The Official Dwayne Wade <<<<<< you thread

No but i'm not the one saying Houston are the only ones who can compete.

Smart, Kyrie, Horford, Brown, Tatum etc etc just matchup better with Golden State's skillset than Houston's do.

Harden has never had success against this team and CP was destroyed by them when he was in LA, at least Kyrie has a history of success against them and as a i said the rest of the team actually matches pretty well with them.

Harden and Paul didn’t play together though like they do now back then and Kyrie doesn’t have LeBron.

Seems like clutching at straws, the Rockets are just a better team than Boston and have been all season, that’s why experts think Houston are the most likely to beat this Warriors team if anyone can.

By the way I explicitly said “as it stands” because of Boston’s injuries, I think they can do it next season but right now the Rockets are the only ones who can (maybe) stop them

Those experts are idiots tbf, they are the same people who thought we could beat Golden State if Curry didn't come back because we swept Portland.

Also i'm not saying they are better than Houston. There's a difference between matching up better with Golden State and being better than someone.

Those are two different things, i just think people vastly overrestimate's Houston's ability to matchup with Golden State.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Celtics as i've already mentioned, also you'll laugh but honestly matchup wise we are not million miles away.

Cousins coming back and being able to add a serviceable wing would make us equipped matchup wise as much as anyone.

Philly are not miles away either considering Simmons and Embiid will continue to improve at a rapid pace.

I don't think them throughly outclassing the opposition isn't doomed to happen forever as some may think. There are teams who are close to actually matching up with them so it's competitive.

Not saying those teams can beat them but they are equipped to do so in the future if things go their way.

I mean, I get that this is purely a hypothetical but the fact that the Celtics are the team you feel best matches the Warriors only enforces what I'm saying. They're a lot younger, less proven outside of Kyrie, and we haven't even seen what they look like with Hayward.

If that's the Warriors' best competition, I have to say they must still be feeling good for a couple of seasons, not that I can vote against GOAT Stephens though.

Can't really weigh how much experience helps, which the Warriors have more than anyone not named LeBron in the playoffs and in finals, that matters

Luca wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:They are beatable tbh, it's just nobody is really set up to take advantage atm. ( either injuries or just missing a piece here and there)

There's teams which potentially could if things go the right way, but their room for error is much larger than everyone elses.

By whom though, and when?

This is the fourth consecutive season of domination, their only loss was a laughable bottle job of a 3-1 lead after losing Draymond for 2 (if I recall correctly), crucial games. Their response, dropping Harrison Barnes for Kevin Durant. Whew.

The only one who can take them down is LeBron and not alone, he needs probably 2 superstars with him and a bench

Well Draymond should’ve been ejected against OKC. Any other player would’ve been.
Incredible how him not getting ejected changed the entire league.

You need an entire defense that can switch to beat GSW, and the teams that can defend that are Boston and Lakers at the moment, but both are too young. Philly without Embiid also.

Wings are so important.

Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Horford and an above average size PG would be incredible on defense.

Freeza wrote:

Luca wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:They are beatable tbh, it's just nobody is really set up to take advantage atm. ( either injuries or just missing a piece here and there)

There's teams which potentially could if things go the right way, but their room for error is much larger than everyone elses.

By whom though, and when?

This is the fourth consecutive season of domination, their only loss was a laughable bottle job of a 3-1 lead after losing Draymond for 2 (if I recall correctly), crucial games. Their response, dropping Harrison Barnes for Kevin Durant. Whew.

The only one who can take them down is LeBron and not alone, he needs probably 2 superstars with him and a bench

Well Draymond should’ve been ejected against OKC. Any other player would’ve been.
Incredible how him not getting ejected changed the entire league.

Agreed, and OKC should've even beat them in that series. This was also with Durant on OKC though, they were already the best team before adding Durant. Then they added Durant, a top 3-5 player in the league (depending on who you're asking).

I still think they're unbeatable right now. Too many things have to go right for the Celtics for them to compete within a season or two, I think its more likely that the Warriors team just breaks up due to players eventually wanting a change of scenery, or injuries or contractual disputes or a combination of these things.

LeBron super team could happen in the summer and change my mind though

I don't think this Houston team could beat the Warriors that didn't have Durant, I'm sure they won't take down the Warriors team with him

Phoenix gonna have an internal battle as to whoever they should pick now

Their new HC is Luka Doncic's NT coach
Ayton is a hometown kid from Arizona

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

urbaNRoots wrote:Only team that can potentially beat them are the Rockets, and if they can‘t then no one can‘t with the current rosters.

Nope, Boston when healthy have a much better suited roster to deal with Golden State.

Boston are what the Bucks wanted to be before the league figured out Kidd and the management got found out for being shit/gave a bunch of shit contracts.

Teams who can switch everything, have a bunch of longbois, and are full of players who are more than capable defensively.

Obviously the Bucks never got there. Their strategy of drafting anyone with a wingspan past 7ft really only worked for Giannis. The Celtics can, however, get there.

I agree this is the type of team that will give GS the most difficulty

Doncic is going no. 1

Bet on it.

