NBA: Free Agency LA Lakers

Now that Kevin Love just opted out of his contract maybe we will finally see the Lakers revamp their roster before Kobe goes out.

I wrote about the Lakers landing a huge free agent last summer, but it never happened, which is why they were so bad last season. I'm hoping with all the free agents this summer LA is bound to pick up one and get back to a respectful team.

If dreams came true for LA:
1) Trade their #2 pick for DeMarcus Cousins
2) Sign Jimmy Butler
3) Sign Kevin Love or LaMarcus Adridge


OK now that probably won't happen but hopefully one of those events will.

If all 3 did happen, imagine the Lakers Roster:

C: DeMarcus Cousins
PF: Kevin Love/LaMarcus Aldridge
SF: Jimmy Butler
SG: Kobe Bryant
PG: Jordan Clarkson

Bench:
Nick Young as back up SG and legitimate scoring threat
Jeremy Lin: back up PG
Julius Randle: has yet to play, but would be in a great position to come off the bench
Ed Davis, Jordan Hill and Ryan Kelly would fight for the back up positions, but provide depth and flexibility.
Wayne Ellington: Back up SF/SG

Lakers need to get rid of Boozer.

Just remember this is a hypothetical dream scenario that has little to no chance of ever happening, but it sure would be a way to get the Lakers back to championship caliber.

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NBA Finals Game 1 recap - Game 2 Preview

Is this series déjà vu from the OKC 2012 Finals series when LeBron won his first ring or are the Cavs facing a very steep up hill battle? I'm afraid that it will be a very tough climb for the Cavs. LeBron did what everyone expected him to do by literally carrying the team on his back, scoring a new NBA Finals career high with 44 points. He was just another step back game winning buzzer beater away from stealing Game 1 on the road and adding to his already impressive "greatness" resume.

For how confident people were in the Warriors to beat up the Cavs, the Cavs held their own the entire game including a 10 point lead after the first quarter, but we all know basketball is a tale of 2 halves and sometimes 5 extra minutes in Game 1's case. That extra 5 minutes appeared to be too much more the gassed Cavs. Not only were the Cavs already exhausted by the end of the 4th, they ended up losing their star point guard, Kyrie Irving, within 2 minutes of the overtime period. Talk about killing 2 birds with 1 stone for the Warriors. Beat the Cavs and have them lose their PG. That's bad news for Cleveland and their title hopes. Still, LeBron has brought a lesser talented roster to the Finals, circa 2007. Not saying they had any success, but with a more developed LeBron James and a starting line up that is one of the best in the NBA, there is still a chance for the Cavs to win a championship without Kyrie.

The Cavs' bench which is stripped down to nothing as is, just a got a little thinner, as Kyrie Irving left Game 1 with a knee injury that will probably alter his effectiveness and status of his play. Most likely, JR Smith will have to move into the starting line up, which is no problem, but that leaves almost no bench. The irony of the bench scoring difference of 34-9 is that the Cavs record since Jan. 15 was 34-9 which I talked about in my last post.

My take for Game 2

The Cavs fought hard all game, owning the lead for a majority of the game. The effort they put into Game 1 will show up in their lack of energy for Game 2. Unless LeBron has yet another miraculous "MJ" like performance for Game 2, Cleveland stands very little chance. I don't think Kyrie will play, which hurts them even more, and even if he did, he wouldn't be at 100% or as good as he was last night. All in all, I think the Warriors will win by 11+ and take a strong 2-0 lead into Cleveland for Tuesday's Game 3.

Optimistic thought: JR Smith goes off again like he did vs Atlanta and/or Mike Miller comes in like he did for the Heat in their 2012 NBA Finals series against OKC. #Wishfulthinking

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NBA Finals - Cavaliers vs GS Warriors

NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

This year's NBA Finals are another gift from the basketball gods to us. We get this season's MVP against the Best Player in the world going head to head. For the 1st time in 40 years for Golden State and the 1st time since 2007 for the Cavs when LeBron was still young and still developing his game. The video-game like play with street ball handles against an unstoppable freight train. This is one of the finals that we dream of, yet people are thinking this one is over before it has begun. That is not the case in my opinion.

