Dwight Howard is the only player alive that can realistically be compared to Shaq

6/15/2015 8:54:33 PM

The league doesn't need a lot of center as 15 yrs ago.
Now, even Lebron can play center.

6/15/2015 9:00:00 PM

Quote :

"Mozgov plays similar to Shaq. You have to wonder why he only got 9 minutes last night. Blatt thought they could out-small-ball the Ws? Lebron almost led them to do so until midway through the 4th. I don't think he coached a great game considering the 2nd best scorer for Cleveland this series only got 9 minutes. I know the early 1st quarter double teams on Mozgov caused a couple turnovers, but does that mean you just give up on him for the rest of the game?"

Mozgov was the leading scorer in Game 4 and they got beat 20. Thompson is a slightly better offensive rebounder and is much better when they switch on screens. Mozgov is better on offense, but I'm sure the Cavs just figure that Lebron will take whatever possessions Mozgov would have gotten and they won't lose any production. It's the gamble you have to take in order to not get burned on the other end.

6/15/2015 10:21:56 PM

Quote :

"Mozgov was the leading scorer in Game 4 and they got beat 20"

I hear that, but I'd put the 20 point loss more on Smith going 2-12, Delly going 3-14 and Shumpert going 2-9. And the Cavs were only down 6 points at the end of 3. Just don't know how the best player in Game 4 goes from 33 minutes to 9 minutes. Blatt might not have many options, but you can tell both of these coaches are in their first Finals.

6/15/2015 11:31:46 PM

Quote :

"but you can tell both of these coaches are in their first Finals."

how?

6/16/2015 12:10:55 AM

well to me, it took Kerr 3 games to put in AI instead of Bogut. And I think Blatt fucked up by trying to play a small ball lineup last night when thats the Warriors strength. basically just one example for each coach, but its the internet. they're rookies.

6/16/2015 12:16:28 AM

blatts not really a rookie

6/16/2015 1:39:47 AM

He is in big boy NBA basketball.

6/16/2015 1:58:47 AM

Quote :

"well to me, it took Kerr 3 games to put in AI instead of Bogut."

He won the first game and the next two were really close...all with Curry not playing well. Cleveland was dominating the boards with Thompson and Mozgov. Not an easy decision to pull your 7-footer when you're already getting dominated on the boards. And he was playing AI plenty in the first few games anyways. It's not like he was languishing on the bench.

Same goes for Blatt. Mozgov played 9 horrible minutes in the last game and they were up by one in the 4th without him.

I think both of these coaches are doing a great job. Cleveland somehow won two games against the best team in the NBA without two of his superstars...and Kerr has regrouped after getting decimated on the boards and going against one of the best players ever who is having one of the best Finals performances ever.

I really can't point to any coaching decision and say..."man, that was a bad call." Every move has had very strong reasoning behind it. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes your players make stupid decisions and miss open shots...sometimes they don't.

6/16/2015 10:37:14 AM

looks like some people are confusing adjustments with bad coaching, just because they happen to be to rookie coaches

both have made good adjustments that have helped their teams win. not much more you could ask out of your coach, especially one as undermanned as Blatt

6/16/2015 10:41:47 AM

Quote :

"These small lineups are so much more enjoyable than the hack-a-shaq days."

Agreed.

Shaq was great but its not really entertaining to see him just be bigger than other people. That kind of physical play is tough to officiate and just boring to watch imo. Can't put in the time to develop a jump shot or free throw... at least small ball players have to develop skills to succeed.

6/16/2015 11:23:58 AM

Now the pressure is back to CLE and Lebron.

6/16/2015 11:45:29 AM

I bet mozgov gets 20+ minutes tonight

6/16/2015 11:54:03 AM

maybe. they've already tried that before and it doesn't work. they lost by 20 points the last time he played well.

honestly, i think the Cavs are out of options at this point and i think the Warriors close it out in a nail biter until the 4th.

