The Slippery Soapbox

[ctaulbee]

Since many don't care about Sports here is a thread to contain all sports discussions.

So lets try to keep that out of the forums and out of the shout box folks and make all those comments here instead.

Thanks

So let's get started then

Game 3 tonight Warriors at Cleveland, anyone up to predict an outcome?

[Wrench]

I predict GS wins

[alienmem]

I don't care about the score if Kyrie gets 35+ points and puts on a show

[ctaulbee]

Well it's hostile territory for the Warriors, they play in Cleveland next two games.

That said the Warriors are the highest road scoring team in the NBA with well over 100pts per road game average. I know some don't think statistics matter but they do teams with high powered offenses who put lots of points on the board every game are the hardest to handle at any venue.

Bottom line this is the Cavs chance to shine, if they are going to win a game the next two will be their best chance to do it, still I give GS the edge tonight, they just score too many points and that is what wins games, defense can lose games for you but offense is what wins games at the end of the day.

If the Cavs lose even one of these next two it could well be their doom going back to Oakland for game 5.

[chouette]

Thanks for creating this thread, I will now put it on my ignore list. Don't take it personally, lol

[sauron]

Thanks for creating this thread, I will now put it on my ignore list. Don't take it personally, lol

Don't worry - you're not the only one lol Only sport I enjoy is Boxing.

[Fogdude]

This will probably be the only post in this thread you'll see from me, unless I'm seriously provoked & that will take a lot.

[ctaulbee]

This will probably be the only post in this thread you'll see from me, unless I'm seriously provoked & that will take a lot.

Is that a prediction on the game and I'm just misreading it ?  

[alienmem]

This will probably be the only post in this thread you'll see from me, unless I'm seriously provoked & that will take a lot.

God, we can always talk about sports with you every 4 years when the Olympics are on...like the 50 meter shooting competition or something...hehehe

Well it's hostile territory for the Warriors, they play in Cleveland next two games.

That said the Warriors are the highest road scoring team in the NBA with well over 100pts per road game average. I know some don't think statistics matter but they do teams with high powered offenses who put lots of points on the board every game are the hardest to handle at any venue.

Bottom line this is the Cavs chance to shine, if they are going to win a game the next two will be their best chance to do it, still I give GS the edge tonight, they just score too many points and that is what wins games, defense can lose games for you but offense is what wins games at the end of the day.

If the Cavs lose even one of these next two it could well be their doom going back to Oakland for game 5.

Well, I don't wanna disagree with you and you have a point in saying that offences win games. of course this is true since if no one made a bucket not the best deffense in the world would win a single game.

But I disagree that defenses don't win games in the sense that, the game boils down to at the end having more points than the opposite team. Well, If your defense prevents the opponent from scoring and you make your usual points, the defense was the determinant factor here.


So it's a mixture of both. Can't win games without a good offense and defense.

But I agree. If the Cavs lose one single game at home, they're dead. this year GSW don't have Curry injured and plus, they have KD, who +/- cancel out the Lebron factor.

[ctaulbee]

So it's a mixture of both. Can't win games without a good offense and defense.

Even though theoretically you are correct lol.

Sometimes it's just not possible to defend some players not an entire game, I've seen Jordan held to 35 points and everyone bragging on the defense because they keep him from scoring 60, which was actually true, I mean if you did not guard him close you could just kiss it good-bye but to stop him no way, no defense could do that.

A power house scoring team, like in the NFL this happens a lot, can even make up for a so-so defense and get you the win anyway, even if your defense gives up some easy points here and there on blown coverage for example, reason is if you are out-scoring them 2-1 anyway that kind of thing don't really matter.

Also if a team scores a lot like GS does and has many weapons making them near impossible to contain, you can't for example double three players at the same time lol.

The other side of that is it puts mental pressure on the opponent as they know they can't really stop the other team from scoring, so they know to win they have to go to a more aggressive offense to be competitive and put up points, which often leads to mistakes, which is bad too and can swing a game.

Personally I think this has been a factor for Cleveland so far, I think they know they have to score to win which has led to many of their mistakes which have been costly especially in the first game and I don't envy them one bit, that's a ton of pressure at the level they play at.

[topmeasure]

The Cava went 0-2 last year and they were able climb out of it, I think it's a bit different 0-2 this year and the Warriors will win in 5.

[ctaulbee]

...I think it's a bit different 0-2 this year...

I think you are right Tamas, I'd even go so far as to say it's a lot different this year lol.

[alienmem]

Insert last Comment

Ok, well. Technically you're right. It's in a way, like soccer. In the case, Barcelona. They have the greatest forward line in the world with Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez; so they're deffense can suffer some goals(how many depends on the rival) and they'll probably still win coz the offensive talent is huge.

