HCRT- JUDGIN DUE MARCH 5 NO MORE EXTENSION

[bringbackhoffa]

Ok, the rebuttels and judging are due by Tuesday March 2.

Remember all paraticipants have to pick a winner for each match except for their own. the explanation must be at least 50 words and must state how many games they pick the winner in a best of seven series.

Cellar automatically advances

[bringbackhoffa]

v

The Team With No Name
Rajon Rondo/Mario Chalmers
JR Smith/Eric Gordon
Gerald Wallace/Shane Battier
Kevin Garnett/Carl Landry
Dwight Howard/Jason Thompson

vs

The Geezers
Jason "over the hill" Kidd/Aaron Brooks
Ron "worst season of my career" Artest/Anthony Morrow
Carmelo "Mo Shats" Anthony/Thabo Sefolosha
Pau "not an all'star unless i play with Kobe" Gasol/Lamarcus Aldridge
Chuck "Im a Starter in this league?" Hayes/Chris Andersen


Player Minutes Subject to change once I see what hes doing
Rajon Rondo (38)/Mario Chalmers (10)
JR Smith (10 to 20)/Eric Gordon (10 to 20)/Shane battier (10 to 20)
Gerald Wallace (38)/Shane Battier (10)
Kevin Garnett (35)/Carl Landry (13)
Dwight Howard (38)/Jason Thompson (10)





PG Mathcup
Rajon Rondo Vs. Jason Kidd
Not So Fast! Jason Kidd Holds Rajon Rondo to 19-15-14 Triple-Double
Jason Kidd showed critics of his trade from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks for All-Star Devin Harris that he still has plenty in the tank. Going up against the defending champion Boston Celtics, Kidd unleashed a dominant performance reminiscent of his glory days, clamping down on the Celtics' young point guard Rajon Rondo and holding him to a meek triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists.

Despite Kidd's magnificent efforts, his teammates let him down, with forward Dirk Nowitzki only able to contribute 37 points, and Dallas fell to Boston, 99-92. (J.J. White, 2009)

Mario Chalmers vs Aaron Brooks
Basically Aaron Brooks is definitely the better player here, however seeing like 10 mins a game he will not make that big of an impact.

SG Matchup (this may change)
JR Smith/Shane Battier vs Ron Artest
Eric Gordon vs Anthony Morrow

This will be my toughest challenge by far, Ron is having a bad season however so it does play in my favour. Hes not the defensive presence he once was and it will be difficult for him to keep up with the speed of JR Smith and Eric Gordon. Depending on how hes playing I can see him slowing down Both JR and Gordon although hes playing out of position at the SG spot. Also if hes chasing JR and Gordon around the perimiter cause they love to shoot 3s that means hes not being a good help defender down low. Shane Battier is placed in here to stop Ron if he becomes the focus of the offence. Battier still has the skills to get in guys faces and make them take contested shots. If Ron becomes the go to guy Battier will step in to shut him down.

Eric Gordon clearly wins over Anthony Morrow, Morrow couldnt guard Yis chair and Gordon will light him up.



SF Matchup
Gerald Wallace/Shane Battier vs Camelo Anthony
Gerald Wallace/Shane Battier vs Thabo Sefolosha

Wow this is quite the matchup, Wallace and Anthony will both have a hard time guarding each other. Wallace is just to powerful for Melo to guard inside. Wallace will have trouble with Melo no doubt but i believe that he can do a great job of making him take contested shots that we know he will take because he just has to take shots, its what he does. Once again if Melo gets too hot Battier is a backup option to take him off his game.

Sefolosha is a decent defender but he just dosen't have the size at the SG position to shut down G Wallace. Battier and Sefolosha are pretty much a wash when matched up, neither is going to light the other up.



PF Mathcup
Kevin Garnett vs Pau Gasol
Carl Landry vs Lamarcus Aldridge


KG in the playoffs is a totally different KG than in the season. He will eat the soft Gasol for lunch and then come back for a snack on Lamarcus Aldridge. Pau will try to contain KG and will do a decent job, but production on the offensive end is not what I need from him. Just need him to absolutely shut down Pau Gasol, which he will do. Landry will do what hes been doing all season. Get what he wants against Lamarcus Aldridge. Neither will light the other up here either but I do believe Landry has the defensive edge against Aldridge.


C Matchup
Dwight Howard vs Chuck Hayes
Jason Thompson vs Chris Andersen

This mathchup is ugly. Dwight Howard against Chuck Hayes. There is no way Hayes is going ot be able to Guard Dwight. I can see Dwight having a 20 Pts and 20 Rebs every game in this matchup, not to mention Jason Thompson is much more polished than the Birdman will ever be. Andersen dosent have a chance of guarding Dwight either in this matchup.


Strategy
Im gonna pound the ball inside to Dwight and KG. Paul cant be guarding both of them and one of them is going to be on Chuck Hayes, Chris Anderen or Lamarcus Aldridge. If the double comes which it wont because Ron Artest is gonna have to stay on the perimiter to guard JR Smith and Eric Gordon from lighting up 3s, then Dwight or KG will dish it out to the open guy. Rando will use his dribble penetration to see what he can get on the first attempt up the court, if its not there he will look for KG or Dwight.


