playoff chemistry to build on next year.
Just like the Buckeyes, next year (season) will be a great year.
 
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Not sure if serious....

What about my post was laughable? Do you honestly believe the Cavs stand a chance against Golden State or LA with a shadow of Kyrie Irving and no Kevin Love?

You never pack it in because you never know what might happen. I don't see the Warriors as unbeatable this year, but what happens if Curry or Thompson go down in game 1 of the Finals? Would it mean less to win if the Warriors lost their best player? The Cavs have lost their 3rd best player, the Wizards have lost their best, the Clippers and Griz have had injuries to their start PG's Who's to say the Warriors even make the Finals. Lebron might have 5 good years left in him and I doubt he wants to punt on a season because they've had some injuries. He just needs to get his [Mark May] together and put the team on his back. His shooting (at least against Chicago and pretty much the whole season) has been off. He needs one of those transcendent games tomorrow to let the Bulls know he isn't going away.

If Kyrie is hurt and can't fully recover they need to cut down his minutes and turn him into more of a spot up shooter. If that is the case Delly is going to have to step up, which he seems to have done at least over the past couple games. They will need to move the ball more with JR and Shump to make up for Kyrie's reduced production. With the shooting the Cavs have they should be a able to get good looks pretty much every possession if they just cut down on the stupid TO's.

I doubt LeBron wants to put in two more months of exhausting effort to face a dominant team in the Finals. He left Cleveland the first time for that very reason. I get the fan argument and honestly I think you're kidding yourself if you believe we stand a chance against LA or Golden State. Houston and Memphis are beatable, but they're not getting out of this round. Chris Paul and Steph Curry are salivating at the opportunity to play this Kyrie Irving (or god forbid, Matthew Dellavedova) for a championship.

If Kyrie's injury limits him as much as it did last night, they're better off sitting him on the bench until he recovers. He was slow, couldn't finish at the basket, and literally watched players run by him on defense. A team of Delly, Smith, Shumpert, Jones, LeBron, Thompson, and Mosgov can't score enough to beat the Bulls, let alone Golden State.
 
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What about my post was laughable? Do you honestly believe the Cavs stand a chance against Golden State or LA with a shadow of Kyrie Irving and no Kevin Love?

I didn't laugh, just asked if you were serious... whats laughable is the whole "next year things will be easier". The thought that they should just pack it up because guys are injured. Man I'm really glad the Buckeyes did that twice when their version of LBJ went down. Also what happens if "next year" Kyrie has an injury, Love isn't 100%/leaves or better yet LBJ goes down with a nagging injury (we already saw him take two weeks off, Can't remember what for)... Can't count on next year when this year is staring you in the face.

Bottom line is this, LBJ can still take this team to the finals, if he chooses to check out like '09 vs Boston, that puts the nail in the coffin about LBJ being one of the greatest ever.... quitting twice in the face of adversity .... but I mean I guess that's his generation, when the going gets tough you run off and find something or someone else.
 
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