FD08: WE HAVE A CHAMPION!!!

[penbeast0]

First Round opinion -- Detroit v. Indiana

Inside Scoring: Dalembert and Kurt Thomas v. Gasol and Brand? Ha. Edge Indiana

Outside scoring: Antawn (should probably be moved to PF where they need his scoring) is matched by Marion, Kobe has a strong edge on McGrady, and Parker easily beats Bibby. Durant off the bench isn't the answer yet. Edge Detroit.

Passing: Both teams are solid passing squads (ok, except Dalembert and Marion). Indiana's starters have better post passing, Detroit has an edge off the bench. In prior years, TMac over Kobe would give the edge to Indiana but Kobe is really doing a superior job of keeping his teammates in the game this year. PUSH

Rebounding: Both teams have gone with SF/PF types at the 3 combined with big powerful 2 guards. The paint is going to get a bit crowded. In this type of situation, I think Brand's strength is going to be the main difference maker. Edge Indiana

Defense: Top stoppers include Kobe, Thomas and Battier off the bench for Detroit, Brand, Marion and I guess Rondo off the bench for Indiana. Weak spots include Antawn (much improved this year though and Marion isn't the superquick 2/3 type that Antawn can't handle), Gasol (though Dalembert and Zaza aren't going to make him pay and he's a solid help guy), and Bibby. The Parker/Bibby matchup is a bad one for Indiana. Still, can't see a strong edge either way as Indiana should have the better help available to make up for it. PUSH

Bench: Detroit's bench is solid. Indiana's has a problem in that Szerbiak is very limited and Durant is not ready for prime time. Harrington and Rondo/Bibby might have to put in some time out of position. Not a huge problem but enough for me to say Edge Detroit.

Intangibles: Kobe and Parker are guys I want with the ball in the clutch. Indiana has 3 or 4 guys who can take over a game but I don't like their bench and no one has taken their team to the finals there. Edge Detroit.

Close contest. I came in thinking Indiana's inside strength would give them an easy win but I think I've changed my mind. I think Detroit's backcourt and bench are enough to carry their weak front. DETROIT in easily the toughest series to judge this round.

[Myth_Breaker]

U-Borat, these are Pistons who have Kobe/TP, so I guess you wanted to vote for Detroit.

[Baller 24]

U-Borat, these are Pistons who have Kobe/TP, so I guess you wanted to vote for Detroit.

OMG I just read his post....I guess im done

[Myth_Breaker]

-= original quote snipped =-



Well first off Marion might not be a true stopper, but Jamison is not even half the defender Marion is. If thats the case, then Marion will also likely go off on the offensive, as Marion this season is shooting 51%, while putting up 15pts, and 10 reb in 37 mins, so in a series where he is guarded by Jamison would only hurt Detroit more, as Marion would kill Jamison, I'm saying kill because of the fact that Marion defensively>>>Jamison.

Kobe is the series in here, but how many times has Kobe won a playoff series on his own without the help in the post? 0, Remember injuries don't matter, and all players are 100%, and I know more then anyone what kind of player Tracy McGrady is when at his best. McGrady at his best is capable of putting up 30pts, 6ast, and 6reb. He has shown that with Yao out, as they have won 4 games in row. Last season McGrady in 32 games without Yao averaged 30pts, 7ast, and 7reb while leading the Rockets to a 20-12 record, hard to do, don't you think? McGrady still has it in him, but Kobe is better overall, but Kobe still has the tendency to have bad games, as front court players rely on drives, and shooting. Inside my teams defense is REALLY strong. Kobe is a hell of a player, but I think the difference between Gasol-Dalembert and Brand-Thomas is more than Mac-Kobe.

So when did having a strong front court of Brand and Gasol not win playoff series'? The teams that got passed the first round last year were the Suns, Jazz, GSW, Spurs, Cavs, Det, Bulls, and NJ. The east had three strong teams last season, the Pistons, Bulls, and the Cavs, all have decent front courts. In the west, its pretty easy to say that having better post players, then front court players wins you games.