Rando comes up the court, runs past kidd into the lane, if theres nothing there he dishes, if theres no dish available he comes up to the top of the arc and either passes off to JR smith or dumps in to KG or Dwight. If JR is open he takes the shot, if not then he will dump it into KG or Dwight. If the double comes on Dwight or KG, then that means JR or Wallace is open. Wallace can then drive for the typical Crash kind of play or he can dump it back in. If JRs man doubles then he will let it fly. If Wallaces man doubles he has a path to basket. This team is all about picking your poison. I think that no matter what my bigs pound it to his bigs. The only position I can see me having trouble guarding is Melo and I have great defensive playesr to work on that task.


The Team With No Name in 4

vs

Jason Kidd(30)/Aaron Brooks(18)
Ron Artest(38)/Anthony Morrow(10)
Carmelo Anthony(40)/Thabo Sefolosha(8)
Pau Gasol(28)/Lamarcus Aldridge(20)
Chuck Hayes(20)/Gasol(10)/Anderson(18)

vs.

Rajon"can't shoot unless it's a horse compitition" Rondo (38)/Mario Chalmers (10)
JR "IQ below 100" Smith (10 to 20)/Eric Gordon (10 to 20)/Shane battier (10 to 20)
Gerald "glass" Wallace (38)/Shane Battier (10)
Kevin "over the hill" Garnett (35)/Carl Landry (13)
Dwight "no post moves" Howard (38)/Jason Thompson (10)

PG - Kidd/Brooks vs. Rondo/Chalmers

Though Rondo might be the best PG out of the group it's not a large difference, and given the situation Kidd is a much better fit in my team than Rondo is to his. Even though Rondo is a good defender, his offense game leaves much to be desired. On the other hand Jason Kidd is a solid defender himself, he also has better court vision which will help with these loaded teams. Unlike Rondo, Kidd can spread the floor with his 3 pt shooting(over 40% this season). Brooks is also much better than Chalmers even though he is only playing 10 mins. a game.

Not So Fast! Jason Kidd Holds Rajon Rondo to 19-15-14 Triple-Double
Jason Kidd showed critics of his trade from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks for All-Star Devin Harris that he still has plenty in the tank. Going up against the defending champion Boston Celtics, Kidd unleashed a dominant performance reminiscent of his glory days, clamping down on the Celtics' young point guard Rajon Rondo and holding him to a meek triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists.

I don't know where you're getting you're information from but in that game these are the actual stats

Kidd - 13 pts, 17 ast, 4 reb, 5-7 shooting
Rondo - 7 pts, 12 ast, 4 reb, 3-8 shooting


SG - Artest/Morrow vs. JR/Gordon

Though Artest is naturally a SF, he has no problems whatsoever guarding SG's. With the Lakers Artest's role is to lock up the oppositions best perimeter player, and he has done that for the most part this season. On the offensive end Ron loves to post up smaller players, JR is a terrible defender and given the size disadvantage I don't see J.R. affecting Artest on the offensive end. Artest is also shooting close to 40%(.395%) from three so he will also help spread the floor. Gordon v. Morrow Gordon is the better all around player but Morrow is the better shooter .45% from three which is amazing. Gordon is also a player who need the ball in his hands to be effective unlike Morrow. With Pau, Melo, and Kidd Morrow will see a lot of wide open three's which he should have no problem knocking down.


SF - Carmelo/Sefolosha vs. Wallace/Battier

Melo is having an MVP type season, though Wallace is a good defender Melo's offensive repertoire is second to none(except Kobe ). Also both Wallace and Battier are limited offensively, and if one does manage to get hot, I have Sefolosha who might be the best perimeter defender we have in the league.

PF - Pau/Aldridge vs. KG/Landry

KG is clearly on the decline this season while Gasol is still in his prime. Gasol also had the better numbers against KG both times they met this season. Landry is a great hustle player, but his offense game is not as good as Aldridge.

C - Hayes/Gasol/Anderson vs. Howard/Thompson

Even though he clearly has an advantage here it's not as huge as it may seem. Hayes even though he is undersized is one of the best post defenders in the league, and should be able to hold his own against Dwight without the need to double. I'll also play Gasol @ C some, Since he did an excellent job against Dwight in the finals. His biggest problem here though is that he has Thompson backing dwight. Jason Thompson is not a Center, I don't think he's played one game @ C for the Kings even though they need one.


Conclusion
Mascot has put together a great defensive team That will Struggle mightily on offense. Dwight and Rondo which are his 2 best players have no offensive game to speak of. Smith, though he can go off, is very inconstant and has a very low BBall IQ. I see his team going on many offensive droughts, and when the game is close he doesn't have anyone to take over the game like Melo.

