FD08: WE HAVE A CHAMPION!!!

[Warspite]

Several awsome posts....


I need more time....

Will work very hard the next 2 days but this is going to be tough. I truely believe the teams and GMs have done a much better job this time around. The differance between the best team and worst is maybe 4 games in a 82 schedule. I dont think theres a 50 win team or a 30 win team in this league. Great job by you making this a hard job for me.

[Kosta]

This is in response to SS, you were talking about how L.A doesn't have any legit outside threats in their starting line-up to help space the floor for Dwight. Did you forget Paul Pierce? He shoots nearly 40% from long range and he's known to hit big shots in key situations all the time. You leave Pierce open from there, he's going to hurt you.

[VintaGe36]

Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors

Wizards

Brendan Haywood / Jeff Foster / Joakim Noah
Chris Bosh / Travis Outlaw
Caron Butler / James Posey/James Jones
Michael Redd / Deshawn Stevenson
Jose Calderon / Kyle Lowry


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


My team

I have built my team around three stars(Michael Redd,Chris Bosh, and Caron Butler) With solid role players who know their role to fill out my starting line up.(Calderon, and Haywood) I run an up tempo game, as most of my players are accustomed to it. All 5 players are capable of playing in a fast break type offense, but can also slow it down and run half court sets.



The Matchups

PG: Billups/Jason Williams/Rodney Stuckey

PG: Jose Calderon/Kyle Lowry

Billups > Calderdon, but the gap isn't as huge as some would imagine. Calderdon will get somewhat abused by Billups, but seriously, very few PGs in the league don't. You can't make up for this. However I will be making defensive adjustments during the series to attempt to compensate for it.


SG: Ray Allen / Cuttino Mobley

SG: Michael Redd / Deshawn Stevenson

Alright here, I think I have an advantage.

IMO Allen and Mobley both provide offense, but don't provide much D.(a bit redudant) Stevenson is a solid wing defender, and will see a lot of playing time in this series.

I think there is really not much of a difference here, but if anything, I'd give the slight edge to SG rotation for having versatility.

SF: Carmelo Anthony / John Salmons

SF: Caron Butler / James Posey/James Jones

This match up is going to be difficult. Butler is having an incredible year, and even than, Carmelo is better. Carmelo is strong, and even deadlier because an extremely quick first step. To contain him is going to be difficult, but if I can, John Salmons doesn't scare me much at all.


PF:Jermaine O'Neal / Robert Horry

PF: Chris Bosh / Travis Outlaw


I think I have an advantage here. JO is getting up there in age and cannot do the things he once did, but is still a solid defensive and offensive player, despite settling for jumpers a bit too much. Robert Horry however is done. The only thing he provides is "clutch" shooting, already being provided by Billups. I really don't see Horry being a factor in this series at all. Bosh on the other hand is a rising 20/10 star, and Outlaw has shown great clutchness and freak athletic ability. I think I have the advantage here.




C:Andrew Bogut / Antonio McDyess / Kwame Brown

C:Brendan Haywood / Jeff Foster / Joakim Noah

Bogut vs. Haywood. Neither is very good on Offense, but both are serviceable, although Bogut is a better passer, but Haywood is hardly a "bad" passer. I really don't see how Bogut outshines Haywood on offense. That is, unless the offense is run through him, which judging by your team, is not. Bogut's passing is indeed very good, but it won't win him the series unless he abuses the advantage, which I really don't see Kosta doing here. Haywood meanwhile is MUCH better on D IMO. He can handle the big man that attempt to score inside, and usually contains premiere bigmen. Bogut has made strides, but I really dont see him being as good as Haywood at this point in time. Also Foster and Antonio are pretty even if you ask me, both bringing different intangibles to the table. I give Noah an advantage over Brown, as Noah actually has a raw offensive game to speak of. (raw offensive game > No offensive game.)



