Overreaction Theater: What happens to Cavs if Warriors sweep?

[SHAQATTACK]

im predicting Cavs win game 3

All the scrub role players play 100 % better at their home court .

Question is game 4 ......thats a tuffy

[Beat LA]

I don't think there's a lot they can do, as they're pretty deeply leveraged to put together this current team.

Trading Love seems like the most obvious solution, but it's not clear for whom.  And they have to ask the question -- is it worth trading Love for pieces to maybe have a better chance against the Warriors if it undermines their ability to so thoroughly dominate the East?

Love has been pretty good against the Cavs' Eastern Conference opponents.


Honestly, I don't know if they necessarily need to do anything.  Kyrie - LeBron - Love - Thompson is going to continue to dominate the East for at least another few years, and simply getting to the Finals with a healthy LeBron on your team (even as he gets to age 33, 34, 35) should be enough to give you a chance of winning a title if the Warriors have some bad luck with injuries or suspensions.

That's what happened last season after all.  A confluence of factors created an opening for the Cavs to steal a title, and they did so in epic fashion.

And yet doing so would take away from Cleveland's seemingly only advantage over the Warriors (well, based off of the last two NBA Finals, anyway) - rebounding.  I missed game 2, but it's interesting to me that Tristan Thompson has yet to do, well, anything, over the first two contests, which makes me wonder if trading Thaddeus Young and Al Jefferson to Atlanta for Dwight Howard, in addition to picking up Arron Afflalo, would give the Pacers the best shot to get to the Finals.  Aside from Golden State, they're the only team that has played Cleveland tough and managed to get them down by, what, 25 in a game, even though they still lost . 

Bird should have kept Caris LeVert, done a sign and trade of Monta Ellis to the Pelicans for Eric Gordon (so at least New Orleans could have gotten something for him, lol ), signed Nene and Stephenson, moved George Hill to the bench as the third guard, which is where he belongs on a contender, imo, picked up a few undrafted free agents, and they would have had much more success last season, imo, and that's not even taking the decision to move on from Vogel into consideration.  Oh well, McMillan used to know how to coach .

Anyway, we are where we are, but why trade George when you can get Howard for peanuts?  He kills Thompson, and a starting 5 of Stephenson, Afflalo, George, Turner, and Howard matches up extremely well with Kyrie Irving, JR Smith, Lebron, Love, and Thompson, imo, and perhaps even with the Warriors, as well.  All they'd need to do would be to upgrade the bench and they'd be ready to go, imo . I don't think that George would ever have a better chance to get to the Finals, 12-13 and 13-14 notwithstanding, but that's me . Sorry if I hijacked the thread, btw.  Oops.

[Somebody]

I don't think there's a lot they can do, as they're pretty deeply leveraged to put together this current team.

Trading Love seems like the most obvious solution, but it's not clear for whom.  And they have to ask the question -- is it worth trading Love for pieces to maybe have a better chance against the Warriors if it undermines their ability to so thoroughly dominate the East?

Love has been pretty good against the Cavs' Eastern Conference opponents.


Honestly, I don't know if they necessarily need to do anything.  Kyrie - LeBron - Love - Thompson is going to continue to dominate the East for at least another few years, and simply getting to the Finals with a healthy LeBron on your team (even as he gets to age 33, 34, 35) should be enough to give you a chance of winning a title if the Warriors have some bad luck with injuries or suspensions.

That's what happened last season after all.  A confluence of factors created an opening for the Cavs to steal a title, and they did so in epic fashion.

And yet doing so would take away from Cleveland's seemingly only advantage over the Warriors (well, based off of the last two NBA Finals, anyway) - rebounding.  I missed game 2, but it's interesting to me that Tristan Thompson has yet to do, well, anything, over the first two contests, which makes me wonder if trading Thaddeus Young and Al Jefferson to Atlanta for Dwight Howard, in addition to picking up Arron Afflalo, would give the Pacers the best shot to get to the Finals.  Aside from Golden State, they're the only team that has played Cleveland tough and managed to get them down by, what, 25 in a game, even though they still lost . 

Bird should have kept Caris LeVert, done a sign and trade of Monta Ellis to the Pelicans for Eric Gordon (so at least New Orleans could have gotten something for him, lol ), signed Nene and Stephenson, moved George Hill to the bench as the third guard, which is where he belongs on a contender, imo, picked up a few undrafted free agents, and they would have had much more success last season, imo, and that's not even taking the decision to move on from Vogel into consideration.  Oh well, McMillan used to know how to coach .

Anyway, we are where we are, but why trade George when you can get Howard for peanuts?  He kills Thompson, and a starting 5 of Stephenson, Afflalo, George, Turner, and Howard matches up extremely well with Kyrie Irving, JR Smith, Lebron, Love, and Thompson, imo, and perhaps even with the Warriors, as well.  All they'd need to do would be to upgrade the bench and they'd be ready to go, imo . I don't think that George would ever have a better chance to get to the Finals, 12-13 and 13-14 notwithstanding, but that's me . Sorry if I hijacked the thread, btw.  Oops.

Would really like to see what you would want Ainge to do this summer.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

im predicting Cavs win game 3

All the scrub role players play 100 % better at their home court .

Question is game 4 ......thats a tuffy

cavs have offense but iffy defense as we all said. sure we maybe needed to slow it down to beat the cavs but it is so funny now i see cavs fans on other boards saying THEY need to slow it down because if not GSW will run lebum out the building. BWAHAHAHAHAHA. hope GS sweeps those clowns in cleveland.

[Who]

I wonder if Cleveland would trade Tristan Thompson for Melo.

