Finals Game 6 Recap: Warriors 105, Cavs 97 (or, The End… Yet Only The Beginning…)
2015-06-17Endings are difficult. No matter how prepared you think you are for them, the emotions can be a challenge to process once the clock hits zero and the reality settles in. It’s hard to come so near a goal, but to ultimately fall short no matter how hard you tried. In the end, sometimes no matter how much grit, determination, perseverance or sheer will you possess can overcome the odds when they are stacked well against you.
None of us can truly understand what LeBron James and the rest of his Cavalier teammates are feeling right now, but we can certainly take LeBron’s word for it and empathize…
“There’s not much you can say really. It’s really no great feeling when you lose,” said LeBron. “When you fall short, it hurts and it eats at you, and it hurts me to know that I wish I could have done better and done more and just put a little bit more effort or whatever the case may be to help us get over the hump. But it just wasn’t our time.”
And so it was that the Cavs fell just shy of achieving their goal of winning the first championship in franchise history (and the first championship of any kind for the City of Cleveland since 1964), losing in Game 6 to a deeper, healthier and (as a result) more talented Warriors squad. Yet, despite bad luck, injuries, and fatigue, they still made an incredible run at the title, going down swinging as best they could, a run that bodes well for the immediate future of this team.
The Beginning, And The End…
Though the Cavs came into Game 6 with every intention of protecting home court and evening up the series to set up a seventh game in Oakland, they quickly dug a hole for themselves in the early going. After building an initial five point lead, they allowed the Warriors to go on a 26-8 run to end the first quarter with a 13 point lead. Much of the run was due to Cleveland’s inability to take care of the basketball, as the Cavs turned the ball over nine times (three on 24 second violations) in the first period alone (19 total for the game), resulting in 14 points for Golden State.
Despite the near disastrous start, the Cavs recovered enough in the second quarter to hold the Warriors to just 17 points and cut the deficit to just two going into halftime. The Cleveland front line dominated the quarter with a steady diet of Moz, LeBron, TT and even James Jones contributing. They also managed to get both Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala in foul trouble which loosened up the Warriors defense. LeBron played the entire quarter, but looked as though he was consciously saving up energy for the second half.
Things started well in the third, and the Cavs even grabbed a brief lead as they continued to pound away inside with Moz and TT. Then, the bottom fell out as the turnover bug once again plagued the Cavs. The Warriors pushed the pace, alternating between nailing open threes and getting Iggy dunks and layups in transition off of the miscues, then the Cavs got flustered after they missed a few open threes. Steve Kerr pushed the advantage by subbing in little-used Festus Ezeli (instead of a bench bound Andrew Bogut), and Ezeli responded with eight points in the quarter to help the Warriors push their lead out to 15 (Golden State was a ridiculous 57-0 when holding a lead of at least 15 points in a game this year).
The Cavs made two final runs in the high scoring fourth quarter. The first one cut the lead to seven with 10 minutes to go. It was unfortunately short lived as the Warriors started raining down threes with abandon to push their advantage back to 15. Though it would have been easy enough for the Cavs to wave the white flag at that point, J.R. Smith finally caught fire to pour in 15 of his 19 points on a series of ridiculous contested threes, and the Cavs cut it to four with 33 seconds remaining. But Steph and Iggy were able to salt away the victory with free throws as J.R. and LeBron missed a few last desperation heaves.
The Alpha
No matter what anyone says, nobody can or should ever say that LeBron James didn’t do everything he possibly could to try and win this series. And he almost pulled it off, single-handedly on offense. On yet another night where the outside shooting help never arrived (or in J.R.’s case, arrived as the party was ending), LeBron was forced to take 33 shots (making 13 of them) for 32 somewhat inefficient points. He was only 2-10 from beyond the arc, yet those were the only threes any Cav converted until J.R.’s delayed fireworks at the end. Yet, he managed to snare an amazing 18 boards, and dished out nine of the team’s 14 assists. He was responsible for six turnovers, and had a rough night at the line (going 4-8), but never stopped trying to bring the Cavs back. Eventually, even though he seemed to be trying to pace himself in the first half, LeBron still wound up playing all but one minute of this game.
LeBron’s numbers in these Finals are quite simply staggering. His averages of 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists are the highest collective averages of any player in NBA Finals history. Yet on the flip side, he also had to average 45.8 minutes per game, and become the team’s de facto high-volume/low-efficiency scorer, averaging just 40% on 33 shots per game (31% from three and just 69% from the line).
Other milestones LBJ reached in this game included: recording his 80th 30-point game in the playoffs and 59th game of at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the playoffs.
He became the sixth player in NBA history to score at least 5,000 career points in the playoffs, joining Michael Jordan (5,987), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (5,762), Kobe Bryant (5,640), Shaquille O’Neal (5,250), and Tim Duncan (5,113).
Congrats to King James! That 3 pointer puts him over 5,000 career playoff points. #ALLinCLE pic.twitter.com/TsVyRKyb9C
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 17, 2015
James also passed Magic Johnson (7,538 minutes) and Wilt Chamberlain (7,559 minutes) for seventh place in NBA postseason history in minutes played. However, despite his gaudy numbers, LeBron did not become the first player to win the Finals MVP but lose the series since Jerry West in 1969.
The Omega
Steph Curry may have had a rough start to both The Finals in general, and this game, but in the end, he proved to be up to the task as the closer in the series. As in previous games, Steph was more of a facilitator early, and struggled to find open looks against the Cavs perimeter defense. Yet he found the cracks he needed in the second half, and particularly in the fourth quarter once Shumpert got into foul trouble and Delly proved ineffective. While he didn’t go off and hit ridiculous threes as he did in Game 5, he still managed to score 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter on a mix of threes, drives and trips to the line. Though he only hit 3-11 from deep in Game 6, two of them came during the back-breaking flurry that pushed the lead back out to 15.