Offense

Bosh and Butler are my main scorers. Plain and Simple, both have been top 5 players at their positions this year, and both have shown great offensive potency. I will do what my team is built for. RUN RUN RUN. JO and Bogut are hardly gazzels when going up court, so I feel that if I push the pace, I can have a chance to win this series. The luxary of my team however, is that I have the defensive players to fall back on if my shots aren't falling.

Starting Line up:
Calderdon
Redd
Butler
Bosh
Haywood


Defensive Line Up:
Lowry
Stevenson
Posey
Outlaw
Haywood
(no lick of offensive game to speak of, but lets see them score on that line up)


Defense

Ok, this team has alot of offensive fire power, but I see a lot perimeter based offense, so to counter that, I'm gonna use a slight variation of man on man defense.

I'm gonna stick Bosh on JO, until he decides to bang down low, in which case ill switch Bosh with Haywood.

Butler will face guard Melo, and I will try to keep it out of his hands.

Redd will Guard Allen, but if it's too much for him, I'll sub him in for DeShawn and may make the move permanent.

All in all. I think it will be a close series, and which ever team gets hot will IMO win.

Best of luck to Kosta.

Wizards in Six!

[mudyez]

lol...started watching the youtube-links i posted and nearly replaced josh howard with anthony parker in the starting lineup...love those tel aviv vids! great guy! congratulations to toronto for getting him in real life!

[Kosta]

Hey Mud, I don't know where you got the idea Moon is a lock down type defender, he's far from it. Although he is 27, he's still learning the NBA game as a rookie, and he makes a lot of mistakes defensively, gets exposed a lot by smarter/craftier offensive players. And his offensive game consists of the rare slash and clanked jumpers. He's a good rebounder and hustle player though, he'll create some havoc on the offensive glass.

[mudyez]

Hey Mud, I don't know where you got the idea Moon is a lock down type defender, he's far from it. Although he is 27, he's still learning the NBA game as a rookie, and he makes a lot of mistakes defensively, gets exposed a lot by smarter/craftier offensive players. And his offensive game consists of the rare slash and clanked jumpers. He's a good rebounder and hustle player though, he'll create some havoc on the offensive glass.

changed it and even stole some minutes from him for parker (I really got caugth up in these tel aviv vids )

thanks for your insight!

[LeQuitterNotMVP]

I see only about 1/2 of the postings are up... The deadline is tonight, right?

[TMU]

The seedings look fishy... Shouldn't a judge do the seeding instead?

[A.J.]

good luck mudyez

[Kosta]

The seedings look fishy... Shouldn't a judge do the seeding instead?

Ah, Mud said he did them random, so I for one will go by his word on that. And half the write-ups have been done now, so it'd be difficult to get people to do all new write ups for other teams. Me in particular.

I do think we might have to extend the deadline a little, unless most of the guys get in their arguments soon.

[Teddy KGB]

Kosta, regarding Pierce.

As I said, my zone will be a 2-2 zone with Bowen on Pierce. So lol no way am I planning to leave Pierce open, to the contrary I will have the best perimeter defender in the league on him. And while Pierce's long range shooting has to be respected, I think that he is deadliest from the mid range and I would much rather he take 3s than mid range jumpers.

[Kosta]

Yeah, understood. I just think Dwight will have room to operate with Pierce/Iggy on the perimeter. Similar to what he has in Orlando with Turk/Lewis. Iggy is not as dangerous from outside, but he can fill it up if he's left open.

[Teddy KGB]

well i'm perfectly willing to let Iggy jack up outside shots since that's not his game at all.

Also, Pierce/Iggy can't shoot nearly as well as Turkoglu/Lewis and thus Dwight won't have as much space to operate.

