CAT ROUND 1---Vintage advances

[Sports Arsenal]

This will be the thread for the round 1 matchup between BlackIce and Vintage
Writeup's will be due Friday.
Once both write up's are in the three judges will vote.
The winners will move on to the next round.

[BlackIce]

Writeup


Black Panthers: Minutes

PG- Kirk Hinrich (36), Randy Foye (12)
SG- Brandon Roy (40), , Randy Foye (8), Kyle Korver (0)
SF- Gerald Wallace (38), Bruce Bowen (10),
PF- Dirk Nowtizki (40), Boris Diaw (8),
C- Shaquille O'Neal (34), Samuel Dalembert (10), Boris Diaw (4)


Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Head Coach: Jerry Sloan (7 mill)
Legendary. One of the greatest coachs of all time. Can deal with stars, and makes average players good, and good player great. He makes players play to their strengths, and is a brilliant tactician. He runs very few plays, but the ones he does run are executed perfectly. He has always had a great big man, guard combo, here he has roy and dirk. He then surronds the combo with great defensive players and guys that play the game the right way. I drafted accordingly. He is hard nose, no nonsense guy that is on par with the Jacksons, and the Popovichs of the league.


Ast. 1: Tom Thibideau (3mill)
He helped the Celtics become the best defensive team in the league with his expertise, and is easily the best defensive ast. coach in the league. He did the same thing in Houstan. He was a key factor in containing Kobe Bryant during the 2008 NBA Finals, and he has the tools he needs on this team to create a top defensive team once again.



Ast. 2: Sam Mitchell (1.5 mill)
A former COY, he is my motivater. He is fiery and will have the team giving it their all out there. He is in the ideal role here, for all his problems in toronto, no one could question his heart and his commitment to getting the very best from each and every player. Plus, he rocks the nicest suits.









General Team Overview: Starting 5


C- Shaquille O'Neal: Currently a top 3 center in the NBA, he has had a great season in PHO, culminating in an allstar appearance. He is a guy that demands double teams, and is still one of (if not the) best post players in the league. Once he gets positioning deep in the post, its over. He has the highest FG% in the league for a reason. There aren't that many near dominant centers left, it's a pleasure to have one of the few in the league.

His job is to anchor the defense from the C spot, and do the things he has always done, provide great post and help defense, block shots, and provide some serious lane intimidation. Sloan and Tom will have fun building a defense around a center like Shaq, and great perimeter defenders. Due to the makeup of the team, he will get a lot of open looks, and has the perfect front court mate in Dirk. A virtually unstoppable inside/outside combo they will both benefit immensely from playing with each other. Both are great passers for big men, especially Shaq. Since he hasn't played huge minutes during the regular season he will be rested and ready for the playoffs.


PF- Dirk: One of the best big men in the game, and the best offensive big man we have in the NBA. He will create mis-match problems for opposing bigs, and can score at will. His mid range game is automatic and he has range out to the three. He has the ability to post you up if you try to cover him with a smaller quicker guy as well as good passing ability for a big man. His defence has improved over the years and he also rebounds like a center.

He is decent defensively, and now that he doesn't have to carry the whole team on his back, he will have more energy to concentrate on defense. Don't get me wrong, he is the weak link defensively on our team, but with a defensive coordinator like Tom and a defensive head coach in Sloan, there will be ways to mask his defense because all of the other guys on the team are good defenders.

He is currently 4th in scoring, and this is while he is facing double and triple teams constantly. He has no help in DAL, and though terry is a great high scoring 6th man, Dirk is the only true scorer on in the starting 5. Now that Diop is in CHA, all Dirk has beside him is Dampier. Throughout his career Dirk has never had a good center beside him, which makes it all the more impressive that he took his team to the finals with Dampier as his front court mate. Now that he has Shaq, a guy that also demands double teams and a guy that you can't cheat off of, Dirk will have a much easier time getting his. If you choose to cheat off Shaq, and double Dirk, the Diesal is more then capable of making you pay.