It’s interesting to note that from the fourth quarter of Game 3 on (when Steph found his stroke and got magma hot from the outside), Curry blistered the twine from beyond the arc at a 19-36 clip (53%). Game 3 also happened to be the game where Iman damaged his previously injured shoulder, and Delly required a hospital stay due to dehydration. Still, the regular season MVP made the shots when he needed to, and helped to close the door on the Cavs’ chances in this series.
The Real MVP
If you’re a betting person, and you decided to drop some cash on Andre Iguodala to beat the 100-1 odds of being named Finals MVP… Congratulations! You just made a pile of money. Iggy consistently did all of the little things to turn the tide of games and hurt the Cavs when they dared him to do so. I remarked on the Live Thread of a few of the games (including this one) that I don’t think I had ever seen Iggy shoot as well as he shot in this series… EVER. And I was fairly right about that. A career 46% shooter (33% from three), Iggy went off at a 52% clip (40% from three) in the Finals. Much of this could be attributed to the fact that the Cavs chose to leave him relatively open (especially from three), since they had to guard the Splash Brothers so closely. But you still have to hit the shots, and Iggy did just that. He also pushed the pace and got out in transition, grabbed around six boards a game, and did just enough defensively to slow LeBron down a bit.
“Well, I think the last couple games he played well. He played great, especially offensively. He made us defend him. He knocked down open shots. But I think his ability to play multiple positions for their team along with some of those other guys allowed their team to be so dynamic.” — LeBron James
The Big
Both Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson made their presence felt in Game 6. They helped LeBron dominate the boards to help the Cavs win the rebounding battle 56-39. They had 25 rebounds between them, including 11 offensive. They also both chipped in double-digit points (Moz with 17 and TT with 15). Including LeBron, the Cavs’ frontcourt scored 64 points, hauled in 43 rebounds and dished out 11 dimes. Moz also had four huge blocks and was a force in the paint. After getting only nine minutes of run in Game 5, Moz made the most of his 33 minutes. With his strong showings in both Games 4 and 6, it seems as if the giant Russian was really starting to figure things out. With a summer to focus on his post moves, he could really develop into something special next year. And while Canadian Dynamite wasn’t as explosive as in the previous two series (though his jersey probably grew a size from being pulled and stretched this series), he’s still shown why Dan Gilbert will likely have to back up the truck for him this off-season.
The Small
The guards, on the other hand, though dogged with their defensive intensity, came up short on the offensive end of the equation. Before J.R. went unconscious in the waning minutes of the game, the Cavs’ guard trio of Delly, Shump and Smith were nearly non-existent. They bricked away at a 2-15 clip until J.R. hit 4-9 in the fourth quarter. Add in James Jones’ 1-5, and the Cavs’ long range bombers misfired to go 7-29 (24%), and 4-16 from three. They also managed to turn the ball over six times against just three assists. Thanks to J.R.’s late hot streak, the Cavs bench managed to play the Warriors bench to nearly a draw (25-24), although Livingston (10), Ezeli (10) and Barbosa (5) scored their points when the game was still in doubt. Of the group, Shump probably should receive the biggest pass for his performance, given his lingering groin and shoulder injuries. Delly was also just not the same following his IV post Game 3. J.R.’s “too little, too late” routine prevented the game from being a blowout, but we certainly got a healthy dose of both his streakiness and bone-headedness in these Finals.
The Guys In Suits
To examine the biggest reason there was such a disparity between the Cavs and Warriors in terms of both rotation depth and talent, one need look no further than the row behind the Cavs’ bench. There, decked out in their spiffiest threads, sat three fifths of the Cavs’ opening day lineup. For fun and torture, we could play the “what if” game all day long, but there’s no disputing that this would have been a fundamentally different series with even one or two of these guys in the lineup (let alone all three). As usual, LeBron’s sentiments said it best…
“(We) Tried as much as we could to try to make up for those guys, but it’s a lot of talent sitting in suits,” said LeBron. “I’ve had a lot of playoff runs, been on both ends, and I know one thing that you’ve got to have during the playoff run, you’ve got to be healthy. You’ve got to be playing great at the right time. You’ve got to have a little luck. And we were playing great, but we had no luck and we weren’t healthy. I knew it was going to be a tough task, and I continued to tell you guys we were undermanned. I don’t know any other team that’s gotten to The Finals without two All‑Stars. “
The Future
“We had many chapters in the season. For me, it’s never a success if you go out losing. I think we put ourselves back where this franchise needs to be, being a contender. But, we’ve still got a lot of work to do. I didn’t win a championship, but I’ve done a lot of good things in this first year back, and hopefully I can continue it.” — LeBron James
As we prepare for the inevitable onslaught of free agency rumors (from LeBron and Kevin on down to Delly), it might be easy to lose sight of where this team is headed, and just how valuable this season’s playoff run has been. If you’re like me, you’ve saved many of these games on your DVR. If not, then do yourself a favor and make a point to revisit the highlights on Youtube.
Every one of the Cavs’ free agents to be (restricted and otherwise) have only indicated that they are hungry and preparing to be back for more in the 2015-16 season. While Dan Gilbert might need to open another casino or two to pay for them all, there’s an appetite that this playoff experience has given the youngsters on this team. Yes, The Matrix is hanging up his awkward shot, and chances are Perk and Hayward will not alternately glare and grimace from the pine next season. But the majority of this now battle scarred and tested bunch should return, bolstered by the fully healed All-Star point guard and power forward, not to mention the Wild Thing.
