Are the warriors really that much better than the Cavs?

It's the narrative Lebron likes, he likes being the "underdog" and the media always plays along, cavs and warriors are pretty evenly matched and I expect a great series with the warriors winning in probably 6.

Warriors in 5. Maybe 4. This may very likely be the best nba ever. No disrespect to cavs but even the Jordan led bulls couldn't win 2 games against this warriors team.

At their best, I think the Cavs are equal to the Warriors. The problem is that the Cavs are more volatile so you never know which Cavs may show up. However, they have been increasingly excellent and non-volatile as these playoff rounds have gone on. Their 1 loss was supposedly because Lebron was sick and maybe some of his teammates.

It is crazy that we have BOTH teams make it through the playoffs practically without any losses. I'm not sure if this has ever happened before.

Adding Kevin Durant to the Warriors is ridiculous though. I have a hard time seeing them lose, but I'm rooting for the Cavs.

Greatness demonstrated wrote:

Warriors in 5. Maybe 4. This may very likely be the best nba ever. No disrespect to cavs but even the Jordan led bulls couldn't win 2 games against this warriors team.

I'd be happy if they won in four, and KD gets the MVP, I'd be happy for the rest of June

only interested in finals wrote:

I only watch the finals, but everything I read tells me the Cavs don't have a chance.

Lebron James is really going to let them lose. I don't think so. But I haven't been watching games this year.

I think that you could make a pretty decent case that Cavs have only the 3rd or 4th best team in the NBA for the past two years (despite last year's championship). I think this year's Spurs and Warriors have been better than this year's Cavs, and last year's Spurs, Warriors, and OKC were all on par with or better than last year's Cavs.

That being said, don't count out crazy lines from LeBron. Obviously last year he pulled off the amazing upset, and he's been going nuts in the postseason so far.

In recent NBA playoffs, the western conference team would usually more fatigued by finals (since road to NBA finals in east has been significantly easier than in west for at least 4 years), but with the Kawhi letting the Warriors sweep, I imagine fatigue will be less of a factor.

All said, I think Warriors in 6 or 7.

** the Kawhi injury

Make a case that Cavs are 3rd or 4th best team? I'd like to hear that argument. If you're looking at regular season record don't be fooled. The Cavs know that the regular season is just a formality that they have to go through the playoffs. Just look at last season. The Warriors were gassed from chasing 72 while the Cavs were well rested and were able to take it to a new level in the playoffs.

It's called a sit and kick. Lebron and the Cavs have mastered it.

Veteran NBA teams with championships just try to get through the regular season and are all in for the championships. The regular season means nothing for them.

If I have learned one thing about Lebron. It's this: Never Bet Against Lebron. It's a terrible bet. Yes the Warriors "should" win but with Lebron involved anything is possible.

My point exactly Ludd.

A 73-9 record, greatest team ever the year before, immediately adding Kevin Durant. So of course they are better. Its just the natural response Lebron's parity destroying actions of taking crap teams/unproven star players/old players to championships and dominating the league with that method.

Never bet against Lebron?

He's lost four times in the finals.

Warriors are a great team, but I'm going with cavs will win in 6. This is arguably the best team Lebron has played. Irving is playing unbelievable and Love is playing excellent. Their role players are playing excellent and have deep bench with veterans checking in.

Lebron will then be on equal level as Jordan. I love Jordan with his ultra smooth playing style, but Lebron is ridiculous as well.

Wow, most of you losers should stick to talking about something you have a clue about. Curry is so cute but Lebron is a fuc*ing beast and championship basketball is (or at least used to be), a man's sport. It's a physical sport and Curry is a pu$$y.

Yeah, GS, on paper, may be more talented, but Lebron is THE best, most dominant, current NBA player. No doubt about that.

Warriors should have won last year. Refs let teams grab and hold Curry for some reason. On top of being hurt as well. Of course they had plenty of opportunities to win. Losing was ultimately on them no scoring in the last 2:30 was an epic collapse.

This year Warriors have too much fire power. Only way they lose is if the are shooting 35%. Which has happened. But to have 4!out of 7 bad games for this team would be worse than blowing a 3-1 lead.

I would say so wrote:

A 73-9 record, greatest team ever the year before, immediately adding Kevin Durant. So of course they are better. Its just the natural response Lebron's parity destroying actions of taking crap teams/unproven star players/old players to championships and dominating the league with that method.

The Warrior team of last year was nowhere close to the greatest team ever. They just pushed themselves to the best record ever, a feat that several great teams before them could have accomplished. The 96 Bulls only broke the record b/c it was an expansion year. This Warriors team is better than last year's Warriors team.

On the other end, the Cavs don't have to deal w/ the Spurs so they don't take the regular season as seriously.

Akron OH in the house wrote:

Wow, most of you losers should stick to talking about something you have a clue about. Curry is so cute but Lebron is a fuc*ing beast and championship basketball is (or at least used to be), a man's sport. It's a physical sport and Curry is a pu$$y.

Yeah, GS, on paper, may be more talented, but Lebron is THE best, most dominant, current NBA player. No doubt about that.

But Curry was 1st in bringing Akron Ohio a championship.

Steph won in 2015, Bron won in 2012. LeBron won first, unless you know something about calendars that I don't. Neither was playing for an Ohio team when they first won, unless you know something about maps that I don't. Bron won last year for the Cavs, Steph has never played for a Cleveland team, so Bron brought a championship back to Ohio before Steph, unless you know something about time travel that I don't.

Sandbagger wrote:

Make a case that Cavs are 3rd or 4th best team? I'd like to hear that argument. If you're looking at regular season record don't be fooled. The Cavs know that the regular season is just a formality that they have to go through the playoffs. Just look at last season. The Warriors were gassed from chasing 72 while the Cavs were well rested and were able to take it to a new level in the playoffs.

It's called a sit and kick. Lebron and the Cavs have mastered it.

Last year in the Finals Curry was clearly not 100% from the injury he suffered earlier in the playoffs. If he was at full strength and the warriors, were not gassed from the series against the Thunder, and Draymond hadn't screwed up and got himself suspended the warriors would have won. Lebron was brilliant but if any of the above hadn't happened the warriors would have repeated. I think the Thunder were better than the Cavs last year although you can easily argue that the way they choked away the conference finals they were not.

Don't be fooled by the Cavs record, they coasted much of the regular season because they could but even at their best this Warriors team is just to stacked. I don't think the Cavs are about on par with the spurs this year so second or third best team. Lebron is the best player in the NBA and its not even close, unfortunately for him he's coming against one of the most stacked teams ever. I'd love to see him play out of his mind and somehow top the warriors but I don't think even him at his best will be enough.