FD08: WE HAVE A CHAMPION!!!
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Baller 24
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The Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons
Match ups:
Point Guard:
Tony Parker/Jarret Jack vs. Mike Bibby/Rojan Rondo
This match up is interesting, but Tony Parker blows Mike Bibby out, Bibby will provide spacing, and good shooting, but Parker will run all over Bibby with his ability to attack the hole. Since Bibby's defense is considered horrible, Rondo will be placed on Parker many times throughout the series. Rondo comes in with terrific defense, and has been known this year for his physical and defensive play with the Celtics. Parker in this series will easily average 16pts, and 6ast.
Shooting Guard:
Kobe Bryant/Mike Dunleavy vs. Tracy McGrady/Kevin Durant
This match up is hard to tell, Kobe > McGrady, but Tmac is still considered one of the best SG in the game when healthy, and since injuries don't matter, he will and can light up the stat sheet. McGrady can get hot, and when he is hot I haven't seen a single player out there stop him. Id say him and Kobe would go at it in the back court, so its hard to tell who would win this match up with McGrady and Kobe both healthy. Mike Dunleavy is not playing his primary position in this match up. He IMO isn't quick enough to keep up with Durant, who will attack the hole all night with this match up, but then again Mike has the deadly shot which will be tough for Durant to defend.
Small Forward:
Antwan Jamison/Shane Battier/Tim Thomas vs.
Shawn Marion/Wally Szczerbiak
I don't know who he will start, but Antwan Jamison who is a terrific offensive player, has horrible defensive skills. If this is the current match up Marion can call the ball all series long. Marion this season is is averaging 16pts, 10 reb, 2stl, and 1.4 blk. Marion is known as one of the top defensive players in the game, and is very versatile at his position with his ability to guard any size. Marion is also shooting 50% from the field, he he known as one of the quickest players in the game, and with the current match up Marion will take Jamison any day. He has Battier and Thomas coming off the bench, this could and may cause problems for Wally who isn't really known for his defense, while Battier is. Wally can shoot and light up the court with his shooting, but on the other hand Battier isn't a bad shooter nor is Tim Thomas. But Shawn Marion is the big factor with the SF match up., which the Pacers will take advantage of.
Power Forward:
Kurt Thomas / Drew Gooden / Thad Young vs.
Elton Brand / Al Harrington / Yi Jianlian
I think we can all conclude here that Brand > all of this PFs combined, lol no offense. But Elton Brand is a career 20pt, 10 reb, and 2blk player, he has terrific game, and can play both the high post and the low post. This will be a tough match up for him, but I think Brand with Harrington off the bench should handle this match up and take advantage throughout the series, Brand can easily put up 24pts, 10reb, 2blk on 50% shooting. While Harrington a former top 3 6th man candidate with the Pacers can do a lot, since his addition to the Warriors he can post, rebound, and provide spacing. This match up is def. in favor of the Pacers, and they will take advantage of this.
Center:
Samuel Dalembert / Zaza Pachulia vs.
Pau Gasol / Fabricio Oberto / Theo Ratliff
Again like the other front court match up at PF, the Pacers will take advantage of this one. Gasol can play very well, and is a terrific ball player, handler, defender, and has nice low post moves. Gasol is a career 18pt, 8reb, and close to 2blk player, and since his recent addition with the Lakers he has been averaging 58% shooting. Oberto is def. not known for his stats, he is more of a team player, and provides good defense and is a terrific role player. Ratliff is like a Mutumbo, do not underestimate him, as he is known for his blocking ability. Again this match up is in my favor and with Gasol playing against Dally he should easily put up 16pts, 8reb, 2blk, and cause problems for the opposing team.
Overall/Team Chemistry
The Pistons have a great back court, but my team has the better front court. His team chemistry doesn't seem like it would fit especially with Jamison on that team. Kobe in that series should average around 30pts, 5ast, and 5reb, but Tmac also has the ability to light up the stat board, as he has the ability to average 26pts, 6ast, and 5reb. My front court of Marion, Brand, and Gasol have the ability to combine for 55pts, 30reb, and 6blk a game throughout the series. The reason my team should win is due to my defensive front court, and for the Pistons in-ability to stop my front court both in the post, and high post. My team also has the abliity to run, with Bibby and Tmac in the back court, along with Marion, Brand, and Gasol in the front, my team has the ability to play at an up-tempo speed, but will likely take advantage of the front court match up and play at a half-court paced basketball game.
IMO Pacers in 6.
Match ups:
Point Guard:
Tony Parker/Jarret Jack vs. Mike Bibby/Rojan Rondo
This match up is interesting, but Tony Parker blows Mike Bibby out, Bibby will provide spacing, and good shooting, but Parker will run all over Bibby with his ability to attack the hole. Since Bibby's defense is considered horrible, Rondo will be placed on Parker many times throughout the series. Rondo comes in with terrific defense, and has been known this year for his physical and defensive play with the Celtics. Parker in this series will easily average 16pts, and 6ast.
Shooting Guard:
Kobe Bryant/Mike Dunleavy vs. Tracy McGrady/Kevin Durant
This match up is hard to tell, Kobe > McGrady, but Tmac is still considered one of the best SG in the game when healthy, and since injuries don't matter, he will and can light up the stat sheet. McGrady can get hot, and when he is hot I haven't seen a single player out there stop him. Id say him and Kobe would go at it in the back court, so its hard to tell who would win this match up with McGrady and Kobe both healthy. Mike Dunleavy is not playing his primary position in this match up. He IMO isn't quick enough to keep up with Durant, who will attack the hole all night with this match up, but then again Mike has the deadly shot which will be tough for Durant to defend.
Small Forward:
Antwan Jamison/Shane Battier/Tim Thomas vs.
Shawn Marion/Wally Szczerbiak
I don't know who he will start, but Antwan Jamison who is a terrific offensive player, has horrible defensive skills. If this is the current match up Marion can call the ball all series long. Marion this season is is averaging 16pts, 10 reb, 2stl, and 1.4 blk. Marion is known as one of the top defensive players in the game, and is very versatile at his position with his ability to guard any size. Marion is also shooting 50% from the field, he he known as one of the quickest players in the game, and with the current match up Marion will take Jamison any day. He has Battier and Thomas coming off the bench, this could and may cause problems for Wally who isn't really known for his defense, while Battier is. Wally can shoot and light up the court with his shooting, but on the other hand Battier isn't a bad shooter nor is Tim Thomas. But Shawn Marion is the big factor with the SF match up., which the Pacers will take advantage of.
Power Forward:
Kurt Thomas / Drew Gooden / Thad Young vs.
Elton Brand / Al Harrington / Yi Jianlian
I think we can all conclude here that Brand > all of this PFs combined, lol no offense. But Elton Brand is a career 20pt, 10 reb, and 2blk player, he has terrific game, and can play both the high post and the low post. This will be a tough match up for him, but I think Brand with Harrington off the bench should handle this match up and take advantage throughout the series, Brand can easily put up 24pts, 10reb, 2blk on 50% shooting. While Harrington a former top 3 6th man candidate with the Pacers can do a lot, since his addition to the Warriors he can post, rebound, and provide spacing. This match up is def. in favor of the Pacers, and they will take advantage of this.
Center:
Samuel Dalembert / Zaza Pachulia vs.