So, while this season may have ended two wins shy of a championship, the road ahead is paved for increased opportunities for success by the experience gained along the way.
Coach Blatt after Game 6 of the #NBAFinals "Not every story has a happy ending…doesn't mean it's a bad story"https://t.co/visDQWrVot
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 17, 2015
The Genius
One parting thought as we all spend a few days recovering before diving headlong into the draft, free agency and summer league. It’s been an absolutely amazing ride through the ups and downs of this Season of Wow, and it’s been my honor and privilege to have experienced it all with the bloggers and commenters on this site. It’s enriched my love of the Cavs beyond imagining. So, thanks to every one of you for reading, contributing, commenting and sharing your fandom, your personalities and your opinions.
And take a moment to remember and let all of the awesome things that have happened with this team over the last year sink in. Revel in these times, Cavs fans. The present might seem tough, but the future is bright…
GO CAVS!
And by the way…
BAD NEWS: Well, I didn’t put money on Iggy at the beginning of the series at 100-1 odds.
GOOD NEWS: But I did put down $50 when he was at 10-1 odds after game 5. So, thanks Andre! You paid for my Finals ticket.
I can’t wait for next year. The offseason should be great; I fully expect the team to be majorly better next year, and as deep as the Dubs.
Meanwhile, for those of you who are all around Cleveland fans, I think the Browns are approaching the tipping point. A couple LeBron visits to camp should push them over to the other side. Cols, get on board! The Brown’s fans are a little short on optimists!
If the Cavs can’t add another playmaker/PG then Blatt and the coaching staff need to come up with a better offense than to just live with LeBron and Kyrie creating offense all night for them.
I believe that was one of the reasons why Kyrie got injured in the first place.
feel like this is the end of school and we are all headed for summers vacation THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING THIS GREAT JOURNEY TOGETHER—LET’S DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR ( YEARS )——MOTTO FOR NEXT YEAR ———ALL IN –AGAIN !!!—–THINK THE CAVS WILL FIND A PLAYER THAT WILL HELP THEM NEXT YEAR IN THE DRAFT ( POSSIBLY EVEN MOVE UP BY TRADE/ HAYWOODS CONTRACT IF THERE IS A PLAYER THAT THET ARE REALLY AFTER ) AND ALSO FREE AGENCY—-I WOULD BRING MILLER BACK –NOT AS A PLAYER ( FREE UP ROSTER SPOT ) BUT AS A COACH—YOU PEOPLE ARE GREAT/… Read more »
Can’t wait to see what the Cavs do with the offseason/draft. Here are my thoughts: 1. I think the only two people definitely not returning are Haywood and Matrix. I can see everyone else coming back. I think that leaves them two pieces to go and get: The highest priority would seem to be forward who can spell LBJ. The second piece would be a guard who can dribble penetrate. If you look at the free agency list, there’s really no forwards who look all that enticing, but there are several guards who would fit the bill. I think they… Read more »
Re: #5: totally forgot to include TT in the offseason improvements…. seems like he had the makings of a consistent jump hook against inferior interior GSW defense. I think he can start exploiting mismatches down at the offensive end if teams keep going small.
Perhaps this is wishful thinking but Joe Harris reminds me of Klay Thompson in his size, style and shooting, but not there yet in performance. Still it’s only his first year. Good that the Cavs kept him busy playing rather than just sitting (lots of D-league work whenever the opportunity was there).
Brian Windhorst’s reporting is just blithering buffoonery. Absolute blithering buffoonery.
Get ready for a huge dose of it for the next month and a half.
The best part is everyone hates him, outside of his counterparts in the media.
As great as this season was, I still enjoyed the 08-10 seasons more. Back to back 60-win teams, epic performances from LeBron, and consistent play from the first game of the season. Still, this was a great ride cut short by unfortunate circumstances. If all goes according to plan, next season SHOULD be the greatest season ever.
This season was very much better than that season. Watching the whirling death machine of LeBron, Kyrie, and Love for the 2nd half of the season was awesome. Then to see that end and the team morph into a granite block of defense was awesome.
Easily the most enjoyable Cavs season in forever.
I’m glad it was your favorite season. From the perspective of nostalgia and subjective bliss, I enjoyed those prior two seasons a tad more. I also was more emotional during those seasons. This season was approached almost business-like — I just wanted to get into the playoffs and start wrecking fools.
J.R. Smith Plans To Opt Out, Re-Sign With Cavs
http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2015/06/smith-plans-sign.html
Seems like an interesting strategy. I wonder if the Cavs can get him for $5 – 6 million x 3 years, instead of $7 million for 1. I think he can be valuable… but it’s not like we ever ran plays for him – even though he was our only competent outside shooter once Kyrie and Love went out, and when LeBron wasn’t hitting from outside. I would love to see slightly more efficient #s from him when he’s “off”, but still keep the NBA – Jam JR “on fire” Smith.
Interesting article about how the Warriors staff monitors and adjusts to players’ health. We keep talking about how lucky they were to be healthy, and of course luck is essential, but they have a pretty advanced system in place which improves their odds. http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13098001/golden-state-warriors-show-rest-best
Does their system include a category for someone ripping an arm out of its socket and tearing the ligaments too?
Does it include bashing your knee so hard that you break your kneecap?
Probably not.
That’s it, I’m buying a Kelly Olynyk dart board and a Draymond Green urinal cake.
Hmm… It provides very little information on how not to get your arm torn out. Even so, our big 3 got a LOT of regular season minutes, although LeBron obviously had some time off. It would be nice to cut back on those minutes next year. Anyway, the comment was more about the Warriors’ freshness than our injuries.
I don’t know if he was serious or not but apparently Screamin A Smith said if the Cavs had won the title LeBron may have joined Melo in NY. That seems ludicrous!
