Post by mops on May 4, 2009 15:08:47 GMT -5
#1 Grizzlies vs. #8 Jazz
This is going to be an interesting series to say the least. The Grizzlies are maybe one of the best stories in the UOSLR in recent memory coming from a bottom dweller to a playoff team last year and then this year one of the favorites to win a title. The Jazz fired their GM and brought in Jayborne to run the team and found themselves finishing the year on an 11-4 run going into the playoffs. The Grizzlies won the regular season series 4-0.
The starting line ups match up but are also very different.
C-Shaq 20 ppg, 11rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 2 bpg, 2 tpg
PF-Ellison 11 ppg, 12 rpg, 2 apg, 3 bpg, 1 tpg
SF- Simmons 15 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
SG- Houston 21 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 1 tpg
PG- Strickland 12 ppg, 4 rpg, 9 apg, 2 spg, 2 tpg
vs.
C-Sabonis 22 ppg, 10 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 2 tpg
PF- Manning 22 ppg, 10 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 2 tpg
SF- Hardaway 11 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg, 1 spg, 1 tpg
SG-Smith 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 5 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
PG- Douglas 17 ppg, 3 rpg, 6 apg, 1 spg, 3 tpg
The Jazz will need to control Shaq and Ellison down low to have a chance. They match up well with the guards and wings but will need Sabonis and Manning to play really well to win. I expect Sabonis to play really well and nullify the dominance of Shaq. However the Grizz win by Houston’s outside shooting and the shut down ability of Ellison and Strickland on Douglas and Manning. Grizzlies win in 6 games.
#4 Nuggets vs. #5 Spurs
Rematch from last year’s playoffs. The Nuggets went out early and got a 3-0 lead and then allowed the Spurs to win the next 3 and it went to San Antonio for game 7 and the Nuggets won. The Nuggets won 3 out of the 4 and went 2-1 without Vlade against All-Star Patrick Ewing. The spurs come into the series without starting PF Mark West due to a torn ACL and backup PF Hot Rod Williams for the first two with another injury.
C-Divac 17 ppg, 12 rpg, 3 apg, 1 bpg, 2 tpg
PF- Gilliam 17 ppg, 9 rpg, 2 agp, 1 bpg, 1 tpg
SF- Robinson 10 ppg 7 rpg, 1 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 1 tpg
SG- Jackson 19 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
PG- Brandon 19 ppg, 5 rpg, 9 apg, 1 spg
vs.
C- Ewing 21 ppg, 10 rpg, 2 agp, 1 spg, 3 bpg, 2 tpg
PF- Hot Rod 5 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 apg
SF- Bird 10 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
SG- Lewis 27 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 3 tpg
PG- Jackson 15 ppg, 4 rpg, 10 apg, 1 spg, 1 tpg
The Nuggets are too deep and too young for the aging Spurs to keep up for a 7 game series. The Nuggets will win in 5 games with a wealth of talent and production. Expect Brandon to have a very big game as he’s played very well in the 4 games and even scoring 49 in one game.
#3 Rockets vs. #6 Timberwolves
This is an interesting series as well. Inside vs. Outside. Fast vs. slow. Young vs. Old. The Rockets might be the favorite out of the west even though they are the 3 seed. Ducky traded young stars Chris Webber and Dale Davis for Hakeem Olajuwon and it paid out 10 times over. The Dream is paired up with aging star Dominique Wilkins and Clyde Drexler to form a Retirement All-Star team. The Timberwolves have young stars Andrew Lang and Steve Smith paired with the vet Charles Barkley and Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway who are in the peek of their primes.
C-Olajuwon 29 ppg, 13 rpg, 4 apg, 1 spg, 4 bpg, 3 tpg
PF- Duckworth 14 ppg, 7 rpg, 1 apg, 1 tpg
SF- Wilkins 21 ppg, 7 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
SG- Drexler 17 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 apg, 2 spg, 2 tpg
PG- Johnson 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 9 apg, 2 spg, 3 tpg
vs.
C-Lang 12 ppg, 11 rpg, 1 apg, 1 spg, 4 bpg, 1 tpg
PF- Barkley 21 ppg, 12 rpg, 4 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
SF- Smith 17 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 1 tpg
SG- Richmond 18 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg, 2 tpg
PG- Hardaway 17 ppg, 5 rpg, 9 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
This was a tough one as I really wanted to pick the Timberwolves in 7 but decided to go with the vets who know their way around the playoffs and the Rockets will win a hard fought close battle in 6. If there is going to be an upset in the West this will be the game. That said The Dream will carry the load.
#2 Sonics vs. #7 Suns
The Sonics record overall in the west isn’t the 2nd seed but because they won the Pacific Division they get home court and the second seed. The Suns started out hot and had a dry spell in the middle and finished hot again going 7-3 in their final 10 games. Both teams have studs at PF in Tarpley and Coleman and both get great play from the outside. Shoot be high scoring games.
C-Purdue 11 ppg, 10 rgp 1 apg, 1 bpg, 1 tpg
PF- Tarpley 24 ppg, 11 rpg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 1 tpg
SF- Norman 8 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 apg, 1 tpg
SG- Petrovic 21 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 2 tpg
PG- Payton 17 ppg, 4 rpg, 9 apg, 2 spg, 1 tpg
vs.
C- Causwell 7 ppg, 8 rpg, 1 apg, 3 bpg, 1 tpg
PF- Coleman 15 ppg, 10 rpg, 3 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 2 tpg
SF- Laettner 18 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 apg, 1 tpg
SG- Hawkins 23 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 2 spg, 2 tpg
PG- Gill 15 ppg, 5 rpg, 7 apg, 1 spg, 3 tpg
The Sonics are going to win this game in 7 games but every game will be close and both teams will win a game on the other’s home court. I almost picked this one as well as an upset but decided that the Suns GM has been clueless and hasn’t posted a DC in almost 5 Sims and most likely that will cost him as he has no idea what his team is like right now.
