Post by IanBoyd on May 18, 2014 19:25:38 GMT -6
Bringing back my annual playoff preview articles, starting with the West, all previews/projections are based on current standings on day 90.
Round One
#1
vs
#8
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
The Thunder under GM jameshardensbeard, despite his humble and quiet humility, have raced out to an early season onslaught, winning 13 straight games before a single loss in the inaugural season of 4.0 that few saw coming and have maintained a solid lead over the rest of the West. Like many of the other contenders vying for a shot at the title in the rugged Western Conference, OKC's utilizes a fast faced tempo designed to out score their opponents. As the current #1 seed, OKC's round 1 opponent projects to be the Phoenix Suns, a team led by GM ankly. By a stroke of pure software magic, Phoenix was gifted the current leading scorer in the league, point guard John Williamson, who despite lacking the passing touch many teams are looking for in their floor general, has been scorching opponents to the tune of nearly 38 points per game. In the regular season, these 2 teams split their season series 2 games each, Phoenix is hoping to duplicate that success in the postseason behind the stellar play of Bobby Jones, who has lit up OKC for a 51 point explosion in an early season loss.
Prediction: Thunder win 4-2
#2
vs
#7
Regular Season Matches: 2-1 Lakers
Series Overview:
Although slated to be a 2-7 match up that historically favors the 2 seed a majority of the time, the projected battle between the current Pacific leader New Orleans Pelicans and the LA Lakers is deceptively even. Despite playing in the weaker of the two division in the West, the Pacific race is as hotly contested as any so far in the league, with the Pelicans holding on to a 0.5 game lead narrowly. Under the guidance of seldom seen veteran gm/black lawyer oopspowsurprise, New Orleans packs one of the more fearsome duos in the league with Larry Kenon and Campy Russell. Not to be outdone by their Midwest brethren, the Pelicans boasts a top 5 scoring offense and takes on one of the better defenses in the Pacific in the Lakers whom, despite regular season success against the Pelicans, is noted for having problems stopping dominant post scorers even with the combined solid contributions of Dave Cowens and Sidney Wicks.
Prediction: Pelicans win 4-3
#3
vs
#6
Regular Season Matches: 3-0 Timberwolves
Series Overview:
Through much of the early years of 2.0, the 3-6 match up has historically been as unkind to the Pacific division as the 1-8, in a weaker creation Pacific, this season appears no different. Blessed with a top 5 creation pick, the Trailblazers were overjoyed to be able to draft the highly talented Bill Walton as the face of the franchise to anchor their front line in a conference that lacks a dominant center. However, due to a lack of wanting to mortgage the future, veteran gm duc15 has opted not to get young Bill Walton much more help during the creation draft and instead picked up help from unheralded players such as Josh Shumate and Al Skinner. Matched up against the Blazers is projected to be a team that has had little problems with them during the regular season; led by one of the better big man in the league in Elvin Hayes and the only player able to grab more rebounds per game than Bill Walton in Swen Nater, the Timberwolves have elected to sacrifice the immediate future in an attempt for early success.
Prediction: Timberwolves win 4-2
#4
vs
#5
Regular Season Matches: 2-1 Rockets
Series Overview:
In any other given year, this series would perhaps be one of the most highly contested round 1 matches, but it pains me to point out the obvious bad luck of Gm 2poor, whose Jazz team suffered an early season long term injury to glue man George Johnson, only to be delivered the devastating news of a season ending broken skull injury to their starting poing guard Tiny Archibald earlier today. Against the rugged fellow Midwest powerhouse Houston Rockets, those injuries are unlikely to be overcome easily.
Prediction: Rockets win 4-2
Conference Semifinals
#1
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 1-1 Split
Series Overview:
Likely to be the match up that could end up deciding the conference, the projected series between the Thunder and the Rockets pits 2 teams with similar offensive capabilities but differing styles in the semi finals of the West. For the Thunder, an offense that emphasizes the outside scoring abilities of their wings Allan Bristow (acquired in an early season trade from the Celtics) and Adrian Dantley holds the key along with versatile combo guard Ron Boones. For the Rockets, a more balanced offense featuring an inside outside game of George McGinnis and aging veteran Walt Fraizer is the primary focus. During the regular season, these 2 teams split games 1-1 with 2 more games remaining, with many past histories indicating that home court advantage often goes out the window among evenly matched teams, I give the slight edge to the team with the better defense and the stronger starting 5.