SF- Gerald Wallace: A true warrior in every sense of the word, he fits the jerry sloan mold of what a player should be quite well. He is one of the best slashers in the game, and is a good shooter from bid range. He isn't as good from 3, but is more then capable of hitting it if you leave him open. He can score in a number of different ways and is great on the fast break, but can also break down his man in the half court set and take it to the hoop. He is a fantastic defender, and can lockdown the other teams best wing player. He rebounds like a big as well.

On this team his role will be a bit different then the one he has on CHA. Primarily his job will be to shutdown the other teams best wing player, and on offense he will be a third option. The main reason I traded for him was because he is such a good player off the ball. He is very active, and will cut and set screens and do all the little things that win games. It is a rare quality, a star that is willing to hustle for that extra possession. He also gives my starting lineup a big shot of athleticism, and a target for Roy and Hinrich to throw the alley to. Since Dirk is a perimeter based big, it will give Wallace more room to operate in the post, more room to drive. Add that to the fact that he is surrounded by great 3 point shooters, and I think he will thrive on this team.


SG- Roy: The Blazers are running the second-best offense in the league with the fifth-best adjusted winning margin in the league, they're hanging onto the 4th seed in a tough conference, and they are doing it behind their leader, Roy, putting up an efficient 23/5/5 on a low-paced team that deflates stats. The Blazers are dead last in terms of pace.

Roy's pace-adjusted scoring average is about 24.5 ppg. He's 8th in the league right now at 22.7. Consider that he actually passes a lot, 5 apg is a lot for a guy who takes just over 17 shots a game. Consider that he's 13th in the league in USG%. To put this into some perspective
Wade, Lebron and Kobe are 1, 2 and 3 at 35.6, 34.2 and 32.9% respectively. Their ball dominance heavily affects what they do versus what Roy does. Roy USG% is around 25%, and yet he still puts up great numbers on a good team. His relativly low USG% and unselfish passing will be a key part in the way our team runs its offense, it won't become stagnant if Roy is having an off night. Also considering the other guys that need touches on the team, Dirk, Shaq and Wallace, I needed a guy that was efficient and had a relatively low USG%.

Roy's an outstanding clutch player, too, and a good defender. His defense largly goes unnoticed, he isn't a bowen or battier by any means, but consider the fact that he rarely goes for the steal and concentrates instead of staying in front of his man and contesting shots. Roy plays good defense, not something you often don't see from a young star.

John Hollinger recently said that according to his statistics (PER), he's in the top-third in just about every category and is the 7th best player in the league. Many people exlaimed 'no way!', but Roy is used to being underrated by the fans. It isn't a coincidence that Roy's allstar appearances came thorough coach's voting him in. He does everything well, and can run this team like a PG (much like he runs Portland). He also makes his teammates better which is an imporant trait that you want in your leader, look what he is doing with Aldridge, now imagine him with a guy like Dirk, a guy like Shaq.

Roy never rarely rushes plays and doesn't force his game. He knows when to get his teammates involved and when he needs to takeover. He is so much more calm, collected and confident his age would indicate, he is an old soul, which is rare for someone of his generation in today's game. His leadership, passing ability and his mean streak and ability to take over games and hit the game winner is the main reason I wanted to build around him.


PG- Kirk Hinrich: One of the best defensive guards in the league, he is a tough physical defender that will make you work for every basket. He has great size at 6'3, and can even guard SG's. He is the perfect compliment to Roy, as he is a non-ball dominant that doesn't need the ball in his hands to make his presence felt in the game. He is an excellent 3 point shooter that will benefit from having so many guys on the team that can create their own shoots and attract the double. Kirks job is to spread the floor and hit the open 3. He shoots a very high percentage from 3, 425% to be exact. He is amongst the league leaders in 3P% and takes a lot of them.


