NBA Finals - Game 2 recap - Game 3 preview

In all honestly LeBron played very inefficient in terms of offense and amount of minutes he played. Nobody cares about efficiency though, because the highlights and history books only care about "how many" points, rebounds, assists rather than efficiency. Both Game 1 and 2 LeBron has been very inefficient but all people will see is that he has scored 44 & 39 respectfully in each game. None the less, 39 points and a triple-double is extremely impressive and will go down as one of his best performances in NBA Finals history, joining the elite company of James Worthy as the only players with 35, 15, & 10. Not to shabby Mr. James.

The difference in tonight's game was what the Cavs missed in the first game and that was a bench or their role players stepping up. Game 1 was 2 stars against the Warriors. Game 2 was about 1 guy and a group of guys stepping up to a challenge and beat a deeper team. The player that's not getting the press that should be getting talked about more is Mozgov. He had a very quiet, but extremely efficient 17 points and 11 Rebs. He was the Cavs' second highest scorer, yet nobody is talking about him because he hardly played in the last periods of the game.

As for Matthew Dellavedova, he deserves all the press he's getting. After posting an absolute goose egg in Game 1, he got the call to start and guard Curry all night. He might have done the best job anybody has EVER done guarding Curry. Curry ended with 19 points and had one of the worst shooting nights of his career including a record setting, most missed 3 pointers in a game going 2-15. I would have to give almost all the credit to Delly, who when guarding Curry, caused him to go 0-8. 0-8 when guarded by Dellavedova! The best shooter in the world. That's heart. Not only did Delly play stellar defense, but he posted a +15. Tristan Thompson was excellent on the rebounds, grabbing 14 rebounds but posted a team worst -21. I just wish the Cavs could get him a little more involved in the offense, getting him more touches and easy buckets, but as of now he is doing his role as best as they could ask him.

Game 2 might have been even more enticing than Game 1 just due to the fact that the Cavs won while being without their second best player and on the road after losing a heart breaker. 

I hope Game 3 will live up to what Game 1 & 2 have been, which I think it will. My guess is that the Cavs shock the world an take Game 3, forcing the Warriors and the rest of the world to doubt how good the Warriors are. Doubt is just what the Cavs have installed into the Warriors heads after winning in Golden State. Had the impossible just been done? I think the Warriors are stunned and are in a vulnerable spot right now coming to Cleveland, with the momentum on Cleveland's side. 1 day of rest is in favor of GS because of their depth.

Maybe I'm being too optimistic in thinking the Cavs are going to win the series and are just on a high from winning Game 2 without Kyrie, but I truly think Cleveland is in just as good of shape as they were before Kyrie going out. I think this because, yes Kyrie is really good and I think he would help a lot, but with him gone others really have to step up without having to go out of their comfort zones. For example, Dellevedova didn't do anything special last night in terms of playing outside his abilities, he just accepted the challenge in front of him and stepped up to it. LeBron is the one that will have to do more and something different. The rest of the Cavs just need to step their game up and know their role.

As for Game 3, I would hope Cleveland shows up like they did in Game 2, but nobody can believe Steph Curry will shoot as bad as he did in Game 2 again. I'm afraid he will have one of his "video game" like moments and get his teammates to play like they did all regular season. It's how the Cavs respond to a Curry "video game" unstoppable moment that will decide the game, if they cave in and let the lead get around 15 it might be done, but if they can sustain a big run by GS and not get knocked out (theoretically speaking) they might have a chance to play well enough to take a 2-1 lead into Game 4. This series has been a gift from the basketball gods that we should all be thankful for. I can't imagine not having 3 or 4 more epic games to lead into another epic NBA Finals like we had in the 2013 Finals between LeBron's Miami Heat and Tim Duncan's SA Spurs. After a lot of thought and research I have came to the prediction that the Cavs will take Game 3 and take a series lead into Game 4. 

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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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Talented UST Basketball Player Founds 'True You' Clothing Business « CBS Minnesota

Talented UST Basketball Player Founds 'True You' Clothing Business « CBS Minnesota



Cool piece on one of my former teammates at the University of Saint Thomas, Marcus Alipate.

GSW vs HOU Western Conference Finals - NBA Playoffs 2015

Congratulations to both the Warriors and Rockets on making it to the Western Conference Finals. Both franchises haven't been to this round of playoffs for a number of years. I'm still surprised the Rockets made it this far after the meltdown by the LA Clippers. I wish the Spurs would have made it to the WCFs instead of the Rockets because I believe they are the only team that could have beat the Warriors.

