Playoff Preview 5on5 - Plus Commentary

[TheSyndicate]

5on5's are a great fun way to get a bunch of GMs perspective, even though you probably don't care about their situations unless they're talking about your team. Since I know you don't want my ramblings, I'll be rating/commenting/bantering/stirring shit up on the other GM's answers. Enjoy - and I totally didn't just do this as an opportunity to insert the Nuggets into every answer.

1. The #1 and #2 seeds in the East and West are all expected to win their first-round playoff series handily, which of them is most likely to be upset and why?

78: I really don't see any path of victory for either of the lower seeds in both conferences. The Bulls are too strong for a young Celtics squad. The Bucks are facing a really good Sixers squad without Damion McNairy. The Blazers are too depleted to even win a game against the Nuggets and the Mavs do not have enough firepower in the frontcourt to do damage against a perimeter dominant Kings team. The best I can say is that the Mavs may win 1-2 games against the Kings, but I don't see any likely upsets brewing in this first round.

False9: Oh sweet, sweet Ryan. I'll be rooting for you but I am very concerned about your team. Don't get me wrong- it's filled with world beaters like Durant and DJ. But...your roster kinda stops at eight player. There's been a history of ill-timed injuries that have derailed your title aspirations before. What up with the Nuggets medical staff? Has sim-Colorado not legalized sim-weed? Or maybe the sim-Nuggets staff are too SIM HIGH. Anyway, I'm sure it'll be fine.

NickMalone: Before the latest sim, I thought the Blazers could snag a game or two from the Nuggets primarily based on the power of Derrick Rose. But then when you look at all the injuries they suffered, that stretch makes it almost next to impossible to battle the length and versatility that Durant and Giannis provide. The only thing that could hurt the Nuggets in later rounds would be their lack of depth if someone were to go down. The Bulls should sweep the young and inexperienced Celtics though this should be a great step of experience for Ulis, De La Rosa, and KAT to at least get that taste even if it'll only be for 4-5 games.

Quailman: I think the 1 and 2 seeds are all poised to advance, but if I had to pick one team... I would say the Nuggets, only because, despite having the reigning MVP, they are have the least amount of depth behind their starting five to withstand an injury, especially if it was to Jrue or KD.

WigNosy: While I don’t think any of the top couple of seeds is actually going to lose, I think you could entertain the notion the Kings are vulnerable to the Mavs. The Mavs have several guys (Beal, Bojan, Fisher, Gordon, Paul) that could get hot from 3 point range and steal a game if Whiteside is cutting off lanes for Kyrie and Duren. Since Erik Haynes hasn’t grown into his potentials yet, Whiteside should be free to roam and be a backstop. These teams played early this season, but the Mavs did win the season series so it’s not like they fear the Kings. The Bulls and Nuggets are too strong to pick and the McNary broken leg means 76ers are safe (I probably would have picked them if the Bucks were healthy).

Faithful Moderator: Everyone agrees that no top seed is in trouble in the first round, but we saw the Pistons unexpectedly eat dirt last year and it seems like there's always one surprise. We saw a couple picks for the Nuggets (silly) or the Kings (only marginally less silly). I'll go out on a limb and say the Bulls got trouble with the upstart Celtics. Conroy knows how to win the playoffs. But also, what a stupid question, ain't none of the top seeds losing. Scoreboard: Top seeds: 1, 5on5 members: 1, Moderator: 0

2. If you had to bet your own money on one playoff team that will not be in next season, and one lotto team that WILL be dancing next year, who are those teams, why, and how much are you risking?

78: Every starter on the Rockets are over the age of 30. Horford and Lawson and 34 and 33 respectively. Thomas is 32 and Covington and Green have already been hit by TC and are only going down from here. The Rockets could easily take another TC beating which could easily make the starting 5 an average bunch so I'm going with the Rockets to miss the playoffs. I think the Nets will regain their form and come back to the playoffs. They have a really nice core in place with Pedraza and F. Cole Medina. Look for them to be back.

False9: I'd bet quite a bit against the Mavs returning to the playoffs next year. No disrespect to Shaun, but this is going to be his first offseason to navigate the draft and free agency. He'll have plenty of cap space, but it takes a while to get the hang of this game.

I would put a conservative wager on the Nets and Pacers returning to the playoffs. The unfortunate timing of the Medina injury really took the wind out of the Nets playoff run, but the talent is there. The Pacers have some interesting talent and two lotto picks.

NickMalone: Pretender and faux contender, I'm always shocked and surprised by what the Rockets have been able to get out of their roster. You have to figure the cap crunch of relying on Draymond and IT will eventually catch up to them. Al Horford has been their saving grace for so long, you thought they'd give him the key to the city for constantly putting the team on his back. I'm really surprised that a team of Buddy and Funky wasn't enough to power that team to make the playoffs. I get it, They traded their entire backcourt during the season to alleviate a tax hit but the way Buddy and Funky play and play together should be I.E. I think is really important as the Nets continue to grow on that base.

