Fantasy Auction Draft Writeups Round 1 Voting

[Miller4ever]

TMAC vs Sambone
lukekarts vs Keeslinator
Snakebites vs MJallday
Miller4ever vs BlackIce

[BlackIce]

GL Miller, and thanks for the extension!



PG - Nash(34)/Wall(14)
SG - Allen(36)/Derozen(12)
SF - Melo(38)/Wright(10)
PF - Garnett(36)/Hayes(12)
C - Bogut(38)/MGee(10)



Offense
We have Steve Nash running the show, one of the best of all time at doing it. His elite shooting and playmaking will make it tough for Parker to really slow him down at all and with Allen spacing the floor on the wing and Melo either on the other wing or in the post we feel that Nash has many weapons to choose from. 3 point shooting is also an advantage we have, Nash and Allen are both elite, Nash at 40%, Allen at 45%. Melo is at 43% so spacing isn't an issue for us. We have a true low post center in Bogut who can take up room, set screens, and score on iso's in the post. He is also a good passer who will take advantage of all the shooting around him. Finally KG has his mid range jumper he can utilize, it will space the floor for Bogut and Melo to work in the post and he is very efficient with it.

Defense
Nash is a poor defender, but Allen and Melo are average defenders when motivated. Allen is persistent and has a high motor making him effective on this end of the floor, always working to contest the shot. Melo is just brutally strong and quick and when he chooses to he can defend with the best of them. KG is a defensive anchor, and has proven this year he's still got it. his length and tenacity will bother Griffin a lot and his weak-side defense will provide help for Nash. Bogut is the 2nd best defensive center in the league. He leads the league in blocks at 2.7 and the combination of the two will insure I have a strong defensive team.

[lukekarts]

LJ Racers

Chris Paul (36) / Andre Miller (12)
Manu Ginobili (34) / Wesley Matthews (14)
Danny Granger (34) / Stephen Jackson (14)
LaMarcus Aldridge (28) / Chris Bosh (20)
Joakim Noah (36) / Serge Ibaka (12)

Cheerleaders: Shane Battier & Chris Kaman

vs

The Keeslinators

PG - Westbrook (30)/Felton (?)/Kidd (?)
SG - Wade (34)/Harden (?)/Kidd (?)
SF - Wallace (28)/Kirilenko (?)/Millsap (?)
PF - Stoudemire (32)/West (?)/Millsap (?)
Cc - Okefor (30)/Nene (18)
? = depends on opponent and match ups

Matching up with Kees

This matchup will not be easy, but nonetheless I am confident my team can win this series.

Let me start by highlighting one major weakness with Kees' team - 3 point shooting. Of his starters, Russell Westbrook is statistically the best 3-pt shooter this season, shooting a clip of 33.7%. Wade and Wallace meanwhile hover just above 30%. More imprtantly, none of this trio are 'catch-and-shoot' players, meaning in late shot clock situations, or in crunch time, closing will be exceptionally difficult. For the duration, they will be forced inside, and my interior defence of Noah, Ibaka and Aldridge will be tough to break down.

Secondly, turnovers. Don't get me wrong, Westbrook and Wade are great players, but they've got a horrible tendency to turn the ball over. This season, Westbrook averages 3.9 turnovers, Wade 3.1, and Amar'e 3.2 - this trio's combined assist to turnover ratio is 1.5! (to put into context, Chris Paul's is 4.08...) - this will create so many fast break opportunities for my team, particularly as Paul is arguably the best stealer in the NBA and Ginobili isn't too bad either. A lot of entry passes will be intercepted, and Paul / Granger / LMA will run the fastbreak and finish with high efficiency. To give some real examples, Westbrook averages 5.3 turnovers in three matchups vs. Paul this season, which is pretty horrific, whilst Wade averaged 4 vs. Ginobili in two games, and Amar'e averaged 4.5 in two games vs. LMA. It won't be pretty!

Limiting Kees Offensively

For the most part, I will utilise single coverage defence on Kees, with Noah offered a little freedom to patrol the paint as a help defender.

I'm pretty well equipped to do this - we've already looked at how many turnovers Paul forces Westrbook into, and in terms of shutting him down, whilst it won't be easy, one could easily make a case for Paul being the best defensive PG in the league. Ginobili meanwhile has proven time and time again to be one of the best defenders on Wade - Wade's career FG% vs Manu is just 43.8%, and in the two games this season, Wade's numbers were poor across the board (4 turnovers, 46% fg%).

Granger meanwhile has the length to harrass Wallace on the perimeter, and although seen more as a scorer these days, he was drafted for his defensive abilities and when focused at that end, he's pretty tough to break down. All Star calibre LaMarcus Aldridge has also asserted himself more at the defensive end, and in two matchups this season, held Amar'e to 23 pts (39%!) and 18 pts (47%), well below his season averages!

In terms of help defense, with my guards - and Kees' lack of outside shooting, channeling play inside, if entry passess make it to Amar'e, Noah will support and his excellent help defense has established him as arguably the 3rd best Center in the league this season (part of the best defensive team). Meanwhile, Ibaka will offer a hugely intimidating shot-blocking spark off the bench.

It's also worth pointing out the rebounding advantage I have here - Noah hugely outrebounded Okafor in their single game this year (13 vs. 6) which included 5 offensive rebounds. Meanwhile Aldridge averaged 10 in his matchups with Amar'e - Amar'e managed just 6.5. Kees' frontcourt will really struggle on the boards against my guys. This is further supported by TRB%, Noah and Aldridge edge out Okafor and Amar'e respectively.

Offensive execution

I've constructed my team to be as balanced as possible. Chris Paul is the leader of this team, and his improved shooting (39% from 3), along with exceptional playmaking and comfortably the best assist/turnover ratio in the league (9.8/2.4 = 4.08!), I can't think of a better guard to lead a team filled with versatile scorers. This season he has already proven Westbrook is little match for him, averaging 19 points (57%/44%!) on just 11 FGA per game in the head to heads, so if he's called on to score, he should have little difficulty.

Aldridge will be the go-to-guy in the interior, the massive improvements in his game this season coming from increased confidence. He put on 6 pounds of muscle in the summer, and has really asserted himself. He's attempting 6.5 shots at the rim, which is up 3.9 from last season (hoopdata.com), and his arsenal of post moves is second only to Pau Gasol. He's a good passer too, and Amar'e's (lack of) defence won't slow him down.

On the perimeter, Manu and Granger will share scoring duties, both are excellent slashers in their own right, Manu offering the winning experience, whilst Granger will be the teams leading 3 pt threat, making 2 of 5 attempts (40%) per game this season. Both willl handle the ball a fair amount too - Ginobil in particular, averages 5 assists per game. They are also exceptionally versatile - I've already demonstrated the range both players have, and Ginobili in particular has a tendency to completely take over.

