For NBA fans

[Hulky]

Is there a salary cap in the NBA?

[Spencer 555]

Yup but it's pretty complex. Long story short, the golden State warriors are going to have all 5 key players (big 4 plus iggy) returning next year, but they'll have minimal wiggle room to sign anyone else.

[Spencer 555]

Your question was the finals, not playoffs. LeBron isn't beating the Celtics or the wizards with that team you have there. Thompson doesn't do anything on offense. JR is a liability on offense. Kyle korver can't create his own looks.

I disagree on the Celtics for sure. Thompson can be a big positive on the offensive glass against any lineup the Celts use and he's enough of a roll threat to force coverage. JR, Korver and Shump are all pretty interchangeable pieces as 3 and D players and wouldn't be expected to do anything with the ball considering LeBron would have the ball 99% of the time SO the only liability is that all 3 might be extremely cold at any given time from three and LeBron will have to find creative ways to keep them engaged. Regardless, all three are competent wing defenders against the Celtics and wizards guards. The only issue I see is bron getting tired due to the lack of a backup point guard but he's shown he can a heavier load when he needs to. There's enough talent there (More then okc behind westbrook) to at least compete with the Celts and wiz. Still think the raps would be the toughest test in the east fully healthy.

[Sanosuke]

Once again, they wouldn't make the finals. Considering the fact that you immediately went to Tristan Thompson literally only rebounding again is a big reason why. Shump is trash. JR Smith is not a 3 and D player... he averages like 2 3's point FGs that hit the bottom of the net a game. And Lebron could have the ball 100% of the time for 48 minutes. They're not making the finals without Love and Irving.

EDIT: JR smith isn't even a starting caliber basketball player.

[Spencer 555]

That's all Tristan Thompson adds on offense so are you really surprised that's what I went to? He's a long athletic dude with an elite talent for offensive rebounding (and I mean elite as in he'd make Horford, Olynyk and the Celtics 30th ranked defensive rebounding his bitch). He may not be a post scorer or shooter, but hes extremely high energy and he does an excellent job cleaning up JR smiths 3-4 missed threes a game that you're so concerned with lol. I'm sorry but I think the cavs would crush the Celtics with or without love and Kyrie and Thompson is the biggest reason (offensively and defensively) this side of LeBron that I have faith in that statement. Against the raps and wizards, simply based on matchups not skill (Celts smacked the wizards so the skill is similar), id probably agree that the cavs without love and Kyrie would have a hard time.

[Spencer 555]

Also: I think you're crazy that you think JR doesn't belong in the NBA. The dude is at least a top 10 sg in the league despite his inconsistency.

[Sanosuke]

I'm considering with him missing threes because they're wasted possessions because he's not a 3 and D player like you called him. Taking Westbrook out the rebounding totals, Thompson is barely in the top half of the league in rebounding. It's insane that you even brought up Shumpert. Lebron James is an incredible player, but he's not dragging the Cavs over the Wiz, Celtics, Raps at all.

[Spencer 555]

Lol it's insane that you think Smith isn't a 3 and D player. He consistently hits 40% from three every year on spot up attempts and plays above average wing defense. His only issue is inconsistency and that's been cut down a ton since joining the cavs because LeBron keeps him as level as that dude possibly can be.

Also the fact that you don't think Tristan Thompson is an elite offensive rebounder is exposing you're basketball knowledge. He's literally top 5 every year in oreb% among NBA starters (bench players play against weaker opponents and even then he ranks in the top 10 every year). I'm not saying Thompson or Smith are excellent players, but they're both NBA starters with defined roles.

Oh and shumpert would probably start on a lot of NBA teams too. So there's that.

[Sanosuke]

Lol it's insane that you think Smith isn't a 3 and D player. He consistently hits 40% from three every year on spot up attempts and plays above average wing defense. His only issue is inconsistency and that's been cut down a ton since joining the cavs because LeBron keeps him as level as that dude possibly can be.

Also the fact that you don't think Tristan Thompson is an elite offensive rebounder is exposing you're basketball knowledge. He's literally top 5 every year in oreb% among NBA starters (bench players play against weaker opponents and even then he ranks in the top 10 every year). I'm not saying Thompson or Smith are excellent players, but they're both NBA starters with defined roles.

Oh and shumpert would probably start on a lot of NBA teams too. So there's that.

I said rebounder, not oREB. Yes he's a great offensive rebounder. Shumpert is not a starter. That dude has started more than have a season and averaged more than half a game's worth of minutes in previous seasons and is only averaging like 8 points. His stretch for the Knicks as poop. If he would be a starter on any other team, he'd be there by now and starting. But he isn't, so he's not. JR Smith hits 2 threes a game. He contributes like, 2 more FGs and like a couple FTs a game and that's it. You're citing all this defense and oREB but it's adding up to maybe like, 2-3 possessions. They simply will not outscore anyone without Irving and Love. Period.

Your entire argument was would the Cavs make the finals without Love and Irving, not how great of role players Thompson, Smith and Shumpert are.

The only thing that's being exposed is how air-headed you are because your circle of friends outside of the forums probably don't understand sports and you think you know everything under the sun about them.

[Spencer 555]

In regards to shump: he's not a starter on the cavs and he wasn't a starter on the Knicks. You're right. But imo he has developed into a role that he excels at with the cavs and I think smart teams would recognize that skill. I didn't say Shump would start for any other team, I just said that he COULD start for a lot of other NBA teams in his current role. I don't think Courtney Lee is better then shumpert for example.

In regards to thompson. My whole argument as to why Thompson would crush the Celtics on offense was because of his offensive rebounding talent and you're rebuttal was that he wasn't that good of a rebounder. Don't backtrack lol. Here's how the convo has gone in my eyes:

You: Thompson is an offensive liability
Me: against the Celtics, Thompson's offensive rebounding would make him a huge positive on that end... and he's really not that bad on offense; just limited.
You: Thompson isn't that good at rebounding.
Me: yea he is? Wtf?
You: I meant rebounding in general, not simply offensive rebounding
Me: backtracking?

In regards to your statement critiquing my "entire argument": my argument is pointless if I don't make a case for Thompson and the other cavs role players. How am I supposed to prove to you that the cavs would make the finals without love and Kyrie without highlighting the cavs role players and stating reasons why they would matchup well against the east. Am I just supposed to be like "Oh true ur right what was I thinking, silly me"?

In regards to you questioning my social circle: ...