Who do you want to win the NBA championship?

[Celtic Truth]

Lebron is my least favorite athlete of all time so I'll be cheering for the warriors.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Lebron is your least favorite athlete of all time? Yea he may be a little arrogant but he's a damn good basketball player and a pretty decent human being.

I'm not even a huge Lebron fan but I'll be cheering like hell for the Cavs. Really dislike GSW style of play.

[wadesworld]

Lebron is your least favorite athlete of all time? Yea he may be a little arrogant but he's a damn good basketball player and a pretty decent human being.

I'm not even a huge Lebron fan but I'll be cheering like hell for the Cavs. Really dislike GSW style of play.

Debateable.

And the Warriors style of play is remarkable. They could cut down on the turnovers but other than that the ball movement and the player movement are second only to the Spurs since I can remember watching basketball. And their defense is pretty dang good too.

[GGGG]

Rooting for the Cavs, but I think the Warriors win this one.  Having Durant just gives them that extra bit of firepower. 

[MUBurrow]

Cavs big time to try to counter the folks who's desire to cheer against LeBron for non-basketball reasons leads to them rooting for a team lead by Draymond Green.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I'm going Warriors.  Rooting for Durant to get his ring.

I don't get the Lebron hate.  I'm not saying you have to like him.  But least favorite athlete?  Compared to some of the scum bucket athletes that commit domestic abuse, child abuse, vehicular manslaughter, rape, and murder...but Lebron is your least favorite?  Oh, ok. 

And Warrior hate?  Draymond Green punching/kicking guys in the groin would be a legit reason to hate them.  I even understand if people don't like Durant joining them to form a super team.  But there offense is predicated on player movement, sharing the ball, and skillful shooting.  Very enjoyable to watch.

[GGGG]

Cavs big time to try to counter the folks whose desire to cheer against LeBron for non-basketball reasons leads to them rooting for a team lead by Draymond Green.

I'm going Warriors.  Rooting for Durant to get his ring.

I don't get the Lebron hate.  I'm not saying you have to like him.  But least favorite athlete?  Compared to some of the scum bucket athletes that commit domestic abuse, child abuse, vehicular manslaughter, rape, and murder...but Lebron is your least favorite?  Oh, ok. 

And Warrior hate?  Draymond Green punching/kicking guys in the groin would be a legit reason to hate them.  I even understand if people don't like Durant joining them to form a super team.  But there offense is predicated on player movement, sharing the ball, and skillful shooting.  Very enjoyable to watch.

Yup.

[Warrior Code]

Warriors. I played against Shaun Livingston in grade school/high school. He's a really good guy - gives a lot back to the Peoria community.

[StillAWarrior]

I've lived in Cleveland for 26+ years, so this is an easy one for me.  Rooting for the Cavs!

That said, I have to give the edge to the Warriors.  They're just an extremely talented team that plays really well; I can't find it in myself to criticize their style of play (or Durant for wanting to be part of it).  I'm hoping for a good series.  Steph better buckle up, because I suspect he'll get knocked to his butt a few times; the Cavs will play him very physical again.  Durant is a great addition (duh!), but I'm hoping they can slow him down.  Historically, he hasn't been at his best against LBJ.  In my mind, the keys to the series will be Klay and the first three off the Cavs bench.  If Klay has a strong series, I don't think the Cavs have much of  a chance.  If he is just OK (or bad), I think the Cavs are in it.  I think the Cavs will need someone off the bench to step up with a big performance to help them steal a game.  Fortunately, they've got several (Williams, Shump and Korver) that are capable of doing just that.

Let's Go Cavs!

/Aside from a certain football team, it's been a fun couple of years to be a Cleveland sports fan.  Thank God I grew up in Colorado and still follow the Broncos.

[tower912]

I don't hate on either team.  I admire how the  warriors play.  But I will be rooting for the cavs.  But it won't take much to flip my allegiance.   

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Also haven't forgiven Zaza for taking out Kawahi.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Cavs. Anything to make the MJ vs Lebron debate a little more interesting.

Also don't get the Lebron hate. There have been some awful human beings who have also been beloved athletes. Lebron doesn't even register on the Richter scale for that one.

[JWags85]

Lebron is your least favorite athlete of all time? Yea he may be a little arrogant but he's a damn good basketball player and a pretty decent human being.

I'm not even a huge Lebron fan but I'll be cheering like hell for the Cavs. Really dislike GSW style of play.

This is what an undercover Cavs fan who didn't want to show his true colors would say.