In terms of 'clearing up', Noah's 4 offensive rebounds per game will be particularly useful - he's 4th in offensive rebounds and is efficient (52%) at clearing up. Being more mobile than Okafor will give an advantage at the offensive end. In fact, Noah's ORB% (13.9) is significantly higher than Okafors (12.2), likewise Aldridge (10.2) outshines Amar'e (7.9). I will generate far more second chance opportunities.

Bench production

Finally, my bench. Core guys off the bench will be Miller, Matthews, Jackson, Bosh and Ibaka.

In terms of productivity, all but Miller & Bosh have proven to be exceptional defensive players, with Jackson and Ibaka the particular highlights.

I've put Bosh on the bench purely because he thrives in isolation - being number one option on the court, Bosh was a multiple All Star in Toronto and whilst less effective in Miami, his skillset has not regressed. Here, against second unit players (most likely David West), he will be the lead scoring option and should have no issues.

The rest of my bench guys, Miller, Jackson, Matthews and Ibaka will merely have to defend and execute their shots - Kees doesn't have a comparable offensive talent to Bosh on his bench, and I am confident my guys can limit him offensively.

Summary

Kees' team is hugely athletic but fundamentally flawed. If the game slows down - as big games tend to - there is neither the floor spacing nor the offensive moveset available to him. The backcourt of Wade and Westbrook will gamble too much, and probably to little success - CP3 is the best PG at taking care of the ball. Meanwhile, guys like Manu, Granger and Aldridge thrive at a slower tempo, collectively they're a better passing group, Aldridge can work in the post, Manu and Granger can drive, pick & roll, or launch quick three pointers, and Paul can facilitate like no other. It's all about balance, and I have talent and balance in abundance.

[Snakebites]

Well, MJ's team isn't technically completed, but it looks like his rotation is.

Mine:

Deron Williams (36)/Lowry (12)
Jason Richardson (32)/Allen (16)
Lebron James (37)/Lamar Odom (11)
Kevin Love (34)/Lamar Odom (14)
Tyson Chandler (28)/Anderson Varejao (12)

Deep bench: David Lee, Danillo Gallinari, Greg Monroe

Offense:

Key points:

Dwight Howard surrounded by a relatively lacking defensive rotation may be enough to cut it in the actual NBA, but in this universe offensive talent is 4 times more concentrated. The limitations of our opponent defensively on the perimeter (and, indeed, just about everywhere but the center spot) will prove to be their undoing. Lebron James will be frighteningly effective against Caron Butler, and given how destructive a force he's been against Portland in his career, Batum will offer little relief. Generally speaking, Howard is only one man, and when the starters are in there will be little to stop the relentless onslaught of our balanced offensive attack. Though there a couple of decent defensive players off their bench, they will have a hard time incorporating them into the rotation while still maintaining a healthy offense. When Dwight Howard comes out and Brook Lopez comes in, their defense becomes even more porous.

Spacing. Kevin Love and Jason Richardson combine to provide us with elite shooting, along with solid shooting from Kyle Lowry off the bench. Richardson and Love combine to make our primary offensive weapons, Lebron James and Deron Williams, essentially immune to double teams, and this will make them all the more damaging. Even with Howard roaming the paint, our offense just has so many options both inside and outside that its hard to imagine this teams limited defense (even off the bench their defense doesn't look particularly impressive, and they have to sacrifice offense to too great an extent just to get something on the court that can realistically contend with my offensive attack.

Playmaking. Deron Williams and Lebron James are two of the best playmakers at their positions, both for themselves and for others. Being able to run our offense through either of these two players at any given time simply gives us more options than our opponent has, and guys like Jason Richardson, Lamar Odom, and Kevin Love are perfect supporting pieces in this scheme. And, of course, the most talented offensive player (by quite a large margin) resides on our team and our opponent simply isn't particularly well equipped to stop him.

Defense:

Our team is relatively balanced defensively. The combination of Tyson Chandler, Anderson Varejao and Lamar Odom up front gives us a formidable front court defense, and the weakside defense of Lebron James, along with his versatility as a defender, assures us that we will have among the best overall defenses in the league. On the perimeter, Deron Williams is solid defensively and we have our disruptive backcourt unit off the bench. Kyle Lowry is a terrific defender and Tony Allen's presence on the perimeter is sited as a primary contributing factor to Memphis's defensive improvement this season.

Rebounding: How do you out rebound a Dwight Howard team? It isn't easy, but if anyone has a chance of doing it our team does. Kevin Love is the one player in the league who outrebounds Howard, and we also have Tyson Chandler, who manages to get nearly double digit rebounding totals in 28 minutes, and Lebron James, who is far and away the best rebounder at his position. Lamar Odom and Anderson Varejao cannot be ignored in this regard, either. Our team should be able to disrupt our opponents defense more severely by getting on the offensive glass frequently.

Generally speaking, our team likes its chances of getting stops when we need them, and with Lebron, Deron, and a terrific supporting cast, I feel that we get get baskets from anywhere on the court whenever we need them as well. Our star power is every bit the equal of our opponent, and our depth and versatility will be the difference maker.

[-Kees-]

PG - Westbrook (30)/Felton (18)/Kidd (0)
SG - Wade (34)/Harden (0)/Kidd (14)
SF - Wallace (32)/Kirilenko (16)/Millsap (0)
PF - Stoudemire (32)/West (0)/Millsap (16)
Cc - Okefor (30)/Nene (18)

V.

Paul (36) / Miller (12)
Ginobili (34) / Matthews (14)
Granger (34) / Jackson (14) or Battier (14)
Aldridge (28) / Bosh (20)
Noah (36) / Ibaka (12) or Kaman (12)


Offense against Lukekarts
We will run our offense through Wade, Westbrook and Stoudemire. We can run on the break, or play slow, and against this team, we will run. The only player on their starting line that is really a shut down defender is Noah, and he doesn't match up well against any of my big three. We will run through our strengths, and Stoudemire is an excellent pick and role player. I will put Wade with Amare or Westbrook with Amare in the pick and role, and we can beat any of their players. Westbrook is quicker than anyone on their whole team, and Wade is a better offensive player than anyone that would match up with him. Ginobili is not a strong defender, and Wade has averaged 24 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.5 apg against him, and that will only improve with Amare and Westbrook helping him out by drawing double teams. Wallace can hit the spot up three, and Okafor can grab offensive rebounds well (3.2 OFF RPG), and with out other big three, thats all we need out of them. Also, although their bigs are long, my bigs are stronger and quicker. Bosh is not a talented defender, Aldridge can easily be bullied down low, and so can Ibaka. Noah and Okafor will battle it out, but other than that matchup, we win with rebounding and controlling the paint. When they don't get quality shots, we can rebound the ball, and get it up the floor. Wade, Westbrook, Wallace, Felton, Kidd, Milsap and Amare all run the fast break EXTREMELY well. We will push the ball, and with all of our finishers, we will do well on the break. IF they somehow slow us down, then we can go back to the screen and role and beat them that way.

