The Finals

[Tetsujin]

I'm not sure who I want to root for in this series. Initially I went Raptors 100%, but their fans are pretty obnoxious, and I actually do want to witness a 3peat. We're really seeing the legacy of this Warriors team clinging onto this series. If they win, then they're undoubtedly the best team of this time. It's history in the making.

Stephen Curry is such a phenomenal player. I'm not sure we'll ever see another PG as great as he is. Anytime he makes a 2pt shot feels like a win for me because at least he didn't hit a 3pter.. Curry doesn't take the mid-range jump shot anymore, but it feels like he's still automatic anywhere in that range. His floaters are absolutely insane and it's like he can't miss. His shooting ability is uncanny. Curry is the best PG of all time.

Now comes back the dilemma.. Raptors? Or Warriors?

Not sure...

The thing that separates Steph as a player from almost every other big scorer that has come before him is the sheer efficiency with which he scores. This isn't Kobe/Harden just jacking up so many shots that their numbers eventually get huge. I actually thought Steph should have gotten a little greedier with the ball tonight. Even with all their defenders, the Raptors had no answer for Curry.

It really is a shame that the injury bug seems to have caught up with the Warriors after several years of ridiculously good luck on that front because I do think the Raptors are a good enough team that having them match up with the full-strength Warriors could have led to an all-time great finals series. As it is, it is currently Steph, Dray (better as a third or fourth option than guy number two), clearly hobbled Boogie, old and injured Iggy, and the end of the Warriors bench against a Raptors team that is not only at full strength but on an incredible hot streak that has seen their third guard shoot like Buddy Hield and Marc Gasol suddenly play like a DPOY again after several seasons of decidedly not being that)

 

[KingsFanSince85]

I'm sorry but any team that has to play Jonas Jerebko and Alfonzo McKinnie for significant minutes is deserving of my sympathy.

It shouldn’t be deserving when other players on the roster playing the vast amount of minutes are Steph, Draymond, and Iggy. But, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Apparently KD and Klay will be back next game for those ‘talent deprived’ Warriors. So hopefully everyone can stop feeling sorry for them and their 5 consecutive Finals appearances and possibly 3 consecutive title. Don’t know how they do it with so many freaking scrubs on the roster.

 

[SLAB]

Warriors salt is closing in on Patriots salt, and I kind of love it and it kind of makes me want to root for them just to see said salt. Lmao

 

[King Baller]

Raptors played a great game. At this point every one is nicked up, the W's are just not as fortunate this season so far. But the series is only at 2 and 1. This could still go 6 or 7 games and end up in the Dub's favor.

My prediction is Toronto in 7 and Kawhi still sign's with a LA team.

 

[Tetsujin]

Warriors salt is closing in on Patriots salt, and I kind of love it and it kind of makes me want to root for them just to see said salt. Lmao

The thing is that I don't even care about seeing the Warriors win aside from seeing Boogie get his ring. Rather selfishly, I wish the Warriors were healthy because I just want to see good basketball instead of Steph and Dray having to carry the husk of Demarcus Cousins and a bunch of washed up dudes and scrubs for 48 minutes while the Raptors can put any lineup not featuring Serge Ibaka or Eric Moreland on the floor and expect success because everyone is not only healthy but apparently physically incapable of missing even the stupidest of shots.

 

[ppine]

The series is over.

Game 1, Raps basically bet GSW's bigs to beat them. Put four men on the perimeter. One on the ball, another two feet behind the on the ball defender, and the two wing defenders lined parallel to the second defender on the wing. It worked.

Game 2, in the 2h, Warriors dumped the ball to the bigs (Boogie/Bogut), other players dived, and destroyed the Raps in the paint.

Raptors are in a bind. Ditch the perimeter strategy and Boogie destroys them. Play more honest, and Klay, Steph, KD destroys them. This assumes Klay and KD return at some point.

You are out of your mind. The Raptors have figured out how to play in the third quarter. The Worriers should be nervous.

 

[ESP47]

I'm not sure who I want to root for in this series. Initially I went Raptors 100%, but their fans are pretty obnoxious, and I actually do want to witness a 3peat. We're really seeing the legacy of this Warriors team clinging onto this series. If they win, then they're undoubtedly the best team of this time. It's history in the making.

Stephen Curry is such a phenomenal player. I'm not sure we'll ever see another PG as great as he is. Anytime he makes a 2pt shot feels like a win for me because at least he didn't hit a 3pter.. Curry doesn't take the mid-range jump shot anymore, but it feels like he's still automatic anywhere in that range. His floaters are absolutely insane and it's like he can't miss. His shooting ability is uncanny. Curry is the best PG of all time.

