The Black Falcon............ Grounded

[keysersosay#1]

As much as we love the falcon, and praise him when he does well, I gotta comment on his dismal performance in the Finals.

KIM, I am NOT laying the loss all on him far from it. Splash brothers were really disappointing last night and basically throughout the series.


Falcon really struggled with his shot ....I believe, although not totally certain, that he was 5 for 32 in the last three games, many of those wide open looks.

I know he will be the first to admit that his performance was subpar. I think he also cost himself some big $$$$ with that poor shooting.
It will be very interesting to see just where the falcon lands next season. GS???? Lakers??? Wherever he goes, he needs to get in the gym and shoot a thousand jumpers a day and get back to flying on the court

 

[yrusonvus]

Yop, he's out, insert Kevin Durant.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Yop, he's out, insert Kevin Durant.

I think so too. GS brass is going to be pissed they gave this championship up and will put the full court press on KD so that, in theory, they go into next season as the prohibitive favorites.

Not sure about Barnes to the Lakers though. If the Lakers draft Ingram, aren't he and Barnes pretty similar in their capabilities? Why would they need two of them?

 

[Bur-Heel]

Barnes should have took that $72 million!!

 

[dadika13]

Barnes should have took that $72 million!!

They released the new salary cap number today, it's enormous. Barnes is still going to get PAID. Well more than $72 mil.

 

[dadecodevil]

I think Barnes fell victim to the same thing that Klay and Steph fell victim to, reliance too much on jumpers and not enough on the midrange and attacking the basket to get to the free throw line. Barnes was great in the first few games, but when the team jumpers stop falling, he didn't have that mid range game to fall back on. Hated to see them go down last night. The Lebron bandwagon just upgraded to a train last night.

 

[Spacegrass]

They released the new salary cap number today, it's enormous. Barnes is still going to get PAID. Well more than $72 mil.

I don't want to be that team. I wouldn't give Barnes more than about 4 years 50 mill

Guy just isn't worth more than that.

 

[imajericho]

Unfortunately, as I wanted the Cavs to win, I started to hope Barnes would take shots so that they would have empty possessions down the court.

That speaks volumes to how poorly Barnes played in this series. = /

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

The Lebron bandwagon just upgraded to a train last night.

Yup. I'm surprised people can still root for that guy. I must say one thing I came around on during the series was Kyrie. That guy is awesome. The step-back cold blooded 3 and the way he could take it to the rack amidst bigger players (got an and-1 of Draymond I believe) was cool to watch. And he did it all without looking like a raging D-bag like one of his teammates. Props to him - glad to see Kyrie win one.

 

[HeelFan58]

On a different note: What the hell happened to Kevin Love? The 1st quarter last night was one of his better stretches but there have been streaks when I would have been as effective as he was , well if I was 6'9".

 

[GoToHeelDook]

Yup. I'm surprised people can still root for that guy. I must say one thing I came around on during the series was Kyrie. That guy is awesome. The step-back cold blooded 3 and the way he could take it to the rack amidst bigger players (got an and-1 of Draymond I believe) was cool to watch. And he did it all without looking like a raging D-bag like one of his teammates. Props to him - glad to see Kyrie win one.

I laughed out loud. What series did you watch?

The blind LeBron hatred at this point is just hilarious. Pay attention people.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

I laughed out loud. What series did you watch?

The blind LeBron hatred at this point is just hilarious. Pay attention people.

If you don't think Kyrie had a good Finals then we certainly did watch two different series, lol.

 

[HeelFan58]

Kyrie struggled the first couple of games then came on strong , but the whole Cav team seemed out of whack the first 2 games.

 

[GoToHeelDook]

If you don't think Kyrie had a good Finals then we certainly did watch two different series, lol.

Kyrie had a fantastic series. I'm laughing at your "I don't see how people can still root for that guy." Do you even know what type of ambassador, philanthropist, teammate, and family man LeBron James is?

Once again...the hate is BLIND.

And I'll assume you were rooting for Curry...which makes it all the more hilarious.

 

[Sk1310]

I laughed out loud. What series did you watch?

The blind LeBron hatred at this point is just hilarious. Pay attention people.

Why is it blind hatred? I dislike everything about LeBron, ever since he left Cleveland the way he did. I lost all and every ounce respect for him, and personally think the only reason he went back, was not for Cleveland, but for him self to get the stink off of him. I can say he is a damn great player, and hate him. Why is that a problem for you? Also, if you think Kyrie wasn't a major factor winning the championship, im not sure what you were watching. Sure LeBron was the best player in the series, but they win 2 games max without Kyrie. While everyone was dropping bricks the last 4 minutes last night, Kyrie said I got this with that three pointer.