Quailman: I think age will finally catch up to the Rockets, and unfortunately their magical run to the playoffs will come to an end. With that said, I think the Pelicans could be poised to take their spot. With a young core of Hield and Pearsall leading the way, they need one big move in the offseason to make them a playoff team.

WigNosy: I’ll be “I told you so”s but not money. You’ve seen how bad my pick ems went this year. This is a tough one but I think I would go with the Suns to drop out of the playoffs. Every other playoff team has young pieces in the rotation that are ascending but the Suns have Kevin Love who has been declining, Thomas Robinson, who is declining a touch, and they’ll have to pin their hopes in FreeAgency again. At some point Lov will erode to the point he can’t carry the team any more. And I think the Lakers have the best chance to displace them. They have a ton of young talent and most of their players - except the sacrificial TC lamb - will be getting better. They have the top level potential guys and a ton of depth to make an impactful trade too, so I can see them able to make an offseason move to jump into the playoff fray.

Moderator: Weird, we went a whole question without anyone mentioning the Nuggets. Must be something wrong. First of all, no one answered the 'how much would you wager' question, and I was pretty excited to see some dollar figures. A lot of anti Rocket and Suns folks, and a lot of pro-Nets love. Shoutout to WigNosy for throwing out the Lakers as a playoff team next year. While I respect the answer, please sir name your odds and I'll take the bet.


3. Stephen Norsworthy looks like a Sim-Gawd in the making. Purely for entertainment value (forgetting about your own team motivations), where would you like to see him land and why? Any other prospects that catch your eye?


78: This fantastic prospect is from Montana and played at U-dub. How awesome would it be for him to stay in the Pacific Northwest and go to Vancouver to resurrect a franchise and fanbase as well as an entire region? Plus seeing him at Oklahoma City would be pouring acid on old Seattle Sonics fans wounds with one of their own going to the traitor team. Keep him home please.

False9: I'm sure there's some dumb mythology joke with Norsworthy and the Thunder, but he'd be a waste in OKC (sorry if you're reading this MIR). Let's get him on the the Bobcats- I want to see cocky Chad back. Plus, it's not like he'd have to spend points to train him. Just make sure you have that bill paid before RFA, Chad.
There are some interesting, but flawed non-lottery prospects out there. James Pratt and Markus Nunez could be handy players to stash for teams currently competing.

NickMalone: If the TWolves had their own pick, I would've loved to have seen Norsworthy end up in Minnesota just to continue the whole Viking theme. Alas, that's not the case and he'd fit extremely well in Indiana with Tobias Harris and Vucevic. Other spots that could use him would be Toronto to play next to King Joffrey. After a few seasons, he'd be really fun to watch once he's fully grown.

Quailman: Norsworthy would look great on the Grizzlies, because Louie won't be able to pay to keep him in 4 seasons thanks to his tax bill, making him possibly one of the hottest FA commodities ever (since Louie cannot offer a max). Oyler and Brookins look really interesting. Nice size players are actually coming out, and they are athletic to boot. Stamina still an issue, but they are pretty intriguing.

WigNosy: In division or not, the league is better when Chad is talking trash. If he lands on the Bobcats Chad will be motivated to pile up the points to pay off that debt and keep him... and watching him wheel and deal while talking trash would be ridiculously entertaining. And if it looks like he can’t pay off the bill fast enough and gets desperate... well, even more entertaining. As far as other prospects go, keep an eye of Alfonso Williams - I think he has enough of a power scoring game to pick up Rookie of the Year. Brian Coleman is an interesting case too... all athleticism but no real skills. Can he stick anywhere?

Moderator: I can absolutely get behind The Nors-God on the Bobcats. Good on you, folks. Doug just wants the only destination where he might be available to him before 2030, and Nick spends half his answer on a scenario that doesn't exist in reality. Updated scoreboard: Wig: 3, 78/Andy: 2, Doug/Nick: 1, Ryan: 0 (cuz wtf am I even doing), and Likelihood of anyone not involved getting to the end of this long article: -12

4. Which player that did not land on one of the 3 All-NBA teams will be the biggest X-factor for his team in the playoffs?

78: For me, it's Daniel Randle of the Hawks. This guy has already had plenty of playoff experience playing multiple positions. With the Hawks on a tear recently, look for Randle to have a huge impact in these playoffs.

False9: Russell Westbrook is built for war, and so are the Bulls. I can't believe lotto bum Kemba Walker made it (and first team at that!) but Westbrook didn't. That's ok- Westbrook is the straw that stirs the Bulls drink. He's their leading scorer and probably their most important player. Any success will be dependent on his health.

NickMalone: Russell Westbrook. How he didn't make the all league team to me is mind boggling. He's the straw that stirs the drinks for the Bulls and one of the more dangerous players in the game. Something would have to be seriously off for him not to have a deep impact in this playoffs. He makes everything go for the Bulls and makes it almost next to impossible for everyone to try and cover that back court.

