The Cavs Are Wasting a “Golden” Opportunity

Writer: Jameson White

On Thursday, Lebron James had a historically great NBA Finals performance, as he put up a mind-boggling 51 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. However, James was robbed of a game 1 victory at Oracle Arena, a prime opportunity to steal home court advantage and a 1-0 series lead, due to the fact that there was poor officiating and, other than Kevin Love, was hardly given any help from his teammates.

Credit to WFTV

Of course, all of the sports world and social media blew up due to J.R. Smith’s bone-headed play with less than 5 seconds left in regulation. As he rebounded the ball down low, he could have easily gotten a shot at the rim to give Cleveland a two-point lead with just a few seconds remaining. However, he decided to dribble the ball out past the three-point line, wasting a chance to give the Cavaliers a win.

Credit to SI.com

 

Just seconds before J.R. Smith’s infamous play, the referees called a charging foul on Kevin Durant that was reviewed and wrongfully overturned to be a foul on Lebron James, giving Durant two free throws; throughout the game there were plenty of missed calls and of the ones that were whistled were poor judgement calls. Needless to say, Cleveland was on the brink of the first step in upsetting these Golden State Warriors. Lebron James, as he has done all postseason, was giving the Cavaliers everything he could to will them to victory; and like the Cavaliers have done for James’ entire career with the club, has been wasting the Golden opportunity with the greatest basketball player of all time.

Ranking the Finals MVP’s of the 2010’s

Writer: Jameson White

For the last three decades, there has been some incredible talent roaming the NBA. Of the incredible talent, the best have won rings and an even smaller percentage of them have won Finals MVP. I will be starting a series of articles each week, ranking the ten Finals MVPs for each decade. Here is the third, and final, of those with the MVPs of the 2010’s:

The Top Finals MVP performances of the 10’s, ranked from 10 to 1:

8. Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors, 2015

Credit interbasket.net

In the 2015 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to win their first NBA Championship since 1975. Andre Iguodala was the NBA Finals MVP but not without controversy; he was the worst NBA Finals MVP in the last 30 years. He mostly won the award due to how “well” he guarded four-time league MVP Lebron James. Lebron was “held” to 35.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 8.8 APG on 39.8% shooting. Iguodala, however, averaged 16.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG while shooting 52% from the field and a dreadful 35.7% from the free throw line in 37 MPG. To Iguodala’s credit, while guarding James, he caused the Cavaliers small forward to shoot 33% from the field.

7. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs, 2014

Credit to sportskeeda.com

In one of the most lopsided NBA Finals in NBA history, the San Antonio Spurs took on the Miami Heat, and defeated them in five games. In the four games San Antonio won, they outscored the Heat by a combined 72 points. In the one game they lost, they were defeated by only 2 points. Beyond the seemingly sub-par stats, the Finals MVP was Kawhi Leonard, in a breakout series for him. While already known as a lockdown defender, he showed improved offensive scoring ability by scoring more than 20 points in the final three games of the series. He became the third youngest Finals MVP in history with a stat line of 17.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.0 BPG while shooting 61% from the field in 33.4 MPG. Much like Iguodala, Leonard won the award for his guarding of Lebron James.

6. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, 2011

Credit to SB Nation

In 2011, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win their first NBA title in franchise history. In the series victory, Dirk Nowitzki won Finals MVP, as the Mavericks gave the Heat, equipped with their new super-team in Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, their first finals loss as a trio. In Game 1, Nowitzki tore a ligament in his finger, yet still won Finals MVP with a series average of 26.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.7 BPG in 40.3 MPG while shooting 41.6% from the field.

5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, 2010

Credit to NBA.com

In a rematch of the 2008 Finals, the 2010 NBA Finals featured the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Boston Celtics in an exciting seven-game series in which the Lakers came out on top. After losing to the Celtics in the Finals in 2008, the Lakers redeemed the defeat in this series. Although he shot 40% from the field, Kobe Bryant won Finals MVP in the last title victory of his career. He averaged 28.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 0.7 BPG in 41.1 MPG.

