CB Draft '10 Playoffs First Round Eastern Conference

[Fafnir]

The Playoffs are here! All discussion and voting will be done today and this thread will be unlocked at midnight EST.

Voting will all be done via PM to CB Draft Voting. Voting will end at 12:00 EST tonight.

Please use the following format for your ballot.

*Your Name Here*
Chicago/Seattle
Milwaukee/Indiana
Orlando/Atlanta
New York/Washington

So for an example if Jeff were to vote he might send this (if he decided to vote solely on "superstars  ):

Jeff
Chicago
Indiana
Atlanta
New York

Here are links to the Press Conferences for each team:
Chicago
Seattle

Milwaukee
Indiana

Orlando
Atlanta

New York
Washington (note that Washington has HCA in this series)

GMs should post what their tactics would be, how they feel they'd match up, and how they'd handle their rotations. Note that HCA will be the tie-breaker if voting is tied at the end of today.

Note to GMs off playoff teams:

7. You may not vote for your own team, this is to prevent skewing of overall results by every game theory loving GM from voting themselves in first place.

This rule is a bit unclear it was meant for regular season voting, it doesn't matter in a head to head situation so feel free to list your own team as the winner. If a GM doesn't think his team will win (or fails to vote) boo to him!

Each GM team will still however only get a single vote however, I will count the first ballot I receive.

[indeedproceed]

First, best of luck to KCattheStripe, he's been a good GM the whole time, and made the game better by playing it.

That said,

Why Chicago wins over Charlattle:

Gameplan:

Defense: The plan has to start with Amare Stoudemire. I played around with the idea of putting either James or Noah on Stoudemire, but eventually I put that by the wayside.

I'm going to let Ersan Ilyasova or Louis Amundson have him, one on one. Ilyasova isn't as strong as Amare, but he's nearly as tall and had a nearly identical wingspan. On top of that I expect him to be able to stay in front of Amare if and when he decides to drive the lane. Ilyasova was 7th overall in charges drawn last year in the NBA, and I wouldn't be surprised if he caught Amare with one or two when the big guy gets cocky. Ilyasova should be good with the faceup game, but he'll lose the war in the post. If Amare starts to get baskets too easily (which I don't anticipate), I've got LeBron and Joakim Noah there as some of the best help defenders around. But, in the immediate sense, I'm letting Ersan and Amundson have this one.

I'm putting one of LeBron or Tony Allen on Rudy Gay, no matter who Charlattle wants to put on LeBron (as in they'll probably have Shane Battier guard LeBron). I'm doing this because Mike Miller should be able to guard Battier pretty simply on defense, while LeBron has proven the ability to dominate Rudy Gay on defense (Rudy Gay averaged 19.6 points per game last year. In the 8 times he's played LeBron he's been held to an average of 16.5 points). I don't anticipate Chris Duhon causing problems for Brandon Jennings, or Emeka Okafor making Joakim Noah sweat too much.

As far as the bench goes, I'm comfortable with letting my guys guard their guys. Tony Allen will be responsible for Rodney Stuckey when he's playing the 2, and if LeBron is out Allen will be guarding Rudy Gay.

If LeBron is out and Charlattle gets all Gay-Stuckey on me, then Mike Miller will have to cover Rudy, which in all honesty doesn't really scare me. In 3 games since Miller was traded to Minnesota (the Washington), Rudy Gay has scored 12 points twice, and 20 points once. Mike Miller can guard Rudy Gay.


Offense:
On offense, it will be heavy pick and roll when the starters are in. There are 4 players of my starting 5 that are dangerous from 3pt range, and because of that Joakim Noah will be able to outscore Emeka Okafor. Let me explain...Ilyasova is a role player on offense..he hits 3pt shots, he cuts to the basket and finishes in the lane, and he gets offensive rebounds by flat out hustling. Ilyasova and Miller will spend a lot of time outside the pain, keeping the interior free of everyone aside from Emeka Okafor. Noah will be the one setting the screens, LeBron and Jennings will be the ones penetrating with the dribble, and Stoudemire and Gay will be left with either leaving their men alone so the gifted passer (James or Jennings) can pass them the ball, or Stoudemire and Gay can stay home, to allow Okafor to foul out before the end of the 3rd, because there is no way he can take Pick and rolls alone from James/Jennings and Noah without accumulating some fouls. He's just not that good.

