Post by New Jersey Nets on Oct 28, 2008 22:07:13 GMT -5
Boston Celtics
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At full strength, the Boston Celtics can not only play with anyone but beat anyone. The unexpected all-star caliber play of Udonis Haslem has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston GM and he may be the Celtic's MVP even with Kevin Garnett on the team. Haslem's defensive play on Yao Ming might just decide this series. If he can continually outplay Ming while keeping Ming from dominating the glass and the paint, the Celtics will roll in this one even with Tinsley getting the starting nod at the point over the injured T.J. Ford. I expect Kevin Garnett to step up his game even more against a good playoff opponent and should continually abuse David Lee. Garnett is a top 5 sim player and he might just be the MVP of this past regular season. Rashard Lewis must continue he deadly shooting behind the arc he displayed during the season series with the Bobcats. His absolutely sick 65.3% from the field against Charlotte could off set a bad series from one of the starters. He is the only true deep threat the Celtics have so his health and consistency are imperative. Mike Dunleavy was very solid all year and he should be able to use his size advantage on Jason Terry all series long. During the season series Dunleavy stepped up his all-around game but needs to be more efficient on the offensive end. He doesn't need to light it up or score 20 ppg but better than 30% from the floor is a must. Jamal Tinsley is a good true point guard. He has had lapses during his career so consistency has been an issue. He may start Game 1 but look for T.J. Ford to come back healthy early in this series. Tinsley is ideally a backup but got the job done against the Bobcats during the year but T.J. Ford brings top end speed and quickness that will make Chris Paul expend more energy than he usually has to. Ford being able to run Paul ragged is something to look for early in the series and it will be interesting to see how Charlotte counters.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]Bench depth is always a huge factor in the playoffs and the Celtics have a deep and experienced bench. Michael Finley, Kendrick Perkins, Jarvis Hayes, Donte Greene, Joe Smith, Joey Graham, and Javaris Crittenton seem to have it all. Finley's days of being an upper tier scorer are over but he has become a deadly three point shooter and can still slash to the hoop when needed. He also brings a ton of playoff and winning experience to this second squad. Perkins always seems to be on the cusp of being a legitimate low post scorer and defender. His size will be a problem for the Bobcats bench. Jarvis Hayes is an ideal bench player and should bring energy on the defensive end when called upon. Joe Smith isn't the player he used to be but he can still knock down the 12 foot jumper so Charlotte better not overlook him when he is on the floor. Joey Graham and Javaris Crittenton are both young players with a lot of potential and this playoff experience on this team will only help their future development. Both are very athletic and pose matchup problems for other teams.
Charlotte Bobcats
[/size][/center]Starting Lineup
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The Charlotte Bobcats have a lot of things going for them but it all starts and stops with Yao Ming and Chris Paul. These two superstars will be called upon to carry Charlotte throughout these playoffs. Ming seems to have a very favorable matchup with Udonis Haslem and he should have good if not great numbers but Ming needs to be more than great, he needs to be dominate. David Lee and Tyrus Thomas are similar in many ways. Both are somewhat offensively challenged and play all out all game long. Lee can dominate the glass while Thomas can be very disruptive on defense. These two are also the glaring weaknesses on the starting line for the Bobcats. Charlotte would need a miracle for either and/or both Thomas and Lee to outplay Garnett and Lewis. Jason Terry isn't a superstar but he is very versatile. He can come off the bench and light it up or start and be a solid player. He is a scorer by nature he will need to play his best game all series long against a much bigger and longer Mike Dunleavy. Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league. He is so quick all over the floor that most opposing point guards can't keep up but T.J. Ford is different. Ford might be faster and just as quick. This will be a huge matchup as Game 2 and Game 3 roll around. If the Bobcats have any dreams of extending or even winning this series, Paul must destroy Ford/Tinsley.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]Raja Bell, Delonte West, Antoine Walker, Ike Diogu, Spencer Hawes, Devin Brown, and Kenny Thomas form a very solid bench 6-12. Bell provides experience and a great deep shooting for a 3-point starved Bobcats team. West can play well at times but he struggles on offense too much to be a big factor in this series. Walker is now relegated to bench status and has been a journeyman since his Celtic days. He still doesn't understand the team concept and actually might hurt Charlotte more than he could ever help. Diogu has talent and could step up his play but he is a bit undersized for the power forward position, especially compared to who the Celtics will be playing there. Hawes is good on offense and the boards but his inexperience will hurt here even though he could win the matchup with Perkins. Brown is a defensive specialist and could be used to shut down Dunleavy if he goes off early. Thomas is a vet that has been under appreciated during his entire career. Don't expect him to get a lot of minutes even though he probably should get more. He struggles on defense and he could be a liability against an elite team like the Celtics.
