[2017] The Finals

Who ya got?


  • Total voters
    26
  • Poll closed .

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#63
While I appreciate that the Cavs are letting Kyrie deal, he shouldn't just hold the ball for twenty seconds while the BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD is waiting for the ball ten feet away.
 
#68
In all seriousness, I doubt I watch the NBA playoffs next year unless GS miraculously gets broken up in the offseason. Next year I'll mostly be watching the rebuilding teams like ours, and I'll take much more enjoyment in that than watching a team I hate cruise. I feel for the playoff teams with their cores in their prime now. They're already dead in the water. It won't even be fun watching the first and second round series because no one else has a ghost of a chance to later even win a game against GS, it seems.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#70
In all seriousness, I doubt I watch the NBA playoffs next year unless GS miraculously gets broken up in the offseason. Next year I'll mostly be watching the rebuilding teams like ours, and I'll take much more enjoyment in that than watching a team I hate cruise. I feel for the playoff teams with their cores in their prime now. They're already dead in the water. It won't even be fun watching the first and second round series because no one else has a ghost of a chance to later even win a game against GS, it seems.
If you want a fun series, simply don't watch a series involving Golden State. Other teams can still give the fans a show, something along the lines of a Clippers/Jazz series. Washington/Boston. The two best series in the playoffs to be honest.
 
#71
It might be time to invest time and emotion into another sport until things become right again in the basketball world.
Eh, I can at least take solace in the fact that our team is rebuilding and is not competing anyway. I extract a lot of joy from watching bad teams anyway. There's a certain charm to them.

If you want a fun series, simply don't watch a series involving Golden State. Other teams can still give the fans a show, something along the lines of a Clippers/Jazz series. Washington/Boston. The two best series in the playoffs to be honest.
It's true that I enjoyed those series, but I was still in blissful ignorance that someone could challenge GS, AKA at least make it a game after the first round. No such illusions next year. That's going to suck the joy out of it at least a little for me. I already wasn't watching Golden States' series before the WCF, but these playoffs were terrible regardless elsewhere so maybe better series next year with the other teams will lift my mood.
 
#72
Watched the game until the Warriors were only down by 2 and then the time of my recording ran out. Turned it off and checked it on my IPad and to my surprise the Warriors won by 5. I don't share the feeling of most of my fellow pastors that the Warriors are "evil". The just have a very good team and play the game well and are fun to watch when they are not playing the Kings.

 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#73
Eh, I can at least take solace in the fact that our team is rebuilding and is not competing anyway. I extract a lot of joy from watching bad teams anyway. There's a certain charm to them.



It's true that I enjoyed those series, but I was still in blissful ignorance that someone could challenge GS, AKA at least make it a game after the first round. No such illusions next year. That's going to suck the joy out of it at least a little for me. I already wasn't watching Golden States' series before the WCF, but these playoffs were terrible regardless elsewhere so maybe better series next year with the other teams will lift my mood.
This series is the first time I'm actually watching the Warriors in the playoffs. Prior to the postseason, the only time I watched the Warriors in the regular season was versus the Kings/Wizards until those games got out of hand and I joyfully turned the game off. There are way too many better things to do than to watch this team play and win multiple titles, I'm glad Soccer is around the corner :).
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#74
Watched the game until the Warriors were only down by 2 and then the time of my recording ran out. Turned it off and checked it on my IPad and to my surprise the Warriors won by 5. I don't share the feeling of most of my fellow pastors that the Warriors are "evil". The just have a very good team and play the game well and are fun to watch when they are not playing the Kings.
you really find the Warriors fun to watch? what I watched in this Game 3 was street ball worthy basketball in the highest level of competition in the NBA but hey...to each his own.
 
#75
Watched the game until the Warriors were only down by 2 and then the time of my recording ran out. Turned it off and checked it on my IPad and to my surprise the Warriors won by 5. I don't share the feeling of most of my fellow pastors that the Warriors are "evil". The just have a very good team and play the game well and are fun to watch when they are not playing the Kings.
I hate when that happens. Luckily for you nbatv and ESPN will show highlights of the 11-0 run in the end nonstop til Friday.
 
#76
I hope the NBA loses money out of this. I can accept dynasties born out of good drafting, but not have a superstar join an already star-filled team.
A bunch of this for the next 4+ years. Thanks KD, you ring-chasing, spineless tool.
You say this cuz it's not your team. If this happened to the kings and we won a title, there would be a statue of KD in front of the golden1 center.
 
