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WELCOME TO THE 1ST ROUND OF THE
2012 NBA PLAYOFFS!


WEST

1. SEATTLE SONICS


vs

8. MINNESOTA MUSKIES


__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. LOS ANGELES LAKERS


vs

5. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS


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2. SAN ANTONIO SPURS


vs

7. QUEBEC KEBS


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3. BUFFALO BRAVES


vs

6. DALLAS MAVERICKS

PLEASE post your depth chart with minutes as well as your game plan and any other information you feel will be pertinent in your playoff match up.

There will be no rebuttals

Once both teams have posted in a respective match up the rest of us can begin voting.

Good Luck and have fun!

1. SEATTLE SONICS


ROTATION

Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Irving(30)/Chalmers(18)/T-Mac
Thabo(18)/Harden(30)/Green
LeBron(36)/Novak(12)/Jeffries
LMA(30)/Faried(18)/Thompkins
Dwight(34)/Camby(14)/Seraphin


vs

8. MINNESOTA MUSKIES


ROTATION

Rubio / Ridnour / Barea
Afflalo / Foye / Ellington
Delfino / Smith / Fernandez
Love / Williams / Tolliver
Asik / Sanders / Miller

GAMEPLAN

The simple plan... Run em out of the building

With Thibs in town now our Defense has been turned up to a whole new level and the goal is simple, transition buckets off stopping the other team. We want to blow them out and fast so we can get the starters rest like we have made a point of all season long.

Score fast and furious and protect the bucket while gobbling up boards like there is no tomorrow. They have Love, We have Dwight, Faried, Camby, LMA, Bron all snatching caroms. Want to stop us with a zone... good luck. Outside shooting is something we have plenty of with Irving, Chalmers, Thabo, Harden, Novak, and even Bron this year.

This series should be over in 3 games, umm 4.

I don't want to give away all my secrets so will save some for the next round and beyond. Rest assured we have had our eyes on the prize since the start of the season and are a well rested team with a hunger that needs satiating.

Seattle Sonics plan to have the Sonic ThunderDome booming til the world's ears bleed.

Buffalo Braves

Chris Paul (40) | George Hill (08) | Reggie Jackson (00)
Joe Johnson (32) | George Hill (16)
Carmelo Anthony (40) | Joe Johnson (08) | Bobby Simmons (00)
Kenyon Martin (32) | Jordan Hill (10) | Ivan Johnson (06) | Jeremy Evans (00)
Tyson Chandler (38) | Jordan Hill (06) | Kurt Thomas (04)

IR: Brian Cook | Johan Petro


vs

Dallas Mavericks

Jason Kidd | Roddy Beaubois | Delonte West
Marcus Thornton | Vince Carter | Jason Terry
Shawn Marion | Brian Cardinal
Dirk Nowitzki | Brandon Bass | Brandon Wright
Ian Mahinmi | Chris Andersen | Sean Williams


Gameplan:

C. Paul/G. Hill vs J. Kidd/R.Beaubois/D.West
- The best PG in the NBA is going to have a field day. Kidd is still a good player but just doesn't have what it takes to keep up with the legs of Paul and Hill.

J. Johnson/G.Hill vs M Thornton/V. Carter/J. Terry
- They have us in the depth department, but we win with all-out talent. Thornton is a chucker and could hurt their chances. Carter and Terry can contribute but are too old. Johnson is still top 5 SG in the league and has an all-around game. As for Hill, as we ask is for him to keep up with the old guys.

C. Anthony/J. Johnson vs S. Marion/B. Cardinal
- Marion is their best defender but unless they plan on playing him 48 minutes per night in this series, he isn't going to be able to handle both Melo and JJ. And Cardinal is not even a factor.

K. Martin/J. Hill/I. Jonson vs D. Nowitzki/B. Bass/B. Wright
- This matchup might be troublesome, but Martin is one of those guys that can annoy somebody on D. Hill has the size and length we need to bother Dirk's shot. But if all fails, we have the Defensive Player of the Year to put on him if need be.

T. Chandler/J.Hill/K. Thomas vs I. Mahinmi/B. Haywood
- Mahinmi and Haywood are just complete non-factors and don't expect them to do much against us. Thomas is aged, but can still hit that mid-range jumper that I'm pretty sure Paul will set him up nicely with.

Bottom line -- we have too much firepower and Dallas just doesn't have enough to stop us.

Player roles

K.Hinrich - starter
K.Bryant - star
L.Deng - starter
P.Gasol - starter
A.Bynum - star
L.Hughes - role
M.Lee - bench
M.Williams - sixth man
J.Wright - bench
D.Carroll - bench
J.McRoberts - bench
R.Lopez - role
T.Mozgov - bench

Rotation

PG - Hinrich(35)/Hughes(13)
SG - Kobe(38)/Malcolm Lee(10)
SF - Deng(35)/Marvin Williams(13)/J.Wright
PF - Pau(35)/McRoberts(13)/D.Carroll
C - Bynum(35)/R.Lopez(10)/Mozgov(3)

Gameplan

Play Laker basketball.

San Antonio

Tony Parker [34] / Norris Cole [14] or Gary Neal [14]
Tony Allen [22] / Manu Ginobili [26] / Derrick Byars [0]
Hedo Turkoglu [20] / Stephen Jackson [28] or Danny Green [28]
Josh Smith [32] / Udonis Haslem [16]
Tim Duncan [32] / Boris Diaw [16] / Jason Collins [0]

vs

Quebec (not sure on full roster)

Gameplan

Popovich can manage this; but effectively we'll just be looking to out-defend, out-rebound & outscore the Kebs. Tony Allen, Josh Smith & Tim Duncan make for a crazy defensive starting lineup, with guys like S-Jax, Green & Haslem off the bench. We've got great ball movement with Parker, Manu, Hedo, Smoove & Duncan. Loads of options, loads of shooters. I think superior talent will prevail.