[mudyez]

t-mac, do you say, I'm cheating? Yeah, maybe we should have done it via the judges, but you can trust me, that I really randomized it fairly....I dont have to much interest to f$%& this thing up with sh$%& like that....rather I'd just loose in round one....btw.: which matchups looks fishy in your oppinion?

for the deadline...I really like to keep it, as it is...IMO GM's, that cant post it in 2 days wont do so in 3 or 4...my problem is, that I wont be around after 3/18 and I'd really like to comish that thing to the end...would look stupid, if there wont be any updates when the finals start.

[mudyez]

btw.: is there a way I can win in this whole thing? I get a bad matchup...I loose....I get a good matchup....I'm cheating....I get a bad pick....I loose...I get a good pick...I'm cheating....I invest so much time in all of that....I loose all the way!

[Kid.Canada.23]

Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks


Bulls Line-up



Marcus Camby / Anderson Varejao
LaMarcus Aldridge / Linas Kleiza
LeBron James / Marvin Williams / Bonzi Wells
Kevin Martin / Ronnie Brewer
Andre Miller / Leandro Barbosa / Juan Carlos Navarro

Hawks Line-up

Andrew Bynum / Joel Pryzbilla / Rasho Nesterovic
Charlie Villanueva / Jason Maxiell / Carl Landry
Ron Artest / Luol Deng
Corey Maggette / Jason Richardson
Chris Paul / Earl Watson


Point Guard


When looking at this match up and you see that we are up against arguably the best point guard in the league this year, Chris Paul, it looks like a huge advantage to the Hawks. But I feel that my triumvirate of point guard eligible players in Miller, Barbosa, and Navarro, will give Paul a variety of different options to look at on both ends of the court. Andre Miller, the primary point guard on the Bulls, is a solid decision maker, who will have plenty of options to work with to fill up the stat sheet in assists. Barbosa and Navarro may not be your typical point guard, but I feel as if Lebron when playing with them, allows them the option of not being the dominant distributor of the rock, but rather, play along side James, or Miller, and give them viable options on the outside to hit the open 3. Chris Paul will no doubt be trouble, but Earl Watson as the primary backup does not issue any serious concern on my part.


Shooting Guard

Kevin Martin, along with Lebron James, our starting SF, both get to the Free Throw line at will, as they are in the top 8 in FTA per game. Kevin Martin, along with his tenacity to get to the line, can also knock down the three, roughly 2 a game, at over 40%. Martin will thrive on this team, as he will have two unselfish team mates, in Miller and James, to get him easy looks, and for a guy who averages almost 23 ppg, it will make his job so much easier, and efficient. Ronnie Brewer, though young, has established himself as a serviceable two guard in the league. Brewer is currently hitting .544 of his FGA, and another aspect of his game, is that he is in the Top 10 in steals per game, while just playing 27 minutes per game. Brewer

[Kosta]

btw.: is there a way I can win in this whole thing? I get a bad matchup...I loose....I get a good matchup....I'm cheating....I get a bad pick....I loose...I get a good pick...I'm cheating....I invest so much time in all of that....I loose all the way!

Relax Mud, I don't think anyone was insinuating that you were cheating. It was just a question, none of the G.M's have come out and questioned the seedings, so that's all that matters. We're the ones facing off against each other. So if anyone had beef, they could come right out and say something. Competitors wouldn't fix something like that, because they want to win knowing it was the right way. I would classify you in that way.

Nice work on the Bulls LeBron jersey, Kid Canada.

[Kosta]

And for the guys who haven't got their write ups in yet, don't worry too much, the judges usually take the full time to make their decisions (2 days). So just get them in by sometime tomorrow at the latest.

[Teddy KGB]

Considering that the deadline for write-ups has passed, I think that the judges should start judging. For the people who didn't submit write-ups, I think that their team should be graded by the judges without taking into account defensive match-ups and stuff like that. This will obviously be a disadvantage but they should have handed it in earlier

[penbeast0]

will get some judging up this afternoon . . . Mudyes . . . can you put it in title what round is being argued/judged so we can know when to start posting our judgments? (don't want to post judgments until arguments are done)