Here is a quote from Pat Reily after a game in which Hinrich had to guard Dwayne Wade:

“I'm going to tell you exactly what I think about him, OK? I think he's one of the top defenders in the game, in the league. He reminds me of Jerry Sloan, he reminds me of Michael Cooper. And just like the Chicago Bulls whined about Dwyane, who was getting too many free throws, a great defender like Kirk Hinrich gets away with more. He's into you, he's relentless. He has a reputation as a tough defender..”

Ladies and gentleman, the Black Panthers starting 5


Bench:

We feel that our bench is a realistic one that has low maintaince guys that can accept their roles and do them well. This is the playoffs and the Black Panthers feel that our starters can handle heaver minutes, they are playing enough minutes to have as big an impact on the game as possible, but get enough rest to stay relatively fresh.

I've got defense and rebounding in my front-court, and Diaw will cause mismatch problems for the other team. I will always have 3 point shooting at the pf spot, part of my plan, Dirk/Diaw will draw out their bigs, and I'm comfortable having guys like Murphy and Przybilla guarding the 3 point line. Dally is a shot blocker and a great rebounder, he will anchor my second unit. Bowen at 10 minutes a game can do his thing, lockdown defense (not quite prime Bowen but still) and hit the open three, spread the floor. Another reason I love Bowen is that he is a savy vet that has rings and can be that calming presence on our team, a guy that knows what it takes and can guide some of our younger guys.

Foye is my 6th man, he is a combo guard that can score in bunches, and we feel this is his ideal role. He can handle some PG duties, but his main job is to score. Korver is a situational player, he is a fantastic 3 point shooter that will be used when I need to spread the floor. Ladies and gentle men the Black Panthers bench!



Matchup/Strategy:

We feel the Hawaii Fighting Coconuts (my god what a name) have two main holes on their team, defensively, that we can exploit. We have the most dominant frontcourt in the league and Okur can't guard Shaq or Dirk. If the they put Okur on Shaq...well Shaq will crush him. That leaves Okur on Dirk. Although both are Euro's that can hit the three we are talking about two different leagues here. Okur has no lateral quicks. He has a hard time staying in front of average big men and is a huge defensive liability. Dirk is going to constantly attack him and we feel that 4 of our 5 starters demand double teams, so Dirk will likely be seeing single coverage. Even if Dirk is doubled someone will be open and he can get the easy assist. He will go for career highs against Okur and quickly put him in foul trouble.

The other hole we will exploit is Gil. He has played a couple of games this season (perhaps this should be considered by the judges? This isn't Gil from 2 years ago), and he is quite possibly the worst defender at his position in the leauge. Worst then Calderon, at least he bothers to clap his hands. I assume they will put him on Kirk, as Gil can't guard Roy and Harris is a good defender. We are going to be running Kirk through a lot of screens to tire Gil out, watch a wizards game Gil is extremely lazy on defense and won't bother fighting through screens or contesting. Kirk is a great 3 point shooter and will get a lot of open looks. Every chance possible we will iso Roy on Gil and let Roy drive past or take the (probably) open shot. We feel that a big reason that Harris is able to defend PG's so well is his length and size. At 6'3' he won't have that advantage when he is on Roy (6'6). Though we give him his props he is a good defender, Roy is a player we feel that will get his. Harris may bother him but he is still going to get his points, and since Roy is such a willing passer he won't force and will find open teammates which should help to lessen Harris's effect. He will also postup Harris when he can and back him down.

You may feel that Prince is better then G Force, but we are playing this for this season. Prince's FG%, TS%, and EFG% are down, now that Billups is not around. Prince's per36 scoring is also down. Wallace's Defensive Rating, Defensive Win Share, and EFF are better than Prince. Gerald's beats out Prince in every defensive stat, dispite having worst teammates. Prince has also attempted 956 FG this season(most on the Pistons), while Gerald has only attempted 751 FG this season. We feel that the SF position is going to be a battle of the defensive stoppers but we feel Wallace is more dangerous on offense.

