Post by IanBoyd on Aug 8, 2014 9:01:37 GMT -6
Bringing back my annual playoff preview articles, starting with the West.
Round One
#1
vs
#8
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Mavericks
Series Overview:
Fresh off of the first title win in 4.0 franchise history, the Mavericks had finally gotten over the last hurdle of their 3 year long journey towards being crowned as the best team in the league. Now with the pressure of needing to deliver instant success eased up, GM soup alvarado worked quickly to shed some of the depth in the Mavericks roster that was making the salary books a bit hard to manage. Rookie high flyer Jimmy Paxson, along with veterans Lucius Allen and Elvin Hayes found their ways across timezones to Eastern Conference teams while Dallas pulled off another monster deal for the aging superstar SG Rick Barry. With the regular season now concluded, Dallas finds their squad once again with the best record in the league and facing off against Midwest rival OKC Thunder. Though not nearly 100% strength due to several late season injuries, Dallas will undoubtedly coast their way towards an easy series win while resting up their starters to prepare for a much tougher 2nd round opponent.
For the Thunder, the unlikely winds of change seems to have finally swept through the franchise. After years of underachieving and playoff disappointments following massive spending sprees of any and all future assets; GM jameshardensmerkin pulled off one of the biggest heists in league history, acquiring the 4th pick in last year's enormously hyped draft, Sam Bowie AND three of their own first rounds picks back for Ernie Grunfield. With their future assets back, JHB decided to finally pull the trigger on a rebuild project with a late season trade sending Lonnie Shelton to Minnesota and kick started the great trade deadline fire sale of 3004. With a roster now more suited to compete for a top 5 pick than a playoff spot, OKC will be unable to take advantage of the injuries to Dallas, a very short series is likely.
Prediction: Mavericks win 4-1
#2
vs
#7
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Lakers
Series Overview:
Quickly becoming an annual playoff tradition in the West, the great battle between the LA franchises ended the Lakers season last year on a bitter note, losing in the first round to a lower seeded Clippers team. Now with another year of experience between key youngsters Charlie Ward, Sidney Moncrief and Eric Montross; the Lakers finally have the appearance of a legitimate title contender. Having avoided another post ASG collapse in the regular season, Gm Buster was able to get his team playing well enough to secure the Pacific crown during the last sim of the season and most importantly, stayed 100% healthy this time around as they prepare for another series with their in town rival.
For Clipper nation, fans have quickly become accustomed to not getting too attached to players not named Magic Johnson. As another trade deadline passes, another great Joe Dirt tear down and rebuild concluded. Having acquired their own picks back through coercion, bribery and public shaming, the former commissioner decided to stick to his plans for a possible rebuild for all of 1 week before catching wind of an OKC fire sale and promptly shipped out those picks for the young but underachieving SG Adrian Dantley to pair with Magic. With not much talent elsewhere on the roster, the dynamic back court duo will have to shoulder nearly all of the offense load against an overwhelming Lakers roster with star power at every position. Though they would no doubt love to end another Lakers season, the upcoming free agency decision from Magic Johnson is likely the most important thing on the Clipper agenda.
Prediction: Lakers win 4-1
#3
vs
#6
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Now a few years into the George Gervin era, the Nuggets haven't found nearly the amount of success they would have liked from arguably the most talented scorer in the league. With Glenn Robinson's free agency looming ever closer and Gervin's age approaching 30, GM jerrywest has decided to shake up the roster via an in season trade instead of relying on the offseason and acquired center Marvin Webster from a rebuilding Rockets squad. Now playing some of the best sim basketball in the league; the Nuggets finished the season on a very strong run en route to a franchise first 60+ win season as they prepare to host their first playoff series against Portland.
Another season, another 50 wins for the stable franchise in the Pacific Northwest. Having balked at all offers for Bill Walton over the last couple of years that nearly all ended in a first round exit, the Trailblazers find themselves once again in the all too familiar spot of opening the playoffs on the road. Against the Nuggets, newly awarded first team center Bill Walton should more than hold his own against Webster while veteran forward Dan Issel deals with Glenn Robinson. However, like with the "nearly a dynasty" Jazz teams, the Blazers have little answer for Iceman, combined with having to play 4 games in the sim high altitude hostile environments of the road, another opening round loss seems likely
Prediction: Nuggets win 4-2
#4
vs
#5
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
A bitter ending to the Grizzlies season last year saw the newly relocated franchise lose in the 2nd round to the 5th seeded Clippers team off of a monster series from Magic Johnson. With the addition of Don Buse in the offseason, the mild mannered easy going draft master beetledruce bought himself some PG insurance in preparation for another series in which they might face an elite PG. Having sustained no losses via FA or injuries, the #1 seed from last year capped off another excellent regular season to 60+ wins as they open the playoffs against a team that has no such player of Magic Johnson's caliber at PG, a sign of perhaps good fortunes.