Final Analysis
[/color][/center][/size]The starting lineup for the Celtics should destroy the starters for the Bobcats. The David Lee/Kevin Garnett and Tyrus Thomas/Rashard Lewis just isn't fair. KG should dominate and will most likely win MVP of the series. Chris Paul should be his normal self but don't expect the dominate performance Charlotte needs to remain competitive. Dunleavy will have his way with Terry and it could get ugly early. The only saving grace for the Bobcats is the bench. Their bench is rather deep and can at least compete with the Celtics bench. It will take a monster effort from the second squad to even push this series to five games let alone seven.
Prediction: Boston 4
[/color] Charlotte 1[/center][color=Atlanta Hawks
[/size][/center]Starting Lineup
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What can I say about the best starting backcourt in RimRockers? Kobe Bryant is a lock for the Hall of Fame and is completely unguardable. Dwyane Wade is very explosive and is one of the top 10 players in the league. Even with all the talent between the two, they haven't seemed to mesh during their time together. The playoffs should be where that changes. Wade played better during the season series with Washington while Kobe still wasn't Kobe. They both have favorable matchups against Michael Redd and Juan Dixon. Yeah, not good. Brad Miller will also need to play better. He isn't much of a defensive player so he must be a better offensive player. Aldridge might be a problem for Miller. Wilcox has all the talent to be a good player but just doesn't seem to get the playing time. He will in this series and how he plays against Luol Deng will be a huge factor for the Hawk's success in this series. Luke Walton should have a good series against Kirk Snyder since Snyder isn't a big offensive talent and Walton is a very smart basketball player so should be able to score enough on the offensive end. The injury to Peja Stojakovic is huge but the overall drop off to Walton isn't great enough to stop the Hawks.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]Charlie Bell, Steve Francis, Robert Horry, Derek Anderson, Danny Fortson, Sergio Rodriguez, and Brad Newley form the bench and it is rather experienced. Horry has won a lot of championships and seen a lot of playoff action which should help the Hawks bench when they are needed. Francis is still explosive but he seems to have lost that edge he used to have. If he finds it look out. Bell is still developing as a player and is a good player off the bench. Anderson is in the Horry mold in that he is a long time vet with playoff experience. Fortson should provide rebounding and both Rodriguez and Newley are still too green to provide much of anything. The Hawks bench is thin and should another major injury occur, Atlanta could be in trouble.
Washington Wizards
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The loss of Mike Bibby for the duration of the season a few weeks before the playoff determined the Wizards post season fate. Bibby gave the Wiz a big four and one of better point guards in the league. Without him, Washington will be hard pressed to get the ball to their stars. LeMarcus Aldridge is a young but talented big man and he needs to step up as the stakes have gone up. He had a good season but not nearly good enough for the playoffs. Luol Deng was somewhat of a disappointment since he was traded to the Wiz. He has talent and is usually a matchup problem but his scoring dropped and he will find points hard to come by against Chris Wilcox. Michael Redd is a shooter first, second, third, ... , tenth. If he gets going, not even Kobe will be able to stop him. Redd must be more efficient during this series as he will be hounded by Kobe every game. Juan Dixon shouldn't be starting. He is going to be destroyed by Wade.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]Dale Davis, Ime Udoka, Kareem Rush, Devean George, Brandon Costner, Glen Davis, and D.J. White make up the Wizards bench. Davis brings the experience and Udoka brings a lot of intangibles that this team seems to be lacking. Rush is another shooter in the mold of Redd. George has an all around game but is best off the bench and may be the best bench player the Wiz have. Costner is a rookie that won't or shouldn't see the floor. Davis had a good rookie year and decent second season but is undersized for the F/C position. If he is in shape and motivated he could be a difference maker. White just finished up his rookie year and has the talent to be a low post presence but is a ways from realizing it.
Final Analysis
[/color][/center][/size]The Hawks are more talented and deeper where it matters. Kobe and Wade should dominate this series and wouldn't be surprised if both score more than 30 ppg. Brad Miller needs to be consistent and motivated for the Hawks to really shut down the Wiz. Washington has talent in Deng, Aldridge, and Redd but don't have the star players that can play both ends that the Hawks have. Having to play Deng at the four (out of position) might be the undoing of the Wizards as he should be outplayed by Wilcox. The benches are similar but the Hawks have the edge in experience and overall talent.
Prediction: Atlanta 4
[/color] Washington 2[/center]Miami Heat
[/size][/center]Starting Lineup
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The Heat have a very good starting five. Marcus Camby is a defensive force but is anemic on the offensive end. If Miami gets anything from Camby in the scoring category it will be a big plus. Pau Gasol is a great offensive low post player and is adequate enough of defense to not be a liability. His matchup with Kenyon Martin should be interesting. Pau will need to dominate this matchup as the Heat don't have many favorable matchups. Ruben Patterson is a stopper plain and simple. He has offensive chops but will rarely be called upon in this series. LeBron James is the best talent in the league. He can do it all and usually does it well. How he deals with the intensity of Ron Artest will decide the direction this series will go. Bron should have his way as this isn't the Celtics zone defense but it isn't a given. Jason Kidd will find his teammates and give them every opportunity to succeed. He isn't as fast or as quick as he once was so he'll have his hands full defending Chauncey Billups. If Kidd scores more than 15 ppg in this series, the Heat will win.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]The Heat bench could pose problematic for the Bulls in this series. Quentin Richardson could be starting for a lot of teams in the league and he provides good rebounding and outside shooting from the bench. Gary Payton and Byron Russell are veterans that will help the younger players in the playoffs and can provide efficient minutes for Miami. Keith Van Horn is also an older player but at this point is only good on offense. Kelvin Cato is a capable big man that can step in and grab boards and be a defensive presence in the paint. Jeff Foster is probably the best player on the bench. He would be a solid starter in the league but he provides much needed depth to the Heat. Aaron Afflalo is a talent young payer but needs for playing time before he is ready to be a factor.