 

[Sk1310]

Kyrie had a fantastic series. I'm laughing at your "I don't see how people can still root for that guy." Do you even know what type of ambassador, philanthropist, teammate, and family man LeBron James is?

Once again...the hate is BLIND.

And I'll assume you were rooting for Curry...which makes it all the more hilarious.

This is YOUR choice. If he doesn't want to root for LeBron, that is HIS choice.

 

[Crimson Ghost]

Kyrie had a fantastic series. I'm laughing at your "I don't see how people can still root for that guy." Do you even know what type of ambassador, philanthropist, teammate, and family man LeBron James is?

Once again...the hate is BLIND.

And I'll assume you were rooting for Curry...which makes it all the more hilarious.

Sure Lebaby (whiny, entitled, selfish, complainer) had his points which he should since he considers himself to be the best. But Kyrie really stepped up and killed GS on those drives and provided that secondary scorer needed to win.
Barnes didn't play well at all in the last 3 games, but Curry (bad shot selection, turnovers) didn't help GS at all.

 

[GACMAN]

I will end the circle jerk that has started here and everywhere else....Bron Bron is a hell of a player...some people like him some people don't!! Steph is a hell of a player....some people like him some people don't!!! Some people think that Bron Bron is better than the GOAT...some people don't!!!! It is what it is!!!!!!

HB certainly did not play very well the last few games...I still like him as a player but you could certainly see his confidence go down....Kyrie on the other hand played very well...was not a fan but there towards the end was calling for Bron to get him the ball more...and I wanted GS to win!!! Good series.....if GS gets KD next year......I simply can't see them getting beat!! I think Billy the Kid though keeps KD in OK City and they pick up another player that helps them get over the hump.....plus one more year of good coaching gets Russ under control and he has an even bigger and better year then he had this year....man what a freak athlete he is!!!!

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

Kyrie had a fantastic series. I'm laughing at your "I don't see how people can still root for that guy." Do you even know what type of ambassador, philanthropist, teammate, and family man LeBron James is?.

I'm sure he's great at all those things - all you have to do is ask him, haha.

And I'll assume you were rooting for Curry...which makes it all the more hilarious.

Wrong again. Assuming makes an.... eh you get it. I wasn't rooting for Steph. He can be a bit of a baby in his own right (although nothing compared to LeBron). I liked the Warriors story better - but at the same time was happy to see that dump of a city finally win a championship so they can stop crying about how much they suck. Not everyone has to be a LeBron fan, you know.

 

[imajericho]

Lebron and Kyrie both made a play to seal that series. Lebron made that amazing block. Kyrie that 3.


But, OMG can you imagine if Lebron would have gotten that dunk down at the end? I woulda lost my mind.

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

Eff Lebron and Eff the bullshit NBA. Might not be rigged but you're a fool if you don't think there was some help in getting this to go further than game 5. All about the money. 2 extra games because of Draymond's suspension. I understand that it was because he'd accumulated so many flagrant fouls but still..

4years 72M? GM of the year award should go to anyone BUT the guy who gives Harrison that contract! LMAO. My Hawks need him badly but I'd rather start Bazemore than give Harrison that kind of money! Harrison really played awful this series...those last 3 games were atrocious. An old and hurt Iggy should have been starting.

Sucks that the only UNC ambassador on the court (minus James McAdoo) had to have such awful games to close out the series..

P.S. - Kyrie is a beast. Only and I repeat ONLY Dookie that I will ever respect and secretly like haha. Did I really just type that?? (Pukes in mouth..)

 

[Sk1310]

Eff Lebron and Eff the bullshit NBA. Might not be rigged but you're a fool if you don't think there was some help in getting this to go further than game 5. All about the money. 2 extra games because of Draymond's suspension. I understand that it was because he'd accumulated so many flagrant fouls but still..

4years 72M? GM of the year award should go to anyone BUT the guy who gives Harrison that contract! LMAO. My Hawks need him badly but I'd rather start Bazemore than give Harrison that kind of money! Harrison really played awful this series...those last 3 games were atrocious. An old and hurt Iggy should have been starting.

Sucks that the only UNC ambassador on the court (minus James McAdoo) had to have such awful games to close out the series..