After a grueling year long tanking campaign that saw the hapless Timberwolves once again falling in the lottery as they often do under the management of Asian GMs, Minnesota decided that 1 more year of tanking was no longer a viable option and started a season long process of overhauling the entire roster. With the acquisition of former #1 pick Grant Hill, creation special Foots Walker as well as the now infamous Jamaal Wilkes non trade that led to the package of Slam Dunk Champion Jimmy Paxson™ and Juwan Howard that was later packaged with Foots for all defensive forward Lonnie Shleton, the Wolves roster now look drastically different from the pitiful brand of basketball put on display last season. With rookie PG Alvin Robertson still a year or 2 away from being truly able to run the offense of a title contender, the Timberwolves' primary goal is to use this year's playoffs as an assessment of how the roster fits together as well as hoping to secure long term FA deals for Mark Eaton and Lonnie Shelton.
Prediction: Grizzlies win 4-3
Conference Semifinals
#1
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Following what should be an opening round dismissal of a Thunder team they had little trouble with during regular season, the Mavericks hopes to be back in full health by the 2nd round for a grueling match against a tough Grizzlies team. With the late season acquisition of Kermit Washington that now allows Kenon to roam in the paint as a power forward, the Mavericks can create a great mismatch in the paint with Kenon against a thin Vancouver front line composed mostly of shot blocking bigs that can't score. If Kenon is able to put the Grizzlies bigs in early foul trouble, this series could go much smoother for the Mavericks than the 4 regular season games that ended with both squads taking 2 games apiece.
For the Grizzlies, they will need to rely on a few things in order to pull off the upset; either Don Buse will need to earn his money and prove he can match up against the now two time MVP David Thompson so that the Grizz don't fall prey to another elite PG in the playoffs or their trio of shot blockers need to harass the hell out of a freshly recovered Larry Kenon. The SG position the Grizzlies enjoy an advantage over many teams with Billy Knight will find no such luck against the ageless wonder Rick Barry, who at 36 years young, still shows no signs of slowing down.
Prediction: Mavericks win 4-2
#2
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Nuggets
Series Overview:
After avenging last year's opening round loss to the Clippers, the Lakers will face much stiffer competition in the 2nd round. Ever since the creation draft, GMs and fans alike have always wanted to witness a showdown between the top 2 creation picks in a playoff series. Unfortunately, being drafted in different conferences has denied fans of such an event; until now that is. Being supported by an embarrassment of riches in the back court between the talented young duo of Charlie Ward and Sidney "Max"crief as well as former Finals MVP Brian Winters, Dr J will need to play the series of his life to prove the detractors wrong that perhaps Iceman deserved to be picked #1 in the creation draft.
From the Nuggets standpoint, Dr J perhaps isn't nearly the focal point to Gervin as Iceman is to the good doctor. With their other positions in good hands, the #1 concern for Denver is the match up at the point guard position. Though a good distributor and defender, Slick Watts and his band of misfit backups is entirely outclassed by Brian Winters and Charlie Ward. To counter that, the Nuggets will need to rely perhaps more on a slower style of offense that focuses more on the inside scoring abilities of Glenn Robinson and Marvin Webster to pressure the foul trouble prone veteran Bob McAdoo. With a 4-0 sweep in the regular season over the Lakers, clearly something they have done is working as they look to duplicate that success in the Conference Semifinals.
Prediction: Nuggets win 4-3
Conference Finals
#1
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Mavericks
Series Overview:
Now back in the Conference Finals with another trip to the Finals within grasp, the Mavericks could become the first ever back to back title winner in 4.0, solidifying their place as the best organization in the league. With the experience Rick Barry has playing against Gervin day in and day out, the SG position is in good hands even though Gervin will still likely outplay Barry. The key for the Mavericks however, will be on their two time MVP David Thompson to unleash the fear of god into the opposing Slick Watts and company, point guards that have no business standing on the same court as Skywalker. Having made an early season offensive scheme change to the famous DBL offense of very fast and outside, Skywalker has tore through the league, including the Nuggets in the regular season to the tune of a 4-0 season sweep. If those results can be duplicated, we may very well see our first repeat champions in 4.0
For the Nuggets, A first ever trip to the Finals to continue the tradition of Midwest dominance over the East is on the line. Should they survive the PG deficiencies they face against the Lakers, another similar feat of accomplishment against perhaps the most terrifying player in the league would require some divine intervention from the sim gods. Though George Gervin is no stranger to said feats in a stage as large as the conference finals or even the sim finals, for the rest of the Denver roster, a first time experience for youngsters like Glenn Robinson or Walter Davis could be a rude awakening against the likes of Larry Kenon and Rick Barry.