[bringbackhoffa]

2nd Matchup
BRINGBACKHOFFA

Toronto Huskies Vs Flint Tropics

Huskies Depth Chart

Paul (40)/Terry (8)
Brewer (32)/Terry (16)
Granger (37)/Barnes (11)
Amare (39)/Noah (9)
Haywood(35)/Noah(7)/Frye(6)

Reserve: Serge Ibaka

Tropics Depth Chart

Nash/ Conley
Roy/ Stuckey
Smith/Casspi
Bosh/Scola
Bogut/Jordan


Key Matchups

Career Head to Head (Paul vs Nash)


When looking at the career numbers Paul has been able to keep up with the run and gun style of which Nash Plays. Paul during his career has had games against Steve Nash where he played an astonishing 48 Minutes/50 Minutes/43 Minutes in which he led his team to 2 victories playing those heavy minutes. Paul also has been able to play great D against Nash where he has been able to play agressily poking the ball away from Nash and forcing the turnover. I will be playing Nash 1 – 1 with Paul, and if Terry is on the floor I am more then confident that he can play the run and gun style, which I believe is more suited to my team with my deadly post presence as well as deadly shooters.

2009-2010 Season Head to Head (Brewer Vs Roy)


When comparing Roy’s season averages to his numbers when guarded by a bigger defender in brewer he has averaged lower totals in Points, commited more fouls, commited more turnovers, less assists. Brewer will be fulfilling the same role that he currently hold in the NBA which is not being the primary offensive weapon, but will be using his larger frame to contain quick guards like Roy. I actually like this matchup for myself because Brewer has shown consistent improvement over his career and being in a elite backcourt with Paul and Terry is something that he is already accustomed to.

Granger Vs Smith
Cannot really get into statistics here because Granger is usually guarded by Marvin Williams. I think it is a big mistake by the Tropics to expect Josh Smith to come out and guard a deadly shooter like Granger. Smith is accustomed to guard players that like to play the post, and that is where his defensive abilities excel. I can see Granger getting many open looks when Smith is caught of guard in the paint while Granger is standing in the corner launching a 3. More on this matchup in the offensive/defensive strategy section.

Bosh Vs Amare
Amare has had a much better winning % against Bosh, but im not going to kid myself it is because he plays on a team that is just better then the Raptors. However when looking at the other statistics.

2009-2010 Season Head to Head (Amare Vs Bosh)
During the current season Amare has destroyed Bosh in the paing, which is quite evident in his shooting % where it is over 70%, while Bosh is hovering around 50% many of them being jump shots. Bosh would have the advantage on boards when comparing them head to head, but I believe players like Noah and Haywood along with Amare can box out in the paint and minimize any offensive rebounds for the tropics.
Overall all I respect both players games and I believe with Amare being the 2nd or 3rd option is a great advantage for me, in addition to playing in a similar run and gun style which he excels in.

2009-2010 Head to Head (Haywood Vs Bogut)
Here is where I have the real advantage, Haywood has destroyed Bogut not only this season but over his entire career as well. Looking at there 2 head to head matchups this season Bogut has gone 9/27 from the field which is a measly 33% while Haywood has gone (6/9) or 66%. Haywood has also rebounded Bogut 23-16 in addition to EIGHT blocks (may or may not be against Bogut).
Haywood is primary in the starting lineup for his defensive ability to guard bogut and box out Bosh on the switch assignments. I also have Noah and Frye off the bench, Noah being a spectacular defender, and Frye being the deep 3 point threat.
More to come..

Offensive Strategy
Chris Paul as the ball distributor as well as the outside/pick and roll threat, Ronnie Brewer as the decoy, Danny Granger is in their to draw out the defense and be the outside threat, leaving Amare and Haywood to do the dirty work inside. Off the bench, I have plenty of shooters who can drain the 3 at a high percentage. I also have one of the best 6th man in the game in Jason Terry who can do pretty much everything (ie distribute the ball, shoot the mid-range jumper, and drive to the bucket). I just see that the Big 3 of Paul-Amare-Granger along with the defensive pairing of Brewer-Haywood too much for the tropics starting lineup to handle.

Defensively
Going to exploit Josh Smith, with Granger away from the paint, Smith will look lost on defence, giving us plenty of good looks. Amare can out physique Bosh in the Paint, where he has shot over 70% against Bosh. Haywood as I mentioned above has destroyed Bogut (stats above), with Haywood not be used as an offensive threat, he will have plenty of energy to pick up his end of the bargain on defence. I also have Noah off the bench, he has been a plesent surprise this year, and look for him to be a beast in the paint grabbing all the balls he can. Also Nash cannot be up to his usual self as he has a quicker defender on him who can guard him 1 on 1 unlike most other pgs in the game.

VS

ROCD0GG

Flint Tropics v Toronto Huskies

Tropics Depth Chart

Nash(32)/Stuckey(10)/Conley(6)
Roy(34)/Stuckey(14)
Smith(24)/Casspi(24)
Bosh(30)/Smith(10)/Scola(8)
Bogut(30)/Bosh(8)/Scola(10)

Reserve: Jordan


Huskies Depth Chart

Paul (40)/Terry (8)
Brewer (32)/Terry (16)
Granger (37)/Barnes (11)
Amare (39)/Noah (9)
Haywood(35)/Noah(7)/Frye(6)

Reserve: Serge Ibaka


PG...

Nash/Stuckey/Conley v Paul/Terry

Nash has the edge in playoff experience and veteran savvy. Paul has the edge in defense but will not be able to stop Mr.Nash. Will he get a couple steals against him, sure but stop him he will not. We plan on limiting Steve to 32 minutes in this match up unless the situation requires him to log extra minutes. We believe changing up on CP3 with Stuckey(becoming quite the defender) guarding him at times and at times letting Roy switch over from guarding Brewer will keep CP3 a touch off balance. Stuckey is quick and strong enough to cause some havoc on the floor. Conley will be used sparingly but if he has the hot hand could see extra minutes. He like Nash is deadly from down town and is an efficient scorer and floor general.

