Yes, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland but that’s not what I mean when I say rock city. Plagued by a championship drought, Cleveland has been a barren ground for success. Just recently, they were tormented with the Johnny Manziel saga (which has abruptly came to an end). Cleveland persevered, down 3 games to 1, to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
We can all sit here and complain that the NBA is rigged and if Draymond Green wasn’t suspended then Golden State would be hoisting the trophy. Could be true. There’s no denying that LeBron James is the NBA’s golden child, but as my mother used to say “life’s not fair”.
Cleveland will finally get their “rock”, a collection of them in a large ring. A first for this organization and a long awaited celebration for this city.
Questions and comments after Cleveland clinched the NBA Championship
Is Golden State’s Legacy Tarnished?
The Carolina Panthers went on to win 15 games in 2015. They were a tough team to beat. Led by Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly, Carolina was a favorite to win the Super Bowl. That didn’t happen. Denver rained on their parade by defeating them 24-10. What about the perfect New England Patriots who were upset by the Giants in 2008 by the “Helmet Catch”.
Two teams, which achieved so much yet fell short of the ultimate goal. The losses don’t downplay how good these teams were but it does show that they weren’t able to take the next step to greatness (in the Patriots’ defense they have displayed that they are in fact a legendary team).
The difference here is that the 73-9, Golden State Warriors couldn’t upend the Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 games. They had an intimidating 3 to 1 series lead but was unable to pull past the Cavs to become back-to-back champs. The Cavs were the more determined team. They weren’t the best team on the floor, but they possessed the best player and the mindset to get past Golden State.
The real question is that after such a spectacular and record setting season, does the absence of a trophy make it any less amazing? Sure, a trophy would of been the cherry on top to end their remarkable season but obviously the NBA basketball gods didn’t like that idea. So does not winning the championship (and losing three straight games) make the Warriors’ achievements less important?
Who’s here to stay?
After a losing three straight and the NBA Championship, I’d expect to see some changes to the Golden State Warriors. Many times, winning teams aren’t so quick to add a player and alter the team chemistry but when teams lose they are more likely to try to correct those particular holes that they may have. The NBA Draft is two days away and there has been rumors circulating that the Warriors are interested in Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant. It would be interesting to see what changes they make considering they are coming off the best season (record wise) in NBA history. Dirk would stretch the floor but he is an aging player well into his 30’s. Even so he still demands attention on the offensive end. Kevin Durant is a past MVP winner. He’s one of the top players in the NBA. Having a player of his skill set would definitely improve the team but at what cost. Who would they have to let go in order to do so.
Cleveland on the other hand has to answer their Kevin Love dilemma (I’ll dive into this a bit more) and their intentions on retaining talent. Their key players are set to return next year. LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith are signed until at least next season (James and Smith have player options which they could opt out of in order to see a bigger payday). What will LeBron do? Is he still searching to be apart of a superteam or will he stay put in Cleveland? J.R. Smith is expected to make $5 million next year, but has his worth gone up following the playoffs? The only players guaranteed to come back from the bench are Sasha Kaun, Jordan McRae, Channing Frye and Shumpert. This means that they will have to retain or look elsewhere for extra help from the bench. With already (roughly) 100 million already being guaranteed to current players it will be interesting to see what Cleveland does. Luckily for them the cap has risen this year but unfortunately they are already over that cap mark. Their decisions this offseason will be very pivotal in their run to defend their “NBA Champions” status .
Chef Curry Diet
LeBron wasn’t having Chef Curry’s cooking. LeBron made sure to let him know that he wasn’t either. It wasn’t just the blocks and defensive pressure dished out to the Warriors it was LeBron’s dominance that trumped over all. Curry showed that he was human. Shots that normally would drop, weren’t. The Cavs were simply not having any of his usual Curry antics. The following statement fits so perfectly here: “Live by the three…die by the three,” and after Curry’s last attempt from downtown, I’d say the Warriors chances to repeat died right there.
Does Cleveland Still LOVE Kevin? 😍
It’s funny how things play out. If the Cavs lost this series, this would have been the one of the biggest stories resulting to their loss. Kevin Love is one of the better power forwards in the league, even though he did not display his past all-star form in the finals, he still commands much attention on the court.
He’s not playing like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love because he has much more of a supporting cast. A cast which is far better than he had in Minnesota. He’s not required to play on the block as much. He plays like a big guard now instead of the mean rebounding machine who was a double-double guru.
With his role being an uncertainty in Cleveland will he seek an out or will Cleveland plan to let him go? He still is under contract and is technically a Cavalier until 2020 (each year he is getting over $20 million). So the question is, “is there any love for Kevin in Cleveland?”
“The Suspension”
Game 4, the Warriors came out victorious. However, they would also lose one of their most valuable players in Draymond Green. A squabble between Green and James led to the NBA reviewing the play (AFTER THE GAME) and assessing Green a flagrant (which led to a 1-game suspension) and LeBron a technical foul. Hmmm…🤔 It’s quite odd that the NBA would go back to a play in which no call was made on the floor and assess a penalty on either player. For the NBA to go back and give a flagrant foul (which would lead to Green’s suspension in the finals and in a closeout game). Mind you, LeBron and Kyrie went off for 41 a piece in that game 5 win. Highly controversial if you ask me. I’d say that there were many other instances in previous games (especially the Oklahoma City series) that the NBA could have went back and given Green a flagrant. It just seems odd that they would’ve done so at such a crucial time. The NBA’s decision to suspend Green could be argued as a game changer and shifted the momentum to the Cavs. I would hate to think that the league is rigged. Sometimes it’s just how the cookie crumbles.
Beginners Luck
First it was Golden State head coach, Steve Kerr, who triumphed in his first season as head coach. Now Tyronn Lue has that honor. Lue, coached 41 regular season games eventually leading them to the NBA Championship. I would say that this sounds like a case of some beginners luck. Then again, it was David Blatt’s first year as head coach last year when his team fell to the Warriors. I guess it was just Lue’s time to shine.
LeBron’s Legacy
Six years. Three championships. LeBron James led all players in points, rebounds, steals, assist, blocks and heart. Supplanting himself as one of the best players in the league and one of the best players to play the game. Maybe disliked by many, he has showed that he is an elite player over and over and over and over again. Of course, he’ll be compared to the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird all of whom had success in the post season.
Where do we go from here?
- Cleveland will have to figure out what the deal is with Kevin Love then address their bench.
- GSW will have to figure out if a big man is the way to go. Their inability to defend the rim and collect rebounds ultimately hurt them.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens next and which players will be on these teams next season. Thursday night will be another big night to see which directions these teams (and the 28 others) decide to go.
Josh Blake Writes 