Least favorite is pretty strong.  But Lebron is pretty insufferable.  Ive never seen a generational super talent so desperate to be liked by everyone.  Stuff like his BS "social media blackouts", but yet he makes his teammates take funny videos of him randomly.  Stuff thats been posted here about how he treats staff at the Q. Stuff like releasing days after the fact that he was conveniently sick for the game and a half of the ECF where he didnt play well.  He's just a phony.  Oh, lets not forget that he has an illegitimate child in Miami that was basically common knowledge down there.  He has an AMAZING PR and marketing team around him, I'll give him that.

No, it doesn't make him a scumbag like Greg Hardy, but its not a situation of disliking Lebron just makes you some biased hater.

As for the Warriors, when they are clicking, it is absolutely gorgeous and jaw dropping basketball. Easy decision for me.

However, as much as I'm not a Lebron fan, I very much love Kyrie and Love, and also am very entertained by JR Smith.

[wadesworld]

This is what an undercover Cavs fan who didn't want to show his true colors would say.

Least favorite is pretty strong.  But Lebron is pretty insufferable.  Ive never seen a generational super talent so desperate to be liked by everyone.  Stuff like his BS "social media blackouts", but yet he makes his teammates take funny videos of him randomly.  Stuff thats been posted here about how he treats staff at the Q. Stuff like releasing days after the fact that he was conveniently sick for the game and a half of the ECF where he didnt play well.  He's just a phony.  Oh, lets not forget that he has an illegitimate child in Miami that was basically common knowledge down there.  He has an AMAZING PR and marketing team around him, I'll give him that.

No, it doesn't make him a scumbag like Greg Hardy, but its not a situation of disliking Lebron just makes you some biased hater.

As for the Warriors, when they are clicking, it is absolutely gorgeous and jaw dropping basketball. Easy decision for me.

However, as much as I'm not a Lebron fan, I very much love Kyrie and Love, and also am very entertained by JR Smith.

Yup.  As good of a basketball player as LeBron is, his PR team is even better, by far.

[Skitch]

Debateable.

And the Warriors style of play is remarkable. They could cut down on the turnovers but other than that the ball movement and the player movement are second only to the Spurs since I can remember watching basketball. And their defense is pretty dang good too.

How is that debatable?

[Eldon]

I could have done without Lebron's shoulder-checking and general immaturity early in his career.  But TBH, I don't get why people say that he's arrogant.

Kobe Bryant.  Now that's arrogance.

[BM1090]

Also haven't forgiven Zaza for taking out Kawahi.

You good with what Dedmon did to Curry though, which was 50x dirtier?

(I don't expect people to like Zaza or Draymond, but Curry, Klay, Iggy and Durant are pretty easy to cheer for)

[Jockey]

Debateable.

Is it?

He has never been in trouble like so many other athletes. Gives a lot to charity. Doesn't abuse teammates a la MJ.

I am rooting for GS as well, but it is not over LBJ hatred.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Neither but if I have to pick one it's easily the Warriors.

[GooooMarquette]

Warriors, because I love their style of play...and their nickname.

[MU82]

I am a big LeBron fan because I love witnessing true greatness. We have had some fun debates on here about where he ranks, but I don't think even the biggest haters would put him outside, say, the top-10 all-time. So we have gotten to watch this guy come into the league as a teenager and grow into one of the best ever, right before our eyes. He usually has risen to the occasion, too, and he unquestionably makes his teammates better.

I also very much enjoy watching the Warriors play. It's a fun style, and when they are clicking they work so well together. Durant is unbelievably talented, and he has been integrated nicely into their system.

As for which team will win, even when the Cavs were blowing out Boston and Toronto, they sure were leaving a lot of 3-point shooters wide open. I'm talking, nobody within 10 feet of the shooters. The Celtics and Maple Leafs (yeah, I said it) couldn't make the Cavs pay, but the Warriors will. The Cavs also tend to devolve into a lot of 1-on-1 play, mostly by LeBron and Irving; it's fine when they are hitting but it hurts when they aren't and it leads to stagnation on offense. GS also is the better defensive team.

The Warriors had a 3-1 series lead last year and we can talk about all the reasons they couldn't close out the series, starting with Kicky McKickerson and then going on to the heroics of LeBron and Irving. But the Warriors sure looked like the better team most of the series. Well, the Warriors have that entire team back ... except they have replaced Harrison Barnes with Kevin Freakin' Durant.

Of course, Kevin Love - who missed a couple of games with a concussion last year and otherwise was mostly a non-factor - is playing much better this year. So it's almost as if the Cavs have added an All-Star, too. If both are at their best, though, Durant is quite a bit better than Love.

