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2014-2015 NBA


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Looks like the Warriors have 8 players on the court vs 3 Cavs players. What a drubbing.

Edited to say Cavs somehow are only down by 2 at the half after being down by 13.

Second edit to say........nevermind.

Edited by TedR
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Congratulations to the city of Oakland which enjoys a championship the last year it has the team!

I had no idea that the Warriors hadn't won the title since 1975 (40 years).

And I note that in the OP I said that I had no idea that the Warriors were good, so there you go!

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The Cavs tried very hard and I have to really say they gave their all. If Irving and Love had been able to be in the finals it might have been a different outcome. A good series to watch. . . and I hate watching sports (but did so so my Dad could).

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LeBron said before the series that they couldn't guarantee a win but they would guarantee they "will play their asses off." And that's exactly what they've done with the team they have.

Amen.

Edited by jazzbo
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The Warriors had at least two key players limited by injuries two years ago in a second-round loss to San Antonio, and had injuries last year when ousted by the Clippers in round one. It was great to be more healthy this time around. A lot of that has to do with being a deep and versatile team, allowing players to avoid playing heavy minutes all season long. That's a credit to GM Bob Meyers.

Not only was this Warriors team one of the best NBA teams of all time, they are a great story. The national media (in general) would rather make it all about LeBron, but the real story here is about a special team, not a singular "hero". I've been a Warriors fan since the early 1960's, and was 19 when they last won in 1975. That was a great team with great stories too, but this one is more special to me.

One of the better journalistic efforts I've seen so far: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-champs-are-here-a-guide-to-the-elite-and-unlikely-cast-of-characters-who-defined-the-2014-15-golden-state-warriors/

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Jim R, your comments are spot on and critical to a team's success. "It was great to be more healthy this time around"......I'm sure the Warriors from two years ago and last year also "worked their asses off" in the attempt to be successful but were less effective at that time because of those injuries. And the way to maintain health deep into the playoffs is to have a "deep and versatile team, allowing players to avoid playing heavy minutes all season long". To have skilled players like Livingston and Barbosa who are versatile enough to spell off Curry, Barnes and Thompson for major minutes is a credit to the GM. Even players like Bogut and Speights, who were not as effective in the finals, were significant players during the season and helped to share those minutes and avoid some of the wear and tear of a long season. For me it was fun to see two teams who traditionally either do not make the playoffs or don't last long into the postseason, compete in the finals. (Not to mention the connection of one of my favorite players growing up, Nate Thurmond who played for both teams.) Congratulations!

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Thanks Ted. Glad you brought up Nate The Great. My earliest Warriors memory is being down on the floor of the Cow Palace in SF with my dad and brothers, near the players' entrance, and having Thurmond walk right past me. I guess that was about 50 years ago, but the memory is still vivid.

You show your knowledge and insightfulness in mentioning Mareese Speights and his significance during the season. Another guy who was significant prior to these finals was a guy named Klay Thompson. ;) But seriously, perhaps my second greatest thrill this year was seeing Klay score 37 in one quarter (52 for the game) vs Sacramento back in January, shattering the old record. An unforgettable historic moment for me, as well as the 30-plus-year veteran tv announcers of both the Warriors and Kings (both videos are on Youtube, for anybody who didn't see that).

On the night when Kyrie was hurt, Steve Kerr stated very clearly, honestly and sincerely that he hoped that Kyrie was not seriously injured and would be able to go. I strongly shared that sentiment, and it's really too bad that the two teams couldn't both have been at full strength. Love and Varejao were huge losses also, and who knows what kind of series we would have seen if both teams had been fully healthy. It would be fantastic if that could happen next year. It wouldn't surprise me if both teams are back in the finals.

David Blatt impressed me very much during this series as a coach and as a classy person, and I hope he will stay on there and continue to have success.

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David Blatt impressed me very much during this series as a coach and as a classy person, and I hope he will stay on there and continue to have success.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if both the Warriors and the Cavs were in the Finals again NEXT year.

And I say this begrudgingly because I'm a Hawks fan. ;)

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I became aware of both Speights and Livingston because they were Cavaliers for a short time and were strong players for us. I don't know what goes on behind the scenes as to why they left or were dealt, I'm not sure. But I believe they felt the Cavs at that time would not be contenders. Livingston is one of the heroes to me having suffered that horrendous injury that would have ended the career of many other players. Probably more than anyone else on the Warriors, I'm glad he got his ring. As far as Love and Irving, yes they would have improved the Cavs options significantly. But even with them healthy I believe the Cavs are one strong backup point guard short of having the lineup they need to be effective and efficient enough to contend again. With that said, I think the team to watch in the east next year is the Miami Heat. (And, finally, Steve Kerr is going to be a great coach in this league for a long time.)

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I became aware of both Speights and Livingston because they were Cavaliers for a short time and were strong players for us. I don't know what goes on behind the scenes as to why they left or were dealt, I'm not sure. But I believe they felt the Cavs at that time would not be contenders. Livingston is one of the heroes to me having suffered that horrendous injury that would have ended the career of many other players. Probably more than anyone else on the Warriors, I'm glad he got his ring. As far as Love and Irving, yes they would have improved the Cavs options significantly. But even with them healthy I believe the Cavs are one strong backup point guard short of having the lineup they need to be effective and efficient enough to contend again. With that said, I think the team to watch in the east next year is the Miami Heat. (And, finally, Steve Kerr is going to be a great coach in this league for a long time.)

Thanks for the perspective on Shaun. I knew about his injury, of course, but your obvious bond with him as a fan adds to my own appreciation. Talk about a solid veteran presence. His contributions increased steadily as the season progressed, particularly in the playoffs.

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As a Hawks fan, I'm sorry to see DeMarre Carroll go. That said, I'm glad that the Hawks were able to re-sign Paul Millsap.

And adding Tiago Splitter was a nice move.

I think the Hawks will be in the mix again next year. But I don't think we've acquired the players to get to "the next level."  

I guess we'll see...

Edited by HutchFan
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