Houston stands no chance against the Warriors. In the 4 game regular season series, the Warriors swept the Rockets 4-0. That included 2 games at Houston. The first game of the regular season series was the closest game of the series, which the Warriors won by 11. Followed by a 12 point victory at Golden State. When the MVP contest was as close as could be, the Warriors thumped the Rockets in Houston by 25. In the season finale of the series the Warriors won once again by 13 at Golden State. A regular season sweep doesn't define what the playoff series will result in, but to me I think there is a clear indication that the Rockets don't match up well with the Warriors.

It will be fun to watch the MVP and MVP runner up play against each other, but Curry will show why he ultimately is this season's MVP over James Harden. Dwight Howard will get very frustrated this series with the swarming defense the Warriors play and the tough-nosed defense of Andrew Bogut. The Warriors have so many weapons and play too good of defense to lose this series.

I will give the Rockets the benefit of the doubt of not getting swept because they did beat the Clippers in a 7 game series after being down 3-1 and down 19pts in the 4th quarter on the road in Game 6. Unless they play miraculous, I don't see any surprises in this series.

Golden State will win the series 4-1. The Warriors will lose a game in Houston due to Houston's desperation not to get swept.

Warriors win 4-1

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Cleveland Cavs Eastern Conference Finals

After a tremendous first 5 games of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Chicago Bulls series, Game 6 was the opposite of the first 5 games. Expecting another down-to-the wire game and maybe a Chicago win to force Game 7, Game 6 was everything but that. Derrick Rose started off really hot, scoring 10 in the first quarter, which led many to believe that he would play hero again and force a game 7 with a tremendous effort. After that first quarter he hardly did anything. He finished with 14 points on 7/16 with no FTs made or attempted. One could make the argument that the only Chicago player that played halfway decent was Jimmy Butler, but even he shot very poorly at 8/22 and posting a -25 +/- rating. The Bulls' front court was a non-factor as well. Combining for just 21 points between Noah, Gasol, Gibson, and Mirotic, the Bulls were destroyed by Tristan Thompson, who recorded a career best 17 rebounds.

With Kevin Love out and Kyrie Irving twisting his knee/ankle in the 2nd quarter, you would think LeBron was going to have to carry the team on his back and have another remark game like Game 5. No, not this game. He had another horrible shooting night, but excelled in other areas, nearly notching a triple double with 11 assists and 9 rebounds to go with his 15 points. His teammates finally stepped up and played great. The small-ball game plan worked. The line up of Thompson, James, Shumpert, Smith, and Dellavedova was the line up that pushed the lead past 20. All the players in the line up had a +/- of +19 or better. Cleveland's bench was the key to winning Game 6. All the Cavs' role players played great, including James Jones who came off the bench to knock down 3 three pointers in the game.

After a competitive half, both teams came out of halftime with no offense. At one point, the teams were shooting a combined 3-23 6 minutes into the 3rd quarter. It was horrendous basketball to watch. The lack of a comeback by the Bulls helped lock the win in for the Cavs, as the 4th quarter was very undramatic as well.

Moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the Cavs is something Cleveland hasn't done since you guessed it: when Lebron led them there in 2009 in his last game as a Cavalier before going to the Miami Heat. Making it to the ECF marks 5 consecutive seasons for Mr. James as he waits to find out who his next opponent will be. This one will be different though. He has a new team, full of young stars and a few veterans. The young guys like Kyrie, TT, Dellavedova, and Shumpert have never made it this far, let alone played in the playoffs besides Shumpert. This will be another true test against a very talented and defensive minded Washington Wizards or a tough, well round team that plays great team basketball in the Atlanta Hawks. Either team will definitely test the Cavs to the brink, but I believe the Cavs have what it takes to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007.

Stephen Curry KIA NBA MVP 2015

Steph Curry NBA MVP

Steph Curry was the obvious MVP of the 2014-2015 NBA season. He lead his team to the best record in the league and was top 6 in scoring and assist per game. He had an unbelievable season that can only get better if the Golden State Warriors win the NBA Finals. Hopefully the Houston Rockets advance to the Western Conference Finals to have a battle between the 1st and 2nd place vote-getters Curry and James Harden.
I predicted the MVP results in March correctly. Here are the results:

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NBA PLAYOFFS 2015 2nd Round

Round 2 is going to be awesome! Game 7 of the Spurs-Clippers series was one of the best games of recent NBA Playoffs. I was very shocked the Clippers pulled it off, but hats off to them. I think the Spurs losing surprised the majority. I had them beating Houston in the second round and eventually going to seven with the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Now with the Spurs out, I think the Rockets have a lot better chance of advancing against the Clippers. With that being said here are my predictions of the 2nd round:

GS vs MEM 
Earlier in the season I had the Grizzlies as the #2 seed. This is the series of better teams, because whoever wins this series will be the Western Conference champion. The Grizzlies are going to struggle with the pace when they play at Golden State, but they are one of the top defensive teams in the league. If they grind it out by dumping it down low, I believe Memphis can keep it close and steal one on the road. GS wins 4-3

HOU vs LA
This series is really up for grabs. Houston played very well against Dallas and the Clippers were sensational in their seven game series against the Spurs. Chris Paul being a tad beat up could hinder the outcome of the series. I also believe that because LA played a brutal seven game series will make them start down 0-1. Game 2 could be a chance to even the series, but I think the Clippers with go back to LA down 0-2. Even down two games, LA will even the series after Game 4. The deciding factor will be Houston owning home court advantage and winning Game 7 to advance to the Western Conference Finals. HOU wins 4-3

ATL vs WASH
After watching Atlanta struggle against Brooklyn, I am very hesitant to pick them to beat the scorching hot Wizards. How Atlanta plays is why I think they will win the series. They are a good defensive team and an excellent offensive team that shares the ball. The scary thing is that the Wizards are playing unbelievably. Sweeping the higher seed Raptors and averaging nearly 10 point more per game is a recipe for success. I wouldn't be surprised if Washington won, but I think Atlanta is the better team. ATL wins 4-3

CLE vs CHI
This will be the most popular series of the 2nd round. The Cavs are on role after sweeping the Celtics and the Bulls won convincingly against the Bucks after 2 games of missed opportunities.There are a few concerns for both teams. The biggest: Kevin Love out for the rest of the playoffs. Though he has has under performing season, his importance and role on the court hasn't changed. His ability to stretch the floor enabling Lebron and Kyrie to get to the hoop, will be seriously jeopardized now that he is out. I think James Jones and Mike Miller will play big roles in this series filling in for Love, but they don't bring the rebounding ability as Love does. Lebron and Kyrie will have to up their games and production in order to move on.
The Bulls have concerns as well. Blowing game 4 and 5 didn't help them at all. Yes game 6 was a convincing win, but that put more wear on the whole team and especially Derrick Rose. Rose will be the deciding factor in this series. If he can play near his former MVP self that we saw glimpses of in the Milwaukee series, I think they have a good shot of winning. I still don't think they will beat Cleveland, but expect this series to be a physical one. CLE wins 4-2

NBA Playoffs 2015

1v8 GS vs NO GS wins 4-1

4v5 Port vs Mem Mem wins 4-2

3v6 LAC vs SA SA wins 4-2

2v7 Hou vs Dallas Hou wins 4-2

1v8 ATL vs Brooklyn ATL wins 4-0

4v5 TOR vs WSH TOR wins 4-3

3v6 CHI vs MIL CHI wins 4-1

2v7 CLE vs BOS CLE wins 4-1

Round 2 if all predictions are correct

GS vs MEM GS wins 4-3

Hou vs SA SA wins 4-2

ATL vs TOR ATL wins 4-2

CLE vs CHI CLE wins 4-2

GS vs SAS GS wins 4-3

ATL vs CLE CLE wins 4-3

GS vs CLE CLE wins 4-3

Jahlil Okafor, March Madness, and NBA thoughts

Jahlil Okafor will be the number one pick in the NBA draft. He is a very similar player to Blake Griffin. Very strong, athletic, and  low post scoring threat that will eventually expanded his game to 18ft. As of now he is the most dominant player in the NCAA. The Knicks or whoever grabs the number one pick would be stupid not to draft this kid. He is going to be a very good NBA player within his first few years.

Moving on from Okafor to the NCAA tournament, I think Kentucky will run the table, but with 3 true tests to win it all. Depending on the seeding and placement of teams, I truly think Arizona, Villanova or Virginia will be the team that gets to square off against Kentucky for the championship. 

NBA thoughts

It's pathetic that the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets will not make the playoffs. 

Chicago has been on a terrible skid allowing the Cavs to separate themselves from the Bulls for the #2 seed.

The Hornets are playing well enough to make the playoffs. 

Love that the Nuggets have beaten the Hawks and Warriors in a row, especially after just firing Brian Shaw. 

MVP

I think Steph Curry will win it and he deserves it, but I think Westbrook is playing out of his mind. If OKC wouldn't have had such a rough start to their season, I believe Westbrook would be the MVP. 

1. Curry 

2. Harden 

3. LeBron 

4. Westbrook 

5. Davis