SG...

Roy/Stuckey v Brewer/Terry

We believe we have a strong edge at SG. Roy is top 3 in the NBA at the 2 and over a 7 game series will be able to adjust to Brewer's D. We expect him to be as efficient as always and come through in clutch situations. He now has an exceptional floor general playing next to him so his ball handling responsibilities will not be as demanding. This should free him up to make cuts to the rim more frequently as well as hitting from outside. We also expect his defense will help slow down CP3 on switched assignments. Stuckey is a lot like Roy without the outside shot. He can play 3 positions, rebound, assist, and play good D. We expect him to also kick ass at SG while matched up against the smaller lacking in D, Jason Terry.

SF...

Smoove/Casspi v Granger/Barnes

Stopping Granger will not be an easy task but we believe J Smoove is up to the task. He mainly plays the 4 but will see a good amount of time at SF during these games. He is quick enough and athletic enough to keep up with any 3 in the L. He is under rated IMO as a perimeter defender and although he will not stop Granger he will be able to slow him down a bit and at times intimidate him. Casspi will get half the SF minutes and will be our long range bomber along with Nash/Roy/Conley. He is a serviceable defender and good rebounder at SF. He may not be able to stop Granger either but he will be able to keep him honest on both ends of the floor. Both of my guys should be able to take advantage of Barnes so not worth going into that match up.

PF...

Bosh/Smoove/Scola v Amare/Noah

This match up is all about depth and wear and tear. Amare is a great scorer but not much else. He will get out rebounded easily in the these match ups and out hustled to boot. Both Bosh and Smith will give him problems in different ways. Scola will also have an opportunity to light up Amare from time to time but will see the bulk of his minutes against Noah. We do not feel Noah will work well at the PF spot as he has zero range so we plan to take advantage of that on D by crowding the paint.

C...

Bogut/Bosh/Scola v Haywood/Noah/Frye

True Bogut has had some bad games against Haywood/Washington but under Skiles this season he has taken his game to a whole new level. He is now the C doing the intimidating and making a defensive identity for his team. Besides Bogut, Dwight is the only other C in the L this year averaging at least 15/10/2. After a slow start due to injury/conditioning Bogut is now in excellent shape and is averaging 16.2ppg, 10.6rpg, 1.9ast, .7stl, 2.3blk all while still being in the top 5 for charges taken. IMO he is the 2nd best center in the league this yaer behind Dwight unless one counts Duncan as a C. Bogut will have more than 1 game and a bunch of new team mates to help make his match up with Haywood come out in his favor. We will also be using Bosh at C in a run n gun with D system he will be at C mainly against Noah but also at times v Haywood to cause mismatches. Scola will see some minutes here as well and should help give our other 2 bigs a well needed rest while not seeing much if any in drop off of play at C.

The overall plan is to let Nash do his thing but back him up with good D. We will be constantly taking advantage of mismatches on both ends of the floor. Our team is talented enough and deep enough to exert it's will on the Huskies. We will be like a bullet train riding rough shod over the hardwood. We see a victory in 4 or 5 out of 7 games.

BTW - Sorry for my lack of stats at this time. I just found out today that my dad has cancer in one of his kidney's and will have to have it removed. So the odds of me putting much if any more time on writing/research are slim as I have other things on my mind ATM.

[bringbackhoffa]

3rd Matchup
JCLDALLAS

Le Stampede Firehawks

PG: Westbrook(30)/ T.Evans(18)
SG: J.Johnson(36)/ C.Lee(8)/T. Evans(4)
SF: Durant(36)/ Moute(12)
PF: Dirk(38)/ T.Gibson(10)
C : Kaman(26)/M.Gasol(22)

Vs

The Boned Samuels

PG: Billups ( 33 ), D.Collison ( 15 )
SG: KOBE ( 38 ), Iguodala ( 10 )
SF: Iguodala ( 22 ), J.Green ( 26 )
PF: A.Horford ( 18 ), K.Love ( 30 )
C : B.Lopez ( 33 ), A.Horford ( 15 )

OFFENSIVELY

PG:I think Westbrook will do more than what Sambone thinks he will, all he really is asked to do for this team is to deliver the ball, and make a few good plays here or there. Evans will be coming off the bench and can contribute some more scoring off the bench, this guy while young is already pretty good.

SG:I for one think Johnson will actually be a keypart to this game even though he'll be defended by Kobe who to me seems like an overrated defender. So i know Johnson won't get his usual numbers, no duh he's not gonna be the number one option and he has to pass the ball around. He's not going to get the same amount of attempts so i know he won't get to that scoring average he's used to, but the guy can easily make his shots(take it to the basket, mid range, and has some deep ass range lol) when he's taking a break Lee will come off the bench and provide some more outside shooting to help spread the floor for some of my other bigs.