LeBron’s secret motivation is to win a title with every team in the NBA before he retires.
Must be true – I’ve never known Screamin A. to ever say anything ludicrous or stupid.
Just saw this on NBA Stats site and had to post it: Andre Iguodala scored 25 points (9-20 FG) in the Warriors’ title-clinching Game 6 win – his highest scoring game since Nov. 2013.
I mean damn, everything did go right for the Warriors
He was also wide open most of the time. Had the Cavs not doubled Curry he would’ve had a lot more trouble.
Golden State’s bench of Livingston, Barbosa, Iggy, David Lee, Speights- ok that is just an embarrassment of riches, but Livingston, David Lee, and Speights can all create their own shot. And Barbosa and Iggy, as we saw, can ocassionally hit open shots. On the Spurs, they have Patty Mills, Ginobli, Belinelli, and Diaw off the bench. Belinelli specializes in threes, but Mills, Ginobli, and Diaw can all create their own shot, plus Diaw has some of the best court vision and passing in the league. To get over that hump, and match these incredibly deep, dynamic teams, the Cavs need… Read more »
See Nate. I do have to repeat myself.
Your own suggestion above of “In all seriousness though we need a backup PG who can dribble the ball up the court and make a few plays without being hunched over and throw ridiculous lob passes to no one” would fit the billing.
Could they make the finals and win it all with this exact roster fully healthy? Yes, absolutely. An additional playmaker off the bench would however decrease Lebron and Kyrie’s wear and tear through the season, as well as give them insurance through injury.
Sure, an extra guy that can initiate the offense would be great. Norris Cole is my bet. But it has nothing to do with the Warriors or the Spurs. The Warriors and Spurs didn’t win because their benches were great. The Spurs won because the employ 3 HOFers and Leonard who is pretty good.
The Warriors won because they faced a crippled Cavs team. End of story.
Cols, Danny Green hit a record number of threes in the finals of 2014. They operate their offense through the high pick and roll with Diaw who then breaks down the opposing defense with his vision and mid range game. Patty Mills has been their most electric scorer on many occasions. These players take the offensive burden off those three aging HOF’s throughout the season which allows them to save themselves for executing in late May and June. Golden State has immense talent 1 through 11. There is more than one reason why they won the championship, but their depth… Read more »
Danny Green can only do that because of TONY PARKER, TIM DUNCAN, LEONARD, and GINOBILI sucking in the defense.
The only reason IGGY could hit threes was because of STEPH and KLAY.
The only reason the Cavs lost was because, well, you know why. THEY WERE MISSING 2/3 OF THEIR BEST PLAYERS.
Just mentioning character for it’s obvious need in championships, no real relevance to the situation.
JR Smith and Shump are those guys – who can make a play when called upon. Shump is only 22. He’ll get better. JR Smith showed that if the offense is stagnant, he can drain some shots. I would love to see these guys be more consistent, but I think for them to be consistent on offense we have to be running an offense. We didn’t run much of an offense in the finals because we were “conserving energy” or whatever it was we were doing having leBron dribble and throw up bad shots.
Best season ever!
I don’t know if it would have been without CtB.
It was so good, I don’t know that I can enjoy next season any more – even if the Cavs win the championship.
Thanks Cavs players! Thanks Blatt, Lue, Drew, & Griffin! Thanks Gilbert!
We need one more play maker to come off the bench. Some one who can create offense, and decrease the offensive load off of Lebron and Kyrie. I think that would go a long way in decreasing their usage rates and more effectively preserving their health.
Love, JR, James Jones, Tristan, Shumpert, Mozgov can all score, but have trouble creating their own shot. One more playmaker off the bench would go a long way.
We really need to upgrade backup PG. I’m a huge Delly fan and I firmly believe he has a place on this team. I like him a lot better off the ball however. If Kyrie is injured we only have LeBron dribbling the ball up. We need a third person that can run this O when one or both are sitting.
If Delly isn’t running the O, and playing D, he doesn’t have a role on this team. He can’t hit a wide open jump shot. He can’t create his own shot. If he’s going to be a pass first point guard who can guard better than Kyrie, he has a spot on this team as a defensive change of pace from Kyrie.
Would another backup point maybe be preferable to Delly? Maybe. But I think that Delly and Kyrie complement each other… different skills. Different strengths. It allows us to give a defensive look to teams at times. And Kyrie could play alongside Delly as well…
I don’t think it matters who the backup PG is or the starting PG. When Lebron wants to bring the ball up – he brings it up. I think he likes playing the Point quite a bit – he did it quite a lot when Kyrie was on the court.
Yeah about Mark Jackson:
@_Verts: Oh, and for those who think hiring Mark Jackson is a good idea: http://t.co/K3BPsuKcsu
Insane stuff I’m reading on the internet, today: the “Fire Blatt” idiots are back in full force, people are concocting harebrained schemes to trade for Boogie Cousins; and the Dubs are a top 15 team all time.
I’m avoiding ESPN for a bit. It’ll be the same old KLOVE is leaving and fire Blatt crap. The Dubs as a top 15 team is insanely laughable.
Radio is pretty horrible today too.
Stephen A. had Blatt half-fired yesterday before the game. (Believe me, I don’t seek him out — I just came across him while flipping channels.)
“I’ve figured out a way to get Cousins and Anthony Davis, and we won’t even have to give up much”
Haha. Costnanza
I wish we could fast forward to November. I’m not interested in the Browns or Tribe at all!
Thanks EG, Nate and everybody for keeping this blog animated and positive. I’ve learned a great deal and look forward to the off-season and the Cavs getting healthy, and re-loading.