Defense against Lukekarts
Our defense is a complicated one. It will be a shifting 1-1-2 zone with Gerald Wallace playing man on Ginobili, the only player that can beat a zone. Okafor with be down low, Amare in the middle, Wade and Westbrook up top.
Zone:
________(Basket)_________
__________EO____________
__________AS____________
______RW_____DW________
*Lines are for technical things with the post on realgm, not for the actual defense

This enhances all of our strengths, and limits our weaknesses. Amare has long arms, but isn't good one on one. So he plays the middle to intercept passes, cover the middle and help down low if needed. Wade and Westbrook both average 1.5 spg or more, and they have great quickness. CP3 will never have an opening into the lane and Granger and LMA won't get those open shots like they usually do in most RL games. Okafor will be the bruiser down low, fighting with Noah, Ibaka and Bosh. His strength is physicalness and he will apply that in this defense. If they post up LMA, Bosh or Noah, Okafor will cover them, and with his strength and aggressiveness, will stop them. Some may say there are holes in the corners, but I disagree. CP3 will have the ball a lot, so he isn't a big threat. None of their bigs can shoot the 3, so no worries there either. Ginobili will have Wallace on him at all times, and will be shut down in our matchup. Granger is okay from deep (37%), and the reason he won't get any good looks is because our defense shifts a lot. He won't have any catch and shoot opportunities, and he certainly won't get a good look off the dribble.

Overall against Lukekarts
We will win this matchup by running the ball, winning the deep post with our physicalness, and because we simply have more talented players than them. They don't have an answer for Wade nor Westbrook, and the fact that they don't have bigs that run the floor well puts them at a major disadvantage. Their only perimeter threat is Ginobili, and he won't ever have a good look with Wallace on him 24/7.

[Miller4ever]

LINEUPS

Parker(32)/Lawson(16)
Ellis(24)/Afflalo(20)/Gordon(4)
Iguodala(30)/Gay(18)
Griffin(24)/Randolph(18)/Smith(6)
Duncan(24)/Perkins(24)/Randolph

Right off the bat you can tell that I have possibly the best depth in the game. I have two all-star backups, and BlackIce has none.

THE FORMULA

BETTER DEFENSE + BETTER REBOUNDING = MORE POSSESSIONS
BETTER PASSING + BETTER SHOOTING = MORE EFFICIENCY
MORE POSSESSIONS + BETTER EFFICIENCY = MORE POINTS

If you ask the great John Madden, more points results in a victory, usually.

BETTER DEFENSE

At first you look at my team and it doesn't scream defensive prowess. But then you look at BlackIce's team and you can see that the defensive advantage goes to me.

Parker may not be known for his defense, but Steve Nash makes him look like a DPOY candidate. Since Nash has been a Sun, Parker has forced 4.15 TO's per game out of Nash, while Parker turns it over 2.45 times. Meanwhile, They both shoot just a shade under their averages, so there is no clear advantage in terms of shot defense. This carries over to this season as well, where Nash is averaging 1.5 TO's more than Parker the 2 times they met. Off the bench, Ty Lawson's pressure defense vs. John Wall's defense which is ironic given his name. In key situations, Wall's gambling will be outshone by Lawson's ballhawking any day of the week. We only have one game to go on, but as starters, Wall put up 2-10 on Lawson while LAwson put up 7-11. They got the same number of assists but Lawson turned it over twice to Wall's 4 times.

Meanwhile, Monta Ellis has a step on Ray. Neither are top-form defenders, so admittedly there is no clear-cut advantage, although it is worth mentioning that while his man-to-man game is suspect, Ellis is among the league leaders in steals with 2.1 per game this season. Since the depth at the position is weak for BlackIce (DeMar DeRozan is not containing anyone at SG who can dribble worth half a damn), Arron Afflalo's defensive stopper abilities come in real handy in tipping the matchup towards my team without giving up offensive efficiency. He has been snubbed in favor of more glamorous names on the all-D teams, but his aggressive style and energy would be perfect in matchup up against Ray Allen. Admittedly, in the two scant games played this season, Ray Allen has had one good game and one bad game against Afflalo, but Arron shot better than Ray. Against a player like Allen, who is so hard to defend and it's more about luck anyways, my guys will at least be able to contain him and outgun him.

Then there's Anthony and Iguodala. It should be obvious to anyone who's seen the two of these guys play, one of them defends, and the other one pretends to defend. As for Dorell Wright and Rudy Gay, I'm willing to call it a wash.

Garnett is old. There have been two games to provide statistical evidence between Griffin and Garnett which is not enough. However, the explanation behind what happened is simple. Griffin shot 40%. Garnett shot 30%. Garnett is old and not the defensive stalwart he used to be. Griffin is younger, stronger, and managed to bother Garnett a lot. So before you swallow the easy choice of Garnett, consider that Griffin's youth and athleticism give him an advantage over Garnett's no-longer excellent defensive presence. In the meantime, even Randolph managed to outperform Garnett in much the same way. Garnett shot decently at 45% while Randolph was at 59%.

Then there's the Duncan/Perk combo against a Bogut/McGee. Duncan is older than Garnett, but he's splitting time evenly with Perk. Duncan defending at C against Bogut is more favorable than Garnett defending the PF against superior athletes. McGee is a good shotblocker, but Perk anchors championship-caliber defenses.

My defense doesn't have a lot to write home about, but we have nowhere near the gaping holes that the opposing defense has all over their rotation. The starter's defense looks even, but with my depth, my defense begins to cultivate a pretty clear advantage.

BETTER REBOUNDING

Garnett and Bogut post nice numbers at 17.5% and 18.3% rebound rates. Meanwhile, Griffin and Duncan are at 18.9 and 18.3. Zach Randolph is above 20%, and Hayes is at 16.3%. McGee is at 16.5% and Perkins is at 19.2%. See a pattern?

Rebound rate is the best judge of how good a rebounder is, so overall my bigs are better rebounders than my opponent's. The point guard board situation goes to my opponent, but I make up that advantage at the wings. In any case, what matters most on the glass is how the guys in the middle do, and my guys are better at finding position, boxing out, and clearing the glass.