Now comes back the dilemma.. Raptors? Or Warriors?

Not sure...

Raptors easily. There is nothing likeable at all about the Warriors other than Cousins.

Curry is the most efficient perimeter player of all time but he still grates on my nerves. Celebrating second quarter shots like he's never been there before. What annoys me the most is his Harden like acting that he does out there to try and persuade the refs. Legs flailing all over the place when he shoots. Constantly falling down after every 3 point attempt. The guy is on the floor after nearly every shot attempt. It's like his legs either helicopter around in circles or they just go limp when he shoots the basketball.

Which brings me to this. I don't normally ever wish harm on a player but Klay deserved to get hurt here. This crap needs to make it's way out of the sport. We're here to watch the sport, not to watch a bunch of guys try and trick the refs on every possession. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I actually hope that more players start getting injured doing this goofy crap that has no place in the game. Maybe that'll put an end to it if the NBA isn't going to do anything about it. At some point you're going to see an ACL tear or compound fracture come out of players doing this and they have no one to blame other than themselves. The part I'm talking about is at :35 seconds.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Warriors salt is closing in on Patriots salt, and I kind of love it and it kind of makes me want to root for them just to see said salt. Lmao

Yeah, not quite.

I rooted for GSW last series. And I don’t quite hate them like I used to. Especially with Boogie on the team.

Admittedly, I am pulling more for Toronto in the Finals ... but it won’t at all kill me like it used to if the Warriors win — because of Boogie. And because of Steph leading the way (assuming he wins Finals MVP).

I just dispute that they are somehow drastically undermanned. Unlike every other team in recent history, they can afford to lose a couple of all star caliber players and still compete on a level playing field. They’re doing just that.

Sans Klay, the core of the team that went to the Finals the 1st two times and won it once was still on the floor last night and was there for all but a 1/2 quarter in the 1st two games.

 

[sono]

6 players in double figures for Toronto, that will get it done every time

Toronto reminds me of 2004 Pistons.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Btw, IMO what’s happening to the Warriors now is karma for what happened in previous series when Kyrie and Love couldn’t play for Cleveland, CP3 was out for HOU and Kawhi was out for SAS.

But unlike those teams, GSW has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to being able to compensate with other HOF caliber players. To me, I don’t even count KD being out because they really shouldn’t have him anyway — if not for a loophole in the CBA that allowed for huge increase in the cap.

Those guys will be back and all will probably be right again in GSW land. Yay for Boogie!

 

[kingsboi]

Toronto reminds me of 2004 Pistons.

or the 2011 Mavericks, where they only had one star player and a lot of good supporting players

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Toronto was like really good last year, it's not like Kawhi turned them around all by himself. GS is still loaded and if they never won another championship again in my lifetime they've had an embarrassment of riches on this run, but definitely this year has been the perfect storm for their defeat, and yet if they win tomorrow they'll go back to being the favorite.

 

[SLAB]

As I said earlier this thread, I refuse to root for any team lead by Kawhi after he pulled his nonsense with Sam Antonio. I hate players “superstaring” their way out of a situation, and Kawhi did that with all his heart and soul.

So between that and f’n Drake, I have my Warriors colored glasses on more than I ever have in the past.

 

[The Effort Police]

So when are some of y'all gonna start rooting for the Lakers?

 

[VF21]

Now may be a good time to admit that we should have taken Steph in the 2009 draft

Okay, just saw this and couldn't resist. Even if we had taken him in 2009, he wouldn't still be around. The Maloofs wouldn't have had the money to give him a big extension when it came around.

 

[SLAB]

So when are some of y'all gonna start rooting for the Lakers?

The Warriors are not and will never be the Lakers. Give me a break.

 

[ppine]

Klay Steph and Dray sounds like the cast from a male modeling agency.
I agree that Worriers use a lot of acting in their playing of the sport. Curry is a great player but still a punk. . I agree with ESP47 up until he starts talking about hoping that players get injured. I do not want anyone getting injured. It has happened to me too many times.

Cousins has been very candid about his thoughts about quitting the sport after two injuries. The first one was bad. The second one was 45 days. He has a certain mental weakness that I cannot stand.

Green needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. Maybe you can tell that I don't like the Worriers. I am still in shock after watching Devin Curant be disrespectful after the last championship series last year.

I like the Raptors a lot. They mostly just keep their heads down and play. Their fans are rowdy, so what? They're Canadians.

 

[The Effort Police]

The Warriors are not and will never be the Lakers. Give me a break.

You're right.