The Cavs went from 19-20 to a sixth game against a 66 win juggernaut, And, Blatt and his staff had to reconfigure rotations on-the-fly twice due to injuries to two all-stars. Then LbJ went out and had one of the epic runs of any player in NBA history.
One thing we learned is that TT has become LbJ’s Pippen. Wow!
About the series, it was a great effort by the Cavs and I know we all appreciate it and can’t argue against it.
And about next season IMO and to sum it all the key is to just stay healthy. If they can do that everything will fall into place.
The Cavs need to keep a close eye on all off their players, specially on the big three members. And Lebron should be played no more than 35 mpg next year during the regular season of course.
My honest opinion…… Go Cavs!!!
Oh and I hope that the Cavs get their rematch against the Warriors next year…..but with Kevin and Kyrie available.
Wouldn’t that be great! A lot would have to fall just right, but how sweet it would be to show who the better team is when we have our health.
Lebron was at his lowest minutes total in a long time, if ever, so I am sure they will continue to find ways to reduce that. Especially assuming he doesn’t have to carry such a heavy load next year with everyone coming back and knowing their roles from the beginning. The start of next season shouldn’t be as up and down as this year.
Thanks to EG for the write up, as well as all the other authors for the site contributions. If anyone would have offered us a second place finish in 6 games at the beginning of the season, I would have taken it happily. Actually, I think losing in 6 was better than losing in seven. It would have been one more game 7 heart breaker. For us to get this far with only half a season behind us after the trade was truly remarkable, not even taking the injuries into consideration. Next season if healthy, we have a 10 man… Read more »
We’re gonna sign Mozgov, and Love is an Offensive 4. If anything I bet we draft a young big late, or sign a vet minimum for some depth if necessary.
Definitely want james jones coming back. Definitely hope we are not injured enough for Joe Harris to play any minutes. But I do hope we have enough blowouts that he can get some time.
I agree, filling the three needs you mention would be smart. We don’t want to be in the same place next year (in the finals but have key injuries that expose our lack of depth).
We do have the “Lure of Lebron”. What if D Wade is interested in re-uniting with LBJ at a salary cut?
Other names that have been mentioned: M. Ellis (SG); G. Monroe (C/PF); L. Aldridge (PF).
The thing about DWade is I am pretty sure one of the reasons he’s looking outside of Miami is because he wants a bigger contract than Miami might be willing to offer him at this point in his career. As for Aldridge, I think that was in reference to “If Love leaves”. I haven’t watched much of Monta Ellis the past season, what’s he bringing to the court lately?
I don’t see Monte Ellis being a fit, at least if JR is still here. Monroe and Aldridge are going to garner a hefty contract this year, too. I don’t think we can score either of those two guys. I could see Monroe or Aldridge if TT leaves, but we’ll be competing for those guys and probably won’t put up the same price tag as some lesser teams trying to get a star will put up. I don’t think Wade will take the necessary pay cut after taking it last year. Guess we’ll have to dive headfirst into the FA… Read more »
@MySportsLegion: JR Smith says he will “probably” opt out and become a free agent. Who wants him?
He wants to be back, but he wants a longer term deal than one year. I get that.
We will re-sign him. He was tremendous for us.
He was a good player for the Cavs through the playoffs. He kept them in some of the Bulls and Hawks games. I would think they keep him. He struggled at times but so did Klay on the other side.
I still can’t get over the run of luck by the Warriors. The reigning MVP goes down for much of the season and takes the Thunder out of the playoff picture. The Spurs screw up late and end up with the sixth seed instead of the second. First round: Jru Holiday hurt and the Pelicans give up one of the biggest collapses in playoff history to give the Dubs a sweep. In addition, the best series of the playoffs happens between the Clippers and Spurs. The teams exhaust each other, and the Warriors’ biggest threat gets knocked out. On the… Read more »
Great points Nate! You definitely need some luck to win a title and the Warriors used up about a half of centuries worth of luck. See you there in another 40 years Dubs!
The Cavs and Grizz left a nice blueprint on how to beat them next season.
Austin Carr is going off on the media this morning on 92.3. “We’ve gotta bunch of people that don’t know what the hell they’re talking about!”
Hard to argue with that, but what is he referring to specifically?
Yea, I want to know to what he’s referring. Because he is right in regards to, well, mostly everything haha
Criticism on Lebron in papers. He is very disgusted by it.
THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE:
Assume this trade between CAVS & SAC:
CAVS GIVE: LOVE(opts in for 2 years) & MOZGOV
GET: COUSINS (per game avg’s: 2-4 Pts, 12+ REBs p.g.; 1.8 BLKs); LANDRY & STAUSKAS
WHY?….DMC would fit with CAVS future better than LOVE; Tristan must be the starting PF.; STAUSKAS could grow into the consistent outside shooter CAVS need.
Would this make the CAVS better?
If the GILBERT came to you for input, what say you?
Cousins is a dope — not mentally tough at all. No thanks.
Nope Nope Nope.
Also, your scenario with Love is completely implausible. Cavs aren’t trading him, and he’s not going to “opt in” to consent to going to a non-contender. Also, he’s a better fit because he spaces the floor.
First, Great recap, EG. As much as I praised Griff, not pulling the trigger on a third point guard really hurt. That being said, Delly was never the same after game three. Another combo guard for the Cavs would’ve been really helpful. Jordan Farmar? I don’t know who was out there. Maybe Mo Williams. Still, hard to get too mad about that. There are silver linings to this loss: Dan Gilbert can’t say “well, we won our ring, now I don’t have to pay the luxury tax.” Cavs might have the highest payroll in the league next year. Cavs need… Read more »
Totally Agree about Shumpert, JR, and Delly. I think this makes the Cavs bring back Delly. If Kyrie Irving is healthy, then no one even mentions a back-up pg, I don’t think. What do we think Tobias Harris will get on the open market? Probably too much, and maybe a little unnecessary for a team with 3 All-Stars, but I really like how he would fit. I haven’t really delved too deep into the FA market, but if JR opts out, I don’t know if I throw too much money at him. With Kyrie and Love back, I think it… Read more »
They’re using the Haywood contract, mark my words. If they don’t want it, someone else will. I have to go deep on the draft/free agency in the next week or so. Give you some insights then.