Prediction: Mavericks win 4-2
Round One
#1
vs
#8
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Mavericks
Series Overview:
Fresh off of the first title win in 4.0 franchise history, the Mavericks had finally gotten over the last hurdle of their 3 year long journey towards being crowned as the best team in the league. Now with the pressure of needing to deliver instant success eased up, GM soup alvarado worked quickly to shed some of the depth in the Mavericks roster that was making the salary books a bit hard to manage. Rookie high flyer Jimmy Paxson, along with veterans Lucius Allen and Elvin Hayes found their ways across timezones to Eastern Conference teams while Dallas pulled off another monster deal for the aging superstar SG Rick Barry. With the regular season now concluded, Dallas finds their squad once again with the best record in the league and facing off against Midwest rival OKC Thunder. Though not nearly 100% strength due to several late season injuries, Dallas will undoubtedly coast their way towards an easy series win while resting up their starters to prepare for a much tougher 2nd round opponent.
For the Thunder, the unlikely winds of change seems to have finally swept through the franchise. After years of underachieving and playoff disappointments following massive spending sprees of any and all future assets; GM jameshardensmerkin pulled off one of the biggest heists in league history, acquiring the 4th pick in last year's enormously hyped draft, Sam Bowie AND three of their own first rounds picks back for Ernie Grunfield. With their future assets back, JHB decided to finally pull the trigger on a rebuild project with a late season trade sending Lonnie Shelton to Minnesota and kick started the great trade deadline fire sale of 3004. With a roster now more suited to compete for a top 5 pick than a playoff spot, OKC will be unable to take advantage of the injuries to Dallas, a very short series is likely.
Prediction: Mavericks win 4-1
#2
vs
#7
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Lakers
Series Overview:
Quickly becoming an annual playoff tradition in the West, the great battle between the LA franchises ended the Lakers season last year on a bitter note, losing in the first round to a lower seeded Clippers team. Now with another year of experience between key youngsters Charlie Ward, Sidney Moncrief and Eric Montross; the Lakers finally have the appearance of a legitimate title contender. Having avoided another post ASG collapse in the regular season, Gm Buster was able to get his team playing well enough to secure the Pacific crown during the last sim of the season and most importantly, stayed 100% healthy this time around as they prepare for another series with their in town rival.
For Clipper nation, fans have quickly become accustomed to not getting too attached to players not named Magic Johnson. As another trade deadline passes, another great Joe Dirt tear down and rebuild concluded. Having acquired their own picks back through coercion, bribery and public shaming, the former commissioner decided to stick to his plans for a possible rebuild for all of 1 week before catching wind of an OKC fire sale and promptly shipped out those picks for the young but underachieving SG Adrian Dantley to pair with Magic. With not much talent elsewhere on the roster, the dynamic back court duo will have to shoulder nearly all of the offense load against an overwhelming Lakers roster with star power at every position. Though they would no doubt love to end another Lakers season, the upcoming free agency decision from Magic Johnson is likely the most important thing on the Clipper agenda.
Prediction: Lakers win 4-1
#3
vs
#6
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Now a few years into the George Gervin era, the Nuggets haven't found nearly the amount of success they would have liked from arguably the most talented scorer in the league. With Glenn Robinson's free agency looming ever closer and Gervin's age approaching 30, GM jerrywest has decided to shake up the roster via an in season trade instead of relying on the offseason and acquired center Marvin Webster from a rebuilding Rockets squad. Now playing some of the best sim basketball in the league; the Nuggets finished the season on a very strong run en route to a franchise first 60+ win season as they prepare to host their first playoff series against Portland.
Another season, another 50 wins for the stable franchise in the Pacific Northwest. Having balked at all offers for Bill Walton over the last couple of years that nearly all ended in a first round exit, the Trailblazers find themselves once again in the all too familiar spot of opening the playoffs on the road. Against the Nuggets, newly awarded first team center Bill Walton should more than hold his own against Webster while veteran forward Dan Issel deals with Glenn Robinson. However, like with the "nearly a dynasty" Jazz teams, the Blazers have little answer for Iceman, combined with having to play 4 games in the sim high altitude hostile environments of the road, another opening round loss seems likely
Prediction: Nuggets win 4-2
#4
vs
#5
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
A bitter ending to the Grizzlies season last year saw the newly relocated franchise lose in the 2nd round to the 5th seeded Clippers team off of a monster series from Magic Johnson. With the addition of Don Buse in the offseason, the mild mannered easy going draft master beetledruce bought himself some PG insurance in preparation for another series in which they might face an elite PG. Having sustained no losses via FA or injuries, the #1 seed from last year capped off another excellent regular season to 60+ wins as they open the playoffs against a team that has no such player of Magic Johnson's caliber at PG, a sign of perhaps good fortunes.
