Western Conference Semis: Blazers (2) Vs Jazz (3)

[Kane3387]

Funny you should say...all that. If you wanna talk rankings, well I was substantially ahead of you. And my team hinges heavily on Lowry replicating his success from late last season. So, assuming Lowry is at least as good as he was last season, its fair to assume he has similar results.

Now go check your box scores and look at Baron Davis's games against Kyle Lowry last season. (while Lowry was starting 71 games, with less explosive talent around him, and still ended up with a better record)

Baron averaged 22% and 29% shooting in those games. And I'm not talking about a 1-3 performance and a 16 performance where he didn't shoot a lot, so the shooting % didn't really matter.

He shot a combined 7-26 against starting Kyle Lowry last season, while Lowry dished more assists, grabbed more rebounds, and managed less turnovers.

On top of that, Lowry managed to shoot 9-20 over those two games (45%), while Baron Davis, again, shot 7-26.

I answered this already.

Baron has the strength to not be bullied by Lowry. As my rankings show Baron did not hurt my "old" team so he must be buying in and be in pretty good shape. Something that didn't take place for the rebuilding Clippers and the worst coach in the NBA in Del Negro.

He goes to Byron Scott and an even worse team in Cleveland and they glow about him. He's healthier and happier. He is more appreciated and his role is not that of carrying the team.

Baron against Lowry in the playoffs is an advantage for utah. He is more experienced and plays better in the playoffs.

Butler and Thabo are better then Harden and Morrow. Thabo can shut down both of those guys and starts on his real team over Harden. Butler will be able to produce for the 18 mpg he is in there. Derrick William has never played in an NBA game let alone a playoff game with KG barking at him. KG will take this rookie out of the game mentally. My whole TEAM will be talking and your inexperience and youth will show.

As for this.

Its funny though, because during OKC's solid playoff run, how many games did Thabo play more minutes in than Harden? Because Harden averaged 30 minutes per game.

And while Thabo is a good defender, what else is he bringing? He can't spot up and shoot. He's not a gifted ball-handler. Basically all he does in OKC is wait around for the defense to start again.

I guess that's a good thing, because between Baron Davis being smothered by Lowry, Al Jefferson being annihilated by Bogut, and Sefelosha standing around, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are going to get plenty of chances to score 50 points a piece.

Thabo doesn't need to bring anything else here. His full court pressure and defense on both Harden and Lowry will suffice. He is also good in transition and if you want to play off him we tell him cut to the basket. His size and athleticism will allow him to finish or get fouled more often then not.

Quote
Butler will be able to produce for the 18 mpg he is in there.

The words you never said were "At the small forward position".

Butler will get 8 mpg at the 2 and likely will play the three when Thabo is in at the 2. It makes them interchangeable.

Well I will say this about KG, and Ive been very consistent here...KG is really good at yelling at rookies when he knows athletically he's not a match.

But is it me, or does it seem like those little kids get a little less scared of him each season?

Kg got in Calderon's face. It doesn't matter to him. You wanna match up williams against KG then be my guess. He wont be able to defend KG, Al, or Pierce. Rookies don't normally play big minutes for contenders. His lack of experience will hurt him.

Quote
Jamal Crawford is by far the best bench player in this series and the best SG in this series.

Hilarious

That's it? So I guess Haywood is better then Crawford?

This is a valid point. At some point in this series, Pierce will likely score 30+ points. I mean, he's going to have to since you don't have a point guard who can consistently distribute the ball, or a 2 guard to help facilitate the offense, or a center who can pass, but...between Pierce and Garnett there should be a fair amount of ball movement.

Heck yeah it's a valid point. lol Pierce is the difference in the series. He is the best closer, winner, and leader in this series. Kg will contribute more then Amare, who is your best player, while my best player has the most favorable match-up of the series.

[Kane3387]

Utah should start Thabo against Harden. Use Caron as the main wing off the bench.

From page one. Thabo will be seeing all his minutes at the two. Butler will only see 8 minutes at that position total.

I am a firm believe that changing the starting line-ups in the post season is a mistake. So I am keeping Butler and Big Al in there, but if you look at the minutes rotation they will see more time then ever as back-ups. Especially Butler who will sub-out around the 8 minute mark of the 1st and 3rd qtrs.

