TRIPLE THREAT CLE: Golden State Warriors

Showing posts with label Golden State Warriors. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

2017-18 NBA Predictions

Randy Groce, Cleveland Cavaliers & NBA Writer (@Brownsareaweful)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Rockets
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: Kawhi Leonard, changed to LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Joel Embiid
Rookie Of The Year: De'Aaron Fox
Cavs Wins: 57

Cliff Gulley, NBA Writer (@CLG2282)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Dante Exum, changed to Jaylen Brown
Rookie Of The Year: Ben Simmons
Cavs Wins: 62

Pat Luhta, MLB Writer & NCAA Football Writer (@PLuhta)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Celtics
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Warriors
MVP: John Wall
Most Improved Player: Rodney Hood
Rookie Of The Year: Josh Jackson
Cavs Wins: 58

Jason Disantis, Ohio State Writer, UFC Writer (@JasonInCLE)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Warriors
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Kristaps Porzingis
Rookie Of The Year: Lonzo Ball
Cavs Wins: 57

Pat Tregoning, NCAA Basketball Writer (@PatNShaker)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Rockets
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: James Harden
Most Improved Player: Myles Turner
Rookie Of The Year: Ben Simmons
Cavs Wins: 57

Katelin Marshall, Cleveland Browns & NFL Writer (@KatelinKnowsCLE)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Celtics
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Myles Turner
Rookie Of The Year: Lonzo Ball
Cavs Wins: 55

Jaison Roberts, Pittsburgh Steelers Writer (@Kratoslives)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Spurs
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Derrick Rose
Rookie Of The Year: Jayson Tatum
Cavs Wins: 70

Brandon Albright, Wrestling Writer (@B_Rock1978)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Celtics
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Spurs
NBA Finals: Cavs v Spurs, Winner: Spurs
MVP: Russell Westbrook
Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram
Rookie Of The Year: Lonzo Ball
Cavs Wins: 57

Raven Williams, Editor, Entertainment Writer, Host (@nevaRWilliams)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: Kawhi Leonard
Most Improved Player: Devin Booker
Rookie Of The Year: Dennis Smith Jr.
Cavs Wins: 61

Full Court Press: 2017-18 NBA Preview

By Randall Groce, @Brownsareaweful

A lot has changed since the season ended last June. Six all stars from last year are now on different teams. Paul George went to the OKC Thunder. Paul Millsap went to Denver. Jimmy Butler is in Minnesota. Gordon Hayward moved on to Boston. Kyrie Irving joined him about a month later, which caused Isaiah Thomas to go to Cleveland. Did you get all of that?

After the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to claim their second title in three years, many wondered what impact that might have on the direction teams would go about in building teams this past offseason with so many big name free agents available. In the East, the question is do you build to win immediately to try and take down the Cavaliers, or slowly put together a roster that will be ready to win once LeBron finally retires. A team that seems to have done both are the Boston Celtics.

In August, the Celtics acquired Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Cavaliers in exchange for fellow all-star Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and one of Boston's 2018 first round picks, by way of Brooklyn. The Cavs also added Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Jeff Green, and Jose Calderon. Good luck trying to dethrone them.

Three teams that seem to be waiting on LeBron to move on are the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks. They basically stood pat this offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers are hoping for good health. Everyone else in the East got worse. I'm not using hyperbole. Literally every team other than the six listed above got worse. Charlotte picked up Dwight Howard, so yea...they got worse too.

Now the Western conference is a completely different story. The fall of the Warriors empire doesn't seem likely to fall anytime soon, so waiting them out would not seem like the smart move. Instead, most of the teams in the West made moves this off season that will make the Warriors' path to the Finals a lot more difficult than it has been the last three seasons.

Carmelo Anthony and Paul George are now teammates with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook in OKC. On paper they pose the greatest threat to the Warriors. Again, on paper. Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets, which will allow the runner up in last year's MVP race, James Harden to go back to his natural position of shooting guard. The Spurs didn't gain a new all-star, but they have Kawhi Leonard and Greg Popovich. They'll be around when it matters.