Chicago Bulls
[/size][/center]Starting Lineup
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The Okafor/Camby matchup won't be fun to watch but will help decide this series. Another intriguing matchup is Pau Gasol and Kenyon Martin. Martin needs to be aggressive as Gasol isn't overly athletic and has problems guarding good offensive post players. Al Harrington should have a favorable matchup with Patterson. Patterson is a stopper but Harrington is bigger and a good jump shooter and post player. This series might come down to Ron Artest. If he can keep his head on straight and frustrate LeBron, this game will go seven. Chauncey Billups should have his way with Kidd on offense but isn't a great defender himself and won't be able to stop Kidd from creating opportunities for his teammates.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]Adam Morrison, Tyronn Lue, Scott Padgett, Reggie Evans, Dominic McGuire, JamesOn Curry, and Jared Jordan have been inconsistent all year. Morrison has the talent to start but has been injured and not what the team expected from deep. Lue is more than a capable starting point guard but he isn't a real threat on offense. Padgett is strictly a shooter and Evans is a rebounding specialist. McGuire has the most upside of this group and athletic ability but still hasn't put it all together yet. Curry is in his second year and doesn't have a lot of playing time under his belt. Jordan also has talent but has found playing time scarce with the quality of starters the Bulls have.
Final Analysis
[/color][/center][/size]I just can't go against LeBron. He has some defensive help and a possible game changer in Martin. The matchups favor Miami and their bench is deeper. This should still be a close series and might go seven. If Billups steps up and Artest can somehow slow James then the Bulls could even win the series. I just don't see that happening though.
Prediction: Miami 4
[/color] Chicago 2[/center]Detroit Pistons
[/size][/center]Starting Lineup
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This series should be over quickly for the Pistons. They have Jermaine O'Neal going against Andris Biedrins. Nothing against Biedrins but he just can't match up well with Jermaine at this point in his career. Melo will be going against Zach Randolph and Randolph will be able to post up the smaller Melo but Melo will destroy Randolph on the other end of the floor. Paul Pierce and Hedo Turkoglu is an interesting matchup but Pierce plays well on the defensive end and that will be the deciding factor. Carlos Delfino's length and bigger build could be a problem for Ben Gordon as he isn't a big two guard. Lindsey Hunter may not be able to out produce Tony Parker but he should be able to shadow him all game on defense.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]Jarrett Jack, Antoine Wright, Kwame Brown, Jared Dudley, Matt Carroll, Theo Ratliff and Antonio Davis provide some front court depth but only Ratliff and Davis are experienced and playoff tested veterans. Jack could start in this league and maybe should with the injury to Joe Johnson. He provides more scoring and creative ability than Hunter but Hunter has played a lot of playoff games. Wright and Brown need to get it together. They are uber talented but don't play with a lot of heart. Dudley has got the defensive end down and is growing on offense. All he needs is more experience. Carroll can knock down the three and is a solid bench player for the Pistons.
Orlando Magic
[/size][/center]Starting Lineup
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Orlando will have problems stopping the Pistons offensive juggernaut. Randolph will have to play defense and Ben Gordon will need to be hot during the entire series. The Magic also have terrible team defense. Biedrins is a great young center but he still has problems with getting fouls and not being good offensively. Parker is the leader of this offense and will need to create shots in teh paint more than ever. If Orlando plays some D they have a shot otherwise it will be a quick series.
Bench
[/color][/center][/size]The bench is where it is as for the Magic. Bonzi Wells and Anthony Parker do most things good but nothing great. Derek Fisher is a good leader at the point and provides clutch shooting for Orlando. Maurice Evans can play some D and knock down threes but that is about it. P.J. Brown brings some size and high basketball IQ that allows him to outrebound bigger and more athletic players. Jumaine Jones is better on D but has some athleticism. David Wesley is another veteran but his skills have greatly diminished. The bench needs to step up for Orlando in this series.
Final Analysis
[/color][/center][/size]Tony Parker may be great but the rest of the Magic team isn't. The Pistons have three elite players with a solid bench. Detroit's offensive firepower will be too much for Orlando to overcome and the Magic need too many things to go right to even be competitive.
Prediction: Detroit 4
[/color] Orlando 1[/center][/color]