I understand what you're saying. The Warriors are a team that even on the road average 110+ points, so if they maintain that average you're saying that puts a lot of presssure pre-game on the Cavs coz they know that have to score a lot.
This is what I got of your answer. Ok, it is true. The Warriors are gonna probably score around their average(doesn't have to be) but should be about.

I undertand your rationel but I like to think that in a finals(and technically any game) they are several factor that are relevant, like home support, being put against the ropes(some teams work better under pressure, othrs don't) and it's a finals! Everyone is gonna give their all. I understand you. I just don't think it's that linear. There's a truth to what you say but ok. I'd like to believe in all games(all sports) there can't be a great team without a great offense and a great deffense. i belive you gotta have both. Of course if you have a great defense you can compensate for a lackluster offense and the contrary as well, but it's just my view. you can win some games with a great offense in my view but in the long run you need both.

[VincentLupo]

Maybe it's just me but it sounds like both CT and Alien are saying the same thing with different words.

[topmeasure]

I think the Cavs have an uphill battle, it appears that the combination of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Green are far too much for the over matched Cavaliers to handle.

[ctaulbee]

Subject: The OFFICIAL SPORTS thread

Maybe it's just me but it sounds like both CT and Alien are saying the same thing with different words.

You are very perceptive there Mr. Panda  

[ctaulbee]

Well after that game I'm not sure the Cavs have any chance left now, it was slim to begin with, I really don't think they can come back from being down 3-0.

Warriors have not lost a game the entire playoffs, they have sweep everyone, the Cavs struggled against Boston in the last series a far less power house scoring team.

Think they brought their best games James put up 39 and Irving 38 clearly that was not enough plus I lost count of how many shots GS missed in the 4th not to mention the extra tries GS gave up on lost rebounds and poor ball control.

That is as much of a good situation as the Cavs could ever have hoped for, if GS had hit even half the shots they missed in just the last quarter they would have beaten them by 20 or more.

[Wrench]

I think that GS only brought there B game tonight.

[topmeasure]

This is pretty impressive.

[alienmem]

I think the Cavs don't have a game plan that works against the GSW, so it's pretty much kyrie 1-1 and Lebron 1-1 and all the other players, except Love( who did underperform. Had he made one of the three consecutive 3 shot attempts in the last minutes and the Cavs would've sealed the game). The Cavs have two amazing players. Kyrie in my opinion is the most spectacular player in the NBA. What he does is amazing and Lebron is just a force of nature. The rest of the team is just average. If you take out those two players the Cavs would be worse than Brooklyn. No BS.

That being said though they could've won. They blew like a 7 or 8 point lead deep into the 4th quarter and when Kyrie was on fire, Lebron, instead of continuing with the 1-1 penetrations, instead opted to involve the other players..what happened? They lost!!

So it's 3-0 now for the clearly superior team(better 5, better bench) and two players alone can't do nothing against this team(they could with probably every other one in the league) so If it's not the next game I don't even think the most rabid of a Cavaliers fan thinks the ring is going anywhere else than Oakland!!!

How's the NHL coming along? It's tied 2-2 .When's the next game. Wanna watch that one even if i have to stream it.

[topmeasure]

The Stanley cup is all tied after 4, so it's the best of three there, game five is tomorrow, the pens showed some fatigue issues so the three day rest should serve them well.

[alienmem]

The Stanley cup is all tied after 4, so it's the best of three there, game five is tomorrow, the pens showed some fatigue issues so the three day rest should serve them well.

Ah so tomorrow is the decider? game 5 is the last one...I have to watch it. Have to check at what time it is in GMT time

Wait. Best of three? What do you mean? If it was best of three it owuld've ended at 2-1. Best of 5?

[Wrench]

He means they must win 3 to win, so yes best of 5.

[ctaulbee]

He means they must win 3 to win, so yes best of 5.

No, it's best of seven just like the NBA.

Tied at 2-2 means four games are done and there are three games left.

So it's best of three in other words whoever wins the next two wins.

GM 5 - Jun 8 at Pit
GM 6 - Jun 11 at NSH
GM 7 - Jun 14 at Pit

They are even playing on home ice, both have won all their games at home so far.

They go back to the Penguins world for game five and they will be rested, they will perform better at home all teams do.

Since Pitt has the home ice advantage if it goes seven they do have a tiny edge overall, the Predators are a very aggressive team and have been giving them all they can handle so far, been a good series I think.

[alienmem]

Ah now i get the best of three he was talking about. From this point on....

Ok. I'm not a fan of either. Actually I have no NHL team. I've been a Bulls fan always and a Yankee and a Patriot but NHL I never rooted for anyone. Didn't see that much of it as a kid.

What are you guys favorite teams?