#77
You say this cuz it's not your team. If this happened to the kings and we won a title, there would be a statue of KD in front of the golden1 center.
Do you currently like the competitive balance of the league? Have you found this years playoffs entertaining? Are you excited about the prospect of there not being another team who can compete with this golden state super team? If so, as was stated above, to each their own.

IMO, I don't think it has anything to do with it not being the kings. People want to be entertained and with the exception of A game here and there, these playoffs have been anything but entertaining. I mean for crying out loud, you have Charles Barkley at intermission of a Stanley cup game trashing the NBA and the playoffs and thanking the NHL for being so entertaining!

Personally I've never been this disinterested in the NBA playoffs.
The ONLY good thing about the bad basketball playoff season was I tuned into the Stanley cup playoffs. Wow, talk about entertaining. I'm hooked. I mean I'm on the edge of my seat and I don't even have a horse in this race! Go Predators!
 
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#78
You say this cuz it's not your team. If this happened to the kings and we won a title, there would be a statue of KD in front of the golden1 center.
There is no comparison to KD joining the Kings vs joining the Warriors. The Warriors were already basically the best team when KD joined them. It would be like Larry Bird joining the showtime Lakers after they beat them in the finals. It's a cheap way to win a ring. The all stars of the past never did anything like that because they had a competitive integrity to their personalities that couldn't allow them to join the enemy in order to say they are a champion. Lebron did it with the Heat and now KD is doing it with the Warriors. It's the easy road to say you're a champion but in my opinion it makes you less of a champion than the real champions of the past who didn't take the easy path.
 
#79
There is no comparison to KD joining the Kings vs joining the Warriors. The Warriors were already basically the best team when KD joined them. It would be like Larry Bird joining the showtime Lakers after they beat them in the finals. It's a cheap way to win a ring. The all stars of the past never did anything like that because they had a competitive integrity to their personalities that couldn't allow them to join the enemy in order to say they are a champion. Lebron did it with the Heat and now KD is doing it with the Warriors. It's the easy road to say you're a champion but in my opinion it makes you less of a champion than the real champions of the past who didn't take the easy path.
Although it's probably a bit of a glorification of the past - I agree. Maybe this is a sign, that I'm growing old. Who knows...


Cousins trade and the way the Kings handled it, pretty much spoiled my passion for the Kings, already giving me trouble to look forward to next season (really wanted the "last loyal superstar turns bad team around" story to come true :rolleyes:).
The Durant decision and this years meaningless playoffs just dampened my interest in the NBA in general.

I used to be a guy watching up to 3 NBA games per day and watching every Playoff game thanks to the on demand format of NBA league pass.
This Playoffs I watched all of Boston games, some Memphis games and the Spurs games until Kawhi got injured. That's it. I tuned in on every Finals game only to quickly lose interest, because it's incredibly one sided.
At least last game was a close one, so I kept watching halfheartedly, only to see Durant take over and the Cavs giving away a much deserved win, because of dumb decisions on the court and trying to beat GS at their own game.

Why Lebron isn't attacking the basket more or posting up is beyond me. The Cavs can defend the Warriors in the halfcourt pretty well. But every ill advised shot, every rushed JR.Smith or Kyle Korver 3 point attempt or Kyries forced step back mid range jumpshots gave the Warriors the chance to really play their game. And there is no team better at running the floor and shooting 3's than the Warriors.
I simply have a really hard time to understand Lues game plan.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#80
One last thing regarding the competitive balance of the league, or lack there of, I really hope more players don't follow in Bron's & KD's footsteps but we all know that it's not likely it's going to happen. You will have some stars that will stay with their respective teams IMO such as Westbrook & Harden. Then you have players like Lillard and Wall who I can see staying on their own teams as well. It's going to be very telling on what CP3 decides to do, go ring chasing or take that big fat amount of loot that the Clippers will throw his way.
 
#82
Do you currently like the competitive balance of the league? Have you found this years playoffs entertaining? Are you excited about the prospect of there not being another team who can compete with this golden state super team? If so, as was stated above, to each their own.

IMO, I don't think it has anything to do with it not being the kings. People want to be entertained and with the exception of A game here and there, these playoffs have been anything but entertaining. I mean for crying out loud, you have Charles Barkley at intermission of a Stanley cup game trashing the NBA and the playoffs and thanking the NHL for being so entertaining!

Personally I've never been this disinterested in the NBA playoffs.
The ONLY good thing about the bad basketball playoff season was I tuned into the Stanley cup playoffs. Wow, talk about entertaining. I'm hooked. I mean I'm on the edge of my seat and I don't even have a horse in this race! Go Predators!
I'm one of the few that didn't hate lebron for "the decision". Well going to Miami, the tv show debacle and how he went about it, I didn't care for. I also like KD and don't hate him for what he did. Maybe I'm not a big picture guy and since kings are nowhere near competitive, I'm fine with another NorCal team winning (except for 4 games a season). I know there's not a lot of us here but like you said, to each his own.
 