Those 8 minutes from Caron would be better against Morrow than Harden.

In contrast, Thabo's court time would be more useful against Harden than Morrow.

Crawford will exploit Morrow just as much if not more.

[Kane3387]

i like utah over portland

Experience matters in the playoffs. Portland lacks a ton outside of Amare.

[indeedproceed]

Funny you should say...all that. If you wanna talk rankings, well I was substantially ahead of you. And my team hinges heavily on Lowry replicating his success from late last season. So, assuming Lowry is at least as good as he was last season, its fair to assume he has similar results.

Now go check your box scores and look at Baron Davis's games against Kyle Lowry last season. (while Lowry was starting 71 games, with less explosive talent around him, and still ended up with a better record)

Baron averaged 22% and 29% shooting in those games. And I'm not talking about a 1-3 performance and a 16 performance where he didn't shoot a lot, so the shooting % didn't really matter.

He shot a combined 7-26 against starting Kyle Lowry last season, while Lowry dished more assists, grabbed more rebounds, and managed less turnovers.

On top of that, Lowry managed to shoot 9-20 over those two games (45%), while Baron Davis, again, shot 7-26.

I answered this already.

Baron has the strength to not be bullied by Lowry. As my rankings show Baron did not hurt my "old" team so he must be buying in and be in pretty good shape. Something that didn't take place for the rebuilding Clippers and the worst coach in the NBA in Del Negro.

He goes to Byron Scott and an even worse team in Cleveland and they glow about him. He's healthier and happier. He is more appreciated and his role is not that of carrying the team.

Baron against Lowry in the playoffs is an advantage for utah. He is more experienced and plays better in the playoffs.

Butler and Thabo are better then Harden and Morrow. Thabo can shut down both of those guys and starts on his real team over Harden. Butler will be able to produce for the 18 mpg he is in there. Derrick William has never played in an NBA game let alone a playoff game with KG barking at him. KG will take this rookie out of the game mentally. My whole TEAM will be talking and your inexperience and youth will show.

As for this.

Its funny though, because during OKC's solid playoff run, how many games did Thabo play more minutes in than Harden? Because Harden averaged 30 minutes per game.

And while Thabo is a good defender, what else is he bringing? He can't spot up and shoot. He's not a gifted ball-handler. Basically all he does in OKC is wait around for the defense to start again.

I guess that's a good thing, because between Baron Davis being smothered by Lowry, Al Jefferson being annihilated by Bogut, and Sefelosha standing around, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are going to get plenty of chances to score 50 points a piece.

Thabo doesn't need to bring anything else here. His full court pressure and defense on both Harden and Lowry will suffice. He is also good in transition and if you want to play off him we tell him cut to the basket. His size and athleticism will allow him to finish or get fouled more often then not.

Quote
Butler will be able to produce for the 18 mpg he is in there.

The words you never said were "At the small forward position".

Butler will get 8 mpg at the 2 and likely will play the three when Thabo is in at the 2. It makes them interchangeable.

Well I will say this about KG, and Ive been very consistent here...KG is really good at yelling at rookies when he knows athletically he's not a match.

But is it me, or does it seem like those little kids get a little less scared of him each season?

Kg got in Calderon's face. It doesn't matter to him. You wanna match up williams against KG then be my guess. He wont be able to defend KG, Al, or Pierce. Rookies don't normally play big minutes for contenders. His lack of experience will hurt him.

Quote
Jamal Crawford is by far the best bench player in this series and the best SG in this series.

Hilarious

That's it? So I guess Haywood is better then Crawford?

This is a valid point. At some point in this series, Pierce will likely score 30+ points. I mean, he's going to have to since you don't have a point guard who can consistently distribute the ball, or a 2 guard to help facilitate the offense, or a center who can pass, but...between Pierce and Garnett there should be a fair amount of ball movement.

Heck yeah it's a valid point. lol Pierce is the difference in the series. He is the best closer, winner, and leader in this series. Kg will contribute more then Amare, who is your best player, while my best player has the most favorable match-up of the series.

You hear that? Its the sound of inevitability, Mister Anderson.

My guys are younger and getting better, yet still some of the best in the league in the roles I'm asking them to play. Your guys are older, inconsistent, and poorly outfitted for the roles you want them to play.