4. Lebron James, Miami Heat, 2013

Credit to Pinterest

In 2013, the Miami Heat took on the San Antonio Spurs, winning in seven games. It was a back and forth series, as the two teams took turns winning games 1 through 5, with the Heat taking games 6 and 7. In the final 30 seconds of Game 6, San Antonio had appeared to have locked up the fifth NBA Championship in the franchise’s history. However, with 6 seconds left, Ray Allen hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA history to send the game into overtime, in which Miami won. The Heat also won game 7 by 7 points, as Lebron James scored 37 points and collected 12 rebounds. James won Finals MVP for this series, averaging 25.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.9 BPG on 44.7% shooting from the field in 43 MPG.

3. Lebron James, Miami Heat, 2012

Credit to BleacherReport

In the 2012 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat took on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite the young trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, the Heat’s own big three of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were too much to contain, winning in five games. The Finals victory marked the first of Lebron James’ career, as he had been defeated in his two prior trips to the championship series. James posted a triple-double in the series-clinching game 5 win, along with winning Finals MVP. For the series, James averaged 28.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG on 47.2% shooting from the field in 44 MPG.

2. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors, 2017

Credit to NBA.com

In the 2017 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors took on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before the season started, it was assumed nationwide that the Warriors would be the NBA Champions, as they signed former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, giving them two of the top-five players in the league and four of the top-twenty players. As a team, they ran their way through the Western Conference playoffs, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and San Antonio Spurs. In the NBA Finals, they defeated the Cavaliers in five games. Kevin Durant won Finals MVP, as he posted a stat line of 35.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.6 BPG while shooting 55.6% from the field. With Durant claiming the first title of his career in such dominating fashion, it was claimed by many that “King James” had finally been dethroned.

1. Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016

Credit to The New York Times

Finally, the best NBA Finals performance of the 2010’s. In the 2016 Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Golden State Warriors, who had amassed the greatest regular season record in league history by going 73-9. In this series, the Warriors won the first two games by a combined 48 points. While Cleveland won Game 3, Golden State won Game 4, giving them a 3-1 series lead. In Game 5, Golden State’s power forward Draymond Green was ejected for a flagrant kick, also resulting in a Game 6 suspension. Lebron James and the Cavaliers took advantage of this suspension and won games 5 and 6, sending it to a game 7. Game 7 of the Finals featured twenty different lead changes, with the closing minutes featuring Lebron’s chase-down block, known as “The Block,” on Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, and Kyrie Irving’s game clinching fadeaway 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining to clinch the game. With the win, the Cavaliers became the first team in Finals history to win the series after falling down 3-1. Lebron James posted 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in game 7, becoming the third player in NBA history to post a triple-double in a game 7. James won Finals MVP with a line of 29.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 8.9 APG, 2.6 SPG, and 2.3 BPG, while shooting 49% from the field in 41.7 MPG.

Ranking the NBA Finals MVPs of the 2000’s

Writer: Jameson White

For the last three decades, there has been some incredible talent roaming the NBA. Of the incredible talent, the best have won rings and an even smaller percentage of them have won Finals NBA. I will be starting a series of articles each week, ranking the ten Finals MVPs for each decade. Here is the second of those with the MVPs of the 2000’s:

The Top Finals MVP performances of the 00’s, ranked from 10 to 1:

 

10. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons, 2004

Credit to si.com

In 2004, the Detroit Pistons defeated the 3-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, a team that had just acquired NBA legends Karl Malone and Gary Payton, 4 games to 1. The main reason for Chauncey Billups being so low on this rankings list is because this championship for the Pistons was an incredible all-around team effort. Billups posted a stat line of 21.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 50.9% shooting from the field in 38.4 MPG. Billups won MVP of this series, however, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace kept 3-time defending NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal in check this series, along with the rest of their team who displayed hounding defense and ferocious rebounding.

9. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, 2008

Credit to CBS Connecticut

In the 2008 NBA Finals, a long-time Finals rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics was renewed. The Celtics won in six games, mostly due to the trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. In this series, Pierce won Finals MVP with a stat line of 21.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 43% shooting from the field in 38.8 MPG.

8. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, 2007

Credit to si.com

In 2007, the San Antonio Spurs took on the Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, sweeping them in four games. In this series, Tony Parker cemented his status as a Spurs legend, displaying an outstanding offensive arsenal that was rare for a 6’2” point guard without a vertical jump. In this series, Parker averaged 24.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 0.8 SPG on 56.8% shooting from the field in 37.8 MPG. As usual, San Antonio deployed its team-first approach, causing Parker’s impact on the series look diluted, much like in the cases of the previously mentioned Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce.

7. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, 2005

Credit to RantSports

In 2005, the San Antonio Spurs took on and defeated the Detroit Pistons in seven games. In one of the toughest and grittiest Finals series ever played, Both teams were by far the top two defensive teams in the association, playing stingy styles that would suffocate opponents offenses. In this series, Duncan posted averages of 20.6 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.4 SPG, and 2.1 BPG on 41.9% shooting in 40.7 MPG.

6. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, 2009

Credit to Basketball Images

In the first of back to back titles for the Los Angeles Lakers, they took on the Orlando Magic, defeating them in five games. Kobe Bryant was, well, Kobe Bryant. He averaged 32.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.4 BPG on 43% shooting from the field in 43.8 MPG. Some may have expected to see him higher on this list, however, there was simply more remarkable Finals performances ahead.

5. Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat, 2006

Credit to RealGM

In what was sort of a “coming out party” for Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks. This series was the last of titles for legendary center Shaquille O’Neal and the first of Wade’s career. In this series, Wade averaged 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.7 SPG, and 1.0 BPG on 46.8% shooting in 43.5 MPG.

4. Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 2002

Credit to Hoops Habit

In 2002, the Los Angeles Lakers completed their three-peat, sweeping the New Jersey Nets in four games. Shaquille O’Neal averaged 36.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, and 2.5 BPG on 59.5% shooting in 41.5 MPG. He would be higher on this list, if not for himself and another NBA legend, yet, stats alone place him in the top four of the best Finals MVPs of the 2000’s.

3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, 2003

Credit to NBA.com

In the 2003 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, defeated the New Jersey Nets in six games. Duncan was a dominant presence on both ends of the floor, leading the way for the Spurs’ second NBA Championship, along with his second Finals MVP award. He averaged 24.2 PPG, 17.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 5.3 BPG on 49.5% shooting in 43.8 MPG. Duncan’s performance displayed what made him the greatest power forward of all time, as he made a resounding effort to control the glass, protect the rim, involve his teammates, and destroy opponents with his low-post scoring.

2. Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 2001

Credit to SI.com

In the second of back-to-back titles for the Los Angeles Lakers, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games. Shaquille O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with in all facets of the game, as he drew attention away from his teammates, allowing for a bombardment of 3-point shots for the Lakers. In this series, Shaq posted averages of 33.0 PPG, 15.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, and 3.4 BPG on 57.3% shooting from the field in 45.0 MPG. This Finals performance, statistics wise, could only be topped by his incredible Finals outing just one season before.

1. Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 2000

Credit to SI.com

In 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Indiana Pacers. In the first NBA Finals trip for the Lakers with Shaquille O’Neal, they defeated the Pacers in six games. This NBA Finals was a reiteration of what separated Shaq from every other player to play the game of basketball; his blend of size, skill, and athleticism made him the most unstoppable force in the history of the NBA. He averaged 38.0 PPG, 16.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 2.7 BPG on an incredibly efficient 61.1% shooting from the field.