Thanks, I trust your acumen when it comes to potential moves for the Cavs. It’s a big tax bill, but if Gilbert is OK with it, so am I. I agree someone will want that contract, too.
See, rich guys love to spend their money on toys. I’m sure Gilbert has nice cars, but his toys are the Cavaliers lol he will use that contract and not bat an eye at the taxes on it. Its worth too much as a trade asset. Look forward to reading all about the next couple weeks. One of the best parts about playing until mid-June is that there is less down time in between basketball. Draft is already next Thursday and free agency starts in July, should be a lot for us to munch on.
Also, do you see a scenario where Tristan leaves, maybe priced himself out of the Cavs options? I know he’s got LeBron’s agent and all, but that could be tough given his size and limited offensive game. I like him a lot, but I don’t think he’s worth a big contract.
Nope. Cavs will match whatever offer he gets.
I would love Green on the Pistons. I think he would get shown up on any other team. He’s in the perfect situation at GS – put him somewhere else, and he is a foul machine who is valuable on defense.
Some food for thought: (Mostly just to shut up Laker fans for a bit) Take out a players first two rookie years in the league and subtract all seasons where the player got major playoff minutes from an All-NBA teammate (That year or the next): Lebron: 6 seasons – Finals loss – 2nd Round loss – 3rd Round loss – 2nd Round loss – Finals loss – 2nd Round loss Kobe: 5 seasons – No Playoffs (injured) – No Playoffs (injured) – 1st Round loss – 1st Round loss – No Playoffs Jordan: 6 seasons – No Playoffs (old) –… Read more »
Sigh. It sucks we have to go through the motions next year. They should really just put the Cavs in the Finals.
I’m sure that’s what OKC was thinkng too the past couple of years. That’s why you the the games. No shortage of things that can wreck your sure thing trip to the finals.
Insider stuff regarding officiating:
We have been told the Warriors consistently complained to the league office about the Cavs type of play.
Yes, the Cavs are not happy with the officiating, site various inconsistencies with calls and interpretation of the rules.
The Cavs like many teams have issue with the moving screens.
The moving screens thing is a real issue. Since the Heat have revolutionized the NBA into a pace and space league and now a lot of teams have copied them and are in constant motion and setting screens, the NBA is going to have to do something about illegal screens.
It’s hard enough to get through a bunch of legal picks, but moving picks, holding, throwing elbows out? That needs to stop.
I think it’s time for some of these officials to retire. Joey Crawford, Tony Brothers, Scott Foster all need to go!
The Warriors are the whiniest guys since the flopping ginobilis.
Do you have any links available for some of the chatter on the officiating? I’m really interested to see what’s being said on that front.
No, unfortunately I do not.
We didn’t lose because of the ZEBRAS….We had 10 FTs more than the DUBS in game 6…and that was after we found ways to put IGGY on the line 10 times. And in the 2 games we won…the ZEBRAS gave us 64 FTs to 37 for the DUBS. We lost because we were short handed and played a really good NBA team that under the circumstances deserved to be champs. We’ve got a great future. And if we stay healthy and year 2 of King James goes more smoothly and if the DUBS stay together we and the association may… Read more »
It won’t be a rivalry, it will be a slaughter. A completely healthy Warriors team struggled mightily with a decimated Cleveland team. A healthy Cleveland team wins easily.
Not claiming we did. As Cols said 1,000 times… Yeah we know why we lost.
See Nate, this is why I need to repeat it a thousand more times. Not everyone understands.
Free Throw disparity can be attributed to the fact that the Warriors shoot a ton more jump shots, and the Cavs brought it to the hoop the whole series. Plus the Warriors fouled, a lot. We didn’t lose bc of the refs, there were some questionable calls the Cavs got too, but the Warriors got away with slaps, shirt pulls, and knee sticking-outs.
We had to play better, or have less injured stars, regardless of the officiating, I think.
If all the fouls were called on the Warriors that SHOULD have been called, we would have shot over 100 FTs in those two wins. Just because we got a lot doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty more that they missed. As Yoda says above, the Warriors shot far more jump shots while the Cavs played inside way more. Accounts for most of the disparity. Cavs players were manhandled while the Warriors were treated like middle school girls.
I will cry some real tears and be attending the championship parade when Cleveland wins a championship. The better team on the court won, but not the more deserving city.
Why the Cavs lost the Finals:
Irving and Love were injured
The end.
OK, You’ve said the same thing 5 times already. Give it a rest.
But the series was there for the taking. A reversed call/non-call here and a made shot there could very well have had the Cavs up 3-0 to start the series and looking to close out in games 5 or 6 (or 7). Of course having two of the big three out hurts, but I’ll go to my grave saying 5 out of 6 of those games was a toss-up.
Why the Warriors won the Finals:
Luck. (<– in a way we're still kind of saying the same thing)
The whole “resume model” Cols has stormed back with today is ridiculous on its face. But, if Cols didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.
Maybe Cols is correct, or, rather, perhaps what happened is that the Cavs went up 47-45, and just couldn’t sufficiently outplay the Warriors to close out the game.
Thought problem: If the Cavs are healthy next year and lose to the Wizards in the East Finals, what say you? You are prevented from saying: “This could never happen.”