6/16/2015 7:19:34 PM

the "Mozgov played well and they lost by 20" argument is retarded. Did his minutes and production somehow cause Shumpert, Delly, Smith, Jones and Lebron to go a combined 12-50 from the field?

What about the game where he had 17 and 11 and the Cavs won in Oakland? How about the fact that he only played 9 minutes in Game 5 and they lost by 13?

Like I said, I bet he gets 20+ tonight. And I'd love to see this go to a game 7, even though I hope Golden State wins

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 8:27 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 8:26:22 PM

that's because GS went small to start Game 4 and that's when they started to dictate the pace and didn't care how many points he scored

he also causes a spacing issue with that lineup on the court, which is why his teammates weren't shooting as well. they're at their best against the small Warriors lineup with Lebron playing Point Forward from the paint, which he can't do with Mosgov clogging up the paint

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 8:34 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 8:31:23 PM

Did you not see his last performance? He played like shit. There's a youtube clip of him getting flat out embarrassed by Curry, but I'm too lazy to find it.

6/16/2015 8:31:30 PM

The last time Lebron recorded a triple double, the Cavs lost by double digits. Blatt should only play him about 15 minutes tonight

^He got beat a few times in the first couple minutes of the game, then he basically never played again

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 8:33 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 8:34 PM. Reason : there are youtube clips of Chris Paul getting abused by Curry too]

6/16/2015 8:33:10 PM

they also doubled him nearly every time he touched the ball in the beginning of Game 5, causing him to freak out and turn the ball over on multiple occasions

6/16/2015 8:39:06 PM

like i said, he got beat a few times early in the game and then basically never played again

we'll see how it plays out tonight

6/16/2015 8:46:25 PM

because when you're as big of a liability as he was, you tend to stay on the bench

this is why adjustments are made in a 7 game series

6/16/2015 8:49:35 PM

Mozgov would have been benched 5 minutes ago had Iggy hit one or two of those wide open shots he allowed

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 9:32 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 9:32:12 PM

I guess Blatt realizes that while he's a liability on one end of the court, he's a mismatch for the Warriors on the other end. Miraculously he has already played 11 minutes. Color me not surprised.

he'd have a couple of the ugliest, almost-travelled assists this playoffs if Jones and Shumpert could hit wide open 3 pointers. I guess it's that spacing you mentioned that's causing the perimeter players to miss wide open shots.

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 9:49 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 9:44:04 PM

it's like you don't even watch the games and just fire up the narrative machine

6/16/2015 9:55:55 PM

is that your excuse for being as wrong as possible about how Blatt would readjust and play his 2nd best offensive player significant minutes?

mozgov just got his 3rd block of the game too. u mad?

6/16/2015 9:58:17 PM

when have I ever said anything about his minutes tonight?

6/16/2015 9:59:31 PM

You've said plenty about Mozgov not playing because coaches make adjustments in a 7 game series. And you completely supported his decision to bench him the majority of Game 5.

and that garbage about how his floor spacing caused their top 5 perimeter players to go 12/50 from the field

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:04 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 10:03:10 PM

talking about adjustments made in previous games, yeah

you'd think the Cavs were up 20 the way you're caping up for him

6/16/2015 10:06:17 PM

The whole discussion started with Mozgov getting benched for most of Game 5, after putting up great numbers in a Game 4 loss. I questioned the coaching decision of the rookie coach, as did a number of national media members, fwiw. Tonight, Mozgov is getting significant minutes and contributing. He looks like TBDV trying to run out and guard a perimeter shooter, but otherwise he helps the Cavs more than he hurts them. He's not the total liability that you and others claimed against GSW's small lineup.

6/16/2015 10:08:55 PM

he's still blowing a bunch of defensive assignments and giving up wide open shots, they just aren't falling

who gives a shit what the national media says? most of them are nothing but narrative pushers

and the Cavs have trailed the whole game

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:12 PM. Reason : you hear what Van Gundy just said?]

6/16/2015 10:11:38 PM

And when he wasn't in in Game 5, the Cavs were giving up a bunch of wide open rebounds because you can't out-small-ball the Warriors and it's stupid to try.