SF:Durant will have no problem taking care of Iguodala. His offensive game is tops in the league, and Iguodala while known as a good defender don't think he can stop Durant when he plays on a team so stacked offensively where any player can score. Now Green he may be able to make it hard for him, but i don't think even him roughing up Durant will make it any less harder for him to be as effective as he could be on this team. So even though he wont' score as much he'll be much more effective and efficient than he is in real life. In OKC he has to work for everything he gets, except for a few plays where he's on the fastbreak. Mbah a Moute will come off the bench to give Durant a break, and help out mostly defensively he's one of the few guys who can guard more than one position. He can man up Kobe, Iggy, and even Horford if necessary.

PF:Dirk Nowitzki one of the biggest matchup problems for the other team will have no problem here against Love or Horford, while Sambone thinks that all he does is dominate the ball i think he might've forgotten that Dirk is more than just a shooter, he's also a shooter. lol The guy can also come off screens and kill the other slow opponent like he did in the Boston game as well as in the All star game when the Mavs or the West ran several screens, and picks and Pop with him. This guy also has no problem with sharing the ball which is one of Sambone's other thinking that will be an issue with my team. I can even get a short clip of the all star game which doesn't mean much but Dirk and Kaman know how to play with each other offensively. They played against the opponent and dished back and forth until one of them had a clean look at the basket and Kaman went up for a dunk. Taj Gibson will come off the bench to give Dirk a break he provides some more toughness, and good defense on Love, or Horford.

C:Kaman will again not have an issue im pretty sure he can play alongside Dirk in the frontcourt. They are even better playing together and are also very effective as mentioned in the above note.I'll use him in the low post to bring in some guys who are trying to defend my perimeter players, so they can get better looks at the basket. Gasol will come off the bench but still get the minutes he deserves around 22. I have two legitimate post players who have a variety of moves and can also spread the floor. As well as bring some good defense to the table.

Clutch:Does it really matter i have 3 clutch guys on my team who are all capable and can make the shot in Durant, Johnson, and Dirk.

DEFENSIVELY

PG:Westbrook will most likely have to chase around and guard Billups everywhere when someone else has the ball because that guy can just straght shoot, but with Westbrook having to provide lss on the other side of the floor he won't be as tired playing more, and better defense while not being exhausted playing offense and such a stacked offensive team.

SG:Johnson will of course have trouble defending Kobe, but who doesn't we'll try our hardest to defend him but i don't think it'll matter all we can do is make it hard for him and i understand that.

SF:Durant while not being that great defensively, i don't think it'll matter Iguodala isn't much of a scoring threat anyways. All Durant has to do is hold him down and makes sure he doesn't get hot during the game.

PF:Dirk will have trouble but not as much as people think. He's not as bad a defender as he seems. He's at least average. Im pretty sure he can hold his own against Horford, and Love.

C:Kaman and Gasol have the length and toughness to keep up with Lopez, and Horford so im pretty sure they'll have no trouble defending those two. Its not like either one of them are completely slow, and can't get out there to defend the perimeter if they decide to take it outside.

SUMMARY:

Chemistry:My team will have much better chemistry than what Sambone thinks.

Winners:Um Jim i still think my team takes it lol, does it really mater if my players haven't won chamionships, this is about a whole different game. Its a plus that they have but it doesn't mean squat in this game. My team is a lot better offensively, and while you have some pretty good defense i don't think you can stop this well rounded offensive group who can take you out(Durant, Johnson, Dirk), mid(Johnson, Dirk, Durant), and inside(Gasol, Kaman, and yes Dirk because in case you haven't noticed the guy has a post game)

VS


SAMBONE

Jcldallas24

PG: Westbrook(30)/ T.Evans(18)
SG: J.Johnson(36)/ C.Lee(8)/T. Evans(4)
SF: Durant(36)/ Moute(12)
PF: Dirk(38)/ T.Gibson(10)
C : Kaman(26)/M.Gasol(22)

Vs
The Boned Samuels

PG: Billups ( 33 ), D.Collison ( 15 )
SG: KOBE ( 38 ), Iguodala ( 10 )
SF: Iguodala ( 22 ), J.Green ( 26 )
PF: A.Horford ( 18 ), K.Love ( 30 )
C : B.Lopez ( 33 ), A.Horford ( 15 )

* R.Fernandez and Ben Wallace are situational players that would only see spot minutes if needed.

ON OFFENSE

PG:
Billups will run the show. He is possably the best floor general in the game and his skills will only be better with the team I have surrounded him with. He basically will guarded by Westbrook who is a good long defender, but also very young. Chauncey is one of the smartest toughest players in the NBA and I am not sure Westbrook would be able to shut him down, I don’t expect Billups to go off, but also don’t think he would be that limited. Billups has also been able to play without the ball, which he would be able to do with Kobe.

Collison vs Tyreke off the bench is a very interesting matchup. Collison has played great this year backing up then starting next to CP3, Then being GREAT as the starting PG. He will not be asked to carry any type of scoring load, basically just to feed his teammates and hit the open shots

SG:
This team is built for Kobe. Kobe is as good as it gets in this game. Nobody has his resume or his game. And he is a CLOSER! Just imagine how good he would be having a PG and this supporting cast (not that LA is bad). JJ is a solid defender, but Kobe has owned him when they play eachother including

Here is what happened when they squared off this season

Kobe: 37 min, 41 points (15-29 shooting, 1-2 from 3, 10-11 from the line)
8 reb, 3 asst, 5 steals
JJ: 36 min, 27 points (8-16 shooting, 3-6 from 3, 8-10 from the line),
9 reb, 4 asst, 1 steal

SF:
Iggy has turned himself into a solid offensive player. Unlike in real life were he is asked to do too much he will not need to do that here. This is a role that he would excel in. He is being guarded by a revolving door so he may do more scoring then normal in this matchup. He is also a great passer.