It's like eating a turd sandwich vs. eating a turd sandwich with a little salt on it. Cheating and Hollywood entitlement vs. ruined parity, Bay Area snobbery, and ring-chasing. One's better, but not by much. As far as I'm concerned, it's almost the same.

(The reason I bring this up is because there's a very real possibility Cousins signs with the Lakers at some point in his career.)

 

[VF21]

You're right.

It's like eating a turd sandwich vs. eating a turd sandwich with a little salt on it. Cheating and Hollywood entitlement vs. ruined parity, Bay Area snobbery, and ring-chasing. One's better, but not by much. As far as I'm concerned, it's almost the same.

(The reason I bring this up is because there's a very real possibility Cousins signs with the Lakers at some point in his career.)

Oh please. The reason you bring this up is because you like to stir the pot.

 

[VF21]

Klay Steph and Dray sounds like the cast from a male modeling agency.
I agree that Worriers use a lot of acting in their playing of the sport. Curry is a great player but still a punk. . I agree with ESP47 up until he starts talking about hoping that players get injured. I do not want anyone getting injured. It has happened to me too many times.

Cousins has been very candid about his thoughts about quitting the sport after two injuries. The first one was bad. The second one was 45 days. He has a certain mental weakness that I cannot stand.

Green needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. Maybe you can tell that I don't like the Worriers. I am still in shock after watching Devin Curant be disrespectful after the last championship series last year.

I like the Raptors a lot. They mostly just keep their heads down and play. Their fans are rowdy, so what? They're Canadians.

He works his posterior off to come back from TWO significant injuries and you say he has a certain mental weakness because he's candid about pondering whether he should quit? I know you don't like him but that's just ridiculous.

 

[SLAB]

I like the Raptors a lot. They mostly just keep their heads down and play. Their fans are rowdy, so what? They're Canadians.

Ask Spurs fans about how Kawhi kept his head down and played for them?

Oh wait... there he goes ducking into different hotel rooms to avoid answering questions.

What Kawhi did to the Spurs is far worse than being a jerk on the court (yo, I still freakin DESPISE Curry’s antics) and KD’s selling any and all integrity he had in his body.

 

[SLAB]

He works his posterior off to come back from TWO significant injuries and you say he has a certain mental weakness because he's candid about pondering whether he should quit? I know you don't like him but that's just ridiculous.

I can’t like this enough so I’ll just quote it for truth.

 

[The Effort Police]

Oh please. The reason you bring this up is because you like to stir the pot.

So you don't deny that Cousins may sign with the Lakers?

 

[Capt. Factorial]

So you don't deny that Cousins may sign with the Lakers?

So you don't deny that you're just stirring the pot?

 

[The Effort Police]

So you don't deny that you're just stirring the pot?

Why would I deny that?

 

[ppine]

And then we learn that one of the Worriers owners is fined .5 million dollars for pushing Lowry during a game and swearing at him. The Team has top down problems.

He works his posterior off to come back from TWO significant injuries and you say he has a certain mental weakness because he's candid about pondering whether he should quit? I know you don't like him but that's just ridiculous.

An injury that can be rehabed in 45 days is no big deal. The Achilles injury is a tough one but still took less than a year.
He can make many millions of dollars a year and be famous, but he was ready to quit. That is what is ridiculous.
I have had injuries that have taken years of rehab to be able to walk. They were repaired with power tools like you have in your garage.
Cousins' main weakness has always been his brain. This is just edification of what I have believed all along.

 

[SLAB]

And then we learn that one of the Worriers owners is fined .5 million dollars for pushing Lowry during a game and swearing at him. The Team has top down problems.

An injury that can be rehabed in 45 days is no big deal. The Achilles injury is a tough one but still took less than a year.
He can make many millions of dollars a year and be famous, but he was ready to quit. That is what is ridiculous.
I have had injuries that have taken years of rehab to be able to walk. They were repaired with power tools like you have in your garage.
Cousins' main weakness has always been his brain. This is just edification of what I have believed all along.

Why won’t you share your thoughts on Kawhi actively avoiding and quitting the team he was contracted to?

 

[Tetsujin]

Why won’t you share your thoughts on Kawhi actively avoiding and quitting the team he was contracted to?

Kawhi is like Kobe in that any standoffish behavior on his part gets written off by a certain portion of the NBA fanbase as a byproduct of some mythical level of competitiveness while in reality it's him being a jerk on purpose.

 

[ppine]

Ii don't pay much attention to what players do off the court.

 

[SLAB]

Ii don't pay much attention to what players do off the court.

DMC says he thought about quitting after one of the more serious sports injuries one can get “What a mentally weak headcase!”

Kawhi actually quits on his former franchise “I don’t pay it much attention.”