BETTER SHOOTING

Again, this is about my super-efficient bench vs. the weak depth that BlackIce has. Parker and Nash are about even, with Nash's efficiency coming from pure shooting excellence while Parker gives himself great look inside, in addition to 36% from deep this season. Then the PG shooting tips in my favor when Ty Lawson takes the floor against John Wall. 40% and 30% can't beat 49% and 37%. Wall plays significant minutes for BlackIce's squad, so this shouldn't be taken lightly.

At the SG spot, Ray Allen wins against Monta Ellis. Ellis is a great shooter, but as a volume scorer, he won't be as efficient as Ray Allen. However, in limited play, we turn to Arron Afflalo, who is playing 20 minutes. In 2 games against Ray Allen, he shot 61% to Allen's 52%. This offsets the small advantage Allen has over Ellis in efficiency.

Then there's Carmelo/Wright against Iggy/Gay. At first, you may say that this goes to Carmelo Anthony. However, in head-to-head matchups this season, Carmelo Anthony has shot 42% and Iguodala shoot 50%. If you want a larger sample size, if you tally the previous season as well, Carmelo shoots 37% to Iguodala's 47%. Bring in Dorell Wright's 42% for the season on Rudy Gay's 47% on the year (the head-to-head matchup is less kind to Dorell Wright, actually) and you have a decisive advantage at SF spot and more than enough to tip the wings matchup in my favor.

Kevin Garnett and Blake Griffin share very similar field goal percentages, but throw in Garnett's range, something that Griffin is still shaky in (despite 30% from deep, for some reason), and I will admit that Garnett is the more efficient scorer. Coming off the bench, though Zach Randolph has efficiency that Chuck Hayes cannot. Randolph may have a slightly lower FG%, but his offensive rebounding and rangier game makes him more dangerous than Chuck Hayes. On this team where he has less responsibility, it seems like Randolph has the advantage.

Tim Duncan and Kendrick Perkins both shoot better percentages than Bogut. Bogut's TS% is 49%. Duncan and Perk both weigh in at 54%. Here's the best part: Perkins shoots a higher FT% than Bogut, who is better from the field than at the line, and neither cracks 50%. There's nothing McGee can really do, even with 56% TS, because if you adjust for minutes played, the C rotation of BlackIce still can't outgun my C rotation.

BETTER PASSING

There is a stat that can be used to see which players are actually better passers and it is free of pace. Assist/turnover ratio.

My starting five posts a 2.02 A/T ratio. BlackIce's posts a 1.90 A/T ratio. It may not seem significant, but that's actually a big difference. Steve Nash is good, but my team has much more balanced passing. Ellis may be a scorer first, but he's very capable of spreading the wealth. Iguodala is posting a 3.2 A/T ratio all on his own, averaging 6.4 assists a game. Blake Griffin is still blossoming in his passing skills, but at nearly 4 a game, he's drawing the Chris Webber/Charles Barkley comparisons already. Tim Duncan has always been a great big man passer.

When you bring in the benches, it's a wash. Lawson has a better A/T ratio than Wall, Afflalo has a better A/T than DeRozan, Rudy Gay is worse than Dorell Wright, Randolph is worse than Hayes, and Perkins and McGee both suck.

[SamBone]

TMac

[PG] - Chauncey Billups (32) - Jrue Holiday (16)
[SG] - Kobe Bryant (36) - Paul Pierce (12)
[SF] - Paul Pierce (24) - Luol Deng (24)
[PF] - Dirk Nowtizki (36) - Horford (12)
[Cc] - Al Horford (22) - Marcin Gortat (26)

vs

The Boned Samuels

[PG] – Rajon Rondo (30) – Steph Curry (18)
[SG] – Joe Johnson (33) – Thabo Sefelosha (15)
[SF] – Kevin Durant (36) – Shawn Marion (12)
[PF] – Pau Gasol (35) – Marc Gasol (13)
[Cc] – Andrew Bynum (24) – Al Jefferson (12) – Roy Hibbert (12)
reserve: Jared Dudley

Well I got to admit, no matter what his team looks like, I never like going against TMac in these games. He is the poster I respect the most on this board. That is not a knock on others, just a compliment to Tmac himself. He is always willing to give an honest and unbiased opinion and advise which is very hard to find here. So good luck my friend!

I am really happy with how my team came together. I think I put together a well rounded TEAM, that will work together and compliment my two studs! I decided to build around the best scorer in the NBA who is also becoming a great all around player. Pau Gasol is the best 2nd option in the NBA and will have the same roll on this team. The other pieces all fit well and I believe even my bench players would be great in these roles and none are head cases or demanding of the ball or PT.

I think I have some great shooting, awesome defenders, very solid passers, and some of the best TEAM players in the NBA. I honestly think this team is built very similar (and actually a lot better) then the back to back Champions L.A. Lakers. Gasol and Bynum basically have the exact same role. KD at this stage of his career is just as good if not better at every aspect of the game as current day Kobe. Joe is a huge upgrade offensively compared to Artest (and at this point in his career may even be a better defender then Ron). And everyone would take Rondo over Fisher. And my bench is perfect compliment to my starting 5

OFFENSE
My offense will be focused on Kevin Durant who as well as being the best scorer in the NBA, he is also becoming a great and willing passer, add to that his deadly shooting and clutch play, you got the total package.

Our post offense will come from Pau Gasol, who I believe will really give Dirk issues in this series.

Joe Johnson will be our 3rd option. He will be used more for his shooting and ability to stretch the defense and create space for both KD and Pau. His defender will not be able to help defend which should really help his teammates a ton. Joe is also a great ball handler and passer and all of his skills will be utilized.

Rondo (2nd in NBA in assists) will run the offense, dishing to all of the studs that surround him.

Andrew Bynum has post skills that will give Horford (who struggles against centers) and Gortat problems. I doubt I will need to run many plays for the big guy, but if needed, he can be leaned on. He will mostly be used for hitting the offensive glass.

My 6th man and offensive spark plug is Steph Curry. On a stacked team, I could not think of a better 3rd guard then Steph who can simply light it up when he comes into the game!

DEFENSE
I love how my team is constructed defensively. I have no holes.

Rondo will give the aging Billups all sorts of problems. Rondo is already a 1st team All NBA Defensive player, and should play very well in this matchup.

Joe Johnson is a very good wing defender. He will have his hands full against one of the best players in the game, but I think he will be able to at worst contain Kobe. Thabo (a 2nd team All Defensive player) will also log some minutes against Kobe. His entire job when in the game will be to harass Kobe, and play tough in your face defense.