Prediction: Rockets win 4-3
#2
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 2-0 Timberwolves
Series Overview:
In a conference with a clear difference in terms of quality between the divisions, having the 3rd seed has led to many easier roads to the Finals in years past, a path that gm yours truly is hoping will lead to the same success in this year's playoffs. Projected to likely match up against a second Pacific team that has not given them much difficulty in the regular season, Minnesota will enter the conference semi finals with likely a player advantage in most starting positions as well has having likely the best player in the series, the Timberwolves should likely close out the games against New Orleans with a decent margin and look ahead to the Finals against the first and only Midwest team they will face.
Prediction: Timberwolves win 4-2
Conference Finals
#3
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 2-1 Rockets
Series Overview:
Should the Rockets upset the Thunder in the semi finals, Houston will face their 3rd straight Midwest team in the playoffs, a path to the Finals that will likely rank as the hardest schedule in either conference's playoff bracket. In many ways, these two teams are close to mirror images of each other; both are built with a strong post scoring power foward as the primary focus of the offense with a solid rebounding center anchoring behind. The Timberwolves plays an unconventional inside focused slow methodical pace that emphasizes ball security, defense and milking each possession for the best look possible. Outside of a blow out game in which starting SG for the Timbyerwolves Billy Knight was injured in, the Rockets hold a 1 point win on the road against the Wolves, while Minnesota returned the favor 6 days later with a 2 point win on the road in Houston. These two teams are exceedingly closely matched, the result may likely come down once again to a few 1/2 point win or losses to decide who heads to the Finals
Prediction: Timberwolves win 4-3
Playoff teams record: 314-183
Winning percentage: .632
Average Points/game: 108.36
Average Points allowed: 102.48
Winning percentage: .632
Average Points/game: 108.36
Average Points allowed: 102.48
Round One
#1
vs
#8
Regular Season Matches: 2-2 Split
Series Overview:
The Thunder under GM jameshardensbeard, despite his humble and quiet humility, have raced out to an early season onslaught, winning 13 straight games before a single loss in the inaugural season of 4.0 that few saw coming and have maintained a solid lead over the rest of the West. Like many of the other contenders vying for a shot at the title in the rugged Western Conference, OKC's utilizes a fast faced tempo designed to out score their opponents. As the current #1 seed, OKC's round 1 opponent projects to be the Phoenix Suns, a team led by GM ankly. By a stroke of pure software magic, Phoenix was gifted the current leading scorer in the league, point guard John Williamson, who despite lacking the passing touch many teams are looking for in their floor general, has been scorching opponents to the tune of nearly 38 points per game. In the regular season, these 2 teams split their season series 2 games each, Phoenix is hoping to duplicate that success in the postseason behind the stellar play of Bobby Jones, who has lit up OKC for a 51 point explosion in an early season loss.
Prediction: Thunder win 4-2
#2
vs
#7
Regular Season Matches: 2-1 Lakers
Series Overview:
Although slated to be a 2-7 match up that historically favors the 2 seed a majority of the time, the projected battle between the current Pacific leader New Orleans Pelicans and the LA Lakers is deceptively even. Despite playing in the weaker of the two division in the West, the Pacific race is as hotly contested as any so far in the league, with the Pelicans holding on to a 0.5 game lead narrowly. Under the guidance of seldom seen veteran gm/black lawyer oopspowsurprise, New Orleans packs one of the more fearsome duos in the league with Larry Kenon and Campy Russell. Not to be outdone by their Midwest brethren, the Pelicans boasts a top 5 scoring offense and takes on one of the better defenses in the Pacific in the Lakers whom, despite regular season success against the Pelicans, is noted for having problems stopping dominant post scorers even with the combined solid contributions of Dave Cowens and Sidney Wicks.