After a grueling year long tanking campaign that saw the hapless Timberwolves once again falling in the lottery as they often do under the management of Asian GMs, Minnesota decided that 1 more year of tanking was no longer a viable option and started a season long process of overhauling the entire roster. With the acquisition of former #1 pick Grant Hill, creation special Foots Walker as well as the now infamous Jamaal Wilkes non trade that led to the package of Slam Dunk Champion Jimmy Paxson™ and Juwan Howard that was later packaged with Foots for all defensive forward Lonnie Shleton, the Wolves roster now look drastically different from the pitiful brand of basketball put on display last season. With rookie PG Alvin Robertson still a year or 2 away from being truly able to run the offense of a title contender, the Timberwolves' primary goal is to use this year's playoffs as an assessment of how the roster fits together as well as hoping to secure long term FA deals for Mark Eaton and Lonnie Shelton.
Prediction: Grizzlies win 4-3
Conference Semifinals
#1
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
Following what should be an opening round dismissal of a Thunder team they had little trouble with during regular season, the Mavericks hopes to be back in full health by the 2nd round for a grueling match against a tough Grizzlies team. With the late season acquisition of Kermit Washington that now allows Kenon to roam in the paint as a power forward, the Mavericks can create a great mismatch in the paint with Kenon against a thin Vancouver front line composed mostly of shot blocking bigs that can't score. If Kenon is able to put the Grizzlies bigs in early foul trouble, this series could go much smoother for the Mavericks than the 4 regular season games that ended with both squads taking 2 games apiece.
For the Grizzlies, they will need to rely on a few things in order to pull off the upset; either Don Buse will need to earn his money and prove he can match up against the now two time MVP David Thompson so that the Grizz don't fall prey to another elite PG in the playoffs or their trio of shot blockers need to harass the hell out of a freshly recovered Larry Kenon. The SG position the Grizzlies enjoy an advantage over many teams with Billy Knight will find no such luck against the ageless wonder Rick Barry, who at 36 years young, still shows no signs of slowing down.
Prediction: Mavericks win 4-2
#2
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Nuggets
Series Overview:
After avenging last year's opening round loss to the Clippers, the Lakers will face much stiffer competition in the 2nd round. Ever since the creation draft, GMs and fans alike have always wanted to witness a showdown between the top 2 creation picks in a playoff series. Unfortunately, being drafted in different conferences has denied fans of such an event; until now that is. Being supported by an embarrassment of riches in the back court between the talented young duo of Charlie Ward and Sidney "Max"crief as well as former Finals MVP Brian Winters, Dr J will need to play the series of his life to prove the detractors wrong that perhaps Iceman deserved to be picked #1 in the creation draft.
From the Nuggets standpoint, Dr J perhaps isn't nearly the focal point to Gervin as Iceman is to the good doctor. With their other positions in good hands, the #1 concern for Denver is the match up at the point guard position. Though a good distributor and defender, Slick Watts and his band of misfit backups is entirely outclassed by Brian Winters and Charlie Ward. To counter that, the Nuggets will need to rely perhaps more on a slower style of offense that focuses more on the inside scoring abilities of Glenn Robinson and Marvin Webster to pressure the foul trouble prone veteran Bob McAdoo. With a 4-0 sweep in the regular season over the Lakers, clearly something they have done is working as they look to duplicate that success in the Conference Semifinals.
Prediction: Nuggets win 4-3
Conference Finals
#1
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 4-0 Mavericks
Series Overview:
Now back in the Conference Finals with another trip to the Finals within grasp, the Mavericks could become the first ever back to back title winner in 4.0, solidifying their place as the best organization in the league. With the experience Rick Barry has playing against Gervin day in and day out, the SG position is in good hands even though Gervin will still likely outplay Barry. The key for the Mavericks however, will be on their two time MVP David Thompson to unleash the fear of god into the opposing Slick Watts and company, point guards that have no business standing on the same court as Skywalker. Having made an early season offensive scheme change to the famous DBL offense of very fast and outside, Skywalker has tore through the league, including the Nuggets in the regular season to the tune of a 4-0 season sweep. If those results can be duplicated, we may very well see our first repeat champions in 4.0
For the Nuggets, A first ever trip to the Finals to continue the tradition of Midwest dominance over the East is on the line. Should they survive the PG deficiencies they face against the Lakers, another similar feat of accomplishment against perhaps the most terrifying player in the league would require some divine intervention from the sim gods. Though George Gervin is no stranger to said feats in a stage as large as the conference finals or even the sim finals, for the rest of the Denver roster, a first time experience for youngsters like Glenn Robinson or Walter Davis could be a rude awakening against the likes of Larry Kenon and Rick Barry.
Prediction: Mavericks win 4-2