Kevin Durant is turning into a solid defensive player (was 5th in NBA last season in Defensive Win Shares). He will matchup very well against Paul Pierce and Luol Deng. The matrix will see small minutes in this series and like Thabo will be used for his defensive skills and rebounding (as well as great weak side shot blocking).

Pau Gasol vs Dirk will be a very interesting matchup to watch. Dirk has become more and more of a SF in playing style, basically playing most of the game outside relying on his stellar shooting instead of inside. This will cause some issues since Pau’s defensive strengths come in the paint. Little brother Marc will serve as Pau’s backup and will basically be matched against Horford when he is at the 4.

Andrew Bynum is a great defensive center. Since health is not a concern, I think he was one of the steals of the draft. He (as well as Al Jefferson and Roy Hibbert) will give Horford and Gortat all sorts of problem

SUMMARY
TMac has constructed a team of All Time Greats on his squad, but for maybe the 1st time in TMac’s history of building a team, I am not sure this team fits together well. Koe, Dirk and Paul Pierce are all STUDS and some of the best players to ever play the game, but I really have a hard time seeing them play together. I can not see Dirk and Kobe sharing the ball at all, and even though he has played successfully with other star player, Pierce has always been the main man. I have a hard time picturing PP accepting his role as the 3rd banana behind Kobe and Dirk. I am sure Chauncy can play the 4th option without a complaint, but all 4 of these All Timers are really really old. I think post defense is really gonna give TMac issues. Horford is a very promising good player, but is at his best when playing the 4. I can not see him covering for Dirk on D which will really hurt this team. Gortat is a solid reserve C, but I do not believe he will make a difference against my superior BIGS.

I think I have a team that fits together perfect, has offensive balance, great individual and team defenders, a superior rebounding compared to my opponent. Simply put, I think I finally built a better team then the great TMac. I wish him well, but think I should win this series

[lukekarts]

Well that sucks. 3 1/2 writeups

[TMACFORMVP]

I'm real sorry. I'll put up something short if it's allowed.

It's always fun to face a guy like SamBone. He knows how to play the game, and obviously one of the best and most active posters on the board. And even before it started, I knew his team would be a handful to deal with. But alas, there are weaknesses we feel we can exploit in his team, and may the best team win, which my team fully intends to do so.

1.) Age shouldn't be a factor, under the stipulations of this game, this team is built to win now, and four of our five starters were all-stars this season. Billups is still playing at a very high level as well. In fact in a game like this, our experience plays a huge factor, Billups, Kobe, Pierce, and even Dirk are all proven winners that have shown they don't succumb to the pressure of the situation (and if anyone thinks Dirk isn't clutch, please watch the games). On the other hand, Joe Johnson has notoriously choked in the playoffs the last two seasons, and Durant was almost a non factor in his first playoff series against the Lakers. With the game on the line, we fully feel our team will take over, as already stated, Kobe, Pierce, and Dirk are among the most feared closers in the game. Add to that "big shot" (bit overstated) Billups waiting if the defense collapses, our team's offensive execution is nearly flawless. There is no holes offensively with our team, dominant closing, elite spacing, post play, and the ability to get to the line.

2.) We think our team fits perfectly together. Dirk isn't ball dominant, he'll be similarly effective as Gasol is for the Lakers right now. Pierce adds another primary play-maker on the perimeter, but one that's shown he'll lessen his shot attempts for the betterment of the team. You want to know a staggering stat? He only takes 4-5 more shots than Ron Artest does on the Lakers. A reason our team is so flawless around Bryant is our efficiency. Billups, Pierce, Nowitzki, and Horford have a TS% of 60% or ABOVE. We have elite shooting from the perimeter, with three guys that are nearly or above 40% three point shooters from the perimeter. You can't double team Kobe, and leaving him to go one on one with an average defender in Joe Johnson is a nightmare to happen.

3.) Defense. I don't know if any of the teams in this competition are defensive powerhouses, but we feel we have the edge in our matchup v. SamBone. Aside from Bynum, who's only picked up his play post all-star break, there is no other truly elite frontcourt defender. And besides, only playing 24 minutes per game, we feel we can exploit the lack of frontcourt defense with any of Al Jefferson, Roy Hibbert, or Marc Gasol in the game. All are known for their offensive games, rather than their ability to anchor a defense. SamBone tries to make up for this on the perimeter, with Thabo and Marion off the bench, but it still doesn't make up the fact that JJ, nor Durant are disruptive perimeter defenders. Kobe, while overrated defensively, is still very good, while Pierce has shown with the Celtics, that when given the challenge, he can be a near lockdown defender. Rondo is a very good defender, but he's positioned against a veteran in Billups that will merely serve as another additional ball-handler and spot up shooter that isn't afraid to take the big shots.

Horford isn't an elite defender, but he's sound, and better than the backups SamBone possesses. The same with the case for Gortat. I don't know if it's really a matter of which team is better defensively as individuals, but we feel our perimeter defense is fully equipped, especially with Deng off the bench to frustrate JJ and Durant, while they cannot say the same for our duo on the perimeter. And with Bynum playing limited minutes, it allows Horford to spend more time on Gasol, while Dirk can handle the limited big men off the bench. We can also come to double off Rondo in the case we have to help, as he isn't a good shooter. Let's also keep in mind that this season (which this game is based upon), Joe Johnson is shooting 29% from three! I think our team might be harder to guard, which ultimately gives us a bigger defensive edge.

Overall, I think our offensive attack is too great to overcome, while our defense has more favorable matchups. And down the stretch, with Kobe, Pierce, Dirk, and Billups waiting on the wings, they will lead us to victory in a close series. As usual, SamBone has built a terrific team, and may the best team win.

*I'd completely understand if this writeup doesn't count, would have no problem with that. My opponent got his in before the deadline, while I didn't.

[SamBone]

1st of all, Tmac’s writeup should count.

2nd, I would not be me if I did not post a rebuttal, so……

3.) Defense. I don't know if any of the teams in this competition are defensive powerhouses, but we feel we have the edge in our matchup v. SamBone. Aside from Bynum, who's only picked up his play post all-star break, there is no other truly elite frontcourt defender. And besides, only playing 24 minutes per game, we feel we can exploit the lack of frontcourt defense with any of Al Jefferson, Roy Hibbert, or Marc Gasol in the game. All are known for their offensive games, rather than their ability to anchor a defense.

well I have never heard someone try to sell that having abundance of solid BIGS and having them play less minutes to stay fresh, is a negative thing to do. My BIGS are all interchangeable and I feel playing them less minutes will allow them to be fresh and not hold back. All 3 of my reserves are superior shot blockers (Al averages 1.9 blks, Hibbert 1.8, and Marc is 1.6) not one player on TMac’s average even 1.5. And don’t forget that Bynum averages 2 blocks per and Pau averages 1.6. Tmac does not have 1 player close to the 5 that I run out there

and you say none of my centers, that all start for solid defensive teams and play next to turnstile power fowards, can anchor a D, when you are starting a PF at C?