We will attempt to stop Duncan (or at least limit him) by tiring him out on the defensive end, Shaq is a force in the paint and Duncan will expend a ton of energy trying to stop him from getting deep post position. Also with Duncan manning the paint we will have Roy, Dirk and Wallace constatly attacking, and combined with Shaq, we think Duncan will run into some foul trouble. Shaq is one of the only players in the league that can matchup with Duncan, and here we only need to him to slow him down and try to match his offensive production as best as he can. We are going take advantage of the two gapping defensive holes on the other team to attack both the other team, and Duncan especially, to put him in foul trouble and limit his effect on the other side of the court.

Hinrichs job is to lockdown Harris, the reason I went after him was to defend the Williams, and Wade's and CP3's of the world. He will expend a lot energy stopping Harris from penetrating and will be attched to him everywhere he goes. Hinrich is a tough, physical defender that Harris' may not be used to, we feel he can do a great job on Harris.

Roy on Gil. Gil is shooting .286 from 3 and his FG% is .261. He is putting up 13 ppg, and has only played 2 or 3 this whole season. His eligibilty for a game designed to see who would win a ring this season is somewhat questionable, none the less I digress. Roy will use his size and quicks to contest shots and give Gil a very hard time. Dirk on Okur isn't a problem Okur is a pretty good offensive big man, but he won't give Dirk a ton of problems, and Dirk is pretty comfortable guarding the 3 point line, seeing as he is also a perimeter based big.

My perimemter defenders are all good and our rotations will be tight and help defence will be there in case anyone gets beat. We feel we are the much better defensive team, Gil and Okur severly weaken an otherwise great defensive starting lineup. We surrounded Dirk with solid defenders and our bench is built around defensive. Our Coach is a defensive minded coach and we have the best defensive coordinator in the league.

We feel that though the others teams bench is a bit better, my bench isn't playing enough minutes for this to be a huge factor. Also who is their go to guy down the strech? Gil? Harris? I feel this will be an issue, Gil isn't a guy that is going to pass the game winner. We feel that with Shaq on Duncan, Kirk on Harris and Wallace on Prince, they are going to have a tough time scoring.



Panthers in 6..writeup subject to change until Friday deadline or until Vintage gets his in....

[BlackIce]

edited*

[CellarDoor]

BlackIce: finding empirical evidence is difficult because a lot of Devin's time against Chicago this year has come with Derrick Rose guarding him, but anecdotal evidence from the games suggests that Kirk absolutely cannot stay in front of Devin, especially in PnR situations. How do you plan on defending Devin and Okur and Duncan, both terrific jumpshooters, on pick and rolls?

[BlackIce]

BlackIce: finding empirical evidence is difficult because a lot of Devin's time against Chicago this year has come with Derrick Rose guarding him, but anecdotal evidence from the games suggests that Kirk absolutely cannot stay in front of Devin, especially in PnR situations. How do you plan on defending Devin and Okur and Duncan, both terrific jumpshooters, on pick and rolls?

Harris is shooting .291 from 3 this year so when the P&R is near the 3 point line we will have Kirk go under the pick and let Harris take the low % shot. However when the P&R is closer in (think 18 feet), we will have he player defending the picker briefly steps out into the ballhandler's path, slowing him up enough that the player defending the ballhandler has time to recover. Then the player defending the picker recovers to his original man just like how the Spurs defend the pick-and-roll. Shaq is a big body that won't go over the pick and this suits him quite nicely, big body that can give Kirk time to recover. When we have to we will switch but this is a last resort and the help defense will be ready to provide assistance.

