We'll see

GatorAg03 said:

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If you add LeBron to any other current roster in the NBA, would they be favored over the warriors?

The only teams that might be close in my opinions are the Spurs, Clips or maybe the Pelicans (with good coaching) but I still think the warriors would be the favorites.

It's pretty wild that the talent advantage of the warriors is so great that even adding the best player in the league to the next best team wouldn't make them the favorites.

I can't imagine this is great for the NBA if it stays like this for long.

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Him paired with Kawhi and Aldridge would be quite formidable. Defense would be stout. Throw in Pops coaching and the Spurs tremendous international scouting to fill out role players. I'd love to see that matchup.

I agree with this. I think him on the Spurs would be as close as you could get.

Great game 1 win for the Warriors! In a coincidence, the Cavaliers only scored 89 points in last year's game 1.

GatorAg03 said:

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If you add LeBron to any other current roster in the NBA, would they be favored over the warriors?

The only teams that might be close in my opinions are the Spurs, Clips or maybe the Pelicans (with good coaching) but I still think the warriors would be the favorites.

It's pretty wild that the talent advantage of the warriors is so great that even adding the best player in the league to the next best team wouldn't make them the favorites.

I can't imagine this is great for the NBA if it stays like this for long.

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They should make the Warriors play an East Conference All-Star team in the Finals for the next 3-4 years while that core of Durant/Curry/Green/Thompson is in its prime.

Next season...they should thus have to play a lineup of LeBron, the Greek Freak kid from Milwaukee, Irving, ummm...DeRozan and say that 7-footer on the Knicks. That group could maybe hang for at least 3 quarters.

I think a lot of people forgot that the Warriors blew out the Cavs in the first two games last year.

AggieSportsGuy said:

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I think a lot of people forgot that the Warriors blew out the Cavs in the first two games last year.

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Yep. So you don't want to quite bury them yet.

That said...had Green not kicked LeBron in the junk the Warriors probably would have won in 5 last year. And they didn't have Durant either...

Sure, but the warriors played pretty bad tonight.

Wait til Clay goes off.

AggieSportsGuy said:

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I think a lot of people forgot that the Warriors blew out the Cavs in the first two games last year.

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I'm pretty sure the Warriors remember

warriors won't have that foundation in 3-4 years. Durant only signed a 2-year deal and makes more than twice as much as Curry and Igoudala.

This is Steph's last year on his contract then he'll get a max $30M deal (additional 20M of cap hit). Also Iguodala's last year. Klay has 2 more years making $18.5M. Draymond has 3 more.

To keep the team together for another year after next, they'll have to resign KD to a max deal and will have Curry as max. That'll be 4 guys tieing up $100M in cap.

Other departures this year... Livingston, Zaza, Thompson all making more than $3M.

It'll all depend on what the cap goes up to. Klay will want to get paid big time too.

GatorAg03 said:

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It's pretty wild that the talent advantage of the warriors is so great that even adding the best player in the league to the next best team wouldn't make them the favorites.

I can't imagine this is great for the NBA if it stays like this for long.

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The Warriors' salary books are probably the most ridiculous in NBA history. Curry is making 12 mil, Draymond 16, and Klay 15. I know that Curry had ankle problems, the other 2 deals came before the salary cap increases, and blah blah whatever. But given the current salaries, the Warriors are robbing 3 of their top 4 players blind. Tim Mozgov makes 15 mil. Luol Deng makes 18 mil. CHANDLER PARSONS is making 22 mil.

MichaelJ90 said:

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Him paired with Kawhi and Aldridge would be quite formidable. Defense would be stout. Throw in Pops coaching and the Spurs tremendous international scouting to fill out role players. I'd love to see that matchup.

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It'd be pretty anti-climactic. Zaza would take out Leonard, and then Draymond would kick LeBron in the nutz.

If Durant opts out, the Warriors are at 38mm cap figure. Cap will be 101-103mm. 38mm includes Klay, Green, McCaw, Looney, Jones and no one else.

Now cap holds:
Durant 36
Curry: 18.1
Iggy: 16.7
Livingston: 10.9
Zaza: 3.5
McAdoo 1.7
Clark: 1.4
McGee: 1.4
West: 1.4
1mm in dead money

Cap holds = 92.1mm. So with the five players under contract, they are way over the salary cap.

Waiving their rights to Zaza, McAdoo, Clark, McGee, West only gets them down another 7.6mm (have .6mm cap holds for each spot under 12 players.)

They are still 20mm over the cap with those numbers. So say Livingston would take 5mm and Iggy would take 8mm. They would still only be able to give Durant about 30mm or so for his first season, rather than 36 he could get elsewhere.

So they lose Livingston or Iggy or Durant takes a 20% pay cut to pay SF Bay taxes.

And your team is:

C: Damian Jones
PF: Green
SF: Durant/Looney
SG: Klay/Iggy/McCaw
PG: Curry/Livingston

And vet mins everywhere else.

So is the narrative already that Lebrone has "no one" ?

no, i think it's that everyone thinks this GS team will be around forever.

The only real reason it EXISTS is because Steph is the 4th highest paid guy on the team and is almost the 5th.

When he gets a MAX deal next year, as he should... and then Durant gets a MAX the next year, they won't be able to keep it together.