Pau Gasol / Fabricio Oberto / Theo Ratliff
Again like the other front court match up at PF, the Pacers will take advantage of this one. Gasol can play very well, and is a terrific ball player, handler, defender, and has nice low post moves. Gasol is a career 18pt, 8reb, and close to 2blk player, and since his recent addition with the Lakers he has been averaging 58% shooting. Oberto is def. not known for his stats, he is more of a team player, and provides good defense and is a terrific role player. Ratliff is like a Mutumbo, do not underestimate him, as he is known for his blocking ability. Again this match up is in my favor and with Gasol playing against Dally he should easily put up 16pts, 8reb, 2blk, and cause problems for the opposing team.
Overall/Team Chemistry
The Pistons have a great back court, but my team has the better front court. His team chemistry doesn't seem like it would fit especially with Jamison on that team. Kobe in that series should average around 30pts, 5ast, and 5reb, but Tmac also has the ability to light up the stat board, as he has the ability to average 26pts, 6ast, and 5reb. My front court of Marion, Brand, and Gasol have the ability to combine for 55pts, 30reb, and 6blk a game throughout the series. The reason my team should win is due to my defensive front court, and for the Pistons in-ability to stop my front court both in the post, and high post. My team also has the abliity to run, with Bibby and Tmac in the back court, along with Marion, Brand, and Gasol in the front, my team has the ability to play at an up-tempo speed, but will likely take advantage of the front court match up and play at a half-court paced basketball game.
IMO Pacers in 6.
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Washington Wizards
Brendan Haywood / Jeff Foster / Joakim Noah
Chris Bosh / Travis Outlaw
Caron Butler / James Posey
Michael Redd / Deshawn Stevenson/ James Jones
Jose Calderon / Kyle Lowry
VS
Toronto Raptors Andrew Bogut / Antonio McDyess / Kwame Brown
Jermaine O'Neal / Robert Horry
Carmelo Anthony / John Salmons
Ray Allen / Cuttino Mobley
Chauncey Billups / Jason Williams / Rodney Stuckey
I'll start off here by saying that I think Vintage has built a very solid team all around, good luck to him.
Raptors offense:
-Going to go 3-2 motion offense with Billups/Allen/Anthony working my perimeter, J.O/Bogut down low. I have the shooters that will space the floor, mid range and outside (Ray-Ray, Carmelo), my big guys will post up, read the D, find guys going backdoor, try to score, draw fouls or kick it back out if they get doubled to my dead eye shooters. Both Bogut and J.O are above-average passers.
-Billups penetration, attack the lane, find open shooters, get Haywood/Bosh in foul trouble. (Washington can't afford to play much zone with my outside threats)
-Take advantage of mismatches in the post with Billups/Melo. Chauncey can use his size and strength to out muscle Calderon in the post, if Washington has to start doubling it creates a full array of problems for them, either guys cutting to the basket or shooters being left alone. I could go small at times with J.O/Melo/Salmons/Allen/Billups. Melo thrived at the world championships playing the 4. However, I'd only play him there for limited stretches. Melo can have success guarding guys like Bosh/Outlaw because of his quickness.
-Late game offense, put the ball in Chauncey's hands, let him dominate the ball, either create a big play or take the big shot. Run some isolation plays for 'Melo on the wings.
-Offensive rebounding, neither Haywood/Bosh are great at defensive rebounding, my forwards will crash the glass and should be able to collect a fair amount of second chance points.
Raptors defense:
-Man to man defense most of the time, Chris Bosh is my only concern leaving one on one, but I'm comfortable with J.O taking him. He'll still rack up his numbers, but I think J.O can limit his impact. Anthony on Butler could be a concern, but I'll take my chances there.
-Play 2-3 zone at times to limit Calderon's penetration, it depends if he's able to breakdown my D and find open shooters, but with Billups (great defender) handling him, I don't intend on having to resort to this zone much. When Lowry/Stevenson get in the game, I might use it a little more. Lowry shoots 24% from three point range. Stevenson while improved in that area, isn't a guy I am worried about taking long jumpers. Posey is, so again, if I do use this zone, only a select number of times to see if their second unit can beat me from outside.
-I plan to use the half-court press from time to time on both Calderon and Lowry, more so on Lowry, just to mix it up and confuse their offense a little. I should be able to get a few easy buckets in transition by creating a few turnovers.
-Defensive rebounding, J.O is usually a very good rebounder, he's dropped off this year with the injuries. But when healthy he's good for 9-9.5 per. Bogut is a near double digit rebounder also. Carmelo is one of the best rebounding 3's in the game at 7.4 per game.
-Shot blocking presence, J.O is a monster down low, he's a game changer, defensive anchor, blocks and alters a lot of shots. Bogut has improved in this area, averaging 1.7 blocks a game.
Various Raptors line-ups:
Starting line-up:
Andrew Bogut / Antonio McDyess / Kwame Brown
Jermaine O'Neal / Robert Horry
Carmelo Anthony / John Salmons
Ray Allen / Cuttino Mobley
Chauncey Billups / Jason Williams / Rodney Stuckey
Small ball line-up:
Jermaine O'Neal
Carmelo Anthony
John Salmons
Ray Allen
Chauncey Billups
Crunch time line-up:
Jermaine O'neal
Antonio McDyess
Carmelo Anthony
Ray Allen
Chauncey Billups
Match-ups:
CENTER
Andrew Bogut: 13.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.7 spg, 1.7 bpg in 34.2 mpg.
vs
Brendan Haywood: 10.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.4 spg, 1.7 bpg in 28 mpg.
Haywood is underrated, efficient scorer, nice rebounder, very good low post defender, good free throw shooter. Bogut is also underrated, good back to the basket game, scores efficiently, very solid rebounder, great passer for a big man, and this season has been a force blocking shots. Overall I think this match-up is fairly even defensively, with Haywood getting the edge there. Offensively it's Bogut by a fair margin, his passing is what makes him so effective.
This one comes down to Bogut's versatility on offense, because both are comparable defenders. I think Bogut will be able to outproduce 'Wood on the offensive end, his passing will be a very valuable asset in my offense.
Edge
FORWARDS
Chris Bosh: 22.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.1 bpg in 36 mpg.
vs
Jermaine O'Neal: 15.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 0.6 spg, 2.2 bpg 31 mpg.
Chris Bosh is a fantastic player, great on offense and he's also a slightly above average defender. He's a load on the offensive end, he can score in a variety of ways, face-up game, jump shot, back to the basket and his specialty is drawing fouls on slower 4/5's. It also helps that hes a great free throw shooter at 86%, so he makes you pay. Defensively he's an adequate shot blocker, solid rebounder and a good help defender. However, his man to man defense is a little suspect because of his thin frame he gets overpowered in the post by stronger 4's.
Jermaine O'neal is also a fantastic player when healthy, very good offensive player and a great defender. On offense, he's not as efficient a scorer as Bosh. He has a good post up game, very nice jumper, he can also face-up and draw a lot of fouls. Defensively he's a beast, very good rebounder, great shot blocker, great man to man defender, good help defender. He causes a lot of havoc with his length, altering lots of shots and imposing his will in the paint.
J.O should be able to handle Bosh one on one most of the time, Bosh will still score, but his impact should be limited with O'Neal on him. J.O will attack and take advantage of his strength in the post.
Caron Butler: 21.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.5 spg, 0.4 bpg in 40 mpg.
vs
Carmelo Anthony: 25.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.5 bpg in 37 mpg.
Caron Butler is a great player, all-star two straight seasons now. He can do it all, great on offense, very efficient, nice defender, good rebounder. On offense he can create off the dribble, take you to the rim, draw fouls, good outside shooter, good mid-range game, very good passer. Defensively he's good at picking the lanes and creating turnovers. Very quick, doesn't get beat off the dribble a lot.
Carmelo Anthony is the most dynamic offensive player in basketball, mid-range, outside, post you up face you up, draw fouls, such an efficient player. In short, he can score in every imaginable way. He's a very strong rebounder, underrated passer, average defender this season.