I anticipate Noah getting 15ppg minimum here, and that' not a knock on Okafor. When Noah is scoring those baskets it will be because nobody will be there to help and stop the easy dunk after dunk off the pick and roll. They'll either come to help and give up 3pts from the wings, or they'll stay home and give up 2. Amare is lazy, so he'll stay home. Sorry Ersan.

I have ample shooters waiting, namely Von Wafer and Michael Redd, neither of which will ever be on the floor at the same time, and have Eric Maynor for when Jennings is out to facilitate the offense.

The name of the game will be spacing and shooting.

Basically:

My team is better defensively, and offensively. My team is the better rebounder, and my team was never played by Jean Claude Van Damm in possibly the worst movie ever. I mean, he's got a freaking French accent!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9hatLT-vl4

Come out from behind the curtain wizard!

My team should win.

[Roy H.]

I think Chicago should be disqualified, for posting before the thread was unlocked.  Mods shouldn't have an unfair advantage over regular members.

Also, Lebron sucks.

[Who]

The top three seeds in the East are going to win comfortably.

The only first round series that looks like a close contest is Washington vs New York.

[Roy H.]

The top three seeds in the East are going to win comfortably.

The only first round series that looks like a close contest is Washington vs New York.

That will probably be the case in the final voting, but I think the Milwaukee/Indiana series and the Atlanta/Nashville series are both close, as well.  (I can't think of a good reason to vote against Chicago right now, other than that Lebron will choke in the crushing shadow of Michael Jordan.  Hopefully, KC can give me one. )

[StartOrien]

Come out from behind the curtain wizard!

This is probably my favorite quote of the whole draft

[nickagneta]

The Washington Boxers are in the Eastern Conference playoffs and unlike most of the other contenders in the East we don't have that huge main superstar that our team revolves around like a Kobe or Lebron or Dirk or Amare or Johnson or Durant or Wade(yes each of those 7 have a team of their own and all are in the Eastern Conference playoffs). What we do have is a great team defense and quality 7 deep with some great young talent thereafter.

So our strategy until we lose is going to be essentially the same. Shut down everyone else on any team we face except the big gun, defend the big gun as best as we can one on one and make that player try to beat five players by themselves. This strategy has worked for the Celtics extremely successfully over the last three years and while I am not comparing the defensive abilities of the Boxers to the Celtics, I do believe that with the personnel we have it is a defensive strategy we can execute very well.

So the Boxers will have Manu and Bayless guard Wade one on one and then have the rest of the team play tough deny pressure defense on the Knicks PGs and SFs and pack it in on Oden and Martin underneath trying to force Wade to beat the Boxers from outside.

On the offensive end the strategy will be very simple, lots of dribble penetration, lots of pick and roll for Scola going to the basket and lots of throwing it into Bynum. The reason is simple. Greg Oden is simply one of the most foul prone players in the NBA and after Oden there just isn't anyone who in a seven game series can give the Knicks the quality inside minutes they will need to beat the Boxers

[action781]

***THIS JUST IN***

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA -- Four days ago, Derek Fisher was asked to address the New Orleans Saints before the opening game of the NFL season on what it takes to repeat as a professional sports champion.  Derek Fisher was starting point guard, a terrific role player, and "ultimate glue guy" for the repeating NBA champion LA Lakers.  Whatever he said to the team seems to have fared well so far for the Saints as they pulled off a Week 1 victory against their conference rival Minnesota Vikings.

After having clinched a playoff birth in the CBNBA, the Indiana Pacers have now turned to their own Derek Fisher to give their team a pep talk about what it takes to be a CBNBA champion.  The Indiana Pacers face what some fans think is an uphill climb against the favored Milwaukee Bucks, but the Pacers are counting on Fisher to deliver a speech to uplift and motivate them to play to the best of their ability, to put the team first at all times, and play as strong mentally as physically in order to advance to the second round.  The Pacers are led by the best closer in the game, Kobe Bryant, and have a great cast of supporting role players, some with deep recent playoff experience, that hope to turn some heads in the CBNBA playoffs this Fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oR5uRRjI1I

[nickagneta]

Random question.

When other GMs post videos of one of their players highlights, does anyone watch them?

I have to admit I have never once in the two years of playing this game clicked on a highlight video of a player doing something because I basically feel that just about every player in the league has a video of themselves doing something spectacular, otherwise, they probably wouldn't be in the league.