P.S. - Kyrie is a beast. Only and I repeat ONLY Dookie that I will ever respect and secretly like haha. Did I really just type that?? (Pukes in mouth..)

I dont even count Kyrie as a Dukie. Played what, 11 games for them? Lol

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

I dont even count Kyrie as a Dukie. Played what, 11 games for them? Lol

That's what I tell myself to justify it each time hahaha.

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

He really got my hopes up when he hit his first shot - the 3 in the first few minutes.

 

[tarheel0910]

teammate

I don’t love or hate LeBron, but I don’t see how you can say that he is a good teammate. He has acted like an ass to two coaches and he is beyond passive aggressive towards the Cavs organization and his teammates on social media and during interviews. It’s fine to criticize your coach and teammates, but do it behind closed doors. For whatever reason he thinks embarrassing people publicly is a good thing.

 

[Archer2]

This is YOUR choice. If he doesn't want to root for LeBron, that is HIS choice.

I agree. I certainly don't hate LeBron, I actually hate very few people, certainly sports isn't important enough to make me hate anyone. But I don't like his whiny attitude or some of the things he's done. I was glad to see Cleveland win a title, I just wish LeBron hadn't gotten another ring.

As for "blind haters", the "hate" phrase is waaaaaaay overused. If I criticize the Current POTUS, I "hate" black people. If I criticize Hillary, I "hate" women. If I have a differing opinion on the Transgender bathroom debate, I "hate" the LGBT community. See how that works? If it gets to the point where anyone who questions any aspect of another person's life is considered a hater, then where does that leave us? Unable to criticize or question anything or anyone? And it only leads to more divisiveness, not more unity.

That is a recipe for disaster and exactly the PC road we're heading down.

Congrats to Cleveland, to come back from a 1-3 deficit is a truly amazing accomplishment. Much like dook, GS found out that living by the 3-pointer can often lead to dying by the 3-pointer.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

I don’t love or hate LeBron, but I don’t see how you can say that he is a good teammate. He has acted like an ass to two coaches and he is beyond passive aggressive towards the Cavs organization and his teammates on social media and during interviews. It’s fine to criticize your coach and teammates, but do it behind closed doors. For whatever reason he thinks embarrassing people publicly is a good thing.

Ya, don't mind him. I think he just has blind love for Lebron

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

As for "blind haters", the "hate" phrase is waaaaaaay overused. If I criticize the Current POTUS, I "hate" black people. If I criticize Hillary, I "hate" women. If I have a differing opinion on the Transgender bathroom debate, I "hate" the LGBT community. See how that works? If it gets to the point where anyone who questions any aspect of another person's life is considered a hater, then where does that leave us? Unable to criticize or question anything or anyone? And it only leads to more divisiveness, not more unity.

Yup, that's the easy cop-out in today's world. "Oh you don't like the same person/group I like? Oh you're just a hater." It is way overused and definitely gets old.

 

[Archer2]

Yup, that's the easy cop-out in today's world. "Oh you don't like the same person/group I like? Oh you're just a hater." It is way overused and definitely gets old.

It would be a boring world if we all agreed on everything. Debating differences of opinion is a healthy thing for any society or group. I've had my opinion changed many times on this board alone by other posters presenting diverse opinions. And even if I don't eventually concur with them, or they with me, we can always agree to disagree. That's what free speech is all about.

 

[imajericho]

I am not so sure I would say Lebron is a good teammate, but his assists numbers do state otherwise at times.

I think at times he gets too consumed with controlling the ball and the play. I think he would be better at times if he played more within an offense. Rarely do you see him cutting or so on.

At the end of the game, I was really nervous because Lebron started dominating the ball. And, I told my father (father's day fun), that Kyrie was going to be the key to win this game with a big shot and if Lebron doesn't start passing the ball off then they are going to lose.

Lebron dominated the ball like 4 possessions in a row and they all turned up empty. However, eventually Kyrie got the ball and got that shot off.

 

[Archer2]

Hard to argue with 27/11/11 Jericho. He had a fantastic series. Gotta give props where props is due.

 

[aah555]

Say what you want about Lebron personally, but the guy is an absolutely remarkable basketball player. 6 straight NBA finals. Responsible for taking 3 completely different groups of players to the finals. He's been to at least the Eastern conference semis 11-years running (every year since his 3rd year in the league). Wherever he goes, the teams immediately win. And when Lebron leaves (see Cleveland and Miami), his former teams go from making the finals to missing the playoffs the next season. The guy singlehandedly elevates everyone around him.