So you think his team fits better then mine? Tracy McGrady currently plays on a team that has the best center in the league, he also is one of the best play-makers, while Bibby will provide spacing with his 3 pt shooting. Brand and Gasol are the first primary options, and either will provide scoring, and help on the offensive end. Kobe might have his way, but not as much as Elton Brand or Gasol will.

BTW, I thought not having write-ups id s disadvantage.

To me it's simple: superior team without writeup > inferior team with a writeup. And don't get me wrong, your team is very good and it was the most difficult matchup to decide. But T-Mac isn't 30/6/6 player on a consistent basis anymore: if you declare him as such basing on short outbursts, you may as well call Kobe 40/6/6 player. And if we talk about defense, not only Bryant > McGrady, but also Dalembert is bigger defensive presence than Gasol. Also Brand is great rebounder/shotblocker, but not great in man-to-man defense. Overall you froncourt is still better in defense (Marion!), but IMHO not enough (Pistons still have Dally, Kurt Thomas and Battier) to change my opinion on this series.

[mudyez]

SAN ANTONIO SPURS





[color=red]DEFENSE

[TMACFORMVP]

Dallas Mavericks

Yao Ming / Erick Dampier
Rasheed Wallace / Chris Wilcox
Richard Jefferson / Boris Diaw
Bruce Bowen / Ben Gordon / Sasha Vujacic
Gilbert Arenas / Jamal Tinsley / Mike Conley

Houston Rockets

Shaquille O'Neal / Nen

[randomhero423]

New York Knicks write up.
NYK
Emeka Okafor 30 min / Nazr Mohammed 10/ Dikembe Mutombo 2
Dirk Nowitzki 32 / Nick Collison 10
Andrei Kirilenko 28 / Francisco Garcia 14 / Josh Childress
Raja Bell 25 / Jason Terry 15/ Josh Childress 2
Jason Kidd 29 / Derek Fisher 13/ Jason Terry

versus.

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

Offense:
My offense will mostly be ran through Jason Kidd. He will do a majority of the ball handling throughout our half court sets, and will set up open shots when he penetrates for my three point shooters (Bell, Terry, AK, Garcia) and mid range guys (Childress and Dirk). I will have Okafor roam the post the entire game unless he is doing a pick and roll. My team will also not be scared to run if we see we have a chance to run a fast break. All of our guys are more than capable of doing both. I feel LA is their weak spot and I will focus mostly on the Dirk vs. LA match up. We will run iso-sets and let the former MVP take over. If he gets doubled we'll swing out of it and get a open shot from someone. If Kidd's the one left open I'll let him drive and if no one picks him up he scores, if someone does he'll pass.

Defense:
I will run a 2-1-2 when Lebron is in, when he isn't it will be a normal man to man defense.
Kidd Bell
Okafor
AK47 Dirk
The 2-1-2 will not let Lebron do what he does best -- penetrate. Okafor is a monster along with Andrei. Bell and Kidd are very very good help defenders. Andre Miller cannot shoot the 3 point shot, so he is not a scare, and Kevin Martin also is not a stud at 3's (he's shooting 408% not bad but not zone breaking). Fun Fact: Kidd has a higher 3PT% then Lebron. So I will let Lebron try to kill us from the outside. My entire team are atleast pretty good on defense so there really isnt' a "weak link".

Subs/Bench:
When playing the 2-1-2 I am running the risk of foul trouble. Okafor/Nazr/Mutombo are all very good backups at the C position and can alter shots down low all day along. Deke is old but he can play a very good 10 minutes for us (and even with foul trouble we won't ask for that). I will sub in Terry when we need offense and when Bell needs a rest. Garcia/Collison will be in when the guys ahead of them also needs a break. Josh will be in when I feel the offense needs a new dimension. He brings intanigles and a all around game, and if I need a mid range game, and more rebounding, I will bring him in at the SG position. Fisher will be my primary backup. He brings leadership, a decent shot, and can lead a team through short spurts. I feel I clearly have the edge here versus the Bulls.
My line up at the end of the game when i know I'm getting fouled is: Fisher (88%), Terry (84%), Childress (81%), Garcia (75%) and Dirk (87%). Not too shabby (they will not run a offense set, they will only be in when the bulls are in the position to foul as soon as the ball is inbounded).

