[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Everyone has kind of just assumed all year it would be Cleveland representing the east in the finals. However, the truth is they have been pretty awful the second half of the season. Since love got injured they have barely even resembled a playoff team and things haven’t really improved much since love and jr smith have been back. Their defense has been atrocious and their bench is arguably one of the worst in the league among playoff teams. 

I can’t really remember a team that was this awful down the stretch of a season that was able to suddenly pull it together and  win the title. At least not in my lifetime. But that is exactly what Cleveland will be trying to do. Any team with lebron and 2 other all stars is always going to be a contender, but I think they are kind of playing with fire with this idea that they can just suddenly turn it on when they need to. 

 

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 Did anyone else see that Bleacher Report post of Lebron making fun of Lonzo’s jump shot pregame…Lebronzo Ball lol hahahah I was dying that was hilarious 

[Bankroll PJParticipant]

 I’m not even a LeBron fan, but LeBron has proven he can turn it off and on when he feels like it.  He’s the best player in the world and he shows it when he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. I can already see the Cavs getting down 2-1 in the conference finals then LeBron going beast mode to win 3 in a row. Then proceeding to lose to the Warriors in the finals.  The Cavs will be fine in the eastern conference, but they’ll be in trouble in the finals

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 They have, they can, they will. Dont be shocked when it happens. Watch what you say now because it will make you look dumb later. The Kings reign is not even close to done. Our King maybe a whiny  injury faking crybaby but he is also the most talented player to ever play in the NBA. If he has to average 40ppg 10rpg and 10apg he probally will. 10 flops perganme too… if he has too. 

[HitsterParticipant]

The Cavs will majorly tighten the roster for play offs and have lots of depth who can be used as and when required. LBJ will probably step up a gear too but if they get caught in long Semi Final and potentially Final Conference series, any idea about them having an easier run goes out the window.

[Robb_CParticipant]

LeBron 3pt% is terrible right now, when hes making 3pt shots Cleveland is competitive.. I wouldn’t put to much stock into this slump, I think it has more to do with Coach Lue giving more opportunities to his role players to create different looks for the playoffs

[D7H7NParticipant]

This has nothing to do with Lebron, he’s playing well. Everyone else on the team is pathetic on defense. The eastern conference isn’t a cakewalk this year like it was last year.

[Robb_CParticipant]

 Go look at Lebrons 3pt shooting% since the slump.. Cleveland wins when he shoots the 3ball well and these last few games he hasnt..

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

LeBron has that switch.

Everyone else???

With playoff LeBron hitting that switch, will it matter if the rest aren’t playing especially well???

In all seriousness, LeBron has been to the past six finals, which is remarkable on its own. The fact that his body or game hasn’t really declined despite playing more basketball than anyone else in the league over that time is superhuman. The rest of that team, however, certainly seems mortal in how they have responded to the length of the season for a contender. Remember, Love missed the 2015 playoffs and Kyrie only play 88 games in 2014-15 (regular season and playoffs) and 74 last year. Even with the DNP-rest days, this has been a different burden. If those two, Thompson, Smith, and Shumpert can’t replicate last year’s form, then they will be betting on older guys like Korver (35/14 years in), Jefferson (36/16), Williams (32/12), Frye (33/11), and Dunleavy (36/15) to do it. It will a more difficult climb, but it is hard to bet against LeBron being able to get them there.

 

 

 

  

[Dell87Participant]

 Yes they can flip the switch. And they will

[BeastMode716Participant]

 but honestly does anyone seriously believe the Celtics, Wizards or Raptors can beat Lebron’s Cavs 4 out of 7 games???

Now when they get to the Finals – I don’t know if they can beat the Warriors or Spurs but if Cleveland is healthy it’s just so hard to bet against a team that has Two players who can create their own shot & get to the rim at will in a half court set at crunch time

But No one will even remember the regular season. People barely remember that Indiana took the #1 seed one year against Lebron’s Miami Heat – He’s just too much in the playoffs

 

 

[turndownforwattParticipant]

can beat them.  However, I don’t see them winning the finals this year.  Their defense has been horrific.  This team reminds me of Lebron’s Heat when everyone said they’d flip the swtich all playoffs.  They did get through the East, but against the Spurs in the finals were unable to flip the switch and were blown out.

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

It seems that switch was flipped easily into sweeps against Indy and Toronto.

[nill650Participant]

 yep answer has been given twice over 

The one thing you can say for sure is when a reigning champ looks bad down the stretch , it isn”t becasue they are a bad team incapable of winning.

It is simple math really. In the playoffs this far Lebron has been going off with less need for Love to be involved offensively.

As the playoffs continue Love will be featured more and well rested for the finals battle with Aldridge. Or whoever

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 The Cavs have had a very smooth run to the Conference Finals but so have GSW so both teams will be well rested. I’d expect the Cavs to get by the winners of the Boston vs Washington series as whoever the Cavs play will have come out of a hard series and Washington in particular getting that far would be a bit unexpected.

The Cavs and LBJ probably look at the bigger picture and may not chase so many regular season games, even not getting top seed may not have bothered them too much. Get comfortably to the play offs as that is where the title has to be won plus LBJ, Irving and co play more minutes in the play offs so the big guns come to the fore.

If the Cavs can get a smooth passage to the final and Spurs vs GSW is a long series then they are really in with a shout. LBJ has his title with Cavs so pressure is almost now off and if its against GSW then a fair few neutrals will root for the Cavs. As always never discount the Spurs and if they got past GSW then the series against the Cavs could be very close but might a long play off run just catch up with them but pressure could be more on the Cavs in that match up.

 

 

[nill650Participant]

 yeah Spurs huge underdog without Parker, but Aldridge has been dominating of late.

GSW just looks like they are coasting awaiting a worthy opponent so now they have one. I like the Spurs chances in game 6 at home if they can go up 3-2 games but ultimately GSW wins it if it goes back to Oracle.

Cleveland will go back to the Finals in 5 in the ECF regardless of who it is, Boston maybe could push a game 6 jsut because of similar depth and 3 point shooting. But they don’t Have Lebron.

Assuming we see a finals 3peat 

 Lebron has a ton of success against Durant and so I really don’t see GSW having some great advantage as a result. However GSW still looks like the team to beat with the way they so easily move the basketball.

I think the Cavs can win the series if they steal game 1

 

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