Who do you want to win the NBA finals this year?

Yeah I just can't see them winning it. They didn't just lose the first two games, they lost ugly.

Took the words out of my mouth, he just says very douchey things like his pep talk to his Cavs teammates for the first regular-season game after he returned to the Cavs: “Don’t take this moment for granted. This is going to be one of the — this is one of the biggest sporting spectacles in the history of sports. And we’re a part of it. And it has a lot to do with me. I understand that. But I wouldn’t won’t to do it with no other guys besides ya’ll.”

He's usually got a decent filter but every now and then he says things like this, completely out of touch with reality (seriously, a regular season game of his is simply not one of the "biggest sporting spectacles in the history of sports").

Yeah, and he's the one who originates all those cutesy, overlong handshake rituals. And now we hear that before the playoffs, he gifted all his teammates with life sized shields. As in for knights, you know? Too bad they didn't protect them from those two shellackings.

He takes himself very seriously.

Didn't know about the handshakes but the chalk toss ritual is obnoxiously self-indulgent. In any case I am gonna have to come to terms with rooting for him sometimes, since I've been watching the NBA again (missed 2000-2011 or so) I have only rooted against teams and players, don't really have a team. I've always rooted against the super teams but he will probably never be a favorite in the finals again so he's the underdog now.

Last year I wanted the Warriors to win but now that the Warriors are acting cocky and look to be a dynasty they are my new team to root against.

The only one I've seen act cocky is Drayvon (Green) Can't say I really appreciate his attitude or his constant "accidental" kicks, trips and bumps.

Draymond is a perfect villain for me, I can't stand dirty players and the NBA let him get away with a lot this post season, to the point where for the first time ever I see the NBA officiating as fundamentally corrupt. But even Curry is starting to seem cocky to me with his shimmying and mouthguard stuff. Nothing outrageous and has more to do (for me) with them winning so easily even when being otherwise outplayed by raining threes.

Guess I just don't have a team anymore and rooting against the NBA's goliath is pretty much what I tune in for. This year I just realized that it won't be LeBron anymore.

Wow, everything going the Cav's way so far tonight!

I dunno man. I thought that if they won this it'd be a brief reprieve and the Warriors would still win the series, but this is a drubbing. So maybe there's hope?

I want the Spurs to lift the championship now!

Uh... Spurs aren't in it.

Was that the same team? Who is Curry? Some alien creature beamed him up and replaced him with one of their own me thinks.

I sometimes wonder when I see playoff/finals/championships of any major sports where there is best of x number that wins and one is dominating if they purposely lose so the networks/sports owners/etc. can earn more money.

Either that or one team woke up and the other went to sleep.

I think the way this series is going === it is possible for the spurs to win.

I know what you mean! I've had that thought too.

There's a chemistry thing in basketball though that can feed on itself -- someone's on, or off, for the whole night. Teams are gelling or not. Especially at the championships where everyone there has skills and the crowds are super-pumped and can contribute to what happens on court.

Also, as good as Love is, he is so damn slow. He didn't match up well at all in the first two games. So while I hope he heals quickly and thoroughly from his concussion, I think it may have been better for the team as a whole that he was unambiguously out (that is, Lue didn't just bench him) and they were able to go with a smaller, quicker lineup.

Dunno if the Cavs can beat the Warriors in this series but if not I think Love is gone next year, they need to trade him. They are not a good fit for him and he is not a good fit for the Cavs.

Plus as Lebron ages he should play the 4 more.

I think that's a pretty good read of the Cavs' situation. I saw some commentators on ESPN talking about how LeBron has obviously lost some speed and power. Love is too inconsistent.

What a flamin' crock. They suspended Green for game 5. I've watched the so-called "swing at LeBrons groin area" that they say made the flagrant 1 necessary, and I don't see it. I see the league protecting LeQueen James and ensuring final series revenue for one more game. It stinks pretty bad.

I wouldn't have a problem with this if they did this consistently - I can't remember specifically who else had done this - but I do remember seeing either in this series or one leading to this - a hit like this that was much more flagrant and there was nothing called.

Definitely see this in almost all professional sports certain star players get calls in their favor much more frequently than others.

This also goes back to my theory that they do try to push series longer - imagine how much money everyone involved earns if there is one more game.

I saw the nut tap and think it was intentional (whose balls has Draymond not hit yet?) but completely agree that the NBA is putting business first here, they should have suspended him (like they did to a Cleveland role player days earlier) during the Thunder series and are only doing it now because it could help extend the series and gives their TV partners more revenue.

This is the first year I've ever thought the NBA was blatantly putting their business first in their calls, it definitely stinks.

I'm going to watch it again, but I swear I don't see him touch Lebron there. And I don't even like Green, so I don't think it's my bias affecting my view.

[edit]

Oops. I just watched another angle of it, and they freeze framed it at the point of contact. Dang, Drayvon Green! Something must be wrong with this guy to be trying to hit people in the nuts. That could cause some serious injury - leave alone pain.