Sum of the game plan:
Offensively let Kidd be the play maker, and set up open shots for my shooters. Also, I will try to exploit LA vs. Dirk and even sometimes attack Lebron to make him be around the perimeter.
Defensively I will do a 2-1-2 and truely make them a perimeter team where it is their weakness. I don't have a weak spot defensively to exploit.

I say I take this in 5 (all 5 games close).

Just because he has lebron doesn't mean he's not unbeatable!

[Kosta]

Detroit Pistons

Samuel Dalembert / Zaza Pachulia
Kurt Thomas / Drew Gooden / Thad Young
Antawn Jamison / Shane Battier / Tim Thomas
Kobe Bryant / Mike Dunleavy
Tony Parker / Jarrett Jack

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




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 shooters.

-Billups penetration, attack the lane, find open shooters, get Dalembert/Thomas/Gooden in foul trouble.

-Take advantage of mismatches in the post with Billups/Melo. Chauncey can use his size and strength to out muscle Parker in the post.

-Attack Jamison over and over and over.

-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.


Raptors defense:

-Man to man defense.

-Double Kobe off the pass, he has no inside presence to work with, that's when he's truly at his best (Shaq, now Gasol). I'm going to send my bigs at times to help and trap him, Dalembert nor Kurt Thomas are guys I'm worried about making me pay.

-2/3 zone defense at times, by packing the paint it can limit Parker's penetration and ability to get inside.

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


Crunch time line-up:

Jermaine O'neal
Antonio McDyess
Carmelo Anthony
Ray Allen
Chauncey Billups


Series Outlook:

I think the difference in this series is up front, Toronto holds a clear advantage with Bogut/O'Neal/Dyess vs Dalembert/Thomas/Gooden. While my back-court can at least match-up to Parker/Kobe. With my D focusing on Kobe and limiting Parker's penetration, I think it will relegate Detroit into a jump shooting team. I'll take my chances with Parker/Jamison outside. Again, I'll point out that without a big man, Kobe isn't nearly as dangerous. No pick and roll game, not a guy he can dump it off to in the post. The last few years are testament to that, without Bynum breaking out and without Gasol, those Laker teams were barely playoff caliber out West. No knock on Kobe, but it's hard to win without a big man.

Off the bench both teams are fairly strong and experienced. Detroit has the advantage at PF and SG with Gooden/Dunleavy. While Toronto is deeper at C with Dyess and point guard with Jason Williams/Stuckey over Jack. At the 3, I'll give that to Detroit with Battier, but Salmons matches up well. Both side have great leadership and playoff savvy players. Detroit with Kobe, Parker and Battier leading the way, Toronto with Billups, Ray and Horry providing it.

I'm going to say this one goes 6 or 7 in Toronto's favor.

[Teddy KGB]

DALLAS MAVERICKS vs HOUSTON ROCKETS

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

Houston's line-up:

Shaquille O'Neal / Nen

[penbeast0]

Second Round Matchup: San Antonio v. Denver

Big man scoring: Garnett will dominate this matchup. Edge SAS

Wing and Point scoring: Howard and Ginobili is a very effective combo though Hinrich has been unimpressive this year; however Odom, Wade, Roy and Stackhouse present more weapons. Edge Denver

Passing: Lots of good passers, no one dominates, Garnett and Hinrich give the edge to San Antonio.

Rebounding: Again, a lot of good position rebounders but Garnett is the dominant player (sensing a theme here? I am). Edge San Antonio

Defense: Garnett gives SA the inside edge, Howard and Hinrich the outside edge. Edge San Antonio.

Bench: Ben Wallace has slipped quite a bit but is still more capable than Diop (or Joe Smith), STackhouse has the edge on Parker or Moon, even giving Felton an advantage over Cassell, Edge Denver

Intangibles: Ginobili and Wade have both performed at the highest level; but the key is that Garnett is the best player. And that is what it comes down for both for Intangibles and the series.

