Have the Warriors Been Beating Themselves?
Joshua: Dude I’m so excited for tonight.
Nathan: I’m really excited it too! I honestly won’t be satisfied if Cleveland wins though. If they win, it feels like it’s only because Golden State hasn’t played their best ball since game 4, or because Draymond missed game 5. You know?
Joshua: Which he should have missed by the way. It’ll feel satisfying because golden state didn’t play well, partly because of Cleveland, partly because of themselves and they haven’t made shots. By the way i think the warriors will win. Cavs just aren’t nearly as talented as dubs.
Nathan: I think they will too. And that’s because I’ve never seen a team beat them at their best. If Cleveland wins tonight, I want to see it done with both teams playing great ball. In reality, the only team that can beat the Warriors is the Warriors. If they make dumb mistakes and miss open shots, which is what they have been doing, then they’ll lose. But if you think about it, Cleveland has given up a ton of open looks. Their defense really hasn’t been that good, the Warriors just haven’t been very good. And I think that’s way more on them than the Cavs. But yes. I agree. In the end, it seems like the Warriors will close them out. They’re the best situational/closing team I’ve ever seen.
Joshua: I think the playoffs have dispelled that discussion point though. Because if that’s the case, the warriors have lost 6 games in the last two rounds. And if you use that argument they have beaten themselves 6 times, I don’t buy that. Because here’s the thing: we can’t expect every team to be at their peak at this point in the season. The dub didn’t pace themselves and went for the record, because of that they’ve lost almost as many games in the playoffs as they did in the Reg season.
Nathan: I think you can say that the Thunder outplayed them in 2 games. But the Cavs haven’t shown that they can beat the Warriors when they’re hitting shots. They weren’t getting easy shots against the thunder, which means they played great defense. But the Cavs are giving Steph, Klay, Draymond, Iggy and Harrison open looks. All of them are getting free shots and just missing. Can you honestly say that the Warriors haven’t played quality basketball because the Cavs have made them? But that’s my point: them losing has more to do with them than it does their opponents. To what you said about the record, I don’t necessarily buy that it’s why they’re struggling, but your point goes along with mine. When they lose its because of themselves.
Joshua: I think there is a team like that every year, the Warriors are just a much higher ceiling then most of the teams that beat themselves out of the playoffs.
Nathan: But there isn’t a team like the Warriors every year. So I wouldn’t make that argument every year. They are one of the best teams EVER. And it’s known that their biggest flaws are turnovers and careless play. I don’t think that general arguments apply to them because they aren’t just another team.
Joshua: Totally. I can’t argue that the warriors ceiling is an anomaly. But that’s not fair to the Thunder and the Cavs to say that the only reason is that the dubs have beaten themselves. They both saw tiny flaws, took advantage of them, and the Warriors made it worse by not executing.
Nathan: Both teams definitely took advantage of the mistakes that the Warriors made. I’m not arguing that they didn’t. They still deserve credit for that. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. The Warriors have had really bad games, and the Cavs and Thunder have made them pay. But in the case of the Cavs, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if it weren’t for the most obvious self-inflicted mistake: Draymond losing his cool and getting suspended. He deserved to get suspended, but that’s an example of the Warriors hurting themselves. You’re right, the Cavs took advantage of it, but it’s still because of the Warriors that the Cavs won.
Joshua: I think I’m with you to a certain point, I get what you’re saying because I definitely have seen how the have hurt themselves. But to a certain extent both teams have hurt themselves. I think I’m with you like 70% on your last sentence. But either way whatever happens they only have themselves to blame if they lose. Which is almost the worst way to go out, then if the other team was better than them.
Nathan: I guess that’s kind of what I’m getting at. When you’re the best offensive team of all time, you have an elite defense, the 2 time MVP, and a 73–9 regular season record, you shouldn’t lose to anyone. Which conversely means that if you do lose, it’s your fault in some way. Whether it’s arrogance, sloppiness, or simply failing to run their offense (which happened a lot in game 6), the Warriors have opened the door for the Cavs to beat them, and the Best Player In the World has taken advantage of it. That said, if the Warriors lose tonight, LeBron’s is one of the most impressive Finals performances ever. I’m excited to see what happens.
