Roundtable Discussions With Pauly: 2005 Playoffs Round 1
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:02 pm
The playoffs are upon us and with that comes a great divide in the league, half of us are happy to have made it and are focused on trying to advance while the other half sulks and curses at our respective teams. So with that in mind I've gathered 3 gracious volunteers for a simple 5 topic discussion about the select few who ARE involved in this years playoffs. DISCUSSION, ARGUMENTS, and BANTER are all welcome and heavily encouraged!
First allow me to introduce our participants:
2 Time NBA Champion DarthVegito!
A GM since '92 with an impressive 509-639 career record, KUcoach7!
The GM with Input and Submission Issues, its Cleveland's 2nd favorite son, 42!
And of course the Master of everything Mediocre, its me PaulyP!
Okay gentlemen, our first discussion topic, which GM has the most to lose in their First Round Matchup?
KUcoach7: I'm going to go with The Syndicate for this one. They are $15 million over the cap and underdogs in the first round. I don't see them winning this one either. The good news is that 3 of their 5 starters are still young(ish). The bad news is that they have $70 million on the books for next year so help is pretty much only coming in the form of D-Wade continuing to improve or a blockbuster trade.
42: That'd be 78. Coltsguy is going to be a disaster going forward regardless, so it's not really dependent on the first round exit. 78, however, is on that edge. He's got very little chance of winning it all without some help from every dude Tonya Harding has blown. A first round exit will indict his choices this season and his assets going forward, which are the only real chance he has of getting out from tax hell this coming season. Playing the Jazz, whom they were 1-3 against this season including losing the last 3, and closing the season 10-10 can't create a good feeling, even if those losses were against good team, because the Jazz are one of those good teams.
PaulyP: I think Eazy and the Spurs have a tremendous amount to lose in the 1st Round. They are expected to have another deep run and contend for the title but its been 4 straight years of either losing in the Conference Finals or the PBSL Finals. At some point Eazy has to say to himself that he isnt winning with Ray and Van Exel and maybe its time to move on and get a young backcourt. A quick bounce out of the playoffs may accelerate this train of thought.
DarthVegito: This one is the easiest to answer of them all. He got to the ECF last year and fell short. He has the largest luxury tax bill ever in sim league history. He's also the top contender to be GMOY and probably wins the award. Coltsguy easily has the most to lose and little to gain by failing once again. The pressure is on. Let's see what he does.
Interesting points all around, our next topic, Which 1st Round matchup is the most intriguing?
PaulyP: Im going to piggyback a bit on my previous answer and go with the Nuggets/Spurs series. I've been an outspoken member of the Nuggets' bandwagon all season and I think despite the differences in accomplishments the Nuggets should be favored. The Nuggets havent lost to the Spurs in their 4 meetings this year but the playoff tested Spurs should be able to turn it up a notch for this series.
42: Suns-Kings. The Kings are written-in as favorites season after season and they find a way to give it all away season after season, while the Suns are a justifiable afterthought who continually surprise. Who will live up to the reputation, and which one? The Kings are the better team on paper, but the Suns protect the ball and generate possessions. Will that be enough, along with the injury to one of the Kings' top players, for the Suns to asterisk their way to another later-round exit? I'm dying to see which of these two is eliminated in round 2!
DarthVegito: Spurs/Nuggets should be a very good matchup. I see it going at least 6 games. These two teams are VERY evenly matched and it will come down to who is the better game planner. Who throws the wrench in the others plan. Who goes outside the box and who doesn't predict that move. Should be a very interesting matchup.
KUcoach7: Hornets-Bucks. There is a lot to like about this series. The two GMs that love to trade the most square off. With Artest on the sideline at the start this could be interesting. Z-Bo, the player Artest was traded for is finally coming into his own. Two deep teams. And, oh yeah, the Hornets took the regular season series 2-1. Should be fun.
All great choices and good reasonings, topic number three, which series is the most boring?
42: Magic-Knicks. The Knicks are the only team with a losing record in the playoffs, they have a negative point differential despite having Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony, and now Elton Brand all playing at a high level. That's because the Wiglet doesn't have a bench. The Magic will have teams with actual talent, but no one on the Knicks can overcome their Quail-cock-thin roster.
PaulyP: This is kinda tough for me because I can find something intriguing about each one but I'll go with the Timberwolves/Mavericks series. The Wolves have Bosh who I love but they have only beat the Mavericks once this year so this series might not be the most competitive so thats why Im going to choose it, hopefully Im wrong and this series is awesome.
KUcoach7: I know I'm going to regret this pick because the plucky Suns never cease to amaze us but I'm going with Sacramento-Phoenix. The Kings owned the Suns in the regular season and I don't see any reason why that would change in the playoffs. I don't foresee the Kings choking until at least the second round so The Kings will roll in this one.
DarthVegito: I have to go with the Kings/Suns series here. I really do like this Suns team. A lot. But I think they pulled the wrong straw and just will be completely outmatched by this Sactown team. Tracy McGrOPy will have his way with ANYONE that guards him on this Suns team. I'll be shocked if this series goes to 5 games.
Yeah that segment might rub some guys the wrong way but lets be honest, we dont give a Frye. Our 4th topic, which team is on upset alert from one of the higher seeds?