Quailman: I can tell you one player that won't: Damion McNary.

WigNosy: Enes Kanter. With McNary out we will get the chance to see a very interesting Bucks front court between Kanter and Arciniega. They should be able to dominate the glass, but Kanter needs to hold his own offensively against KenHenBen Simmons for the Bucks to give Philly a scare. If Kanter performs, the Bucks have a puncher’s chance to win the series. If not they will be swept.

Moderator: Sad Doug is sad. I like the Randle pick. The Westbrook picks make sense. Is there anyone here that takes Jrue over Westbrook? That all-league selection makes as much sense as the league MVP choice. It's totally not a coincidence that they're both on the Nuggets. Wait, who said Nuggets?

My ex-factor? How about Philly's Boyd Cox? He's been an ex-factor all year and an all-around front-court contributor. He'll be matched up on the best front-court offensive player from the other team and gives GM Ballsohard an excellent chess piece going through the playoffs.

5. Going into the season, there was a popular line of thought that said the Eastern Conference was substantially better than the West. Did you subscribe to that notion, and did it play out the way you thought?

78: The difference in the two conferences is not that much. The East is better at the bottom since the West has 3 teams with less than 20 wins, but the rest of the West is not bad at all and unlike the East, every playoff team in the West has a winning record. Also looking at the All-League teams, 11 out of the 15 players come from the West. So no, there is no substantial difference between either conference and it's easy to make a case stating the West is actually better.

False9: Maybe a season or two ago, but things have changed. At the start of the season, we saw some talent shift out West, and things tilted a bit back towards the East. With all the transactions that took place, things are a bit closer to even. I would't be surprised by any of the top 6 teams in the West winning in all. Then again, the West also has two teams that lost 71 games. Woof.

NickMalone: The East to me is very top heavy. The West I think is tougher and stands out more when you look at how difficult it is to crack the playoffs. That Jazz/Suns match up will be fun to watch and see how the young core of the Jazz is able to deal with the powers of Kevin Love. They signed Drummond in the off season I think primarily to deal with a match up nightmare the kind of guy Love represents at least defensively.

Quailman: I feel like there is parity overall. Not necessarily in that every team has a chance, but that the top 2 in the conferences are tier 1, 3 through 6 are up in the air, then there was a tight race between 7 through 10. Honestly, that's pretty great to ask for in any season. I think with the environment change for Durant, Duren becoming legit, and Kevin Love being himself, the West did have an outlook change. But I think the league as a whole is experiencing some equal distribution of talent of sorts.

WigNosy: Yes, I thought so, if only because the Spurs and Grizzlies were in cap trouble, the Mavs, Clips, and Lakers were all being stewarded, and the Thunder are the Thunder. The Bulls are clearly the class of the league and they are in the East but I think the rest of the playoff teams on both sides are about balanced... but the bottom of the East has way more talent than the bottom of the West. If anything I’m surprised that the top Western teams didn’t feast a little more on the bottom of the conference.

Moderator: This question was boring - couldn't we have talked about some unheralded draft prospects? Who wrote these questions?

6. Lastly, who you got?

78: I'm going with the Bulls to win it all. Injuries always play a role, but they were very close to making the Finals last year and are even better this year and clearly the best team in the league.

False9: I've been the Bundini Brown to Josh's Bulls all year. Bulls over Kings in 7.

NickMalone: I was thinking Bulls-Nuggets going in but I wouldn't count out Duren and the Kings just yet. There's something crafty about the Kings + their depth that could surprise the dominant Nuggets. I still have the Bulls in 5 either way. No pressure, Josh.

Quailman: Losing Mcnary really took the steam out of my sails in terms of giving a shit, but I think the Bulls have caught lightning in a bottle with this team and bring one home.

WigNosy: Chalk, barring further injury. The Bulls and Nuggets’ point differential tells you they are significantly better than the rest of the league. They should meet in the finals and I expect a parade in Chicago.

Moderator:
Some notes:
1. Is anyone else annoyed by the inconsistency in whether or not the colons were bolded?
2. Everyone picked the Bulls. That can't be good for the Bulls, right?
3. I've given people shit for terrible questions in 5on5s before. I now realize it's not the easiest.
4. Serious thanks to all who participated - you mostly got them back to me on time so this could go up well before the first round sim. A+ all around
5. Nuggets over 76ers in 7, book it.

[IamQuailman]

4. Serious thanks to all who participated - you mostly got them back to me on time so this could go up well before the first round sim. A+ all around
5. Nuggets over 7.

Sowwy

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[TheSyndicate]

4. Serious thanks to all who participated - you mostly got them back to me on time so this could go up well before the first round sim. A+ all around
5. Nuggets over 7.

Sowwy

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

all good sweetheart. You had some grieving to do.

[ballsohard]

If i lose another 7 games finals I’ll be out with severe depression for a year.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ballsohard]

You all may claim 5 points.