As a Duke guy, I'd love to say that Kyrie deserves the lion share of the credit for the championship. But that's just not the reality. Kyrie is a clutch shot maker. But, without Lebron, they're probably nothing more than a marginal 6-8 seed that would struggle to get out of the first round. By contrast, I bet Lebron could have won the east with that same roster minus Kyrie. You can quibble with his late game shotmaking etc., but, IMO, he's clearly been the most impactful individual player over the last 10-15 years. He's not Jordan. But, when you put everything together (scoring, passing, rebounding, defense) -- he compares very favorably to just about everyone else. At least for me, I still enjoy watching Lebron b/c he still regularly does things on the basketball court that make me go wow. His physical dominance on the wing is on par with how Shaq / Wilt dominated in their respective eras, and his versatility is just unparalleled. He's basically Magic Johnson if Magic Johnson were 40 pounds heavier, far more athletic, and a significantly better defender.

 

[Archer2]

Kyrie deserves a lot of the credit for Cleveland's title, a lot! When healthy, he is a hell of a player. There's a reason he was drafted as high as he was despite playing minimal games for dook.

 

[Bur-Heel]

Black mamba ✔.....lebron ❌ !!

 

[jah420]

Barnes deserves a fair share of the blame for the Warriors losing in the finals. With Klay and Steph being very sporadic, Draymond being out in Game 5, the Warriors really needed another scorer, especially from a guy getting the most wide open looks on the floor. He was bad both shooting jumpers and going to the basket. He started one game on fire, scoring like the first 8 or 9 points, but overall he was a non factor and that just can't happen. I don't remember him blocking ANY shots and didn't rebound the ball well either. In past years, Harrison was always a guy who was making big shots and playing well in the playoffs for the Warriors. It was hard to watch this year throughout the season and especially the playoffs as I really like this young man. He is an anomaly in a me first, ego centric, trash talking league. I think a team will overpay for him in the offseason. I read an article that him and JMM were doing homework on the plane trip back to Oakland after game 6. That speaks volumes about this young man's character. I think he will have a long NBA career and either go into politics or be a great TV analyst down the road. I wish him nothing but the best.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Barnes deserves a fair share of the blame for the Warriors losing in the finals.

Curry lost the series for GS. Barnes is a role player for GS. They do not count on him to win games for the Warriors. Curry is a bad decision maker and when his shot is not falling, he doesn't offer much else. In the 4th quarter of game 7 alone, he blew it. He threw 2 of the stupidist passes I've ever seen attempted in crunch time.

Barnes was not good in the last 3 games. But make no mistake, he gets hardly any blame at all. Curry lost it and LeBron and Irving won it.

 

[Steat]

That block that Labron made when the game was tied at 89-89 will go down in history as one of the best plays ever. It was Labron's "Ali" moment and will cement him as the second best player in NBA history after Jordan. As much as I dislike Duke, Kyrie Irving is good player and very good in the clutch. I was the happiest person in the world to see Kyrie turn pro when he did. Barnes needs to leave and get on a team where he is the one of the top two options. Boston will make a serious run at Barnes among some other teams. It is time for him to leave Golden State.

 

[BOOGIEMAN1914]

Lebron and Kyrie both made a play to seal that series. Lebron made that amazing block. Kyrie that 3.


But, OMG can you imagine if Lebron would have gotten that dunk down at the end? I woulda lost my mind.

that dunk would have been bananas!!!!!!....and before the block and the kyrie three was the the 3 ft and 3 pointer by lebron....that was a great game seven!!!!....when barnes hit that first three, i thought he was gonna be on....but he did have a great game 4

 

[tarheelinfl]

That block that Labron made when the game was tied at 89-89 will go down in history as one of the best plays ever. It was Labron's "Ali" moment and will cement him as the second best player in NBA history after Jordan. As much as I dislike Duke, Kyrie Irving is good player and very good in the clutch. I was the happiest person in the world to see Kyrie turn pro when he did. Barnes needs to leave and get on a team where he is the one of the top two options. Boston will make a serious run at Barnes among some other teams. It is time for him to leave Golden State.

It was a great play, but nobody has mentioned how J R Smith also contested it and may have made the block possible.

 

[CanuckChuck]

That block that Labron made when the game was tied at 89-89 will go down in history as one of the best plays ever. It was Labron's "Ali" moment and will cement him as the second best player in NBA history after Jordan.

I think it cements him as a legitimate choice for best player in NBA history.

CC