Denver, Minnesota, Utah, and Portland will probably round out the rest of the playoff teams in the West but Sacramento, Phoenix, and the Lakers have pieces that'll be fun to watch while Dallas, New Orleans, and the Clippers try to sneak into the final playoff spot.

I must admit, when the 2017 Finals ended I was convinced there was really no reason to even pay attention to the upcoming season. What's the point? Cavs-Warriors part 4 was basically written in stone. While I still think that will be the match up next June, fans will on a nightly basis have exciting games to pay attention to. If you don't follow any team in particular the crop of young guys that just came in this season will be fun to watch as well. Dennis Smith Jr. in Dallas will probably win the Slam Dunk competition next February. De'Aaron Fox running the show in Sacramento on a team that features vets Vince Carter and Zach Randolph. Lonzo Ball dealing with the hype and pressure of playing in LA. Jayson Tatum will try to fit in with Kyrie and Gordon Hayward, and Josh Jackson will be the all-around player Phoenix is missing.

This season is going to be FUN. This is going to be a eight month journey. All that I am asking is that the regular season and the playoffs are just as entertaining as the off season was.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Podcast 7/5/17: On NBA Free Agency, Chauncey Billups & Our 3-on-3 Teams

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

You can now download the latest episodes of "TripleThreatCLE.com's Podcast"!

Subscribe to us on iTunes here!

DOWNLOAD: On NBA Free Agency, Chauncey Billups & Our 3-on-3 Teams (7/5/17)
SoundCloud Stream here
------
DOWNLOAD: On Chris Paul Trade, Phil Jackson, NBA Moves & Lavar Ball (6/28/17)
SoundCloud Stream Here
--
2017 Episodes Of Triple Threat CLE Radio Show
----
2016 Episodes of Triple Threat CLE Radio Show

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Radio Show 6/14/17: NBA Finals and What's Next For The Cavs & Warriors

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Full Court Press: Did Kevin Durant make the right decision?

By Randy Groce, @ImissWiggins

As the NBA Finals have gone into full swing, I wanted to know "are you still mad at Kevin Durant?" Are we still upset because we feel that he chose the easy path to the finals, or do we understand why he made his decision? It has and will continue to be debated over who's decision was worse, LeBron's or Durant's. My take is Durant joined a team that had already won a title and was one game away from winning another. He also immediately joined the team that had just eliminated him from the playoffs. LeBron didn't join the Celtics so as far as I'm concerned the two are completely different.

We can spend hours going back-and-forth over the details of who's decision was worse but for me it simply comes down to why the decision was made in the first place. It's easy as a fan to sit back and criticize Durant's decision, but have any of you actually taken a second and asked yourself why he left without having a negative response to it?

The first reason I believe he left is the exact same reason I believe LeBron left. He had the unfortunate title of being the "best player without a ring". It's OK to have that moniker at the beginning of your career but when you've gone a few years without winning I think the pressure starts to weigh on you. The other reason I believe he left was because he was tired of playing with Russell Westbrook.

I'm not a Russ hater before anyone assumes that, he's actually my favorite player. I think Russ has an unbelievable will to win and plays as hard as possible when he's on the floor, but both Westbrook and Durant are alpha players, they both need the ball they both feel they have to have the ball, but there's only one ball. They both have had their playoff experiences of coming up big and coming up short but they have never truly played well together when it mattered the most.

Kevin Durant is the second best player in the world so there's no excuse for the OKC Thunder to have lost to the Golden State Warriors last year after building a 3-1 series lead. Sometimes having two top five or two top 10 players on the same team that have the same skill set isn't always a positive. Mix in the fact that they did not have a strong head coach to handle the situation and you can see why the team never hit its full potential.