Jeff Green has become one of the most underrated supporting cast players in the league. I do not think he will have a problem in this role coming off the bench then his real life role because he will stil get 26 min for my team. He is big, long and athletic, a good rebounder and has a decent 3 point stroke.

PF:
Big Al Horford is nmy startinfg PF who will be splitting his minutes between the 4 and 5. I see a lot of Tim Duncan in his game. He is a great fundamental smart player that is a 2 way threat. His post game should give the ultra soft Dirk a lot of trouble. He has developed a nice jumper, but mostly will be used on the block when at the 4.

K.Love is your ideal bench BIG. He will have the same role that he does in RL. Nobody gets more double doubles then KLove off the bench in the game. His post play and jumper is exactly the type of PF’s that Dirk struggle with. And on my team and with Dirk playing with a SF like Durant. Dirty can not be hidden on D and our guys plan to out muscle and have their way with the Soft Dirk!

C:
The C matchup here is great. Both teams have 2 guys that share minutes and play well! Lopez and Kaman should be a fun battle and Horford and M.Gasol will be just as fun. Both my C’s have a nice away from the basket game (neither from deep, but nice mid range jumpers) and both are way above average post passers. So I can see my team running a lot of inside out plays with both Billups and Kobe passing in the post then getting the ball back for a jumper. Plus both my guys are great at setting screens to free up their teammates

- My team all fits into each others offensive game plan and has the 2 best LEADERS in the game in Billups and Kobe. Nobody is in a role that they are not used to and I have surrounded my #1 option with great supporting scorers.

- CLUTCH: I would like you to find any 1 player, let alone teammates that are BIGGER in crunch time then “Mr. Big Shot” and “The Black Mamba”


DEFENSIVELY


PG:
Billups is a great man on man defender and will really disrupt the young Westbrooks playmaking ability as is seen when they played against eachother twice this seaon.

Westbrook (avg of the 2 games)
13 ppg (10-26 shooting, 0-2 from 3 and 6-9 from the line),
4.5 reb, 7 asst, 0 steals, 0 blocks

I see no reason for this matchup to be any different then inreal life

SG:
I am not sure you will find a better 2 way player in the game let alone at this position. JJ is a very talented player, but I am not sure how he would respond to being a 3rd or 4th option (Westbrook will have the ball much more). JJ had his typical average game when these guys faced off, but that was with JJ being the #1 scoring guy. I am pretty sure as the 3rd threat, Kobe will keep him way under his season averages

SF:
KD has become the BEST young scorer in the game. He will not be stopped all together, But I plan on trying to make things as difficult as possible. Iggy’s main job in this series will be to make KD uncomfortable. Iggy is athletic enough, long, and a great defender and he should be able to stay with KD and make him work for his baskets. He also will be guarded my his good bud Jeff Green. Jeff while being the 2nd option for OKC on offense is the defensive STAR on that team, often cleaning up for KD’s lack of D. If anyone knows KD’s game it is Jeff and he who is also Bigger, Stronger, and as athletic as KD, he is way tougher and should disrupt him, hopefully KD’s FG% will be lower then normal wirth these defenders making him work.

PF:
Dirk is the MAN in my book. Not many players can shoot over everyone in the lkeague like Dirty can. But how will he react to getting less touches? Can he play with a ball hog chucker (although very very good) in KD? If KD is on one side trying to take his man, the non post playing Dirk will be pushed to the otherside of the court, making him useless for the most part. Dirk always plays dominating the ball at all times, which he will not be allowed to do with his team here.

C: Both Kaman and M.Gasol are nice offensive players and are being guarded by solid defensive players. Our guys only defensive roles will basically be to box out and hit the boards (plus weakside shot blocking which both are great at). Even though they are skilled offensive player, I really don’t see them being allowed to get any touches with KD, Dirk and JJ on there team.

SUMMARY

- TOUCHNESS: our team is much tougher and stronger (while being just as athletic) as our opponent. Nobody on my opposition will be getting anything easy against my defenders

- CHEMISTRY: I seriously see my opponent having a ton of issues here. While filled with a lot of great offensive players, they only get to play with one ball. Westbrook is really the only complimentary player in his lineup. He is young and has the dendancy to try to push things on offense because usually (and even more here) once he gives the ball up, he will not get it back. As for KD, Dirk and JJ, I just don’t see these GREAT offensive players being able to play together and share the ball. All are the focal points of there teams offensively (so is Kaman). The BIG 3 of my opponent average over 57 attempts a game (add over 17 more for the times they get fouled and turn the ball over). I am just not sure they will be able to all be happy and be as effective as my opponent my think

- WINNERS: Unlike my TEAM, nobody on my opposition has won anything EVER! Not in the NBA or in COLLEGE. Or will be this season because of my guys (sorry Juan had to say it ).

