Fake Playoffs are Here: Hype your Team/Matchup!

[Gainesville Celtic]

Yes we can all agree that Charlie V, Michael Redd and Mike Bibby suck at defense.

Michael Redd will surprise you, although nobody will say that defense is a strength.  He has his moments, though, and he's not atrocious (which is how GC described Kevin Martin.)

Yes, GC was disappointed in Martin's 50 point game. Your correct that nobody would say that defense was a strength of Redd. Now recovering form his serious knee surgery, Redd might hope to be at the "atrocious" level.

what are you talking about? I never said i was disappointed in Martin's 50 point game...

I've repeatedly said Martin is a gifted scorer. And a good fit for your team (and woulda loved to have him on my team).... But there have been a lot of gifted scorers that are bad defenders: Redd and Martin are just 2 of them.

(I agree that Redd and Martin will be equally weak as defenders this year. Atrocious might have been a little strong.... bad/atrocious is a matter of degree though.)

I don't include CV there b/c I've NEVER claimed him to be a gifted scorer. In fact in my press conference, I made a point of saying that we were asking him to do fewer things in the hopes that he does them better... not just say "CV is great and he'll be 10x better playing alongside Lebron." He'll also play 25-28 mpg with a specific role, not the 38 Kevin Martin will be playing.

[Roy Hobbs]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

[johnnyrondo]

Kevin Martin has been asked to shoulder the load in Sacto. In Chicago with CP3 and Gasol he can concentrate on other things and expect CP3 and Harter to get him to up his defense, as KG and Thibs upped Ray's and Pierce's. Martin is long and young and should have no problem playing good D, now that he isn't needed to score 50. Redd, who I'm not totally against, is 30 and recovering from a major knee surgery. He wasn't known as a defender before and I think his defense slips now. Charlie V, I've told you many a times, I find to be a lazy player and now that he has his contract I have concerns.

You brought this topic up instead of just hyping your team.

[johnnyrondo]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

[Roy Hobbs]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

Uh huh.  Honest.

[johnnyrondo]

Since Roy needs an explanation:

I prefer GS's point guard and bigs. Portland has the better offensive wings, but GS has good defenders there. My main concern with Portland is their chemistry. You have Bibby who doesn't even average 5 assists in charge of getting shots for Redd, West, Manu, Lewis, Jermaine, Miller and Shaq among others. All those guys want their numbers. And I see Miami improving after Shaq left and the Suns getting worse with Shaq there. I don't think a team counting on him to be their guy is destined to go far. Roy wants this team to be compared to the 2004 Pistons, but they were a team where everyone had their roles and played great defense. As Isiah found out in 2007/2008 you can't just put a team together of high scorers and big contracts. This team will do well in the video game portion of this contest though.

Hopefully I don't get retaliation hating in votes because I dared to not like Roy's team. i thought he was playing possum and was going to trade bibby, Redd, and shaq for a star like Kobe or Duncan or Wade, but he didn't. I could of easily voted Portland just to keep in good favor, but that wouldn't be fair to evantime

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Thad Young is 21 years old. I'm not saying Rondo and Jefferson are done improving, I'm saying the jumps Young have made so far have been amazing considering he came in as a teenager and jumped as much as he has considering he legally started drinking in late June.

Experience matters here because Tim Duncan lead the Spurs to 4 titles. Oberto and Bowen were no more then bit pieces, Rondo did it once with Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, and Howard hasn't won. Duncan was the franchise player for the Spurs, while none of the others were close to franchise players when they won.

I don't care how often Duncan and will be 35 years old Oberto played in practice. If Oberto was better, they would have played him. Also, what about how Oberto views Duncan, from getting a first hand seat to all that experience in practice? From Oberto's wikipedia:

On August 11, 2009, he was officially signed by the Wizards. Since jersey number 7 was already taken by Andray Blatche, he will wear number 21 because of his birth date (March 21st) and in honor of one of his idols, former teammate Tim Duncan.

Also, I'm practically begging you to put 38 year old Bruce Bowen on Ben Gordon. I think that would go very well for me. You do not have an answer to Ben Gordon on your roster.