Neither player will really be able to contain each other, both will get theirs offensively. But Carmelo is the better player here and should be able to win this match-up and have more impact.
I'll say Toronto holds the edge defensively in this match-up because of J.O, offensively I'll say Washington slightly because of Bosh.
Edge EVEN
GUARDS
Michael Redd: 23.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.2 bpg in 38 mpg.
vs
Ray Allen: 18.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.2 bpg in 38 mpg.
Redd is one of the best outside shooters in the league, can score off the dribble, draw fouls, just a great scorer. However, not too efficient, over dribbles a lot, bad shot selection, not a great passer out of doubles. Below average defender, doesn't provide much help on D, gets abused off the dribble.
Ray Allen is the best shooter in the NBA, great outside game, good penetrator and creator on offense, adequate defender. He's proven he can play 3rd fiddle on a championship caliber team, he's sacrificed numbers for wins. Great all around player, great teammate, leader and locker room presence.
Offensively, I think this one is a near wash, at this point in Redd's career I think he's a little more valuable on the offensive end though. But Ray Allen's all around game, more notably his defense is what gives him the advantage in this match-up. While Ray isn't a great defender by any means, he's a smart defender, and a capable one, he'll keep his man in front of him and won't need much help from his teammates, which is key. With Redd, he's pretty much a liability on that end, he gives up way too much dribble penetration, he can't keep up with his man and forces guys to leave their assignments to help him. A Redd/Calderon back-court will have a very difficult time trying to contain Allen/Billups.
Jose Calderon: 12.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 8.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.1 bpg in 32 mpg.
vs
Chauncey Billups: 17.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 7.1 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg in 33 mpg.
Jose Calderon is a great quarterback, very efficient scorer and one of the better playmaking guards in the league. He can really run an offense. Defensively he's a little below average, but he's a capable and smart defender. He does tend to get abused off the dribble and allows a lot of penetration at times, which can be problematic.
Chauncey Billups is a champion, top 3 point guard in the NBA (behind Paul and Nash), one of the best two way players in the game. He can run your offensive to perfection, great shooter, great penetrator, great decision maker, such a high I.Q basketball player. Defensively he's also great, great man to man defender and help defender. There really is no weakness in his game. He's the definition of a champion caliber player.
Offensively this match-up is closer then many will say, because Jose is just so efficient running a team, really he's one of the top offensive players in basketball when you look at this numbers, he's also great at taking care of the ball. Sound familiar? Yes, Chauncey is the same, so efficient, so smart and always makes the right plays. Where this match-up takes a big turn is on the other side of the floor, Billups is a great defender all around and will be able to contain Calderon's ability to get into the lane find open shooters (his specialty). Jose, won't be able to do the same with Chauncey, whether it's penetration, using his size/strength to post up or even getting him to bite on pump fakes outside (C.B is crafty like that), Jose won't be able to do much defensively to stop it.
EDGE
Head to head match-ups for Center/Forwards:
Jermaine O'neal vs Brendan Haywood
In 16 games. O'Neal has put up 20.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.8 bpg on 46% shooting.
In 16 games. Haywood has put up 8.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 2.2 bpg on 50% shooting.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/...=onealje01
Jermaine O'neal vs Chris Bosh
In 10 games. O'Neal has put up 16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.6 bpg on 44% shooting.
In 10 games. Bosh has put up 19.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 bpg on 46% shooting.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/...2=boshch01
Andrew Bogut vs Chris Bosh
In 9 games. Bogut has put up 12 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.4 bpg on 56% shooting.
In 9 games. Bosh has put up 20 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.0 bpg on 53% shooting.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/...=bogutan01
Andrew Bogut vs Brendan Haywood
In 7 games. Bogut has put up 11 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 0.3 bpg on 52% shooting.
In 7 games. Hawywood has put up 7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.6 apg, 1.7 bpg on 53% shooting.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/...=bogutan01
If Washington puts Haywood on O'neal, that's trouble for them, he's clearly dominated him in the past. O'Neal also puts up good numbers vs Bosh. C.B puts up solid numbers vs J.O/Bogut, but it goes both ways, as both Bogut/J.O put up good numbers against him. I'd also like to note Bogut has broken out this season and is playing at a much higher level than years prior. Kind of like what Kaman has done in L.A, just to a lesser extent. Haywood can't shutdown either of my front-court players.
Carmelo Anthony vs Caron Butler
In 10 games. Anthony has put up 25.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 spg on 45% shooting. Has also averaged 9 FTA per game vs Butler.
In 10 games. Butler has put up 15.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg on 46% shooting.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/ ... =butleca01
BENCH
For the Wizards, Foster, Outlaw, Posey, Stevenson, James Jones, Lowry and Noah is a nicely balanced bench. Posey and Foster bring vet experience and some grit. Outlaw brings some athleticism up front, Jones brings some nice outside shooting.
For the Raptors, McDyess, Horry, Salmons, Mobley, Jason Williams, Stuckey and Kwame Brown. Dyess and Horry bring championship experience up front. Salmons is a versatile offensive and defensive player on the wing off the bench, very underrated player who has put up terrific numbers this season with more playing time. Jason Williams can man the point when Chauncey is getting a rest, he started on a Miami Heat championship team just over two years ago. Mobley brings shooting off the bench, Kwame brings some more size up front.
EDGE
INTANGIBLES
Jermaine O'Neal, Chauncey Billups, Robert Horry, these are guys that have all been through long playoff battle runs and have experienced all of it. Horry has 7 rings and will bring his leadership to the Raptors. Billups has won a chip running the point in Detroit, he knows how to make big plays. Plus you have two guys who go by the nicknames "Big shot Rob" and "Mr. Big Shot", you can't beat that.
Toronto clearly had the edge here with players that have been in the spotlight and have won the big games before.
EDGE
Series Prediction: Raptors in 5.
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dunkonu21
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Denver Nuggets - lastopsuburb
Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Ben Wallace / Eddy Curry
David West / Tyrus Thomas
Lamar Odom / Al Thornton
Dwayne Wade / Jerry Stackhouse
Brendon Roy / Sam Cassell / Jameer Nelson
Minnesota Timberwolves - dunkonu21
Tyson Chandler / Alonzo Mourning
Al Jefferson / Sean Williams / Andray Blatche
Rashard Lewis / Brent Barry
Grant Hill / Monta Ellis
Deron Williams / Daniel Gibson / Anthony Carter
Game Plan:
Defense: Play good defense on Wade, make the others beat me. I am gonna switch up the match-ups on Wade with Deron as the main defender in the important minutes. Hill will probably take the most total minutes against Wade though. Monta will come in as my 6th man to wear on Wade and make him play defense. I believe this is a solid game plan for Wade. I have two big bodies if Wade gets passed his defender.
Offense: When Z is in I want to run run run...In the half court no one on his team can guard Al Jefferson. The ball will be going through him on the block. We will also use the pick and roll with Al and Deron to get it done. If the D collapses our shooters like Lewis, Barry, Hill, Gibson and Deron will all be open
. If they play too close or go into a zone Deron and Monta can drive with the best of them. I also want to get the Deron-2-Tyson alley oop going like they do with CP3 in New Orleans.
PG match-up:
Deron is a natual PG and Roy isn't. I am gonna match Deron up with Wade to begin the game and see how that works. If it works I will return to the match-up in crunch time. Deron>Roy.
SG match-up:
Wade obv. has the advantage. Deron on Wade is a pretty decent match-up, I can't think of many guys who can match up with Wade, but Deron has to be one of the better options in the league. I won't do it the whole game mostly at the beginning and end of the game Wade has the avg tho.