Currently, CLE has the highest salary of anyone so yeah, they're just some mercs.

Tristan Thompson worth $15m? nah...

Love isn't playing like a 20+M player either.

If Dirk takes much less, the Mavs will have a ****pile of money. Spurs are in trouble too. They need Tony and Manu to hang em up or play for Las Palapas tacos.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/mitchlawrence/2017/06/01/nba-2017-finals-reports-kevin-durant-will-take-less-money-to-keep-golden-state-warriors-together/amp/

As of now the Warriors super team seems almost certain to last at least one more season, and then after that, will depend on players and whether Warriors management is willing to pay huge luxury taxes to keep it together.

Obviously nothing lasts forever so in terms of watching what may be one of the greatest teams of all-time, even though it is generally destroying the competition, you just take it for what it is and things are cyclical and another team(s) will eventually rise up.

And even LeBron is going to eventually get too old to dominate the East.

Cleveland just doesn't have the defenders to stop the Warriors. I've never seen so many easy buckets in a Finals in my life.

You don't think Kevin Love is worth $20M?

Cleveland wasn't getting back in transition, and it put whichever guard was trying to stop a 3 or 4 on one in positron where they had to try to out guess whoever was leading the break. Result: tons of dunks.

Cleveland is already facing an uphill climb: lack of effort only makes it harder.

Ulrich said:

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Cleveland wasn't getting back in transition, and it put whichever guard was trying to stop a 3 or 4 on one in positron where they had to try to out guess whoever was leading the break. Result: tons of dunks.

Cleveland is already facing an uphill climb: lack of effort only makes it harder.

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It was pretty embarrassing at times last night.

Steve Kerr back on the bench tonight for the Warriors.

Cavs score 34 in the first quarter and Warriors have 8 turnovers, but the Cavs are down by 6. Ridiculous.

Warriors have 47 with 10 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. They may score 140.

Warriors in 5

Looks like SA with a healthy Kawhi was the only team who realistically had a shot at them. It's a shame the NBA is so boring now a days.

GiGeMaGs11 said:

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Cavs score 34 in the first quarter and Warriors have 8 turnovers, but the Cavs are down by 6. Ridiculous.

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Warriors on pace to score about 150 in this game.

grapespda2525 said:

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Warriors in 5

Looks like SA with a healthy Kawhi was the only team who realistically had a shot at them. It's a shame the NBA is so boring now a days.

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I stand by my comment earlier in this thread. Warriors sweep. Win first 2 games by 15+. Hard fought third game but Warriors win. Game 4 by 20+.

Pumpkinhead said:

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GiGeMaGs11 said:

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Cavs score 34 in the first quarter and Warriors have 8 turnovers, but the Cavs are down by 6. Ridiculous.

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Warriors on pace to score about 150 in this game.

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If the Cavs can remain within 20 the entire game, it's not inconceivable for this one to be 150-130 or at least 140-120.

grapespda2525 said:

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Warriors in 5

Looks like SA with a healthy Kawhi was the only team who realistically had a shot at them. It's a shame the NBA is so boring now a days.

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Part of me wants better competition, but part of me also admires what a wonderful team Golden State has. They have both tremendous talent and play a great brand of basketball with lots of motion and unselfish passing. And they even play elite defense as well. Just a complete team.

Pumpkinhead said:

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grapespda2525 said:

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Warriors in 5

Looks like SA with a healthy Kawhi was the only team who realistically had a shot at them. It's a shame the NBA is so boring now a days.

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Part of me wants better competition, but part of me also admires what a wonderful team Golden State has. They have both tremendous talent and play a great brand of basketball with lots of motion and unselfish passing. And they even play elite defense as well. Just a complete team.

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That makes one of us. I've never hated a team in any professional sport more than the Warriors.

I've considered the possibility of a warriors sweep and I just don't think it's going to happen. I don't think we will see a Lebron team swept again. The Spurs of 2007 will probably be the only team to accomplish that feat. Lebron was green and he had literally no help. The Cavs are still a pretty good team and they will take one in Cleveland. I'd put money on it.

I'm also really hoping the Cavs win one. I don't think I'd be able to stomach espn for the next 5 months when they jizz about the warriors " epic" 16-0 playoff sweep.

Really missing those games from the 90's with Anthony Mason and John Starks clanging their way to 74 points.

Wow. They will have to replace scoreboard at halftime maybe with 67-64 Warriors lead at half. I wonder if that is an NBA Finals record for most combined points scored in a half. I can't imagine there have been many games like that with both teams scoring 60+ points.

Big credit to Cleveland for withstanding a big punch by Warriors. GSW got up by 12 I think at one point. Cavs are still in this one making it a game.

oroblem for Cavs though is they don't have enough 2-way players and to win this game the way the Warriors are scoring on them...Cavs probably need to hit AT LEAST 120-130 points to steal this one.

Lots of people have forgotten what happened in 2011 when the Mavs stopped committing live ball turn-overs against the Heat after game 1. Thus can be a great series if Cleveland hangs onto the ball.

Until the Cavs show any real stretch where they even kind of slow the warriors offense down, then I'm not believing this will be a series. Cavs might score 130 and still lose by 10.