Overall: Edge San Antonio.

[penbeast0]

Second Round Judging: Houston v. Dallas

Big man scoring: The Rasheed/Yao combination is as effective as it can get against Houston's monster truck combo. That said, Duncan and Shaq should still have the edge offensively. Houston

Wing and Point scoring: Arenas is the most unstoppable, especially compared to TJ Ford but I give the Jackson/Hamilton combo an edge over the Jefferson Bowen one. Off the bench, the edge goes to Dallas by a little (not a lot as Gordon has shared in the Chicago meltdown though to a lesser degree than some). Dallas

Passing: Some good passing big men here with Houston having the post passing edge. On the wing, Jefferson is a better creator than Jackson and Hamilton than Bowen though both are mainly finishers. And, yes, TJ has a slight edge on Arenas (and Rafer on Tinsley). Point guards have more influence here so edge Houston.

Rebounding: I can't see Dallas's outside rebounding as making up for the Duncan/Sheed edge. Houston

Defense: Tougher call. The Dallas game play of pulling Duncan outside will be a problem unless Houston tries to go small (in which case their rebounding edge disappears). Meanwhile, other than Duncan, Dallas has the next three best defenders. Dallas

Bench: Inside, I don't see a strong edge between the Nene/Smith/Nocioni group and the Dampier/Wilcox/Diaw? group. Outside, I give the edge to Dallas.

Intangibles: Whether Shaq is still the Shaq of old, Duncan is still Duncan. Edge Houston.

Overall: Very close but I see Dallas winning.

[penbeast0]

Second Round Judging: New York v. Chicago

Big man scoring: There is no anwer here to Dirk. New York

Wing and Point scoring: There is no answer here to LeBron. Chicago

Passing: Kidd and Nowitski are both terrific passers. LeBron is spectacular but the rest of the Chicago lineup is not that impressive. New York.

Rebounding: Much closer but again, I see an edge for Okafor and Nowitski inside that LeBron v. Kirilenko isn't enough to overcome. New York

Defense: Camby's help defense and Varenjao off the bench aren't enough to counter all the solid defenders for New York (Okafor, Kirilenko, Bell, Kidd). New York

Bench: Barbosa is explosive, Marvin Williams has played much better, Varenjao is a high energy guy. New York counters with steady vets but not the flash and explosiveness. Chicago

Intangibles: LeBron is the truly dangerous one but Dirk and Kidd are a good counter and while Chicago's bench is more explosive, New York's is more veteran. Slight edge New York.

Overall: New York's defensive edge is decisive. Knicks

[penbeast0]

Second Round Judging: Detroit v. Toronto

Big man scoring: Detroit is unlikely to ever win this battle. Edge Toronto

Wing and Point scoring: Toronto's outside scoring is outstanding, Detroit's is just a hair better. Detroit

Passing: Good wing passing on both teams. Bogut is the best interior passer, Billups has an edge at the point. Toronto

Rebounding: Neither team is a great rebounding team. Inside Toronto has the edge but Jamison and Kobe is some serious wing rebounding. Edge Detroit.

Defense: Kobe, Jermaine, and Chauncey are all excellent defenders, Jamison and Carmelo aren't. OFf the benches, Battier is probably the best stopper. Close call but outside of the SF matchup where neither slows the other down much, Kobe has the bigger edge over his opp than any other spot. Detroit.

Bench: Gooden gets a bit too much of a bad rap, Battier is solid, Dunleavy out of position; McDyess and Salmons is a nice 1-2 combo. I don't see a strong edge here either way though.

Intangibles: Kobe and Parker is a tough combo to beat but I see Toronto with more guys that can step up. Toronto.

Overall: Detroit just doesn't have the inside strength to play at this level. Kobe and Jamison each have a big series but Toronto wins.