Andrew Bynum is my defensive anchore, plan and simple. Marc anchored the 13th best defense in the NBA into the playoffs (and played next to Randolph), Hibbert anchors the 17th best into the playoffs (playing with Hansbrough) and Jefferson anchored the 19th best. Bynum and Gasol’s lakers are ranked 7th.

I would say that my BIGS are much much better defenders then the BIGS that Tmac uses.

And with Bynum playing limited minutes, it allows Horford to spend more time on Gasol, while Dirk can handle the limited big men off the bench.

our BIGS rotation is

TMac
[PF] - Dirk Nowtizki (36) - Horford (12)
[Cc] - Al Horford (22) - Marcin Gortat (26)

vs

The Boned Samuels
[PF] – Pau Gasol (35) – Marc Gasol (13)
[Cc] – Andrew Bynum (24) – Al Jefferson (12) – Roy Hibbert (12)

so if Horford’s 34 minutes are going to be guarding Pau (advantage Pau! )
Dirk’s 36 minutes will be guarding Bynum for 24 minutes (advantage Bynum), and I guess Jefferson for the rest (another HUGE advantage to me)

Not to mention the foul trouble Dirk will be in which will limit his production on the offensive end. Foul trouble is something I really will not need to worry about because of my BIG depth and Tmac’s non existent offensive post presence (another advantage SamBone!)

Billups, Kobe, Pierce, and even Dirk are all proven winners that have shown they don't succumb to the pressure of the situation (and if anyone thinks Dirk isn't clutch, please watch the games). On the other hand, Joe Johnson has notoriously choked in the playoffs the last two seasons, and Durant was almost a non factor in his first playoff series against the Lakers. With the game on the line, we fully feel our team will take over, as already stated, Kobe, Pierce, and Dirk are among the most feared closers in the game. Add to that "big shot" (bit overstated) Billups waiting if the defense collapses, our team's offensive execution is nearly flawless. There is no holes offensively with our team, dominant closing, elite spacing, post play, and the ability to get to the line.

Yes those big 4 players have won a lot of games in their storied HOF careers. And if you had 4 baskeballs, the 4 closers would all be awesome, but the problem I see with that group is that you only get to use 1 ball and none of those 4 have ever had to share the ball in crunch time and I do not see them adapting to that at this stage of their careers.

And you say Joe “choked’ in the playoffs and Dirk is a proven winner? When did Dirk (with home court advantage) last win a playoff series? Joe’s team (the 3 seed) lost to the #2 seed in the 2nd round. I hardly would call that “choking”. If anything the Dirk led #2 seed Mav’s losing in 6 games to the #7 seed would be the player that “notoriously choked in the playoffs”. Joe’s regular season stats last season 20/4.5/4.5 and his playoff stats were 18/5/5. I hardly call that choking.

And the non factor KD averaged 25 points, 7.7 reb and 2.3 assists in the playoffs against the dominant Lakers team. Yes a tad lower then his regular season stats, but a “non factor”?

[TMACFORMVP]

Initially didn't plan on doing a rebuttal, but was sitting around, rather bored, and thought, why not, rebuttals are always more fun than the initial writeup too IMO.

I downplayed the minute rotation of the big men because in a playoff setting, you want to play your best player the most minutes. It's not wise to give lesser players more minutes for the sake of rest, when in the end, a playoff setting, which this is, you want your best players to get the most minutes. I was merely saying, the lesser time that Bynum is on the floor, in the favor of other big men, the easier it is to attack inside.

It's a matter of watching the games, block numbers are nice, but not the end all in a conversation about defense. M.Gasol, Jefferson, and Hibbert are not anchors defensively, regardless of the blocks they average. And, while JJ averaged 18/5/5, did you notice he shot 38% from the field, and 22% from three? The season before he averaged 16/4/3 on 41%. That's choking. And trying to pin the series loss on Dirk last year is laughable, he averaged 27/8 on 55% from the field, and 58% from three. And the shots that he hit in that series were ridiculous, over double teams, etc. And let's be honest, the "7th seeded" Spurs were 50-32, and were a much more dangerous team in the 2nd half of the season, particularly because of Ginobili's resurgence (13 PPG pre all-star break, and 21 PPG post all-star).

I'd agree non factor was a bit a stretch, but I don't think anyone could deny watching that series that Durant was taken out his element - again, I point you to the efficiency rather than the raw numbers. To say it's a "tad lower," would be a stretch as well. Durant shot 35% for the series, and 28% from three. He couldn't create for anyone else, as that's not his game. Durant was unfortunately not that good in the playoff series, and was considerably worse than he was in the regular season (I mean, he shot 5-23 in the Game 6 loss which eliminated them, Kobe on the other hand had 32/7 on 12-25).

And note: Horford wouldn't be on Gasol the entire series, was just merely stating that we'd have that flexibility when Bynum is on the bench for half the game. And, I don't know where the impression of Dirk being in foul trouble would come into play. In the three games against the Lakers frontcourt, he's picked up a total of eight fouls. In those three games, it's also worth mentioning that in two of the three games, he's had games of over 25 points, and 10 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. And just a little side comment about Dirk's game (not really addressed to you Sambone, just everyone in particular), Dirk is a post player. I mean sure, the word post player has gradually changed in the more modern NBA, but Dirk's go to move is his ability to back down in the mid-post, and fade with his unstoppable jumper. There's a reason his impact on the Mavs is so great, it's because his initiates everything for their offense from that block. He doesn't have a TS% of 60% by standing around near the three point line. He only takes two threes per game, gets to the line, and scores from 17 feet and in.

And are we really going to include Billups as a player that didn't have to share the ball in the clutch? The same guy that played with Carmelo Anthony last season? Or Paul Pierce never had to share the ball in the clutch? The same guy that's played with Ray Allen who's hit his fair share of game-winners as a Celtics also? And Dirk's been more than happy to share the ball with Terry in the clutch, but ultimately it has to be him, because he's far and away the Mavericks best player. The reason these players are so great is their will to win; and none of these guys would jeopardize the chances of that by being too selfish, when they've never shown in their past. Hell, even Kobe who I'd admit is ball dominant in the clutch (for good reason), has been unselfish enough to dish it to his role players like Fisher for big time shots. Pierce, Dirk, nor Billups are ball dominant, offensive execution down the stretch won't be a problem, it'd in fact be a strength.