Nobody knows what will happen until the “happenings” actually take place.
Things I know.
Water is wet
The sky is blue
The Cavs will be in the Finals in 2016.
Great Recap, you’re a better person than I, EG. Gonna keep this short because the wound is still deep. I’m super proud of the team, but even more disappointed in the way some guys dwindled in the finals. No need to harp on that, it was a difficult ride without Love, and Irving in the finals. I’m excited for next year. I think a wing 3/D guy would help this team out a lot during the season. I haven’t looked to see who’s available, but we have some contracts to move, so we should be able to get a serviceable… Read more »
What do you think the Cavs do with Haywood’s contract? How much more salary do we really anticipate the team to add? Or is Dan Gilbert all in?
Gilbert is all in. I expect the entire team is back, minus Haywood, Perkins, Marion.
If we try to trade Haywood’s contract, we could be looking at upwards of 50 mill in tax payments… Is Gilbert THAT all-in, though?
Yes. Of course he is. That’s nothing to Gilbert.
Who do you think we will play in the Finals next year? I think Thunder, Rockets, Clippers are probably the best bets.
If never rule out San Antonio. I don’t see the Warriors getting back there though. Their luck is about to end!
“I’d” not If…..!!!!
My gut feeling rankings in terms of likelihood:
1. Thunder
2. Warriors
3. Clippers
4. Spurs
5. Grizzlies
6. Rockets
Warriors are way too high. They won’t have everything go right for them again.
1. Thunder
2. Clippers
3. Rockets
4. Warriors
Please, give us the Warriors in the Finals. Every single time. Prove how lucky they were to run into us when they did.
If I were a betting man, though, I’d go Grizzlies. Always overlooked, one small piece away from breaking through.
The Grizz were up 2-1 on GSW until Tony Allen got hurt. I wouldn’t discount them. Gasol is a FA and I assume he is staying.
I’m definitely going with the Thunder IF they are healthy. The warriors are a good team but not as good as they were given credit for. They will lose the second they encounter a team who is healthy and can match up with them.
The Thunder will be insane next year. Cavs-Thunder would be my way-too-early-prediction.
Great year. Met my October expectations for the team. Exceeded my postseason expectations once Love and Kyrie got hurt. Played hard, no quit, proud of this team. Can’t wait for next season!
After watching this team all season, my offseason skill improvements:
Moz: handle on offense. Catching and finishing in motion from lebron bounce passes.
Shump: finishing around the rim.
Love: one on one and team defense.
Kyrie: get healthy. One on one defense.
Lebron: outside shooting.
TT: finishing around the rim, midrange shot.
Delly: outside shooting
JR: team defense
We certainly have a lot of one-way players on the roster — the guys who can score can’t defend and vice versa. I wanna hope that the biggest improvements next year (other than health) come from individual growth rather than new signings. If Kyrie and Love continue making strides on defense (how good was Kyrie in the first Finals game??) and Delly/Shump learn how to knock down catch-and-shoot 3’s with consistency, this team is golden. We’ve seen what this team is capable of on both sides of the ball.
Agree. Mozgov and Schump will be the two I follow and hope both evolve into special players.
Also, three roster spots to fill, if everything else stays the same. Remind me of what draft picks the Cavs possess.
NBA’s motion, space and shirt-holding paradigm means those are crucial bench spots. Also, hybrid-type players who can play SG/F and defend whether you go small or large, suggest to me the priorities are: shooting forward, #2 point guard, #3 center.
What a ride. This team was amazing to watch. The pure will and toughness they displayed throughout the playoffs was undeniable. This will forever be a once in a lifetime season for the ages, even if the story didn’t have a happy ending. Yeah, it sucks that we lost and there’s no getting around it — not all championships are not created equal and it goes without saying that the Cavs winning this year would have been one of the greatest runs in American sports history. So now I’m angry, and I hope the team is angry, and all of… Read more »
Thanks to the terrific CtB writers and commenters for making this the place to be during this incredible Cavs year. Keep up the great work. We’ll need you for the exciting year to come.
LeBron
Irving
Love
Mozgov
Shumpert
Smith
TT
NEW BACKUP PG
James Jones
Delly
Miller
That’s a great team that easily sweeps the Warriors.
Would a new back up PG get you a championship in the scenario we were in? I doubt it. DELLY is a good back up PG. He is not a good starting PG. He was filling a role he shouldn’t had. What back up PG would really do any better?
Yes. A real backup PG would be better for when LeBron sits. When he sat the team had trouble initiating any sort of offense. But no, they wouldn’t have won with a better backup PG.
There’s still a role for Delly when we sign the new guy.
The problem wasn’t that we need a better back up PG. The problem is that we needed Kyrie and Love to be healthy. I can’t think of a better back up PG that would have made much more of a difference. You also had Shump at half strength.
I agree. That’s what I said. With Love and Irving we win in 3.
I’d rather get a back up SF. Because we didn’t really have a reliable one in Marion.
Dissappointed. Why wouldn’t we win in one?
Did you watch what Livingston did for GS – a minor signing at the time, but those slight differences can make the difference between winning and not. I agree with Cols. Delly is not a back-up point guard. He can’t get into the paint. He can’t shoot inside the arc. He is a good player to have on your team during the season, but not one you want to depend on during the finals. Yes, he had one great game. But the narrative that he shut down Curry is not correct – they trapped Curry to get the ball out… Read more »
Yeah the difference was that Livingston was playing a back up role and Delly was playing a starting role. If Curry went down and Livingston was your starting PG, they would’ve been in trouble. Delly is a fine back up PG. Sorry dude, you’re wrong!
Yes. The entire reason we lost is that Kyrie and Love were out. This is really all the analysis that is needed.