[LeQuitterNotMVP]

West:

Spurs vs. Nuggets

This series will come to down how well each team can shut down the other team's superstar. Wade should be kept in check here with the D of Howard, and Hinrich can help out on D some also. Also, as mudyez pointed out, the Nuggets won't be using a "pure" PG most of the time, which may hurt Wade's ability to score. As for KG, I like Big Ben more than most (don't call me a homer), but, I don't think he will be able to keep up with KG at his age. Also, when Big Ben is on the floor, he allows KG to solely focus on the other guy in the post, making the post offense of the Nuggets ineffective. This series will be closer than most think, but the Spurs still win it.

Spurs in 6.

Mavs vs. Rockets

This is a tough one to judge. I think the post matchups are very close, and I think Shaq would flourish next to a guy like TD. The problem is, Rasheed should be able to keep TD under control, shifting the key matchup towards Yao vs. Shaq. I like Shaq's strength here, but I don't think he'll be able to keep pace with Yao. Both teams have solid post depth, so I don't see tiring as a problem for either squad. Now as for the perimeters, I have to say the Mavs take this, and pretty easily IMO. They have a great scorer/PG in Arenas, not sure who will keep him in check on the Rockets. Then, whoever the Rockets turn to for scoring will be shut down by Bowen. I also like the fact that the Mavs' big men can pass the ball out to Arenas, Gordon, and Bowen for open shots, while the same can't really be said about the Rockets. The Rockets obviously have more championship experience, but the Mavs have more than enough talent to make up for that.

Mavs in 6.

East:

Knicks vs. Bulls

One would think that Lebron would be kept in check in this matchup due to the Knicks' great defensive squad. But that would not be the case. If AK defends Lebron, there is no way he will be able to keep up with Lebron. If Bell defends Lebron, then Lebron will physically punish him. Also, randomhero, you can dare Lebron to shoot, but he's been shooting great lately, so that may not be very effective. Now, for the rest of the guys, the Bulls can still keep up with the Knicks. Camby is a great defender, basically making Okafor ineffective. Then, as for Nowitzki, he will get his points, but Aldridge can at least run with him and challenge some shots. I like the Knicks' shooting, but that may not be as effective as this series looks to be perimeter-oriented from the start. If the Knicks try to defend Lebron, then K-Mart can very well punish you. This series will be close, but in the end, Lebron won't let the Bulls lose.

Bulls in 6.

Pistons vs. Raptors

Once again, I feel the Pistons will get abused inside. Not as much as I thought they would against the Pacers, but the Raptors still hold a sizable adavantage inside. This will allow Ray Allen to get tons of open looks, and for Melo to score at will. Also, with Billups leading the way, the Raptors should have a nice offensive flow. My one concern on the Raptors' side is defense. Who will defend Kobe, let alone also defend TP? They should be scoring at will, but, one must remember that the Raptors won't have to focus much on the Pistons' post game, especially on offense, so they can focus more on Kobe and TP, even though they won't have one individual defender who could shut either of them down.

Raptors in 5.

[Kosta]

Guys, the one complaint Mudyes was getting was that it was hard to read writeups and judges' comments with all the chatter mixed in.

Comments go in the other thread please.

[randomhero423]

LBJ from 3 point land was below .320 from nov-feb. in march (5 games) it's 395. if he's stuck to shooting 3's and then getting a man in his face for the mid range jumper he can be stopped

(please don't delete this. i'm also using this statement for judges to see)

[Myth_Breaker]

WEST:

