initially i wasn't taking this conversation seriously, but now i will
first off, i absolutely do not think tristan thompson is a max player, but that doesn't mean he won't get one. rich paul represents both thompson and lebron and it wouldn't surprise me that when lebron agreed to come to cleveland there was an under the table deal that thompson would get a max contract. he shot 56% during the postseason while also DOMINATING the offensive glass (4.5 a game) and he's an above average defender for that position. i believe he has potential to be a 15 and 10 guy, but it's difficult when you get 0 shot attempts. not to mention, we both know a max this upcoming offseason isn't a true max. it's why i have no problem giving draymond a max deal.
also, mozgov has now officially entered elite rim protector status in terms of FG% at the rim around him. his defense around the paint was absolutely fantastic all series and he showed offensive prowess at points during the series. JR Smith and Shumpert were absolutely atrocious this series, but they have played incredibly well since they got traded. this team was rolling through the playoffs even with kyrie on the bench during stretches
also i totally understand and agree with the argument that the cavaliers ran out of firepower, but this team might have slightly benefited from the kevin love injury. during the playoffs before the finals they were only allowing 80.1 points per 100 possessions, which very well be the greatest defensive number i've ever seen. this number is 100% not possible with kevin love and they got to the finals and beat the warriors twice on their defense, not offense.
at the end of the day, lebron is by far the greatest player in the world, but how can any player get into a rhythm and feel for the game when lebron takes an isolation play on 35% of the possessions. that is not great basketball, regardless of how good he is
warriors were always going to win, but i feel like i'm hearing more about how it's lebron and his misfit toys compared to the warriors greatness, who are now a top 10 team in NBA history. they were 7th in points differential all time (with curry sitting out most 4th quarters) and had one of the best records of all time. not to mention they were 2nd in offensive efficiency, 1st in defensive efficiency, 1st in pace, and lead the league by a decent margin for most games with over 25 assists. they would have beaten anyone