In the 1990's NBA era the elite star level of players decrease in the NBA by 50% handing the Chicago Bulls MJ and Pippin and Cartwright/Rodman the title over two star-player teams like Utah Jazz Stocton and Malone vs Rockets Olyjuwon and Drexler vs Knicks Ewing and Starks vs Suns Barkley and K.Johnson, NBA teams in the 90's only needed 3 star players on a team to win a playoff championship.

In the 2000's era NBA teams only needed two star players to win a NBA playoff championship like the LA Lakers Shaq and Kobe vs Spurs Duncan and Parker, because the elite star level of players around the league has decrease (Big-Time) from the 1980's era to the 2000's era by 75% .. SAD!

In 2008. three of the NBA star players joined the Boston Celtics team to win a championship title having a Big-3 team making half of the NBA fans highly upset. Why? Because the other 29 NBA teams in the league were INFERIOR.
In 2010 three NBA star FA players signed up to join the Miami Heat team making 90% of NBA fans angry/mad/and HATERS of the BIG-3 on Miami Heat team.
In 2015-16 the GS Warriors elite roster won the most games in the history of the NBA regular season 73 wins, but GS Warriors couldn't win the championship title.
In the 2016 offseason the GS Warriors elite roster added one of the NBA Top-3 super-star players (Durant) to their roster. Not one peep of anger from any NBA fan. The 2016-17 GS Warriors super-elite roster SWEPT all three playoff series to make it to the FINALS

Maybe his cramps will act up again.

Bonn1997 wrote:It's really exciting to watch these 3 all-time greats go at it. KD is making a case that he's just as good as Lebron. Lebron might still be giving a little more production (especially with the assists) but he also has to since he doesn't have as strong a supporting cast. That sequence where KD blocked Love and then made that off balance shot was crazy. Love has played pretty well actually. He can't be expected to keep up with KD. Irving has been a disappointment. Love is Lebron's only teammate that's shown up.

Strong a supporting cast? LeBron has three all stars on his team.

yellowboy90 wrote:I feel Kawhi would look as good as Durant if he was on the warriors which is why I am not going to overeact like other people about what Durant is doing so far.

A 28 year old Michael Jordan also would look great on the Warriors. It doesn't negate what Durant is doing. I don't think Kawhi is quite the scorer that KD is though and I definitely don't see him adding 5 blocks in a game.

Would somebody protect the rim and send somebody into the cameramen?

Still.... Game 3 will be the critical test. I expected this to go 6 or 7, and I figured most games would be laughers.... the team who won cruised to victory. We'd probably get 1 close, back and forth in the fourth, compelling game.

The role and bench players normally shine brighter at home in these playoff games. Boistered by their fans, it's normally the home bench that wins.... With that said, this means that in CLE,
Watch JR, Jefferson, Deron and the bunch start raining 3s.....

It's not a series until the home team loses.... I do believe GSW is the better team.... 4 all-stars vs Lebron .. I just wonder if the will of Lebron supersedes that avalanche of talent?

This year, however, CLE must win both Games 3 and 4.... if GSW splits, the Warriors close this out Game 5.

Bonn1997 wrote:I'd say 7 blocks counts as protecting the rim. The league doesn't want the kind of physical play you're talking about (and I don't either actually). There's boxing, football, and hockey for that.

Football has gotten less physical also for safety reasons. I like some physical play in NBA but not when physical play is used to take advantage of the superior teams. Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn are perfect example of scrubs using physical play to stick around in the league. The so called enforcers/ goons.

There is a fine line between good defense and physical play. I think JVG said it best in the post you can get away with so much contact but on the perimeter all the player has to do is wave the hand and it's a shooting foul. The disparity is huge between post play and perimeter play because of this even bigs are now moving out to the perimeter. That is the part that has me more disappointed in the league they are totally destroying post play. Post play to me is an art getting position getting a shot off. The turn around jumper is all but a lost art gone the way of the hook shot.

Now it's a barrage of jumpers and threes and a wide open lane for layups and dunks. Now if there is a contact with a player going to the basket it's almost a toss up for a flagrant at the interpretation of the ref. Another thing I don't like is players are not allowed to be emotional they can slap a player with a T for it.

One thing that needs to come back is hand checking they need to bring it back.