Spurs vs. Nuggets

Nugs have obvious advantage at C (especially since Biedrins didn't show anything in the playoffs yet and I don't trusted untested youngsters), while Spurs - at PF (Ty Thomas? See Biedrins). For Denver's sake, I hope Lamar is supposed to be 3rd/4th option here, otherwise next to Wade he's gonna dissapoint as 2nd banana as much as next to Kobe (though Miami fans thought otherwise about Smush - that next to Wade he will be much better ). Anyway, I'd rather have Josh at 3, though he's having weaker year now. Thornton isn't natural 3, while Moon is another guy unproven in NBA playoffs. SG: both sides are going to get his points, with obvious Denver's advantage (Manu steps up in deciding moments, but Wade - even more). PG: in normal circumstances I wouldn't trust Roy as full-time PG, yet next to combo guard in Dwayne he should be OK. But again: lacks big-game experience! General offense: SAS won't get much from his bigs with obvious exception of KG (who isn't much if classic big anyway), but Nugs' advantage in this regard is marginal. But defense is something that is going to doom Denver as team lacking any real defensive stopper (Ben's too old, while Tyrus is extremely athletic shotblocker, but too young to have real impact in defense). On the other hand you have KG, Josh, Hinrich, AP, to some extent Diop and Jamario: obvious advantage San Antonio. Mudyez's team has also more experience, better long-range shooting and the best player in the series in Garnett (I assume Wade's pre-injury, but Big Ticket - leading DPOY candidate - has been more dominant this season anyway, even though slipped on the boards recently). While Nugs have some nice underrated pieces (Cassell, Stack), their bench doesn't impress me so much as a whole. Denver is going to lose this matchup in 5.

Mavericks vs. Rockets

The most important for this series will be matchup in the paint: Yao/Rasheed vs. Shaq/Duncan. Regardless of actual numbers, I must say I still prefer TD over Ming and Diesel over Sheed due to intangibles. On the other hand, Mav's guys better complement each other. Yet I must go with Houston's guys by a hair: both duos will give you similar offensive output (Shaq's high efficiency from the field is compensated by his inability to hit free throws on regular basis; TD isn't Mark Price from the stripe as well) and are equal in passing, but Rockets are more experienced, have better intangibles, are more productive in rebounding/more intimidating in shotblocking - and, finally, I feel Duncan is versatile and mature enough to coexist with Shaq in the paint. Dampier/Wilcox and Nene/Murphy are about even.
On the other hand, Mavs have the most explosive player in the series in Arenas, who's able to take over the game better than any of his Houston counterparts and nobody's gonna stop him. On the other hand, nobody from Dallas is going to stop TJ Ford; well, until his penetration meets China Great Wall in Yao. Minus to Arenas for not being real PG, focusing on creating for others. Fortunately he's got capable backup in Tinsley for that (inexperienced Conley doesn't count), and overall advantage at 1 still goes to Dallas.
SG: Hamilton likes to play off screens, so Bowen's physical man-to-man defense won't affect him so much - just like during 2005 Finals, when Bruce was more effective against Billups: and the former is slower now. Ben Gordon is a game-changer, unlike Kapono: hey, now there's much less significant difference between Kapono and Sasha than between BG and Kapono. Slight advantage: Houston.
Stephen Jackson is very underrated on both sides of the ball (plus already has chemistry with Tim) and I must say I prefer him over Jefferson - assuming he won't have one of his outbursts in the series (but the same concerns Rasheed). I'd rather have Noc over Diaw as well: advantage at SF goes to Houston.
3-point shooting is about a tie for both sides. Mavericks have slightly more efficient defense.
Overall, I'm very surprised with myself. I had thought about Mavs as a favorite, but I must be honest here: after analysis, this one goes to Rockets in 7. Bad matchup for Dallas, I guess.

EAST:

Pistons vs. Raptors

Battle of bigs: Dally and KT are good and nicely complement each other, but Bogut and Jermaine (though the latter has been less efficient recently) are even better (and both can play 2 positions). I like Dice very much and think despite his age he's at least as valuable as low-basketball IQ Gooden. Kwame has man-to-man defense, Horry still can hit occasional clutch shot. While even his own Hawks board absolutely hates Pachulia, and as to Young... come back to me when he's somewhat older. Clear advantage: Raptors.
SF: Jamison can't do anything vs. Carmelo, what leads to more PT for Battier, what in turns makes Pistons much less productive in offense. TT won't see any real PT anyway. Salmons in nice all-around player, albeit a bit undersized for 3. Advantage: Raptors.
SG: not much to say here. Kobe's clearly the best player (not only in this matchup, I might add ). I don't like Dunleavy Jr. much, but he's been very efficient this season. Ray Allen and Cat provide you excellent shooting (3-point shooting is Raps' advantage in general) and some passing/ballhandling, while not much defense. Clear advantage; Detroit.
PG: I still prefer Billups over even TP. They both can play on big stage as Finals MVPs, but the former proved he can win it in more impressive way and without dominant big; while Tony didn't and he doesn't have any such big this time. J-Will's pretty much done, while Stuckey is inexperienced combo guard: he didn't even play this whole season. On the other hand, Jack is nice defender, but quite inexperienced and rather combo guard as well: not projecting him as PG of the future even by Blazers fans says something. But with Kobe helping in creating/ballhandling having combo guard as backup PG is more excusable. Overall: slight advantage Toronto.
Despite Pistons' great experience, intangibles and better perimeter defense (post defense is about even), I must go against Kobe this time (another heart-breaking verdict from my cruel heart ) and vote for Toronto's much superior frontcourt. Raptors in 6.