Prediction: Pelicans win 4-3
#3
vs
#6
Regular Season Matches: 3-0 Timberwolves
Series Overview:
Through much of the early years of 2.0, the 3-6 match up has historically been as unkind to the Pacific division as the 1-8, in a weaker creation Pacific, this season appears no different. Blessed with a top 5 creation pick, the Trailblazers were overjoyed to be able to draft the highly talented Bill Walton as the face of the franchise to anchor their front line in a conference that lacks a dominant center. However, due to a lack of wanting to mortgage the future, veteran gm duc15 has opted not to get young Bill Walton much more help during the creation draft and instead picked up help from unheralded players such as Josh Shumate and Al Skinner. Matched up against the Blazers is projected to be a team that has had little problems with them during the regular season; led by one of the better big man in the league in Elvin Hayes and the only player able to grab more rebounds per game than Bill Walton in Swen Nater, the Timberwolves have elected to sacrifice the immediate future in an attempt for early success.
Prediction: Timberwolves win 4-2
#4
vs
#5
Regular Season Matches: 2-1 Rockets
Series Overview:
In any other given year, this series would perhaps be one of the most highly contested round 1 matches, but it pains me to point out the obvious bad luck of Gm 2poor, whose Jazz team suffered an early season long term injury to glue man George Johnson, only to be delivered the devastating news of a season ending broken skull injury to their starting poing guard Tiny Archibald earlier today. Against the rugged fellow Midwest powerhouse Houston Rockets, those injuries are unlikely to be overcome easily.
Prediction: Rockets win 4-2
Conference Semifinals
#1
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 1-1 Split
Series Overview:
Likely to be the match up that could end up deciding the conference, the projected series between the Thunder and the Rockets pits 2 teams with similar offensive capabilities but differing styles in the semi finals of the West. For the Thunder, an offense that emphasizes the outside scoring abilities of their wings Allan Bristow (acquired in an early season trade from the Celtics) and Adrian Dantley holds the key along with versatile combo guard Ron Boones. For the Rockets, a more balanced offense featuring an inside outside game of George McGinnis and aging veteran Walt Fraizer is the primary focus. During the regular season, these 2 teams split games 1-1 with 2 more games remaining, with many past histories indicating that home court advantage often goes out the window among evenly matched teams, I give the slight edge to the team with the better defense and the stronger starting 5.
Prediction: Rockets win 4-3
#2
vs
#3
Regular Season Matches: 2-0 Timberwolves
Series Overview:
In a conference with a clear difference in terms of quality between the divisions, having the 3rd seed has led to many easier roads to the Finals in years past, a path that gm yours truly is hoping will lead to the same success in this year's playoffs. Projected to likely match up against a second Pacific team that has not given them much difficulty in the regular season, Minnesota will enter the conference semi finals with likely a player advantage in most starting positions as well has having likely the best player in the series, the Timberwolves should likely close out the games against New Orleans with a decent margin and look ahead to the Finals against the first and only Midwest team they will face.
Prediction: Timberwolves win 4-2
Conference Finals
#3
vs
#4
Regular Season Matches: 2-1 Rockets
Series Overview:
Should the Rockets upset the Thunder in the semi finals, Houston will face their 3rd straight Midwest team in the playoffs, a path to the Finals that will likely rank as the hardest schedule in either conference's playoff bracket. In many ways, these two teams are close to mirror images of each other; both are built with a strong post scoring power foward as the primary focus of the offense with a solid rebounding center anchoring behind. The Timberwolves plays an unconventional inside focused slow methodical pace that emphasizes ball security, defense and milking each possession for the best look possible. Outside of a blow out game in which starting SG for the Timbyerwolves Billy Knight was injured in, the Rockets hold a 1 point win on the road against the Wolves, while Minnesota returned the favor 6 days later with a 2 point win on the road in Houston. These two teams are exceedingly closely matched, the result may likely come down once again to a few 1/2 point win or losses to decide who heads to the Finals
Prediction: Timberwolves win 4-3
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