#83
There is no comparison to KD joining the Kings vs joining the Warriors. The Warriors were already basically the best team when KD joined them. It would be like Larry Bird joining the showtime Lakers after they beat them in the finals. It's a cheap way to win a ring. The all stars of the past never did anything like that because they had a competitive integrity to their personalities that couldn't allow them to join the enemy in order to say they are a champion. Lebron did it with the Heat and now KD is doing it with the Warriors. It's the easy road to say you're a champion but in my opinion it makes you less of a champion than the real champions of the past who didn't take the easy path.
That wasn't my argument. If the kings built a great team through the draft and in a few years we were in the finals or even won a finals and a top 2-3 player in the league, who wanted a win, joined us, would you hate it? If it meant we would get another championship? If there was one team that might stand in our way and adding that piece almost guarantees us another title, you say no? Exactly. You hate it cuz it's not us.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#86
So I guess Bricklayer wasn't right about "small ball" not working in the NBA playoffs.
Smallball works well when the SF you move to center is 6'11" and has a bajillion foot wingspan. Just because the Warriors can do it well doesn't mean the rest of the league can, seeing as how that team features two MVPs, six all-stars (Durant/Curry/Klay/Dray/Iguodala/West), a couple all-NBA defenders, and has set the record for most wins in a season.

Even when the Cavs are "playing small", Lebron is 6'9" and built like a freaking tank. Were he not also the most athletic human being on the planet, he'd probably still make it in the league as a center so it's really hard to see this as a whole "SMALLBALL IS WORKING!!!" thing more than a "THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE REALLY REALLY FREAKING GOOD!" thing.
 
#87
Well at least this is one positive of not having a prime core, we can wait out the warriors upcoming dynasty and be ready in 6-7 years to have an actual shot. That's if this thing doesn't go longer than that. Warriors are basically team USA out there.
 
#88
screw Kevin Durant

screw the Warriors

screw our FO for mismanaging the Demarcus Cousins trade. Not just for us, but for the League. The only way to beat the warriors is to attack the fact they do not have a legitimate inside presence. Demarcus Cousins as the most dominant and versatile big in the league will be central to anyone's ability to dethrone the warriors. If i am Danny Ainge and the Celtics i am going hard at Cousins. If i need to trade IT to do it, im doing it. The addition of Gordan Hayward in FA will help but a dominant paint presence is the only way that we can avoid watching this drivel for the next 4 years + and the Celtics are solid enough for me to get it done.
 
#89
That wasn't my argument. If the kings built a great team through the draft and in a few years we were in the finals or even won a finals and a top 2-3 player in the league, who wanted a win, joined us, would you hate it? If it meant we would get another championship? If there was one team that might stand in our way and adding that piece almost guarantees us another title, you say no? Exactly. You hate it cuz it's not us.
Lets say it's 2002 and we just got cheated out of a championship by the referees handing the series over on a platter to the Lakers. During the summer, halfway through our mini Kings dynasty, Chris Webber holds a press conference and says he is going to leave Sacramento and take his talents to Los Angeles to team up with Shaq and Kobe. Would you be mad?

Now lets say the whole thing is reversed and we are the ones winning championships and beating the Lakers. During the summer, Kobe up and says he is taking his talents to Sacramento. I'd be less mad than I would be at Webber but I still wouldn't respect Kobe as a player because he gave up on his team to join the enemy because he knew he couldn't beat them. Or at least he knew it was going to be tough to beat them and he just wanted getting a ring to be a sure thing.

There's a reason why Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Allen Iverson etc didn't just jump over and start playing with their most heated rivals. They knew it would have tilted the balance of power in their favor by a ton but they didn't do it because they had integrity. You beat your enemies. You don't just join them to achieve what is considered a cheap championship in the eyes of most people.
 
#90
I'm one of the few that didn't hate lebron for "the decision". Well going to Miami, the tv show debacle and how he went about it, I didn't care for. I also like KD and don't hate him for what he did. Maybe I'm not a big picture guy and since kings are nowhere near competitive, I'm fine with another NorCal team winning (except for 4 games a season). I know there's not a lot of us here but like you said, to each his own.
The NorCal thing again... ugh. If you're expecting me to have a connection with the people in the Bay Area then look again. Then again, my hatred extends to all Bay Area sports teams and that's a rarity around here so what do I know.