Knicks vs. Bulls

Okafor's propensity to injuries didn't let him fully develop his talent, what would let him become... basically another Camby. As for now, I still prefer real Camby as more efficient, experienced and smarter player. As to backups, I'm surprised that Nazr is supposed to play 10 mpg and Deke only 2 mpg. Vareajo's nice hustle guy, but very limited and also undersized. Slight advantage at C: Bulls (especially as LMA may slid to 5 when needed better than Knicks' PFs).
PF: Aldridge is nice, promising and versatile young big, yet he's no match for Dirk, who remains Top-3 PF in the league. Also Collison gives you for now more than Kleiza (who is rather of a SF, right?). Clear advantage: Knicks.
SF: LeBron James... 'nuff said. Easily the best and most dominant player in this series. I don't appreciate Marvin Williams much, while Bonzi, with his excellent rebounding, post game and experience is quite underappreciated. Kirilenko is great help defender/good overall defender, Garcia and Childress are OK (though are lacking experience)... nevermind, Knicks are going to be crushed here.
SG: also at this position Knicks start more of a defensive stopper, while Bulls - better overall player. Terry's very good and quite clutch, though undersized, much better than relatively inexperienced (I know I repeat it too often ) Brewer. Let's declare it a tie.
PG: Kidd is basically another A. Miller, just superior in every single facet of the game. Barbosa is not a true PG; neither Fish, Terry or Navarro. I like Chicago's backups better (Barbs is virtually unstoppable when on), but this position still goes to New York Knicks.
Overall: Dallas combo Kidd-Dirk, though extremely talented, doesn't impress me so much neither in real life nor in fantasy league. While LeBron + DPOY + really good pass-first PG + some serious shooting from real K-Mart, Barbosa and Navarro is a recipe for success, despite lesser experience and slightly worse overall defense (3-point shooting loks like a tie). Bulls in 6.

[penbeast0]

It looks like two series went 3-0,
congratulations to San Antonio and Toronto

Two series are 2-1, currently leading are
Chicago and Dallas

[mudyez]

Bulls and Dallas are my two picks for the two tied series.
I will elaborate later; I had a quick look at their writeups and rosters, but I have too much schoolwork to do atm.

so do you meent, I can make it official?

[Kosta]

Nice, going to the conference finals, against the Bulls. Very nice starting 5 for the Bulls, I must say, I think this series could go 7. Very evenly matched from the starters to the bench. Although I do think I have a little size on him up front.

You got, Bogut vs Camby, O'Neal vs Aldridge, 'Melo vs 'Bron, Ray-Ray vs K-Money and Miller vs Chauncey.

Edge at Center to the Bulls, because of Camby's defense but Bogut is tearing it up of late. Edge to Toronto at PF with Jermaine over an inexperienced Aldridge. Edge to the Bulls at SF with LeBron of course, but 'Melo matches up at least. I'm going to say pretty big edge in the back court with Ray/Billups to Toronto.

Then you got the Spurs vs the Mavs, those two are heavyweights man, that one should go 7 as well.

Hey judges, the Spurs/Mavs will beat each other down before one of them advances to the finals, you should take that into consideration.

When are the write-ups due for this one?