A big reason Harris is having so much success in NJ is that he has a system (drive and kick) that is tailored to him. However it doesn't work without Carter, one of the most selfless players (let alone stars) in the league and a great off the ball guy that is content not having the ball in his hands. Gil isn't nearly as selfless and I think a Harris/Gil backcourt is going to cause problems. In WAS Butler and Stevenson are content to play off the ball, Harris and Gil together won't work as well and Gil isn't shooting well at all from 3, so this will limit Harris's drive and kick abilities. Shaq is also one of the most intimidating post presence in the league and Harris is going to think twice before he drives into the paint.

[VintaGe36]

My long awaited write up...


Welcome.

you will disappointed.

First off, my roster.


Harris/Duhon
Howard/West/Arenas
Prince/Green
Duncan/Murphy/Thomas
Okur/Pryzbilla



The Match up

My opponent's roster

PG- Kirk Hinrich (36), Randy Foye (12)
SG- Brandon Roy (40), , Kyle Korver (3), Randy Foye (5)
SF- Gerald Wallace (38), Bruce Bowen (10),
PF- Dirk Nowtizki (40), Boris Diaw (8),
C- Shaquille O'Neal (34), Samuel Dalembert (10), Boris Diaw (4)


The Game Plan


For this series, I have opted to NOT play Arenas. I understand this may hurt his ego, but he has yet to show me he can be the Arenas of old, and I'll be needing all the help I can get in this series.

I am running a relatively small rotation, an 9 man rotation to be exact.

Harris(37)/West(11)
Howard(25)/West(23)
Prince(38)/Howard(10)
Duncan(35)/Murphy(13)
Okur(30)/Pryzbilla(18)

Looking at my starting line up, you'll see that I have an incredibly sound defensive team. Harris, Howard and Prince are all known for their superb defense, and having all three on the perimeter will put a huge damper on BlackIce's team. I don't necessarily see Hinrich or Gerald Wallace as huge threats on offense in the first place, with Harris and Howard on them respectively, I see them being non-factors.

For this series, I see Roy as my biggest opposition. Roy has made a huge leap this year, and has really become a solid go to scorer. However Roy has never gone up against a backcourt with such defensive talent than mine. I'll stick Prince on him, who is notorious for making SG's life hell. Should Prince not be enough, I have enough faith that Hinrich and Gerald Wallace won't kill me to allow Harris and Howard to help when needed.

Dirk, well Dirk is interesting. When Dirk's shot is on, he's damn near unguardable. However I plan on doing everything in my power to prevent that. Okur will be guarding him. Okur is by no means a stopper, but he is no liability either. Okur will simply pressure Dirk, and try his best to get a hand in his face.

Shaq, Well, Shaq is definitely a force to be reckoned with. However I have one of few guys who can contain Shaq. Tim Duncan. Duncan has the veteran Savvy and defensive presence capable of keeping Shaq at bay. Its because of Duncan that I have the luxury of playing a triangle and two defense, with Prince face guarding Roy, and Okur attempting to face guard Dirk, Allowing my team's perimeter players(Howard,Prince,Harris) the opportunity to shine.Harris,Duncan and Howard are ready to collapse on Dirk should he try to drive. Prince will be face guarding Roy. I plan on keeping the ball out of Roy's hands whenever I can. Though it's a risky proposal, I'm gonna make Shaq beat me in a series, which I think he can no longer do.(especially not with Duncan guarding him)

The Match-ups

Guards

Harris/West/Howard vs.Hinrich/Roy/Foye/Korver

The first thing you'll notice, is that Roy is no doubt the best player in the bunch. However, I have arguably the 2nd and 3rd best players in this matchup. Harris and Howard are cusp all star players, and will overwhelm Roy and his lack luster supporting cast.

Hinrich is at his best funneling his opposition to a defender in the paint. With Okur operating from the perimeter, and Duncan playing around the key, leaving anyone down low would allow the rest of my team to exploit it. Okur and Murphy are disgusting from 3pt range, and neither Dirk or Shaq are particularly good at defending that. I have every intention of using that to my advantage.