[Kwhit10]

The Atlanta Hawks are better than the Orlando Magic

Here is why:

A lot of people may think Orlando is a very good team solely based on name recognition, rather than current skill level.

Vince Carter, Andris Biedrins, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jason Terry have all declined in their abilities.  
 Orlando's starting backcourt are all players who rely on high shot quantities.  How are Terry, Johnson, and Carter going to co-exist with one basketball? Also these three players on the perimeter will be a detriment to the games of Kirilenko and Aldrige.

Biggest thing Orlando lacks...Defense
The only player on Orlando that is known for defense is Andrei Kirilenko.  Even though his defense is overrated.  Kirilenko thrives on playing a weakside defender only when he is playing at the 4.  When he is guarding someone who is running around the court of playing on the perimeter his effect on the game is dimished.  The only players I could see Kirilenko guarding in this respect would be against Brand or Varejao where he would be in the vicinity of the basket to be able to get any blocks from behind.  Though I think his services will be wasted against this team.

Biedrins is a shell of his former self.  Matador defense, big dorp off in production, and one of the worst FT shooting big men.

I don't know who on this team will be guarding Durant, but we know it won't be Johnson or Carter as Durant will shoot all day over each of them and have his way to the basket.  If Kirilenko is on him Durant has had no trouble against this past year averaging 29.5 ppg, 52%FG, 43% 3FG, 7rpg, 6.5apg.

Also I believe Varejao will be able to keep Aldridge in check and be able to play him to a somewhat stand still. (even more so with the reduced shots LA will get playing with Terry, Johnson, and Carter).
 Last year Aldridge verse Varejao
LA: 20ppg, 7.5rpg, 1spg
AV: 17ppg, 9.0rpg, 2spg

I think Brand and Okur will both have no problem getting the points they do if the likes of Biedrins will be guarding them.

I know Orlando has a backcourt that can shoot and score some points but Terry and Carter have declined in the FG% and my backcourt can definitely play more defense than Orlando's.

I also think we will have no problem stretching the floor with our shooters, allowing Durant to go to work on whoever is on him.  We will also thrive on the pick and pops using Okur and Durant.

[action781]

For those of you who stated that Derek Fisher is a “below average” starting point guard during press conferences, I didn’t make much of a fuss.  Maybe during the regular season he will be.

But when it comes to playoffs, the facts speak for themselves.  He’s been starting point guard two consecutive years for the NBA champions.  He averaged 32 mpg last postseason shooting 36% for 3’s.  Although not known for his scoring, he scored double digits in 12 of 23 playoff games and his team had a 9-3 record in those games.  He is a trusted leader and proven winner with 5 championship rings.  Oh, and he’s so clutch in the playoffs, he has a shot named for him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RodiAAns6Jk

p.s. I'll be teaching until 12:45, then possibly have time to come and post some real argument until my next class at 2:15.

[action781]

Random question.

When other GMs post videos of one of their players highlights, does anyone watch them?

I have to admit I have never once in the two years of playing this game clicked on a highlight video of a player doing something because I basically feel that just about every player in the league has a video of themselves doing something spectacular, otherwise, they probably wouldn't be in the league.

I rarely, if ever, watch youtube player highlights videos.  They tend to just be too long.  If there is a video under 1 minute long, I'll watch it though.  For that reason, I tend to post videos that are only under 1 minute unless hysterical and non-highlight related.  (guess my last post missed that with a 1:14 length, but wanted to make sure i snuck kobe's shot in there too  )

[StartOrien]

Random question.

When other GMs post videos of one of their players highlights, does anyone watch them?

I have to admit I have never once in the two years of playing this game clicked on a highlight video of a player doing something because I basically feel that just about every player in the league has a video of themselves doing something spectacular, otherwise, they probably wouldn't be in the league.

I watch/post them for entertainment sake alone. I find them pretty enjoyable.

[Kwhit10]

Also what/who is not to like on the Hawks?

We probably have one of the strongest chemistry teams, with all good character and likeable guys who are dialed into the team game.

Not to mention Kevin Durant

Did you watch the World Championship?
Durant takes golden path to stardom

This kid is a star and arguably the best offensive player in the game.

[ChampKind]

Unfortunately I am at a conference in beautiful Cleveland all day, so my posts will be limited. I will do my best to get back and vote, though my arguments may be short and/or just a link to whatever nice things Who has said about my team. Good luck to everyone, especially my colleague in Atlanta.