Duncan won't be tired from the season either. As you saw in my own voting, Seattle finished 2nd in the division specifically because Duncan would be rested in regular season games for the playoffs. If pushed for 82 games, Seattle could have contended for the division, but it was basically conceded Spurs style to make the playoffs.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

I'd like an explanation on Phoenix-Seattle too if you have time

[johnnyrondo]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

Uh huh.  Honest.

roy were you the kid who brought the ball to the park, but if you weren't winning went home. Ever since I said long ago that i didn't like your team's chemistry, you have tried repeatedly to attack the bulls. I fully expected you to make a trade to get a star and to get rid of the excess of former stars you want to play smaller roles.

[indeedproceed]

Thad Young is 21 years old. I'm not saying Rondo and Jefferson are done improving, I'm saying the jumps Young have made so far have been amazing considering he came in as a teenager and jumped as much as he has considering he legally started drinking in late June.

Experience matters here because Tim Duncan lead the Spurs to 4 titles. Oberto and Bowen were no more then bit pieces, Rondo did it once with Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, and Howard hasn't won. Duncan was the franchise player for the Spurs, while none of the others were close to franchise players when they won.

I don't care how often Duncan and will be 35 years old Oberto played in practice. If Oberto was better, they would have played him. Also, what about how Oberto views Duncan, from getting a first hand seat to all that experience in practice? From Oberto's wikipedia:

On August 11, 2009, he was officially signed by the Wizards. Since jersey number 7 was already taken by Andray Blatche, he will wear number 21 because of his birth date (March 21st) and in honor of one of his idols, former teammate Tim Duncan.

Also, I'm practically begging you to put 38 year old Bruce Bowen on Ben Gordon. I think that would go very well for me. You do not have an answer to Ben Gordon on your roster.

Duncan won't be tired from the season either. As you saw in my own voting, Seattle finished 2nd in the division specifically because Duncan would be rested in regular season games for the playoffs. If pushed for 82 games, Seattle could have contended for the division, but it was basically conceded Spurs style to make the playoffs.

So was Duncan tired against Dallas last post season? He only played 75 games there.

You're hitching your cart to an old horse and you got no bench. I really don't see your case here.

[indeedproceed]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

I'd like an explanation on Phoenix-Seattle too if you have time

Oh come on everyone has said from the jump that we're close. I haven't asked for one justification on a Seattle vote even though its clear you're the inferior team.

[Roy Hobbs]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

Uh huh.  Honest.

roy were you the kid who brought the ball to the park, but if you weren't winning went home. Ever since I said long ago that i didn't like your team's chemistry, you have tried repeatedly to attack the bulls. I fully expected you to make a trade to get a star and to get rid of the excess of former stars you want to play smaller roles.

We didn't expect your vote.  As I said the other day, we know you're going to vote against us in every round.  I'm glad the vast majority of others folks don't see things your way.

[johnnyrondo]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

I'd like an explanation on Phoenix-Seattle too if you have time

Hate the idea of Oberto being so pivotal, but if you know me I was a huge Big Al fan and a huge Rondo fan, and I think that Rondo will be much better against TJ than you give credit for. Rondo has had to defer to the C's big 3. I see Rondo playing more like the guy we saw against the Bulls for IP. This is definitely a 7 game series and i think you are both top 4 teams in the west, so this was difficult. Sorry, but I can only go with my honest vote.

[johnnyrondo]

(POR/GS): GS

How wonderfully predictable.

I almost voted Portland just so I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of voting against Chuck Norris, but I had to be honest.

Uh huh.  Honest.

roy were you the kid who brought the ball to the park, but if you weren't winning went home. Ever since I said long ago that i didn't like your team's chemistry, you have tried repeatedly to attack the bulls. I fully expected you to make a trade to get a star and to get rid of the excess of former stars you want to play smaller roles.

We didn't expect your vote.  As I said the other day, we know you're going to vote against us in every round.  I'm glad the vast majority of others folks don't see things your way.

You've accused me of it being personal or dishonest, but you take great insult to any supposed attack on your reputation. I've been consistent from the beginning that in this game team chemistry and fit matters. This is not a video game. I fully expected you to make a trade and you didn't. I like some of your players: Rashard (as a 3rd guy), Manu, delonte, Miller, Gomes, but as a team with all those extra players, I think your team is team disension. Curious, what is your projected minute breakdown for the playoffs?

[indeedproceed]

I will be back this after noon to see how the voting went. Until then, vote Phoenix!

Here come the Suns!