SF match-up:
This is a close one. Odom and Lewis are not exactly what you would call explosive, but they both make due with what athleticism they have, which is still above avg prolly. Both are SUPER long and no one has the advantage there. Odom fills up stats and Lewis is a great shooter. They both fill their roles on the team. Match-up is Even.
PF match-up:
David West is pretty cool, but on this team there is no Chris Paul. I fear that will ultimately be his un-doing. Al Jefferson is too big and strong to be guarded by West. Al is quick enough to guard West up top and he can get in his face. Al will grab every rebound over West and dominate the boards. I see this as a huge advantage for Wolves.
C match-up:
I love this match-up. Z has a couple inches on Tyson, but Tyson more than makes up for it with his athleticism. No way Z can get back on defense in the fast break and Tyson is a beast so we're gonna run a bit. Between Al Jefferson and Tyson Chandler I have two of the best rebounders in the league, the 4th and 5th to be exact when talking averages.
Bench:
Wolves: Monta is a spark plug and is gonna tear it up. Zo and Sean are great defenders and if Wade gets outta control I'll bring that two headed monster in to block his shots. Blatche prolly isn't gonna play. Gibson, and Barry will spell Deron and Lewis and bring some CRAZY good shooting with Al attracting some huge attention in the post.
Nuggets: Tyrus and Al are both very raw, although athletic, I'm not too worried about them. They will prolly do as many bad things as good things. Ben Wallace and Curry are one dimensional. If he could put them into one player I'd be worried, otherwise not. Cassell and Stackhouse are pretty good. Cassell is smart but Anthony Carter is a spark plug and will take him DOWN! Stackhouse is not as good as Ellis so I'm happy there.
Reason I will win:
Al Jefferson and Chandler are going to snatch up every rebound in sight, it's hardly even fair for little David West and slow Z to even try. Deron and Ellis are gonna reek havoc as a play makers and pretty much can slash at will these days. I'm gonna shoot the lights out and I feel that Wade can be shut down with my three-headed defenders in Deron-Hill-Ellis. Without Wade, they have little to be afraid of.
Advantage: Huge in Wolves favor.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Ben Wallace / Eddy Curry
David West / Tyrus Thomas
Lamar Odom / Al Thornton
Dwayne Wade / Jerry Stackhouse
Brendon Roy / Sam Cassell / Jameer Nelson
Minnesota Timberwolves - dunkonu21
Tyson Chandler / Alonzo Mourning
Al Jefferson / Sean Williams / Andray Blatche
Rashard Lewis / Brent Barry
Grant Hill / Monta Ellis
Deron Williams / Daniel Gibson / Anthony Carter
Game Plan:
Defense: Play good defense on Wade, make the others beat me. I am gonna switch up the match-ups on Wade with Deron as the main defender in the important minutes. Hill will probably take the most total minutes against Wade though. Monta will come in as my 6th man to wear on Wade and make him play defense. I believe this is a solid game plan for Wade. I have two big bodies if Wade gets passed his defender.
Offense: When Z is in I want to run run run...In the half court no one on his team can guard Al Jefferson. The ball will be going through him on the block. We will also use the pick and roll with Al and Deron to get it done. If the D collapses our shooters like Lewis, Barry, Hill, Gibson and Deron will all be open
. If they play too close or go into a zone Deron and Monta can drive with the best of them. I also want to get the Deron-2-Tyson alley oop going like they do with CP3 in New Orleans.
PG match-up:
Deron is a natual PG and Roy isn't. I am gonna match Deron up with Wade to begin the game and see how that works. If it works I will return to the match-up in crunch time. Deron>Roy.
SG match-up:
Wade obv. has the advantage. Deron on Wade is a pretty decent match-up, I can't think of many guys who can match up with Wade, but Deron has to be one of the better options in the league. I won't do it the whole game mostly at the beginning and end of the game Wade has the avg tho.
SF match-up:
This is a close one. Odom and Lewis are not exactly what you would call explosive, but they both make due with what athleticism they have, which is still above avg prolly. Both are SUPER long and no one has the advantage there. Odom fills up stats and Lewis is a great shooter. They both fill their roles on the team. Match-up is Even.
PF match-up:
David West is pretty cool, but on this team there is no Chris Paul. I fear that will ultimately be his un-doing. Al Jefferson is too big and strong to be guarded by West. Al is quick enough to guard West up top and he can get in his face. Al will grab every rebound over West and dominate the boards. I see this as a huge advantage for Wolves.
C match-up:
I love this match-up. Z has a couple inches on Tyson, but Tyson more than makes up for it with his athleticism. No way Z can get back on defense in the fast break and Tyson is a beast so we're gonna run a bit. Between Al Jefferson and Tyson Chandler I have two of the best rebounders in the league, the 4th and 5th to be exact when talking averages.
Bench:
Wolves: Monta is a spark plug and is gonna tear it up. Zo and Sean are great defenders and if Wade gets outta control I'll bring that two headed monster in to block his shots. Blatche prolly isn't gonna play. Gibson, and Barry will spell Deron and Lewis and bring some CRAZY good shooting with Al attracting some huge attention in the post.
Nuggets: Tyrus and Al are both very raw, although athletic, I'm not too worried about them. They will prolly do as many bad things as good things. Ben Wallace and Curry are one dimensional. If he could put them into one player I'd be worried, otherwise not. Cassell and Stackhouse are pretty good. Cassell is smart but Anthony Carter is a spark plug and will take him DOWN! Stackhouse is not as good as Ellis so I'm happy there.
Reason I will win:
Al Jefferson and Chandler are going to snatch up every rebound in sight, it's hardly even fair for little David West and slow Z to even try. Deron and Ellis are gonna reek havoc as a play makers and pretty much can slash at will these days. I'm gonna shoot the lights out and I feel that Wade can be shut down with my three-headed defenders in Deron-Hill-Ellis. Without Wade, they have little to be afraid of.
Advantage: Huge in Wolves favor.
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A.J.
- Banned User
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- Location: Houston(University of Houston in 2009)
PG-Kirk Hinrich/Raymond Felton/Antonio Daniels
SG-Manu Ginobli/Anthony Parker
SF-Josh Howard/Jamarrio Moon
PF-Kevin Garnett/Joe Smith
C-Andris Biedrins/DaSagana Diop/Etan Thomas
PG-Steve Nash/Randy Foye
SG-Vince Carter/Martell Webster/Nick Young
SF-Gerald Wallace/Danny Granger
PF-Kenyon Martin/Zach Randolph/David Lee
C-Mehmet Okur/Darko Milicic
Phoenix Suns Offense, who
An underrated aspect of Nash was that he anchored the top offensive teams in the league even before he came to Phoenix. He makes others around him much better and the offense near flawless. He's a guy that'll get you near 20 points per game on all time efficiency and guys like Carter, Wallace, Martin, Okur, Granger and even Randolph should all thrive playing with him.
I feel like we have every part of the offensive game....Scoring with Carter. Instant offense off the pine with Danny Granger, Periemeter shooting with Okur, and Webster...Athleticsism with K. Martin. A great decision maker with Nash, and alot of youth.
Suns Defense
On defense i feel like i have a stopper to guard ginobli in Gerald Wallace. He is one of the league's best at getting steals..rebounding is a strength for the team....We have a great rebounders off the bench with David Lee and Zach Randolph. Kenyon Martin is no sloutch at rebounding the ball either. We also have a good shot blocker in Darko Milicic, who can come in and bring a defensive presence in the game.