Even though I respect my opposition and really like the offensive firepower he has as individuals, I think I have built a much better functioning TEAM which includes the best guard duo possible and would realistically be GREAT together. I have a guy in Iggy that would thrive in his role with less pressure to be the man (which he isn’t). And a trio of BIGS that can all play together and are equally as effective and interchangeable. Add to that Jeff Green who’s role should change going to the bench (still getting his minutes). The rest of my roster is filled with role playing guys that will have basically the same role here that they do on there real team. That includes my specialists that only see spot minutes if needed R.Fernadez (shooter) and Ben Wallace (veteran defensive BIG).

[bringbackhoffa]

BUMP

[CellarDoor]

I was waiting for rebuttals that clearly aren't coming so here goes...

Bruh v. Mascot

I feel like there are three major things working against Bruh:
Rondo's quickness on Kidd
Artest playing out of position
Hayes on Howard

Quick note: Howard's getting 21.5 and 18 this season on about 89% from the field against the rockets and Hayes. If he was doubling Hayes and forcing his lack of shooters at the 1 and 3 beat him this might be closer. Without that in the gamplan I'm going Mascot in 6.

[SamBone]

who judges?

[BlackIce]

All of us. I'll get mine up soon.

[CellarDoor]

I'll be honest, I find myself inserting things into people's write-ups that aren't there, I'd like to see some others' votes and work off of those in the last two match-ups. I will vote though.

[bringbackhoffa]

ill be posting my decisions later tonight

[SamBone]

Bruh Man vs Mascot

I think both Rondo and Dwight will be the difference makers in this matchup. I do not think at this stange JKidd can hang with the speed of Rondo (thats why he usually guards 2's and 3's in Dallas). And Dwight will have his way against Hayes. Besides that most everything else is pretty even. Gasol vs KG will be great matchup, but even taking a step back, I think KG will be able to control (or at least match) Gasol!. Melo can not do it all himself. He will have to for Brah to win, and I just don't think it is possable. Ron at the SG spot is questionable, but shouldn't matter in this matchup. I would have liked to see LMA get more minutes then 20, but that is me

Mascot in 6

Hoffa vs RocDogg is a great series!

Game 7 is starting now so I will give the winner in a little while when I can look at it a little more (wish there was a rebuttal)

so far in the series, The Hoffa's have gotten hurt when CP3 needs a break, JET has not played the point in years and is really struggled running things when CP3 takes a break. The CP3 vs nash battle has been great to watch (or think about). The BIGS batttle has been lots of fun also with Amare and Bosh getting most of the spotlight but the Bogut/Haywood battle has been just as evenly matched (as is Noah/Scola)

Game 7 will come down to how well Smooth plays against Granger (on both ends) and if Roy can have his way against Brewer. Plus will Casspi produce in his minutes?

Final result to come soon! I honestly am torn here

After 4 OT's in game 7, Roy vs Brewer mismatch is just too much for hoffa to overcome

Rocdogg just sneaks bye and gets my vote! great teams guys

[jcldallas24]

Bruh Man vs Mascot

Bruh Man makes it close but in the end Mascot takes it. If he woulda started Gasol at center and put Alridge at PF he might've had a better chance with a bigger front line i mean i know Hayes is known as an awesome defender and all but in twenty minutes out there he would get absolutely killed by Dwight, and Garnett with Rondo as the PG he can create for them with ease and Hayes wouldn't have much of a chance at stopping them.

Mascot in 7

Hoffa vs RocDogg

Like Sambone said this is a great series but i think BBH has some better overall mix of defense and offense and will eventually come out on top.
BBH in 7

[BlackIce]

Bruh Man vs Mascot

This series is just a bad matchup for Bruh, especially at the C spot. Hayes is a great defender but he simply gives up to much size to Howard. The other minutes going to Gasol and Anderson will help but ultimately it won’t be enough to overcome this disadvantage. Gerald Wallace is one of the best defenders in the league and having a monster year, he’ll make Melo work at both ends and Melo taking over was the only chance Bruh had. Sagging off of Rondo and Wallace and packing the paint a bit may win a game or two, and Melo make take over another one but my vote goes to...Mascot

Hoffa vs RocDogg

The PG and PF battles should be fun, ultimately I think this comes down to who has a bigger series between Roy and Granger. I really like the makeup of Roc’s team, especially offensively. Nash running with Smith and Bosh, with Roy as that secondary playmaker is just deadly. On the other side Paul will be getting Granger open looks all day, and a Paul/Amare P&R is hard to stop. Granger will have trouble handling the much stronger Smith, and on the other end Smith doesn’t have the perimeter quickness to guard Granger.


Smith excels on PF’s because he has the quicks to stay in front of them and the size to keep them out of the post. Paul will torch Nash, but Roc has a big advantage at SG, Roy is a number one option, and although I love the defense and passing that Brewer gives Hoffa, this is probably the biggest mis-match in the series. Bogut’s passing will hurt Hoffa in this series more than his scoring, Noah/Haywood will hinder Bogut quite a bit.