Throw in Andy as well for some valuable minutes. He would of made Green so angry.
The guy who sits at the bench and collects checks for the past 5 years? I can’t wait until he is gone. What a waste of a roster spot.
I know I probably shouldn’t question your Cleveland fandom at this point, but everytime you spout off about Anderson Varejao, this sentiment rises up in me – you CAN’T be a Cavs fan and dislike Varejao; it’s just inconceivable to me!
I dislike players who are paid big money to do nothing. Which is what Andy does. He’s our David Lee, but even worse.
The injury is legit. Not like he’s milking it. But his time in the sun has set. It’s hard to excited all over again that Andy is back only to see he will be out for another 6 months again. It’s not fair to this team.
Bummed but optimistic. Who but Cols thought they were winning the Finals when this all started? So in that regard this was a great run. They can certainly build on it. Free agents will be running TO the Cavs which is a nice change. I was a bit worried about Lethargic Lebron at the beginning of the playoffs but it was clear he can turn it on and off. I would think he’ll be the best player in the game for 2-3 more years. As they add talent hopefully the huge burden on him lessens and we can extend him… Read more »
By adding talent you mean getting Love and Irving back?
I fully expect the entire team to be back, minues Marion, Perkins, and Haywood. Plus a better backup PG.
Those are spots I said the Cavs could fill with playable guys. Someone who can play at least 1 minute in a finals game.
They wouldn’t though. You only need 8 or 9 guys in the Finals. With Love and Irving we are already deep enough. A new backup PG would be nice but even that isn’t a necessity.
They would get playing time if people got hurt (see 2015). Doesn’t JR have an option, is it a player option or team?
JR has a player option that he says he will opt out of. But I bet they keep him.
I agree the future is bright, but the gigantic elephant in the room is that Lebron isn’t getting any younger. He’s not OLD, but his window for elite isn’t wide open.
Next year has to be the year.
What’s funny is that the Cavs would have infinitely more flexibility were it not for Andy’s contract.
Who does everyone think the Cavs will target this off season? Other than Wade, of course.
It doesn’t matter who they target. This team is guaranteed to be back in the Finals. All they have to do is stay healthy and they win it all. They would’ve swept the Warriors with Love and Irving.
The healthy part is the problem. I know Love’s injuries are always freak injuries but it happens all the time to him because of the way he plays. I just don’t see Kyrie grinding out a whole season and finals run in one piece. Hopefully the Delly/TT coming out party will offset those minutes. Scrape the retirees off the bench and get some playable guys.
I know you love your absolutes, but it’s highly unlikely they would have swept with Love and Irving. They woul have played more ‘normal’ basketball, and it would have been an amazing series. I do think they may have won in 6 in that case, though.
In all seriousness though we need a backup PG who can dribble the ball up the court and make a few plays without being hunched over and throw ridiculous lob passes to no one.
That’s the move. But even if they don’t sign anyone else they are easily making the Finals next year. And if they have LeBron plus another member of the Big 3 healthy, they will win it all.
Totally agree. Delly and a backup will get enough minutes because I could see Kyrie being on a minutes restriction. Blatt should force one on him.
Delly is fine for backup PG, unless you expect Irving to miss substantial time – I would rather have a 6-8 athletic 3 that can guard 2’s and 3’s like flypaper. Kind of like Wiggins – but without the scoring, as we would only need about 8-10 points from this guy.
Infinitely? No. Andy’s contract doesn’t change the math much at all, aside from the amount of luxury tax Gilbert pays. They’d be over the cap without him anyway.
The thing is, if we have Love and Irving, we don’t need LBJ to be superhuman like he was all series long. He won’t need to play 46 minutes. He can go ahead and age gracefully as the young guys can hold up their end of the bargain.
Ideally, we need to develop the roster and possibly make additions/subtractions so that the roster could win 45-50 games without Lebron.
Lebron plays sparingly through late February, and then you add him to lead them through March, April, May, and June.
Some props to Steve Kerr, who used his depth in a way I don’t really remember seeing in a finals. Rather than use his depth to spell his guys and keep people fresh, the warriors used in as a pool to pick out a lineup that the Cavs couldn’t quite keep up with. Hopefully I’ll never have to see Mozgov running out to close out on Iggy ever again. That was the matchup that just killed us. One way in which the injuries really hurt us was the passing. JR, Shump, TT, Moz, and Delly are all willing passers, but… Read more »
I’d disagree with that last assessment. The Cavs lack of movement on offense really made passing tough. To be a good passerm you have to have someone to pass to.
Nice recap, EG! As disappointed as I am that we lost this series, I am beyond proud of this team!! What a year we have had and what a treat this year has been after limping through the the last 4 years of Cavs basketball!! It’s great to be a Cavs fan…looking forward to next year. Go Cavs!
It was a great ride this season. There’s no doubt in my mind that the NBA Gods stole one from us this year. With Kyrie and no Love, we win this series in 6. With both, We win the first 3 games and maybe sweep. At most, it would have gone 5 games. Oh well. Hopefully it makes every one of these guys work their tails off in the offseason and eats at these guys so that next season nobody stands a chance against us. All of these guys are going to be playing otherwordly basketball. These guys came so… Read more »
With Kyrie and Love we win in three games. They’d end it by mercy rule.
I vote this at the #1 all time Cols comment!
Thanks for the great recap Evil. It’s a very bittersweet moment being two wins away and falling short but these Cavs played their hardest and at the end of the day, that’s all I can ask of them. The future is most certainly bright and I’m excited to see what next year bring but this season was surely a memorable roller-coaster ride. I use to come on the blog once in awhile but when the playoffs hit this site was a must everyday, one of the first sites I checked and I became active in the live thread. Watching a… Read more »