Game Thread NBA Finals: Cavs vs Warriors

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/06/kev...mes-yelled-at-him-game-5-nba-finals-cavaliers

I have no Love for Love and don't ever want him in a Blazers uni, but I couldn't help but feel for him on this...

 

Same here, since they've been measured against each other so much. Kyrie has always been the better all-around scorer, with Dame having an edge in at least the perception of a better shooting stroke. Either can get equally hot, as Kyrie has been demonstrating. Around the basket and ball handling, it's Kyrie by miles. I've said for a couple years now, Kyrie might be the best offensive player in the game.

Where Dame has had an advantage is passing (Kyrie is the ultimate one-man show) and defense (Dame is terrible, Kyrie is atrocious). If Kyrie keeps playing D like he has in the Finals, though, he jumps way ahead of Dame in that category.

 

If Jefferson was indeed yelling at Love after this play, then it seems obvious that their frustration with him was discussed between he and James......before the game. They are either trying to light a fire under him, or they just don't like him.

 

If that's the treatment Love gets from James no wonder Love looks so deflated in these games. Honestly, if James thinks that's the way to motivate Kevin Love, or most people for that matter, he's a lousy leader.

Keep in mind I've always thought Love was overrated, but at the same time he does have obvious skill. In these games, I've begun to wonder if Love was any good at all. Having seen this, I'm thinking his play is more a matter of the shitty "offense" the Cavs run, poor leadership, and poor team camaraderie.

I was starting to think I wouldn't want Love at any price. Now I'm thinking if we could get Love at fire sale prices, we should jump on it. Dwight and Love both have something to prove on their next team, and both I think would benefit from playing with a group of guys who get along and have each other's backs. I think they both just want to be loved. Is that so wrong?

 

So you're thinking finals.

 

Part of Love's problem is he can't play at a fast pace, despite having improved his mobility a bunch over the years. With Draymond Groin playing, Love was a huge liability. Without DGroin in the game, he was merely invisible. He just can't match up against speedy lineups that are moderately close to him in size. That seems to be the case on both ends of the court, not just on D where he's always been highly suspect.

 

I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure it sticks!

 

I was gonna post that. Kevin Love's game has really gone down (the way he runs makes me think he has serious knee problems) but i felt really sorry for him when I saw that; his face was like a little boy's whose mom just told him to get lost.

 

Yeh, I don't know if it is the coach or Irving, but it seems to me that LeBron needs the ball when he is on the move (preferably towards the basket) and Irving never gives it to him in those situations; Delladova often does, but he is such a liability on defense. I noticed LeBron cannot beat anyone one on one if he starts out on the top of the key just holding the ball. He seemed to be reluctant to even be aggressive coming up the court with the ball and defenses not really set, he pulled up instead of going right at the basket. Especially in the second half he seemed worried that he had no assists in the first half, and kept passing when he should have been attacking.

 

One thing I believe Love will be on trading block he doesn't mesh with Lebron team. Don't be suprise if Lebron don't ask the front office to get rid of him this off season. Lebron than will come back he didn't have anything to do with it was management decision.

 

LeBron sure seems to have lost a step, doesn't he? He's not blowing by people or elevating for rebounds like he used to. He's still good for a couple explosive moves a game, but it seems to take a lot of effort now. It shows in his face, too, looking borderline disinterested. I wonder if he becomes late-career Kobe next year, frustrated with his body's unwillingness to cooperate?

 

D. Groin is an asshat.

I've come to realize Love will never be a key piece on a championship team. He is just too slow for today's NBA.

Oh. Almost forgot to mention the breaking news....

D.Groin is an asshat.

 

Kevin Love has been babied his entire basketball career.
He had his father yelling at the refs in the stands the entire game anytime someone got close to Love. "How dare you play defense on my son."
When he got to college and was supposed to be the man. He wasn't the man. In fact as far as college goes from what he was supposed to do.. to what he actually did... Could consider him a bust. Very similar to Harrison Barnes.
In the NBA he was babied by the T-Wolves and still couldn't get them above .500 with talent around him.
Now he's on a championship team and being asked to do the little things.. And not up to par. Does anyone still believe Love> Bosh?
Can't tell me what LBJ said to Love is anything new and or wasn't discussed before the game.
I'd be pissed off too if I was LBJ.
But LBJ made his own bed with Love. Wanted him, got him, now he knows what kind of a player Love really is.....

 

Watch: The more Lebron's physical ability decreases, the more he will bark at his teammates. Like last night.

 

Pretty sad to see an All Star PF relegated to camping out in the corner. With no real risk to drive, it's not hard for the defense to bottle Love up out there.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: D. Groin is an ass hat.

 

I agree. HE is not near as mentally tough as I once thought.
You could see it in his face last night. He had a great game. Maybe his best playoff game ever, yet his face was that of concern. Not confidence. His super fast paced walk, etc... yeah... he is weak too. Him and Love make a great pair... too bad LBJ denied Love the wedding that I posted earlier.

 

Everything you wrote was opinion, and I have little quibble with most of it, but I do disagree with your comments about Love's college career. He was 1st team all American in his one and only season at UCLA. How can someone, as a freshman, be considered one of the top 5 players in all of Division I college basketball and be considered a bust? Love was a freshman and there were three other future 1st round draft picks on that team. Russell Westbrook was a sophomore and Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were juniors. Yet, it was the freshman Love that was the bast player on that team, by far. He led the team in scoring and had more Win Shares than Westbrook and Collison combined.

He is what he is now, but he was far from a bust in his one, and only year, of college basketball.

BNM