Can't wait to watch Phoenix now tbh. Doncic is a transcendent player on offense. If he was an elite NBA-level athlete he'd be a top 5 all time prospect.

I'd personally take Bagley over Ayton if I had second. Bagley is a perfect player for modern NBA. Can switch onto anyone an is a real physical specimen.

CBarca wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

urbaNRoots wrote:Only team that can potentially beat them are the Rockets, and if they can‘t then no one can‘t with the current rosters.

Nope, Boston when healthy have a much better suited roster to deal with Golden State.

Boston are what the Bucks wanted to be before the league figured out Kidd and the management got found out for being shit/gave a bunch of shit contracts.

Teams who can switch everything, have a bunch of longbois, and are full of players who are more than capable defensively.

Obviously the Bucks never got there. Their strategy of drafting anyone with a wingspan past 7ft really only worked for Giannis. The Celtics can, however, get there.

I agree this is the type of team that will give GS the most difficulty

If we get PG the wingspan will be legit also.

Lonzo will be the only sub 7'0 wingspan player in the starting line up, and he's a 6'6 - 6'10 wingspan point guard.

PG: Lonzo
SG: PG
SF: Ingram
PF: Kuzma
C: Randle

That line-up would be incredible to watch. Randle held up against most Centers defensively except Embiid in that one game where he went ham.

Can't wait to watch all these teams be able to switch on anything. Will be fun to see how the game evolves once most teams are constructed this way.

Yeah I think that's where the future of the NBA is. You'll always have guys like Curry or CJ McCollum or Kyrie whatever who are good enough they'll make it onto good teams even if they're not longbois due to whatever skillset they happen to possess. However, I definitely agree that the idea of "positionless basketball" is one that will only get more and more popular as time goes on.

Also agree re: Bagley, he's immense and his combination of skill, athleticism, and height for his position makes him a rare gem. I haven't seen much of Ayton though so I don't really know who should be taken where

CBarca wrote:Yeah I think that's where the future of the NBA is. You'll always have guys like Curry or CJ McCollum or Kyrie whatever who are good enough they'll make it onto good teams even if they're not longbois due to whatever skillset they happen to possess. However, I definitely agree that the idea of "positionless basketball" is one that will only get more and more popular as time goes on.

Also agree re: Bagley, he's immense and his combination of skill, athleticism, and height for his position makes him a rare gem. I haven't seen much of Ayton though so I don't really know who should be taken where

Ayton is basically consensus no.1 overall for anyone who's never watched Doncic. He's built like young Shaq and can shoot some, but he just looks lazy on D, and I wouldn't use my top pick on a Center tbh.

Freeza wrote:Phoenix gonna have an internal battle as to whoever they should pick now

Their new HC is Luka Doncic's NT coach
Ayton is a hometown kid from Arizona

Who would you pick? I guess the silver lining is the Suns are so trash outside of Booker, that they can surely only improve

LeBron on his bullshit early, 19 points and 4 3 pointers, the Cavs have 25 points

A wild 1st quarter from James.

Luca wrote:

Freeza wrote:Phoenix gonna have an internal battle as to whoever they should pick now

Their new HC is Luka Doncic's NT coach
Ayton is a hometown kid from Arizona

Who would you pick? I guess the silver lining is the Suns are so trash outside of Booker, that they can surely only improve

Jackson is good, and switchable.

I’d pick Doncic without thinking too much about it. Best ever European prospect.

Nance is trash

Can’t believe how good the Raptors made these Cavs look. Delete club

Cavs in 6/7, I’d be ecstatic if the Celtics won this series though. If not for anything but to see something different

Celtics are the better Team. Cavs have Lebron but that's all their offense has, the rest just feed off his crumbs. 40+ pts from James wasn't enough for the Cavs to win, I guess he has to go for 50 in Cleveland.

The Celtics got double figures from 6 players, the Cavs from 3.

Art Morte wrote:Celtics are the better Team. Cavs have Lebron but that's all their offense has, the rest just feed off his crumbs. 40+ pts from James wasn't enough for the Cavs to win, I guess he has to go for 50 in Cleveland.

The Celtics got double figures from 6 players, the Cavs from 3.

That's been the story of the Cavs' season, apart from the Toronto series where we made everyone look good on their team

Anyways, Celtics are known for being unbeatable at home but very mediocre away. If they take a game in Cleveland then I think they can win the series, if its 2-2 going back to Boston, I expect LeBron to take a win and win in 6

I have said this already but Cavs have been built to maximise LeBron's individual output.

Problem with that is when he's not completely dominating like in the 3rd quarter the team completely falls apart.

That's not how you build a championship team.

Cavs have just been in damage control mode since Kyrie decided to leave them. Every move they've made has been reactive to that

The IT, Crowder, Wade and Rose trades at the deadline only enforce that. The issue being every player they've acquired has been equally useless

Luca wrote:Cavs have just been in damage control mode since Kyrie decided to leave them. Every move they've made has been reactive to that

The IT, Crowder, Wade and Rose trades at the deadline only enforce that. The issue being every player they've acquired has been equally useless

What I said has been the case since he returned to Cleveland tbh, they just had Kyrie already so it didn't need much more than that.