Yea I dont like using regular season as much of a gauge either. But that was the only time we saw them both play while healthy.
Kyrie isnt a good defender when chasing guys off screens. So he may have struggled with Steph with that. But on the ball he's one of the better defenders (surprisingly)
Also gotta factor in Klay Thompson struggling vs. Shump this series. If Klay proved to dominate that matchup then I'd side with the Warriors. But seeing how meh he was...
I'd also worry about Draymond Green going off on Kevin Love. However, the Cavs showed plenty of times they'd sit Love in the 4th. However, when the Warriors go small you could have put Love on Harrison Barnes since he just camps out at the 3 point line.
Them dudes still dont have championship experience. So I'm not saying its a lock the Cavs would have won. Just saying if Kyrie kept balling like he did in game 1. Cavs in 6 or 7 imo
As I've told you before. Just based on championship experience. LeBron/Wade and the Heat would have beat the Warriors. He just needed guys familiar with making winning plays in the 4th and can lock up guys when needed.
The more I think about it the Heat just ran into a freight train last year in the Spurs. Otherwise, they had everything to be champions (just by Wade being on the floor)
You factored out wade became puss in that finals.
The same type of puss, that pat riley is gonna politic on if he wants to pay or not.
I said, it back then.
Bron, saw wade turn into a puss in the finals and was like:
BACK TO CLEVELAND
To the point wade looked in awe of bron.
During the bron wears a fedora personal end game fully televised interview.
So, imo.....
Wade was far from being a variable for success at that time.
Wade has not been a surefire variable for success.
Since the previous to the last encounter, the heat had.
in the crucial games in the dogfight against the pacers.
When, he played excellently after rest from injuries.
All because wade is to stubborn to accept his natural position like lebron at pg.
Where he is oversized enough to dominate at the position via physicality.
Instead of being a under armor body sleeve pinball playing the sg, completely undersized.
Where injury that is career threatening is imminent.
Art Barr