Matchups
PG- Hinrich vs Nash
Kirk Hinrich is a good shooter, who has vastly improve his playmaking abilities. Once he is at the line, its almost automatic. Hinrich's defense has really slipped off this season and is arguably having the worst season of his career. he's averaging 13 ppg, on only 41% from the field. He's more a combo guard than an acutal PG. And his play-making is average at best.
And his defense is starting to take a slip.
Nash is a great decision maker, and in this offense you really need to make good decisons. Nash makes everyone around him better. He is a great shooter when needed. He is having another MVP type year leading the NBA in assists. Nash plays his best come playoff time. Overall his game is better than Hinrich's. (Who is having one of the worst seasons of his career)
Edge: Nash
SG- Ginobli vs Carter
Manu Ginobli is one of the most underrated player in the NBA. He has a knack fro getting to the basket with easy and making the clutch shots and free-throws. He is also versitile, he can start of come off the bench. He is the type of player every coach wants on their team. He is an overrated defender in terms of man-to-man, he is a good defender, but not a lockdown defender.
Carter is a scorer at will, he is a highlight reel waiting to happen...he sometimes struggles with his shot but once he gets hot you better watch out. He distributes the ball very well. Carter's weakness is that he doesnt drive alot. In some respects he is an underrated defender.
Edge: Ginobli
SF- Josh Howard vs Gerald Wallace
Josh Howard is another underrated player who is well rounded. His game is slash first and shoot last. Thats why i will put Carter on him so Wallace can guard Ginobli. My plan for Howard is i will force him to the outside with Carter and if he comes in the lane Martin will be ready for serve him right. lol.
Wallace is a great defender bar none. His offensive game is slashing also, but i think he has the edge over Howard simply because he makes steals and play great D. And him guarding Manu should make Carter's job more easy.
Edge: Wallace
PF- Garnett vs Martin
The Big Ticket is arguably the top 5 best players in the NBA. He is a scorer and defender and he makes everyone around him better. He averages a double double for his career. Guarding him will call for double teams. thats why i will put Okur over to double up KG so he can kick it out to the open man.
K-Mart is an athletic 4 who is needed for this offense. He should get plenty of points with Nash running the show. He also can rebound.
Edge: Garnett
Center- Biedrins vs Okur
Biedrins is among the league leaders at FG percentage. And he can rebound well, but this is coming from playing in a fast offense. If the Spurs run a slow offense he will be unuseful.
Okur is a former all-star who is a great perimeter shooter for a big man. He also can draw centers or power forward, which ever one is guarding him to the outside.
Edge: Okur
Bench:
The Spurs bench is very deep especially at PG and C, with Felton and Diop as the backups and Daniels and Thomas as the 3rd stringers. They are inexperienced at SF with Moon and come playoff time this can hurt them.
Parker gives them a good backup 2 guard and Joe Smith gives them a veteran presence at the 4.
The Suns bench have a little bit of everything...defensive, perimeter shooting,instant offense,post players, youth and energy. Randy Foye is a young player you will make a good backup PG, Webster gives my team perimeter shooting off the bench. On most teams Danny Granger would start, but coming off the bench as the 6th man, he gives us instant offense night in and night out. Randolph gives us a post presense inside and Lee brings energy and rebounding to the team. (i plan on spitting their PT pending on the matchups.) And Darko is a defensive presence at the 5, he has great shotblocking ability.
Edge: Suns
Prediction: Suns in 7.... mudyez HAS A GREAT TEAM. But i fell like the bench would play a huge part in determining the series.
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lastopsuburb
- Sixth Man
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Denver Nuggets - lastopsuburb
Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Ben Wallace / Eddy Curry
David West / Tyrus Thomas /Al Thornton / Ben Wallace
Lamar Odom / Al Thornton /Jerry Stackhouse
Dwayne Wade / Jerry Stackhouse /Brandon Roy
Brendon Roy / Sam Cassell / Jameer Nelson
Minnesota Timberwolves - dunkonu21
Tyson Chandler / Alonzo Mourning
Al Jefferson / Sean Williams / Andray Blatche
Rashard Lewis / Brent Barry
Grant Hill / Monta Ellis
Deron Williams / Daniel Gibson / Anthony Carter
Game Plan:
Defense: Al Jefferson is their low post scorer, however i don't see him destorying me in a long series. He has a good game inside, but he does not have a consistent jumper or the experience, passing or the poise to dominate a whole game. I will not constantly double team him and leave shooters open, but i feel my lineup is super versatile that i can switch Wade/Roy/Odom/West around easily. Odom/West/Ben Wallace will all get to defend Jefferson and mostly force him away from the basket and force him to shoot over the top or give the ball up. They have a lot of scoring firepower on the wings but my wings are very active in defending and don't have any mismatches. Ben Wallace, Stackhouse, Tyrus will all come off the bench for additional defense.
Offense: Everyone including my center can all hit the mid range shot, which is a huge factor since it will draw Chandler/Jefferson out. Wade and Roy together can definately work because both are top notch handlers, playmakers, and undoubtably prolific scorers. They can slash and create their own shot, also draw the defense and kick it to my big men who all can shoot and slash. We won't stop the ball as everyone can pass the ball well. We have plenty of bench support, Cassel/Nelson can come in as traditional PGs and give the game a different look. Thornton/Tyrus are super atheletic and good around the basket, will allow me to play fast ball as well as half court games. Stackhouse/Curry gives me needed bench scoring incase starters struggle, i will never have trouble scoring.
PG match-up:
Deron is a very good point guard, but i actually think Roy is perfect for him. First of all, Deron is not super fast, so one of the traditional pg's adventages against the combo guard Roy doesn't really exist. Roy will be too big for Deron in the offensive end, and take him down the post if he wants to, making him work super hard. Matchup is pretty even.
SG match-up:
Grant Hill is a vet and still has game left, but Wade will outmatch him in almost every aspect of the game. Wade will score on him with no real problem, and defensively has the speed to keep up with him, limiting where he mostly gets his points which is around the basket. Wade is the best player of this series, and he will take over as he has proven in before playoff experiences, and little will stop him going to the basket.
SF match-up:
Odom and Lewis are both very tall, but Odom is much more versatile. Odom can handle, drive, pass, rebound, and also play good defense. He will probably guard Al Jefferson most of the time, but i am totally fine with Lewis chucking up shots as long as Odom keeps him in front and hands up. Odom on the offensive end will abuse Lewis, just too many options with him on along with my super backcourt.
PF match-up:
David west can give me a great post presence just like Jefferson. He can knock down shots as well as be a force around the basket. Jefferson is hard to guard, but i doubt west is any easier with his skills. West is a proven 10 rebounder per game guy, and a very hard worker, I think he will make Al Jefferson work for every single basket, every single rebound. He will also draw tons of fouls and he can shoot the freethrows.
C match-up:
Tyson Chandler is a good rebounder and finisher, however, i have THREE bigs to throw at him. Z will draw Tyson out or he will hit the jumper all night long. Ben Wallace will hustle and make him work hard. Eddy curry might not be a star, but he is my THIRD OPTION! How many third option centers can bang inside and score like him? He will also work on chandler and wear him out. Zo is great, but he is not going to keep up with this game. Both Chandler and Zo are not good offensive players, so i won't have to worry too much about these 2 as long as i boxout.
Bench:
Monta Ellis will be a good boost for them off the bench, however he will run into Roy/Wade/Stackhouse even Cassel/Nelson. They can all guard him as he is undersized, and will keep up with his speed nicely. Sean Williams has good upside, but for him to come in against elite scorers in this game consistently will not cause too much impact. When Zo comes in i will come in with Ben Wallace, as they are all good in the same field. Cassel is a vet and very experienced, composed, and can lead my team over hard stretches. Stackhouse is tough, and can hit the 3 well as well as giving me great boost to counter their bench. I also have Thornton who can light it up, Tyrus who can change the game with big plays, Curry can give some good inside scoring.