Foye and Korver are both scorers, who aren't exactly good on defense. I can't see them doing what they do best(score) in the limited time BI is giving them. West on the other hand, can use his minutes to do what he does best, which is play defense.

My backcourt can shut his down defensively, which can't be said for his backcourt.

Forwards/Center

Prince/Duncan/Okur vs. Wallace/Dirk/Shaq

I view this as a relative wash. These two front courts mirror each other in a lot of ways. Besides the fact that Duncan is more fundamental to Shaq's physicality, we both possess defensive SF's, and perimeter oriented big men.

Though Gerald Wallace has an advantage on Prince in some areas, it should be noted that Prince plays at much less reckless pace, and is pretty much an iron man. Also, Prince and Duncan have that veteran Savvy that will be invaluable in a playoff series. Furthermore, Prince is the better play maker, and has a smaller Usage rate, meaning he won't need the ball as much as G-Force(though their usage rates are indeed close) I think the fact that Duncan is superior to Shaq will be what gives me the edge here, thats how close I feel the rest of our frontcourt is. Dirk is better than Okur, but if my defense plays to it's ability, he won't be the deciding factor.


Bench
West/Murphy/Przybilla vs. Foye/Korver/Bowen/Diaw/Dalembert


I think this is where I have a clear advantage. Scorers like Foye and Korver need PT to be effective. Neither are getting all that much playing time, and especially in Korver's case who is a shooter, how can you expect him to be any kind of a factor, only getting 3 mpg? I don't think Bowen will do really much of anything, since I don't think he can keep up with Harris, and him guarding Howard or Prince for times at a time won't make a huge difference. Diaw and Dalembert make for a solid frontcourt, but I also have Murphy, a superb rebounder and 3pt shooter, and Przybilla, an extremely underrated enforcer down low. I don't think my bench is significantly more talented, I just feel we have the edge on defense, and with using less players, will allow for my team to flow better.


Offensive Scheme
Pick and Roll, Pick and Pop.

Basically, I'm gonna abuse Harris' quickness and Duncan's and Okur's superb range.

Prince,Howard,West and Murphy are all capable outside shooters, so I can also use a drive and kick strategy if BlackIce would be content with packing the lane.

Overall

I think this will be an entertaining match up, with superbly built teams, however I have my team coming out on top. Coconuts in 6 games.

[CellarDoor]

haha...I think I discussed/suggested over half of that damn write-up. Makes it difficult on myself to find questions to ask. SS, you feel free to fire away.

[Sports Arsenal]

BlackIce-
How do you plan to contain a tandem at the wings of Prince and Howard with Roy and Wallace.
Both of those guys can post up Roy all day long with there mere size and athleticism.

Vintage-
The only major weakness I see in this matchup for you to worry about would be Okur guarding Dirk. Merely saying you would try to put a hand in Dirks face will not suffice. Dirk strives in the fall away 18 foot jumpers, convincing the refs that he was fouled. How do you plan on keeping Dirk from scoring 27points a game and at the same time keeping Okur on the floor and out of foul trouble to spread your offense.

[BlackIce]

BlackIce-
How do you plan to contain a tandem at the wings of Prince and Howard with Roy and Wallace.
Both of those guys can post up Roy all day long with there mere size and athleticism.

Vintage-
The only major weakness I see in this matchup for you to worry about would be Okur guarding Dirk. Merely saying you would try to put a hand in Dirks face will not suffice. Dirk strives in the fall away 18 foot jumpers, convincing the refs that he was fouled. How do you plan on keeping Dirk from scoring 27points a game and at the same time keeping Okur on the floor and out of foul trouble to spread your offense.

I didn't realize that Vintage could simply change your lineup (from the one on your roster page) after I've made my writeup? Cheap but effective I guess .