This is tough but I’m voting for ... RocDogg

jcldallas24 vs. SamBone

This was probably the toughest series for me to decide, I went back and forth a few times. I really like Sambone’s team, it’s balanced, solid defensively, and has a top 2 player in Kobe. On the other side, jc has a pretty tremendous offense that will be hard to slow down. Let’s look at the SG matchup, Kobe will have a big series, I think that JJ will be able to limit’s Kobe’s post game (JJ is a BIG guard that excels at guarding bigger SG’s and even SF’s), but Kobe will get his. I also think that Durant will have a good series, not that Iggy is a bad defender (far from it Iggy is an excellent defender) but because Iggy gives up 4 inchs to Durant. This may not seem significant but it is. Durant at 29.7/7.5 is having a breakout year, and a lot of his game is simply shooting over smaller defenders.

Billups will have Westbrook breathing down his neck and a big part of his game will be hindered (Billups likes to take smaller PG’s into the paint, and post up, he can’t do that much with Westbrook), however he’s a veteran that knows how to find the hot hand and hit clutch shots. Westbrook is a high turnover guy but on a team with Durant/Dirk/Kaman with JJ beside him I don’t see him having the ball enough to hurt his team in that respect.

Dirk will dominant this series, Horford is a good post defender but I’m not sure how comfortable he’ll be guarding Dirk on the perimeter. However the majority of the minutes are going to Love how simply won’t be able to do much against Dirk.

The center position is interesting; Lopez is the best of the bunch but Kaman/Gasol splitting time will keep both fresh, and both aren’t far off from Lopez in terms of production.

I was going to vote for Sambone simply because he is more balanced and there are a few to many ball dominant players in JC’s starting 5, but then I looked at the benches. Lee/Moute/Gibson/Gasol are low usage defense guys (Evans being the exception).

Tough, tough series and I flip flopped many times..I’m voting for Sambone.

[bringbackhoffa]

Mascot Vs Bruh Man

This is an awesome series but i think, Bruh Man main weakness is his post presence when going up against KG,D12.
As well i think he is relying on Artest to provide a defensive presence, of which he has been struggling mightly this season.
At the pg position you have the veteran leader vs the new kid on the block in rondo. I will have to give bruh man the advantage here because of the veteran savvy as well as the depth he has with brooks. But i think the quickness of rondo will keep them in the series.
Melo vs Gwallace: I will give melo the advantage here however not by much, crash is a very good defender, but is also 1 love tap away from a concussion.
Both team benches have a good mixture of offence and defence, howver i got to give the adv to mascot here due to the experience battier brings as well as the offensive threat gordon brings.

Overall i think the post threat of Garnett(think his minute total is too high but landry and thompson can step in), and D12 vs Hayes is a dominating advtange for mascot. Winner in 6 Mascot.

[roc]

Mascot v Bruh Man

Mascot's team has some exceptional defense and is very athletic and quick. Outside shooting is a big weakness however. Rondo should be able to get into the paint at will and dump off to Dwight for easy dunks over Hayes. Garnett seems to be a step slow this year and should have a challenge going up against this year's version of Pau. Melo v Crash will also be interesting and Crash will make him work for his points. Kidd while still good just can't keep up with Rondo. Artest v Smith I expect to turn into mainly 3 point shots and some random chucking. The benches are pretty even and I don't see either one being the difference in this series.

Over all Dwight will dominate the middle and take his team to victory in spite of the sub par outside shooting around him. This team could steam roll defensively ala the 04 Pistons.

Mascot in 5


jcldallas v SamBone

This one could end quickly IMO. Dirk and Durant can drop a ton of points and spread the floor extremely well. Kaman will be a nice bail out option but will not get the looks he is used to and that could affect the other parts of his game. Westbrook is decent but not the best starting material in a game like this. I see him getting abused by Billups in this series but making a few flashy plays along the way. Kobe v JJ will mos def go to Kobe. SamBone's back court is pretty clutch and will be able to assert their will and control the flow of these games. Sam also has much better team D and it is most evident in the front court match ups. Defense wins titles and this series will be no excetion. Will Horford be able to sgut down Dirk? Nope, not a chance but... he will make him work very hard and will also be protecting the paint from guard penetration along with Lopez. Iggy will also make Durant work hard for his points and will cause some turnover problems. Speaking of TOs I can see that being an issue for jcldallas. The benches are both nice but again, I see neither one as having an advantage over the other.

This series goes 6 games with SamBone coming out on top.

[bringbackhoffa]

I don’t see this series going too deep, SamBone has a nice mixture of youth and experience, that I think jcl cannot overcome. The backcourt of billups and Bryant is way too much for westbrook and JJ to contain, and having another explosive weapon like Iggy is just too much too overcome. Jcl does have a really good front court but I belive the defensive presence of horford, love, and lopez can limit the offensive potential of dirk and Kaman.
In 5 to Sambone

[roc]

lol you had the 5th as last day and 'no more extensions' in the title then break your own rule.

[bringbackhoffa]

^ Group project toook longer then expected

[SamBone]

by my calculations I got

Mascot winning 6-0 (wow 6 people voted on only this matchup)
SamBone winning 3 -0
Rocdogg winning 2 -1

maybe next round people can vote on all matchups

[bringbackhoffa]

^^ If Mascot, Bruh Man, and CD dont get ALL of their judging decisions then they are DQ'd, as stated in the rules