Prediction: Denver in 6. I think our firepower and team chemistry will outmatch them come the third to fourth game. Their bench is thin and a lot of streaky guys. As ours can come in and change the game. We are VERY versatile and they will be outmatched offensively and defensively. Wade is the superstar and will take over in crunch time either scoring or passing to Roy, Odom, West for crucial baskets.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Ben Wallace / Eddy Curry
David West / Tyrus Thomas /Al Thornton / Ben Wallace
Lamar Odom / Al Thornton /Jerry Stackhouse
Dwayne Wade / Jerry Stackhouse /Brandon Roy
Brendon Roy / Sam Cassell / Jameer Nelson
Minnesota Timberwolves - dunkonu21
Tyson Chandler / Alonzo Mourning
Al Jefferson / Sean Williams / Andray Blatche
Rashard Lewis / Brent Barry
Grant Hill / Monta Ellis
Deron Williams / Daniel Gibson / Anthony Carter
Game Plan:
Defense: Al Jefferson is their low post scorer, however i don't see him destorying me in a long series. He has a good game inside, but he does not have a consistent jumper or the experience, passing or the poise to dominate a whole game. I will not constantly double team him and leave shooters open, but i feel my lineup is super versatile that i can switch Wade/Roy/Odom/West around easily. Odom/West/Ben Wallace will all get to defend Jefferson and mostly force him away from the basket and force him to shoot over the top or give the ball up. They have a lot of scoring firepower on the wings but my wings are very active in defending and don't have any mismatches. Ben Wallace, Stackhouse, Tyrus will all come off the bench for additional defense.
Offense: Everyone including my center can all hit the mid range shot, which is a huge factor since it will draw Chandler/Jefferson out. Wade and Roy together can definately work because both are top notch handlers, playmakers, and undoubtably prolific scorers. They can slash and create their own shot, also draw the defense and kick it to my big men who all can shoot and slash. We won't stop the ball as everyone can pass the ball well. We have plenty of bench support, Cassel/Nelson can come in as traditional PGs and give the game a different look. Thornton/Tyrus are super atheletic and good around the basket, will allow me to play fast ball as well as half court games. Stackhouse/Curry gives me needed bench scoring incase starters struggle, i will never have trouble scoring.
PG match-up:
Deron is a very good point guard, but i actually think Roy is perfect for him. First of all, Deron is not super fast, so one of the traditional pg's adventages against the combo guard Roy doesn't really exist. Roy will be too big for Deron in the offensive end, and take him down the post if he wants to, making him work super hard. Matchup is pretty even.
SG match-up:
Grant Hill is a vet and still has game left, but Wade will outmatch him in almost every aspect of the game. Wade will score on him with no real problem, and defensively has the speed to keep up with him, limiting where he mostly gets his points which is around the basket. Wade is the best player of this series, and he will take over as he has proven in before playoff experiences, and little will stop him going to the basket.
SF match-up:
Odom and Lewis are both very tall, but Odom is much more versatile. Odom can handle, drive, pass, rebound, and also play good defense. He will probably guard Al Jefferson most of the time, but i am totally fine with Lewis chucking up shots as long as Odom keeps him in front and hands up. Odom on the offensive end will abuse Lewis, just too many options with him on along with my super backcourt.
PF match-up:
David west can give me a great post presence just like Jefferson. He can knock down shots as well as be a force around the basket. Jefferson is hard to guard, but i doubt west is any easier with his skills. West is a proven 10 rebounder per game guy, and a very hard worker, I think he will make Al Jefferson work for every single basket, every single rebound. He will also draw tons of fouls and he can shoot the freethrows.
C match-up:
Tyson Chandler is a good rebounder and finisher, however, i have THREE bigs to throw at him. Z will draw Tyson out or he will hit the jumper all night long. Ben Wallace will hustle and make him work hard. Eddy curry might not be a star, but he is my THIRD OPTION! How many third option centers can bang inside and score like him? He will also work on chandler and wear him out. Zo is great, but he is not going to keep up with this game. Both Chandler and Zo are not good offensive players, so i won't have to worry too much about these 2 as long as i boxout.
Bench:
Monta Ellis will be a good boost for them off the bench, however he will run into Roy/Wade/Stackhouse even Cassel/Nelson. They can all guard him as he is undersized, and will keep up with his speed nicely. Sean Williams has good upside, but for him to come in against elite scorers in this game consistently will not cause too much impact. When Zo comes in i will come in with Ben Wallace, as they are all good in the same field. Cassel is a vet and very experienced, composed, and can lead my team over hard stretches. Stackhouse is tough, and can hit the 3 well as well as giving me great boost to counter their bench. I also have Thornton who can light it up, Tyrus who can change the game with big plays, Curry can give some good inside scoring.
Prediction: Denver in 6. I think our firepower and team chemistry will outmatch them come the third to fourth game. Their bench is thin and a lot of streaky guys. As ours can come in and change the game. We are VERY versatile and they will be outmatched offensively and defensively. Wade is the superstar and will take over in crunch time either scoring or passing to Roy, Odom, West for crucial baskets.
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Teddy KGB
- General Manager
- Posts: 9,306
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- Location: London, United Kingdom
- Contact:
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mudyez
- Analyst
- Posts: 3,123
- And1: 3
- Joined: Mar 18, 2004
- Location: parts unknown
ss_maverick wrote:I would like to make a comment regarding Josh Howard. He is in no way a slasher nowadays, he is primarily a jumpshooter.
thats true!...but i wouldnt say he is one dimensional (he can go one-on-one notheless) and his effeciveness for what he is doing is pretty nice. with manu beeing the main penetrator and kg as postpresence, it even could be something good for my team, if josh is used to hitting jumpers.
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Teddy KGB
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DALLAS MAVERICKS vs LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Dallas' line-up:
Yao Ming / Erick Dampier
Rasheed Wallace / Chris Wilcox
Richard Jefferson / Boris Diaw
Bruce Bowen / Ben Gordon / Sasha Vujacic
Gilbert Arenas / Jamal Tinsley / Mike Conley
LA's line-up:
Dwight Howard / Paul Milsap
Udonis Haslem / Ronny Turiaf
Paul Pierce / Peja Stojakovic / Trevor Ariza
Andre Iguodala / Larry Hughes / Corey Brewer
Devin Harris / Steve Blake
Offense:
My offense in this series will be based on 2 strategies. The first one will be dumping the ball into Yao, him drawing the double team and kicking out to any of the other starters; all of whom are capable perimeter shooters. One reason I think that he will be thoroughly unable to stop my offense is because of the diversity involved. I got Yao and Sheed to post up [which Sheed DOES do in the playoffs], and Dwight can only guard one. If Dwight guards Yao he'll get into foul trouble early and if Haslem guards Yao then it's game over because Yao is like a foot taller. While Dwight is not in foul trouble, he will obviously be a defensive presence in the middle but imo him being on Yao WILL lead to him getting in foul trouble. This will also be heightened by Arenas and Jefferson's slashing. Essentially, as soon as Dwight gets into foul trouble it's game over because Milsap is the backup Center and he's 6'8" so I can't imagine him being too successful on Yao. In the front court, I think that his severe lack of big bodies will lead to Yao and Sheed duking it out. Off the bench, I have Wilcox and Diaw to do some offensive damage while Dampier crashes the glass. In the back court, I will rely on Richard Jefferson to provide a scoring threat, he will be my main slasher and he'll keep Pierce on his toes at all times. RJ is scoring 23ppg and should have been an all star, he also shoots 38% from 3 so I will rely on him to provide a multifaceted offense. Another guy who I will rely on to have a huge impact on the offense is Gilbert Arenas. Arenas will be the second option in my offense and my go to guy in the clutch. I will be looking to him to drive and dish, display his perimeter accuracy and in general burn the Lakers like he burnt the Cavs for 34 a night in the 06-07 playoffs.