I've had people point to the relationship between LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and say that if that can work ANYTHING can work. Well, it's not that simple and their situation was rare. For starters, regardless of who was in Miami first and who had a ring first (Wade), EVERYONE knows that wherever LeBron James is it's HIS team. Secondly, Wade and LeBron are real friends who genuinely love each other so for them, playing together was going to be fun. Although Durant had won scoring titles and a MVP, Westbrook still felt he was an equal to Durant, not a sidekick.

We saw this with Kobe and Shaq. They won three titles but still clashed with each other until the team was torn apart. Unfortunately some guys choose ego over team. Regardless of the way it went down Durant would be criticized. Stay in OKC, maybe beat the Warriors then lose to the Cavs and then everyone would say "you can't beat LeBron!". Go to another team they'd say "you're stupid for leaving Russ!". So why not join the team that has the best chance to make it to the Finals, and has a great chance of winning it with you being there? If the Warriors win, the main reason will be Durant. He's the best player on the team, and without him last year they didn't win it all.

Personally, I hate the current state of the NBA. We're basically waiting till June to see Cleveland and Golden State every year. I wouldn't mind that if it was organic, but this is basically a condensed version of the NBA All Star game. If the Warriors win it all, what's the Cavs' next move? Trade for Melo? Try to work a deal for Paul George or Jimmy Butler? Who knows how things would've turned out had Durant chosen the Celtics instead of Golden State. Would have made for a great Eastern Conference Final.

What I do know is Kevin Durant is comfortable with his decision and if he wins, who's to say he's wrong?

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Full Court Press: There's Still Hope and Time For The Cavs

By Randy Groce, @ImissWiggins

Coach Ty Lue said no. Lebron said no. Most "experts" and analysts have said no. The question that's being asked is, "should the Cleveland Cavaliers slow the game down and run more half court sets?" Well, I'm not an expert, coach, or a current player but based on what I witnessed in the 2015 and 2016 NBA Finals the Cavaliers absolutely need to slow the game down. Two years ago without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love the Cavs won two games against the Warriors. Last year fully loaded they beat the Warriors in seven games. So far this year after two games the Cavs have yet to win a game. The difference between this year and the other two Finals' appearances, LeBron controlling the game from the paint.

So far the Warriors' defensive gameplan has been well executed. Let LeBron score, (he was gonna do it regardless)stay glued to the shooters (JR Smith, Kyle Korver, Kevin Love), and either trap or shade a second defender to Kyrie Irving. The gameplan that's been deployed against Kyrie should look familiar. Doc's Celtics and the Spurs have used that strategy against LeBron a few times during his career. It works well against Kyrie because he's not a pass first point guard. He sees it as a challenge and tries to dribble around or through it instead of making the smart basketball play. So far the ball pressure has either made him turn the ball over or take a bad jump shot.

Let's get back to the point of this article. LeBron working out of the post the last two NBA Finals has allowed him to put up some of the most ridiculous numbers we have ever seen from a player on such big stage. What it forces the defense to do is either play him one on one. No small forward in the league can contain him in the paint, so that's either an automatic two points or a foul. Or, it forces the defense to send help and leave some one open. The latter is what has me shaking my head and wondering what the hell is going on?

This is by far the best crop of shooters LeBron has ever been surrounded by. You would think that working down low in the paint while waiting for the double team would be his number one mission. Kick it to an open shooter and then as Mike Breen would say, "BANG". It would also allow the role players to gain some type of confidence if they can hit an open shot or two. We've heard many times before that role players have a more difficult time on the road, so why not do everything possible to make their jobs easier.

Please, don't take what I'm saying as criticism of LeBron. He's doing everything he can, while getting minimal assistance. The problem is the Cavs are loaded with specialists, guys that are only shooters or "hustlers". The Warriors have a stable of guys that simply are very good if not great at basketball. Oh, and they play excellent half court defense. LeBron in the post and ball movement on the perimeter is the remedy for the Cavs issues. We've seen it work in the past, but for some reason they're trying to match the Warriors pace of play which hasn't done much except for tiring them out faster.

