Post by IanBoyd on Jul 21, 2014 17:22:45 GMT -6
Part II of my annual playoff preview articles, this time on the East
Round One
#1
vs
#8
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Bulls
Series Overview:
After the short lived experiment that was the Darryl Dawkins max contract, Bulls gm bruns took advantage of an active selling market and acquired veteran center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to avenge last season's early playoff exit. With key players Foots Walker and George McGinnis now having a year under their belts to work out any chemistry issues, Chicago stormed ahead in the regular season to a league best 69 win campaign, setting a new regular season win record in TMBSL. With more than half of the East in tanking or rebuilding mode, Chicago opens the playoffs against an over-matched Raptors roster littered with players having no business still playing in the league. The only thing concerning the Bulls is the recovery of Phil Chenier and George McGinnis, players whose presence will be much needed once they move on to the second round.
With 8 teams tanking in the East and only 7 lottery spots, the Toronto Raptors unfortunately became the odd tanker out in the much coveted Jordan lottery, having been unable to move the league leader in assists, Slick Watts' contract during the season, Toronto limps into the playoffs with no plans of contention. The plan for GM handsomepete is hope for some luck in free agency and work to acquire their own first round pick back next season for a mulligan at another tanking attempt. Though stealing a game against a Bulls squad with injuries to several starters might be a possibility, the chance of winning 4 games is virtually nil.
Prediction: Bulls win 4-1
#2
vs
#7
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Celtics
Series Overview:
Now in year 2 of the Lanier/Adams FA theft era, gm dumptime can only take imaginary solace in the news that his Celtics won the fake sim title last year instead of the actual one. Fueled by previously unknown success and bravado, simply making the conference finals or even the Finals seem no longer good enough for the reptilian GM. Fresh off of an unlikely MVP award, Alvan Adams leads Boston in an opening round match against a Hornets squad the Celtics had little problem dealing with in the regular season. With starting PG World B. Free sidelined by a broken leg, backup Tom Henderson will need to step in to fill the void against John Williamson, a player that hasn't been one to shy away from the bright lights in the playoffs.
Perhaps still stun from the departure of M.L. Carr in free agency from 2 season ago, the often absent GM rv12 shocked the city of Charlotte as well as the rest of the league with a mind boggling 7 year $120 million offer to veteran Billy Paultz as he decided to test free agency. Loyalty it seems, has not paid off like the Hornets wanted, as Paultz, apparently now lazy and content to live on his monster contract for the rest of his sim life, failed to average over 20 ppg for the first time in his career. Coupled with the under performance of Maurice Taylor, a player that took a hefty 5 1sts to acquire, the Hornets will once again need to rely on PG John Williamson to do the heavy lifting in the playoffs if they wish to escape the first round.
Prediction: Celtics win 4-1
#3
vs
#6
Regular Season Matches: 3-1 Hawks
Series Overview:
Never one to shy away from future crippling moves, the Atlanta Hawks enter this season without any future 1st rounders in their arsenal besides their 08 pick 5 years away until GM/Special Ed/TV major rw decided to do something about that as well. After feasting on mostly tanking teams in the regular season, the overpaid yet still somewhat young roster of the Hawks managed to crack 60 wins for the first time in franchise history in 4.0 as a 3rd seed in the playoffs. Hosting the first round against division rival Indiana, the Hawks will match all league shooting guard John Drew against Jamaal Wilkes to neutralize the damage while utilizing the superior talent in the front court and their home fans to maximize their chances.
Like many of his central division counterparts, Pacers gm ocho holds little regard for owning his future picks; an early season move sent their 08 1st round pick to the Lakers for a much needed upgrade as small forward in acquiring the talented journeyman Mickey Johnson. With limited means to improve the roster in other positions, Indiana finds themselves once again in the familiar position of opening the first round of the playoffs on the road. Facing a team they had very little success in the regular season, the pressure will be on Jamaal Wilkes to pull off some Steve Smith tier heroics to have any shot at advancing.