Overall, my offense will revolve around Yao Ming playing in the high post, Sheed playing in the low post and occasionally taking a 3, RJ slashing and taking any open jumpers, Bowen camping at his usual corner for 3s and Arenas being Kobe-esque and scoring from everywhere with sharpshooting and slashing.
Defense:
The first thing I noticed when I saw this team was how no one on this team is a good long range shooter besides Blake and Peja. And as both guys come off the bench, I will use a 2-2 zone a lot [does that mean 2 guys inside and 2 on the mid range? cos thats what i mean]. Essentially, I will have Bruce Bowen on Paul Pierce. Yao and Rasheed Wallace will be clogging the lane and Dwight will be double teamed everytime he gets the ball. Dwight, good as he is, is a turnover machine at 3.2 a game and still is a rubbish passer at only 1.2apg. I think that one of the reasons that Dwight has blown up this year is because Shard and Hedo's shooting gives him more space to operate. Other than when Peja is in the game, Dwight will not have a single sharpshooter to take the pressure off him. With either Rasheed or Yao [both of whom are phenomenal post defenders] on him, Dwight should be slowed down considerably. Add the fact that he will be double every time on the block and will have no one to kick out to on the perimeter, and I think that Dwight will be nowhere near the beast he's been this season. Pierce should also be troubled by the best perimeter defender in the game and Bowen should force him to take some tough shots. Neither of the other 3 starters are really considerable scoring threats and most importantly none of them can shoot well. Iggy and Devin are both slashers and with the zone employed, their offensive effectiveness will be nullified. In the zone, RJ and Arenas will be covering the mid range area.
Of course, this zone will only be in use when the starting line-up is in the game. At other times man to man will be used with the only constants being Sheed on Dwight and Bowen on Pierce.
Bench play:
I think that this is where my team absolutely blows his away. Only good player off the bench he has is Peja and nowadays Peja is just a glorified Jason Kapono. His two bench bigs are the weakest link IMO because they are both PFs and neither are nearly big enough to deal with Yao. Add to this the fact that Haslem is undersized as well and Yao will have a lot of fun whenever Dwight is resting or in foul trouble. Other "notable" bench players for him include Larry "can't do anything" Hughes and Steve "I don't play D" Blake. The rest of his bench is not even worth commenting on.
On the other hand, my bench is far better. I have a cold blooded 6th man in Ben Gordon, and he has proven in the past that when he comes off the bench he is the best bench player other than Ginobili in the league. Wilcox will provide some post scoring off the bench whereas Dampier is big enough to man up Dwight and crash the boards as well. Diaw will provide multifaceted play off the bench and will be my glue guy. Tinsley will be brought in for Arenas if the offense gets stagnant and when Tinsley is not crazy he runs the offense to a thing of beauty. And of course, let's not forget Sasha "THE MACHINE" Vujacic.
Overall I think that my bench takes a dump all over Wezbo's.
Position by position analysis:
Center:
Yao Ming/Erick Dampier vs Dwight Howard/Paul Milsap
I think that Yao Ming and Dwight Howard are a wash impact wise, with Yao being the more polished scorer and Dwight being the better rebounder and with both of them being very good defensive players. However, off the bench I have a true Center in Dampier and whether or not people like to admit it, he has anchored one of the best defensive teams in the league. Milsap is what, 6'8"? Far too short for Center unless you're Ben Wallace, which he's not. Also, judges please take note that both of my Centers anchor very good defenses and have for a while.
Overall Edge: Slight edge to Mavericks due to bench imo, but w/e, we'll call it a wash.
Power Forward:
Rasheed Wallace/Chris Wilcox vs Udonis Haslem/Ronny Turiaf
I don't think that any explanation is needed here, Sheed is better than Haslem in terms of offense defense and rebounding and Wilcox is similarly better than Turiaf at most facets of the game.
Overall edge: Clear edge to Mavericks.
Small Forward:
Richard Jefferson/Boris Diaw vs Paul Pierce/Peja Stojakovic/Trevor Ariza
I think that Pierce is quite clearly a superior player to Jefferson, but Jefferson does drop 23 a night at 46%FG and 38%3PT so he's quite a deadly scorer which will lead to Pierce getting tired out. Diaw should provide me with some mismatches off the bench, but again Peja is better. i think that though Pierce/Peja are better, it's not as big of a gap as in the PF comparison.
Overall edge: Clear edge to the Lakers
Shooting Guard:
Bruce Bowen/Ben Gordon/The Machine vs Andre Iguodala/Larry Hughes/Corey Brewer
I think that neither SG positions will be looked to as primary offensive options, and so defense will be the deciding factor here. I think that Iguodala is definitely more talented but he needs the ball in his hands to be effective, as does Pierce and obviously Pierce is the one who will get the ball. Also, with the zone in place, Iguodala's offensive game would be limited anyways since he can't shoot and would have to drive against a Sheed/Yao frontcourt. Bowen on the other hand has shut down many perimeter players in the past, including Pierce. Overall I think that Bowen will have a greater IMPACT on the series by slowing down Paul Pierce. Off the bench, Ben Gordon is a lot better than ANY bench player on the Lakers. I also have THE MACHINE, and so that's 'nuf said.
Overall edge: Slight edge to Mavericks.
Point Guard:
Gilbert Arenas/Jamaal Tinsley/Mike Conley vs Devin Harris/Steve Blake
No question here, easily more talented backcourt. Here the impact argument DOESN'T apply though because Arenas will have the ball in his hands most of the game [which is ok because none of my other starters need to handle the ball to be effective]. I don't remember Harris ever troubling Arenas and he routinely torched us last season with Harris on him. Also asked on the Wizards board and nate33 said that the only PG to ever give Arenas trouble is Jason Kidd. Defensively Arenas is a sieve but with the lanes clogged Harris will not be effective offensively. Off the bench, Tinsley is better than Blake as well.
Overall edge: Overwhelming edge to the Mavericks
Overall, I think that LA has not one but two fatal flaws. Firstly, they have no big man depth so an injury or foul trouble for Dwight means that I pretty much win by default. Secondly, their lack of sharpshooters means that I can zone up pretty often and their myriad of slashers and mid range shooters will find it a lot harder to operate in such situations.
I'm thinking that the Mavericks win in 5, at the most 6.