It also wouldn't hurt to dust off Derrick Williams and get him off the bench since he's one of the few guys on the team that's under 30 years old and can defend. There's no shame in losing, especially if the opponent is better than you but at least make sure you use every single weapon and strategy to your disposal.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

NBA Finals Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Part III

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

Finally, after a long drown out NBA season we finally have the last two teams left...and its the Cavaliers and the Warriors for the third straight year. Both teams are healthy heading into the finals and everything is lined up for another epic battle.

How Golden State Can Win:

There is no denying Golden State is a talented team. The team that won a NBA record 73 games last year added arguably one of the top five players in the game in Kevin Durant. The Warriors are a dangerous team in transition. And during the playoffs they are currently undefeated. The Warriors rank first during the playoffs in Points per game and assists per game, and second in field goal percentage and total rebounding per game.

There are a lot of factors for Golden State this series. Draymond Green is currently averaging 14 points eight rebounds and 7 assists per game. He's also shooting 50% from the field and 47% from behind the three point arch. Klay Thompson has been struggling during the playoffs. Only averaging 14 points on 38% shooting and 36% from three. Even if Klay continues to shoot poorly his effort on the defensive end can make up it. And lets not forget about Steph Curry. He is one the best shooters of all time and he can get hot at any moment of the game. He's averaging 28 points during the playoffs on 50% shooting from the field including 43% from three.

If the Warriors shoot like they have been and can crash the boards as a team then there is a very good chance the Warriors can pull a win.

How the Cavaliers Can Win:

Its hard to say the Cavs don't have a chance during the finals. They have the best damn player in the world in LeBron James. During the playoffs the Cavs rank first in field goal percentage and first from behind the three point arch. They have struggled on the glass even though they have Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, and LeBron.

As long as LeBron James keeps on doing what LeBron James does which is Averaging 30+ points per game, 7 assists and 8 rebounds all while shooting 56% from the field and 42% from three. His effort on the defensive end and the leadership he brings are all things that honestly can't be quantified. And if you have LeBron on your team...you can never be counted out.

Kevin Love finally seems comfortable in the Cavaliers' system. He's averaging 17PPG and 10RPG, while shooting 47% from three. Hopefully Love will be able to play a bigger impact than he did during last year's finals. Yes, he did suffer a concussion and ended up missing a game because of it, but even when healthy he didn't play well until game seven.

And lets not forget about "Mr. Fourth Quarter" Kyrie Irving. The Cavs are undefeated when he records a double-double. Irving is averaging 24 PPG on 46% shooting and 36% from three. Irving has really come into his own this season. Playing a majority of the games this season and has just started to reach his prime.

The Cavaliers main "X Factor" in the finals is Tristan Thompson. His ability to switch onto smaller perimeter players in pick-and-roll defense is second to none...heck he might be the best in the league doing it. And the energy he brings on the offensive glass is key because it will give the Cavaliers extra possessions. Hopefully Thompson can cancel out Draymond Green because Green is the heart and soul of the Warriors. Just like last year, if you can get to Draymond you can get to the Warriors as a team and "Double T" is the key to that.

The Cavaliers' bench is another "X Factor" in this series. Whether its Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, or Iman Shumpert they need to continue to shoot well and also play great defense on the perimeter. Preventing the Warriors to catch fire from behind the arch meaning defensively they can't play one pass away.