POR vs LAL

Russell Westbrook(24)/D.J Augustin(24)
Chauncey Billups(34)/Russell Westbrook(14)
Rudy Gay(36)/Amir Johnson(12)
Al Horford(24)/Paul Millsap(24)
Brook Lopez(24)/Derrick Favors(24)

vs.

PG - Hinrich(35)/Hughes(13)
SG - Kobe(38)/Malcolm Lee(10)
SF - Deng(35)/Marvin Williams(13)
PF - Pau(35)/McRoberts(13)
C - Bynum(35)/R.Lopez(10)/Mozgov(3)



Depth. That is what will win it for us. Look at the LAL bench, then compare it to; DJ/Amir/Millsap/Favors. We can throw quality big after quality big on Bynum/Pau and Deng will have his hands full with Gay. Billups and WB will take turns on Kobe on defense, with Gay seeing a little time on him. Throw different looks at #24.

On the other end we will play inside/out. Pick and pop/roll will be effective. Lopez/Horford are VERY effective mid-range shooters, as is Millsap. Favors will be a garbage man on offense.

LAL has no one to stop Westbrook who should be 1st Team All NBA over Kobe this season. Hinrich has lost quickness, he isn't the defender he once was. Westbrook will feast this series. Billups will spread the floor, and Gay will be our Durant (though not the same level of player) in that his role will be to handle the ball some, come off screens and do a bit of everything.

Goodluck to my opponent.

Seattle over Minnesota 4-0

Just.. yeah.

San Antonio over Quebec 4-0

Read: Above.

Buffalo over Dallas 4-2

I think Dirk is good enough to pull a game or two out of this series, but nothing more.

LAL over Portland 4-3

This was very hard for me. Portland has a ton of depth, but I love that LAL acquired Deng. He is a huge upgrade at a position of weakness. Westbrook is going to cause fits, but Kobe will do the same for LA. Billups can't guard him.

1. SEATTLE SONICS 4
vs
8. MINNESOTA MUSKIES 0

-There is no way Seattle has trouble with the Muskies, simply because of the talent level. Almost all of the starting 5 for the Sonics should be able to score at will, and they also have incredible defense.

4. LOS ANGELES LAKERS 4
vs
5. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 2

-Kobe is the main reason this is won by the Lakers. I don't see Billups putting much pressure on him on defense, and I don't see him (or WB or Gay for that matter) stopping him on offense. Front courts has a slight edge to LAL, and they also have defenders at positions that are key (PG/SF).

2. SAN ANTONIO SPURS 4
vs
7. QUEBEC KEBS 0

-I don't really see a weakness in this Spurs team, and one that is coached by Pop should win this in a sweep. Both of their bigs can play inside or outside, they have a top wing defender to throw at Gallo or one of the other wings, and Parker's experience will be too much for Holiday.

3. BUFFALO BRAVES 4
vs
6. DALLAS MAVERICKS 2

-Very risky of the Braves having K-Mark play that many minutes against a guy like Dirk, which is part of the reason I see this going to 6 games. But in the end, the Buffalo has 3 great offensive weapons, and the Mavs just don't have the perimeter or help defense so stop them. Plus Chandler will impact the series enough of defense for a confident advance through this round.

Sonics
Braves
Spurs
Lakers

will post reasons later

2 v 7 Spurs v Quebec

This one I expect to be over quickly and brutally. Spurs are just too much to handle for the Kebs. They have done an excellent job of buiding a well balanced team and are coached by Pops.

Spurs 4-0

3-6 Braves v Dallas

Braves should win this match up handily as they are just too loaded and balanced for Dallas to match up against. Dirk has not looked quite there this year. I expect a quick and merciful death.

Buffalo 4-1

4 v 5 Lakers v Blazers

This is the premiere match up in the west 1st round. In the end LA's frontline will be tough to handle for Portland. They have a huge edge on defense and the experience of having been there and done that. Sure the coaching is a huge drop off from Phil but Kobe will take over in the clutch. Westbrook will get his as well but in the end Brook will fail horribly giving LA the win.

LA 4-2

West

MIN - SEA (SEA 4-0)

QUE - SAS (QUE 4-2)

DAL - BUF (BUF 4-0)

Sonic over Huskies in 4
-I mean have you seen there team?


Lakers over Blazers in 6
-Blazer don't really have any mismatches across the board, Lakers starting 5 too good


Spurs over Quebec in 5
-Parker, Duncan, Manu, and Josh Smith too experinced for the young Quebec team


Buffalo over Dallas in 4
-Paul + Melo probably the best duo in this game, waaay to much for Dirk to handle

SuperSonics in 4
Spurs in 4
Braves in 5
Lakers in 6

SAS-Que - SAS wins. Better and more experienced team.
SEA-MIN - SEA wins. Best team in the league.
LAL-POR - LAL wins. See matchup 1.
BUF-DAL - BUF wins. Better team.

simple

SEA 4 - MIN 0
Buf 4- Dal 0
Que 2- SAS 4
POR 1 LAL 4

WEST VOTING IS OVER

Winners = Seattle, San Antonio, Buffalo, Los Angeles