Best of luck Bone.

[Miller4ever]

Voting may now begin.

[lukekarts]

Seeing as nobody else seemed willing to do their voting... I'm gonna do a rebuttal!

Firstly - on Noah being the only shut down defender; whilst that is true, having one shut down defender is better than none, and let's not forget that Aldridge is a far far superior defender to Amar'e, and his impact on team defence (in Portland this year) has been huge. According to 82games.com he is comfortably a top 3 PF this season in terms of overall impact - and I've already given the evidence from his head to heads with Amar'e this season.

Secondly, I think putting Wallace on Ginobili is a mistake. As a Heat fan I know Wade as well as anyone, and leaving him to match up with Granger will be tough. Granger is much taller, much more disruptive from the perimeter, and is the exact mould of player I don't think Wade can defend. Granger is hitting 38.6% of his 5 3pt attempts per game on a team with no other consistent offensive options... Either way, Manu or Granger is a tough matchup for Dwayne.

Kees also suggests whilst my bigs are long, his are stronger and quicker. I completely disagree with the last sentiment. Whilst neither are as mobile as Amar'e, they are much more so than Okafor - and in terms of strength, I have never seen Amar'e use strength to good effect on the defensive end. LMA and Noah are much more physical on the defensive end, particularly LMA this season. I also completely disagree Ibaka will be easily bullied - especially not by Millsap or Nene. And despite the use of zone defence, nothing will overcome the comparitive lack of interior defence that Kees' team possesses.

Kees has no post offense either, whereas I can run my team through Aldridge - which if you look at champions in the past, LA, Boston, San Antonio, all teams have big men that can operate in the paint, and pass the ball out if needed.

Fast break will be a threat, I can't deny Kees has more options there, but my team average so few turnovers comparitively that these opportunities will be rare. I also don't have concerns about the screen and roll as suggested - there are no shooters to kick out to at all, meaning I can pack the paint to nullify the threat. Using Kidd and Felton off the bench also means a missed opportunity for Kees - as a 6th man Harden could have been that outside shooter, but he hasn't been allocated any minutes.

Summary

Whilst Kees team is more 'flash', more athletic, I also feel it is fundamentally flawed. No shooters, poor interior defence, lack of a polished interior post game to run the offence through. It will be a tight series based on talent alone, but much like the Bulls vs. Miami in real life, the better team usually wins.

[Miller4ever]

Cool. I'm about to call an 8-way tie.

[lukekarts]

Right, don't judge me on how I'm about to judge all of you. Someone's gotta go first I guess!

Anyway, here goes:

TMAC vs. Sambone

This one is tough. Both teams are brilliantly constructed, and I've noted the writeups by both guys.
Let me start by saying a few things about each team, whilst I work out in my head which way this goes.

Firstly, I'm not sure on Chauncey this season. His scoring form has been good but erratic, and I think for the first time in his career he's becoming a liability defensively. Now, with Rondo not being much of a scoring threat, it may not be a problem, but he will still struggle to prevent inlet passes. As for Rondo, his form has nosedived lately, but as they say, form is temporary, class is permanent. Over the season, he has been better than Billups.

The second thing I notice, particularly with TMac's lineup, is the age. Now, not normally an issue, but 4 guys are the wrong side of 30, and whilst they've all been All NBA players at some point, their stamina in a close series may be an issue. Certainly, they won't be outrunning the Boned Samuels... who have Joe Johnson, and whilst he's a good player, I still have concerns about whether he's got the right mentality to perform in a 'playoff' series.

In terms of scoring threat, one thing that really stood out to me this season is Durant's total 'ownage' of Pierce this year (and I hate using the word ownage, but it really does fit here.) KD dropped 37 and 34 points respectively (50% shooting), compared to Pierce's 15 and 17 pts. And I don't think Kobe has the length to defend Durant. So for every advantage TMAC has at SG, the Samuels should win out easily at PG/SF.

And that leaves me with the front-courts to decide who wins. Defensively, I think this is more one-sided than it looks at face value. Horford is a good defensive player, but he really struggles against length. If we look at how he has done vs. Bynum over the course of their careers, Bynum has outscored him 14 pts to 12, on 63%, and has outrebounded him by 3.3 rpg. Horford has also really struggled as a shot blocker vs. the Lakers front court, only 0.3 blocks in those 8 games. And Pau vs. Dirk defensively, its a non-contest. At the other end though, Dirk still always has his way against the Pau/Bynum front court. But if the game slows down, which it likely will do, TMAC's reliance on Kobe as the only guy with post-moves of much use, may become a real limitation.

I briefly pointed out rebounding, but the Samuels will be much more dominant from SF through to C, and this could be a deciding factor in the series.

So, like I said, this is really tough. From an offensive standpoint, TMAC's team are more dominant. Kobe and Dirk are both 25ppg scorers, and both will likely have their way. In terms of support players, Pierce and Billups are proven winners, but defensively their matchups aren't ideal here, whilst Horford will likely struggle to make his mark defensively in the same way Bynum will. Durant will have his way too, and I can't see TMAC defending the interior presence of Bynum/Gasol effectively either. IF it comes down to the last shot, then I expect TMAC to win this series, but I don't think it will get that far. I think it's going to come down to defensive impact, and for that reason, I think SamBone edges this one out in 7 games. 2 years ago this would have been very, very different. Interior defence, dominant rebounding, will not be something Kobe can overcome even with Dirk's help.

[lukekarts]

Snakebites vs MJallday

Now, under normal circumstances, I would say 'Snakebites by default' due to no writeup. If that's the way we're going forward, then Snake def has my vote.

If not, I'll carry on...

Firstly, I loved the ballsy effort by MJ to acquire Rose and Dwight. I was tempted to do the same myself, but he beat me to it.

Secondly, sorry Snakebites but you've managed to pick two guys I really don't rate as much as others do (LeBron and Love) but I'll try to take personal bias out of it.

Rose owns Williams, at least as of late. Having the 1-2 MVP candidates of this year is a real asset to MJ, and Dwight also destroys Tyson (avg 24.5pts - 57%; 18 rebounds, 2 blocks this season). Tyson in particular struggles on the boards against Dwight with just 5.5 for the two games, although his 10 pts on 85% shooting isn't too shabby.

