Cavs Cheating the NBA & the Raptors?

[Doc]

I think Doug's got a point. Truly pathetic but in all sincerity would we be this annoyed if it didn't impact us? Likely not.

I think you know my feelings on the Cavs giving LeBron the night off in Chicago on Thursday: It’s a blow to the integrity of the game as well as a sign of disrespect.

It’s wrong, in my opinion, because it screws with a playoff race and there are other, non-essential games (like tonight against Indiana) that he could have bailed on.

And watching that one unfold with Mo Williams taking a series of increasing stupid and selfish fourth-quarter shots; and Anderson Varejao – ANDERSON FREAKING VAREJAO – taking the potential game-winner in the final two seconds – it only affirmed my opinion.

The truth, however, is that the Raptors have no recourse. They can complain, and I’m sure they will, but what’s the league going to do? They can’t change the outcome of the game, I guess they could levy a fine but that’s only money and the damage has been done.

Now, the Bulls may have won the game anyway – although watching them miss four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds makes me feel a bit dubious about that – but that’s not the point.

My point is the Cavs owed it to the playoff race, the league, the Raptors and the game to play their best players in that game. Had they given LeBron Tuesday night off, fine; let him sit out Thursday, too. They didn’t, so he should have played last night.

Source - Click here

[dn66]

Ass***es, we lost Bosh in that game!
I hope Orlando bits the crap out of them again.

[Bendit]

I dont know that it was upto anybody but Lebron to play or sit when he says so. Why he chose this sequence is anybody's guess. But Varejao took two 15 ft. jumpshots (and missed both)...now that was really too incredible. Where was Ilgauskas or Hickson or....

[Vellassco]

At Toronto game, Bron was not forcing the things at the beginning of the game. It looked like they were testing something different against their 1st round opponent and see whether works or not. Thats why he came up with +10 assist in first three quarter and sit at beginning of 4th. On the other hand, when their +10 lead fell down to 5, he returned and gave his full effort to win the game.

One and only way to take revenge of this unfair situation for Toronto is to make right moves in future and rescue from being 0.500 team, then pray Clevland (after their Brons' years) find them-selfs in same situation and remind 2009-2010 season to them if schedule gives the same opportunity to you.

[yertu damkule]

i've got no issue with how CLE approaches the remaining games of the reg. season. if TO does (and actually, i think mr. holier-than-thou has a bigger beef with it than anyone on the raps), then they need to STFU & grow a set.

doug - whatever credibility you had, just got flushed. we've gone an entire season with nary a complaint about the players, coaches, moves, lineups, etc, and about 800 excuses & 'it's just one game' mantras...and yet, when ANOTHER FUCKING TEAM does something that mr. grandiosity thinks goes against the 'good of the game' (whatever the hell that means), he gets his granny panties in a twist. complain to the league? for what, the raps being a shitty team? kee-rist, what a fucking embarrassment. and to think this dolt is the PRESIDENT of the pro. ball writers assoc.

[rdiaz101]

Why are people complaning i thought evryone in here wants the Raps out of the playoffs?

[RikkJames]

I was a bit ticked at first, but a real playoff team should not rely on someone else to get them in and we had tons of chances to control our own destiny and sh*t on those.. so either man up and win some games including Sundays ...or just accept the early off-season.
I heard last night with Bosh, then Turk getting hurt , that more teams might consider resting their stars..Kobe sat out last night too.
...in conclusion...what a fawkin waste of a season that could've been ....not sure where the main problem lies...but an upgrade in coaching might be the right start....
..another early lead with alot of noise, then 2nd half collapse again tonight???

[mo-sales]

It's pretty funny how upset everyone is getting about the cavs cheating the raptors out of a play spot that no one even wants. Imagine if the raps were healthy and legitimately fighting for that 8th seed.

I also think people are reading too much into Cavs conspiracy theories. I don't think they care who they play in the 1st round. They are getting ready for thier post season which starts in round two. The first round for them is a mere formality.

The only rationale for not wanting the raptors in round one is to avoid a crazed bloodthirsty Reggie who will seeking vengeance under the age old axiom face for a face.

[PC11]

We can throw out all the conspiracy theories we want, but i think at the end of the day, Cleveland doesn't care about whether they play Chicago or Toronto.
It makes no difference to them.
If the roles were reversed and we rested Bosh, we'd all think nothing of it because we wouldn't want our star player getting hurt against a meaningless team in a meaningless game right before the playoffs.
Think about it.

and sadly, there's more potential pain coming. I'm pretty sure Boston/Charlotte are going to rest their players in the last games of Chicago's season, while say the Knicks/Pistons will try to knock us out in the last games of our season, assuming we're still in it by then.