I hope I'm wrong because I want it to be a long, great series, but I'm thinking Warriors in 5.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I am a big LeBron fan because I love witnessing true greatness. We have had some fun debates on here about where he ranks, but I don't think even the biggest haters would put him outside, say, the top-10 all-time. So we have gotten to watch this guy come into the league as a teenager and grow into one of the best ever, right before our eyes. He usually has risen to the occasion, too, and he unquestionably makes his teammates better.

I also very much enjoy watching the Warriors play. It's a fun style, and when they are clicking they work so well together. Durant is unbelievably talented, and he has been integrated nicely into their system.

As for which team will win, even when the Cavs were blowing out Boston and Toronto, they sure were leaving a lot of 3-point shooters wide open. I'm talking, nobody within 10 feet of the shooters. The Celtics and Maple Leafs (yeah, I said it) couldn't make the Cavs pay, but the Warriors will. The Cavs also tend to devolve into a lot of 1-on-1 play, mostly by LeBron and Irving; it's fine when they are hitting but it hurts when they aren't and it leads to stagnation on offense. GS also is the better defensive team.

The Warriors had a 3-1 series lead last year and we can talk about all the reasons they couldn't close out the series, starting with Kicky McKickerson and then going on to the heroics of LeBron and Irving. But the Warriors sure looked like the better team most of the series. Well, the Warriors have that entire team back ... except they have replaced Harrison Barnes with Kevin Freakin' Durant.

Of course, Kevin Love - who missed a couple of games with a concussion last year and otherwise was mostly a non-factor - is playing much better this year. So it's almost as if the Cavs have added an All-Star, too. If both are at their best, though, Durant is quite a bit better than Love.

I hope I'm wrong because I want it to be a long, great series, but I'm thinking Warriors in 5.

Haha seriously! The Cavs decided to just leave Harrison Barnes wide open to basically play 5 on 4 defense elsewhere, and he went 5 for 32 in games 5-7. He shot *16%* on 11 attempts per game while making his teammates' lives tougher with an extra defender. Good luck hoping Durant puts up those kind of numbers!

[MU82]

Haha seriously! The Cavs decided to just leave Harrison Barnes wide open to basically play 5 on 4 defense elsewhere, and he went 5 for 32 in games 5-7. He shot *16%* on 11 attempts per game while making his teammates' lives tougher with an extra defender. Good luck hoping Durant puts up those kind of numbers!

A great observation.

I'm thinking Durant is the difference in this series - I know, not exactly going out on the limb there - and I have trouble seeing the Cavs winning unless the Warriors suffer the kind of injuries the Spurs did.

The playoffs have mostly sucked so far, from a competitive standpoint, so I'm hoping for a great series.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

Not a big fan of Draymond and his antics and punching other dudes in the balls. The tension he creates is entertaining as heck but I don't like him. Also loved the Westbrook/KD duo in OKC until he sold out on all of them. I understand he just wants to win a championship, but I didn't like how quickly he abandoned ship to join the team he literally had on the ropes a year before and couldn't seal the deal.

Lebron in my opinion, while keeping the drama off the court relatively low compared to most players, is a whiner on the court on literally every call. He makes that scrunched up baby face and it's annoying. Though I did enjoy watching him and Kyrie lead that comeback last year. LBJ has that next gear in the playoffs that is fun to watch.

Don't really like either team a whole lot but I'm rooting for the Cavs because I dislike them less. Was wishing on a star for the Spurs or Celtics to maybe pull off a miracle but injuries sealed the deal at any remote possibility of that happening. Want another game 7 and then the Bucks to sign CP3 (I guy can dream).

[tower912]

The LeBron situation and his discussion  regarding it has  cemented my support of the Cavaliers for this finals.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Haha seriously! The Cavs decided to just leave Harrison Barnes wide open to basically play 5 on 4 defense elsewhere, and he went 5 for 32 in games 5-7. He shot *16%* on 11 attempts per game while making his teammates' lives tougher with an extra defender. Good luck hoping Durant puts up those kind of numbers!

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19519969/2017-nba-finals-healthy-stephen-curry-game-back

"A notable shift in Cleveland's defensive philosophy from last year was that the Cavaliers ran out to contest jump shots by Durant, rather than concede them as they did for his predecessor, Harrison Barnes. In the first half, that resulted in ridiculously easy dunks, as Durant blew by the oncoming defenders and no one bothered to help."

Yeahhh... Durant is a different animal than Barnes. That along with a litany of other fluke issues from last year's series says to me this one ends up GSW in 5 at worst.