Love will go some way to negating that rebounding advantage, but Boozer is no slouch either; defensively Boozer will be covered by Dwight and whilst I think Chandler is decent, he's no Dwight. Snake may wish to use Odom or Varejao more to try to match up on the boards, but the comparitive limitations offensviely will make this tough. MJ has few options on the bench, though, so for 8-10 mins per game, Snake does have the advantage. I don't think its enough though.

So at PG and PF/C, at least for head to head matchups, MJ has the advantage, and in the interior there is clear dominance

Onto the wings.... LeBron will dominate here vs. Butler, no doubt; whilst I think the J-Rich / K-Mart matchup is a wash - Kevin is more efficient but won't have the volume of shots to take advantage here, their lack of defence is comparable. I don't think LeBron's dominance on the wings will be enough though - he'll be facing Dwight inside, and MJ has him more than matched for scoring options and is a better defensive unit. MJ may well have won this matchup, but Snake gets it by default, I think.

[lukekarts]

Miller4ever vs. Blackice

Another close match of two teams here.

The one thing that strikes me is that both teams are like polar opposites, with the odd exception.

Miller's team is athletic, will run the floor really well (Parker, Ellis, Iggy, Griffin, Lawson, Afflalo, Gordon, Gay, Smith) but then has Duncan / Perkins clogging up the middle.

Blackice team is more methodic and slow paced in its approach, but will have Nash or Wall forcing the tempo all the time.

I suppose they will either figure it out or not, but for either team there's a 'fit' issue that more or less cancels itself out.

There are also some pefect matchups and some goddamn awful ones. I can't think of a better defender for Melo than Iggy, but Nash and Allen will almost certainly be loving the fact they're only facing Parker and Ellis, Allen in particular will shoot over Ellis' head all day long. Afflalo might pose more issue, but Ray is still the better player.

The way I see this going though is quite simple. Miller has no reliable outside shooters (BI has two of the all time greats) and although he points out Parker and Ellis will probably speed past Nash and Allen at will (quite likely), the interior defence of Garnett and Bogut will be an absolute nigthmare for them. KG is still a great defender (4th in 'Simple Ratings' +/- this season, not a stat I'm particularly fond of, but when LeBron, Wade and Dwight are the top 3, it seems to make sense). Bogut meanwhile is comparable to Dwight in terms of interior defence, whilst of all the players whom we could argue has lost a step, it appears to be Duncan.

It will be a tough series, because the top level talent is quite close, but Blackice has the best player and go-to-guy in Melo, the best defensive big men in the series, the best shooters. Miller's team is more athletic and has the deeper bench but I just can't see them pulling this off.

[-Kees-]

TMAC v SamBone

My Choice: SamBone

Why?

Unfortunately, I think this is the one matchup that hurts TMAC the most. TMAC's team is good at leadership, discipline, and half court offense. And they are very old. Also, the only younger player is undersized at his position (Horford) and I believe SamBone will eat him up down low. If you just look at the height of the bigs for SamBone (Pau, 7'0, Marc, 7'1, Bynum, 7'0, Hibbert, 7'2, Jefferson, 6'10) they just oversize TMAC's bigs. Sure Dirk can probably beat his matchup on the wing, but deep in the post, there is no way Gortat and Horford can handle 4 7-footers.

On the wing, I also have to give Sam the edge. TMAC doesn't have any true stoppers, as Deng, Pierce and Bryant all are known for their offense. Sure they're alright on the defensive side, but I don't think anyone on TMAC's team can guard Durant, and JJ can't be looked over either. Both of Sam's backup wings are know for their D. Although no one can completely shut down Kobe, Deng and Pierce can be significantly slowed down when faced with tough defenders.

At the point. I give TMAC the advantage because Rondo is not playing well, and Billups can post him up like nothing. Rondo may be much faster, but I believe he won't use it with the other big names on the team getting most of the points.

Tough matchup, but I gotta go with Sam. His size down low and TMAC's lack of perimeter D will help Sam win the matchup.


I'll post my other votes sometime later.

[-Kees-]

Snakebites V MJallday

My choice: Snakebites; MJallday if he would've posted something.

Why?

Taking this by position: I think that there is only one PG in this whole league that is better than D Will and that's Rose. At SG, each team has nothing special. I give the edge also to MJ because Martin is a top 10 scorer, and J Rich and Allen are both declining very quickly. At SF, I obviously give the huge advantage to Snake, as LBJ is the best SF in the game. PF goes to Snake, but the fit of Boozer in MJ's lineup is a very nice fit. C goes to MJ clearly.

But this is not about individual positions, its about the team. The big reason I chose MJ over Snake is because Howard is one of very few who can stop LBJ in the lane. His shot blocking and size is very unique, and LeBron has had trouble against him in the past. I also believe D Will will have trouble against Rose, but with Rose's quickness, I think he beats Deron on the offensive end too. The role players have both been chosen well. Love and J Rich compliment D Will and LBJ very well, and Boozer, Butler, Batum and Lopez I think are all very nice compliments to Rose and D12. I also don't think Chandler has what it takes to cover D12. The thing that troubles Howard is length, and Chandler is more strength.

D12 offensively and defenseivly will be the difference in this game, and in short, because of him MJ wins. Boozer beats Love down low all day, and since Love's game isn't posting up, Boozer's weak defense will be masked.

[Snakebites]

Snakebites V MJallday

My choice: MJallday

Why?

Taking this by position: I think that there is only one PG in this whole league that is better than D Will and that's Rose. At SG, each team has nothing special. I give the edge also to MJ because Martin is a top 10 scorer, and J Rich and Allen are both declining very quickly. At SF, I obviously give the huge advantage to Snake, as LBJ is the best SF in the game. PF goes to Snake, but the fit of Boozer in MJ's lineup is a very nice fit. C goes to MJ clearly.

But this is not about individual positions, its about the team. The big reason I chose MJ over Snake is because Howard is one of very few who can stop LBJ in the lane. His shot blocking and size is very unique, and LeBron has had trouble against him in the past. I also believe D Will will have trouble against Rose, but with Rose's quickness, I think he beats Deron on the offensive end too. The role players have both been chosen well. Love and J Rich compliment D Will and LBJ very well, and Boozer, Butler, Batum and Lopez I think are all very nice compliments to Rose and D12. I also don't think Chandler has what it takes to cover D12. The thing that troubles Howard is length, and Chandler is more strength.

D12 offensively and defenseivly will be the difference in this game, and in short, because of him MJ wins. Boozer beats Love down low all day, and since Love's game isn't posting up, Boozer's weak defense will be masked.

I realize its not exactly koshure to address points when voting has started, but two voters have sited Dwight as evidence of stopping Lebron.

Lebron is 30/7/6 against the Magic this year, with 60% shooting. The evidence simply isn't there to back this notion up.