Prediction: Hawks win 4-2
#4
vs
#5
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Having had a taste of what Paul Westphal can do as a full time point guard last year in the playoffs, the silent Pistons gm tyler finally pulled the trigger in shipping out Brian Winters for a couple of much needed 1st round picks and handed the reigns of the offense to Westphal. With the acquisition of Bob Danridge to fill the void at SG, the Pistons back court is arguably the best 1-2 tandem of guards in the league as Detroit hosts the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs, hoping to duplicate their lightning in a bottle run from two years ago.
Without any lottery picks or cap space, gm scatmanduse; to the collective sigh of relief by the rest of the sim league, was unable to work his typical scatman luck in acquiring another superstar for pesos on the dollar. Led by the young duo of fake Shaq and the only A+ rebounding player in the league, Moses Malone, the Nets play a drastically different brand of sim basketball to their Pistons opponent. Having split in the regular season, this series could likely go the full 7 games with ultimately home court being the deciding factor, as many playoff series often are.
Prediction: Pistons win 4-3
Conference Semifinals
#1
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Following what should be a relatively easy opening round dismissal the Raptors concluded, the Bulls shift their attention to likely a team that has played very evenly with them during the regular season. The Bulls may have coasted against what was essentially a tanking team in the first round, but a series will Paul Westphal will require gm bruns to perhaps spend some hard earned dump bucks to speed up the recovery of their ailing starters. Much like the Nets, Chicago employs a primarily front court heavy offensive attack. With little hope for matching evenly in the back court against the tandem of Danridge and Westphal, the health of George McGinnis in exploiting the front court mismatch will be of monumental importance if the Bulls want to advance to the Conference Finals.
For the Pistons, should they escape the series with the Nets unscathed, the game plan remains the same: hope Westphal can duplicate his 3001 playoff performance and overwhelm the front court heavy Bulls squad with a barrage of outside shots in a shoot out series. However, unlike the series against Brooklyn, Foots Walker is capable of at least holding his own against Westphal on top of the Pistons not holding that all important home court advantage, which could likely again become the deciding factor.
Prediction: Bulls win 4-3
#2
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 3-1 Celtics
Series Overview:
A lot is on the line in this series for Celtics gm dumptime (5000?), besides a trip to the Conference Finals (what was once considered the pinnacle of GM achievement by dump), our resident T-Rex has self issued a WWE style lose and I quit challenge against the Hawks to no one in particular that has now been captured in a screenshot in case he goes back on his word. Though the exact reason behind such a baffling self challenge remains a mystery, Boston still has plenty to be confident about based on their regular season matches as well has the Hawks lacking a true heat check PG to take advantage of the month long injury to World B Free.
From the Hawks standpoint, a trip to the Conference Finals would actually represent the pinnacle of GMing achievement to rw. However, without a proper SF capable of defending against the league MVP Alvan Adams (sorry Mama Adams) and a PG capable of averaging 30 ppg against the Celtics backup, Atlanta will need to focus their offense game plan around John Drew to match Alvan Adams point for point in the series. But without an answer for Bob Lanier, the Hawks chances of being the franchise to kick dumptime out of 4.0 might be slim.
Prediction: Celtics win 4-2
Conference Finals
#1
vs
#2
Regular Season Matches: 3-1 Celtics
Series Overview:
The match that many anticipated would be for the Eastern crown once again. Since day one of the tanking season in the East, the Bulls and Celtics have matched win for win in their race to not only the #1 seed in the East but the best overall record. With the injury problems now likely gone, Chicago will need to figure out a way to utilize their hard earned home court advantage against one of the only teams in the East that holds a winning regular season series over them. With Kareem and McGinnis having all they can handle against the duo of Lanier and Adams, the X-Factor for the series will likely fall to the once commish special PG from creation season, Foots Walker to outscore a Celtics back court not known for their scoring bursts.
As with the counterparts in the Conference Finals, bragging rights for another trip to the Finals is on the line for dumptime. Having survived the embarrassment of needing to quit based on his own idiotic challenge, the Celtics can earn a back t0 back trip to the Finals not done since the days of poetic nole and the Shawn Marion Dwayne Wade 1.0 years. Regular season matches aside due to the Bulls already having injury problems by time the last 2 matches were played, this series is a coin flip and could likely be decided with 1 road steal from either team.