Dallas' line-up:
Yao Ming / Erick Dampier
Rasheed Wallace / Chris Wilcox
Richard Jefferson / Boris Diaw
Bruce Bowen / Ben Gordon / Sasha Vujacic
Gilbert Arenas / Jamal Tinsley / Mike Conley
LA's line-up:
Dwight Howard / Paul Milsap
Udonis Haslem / Ronny Turiaf
Paul Pierce / Peja Stojakovic / Trevor Ariza
Andre Iguodala / Larry Hughes / Corey Brewer
Devin Harris / Steve Blake
Offense:
My offense in this series will be based on 2 strategies. The first one will be dumping the ball into Yao, him drawing the double team and kicking out to any of the other starters; all of whom are capable perimeter shooters. One reason I think that he will be thoroughly unable to stop my offense is because of the diversity involved. I got Yao and Sheed to post up [which Sheed DOES do in the playoffs], and Dwight can only guard one. If Dwight guards Yao he'll get into foul trouble early and if Haslem guards Yao then it's game over because Yao is like a foot taller. While Dwight is not in foul trouble, he will obviously be a defensive presence in the middle but imo him being on Yao WILL lead to him getting in foul trouble. This will also be heightened by Arenas and Jefferson's slashing. Essentially, as soon as Dwight gets into foul trouble it's game over because Milsap is the backup Center and he's 6'8" so I can't imagine him being too successful on Yao. In the front court, I think that his severe lack of big bodies will lead to Yao and Sheed duking it out. Off the bench, I have Wilcox and Diaw to do some offensive damage while Dampier crashes the glass. In the back court, I will rely on Richard Jefferson to provide a scoring threat, he will be my main slasher and he'll keep Pierce on his toes at all times. RJ is scoring 23ppg and should have been an all star, he also shoots 38% from 3 so I will rely on him to provide a multifaceted offense. Another guy who I will rely on to have a huge impact on the offense is Gilbert Arenas. Arenas will be the second option in my offense and my go to guy in the clutch. I will be looking to him to drive and dish, display his perimeter accuracy and in general burn the Lakers like he burnt the Cavs for 34 a night in the 06-07 playoffs.
Overall, my offense will revolve around Yao Ming playing in the high post, Sheed playing in the low post and occasionally taking a 3, RJ slashing and taking any open jumpers, Bowen camping at his usual corner for 3s and Arenas being Kobe-esque and scoring from everywhere with sharpshooting and slashing.
Defense:
The first thing I noticed when I saw this team was how no one on this team is a good long range shooter besides Blake and Peja. And as both guys come off the bench, I will use a 2-2 zone a lot [does that mean 2 guys inside and 2 on the mid range? cos thats what i mean]. Essentially, I will have Bruce Bowen on Paul Pierce. Yao and Rasheed Wallace will be clogging the lane and Dwight will be double teamed everytime he gets the ball. Dwight, good as he is, is a turnover machine at 3.2 a game and still is a rubbish passer at only 1.2apg. I think that one of the reasons that Dwight has blown up this year is because Shard and Hedo's shooting gives him more space to operate. Other than when Peja is in the game, Dwight will not have a single sharpshooter to take the pressure off him. With either Rasheed or Yao [both of whom are phenomenal post defenders] on him, Dwight should be slowed down considerably. Add the fact that he will be double every time on the block and will have no one to kick out to on the perimeter, and I think that Dwight will be nowhere near the beast he's been this season. Pierce should also be troubled by the best perimeter defender in the game and Bowen should force him to take some tough shots. Neither of the other 3 starters are really considerable scoring threats and most importantly none of them can shoot well. Iggy and Devin are both slashers and with the zone employed, their offensive effectiveness will be nullified. In the zone, RJ and Arenas will be covering the mid range area.
Of course, this zone will only be in use when the starting line-up is in the game. At other times man to man will be used with the only constants being Sheed on Dwight and Bowen on Pierce.
Bench play:
I think that this is where my team absolutely blows his away. Only good player off the bench he has is Peja and nowadays Peja is just a glorified Jason Kapono. His two bench bigs are the weakest link IMO because they are both PFs and neither are nearly big enough to deal with Yao. Add to this the fact that Haslem is undersized as well and Yao will have a lot of fun whenever Dwight is resting or in foul trouble. Other "notable" bench players for him include Larry "can't do anything" Hughes and Steve "I don't play D" Blake. The rest of his bench is not even worth commenting on.
On the other hand, my bench is far better. I have a cold blooded 6th man in Ben Gordon, and he has proven in the past that when he comes off the bench he is the best bench player other than Ginobili in the league. Wilcox will provide some post scoring off the bench whereas Dampier is big enough to man up Dwight and crash the boards as well. Diaw will provide multifaceted play off the bench and will be my glue guy. Tinsley will be brought in for Arenas if the offense gets stagnant and when Tinsley is not crazy he runs the offense to a thing of beauty. And of course, let's not forget Sasha "THE MACHINE" Vujacic.
Overall I think that my bench takes a dump all over Wezbo's.
Position by position analysis:
Center:
Yao Ming/Erick Dampier vs Dwight Howard/Paul Milsap
I think that Yao Ming and Dwight Howard are a wash impact wise, with Yao being the more polished scorer and Dwight being the better rebounder and with both of them being very good defensive players. However, off the bench I have a true Center in Dampier and whether or not people like to admit it, he has anchored one of the best defensive teams in the league. Milsap is what, 6'8"? Far too short for Center unless you're Ben Wallace, which he's not. Also, judges please take note that both of my Centers anchor very good defenses and have for a while.
Overall Edge: Slight edge to Mavericks due to bench imo, but w/e, we'll call it a wash.
Power Forward:
Rasheed Wallace/Chris Wilcox vs Udonis Haslem/Ronny Turiaf
I don't think that any explanation is needed here, Sheed is better than Haslem in terms of offense defense and rebounding and Wilcox is similarly better than Turiaf at most facets of the game.
Overall edge: Clear edge to Mavericks.
Small Forward:
Richard Jefferson/Boris Diaw vs Paul Pierce/Peja Stojakovic/Trevor Ariza
I think that Pierce is quite clearly a superior player to Jefferson, but Jefferson does drop 23 a night at 46%FG and 38%3PT so he's quite a deadly scorer which will lead to Pierce getting tired out. Diaw should provide me with some mismatches off the bench, but again Peja is better. i think that though Pierce/Peja are better, it's not as big of a gap as in the PF comparison.
Overall edge: Clear edge to the Lakers
Shooting Guard:
Bruce Bowen/Ben Gordon/The Machine vs Andre Iguodala/Larry Hughes/Corey Brewer
I think that neither SG positions will be looked to as primary offensive options, and so defense will be the deciding factor here. I think that Iguodala is definitely more talented but he needs the ball in his hands to be effective, as does Pierce and obviously Pierce is the one who will get the ball. Also, with the zone in place, Iguodala's offensive game would be limited anyways since he can't shoot and would have to drive against a Sheed/Yao frontcourt. Bowen on the other hand has shut down many perimeter players in the past, including Pierce. Overall I think that Bowen will have a greater IMPACT on the series by slowing down Paul Pierce. Off the bench, Ben Gordon is a lot better than ANY bench player on the Lakers. I also have THE MACHINE, and so that's 'nuf said.
Overall edge: Slight edge to Mavericks.
Point Guard:
Gilbert Arenas/Jamaal Tinsley/Mike Conley vs Devin Harris/Steve Blake
No question here, easily more talented backcourt. Here the impact argument DOESN'T apply though because Arenas will have the ball in his hands most of the game [which is ok because none of my other starters need to handle the ball to be effective]. I don't remember Harris ever troubling Arenas and he routinely torched us last season with Harris on him. Also asked on the Wizards board and nate33 said that the only PG to ever give Arenas trouble is Jason Kidd. Defensively Arenas is a sieve but with the lanes clogged Harris will not be effective offensively. Off the bench, Tinsley is better than Blake as well.
Overall edge: Overwhelming edge to the Mavericks
Overall, I think that LA has not one but two fatal flaws. Firstly, they have no big man depth so an injury or foul trouble for Dwight means that I pretty much win by default. Secondly, their lack of sharpshooters means that I can zone up pretty often and their myriad of slashers and mid range shooters will find it a lot harder to operate in such situations.
I'm thinking that the Mavericks win in 5, at the most 6.
Formerly ss_maverick, JHos Hydro
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Teddy KGB
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