Remember earlier this season when Lebron sat out for a 2 week stretch to rest? This nine day break between games will me much similar to that. The Cavs were 1-7 on the 8 game streak without LeBron posting a 19-19 record. Since the Cavs' horrendous start and disregarding LeBron's first game back against Phoenix, the Cavs had the best record since January 15th (34-9).

The 34-9 record is because of a few things:

1) LeBron returning. Obviously he is the main reason for the Cavs' success, but that 2 weeks of rest really helped him.

2) The trades and players signed the Cavs made mid season. Trading away Dion Waiters, whom did not fit well with the Lebron and Blatt's game plan, was one of the best moves
Cavs made. Waiters simply did not flow with LeBron's style. Picking up JR Smith and Iman Shumpert from the Knicks might be the key to puzzle for the Cavs to win a championship. The two have been crucial parts during the Cavs' magical post season run. JR has been lights out and Shumpert has filled in great on defense and shooting the 3. The last part was getting Mozgov, the center Cleveland needed to block shots and own the boards alongside Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love (while he played).

3) The back end of season also developed many of Cleveland's role players like Dellavedova and Thompson to get them comfortable playing big minutes with the starting group. The Cavs have really gelled this post season and could take the series from Golden State with their intensity on defense and team chemistry.

Why I think the Cavs will win the 2015 NBA Finals Championship:

1) NUMBERS NEVER LIE: The Cavs' defense has been superb this post season. They have the best opponents PPG at just over 92. They also have a slight edge in off and defense efficiency over the Warriors. They have lead the post season in Blocks per game with Thompson and Mozgov protecting the rim. They also have a slight edge for the lead in rebounds per game over the Warriors.  Its frustrating to read articles saying the Cavs don't stand a chance, when on paper they are just as good or better than Golden State.

2) Like I mentioned before, the new comers and role players have really stepped up this post season. JR Smith has been huge, and he is just what LeBron and Cavs needed with the injury to Kevin Love. He is a legitimate 3rd scoring option for the Cavs. His shining moment was Game 1 against the Hawks when he could not miss a shot. He ended up with 28 points. TT's rebounding has really made him emerge this off-season, proving he's worth a contract extension and a legitimate PF in the NBA. Dellavedova and Shumpert have also been good, having their own shining moments and stirs of controversy. Gaining Smith and Shumpert has allowed the Cavs to play small ball with the line up of Irving, Smith, Shumpert, James, and Thompson which has been deadly, allowing the Cavs to space the floor with shooters all over and LeBron playing point forward, given him space to get to the rim or dump to Thompson for a flush. I expect this line up to play the majority of minutes for defensive purposes to be able to guard all of Golden State's weapons.

3) Most importantly, LeBron's experience in the playoffs and finals is legendary. 5 straight NBA Finals, that hasn't been done since Bill Russell and the 1960's Celtics teams. He has put himself in another group of history. I think losing last year fueled him to make it to another finals, but he has carried this team and has felt the effects physically. I think he is a little more banged up then previous seasons and Kyrie and Love being injured or out has not helped, making him carry even more of the load. I will never bet against LeBron even if the odds are against him in these finals.

Why the Warriors could win the 2015 NBA Finals Championship:

The Golden State Warriors are really, really good, They were the best team during the regular season, and had the MVP on their team. They are really good at defense and offense. Their depth is what sets them apart from just about everyone. I think Kerr's experience playing with Jordan and the Spurs really has shaped his coaching style, emphasizing team basketball. There is a reason why they are at the top for assists per game, even with a point guard that is top 10 in scoring and shots. They are versatile and deep. Just about 1-10 could be a starter on most teams in the league, but their sacrifice to come off the bench and play as team is what makes them so dangerous. My biggest fear for them and what I believe is their achilles heel, is that they have no NBA Finals experience, but one could say the same about the Cavs, minus LeBron.

I am very excited about this year's NBA Finals and have came to my final thoughts.