My team is better, because my players are better, because they're better equipped to perform the tasks I ask them to at a high to elite level across the board.

Ask KG how great his experience helped him out without a strong defensive center to consistently lock down the lane. Ask him how his experience helped counteract the incredible athletic disparity between him and LeBron and Wade.

In my experience, experience ain't enough.

[KCattheStripe]

Funny you should say...all that. If you wanna talk rankings, well I was substantially ahead of you. And my team hinges heavily on Lowry replicating his success from late last season. So, assuming Lowry is at least as good as he was last season, its fair to assume he has similar results.

Now go check your box scores and look at Baron Davis's games against Kyle Lowry last season. (while Lowry was starting 71 games, with less explosive talent around him, and still ended up with a better record)

Baron averaged 22% and 29% shooting in those games. And I'm not talking about a 1-3 performance and a 16 performance where he didn't shoot a lot, so the shooting % didn't really matter.

He shot a combined 7-26 against starting Kyle Lowry last season, while Lowry dished more assists, grabbed more rebounds, and managed less turnovers.

On top of that, Lowry managed to shoot 9-20 over those two games (45%), while Baron Davis, again, shot 7-26.

I answered this already.

Baron has the strength to not be bullied by Lowry. As my rankings show Baron did not hurt my "old" team so he must be buying in and be in pretty good shape. Something that didn't take place for the rebuilding Clippers and the worst coach in the NBA in Del Negro.

He goes to Byron Scott and an even worse team in Cleveland and they glow about him. He's healthier and happier. He is more appreciated and his role is not that of carrying the team.

Baron against Lowry in the playoffs is an advantage for utah. He is more experienced and plays better in the playoffs.

Butler and Thabo are better then Harden and Morrow. Thabo can shut down both of those guys and starts on his real team over Harden. Butler will be able to produce for the 18 mpg he is in there. Derrick William has never played in an NBA game let alone a playoff game with KG barking at him. KG will take this rookie out of the game mentally. My whole TEAM will be talking and your inexperience and youth will show.

As for this.

Its funny though, because during OKC's solid playoff run, how many games did Thabo play more minutes in than Harden? Because Harden averaged 30 minutes per game.

And while Thabo is a good defender, what else is he bringing? He can't spot up and shoot. He's not a gifted ball-handler. Basically all he does in OKC is wait around for the defense to start again.

I guess that's a good thing, because between Baron Davis being smothered by Lowry, Al Jefferson being annihilated by Bogut, and Sefelosha standing around, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are going to get plenty of chances to score 50 points a piece.

Thabo doesn't need to bring anything else here. His full court pressure and defense on both Harden and Lowry will suffice. He is also good in transition and if you want to play off him we tell him cut to the basket. His size and athleticism will allow him to finish or get fouled more often then not.

Quote
Butler will be able to produce for the 18 mpg he is in there.

The words you never said were "At the small forward position".

Butler will get 8 mpg at the 2 and likely will play the three when Thabo is in at the 2. It makes them interchangeable.

Well I will say this about KG, and Ive been very consistent here...KG is really good at yelling at rookies when he knows athletically he's not a match.

But is it me, or does it seem like those little kids get a little less scared of him each season?

Kg got in Calderon's face. It doesn't matter to him. You wanna match up williams against KG then be my guess. He wont be able to defend KG, Al, or Pierce. Rookies don't normally play big minutes for contenders. His lack of experience will hurt him.

Quote
Jamal Crawford is by far the best bench player in this series and the best SG in this series.

Hilarious

That's it? So I guess Haywood is better then Crawford?

This is a valid point. At some point in this series, Pierce will likely score 30+ points. I mean, he's going to have to since you don't have a point guard who can consistently distribute the ball, or a 2 guard to help facilitate the offense, or a center who can pass, but...between Pierce and Garnett there should be a fair amount of ball movement.

Heck yeah it's a valid point. lol Pierce is the difference in the series. He is the best closer, winner, and leader in this series. Kg will contribute more then Amare, who is your best player, while my best player has the most favorable match-up of the series.

You hear that? Its the sound of inevitability, Mister Anderson.

Didn't that guy lose in the end?