[Buddahfan]

I have had my run in with Smith. I won't go into it, but needless to say he appears to me to be a lot better at being a sycophant than he does at writing intelligently about the NBA.

All is not lost kiddies if you are rooting for the Raptors to make the playoffs.

I doubt that they will win tonight in Atlanta, but the Bulls could very easily lose in N.J. especially on the second night of a back to back. N.J. has actually been playing pretty well lately especially at home. In fact they are 4 - 6 in their last 10 games so I wouldn't automatically put tonight's game between the Bulls and Nets in the win column for the Bulls.

You know that the Nets would love to be the spoilers tonight.

So if the Bulls lose tonight than Toronto needs to just beat the Bulls at home and then win one of their two remaining games against the Pistons and Knicks (at home) even if the Bulls win their their last two games vs Boston and at Charlotte. I would think that it is highly unlikely that the Bulls beat Boston who is still fighting for playoff position and win at Charlotte who has an outside chance of getting the 6th spot from Miami.

So it seems to me that if the Nets can win tonight and the Raptors on Sunday the Raptors will get the last playoff spot.

Go Nets

[jlongs]

I don't know...I like it. Puts more pressure on the Raps.

Now it's just up to how bad the Raptors want that playoff spot. They put themselves in this spot, losing to teams they should have beaten, or not giving 100% effort every night, just because there isn't any sense of urgency.

The Bulls had their injury problems too, but what were the Raptors doing at that same time? Yeah...losing to sub .500 teams. So if they aren't tough enough to push through this stretch without Bosh, then they don't deserve to be in the playoffs. Simple as that.

[Apollo]

Honestly, I agree with Doug in the sense that it sucks for the team who is losing it's grip on 8th seed but really, its the Cavs choice to sit whoever they want whenever they want. They didn't break a rule that I'm aware of and so what's this magic fine going to be for? The Raptors crying that the Bulls got a free pass one night? The Bulls have been stinking for the whole season. The Raptors shouldn't have let them get close. Had the played .500 ball since the All-star break it would be "Chicago Bulls who?"

The Raptors dug themselves into this whole by not caring for the past couple months. If they miss the playoffs it will be because of themselves, not because the Cavs chose to rest James. Does anyone really think the Cavs care about the Raptors or Bulls? I don't. The Raptors need to win their Sunday game against the Bulls if they want to make the playoffs. If they lose that game then I guess we know where the team stands. Let's see if the MIGHTY masked man of Toronto can do something in a clutch game when the coach tells him "ball".

[JYFelony]

My first reaction when I heard Lebron was sitting it out was, "bastards!". Then I, like many other people here, thought for a second about how awful we have played since all-star break and realized that it's not Cleveland's fault, but ours. Realistically, we should have about a 5-6 game cushion over the Bulls, and they should be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

As an aside, I hope Turkoglu comes out strong today and shows us he cares just a little wee bit. Also, I really wish that his mask was black because it would be a perfect Zorro mask.

[mo-sales]

If you win 60 games in a season, you pretty much earn the right to do whatever you want to whoever you want. I think the number one seed should be able to pick thier opponent D League style anyways.

This whole moral outrage at the Cavs because they played hard all season and are now reaping the rewards is pretty petty, even for Doug. The only people who want the raps to make the play offs are young fans, naive fans and maybe the Score. Setting the NBA record for point discrepancy in a first round play off series benefits no one.

I heard pizza pizza offered Hedo a lifetime deal if he wore thier Hawaiian pizza mask.

[Gman]

Dont Talk For Me

Look I appreciate your opinions but I'm an educated older Basketball fan who used to play in High School and College. And I think the four things that the Cavs intentionally did were pretty crappy.

One they decided to play James against the Raps. Two after saying he wasn't going to play that much and they were just going to treat it like a high level practice, James ended up playing the most minutes of any player on the Cavs because the Raps would have taken them down to the wire without him. Even without Bosh.
Three, they decided not to play him against our rivals for the last playoff spot...and then they decided, by letting Varejao take those last two shots (and by the ridiculous hoisting from 3) they intentionally threw the game...even Eric Smith tweeted about it after it happened...about how his Spidey sense was tingling and not in a good way.

If they had done any one of those I'm fine. Any two, fully raised eyebrow but whatever. Three you start earning my ire. Four and I think it's pretty ridiculous. Especially the tanking of the game to Chicago. I thought out of all of them that was the most disgusting.

And the potential long term ramifications if they don't make the playoffs. Chris Bosh leaving, getting very little for him, stuck with the pieces we got specifically to build around him, the loss of revenue that might change MLSE's mind about going over the luxury cap this summer (which they said they would do)

There, sorry did I sound like a young Raptor fan? The pretence in your comment actually made you sound pretty immature. Just saying...