Prediction: Bulls win 4-3
Round One
#1
vs
#8
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Bulls
Series Overview:
After the short lived experiment that was the Darryl Dawkins max contract, Bulls gm bruns took advantage of an active selling market and acquired veteran center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to avenge last season's early playoff exit. With key players Foots Walker and George McGinnis now having a year under their belts to work out any chemistry issues, Chicago stormed ahead in the regular season to a league best 69 win campaign, setting a new regular season win record in TMBSL. With more than half of the East in tanking or rebuilding mode, Chicago opens the playoffs against an over-matched Raptors roster littered with players having no business still playing in the league. The only thing concerning the Bulls is the recovery of Phil Chenier and George McGinnis, players whose presence will be much needed once they move on to the second round.
With 8 teams tanking in the East and only 7 lottery spots, the Toronto Raptors unfortunately became the odd tanker out in the much coveted Jordan lottery, having been unable to move the league leader in assists, Slick Watts' contract during the season, Toronto limps into the playoffs with no plans of contention. The plan for GM handsomepete is hope for some luck in free agency and work to acquire their own first round pick back next season for a mulligan at another tanking attempt. Though stealing a game against a Bulls squad with injuries to several starters might be a possibility, the chance of winning 4 games is virtually nil.
Prediction: Bulls win 4-1
#2
vs
#7
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Celtics
Series Overview:
Now in year 2 of the Lanier/Adams FA theft era, gm dumptime can only take imaginary solace in the news that his Celtics won the fake sim title last year instead of the actual one. Fueled by previously unknown success and bravado, simply making the conference finals or even the Finals seem no longer good enough for the reptilian GM. Fresh off of an unlikely MVP award, Alvan Adams leads Boston in an opening round match against a Hornets squad the Celtics had little problem dealing with in the regular season. With starting PG World B. Free sidelined by a broken leg, backup Tom Henderson will need to step in to fill the void against John Williamson, a player that hasn't been one to shy away from the bright lights in the playoffs.
Perhaps still stun from the departure of M.L. Carr in free agency from 2 season ago, the often absent GM rv12 shocked the city of Charlotte as well as the rest of the league with a mind boggling 7 year $120 million offer to veteran Billy Paultz as he decided to test free agency. Loyalty it seems, has not paid off like the Hornets wanted, as Paultz, apparently now lazy and content to live on his monster contract for the rest of his sim life, failed to average over 20 ppg for the first time in his career. Coupled with the under performance of Maurice Taylor, a player that took a hefty 5 1sts to acquire, the Hornets will once again need to rely on PG John Williamson to do the heavy lifting in the playoffs if they wish to escape the first round.
Prediction: Celtics win 4-1
#3
vs
#6
Regular Season Matches: 3-1 Hawks
Series Overview:
Never one to shy away from future crippling moves, the Atlanta Hawks enter this season without any future 1st rounders in their arsenal besides their 08 pick 5 years away until GM/Special Ed/TV major rw decided to do something about that as well. After feasting on mostly tanking teams in the regular season, the overpaid yet still somewhat young roster of the Hawks managed to crack 60 wins for the first time in franchise history in 4.0 as a 3rd seed in the playoffs. Hosting the first round against division rival Indiana, the Hawks will match all league shooting guard John Drew against Jamaal Wilkes to neutralize the damage while utilizing the superior talent in the front court and their home fans to maximize their chances.
Like many of his central division counterparts, Pacers gm ocho holds little regard for owning his future picks; an early season move sent their 08 1st round pick to the Lakers for a much needed upgrade as small forward in acquiring the talented journeyman Mickey Johnson. With limited means to improve the roster in other positions, Indiana finds themselves once again in the familiar position of opening the first round of the playoffs on the road. Facing a team they had very little success in the regular season, the pressure will be on Jamaal Wilkes to pull off some Steve Smith tier heroics to have any shot at advancing.
