2013 CB Draft: Eastern Semi Finals: New York(2) vs Cleveland(3)

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New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers

New York
Guards: Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Kirk Hinrich, Francisco Garcia, Beno Udrih
Forwards: Zach Randolph, Jeff Green, Larry Sanders, Derrick Williams, Jeremy Evans
Centers: Brook Lopez, Channing Frye, Victor Faverani
Coach: George Karl

Presser: http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=67437.msg1545576#msg1545576

Cleveland
Guards: Ty Lawson, Tony Allen, Jamal Crawford, Steve Blake, Terrence Ross
Forwards: Al Horford, Carl Landry, Gerald Wallace, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom
Centers: Kevin Garnett, Timofey Mozgov, Bernard James
Lionel Hollins

Presser: http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=67439.msg1545562#msg1545562

Polls open at 12 noon EST Sept. 10th. Close 11:59:59PM  Sept. 10th. Here are the voting guidelines for this round:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=67476.msg1548554#msg1548554

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Thread open

[AB_Celtic]

Placeholder. Gonna be on a plane tomorrow morning but I should have something up in the afternoon. Hold your votes until then!

[Lucky17]

Whoever matches up against ZBo, that's going to be the matchup to watch. Super entertaining, either way.

[indeedproceed]

I can tell you a really good strategy: don't place a stretch 4 on sanders. People aren't ready to accept that.

[Lucky17]

I can tell you a really good strategy: don't place a stretch 4 on sanders. People aren't ready to accept that.

I was right there with you, IP. Gallo as a stretch 4 made a ton of sense to me.

I wasn't ready to buy the bench backcourt though. Sorry.

[dark_lord]

this one is tough....I favor the cavs backcourt and wings, but favor ny's post play.  this one is tough.

[Who]

I think this will be another bruiser of a series for Cleveland.

I think this is the toughest matchup in the 2nd round.

The Cavs remind me a lot of the Celtics teams of recent years. The type of team that ends up in a lot of scraps in the playoffs. Able to play up to an opponent with their dogged defense and scrappiness but also fall vulnerable to playing down to an opponent too.

Leaning towards NY with Z-Bo off the bench being the deciding factor but it is very, very close.

[pearljammer10]

Should be a good match up but I think my post play is what changes this series. Horford and KG can't contain the trio of Sanders, Lopez, and Randolph, especially Lopez and ZBo on the offense. Obviously KG is a stellar defender but he won't be able to body up against either of those two when they are in the game.

Lawson isnt as good as Irving and Rubio shouldnt have a problem staying with him on defense or getting around him on offense.

Allen is a tough match up for Martin but Martin has 3 inches on Allen and again will just be able to shoot over him without problem.

Green vs Wallace should be a good match up but I give Green the slight edge on both sides of the court.

I also think people are forgetting Derrick Williams talents off the bench as the 7th or 8th man (behind ZBo then possibly Hinrich.)

I think there is too much versatility for me in the post. I can throw ZBo, Lopez, Sanders, Williams, and Green in the post and keep the fresh legs coming without enough Cavs players to guard them, especially with an old winded KG being battered and bruised constantly in the paint.

[KGs Knee]

I can tell you a really good strategy: don't place a stretch 4 on sanders. People aren't ready to accept that.

Why not, seems like a good way to exploit the matchup, if you ask me.  There really isn't a much better weapon than a "stretch 4" against lineups like NY's (unless your bigs are just flat out better).  Pull those trees out of the paint and mitigate their biggest strength.

That doesn't really seem to be what is going on in this series though, unless we are truly considering KG nothing more than a stretch 4 at this point in his career.  I don't believe that to be true.

Sanders really shouldn't be seeing a whole lot of court time in this series at PF (maybe as a backup).   KG will pull him out of the paint and take away his best skill (shot blocking).   Sanders really isn't a great team defender and is a bit overrated, IMHO.  I'd prefer Lopez/ZBo as a much more likely to succeed matchup against Horford/KG.

[Who]

I can tell you a really good strategy: don't place a stretch 4 on sanders. People aren't ready to accept that.

Why not, seems like a good way to exploit the matchup, if you ask me.  There really isn't a much better weapon than a "stretch 4" against lineups like NY's (unless your bigs are just flat out better).  Pull those trees out of the paint and mitigate their biggest strength.

That doesn't really seem to be what is going on in this series though, unless we are truly considering KG nothing more than a stretch 4 at this point in his career.  I don't believe that to be true.

Pretty much how I view KG now (as a stretch four).

Hardly ever goes into the paint anymore and I think KG will spend even less time in the post next season.

KG doesn't seem to have the legs/stamina to do all of his defensive work + rebounding work + high post play + then find enough energy to go into the low post and be a shot-creator and punish smaller or slower post defenders.

The post game is the part of his game KG has been sacrificing in order to keep the other areas of his game strong (mainly defense/rebounding).

New York got away with Kenyon Martin on KG for large parts of the Knicks series. KG was rarely able to punish him. He had the odd post up against K-Mart but KG still only scored 12-13ppg. So his post game is not something I would worry about because I don't think he is able to exploit it often enough anymore.

So yeah, I would view KG pretty much just a high post big man nowadays.

[pearljammer10]

To add. I just dont think Cleveland can score against my Knicks. Crawford is really the only guy who can create his own offense. Horford to a certain extent but I dont think Horford can take over a game. And with Sanders downlow to guard him or protect, the Cavs are going to find it very difficult to put the ball in the basket.

[Roy H.]

To add. I just dont think Cleveland can score against my Knicks. Crawford is really the only guy who can create his own offense. Horford to a certain extent but I dont think Horford can take over a game. And with Sanders downlow to guard him or protect, the Cavs are going to find it very difficult to put the ball in the basket.

... and Lawson can of course create his own offense (with only approximately 1/3 of his shot attempts assisted.)

[Who]

How does the Al Horford vs Brook Lopez matchup play out?

Not sure I have ever seen them play against one another. I would think that Horford would struggle with Lopez' size in the post but that Lopez wouldn't have the quickness/mobility to stay with Horford in the high post. Seems to me like neither is able to defend the other.

Or does Cleveland put Garnett on Brook Lopez instead? I thought Lopez did fairly well against KG in the post in the past.

I think Garnett would be more disruptive playing off of L.Sanders and doubling (with a big, a 7-1 with a 7-6 wingspan) Brook Lopez in the post + Brooklyn's other offensive threats.

[Roy H.]

I can tell you a really good strategy: don't place a stretch 4 on sanders. People aren't ready to accept that.

In fairness, you were kind of putting a "stretch 3" on Sanders.  KG won't have a problem with Sanders down low, whereas Gallo would have.