[indeedproceed]

Didn't that guy lose in the end?

I haven't finished the series yet. Does he?

I bet its something stupid like Neo merges his code with his and forms the 10th horcrux or something, and love is the only cure, and its all the dream of a 12 yr old kid with a snowglobe.

[Kane3387]

You hear that? Its the sound of inevitability, Mister Anderson.

My guys are younger and getting better, yet still some of the best in the league in the roles I'm asking them to play. Your guys are older, inconsistent, and poorly outfitted for the roles you want them to play.

My team is better, because my players are better, because they're better equipped to perform the tasks I ask them to at a high to elite level across the board.

Ask KG how great his experience helped him out without a strong defensive center to consistently lock down the lane. Ask him how his experience helped counteract the incredible athletic disparity between him and LeBron and Wade.

In my experience, experience ain't enough.

Their roles?

You are asking Harden to be the best perimeter player on a title team. You are asking Lowry to be the starting point guard on a championship team. Neither of thise guys have ever started 82 games and gone to the playoffs as starters ever.

Your asking Delfino to shut down the best perimeter players in the NBA.

You're asking Amare to be the leader and number one guy on a playoff team when he has never won a playoff game in that role.

You're asking Jerbko, Sessions, Robin Lopez, and Williams( rookie) and Tolliver to be a championship bench.

[celticpride07]

i like utah over portland

Experience matters in the playoffs. Portland lacks a ton outside of Amare.

i agree

[Kane3387]

Your players aren't better. Your best player in Amare is basically canceled out by my second best player in KG. Your second best player is only a little better then my third guy. My best player has the most favorable match-up in the series and is the best perimeter player by far in this series, as well as the best player at getting his own shot.

My bench is by far the better bench.

I have the best defending big man and defending wing.

My team has players who have won championships and have tons of playoff experience. You're team has no players who have even to a Finals.

Your team is solid but it lacks experience and would likely beat my team the following season after it gets eliminated in the playoffs in this season by my team.

[Who]

I think this is the best series of the second round.

Agreed -- I think the other three are all straight forward.

In my mind, this is the only close series in the second round.

[Kane3387]

I think this is the best series of the second round.

Agreed -- I think the other three are all straight forward.

In my mind, this is the only close series in the second round.

Which is why I think I win. I think the winning pedigree of Pierce and KG as well as the overall experience from my players and coach give me the edge THIS year. Next year after gaining playoff experience I think Portland would have my number.

[Kane3387]

No good young team does it the first year. Look at OKC. Look at Atlanta. Look at the Bulls of the mid 2000s and the 2009 Bulls. Look at the Hornets in 2008. Look at the real Portland Trailblazers the last few years.

The Very Good Veteran Teams beat the Young up and coming but lacking experience teams because the moments are not too big for them and thus they are able to execute better.

If these games are close in the end like many expect, then I put my money on KG playing Amare well and Pierce exploiting Delfino.

[Who]

I think Utah has a Head Coaching advantage with Larry Brown over Alvin Gentry.

[Kane3387]

I think this is the best series of the second round.

This is what was posted by you in your thread.

I don't see it that way at all.

Terry/Kidd/Barea/Marion/Chandler/Peja/Stevenson/Haywood is a much much better grouping with tons more playoff experience and veteran leadership.

This can't be underestimated. Just like the Spurs beat the Hornets in the semis in 2008 due to their championship experience Utah will do the same. This series reminds me of that one.

[Kane3387]

Ask KG how great his experience helped him out without a strong defensive center to consistently lock down the lane. Ask him how his experience helped counteract the incredible athletic disparity between him and LeBron and Wade.

IP,

That is bad. Kg never had any help. When he finally got an over the hill Cassell and Sprewell all he did was go to the WCF after gaining the best record in the NBA and losing to the Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and Payton Lakers.

All Kg has done in Boston with Pierce is go to 2 Finals, Win a title and advance to the second round at least every season. I don't need to tell you that Kg wins that second ring likely if he isn't hurt in 2009 or in 2010 if he mentally trusted his leg and Perk doesn't go down in 2010 Finals. Maybe he gets it last year if Shaq and Rondo are healthy.

As for Lebron and Wade? Well I think Delfino and Harden don't quite measure up to those two.