Prediction: Hawks win 4-2
#4
vs
#5
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Having had a taste of what Paul Westphal can do as a full time point guard last year in the playoffs, the silent Pistons gm tyler finally pulled the trigger in shipping out Brian Winters for a couple of much needed 1st round picks and handed the reigns of the offense to Westphal. With the acquisition of Bob Danridge to fill the void at SG, the Pistons back court is arguably the best 1-2 tandem of guards in the league as Detroit hosts the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs, hoping to duplicate their lightning in a bottle run from two years ago.
Without any lottery picks or cap space, gm scatmanduse; to the collective sigh of relief by the rest of the sim league, was unable to work his typical scatman luck in acquiring another superstar for pesos on the dollar. Led by the young duo of fake Shaq and the only A+ rebounding player in the league, Moses Malone, the Nets play a drastically different brand of sim basketball to their Pistons opponent. Having split in the regular season, this series could likely go the full 7 games with ultimately home court being the deciding factor, as many playoff series often are.
Prediction: Pistons win 4-3
Conference Semifinals
#1
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Following what should be a relatively easy opening round dismissal the Raptors concluded, the Bulls shift their attention to likely a team that has played very evenly with them during the regular season. The Bulls may have coasted against what was essentially a tanking team in the first round, but a series will Paul Westphal will require gm bruns to perhaps spend some hard earned dump bucks to speed up the recovery of their ailing starters. Much like the Nets, Chicago employs a primarily front court heavy offensive attack. With little hope for matching evenly in the back court against the tandem of Danridge and Westphal, the health of George McGinnis in exploiting the front court mismatch will be of monumental importance if the Bulls want to advance to the Conference Finals.
For the Pistons, should they escape the series with the Nets unscathed, the game plan remains the same: hope Westphal can duplicate his 3001 playoff performance and overwhelm the front court heavy Bulls squad with a barrage of outside shots in a shoot out series. However, unlike the series against Brooklyn, Foots Walker is capable of at least holding his own against Westphal on top of the Pistons not holding that all important home court advantage, which could likely again become the deciding factor.
Prediction: Bulls win 4-3
#2
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 3-1 Celtics
Series Overview:
A lot is on the line in this series for Celtics gm dumptime (5000?), besides a trip to the Conference Finals (what was once considered the pinnacle of GM achievement by dump), our resident T-Rex has self issued a WWE style lose and I quit challenge against the Hawks to no one in particular that has now been captured in a screenshot in case he goes back on his word. Though the exact reason behind such a baffling self challenge remains a mystery, Boston still has plenty to be confident about based on their regular season matches as well has the Hawks lacking a true heat check PG to take advantage of the month long injury to World B Free.
From the Hawks standpoint, a trip to the Conference Finals would actually represent the pinnacle of GMing achievement to rw. However, without a proper SF capable of defending against the league MVP Alvan Adams (sorry Mama Adams) and a PG capable of averaging 30 ppg against the Celtics backup, Atlanta will need to focus their offense game plan around John Drew to match Alvan Adams point for point in the series. But without an answer for Bob Lanier, the Hawks chances of being the franchise to kick dumptime out of 4.0 might be slim.
Prediction: Celtics win 4-2
Conference Finals
#1
vs
#2
Regular Season Matches: 3-1 Celtics
Series Overview:
The match that many anticipated would be for the Eastern crown once again. Since day one of the tanking season in the East, the Bulls and Celtics have matched win for win in their race to not only the #1 seed in the East but the best overall record. With the injury problems now likely gone, Chicago will need to figure out a way to utilize their hard earned home court advantage against one of the only teams in the East that holds a winning regular season series over them. With Kareem and McGinnis having all they can handle against the duo of Lanier and Adams, the X-Factor for the series will likely fall to the once commish special PG from creation season, Foots Walker to outscore a Celtics back court not known for their scoring bursts.
As with the counterparts in the Conference Finals, bragging rights for another trip to the Finals is on the line for dumptime. Having survived the embarrassment of needing to quit based on his own idiotic challenge, the Celtics can earn a back t0 back trip to the Finals not done since the days of poetic nole and the Shawn Marion Dwayne Wade 1.0 years. Regular season matches aside due to the Bulls already having injury problems by time the last 2 matches were played, this series is a coin flip and could likely be decided with 1 road steal from either team.
Prediction: Bulls win 4-3