My prediction is that the Cavs will be crowned Champions at Golden State after Game 7. I picked them before the season started and am sticking with em'. Never bet against the king or you will pay. I wouldn't be surprised if Golden State won, because their core has been together for a few years, starting when they pushed the Spurs a few seasons ago. You can't honestly believe that the Cavs were meant to win in LeBron's first season back in Cleveland with a group of young stars that have never even been to the playoffs (Irving, Love, Thompson). I didn't expect them to win this year, but I think LeBron's goal and reason to come back is so that they could start a dynasty for years to come with LeBron and Kyrie at the core.

Just a side thought that I had: With Kyrie getting these 2 weeks of rest, who knows maybe he will have a coming out series and be able to match Steph Curry's performance. Kyrie is my sleeper in this series, with his ability to score, when healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a big game from him and steal a road game, like when he put up 57 vs the Spurs earlier this season.

CLEVELAND WINS 4-3

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Christmas Day

Christmas is the season of giving so what better way for the NBA to do that by giving us 5 games tomorrow! I am stoked! Though 2 of the games are pretty anti-climatic, who knows maybe a Christmas miracle could happen in the Bulls-Lakers game (doubt it). 2/5 of these games are horrendous match-ups and the CLE-MIA really isn't that good of game with how bad the HEAT are and with out Chris Bosh. The OKC-SA game will be worth a watch though Kevin Durant is not suppose to play, so that game drops a few ratings in my book. The best game to watch will be the late game between GS and the LA Clippers. This game will be the best of the day.

Washington Wizards at New York Knicks:

I don't even want to talk about this game, that is how bad it will be. The Knicks are bad and Washington is good. I expect a big scoring performance out of Melo, but a Knicks loss is for certain. The Wiz are just to good and play great defense to lose to a horrendous Knicks team. John Wall is going to have a hay day.

OKC Thunder at San Antonio Spurs:

Spurs win this one. No Durant for the Thunder and Tony Parker back for the Spurs, I'll expect a good game, but it will take an MVP like performance from Russell Westbrook for the Thunder to win this one in San Antonio. A win for the Spurs will get them back on track for a top 3 seed in the West after their recent 4 game losing streak.

Cleveland at Miami:

The most OVERRATED game of the NBA season. There is little to no hate for LeBron from the fans of Miami. They even are supposedly giving him a video tribute. This return is no-where close to when LeBron returned to Cleveland in his first season on the HEAT. He didn't leave the fans devastated and he did bring the city 2 more championships. There is really nothing for them to be mad at and that's why they aren't. The game itself isn't that good of a match-up to begin with. The HEAT have definitely struggled since the departure of LeBron, including a loss at home to Philly earlier in the week when they were up 23 at one point. That burns (pun intended). I expect the game to be very competitive with big runs to keep the game close, but in the end the Cavs are a much better overall team and will pull away in the 4th. As for LeBron, I don't expect anything above average because he doesn't have anything to prove. 

LA Lakers at Chicago Bulls

Do I dare say that if Kobe doesn't play the Lakers have a chance? It worked against Golden State, the NBA's best team. I don't think it will make a difference because the Bulls are playing well with a healthy Derrick Rose and a top defense, I expect we will have a 20 point blowout in Chicago. If Kobe plays, he'll get his 20, but tat wont be an easy 20. He'll take more than 20 shots and convert less than half. The Bulls can already chalk this one up as a win. 

Golden State Warriors at LA Clippers:

Same court, different team for the Warriors. The best game of the night! This game will be a playoff like game between two of the more entertaining teams to watch in the league. Golden State looking to bounce back after an ugly loss to the Kobe-less Lakers. The Steph Curry-Chris Paul battle will be enticing. I am going to go with the home team because the front court advantage for the Clippers will be the difference with the backcourt cancelling each other out.

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Merry Christmas!

Who are you Reggie Miller

Kobe is the 2nd greatest player of all time as of now IMO. He is the closest thing to MJ we will ever see in terms of skill. He has 5 rings! For Reggie miller to say "Michael Jordan on his worst day is 10X better than Kobe Bryant on his best day," 2 days after saying "Congrats to the Black Mamba (Kobe) on passing the Black Cat (MJ), two of the best to ever  do it.. #GreatnessPersonified" is a disgrace to Kobe and to the basketball community. 

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