I only brought up the media because I wasn't the only person who thought it was a stupid move to take a guy who had the game of his life in Game 4 and make him a total non factor in Game 5. They lost both games by double digits. You and others nearly blame the Game 4 loss on him and ignore that the Cavs perimeter players have been the reason they've lost.

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:16 PM. Reason : no, i was too busy posting an angry reply, what'd he say]

and lol at giving a shit what van gundy says immediately after dismissing the national media, many of whom are former players

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:17 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 10:15:47 PM

it was a one point game midway through the 4th quarter...

Van Gundy brought up the exact same point about spacing with Mozgov on the court

he isn't a member of the national media, he's a color commentator

pretty wild that the Cavs went on a mini run to cut it to two after your boy went out

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:21 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2015 10:17:14 PM

he has the 2nd best +/- on the team in the 1st half, behind Lebron, if you put any weight in that

are you saying he's not playing well or something? looks like he's picking up where he left off in game 4 and game 5 was a mistake, to me

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:23 PM. Reason : 7 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks in the 1st half...]

6/16/2015 10:22:01 PM

keep on keeping on, man

6/16/2015 10:23:06 PM

takes 2 to tango

and how the fuck is an espn employee who gives his opinion on tv not a member of the national media?

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 10:24 PM. Reason : semantics trump stats though right]

6/16/2015 10:24:17 PM

This series is over unless Lebron goes all miracle worker on us.

The Cavs players not named Lebron can't make a basket or play defense.

6/16/2015 11:04:23 PM

poor city of Cleveland

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 11:44 PM. Reason : can Lebron opt out after this year? or is it after '16?]

6/16/2015 11:34:23 PM

Why would he? If they have Kyrie and Love, they win this series.

6/16/2015 11:49:24 PM

pizza party

[Edited on June 16, 2015 at 11:59 PM. Reason : not sure if Love wants to come back]

6/16/2015 11:59:27 PM

Lol. Andre igodala for fmvp!

6/17/2015 12:11:21 AM

Curry getting shafted on MVP award.

I agree with giving it to the best player on the winning team, but you have to consider the Cav's gameplan is to stop Curry, he gets a double team everytime he touches the ball. IMO he is the finals MVP

6/17/2015 12:23:33 AM

So a man gets double team and he deserved MVP?

That man had one good game and a couple a good quarters

Andre was the glue guy and played D on Lebron

[Edited on June 17, 2015 at 1:21 AM. Reason : Hy]

6/17/2015 1:09:09 AM

This is the same man who, in the first couple games, was getting lock down by teen wolf.

He doesn't deserve shit. Best shooter in the game tho

[Edited on June 17, 2015 at 1:20 AM. Reason : Gg]

6/17/2015 1:19:55 AM

fitting Iggy should win it. total team effort. I AM SO DRUNK AND HAPPY RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS!!

6/17/2015 2:30:51 AM

i agree, inserting iggy into the starting five is what tipped the scales in golden state's favor.

6/17/2015 7:34:19 AM

Andrew bogut, you da real mvp

6/17/2015 7:52:52 AM

Love said he wanted to come back, I'm just not sure Cleveland will pay him, esp. if they want to keep Thompson(who Lebron said he wanted back and who already rejected offers from Cleveland wanting more money).

Vegas already putting Cavs as the favorites to win the title in 2016(9-4 odds, GS 2nd best odds).

6/17/2015 8:32:20 AM

Quote :

"So a man gets double team and he deserved MVP? "

If you are getting double teamed you are more valuable than role players.

6/17/2015 9:42:48 AM

I think we can basically say Lebron's era is coming to an end.
Went to the Finals 5 yrs in a row, 2 champions. He needs a rest now.

6/17/2015 10:07:14 AM

Haha, good chance Lebron will be in the next 2-3 finals barring more significant injuries.

Still can't believe James Michael McAdoo won a NBA title last night.

6/17/2015 10:10:26 AM