Prediction:

Cavs win this series. I know its a "homer" pick but it is hard to pick against LeBron James. The man is on a mission and honestly we might be seeing the best basketball being played...EVER. His leadership he brings and his supporting cast might be one of the best in NBA history. If his Cavaliers team can win four more games an argument can be made for this team as the best NBA team of all time. This is an exciting match up and it should wrap out this rivalry very nicely.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Radio Show 5/24/17: On Cavs/Celtics, Next For The Spurs and Movie Sequels

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Radio Show 3/15/17: On Browns & NFL Free Agent Deals, March Madness Preview & NBA Worries

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Radio Show 12.28.16: Best Of 2016, Browns, Tyrod Taylor, Cavs/Warriors & 2017 Predictions

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Radio Show 12.7.16: On CFB Playoff, Cavs, Klay, Browns/NFL, Gronk, First Albums & Guilty Pleasure Music

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Full Court Press: 2016-17 NBA Season Preview

By Randy Groce, @ImissWiggins

This upcoming NBA season comes with a lot more intrigue than the last few. Superstars have left. Sidekicks turned superstars are now asked to lead. A third year rookie finally making his debut. A Miami legend going to Chicago, and a hometown Chicago kid going to New York. Hell, the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, who return every single important piece to their championship team, aren't even the favorites going in the season. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Joel Embiid, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, and the possibility of Cavs-Warriors III are just a handful of players and storylines that will make the 2016/17 season one of the most interesting in a long time.

I like to break down NBA teams the same way I do NFL quarterbacks, by tiers: Elite, Championship contenders, Playoff hopefuls, and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavaliers, Warriors, and Spurs are who I would consider elite. The Raptors, Clippers, and Celtics would fall into championship contenders. The Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz would fall into the category of playoff hopefuls. The Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, and Philadelphia 76ers fall into the dreaded Los Angeles Lakers category. More teams fall into each category, but I chose to give you the most obvious.

It seemed as though we were going to get our first look at seeing if the process that the Philadelphia 76ers told us to trust was going to work, but a broken foot by Ben Simmons will force us to wait until January at the earliest. Joel Embiid has looked good during the preseason, but the biggest question concerning him will be health. Between Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor I expect Philly to only have one of them on their roster when the season ends. This young teams has pieces, but they'll need a little more luck before fans start believing.

The statement of "do or die season" was meant for this year's Los Angeles Clippers team. They are loaded with veterans. They have two of the top 20 players in the world on their roster. They have an excellent coach, and a high payroll. Too bad they can't make it to the Conference Finals. With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin approaching free agency, I tend to believe this could be their final run together unless they somehow make a trip to the NBA Finals.

I'm a Laker fan and I plan on closely watching the relationship between new head coach Luke Walton and the young core of Deangelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson. Can Walton convince these guys to run a real half court offense and play defense? Will he help a young guy like Nance Jr. reach his potential? I think I'll be equally interested in seeing the new duo of Anthony Davis and Buddy Hield. A couple of years ago it was suggested that Davis would be the "face of the NBA" by now, but injuries have yet to allow that to happen. Every big man needs a good perimeter guy. Hield might finally serve that role for Davis.

The team that a lot of people have their eyes on is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Some have suggested that Karl Anthony Towns is the best big man in the game. Add in Andrew Wiggins, rookie Kris Dunn, Ricky Rubio, and new head coach Tom Thibodeau and you would have to wonder how this team doesn't make the playoffs.

Earlier I mentioned the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and the New York Knicks. Honorable mention is all they deserve. ESPN, FS1, and every other outlet will drool over these non-factors all season for absolutely no reason. I'll pass.

The departure of Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors and the retirement of Tim Duncan has caused the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to drop off a bit. Both teams will still make the playoffs, but how far they go depends on how well they are led by their stars, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard. Westbrook undoubtedly has the talent and teammates to at least make it to the Conference Finals, the question is does he trust his teammates and coaching staff enough to try not to do it all on his own. Leonard has LaMarcus Aldridge and coach Popovich, their issue is how much does Tony Parker have left in the tank?

You ever watch a romantic comedy and the guy tries to get the girl for the entire movie? A lot of different things happen good and bad, but when the movie is over and the credits roll they have ended up together? That is how this season is going to play out. Some teams will surprise you and some will disappoint, but when the first week of June rolls around we'll get the ending we felt we'd get as soon as training camp started...

Cavaliers vs. Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals.

Enjoy the show!