I think the Knicks would do that trade. Cleveland moves K-Love to center and has Melo at PF. Goes all out offense to beat the Warriors offense.

PG - Kyrie
SG - JR Smith
SF - LeBron
PF - Melo
 C - Love

[Moranis]

I wonder if Cleveland would trade Tristan Thompson for Melo.

I think the Knicks would do that trade. Cleveland moves K-Love to center and has Melo at PF. Goes all out offense to beat the Warriors offense.

PG - Kyrie
SG - JR Smith
SF - LeBron
PF - Melo
 C - Love

I think that is far more likely then them moving Love, but I do wonder if they would miss Thompson's defense and toughness and how they would replace it. 

I'm also not so sure New York would do that because Thompson and Porzingis aren't a great fit on either end of the floor.  Maybe a fall back option if nothing else works for them.

That said, I think Smith is the most likely to be moved.  He just hasn't been playing very well.  Maybe it is the stuff with his daughter or maybe he is just at the end.  Obviously his value isn't as good as Thompson or Love, but they could get most of Smith provides from Shumpert, Korver, Deron, etc. and could really use another big off the bench.

[SHAQATTACK]

im predicting Cavs win game 3

All the scrub role players play 100 % better at their home court .

Question is game 4 ......thats a tuffy

cavs have offense but iffy defense as we all said. sure we maybe needed to slow it down to beat the cavs but it is so funny now i see cavs fans on other boards saying THEY need to slow it down because if not GSW will run lebum out the building. BWAHAHAHAHAHA. hope GS sweeps those clowns in cleveland.

i hope so too.....but like the Celtics who got that one win during the bleakest hour ,  when all seemed lost ,  i think the Cavs bench comes though with like 60 points ,  JR has 24 ,  and people now think the Cavs once again have a chance ....faise hope..   But like the Celtics against the Cavs .....Cavs will be put back in their box for game 4 in Cleveland .   

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

im predicting Cavs win game 3

All the scrub role players play 100 % better at their home court .

Question is game 4 ......thats a tuffy

cavs have offense but iffy defense as we all said. sure we maybe needed to slow it down to beat the cavs but it is so funny now i see cavs fans on other boards saying THEY need to slow it down because if not GSW will run lebum out the building. BWAHAHAHAHAHA. hope GS sweeps those clowns in cleveland.

i hope so too.....but like the Celtics who got that one win during the bleakest hour ,  when all seemed lost ,  i think the Cavs bench comes though with like 60 points ,  JR has 24 ,  and people now think the Cavs once again have a chance ....faise hope..   But like the Celtics against the Cavs .....Cavs will be put back in their box for game 4 in Cleveland .   

need GS to go up 3-0. the melt from cavs fans and lubum will be glorious. i am still shocked the vas won 3 straight last year. how did GS not close that out?

[Donoghus]

Apparently, our old friend Broussard was just on some Fox radio show & suggesting if the Cavs go down convincingly, to do everything in their power to go after George

[saltlover]

Apparently, our old friend Broussard was just on some Fox radio show & suggesting if the Cavs go down convincingly, to do everything in their power to go after George

Because I'm sure the Pacers would love to take back Shumpert, Frye, Kay Felder, and 1st round picks in 2021 and 2023.

[Dannys Chipotle Guy]

I wonder if Cleveland would trade Tristan Thompson for Melo.

I think the Knicks would do that trade. Cleveland moves K-Love to center and has Melo at PF. Goes all out offense to beat the Warriors offense.

PG - Kyrie
SG - JR Smith
SF - LeBron
PF - Melo
 C - Love

Honestly, I think thats a bad trade for Cleveland, but I could see Lebron panicking and doing it.

[Androslav]

Cavs try to get the best deal possible for Love. Who will they get, who knows. PG? Clevelands asset is in the last year of a deal. They will go for a 2 way wing guy. After that they will add Melo for scraps. We just stick to our plan. Clock is ticking.

[chilidawg]

I wonder if Cleveland would trade Tristan Thompson for Melo.

I think the Knicks would do that trade. Cleveland moves K-Love to center and has Melo at PF. Goes all out offense to beat the Warriors offense.

PG - Kyrie
SG - JR Smith
SF - LeBron
PF - Melo
 C - Love

Honestly, I think thats a bad trade for Cleveland, but I could see Lebron panicking and doing it.

Any trade for Melo is a bad trade, I just don't get why people keep fixating on it.

[celticsclay]

Apparently, our old friend Broussard was just on some Fox radio show & suggesting if the Cavs go down convincingly, to do everything in their power to go after George

The cavs don't have the assets to do that unless it involves giving up Love or Irving. At which point, what is the point?

The Cavs  are hamstrung to a large degree by Lebron the GM.

 I really don't think Jr gets a 4 year 57 million dollar contract when he is 30 years old as a scorer that relies on some athleticism without being close friends with Lebron. Now that contract looks like an absolute disaster for the next 3 years. Does anyone expect Smith to be playing at an elite level when he is 32, 33 and 34?

Then they got Thompson signed for a 5 year 82 million dollar deal after Lebron called his contract saga a distraction. While Thompson has shown some improvement in efficiency scoring. His career high in rebounds and scoring were both several years ago and he appears to have peaked as a player (his free throw shooting was also career low this year). It is not an awful contract on its' own, but when you factor in it actually being 34 million a year for him because of luxury tax it becomes very onerous.

With these two on the books it becomes hard to imagine the Cavs adding many players for anything above the minimum.

[Tr1boy]

If Cavs get swept/lose

anyone else can see Lebron reconstruct his salary , take 1 million a year ...to sign another max or near max player?