To answer the question Wallace is one of the most athletic wings in the league, we feel he can handle Prince who doesn't have the size to post up Wallace all day they are around the same weight and height and Wallace is strong enough to body back. Same with Roy and Howard, Howard has an inch on him and is a bit bigger but you try to boby into the post Shaq is in the paint ready to help. Plus Howard has been our for a large chunk of the season and isn't a huge scoring threat (compared to Roy).

As to the Okur on Dirk matchup, Dirk is 4th in the NBA in scoring while beings tripled regularily, having a lot of guys throw on him. He will tear Okur apart, Okur can't keep up with Dirk in both lateral quicks or first step.

[Sports Arsenal]

I have noticed through out the game alot of guys trying to use injuries to expose weaknesses, injuries will only be as detrimental as they were with the NBA team they were on.

You can and always have been able to adjust your rosters for different matchups, just like in the NBA.

[BlackIce]

I have noticed through out the game alot of guys trying to use injuries to expose weaknesses, injuries will only be as detrimental as they were with the NBA team they were on.

You can and always have been able to adjust your rosters for different matchups, just like in the NBA.

Fair enough didn't say you couldn't do it, just annoying because my writeup is done. When does judging start?

[Sports Arsenal]

Tomorrow. Feel free to post any "half time" changes you would make

[VintaGe36]

If your gonna use Howard missing time against me BlackIce, do I really need to remind you of the less than stellar health of Gerald Wallace?


Anyways.

Yes, Dirk will be damn near impossible to stop. However, with Hinrich and Wallace not exactly being dominate scorers from the perimeter, I'll have them available for weakside help defense if needed.

[BlackIce]

If your gonna use Howard missing time against me BlackIce, do I really need to remind you of the less than stellar health of Gerald Wallace?


Anyways.

Yes, Dirk will be damn near impossible to stop. However, with Hinrich and Wallace not exactly being dominate scorers from the perimeter, I'll have them available for weakside help defense if needed.

Wallace hasn't been injuried this year that much he played 71 games. Howard has played 52.

Anyways.

Wallace has put up 17/8 on an extremely efficient .480 FG% and is shooting 80% from the line. Roy and Dirk are dominant scorers but Wallace is a big scorer as well your acting like he is a non factor. Wallace is also dominant on the defensive end.

#1 of all small forwards in rebounding
#1 of all small forwards in steals
#2 of all small forwards in blocks
#6 overall in the league in steals

As for Hinrich, he is putting up 10ppg a game while playing very few minutes, 26, on .400% from 3.

[Sports Arsenal]

Alright guys, the voting period has begun. Good luck to both. Votes will be in by Monday.

[Sports Arsenal]

This is the closest matchup that I have called so far. But I am going Vintage in 7. Without getting into too much detail I think Vintages balance is better than BlackIce. This was a very close one though.

[BlackIce]

This is the closest matchup that I have called so far. But I am going Vintage in 7. Without getting into too much detail I think Vintages balance is better than BlackIce. This was a very close one though.

Whats the explaination? I'd like to know why I lost, give me a breakdown at least. I respect your choice don't get me wrong but I'd like to know where I went wrong, what the reasoning for the decision was, etc.
Thanks

[VintaGe36]

Honestly, BlackIce, you have a top 5 team in this game, so regardless of who wins this match up, i give you props for building an incredible team.

[BlackIce]

Honestly, BlackIce, you have a top 5 team in this game, so regardless of who wins this match up, i give you props for building an incredible team.

Thanks man, I was actually pretty comfortable taking on anyone in the 1st round but when I saw I was matched up I was like...egh. You built a juggernaut and I knew this would be close, whoever wins (probably you now that I'm down 1-0 and there are 3 judges) I'm fine with it, if I have to lose I'd rather lose to a great team like yours then to someone else.

[Sports Arsenal]

BlackIce,
Its not what you did wrong necessarily, its more what he did right. I really think he has the better team. This was a close series IMO, and don't be suprised, you still have a chance at winning this series