DarthVegito: I'll take a long shot here. A pretty <expletive deleted> up long shot but although the Magic won the season series against the Knicks 3-1, the one game that the Knicks won was an eye-opener. Yao Ming put up 32 points on the former DPOY like he was nothing. If Yao can do that a few more times this series could get interesting. Sorry CG
PaulyP: I think the Bucks are in trouble. I dont believe in going into the playoffs cold and they still have a few guys on the injury list, Quail will be defensive about this and he has every right to be because hes a good GM but the Hornets are a very formidable opponent who have beat them twice this season, should be a very good series.
KUcoach7: I'm going with the Hornets here. With Artest out, Richard Jefferson may have a shot to take control of this series and propel the Hornets to victory. Gugliotta may have one more run in a Hornets uniform left in him. This is a pretty interesting matchup in general because of the history between these two teams with the Artest-Z-Bo trade not too far back.
42: Bucks might go down in round 1. They have 2 players day-to-day for their first game (I think) and 1 is Ron Artest, whom they will have day-to-day for a few more. If they play him, will they lose him to a more devastating injury? If not, will they suffer as they have of late, going 2-14 in their games without him? I'm not sure if science would call those little things testicles, but Quail is going to have to flex something to save his reputation. On the other side, Jefferson is not going to be a speed bump if Artest does play at 85% or 100%, plus the Hornets have an actual big man, not a disappointment of a draft pick dressed in transparent hype. Lastly, who the Frye are the Hornets? No one, not even Nick, knows what the Frye this team is because they've played like 4 games together. This team could be as good as the Hawks are bad.
Sorry Quail, dont use your commish powers to retract our teams. And lastly our final topic! The Biggest X-Factor who can change a series for better or worse!
KUcoach7: Chris Bosh. The only time the Wolves beat the Mavs, Bosh went off for 43. The Mavs really don't have the post defense to stop both Shaq and Bosh. If Bosh can show up on offense and defense, this series could get interesting. If he doesn't show up, Antawn, Andre, and Camby will role.
42: That's going to be Shaq. Big man can turn a series. Bradley was a get ingredient, though not the keyest key, for the Sixers last season, and Shaq was a Hawk-killer when the Hawks were relevant (they were at two times). The Mavericks have some talent and depth and luck, but a defensive big man who can turn on the scoring is a weakness of theirs. Don't believe me? Believe the data: The Mavericks lost to the Timberwolves in their only meeting involving Shaq.
DarthVegito: Here I'm going to name 2 X-Factors in one series. Chris Bosh and Antawn Jamison. These two guys control what happens for their respective teams. If Minny can find SOME way to slow down Jamison even a tiny bit they could pull this upset off. Bosh just needs to be Bosh. But if Jamison has his way and outscores Bosh every game, the T-Wolves have very little chance.
PaulyP: Michael Finley. He's been an absolute beast in the playoffs and he can really take the wind out of the Wizards sail early on in the series if he plays up to his dominant self. Washington has been known to shake up their lineups because of their versatility so its entirely possible he might guard Rashard Lewis during stretches and if you cut off the Wizards' head (Lewis) they will die quickly.
That was a very good discussion and plenty of fun, I would like to thank all my guests for participating and good luck to all the teams in the playoffs!
First allow me to introduce our participants:
2 Time NBA Champion DarthVegito! A GM since '92 with an impressive 509-639 career record, KUcoach7! The GM with Input and Submission Issues, its Cleveland's 2nd favorite son, 42! And of course the Master of everything Mediocre, its me PaulyP!Okay gentlemen, our first discussion topic, which GM has the most to lose in their First Round Matchup?
KUcoach7: I'm going to go with The Syndicate for this one. They are $15 million over the cap and underdogs in the first round. I don't see them winning this one either. The good news is that 3 of their 5 starters are still young(ish). The bad news is that they have $70 million on the books for next year so help is pretty much only coming in the form of D-Wade continuing to improve or a blockbuster trade.
42: That'd be 78. Coltsguy is going to be a disaster going forward regardless, so it's not really dependent on the first round exit. 78, however, is on that edge. He's got very little chance of winning it all without some help from every dude Tonya Harding has blown. A first round exit will indict his choices this season and his assets going forward, which are the only real chance he has of getting out from tax hell this coming season. Playing the Jazz, whom they were 1-3 against this season including losing the last 3, and closing the season 10-10 can't create a good feeling, even if those losses were against good team, because the Jazz are one of those good teams.
PaulyP: I think Eazy and the Spurs have a tremendous amount to lose in the 1st Round. They are expected to have another deep run and contend for the title but its been 4 straight years of either losing in the Conference Finals or the PBSL Finals. At some point Eazy has to say to himself that he isnt winning with Ray and Van Exel and maybe its time to move on and get a young backcourt. A quick bounce out of the playoffs may accelerate this train of thought.
DarthVegito: This one is the easiest to answer of them all. He got to the ECF last year and fell short. He has the largest luxury tax bill ever in sim league history. He's also the top contender to be GMOY and probably wins the award. Coltsguy easily has the most to lose and little to gain by failing once again. The pressure is on. Let's see what he does.
Interesting points all around, our next topic, Which 1st Round matchup is the most intriguing?
PaulyP: Im going to piggyback a bit on my previous answer and go with the Nuggets/Spurs series. I've been an outspoken member of the Nuggets' bandwagon all season and I think despite the differences in accomplishments the Nuggets should be favored. The Nuggets havent lost to the Spurs in their 4 meetings this year but the playoff tested Spurs should be able to turn it up a notch for this series.
42: Suns-Kings. The Kings are written-in as favorites season after season and they find a way to give it all away season after season, while the Suns are a justifiable afterthought who continually surprise. Who will live up to the reputation, and which one? The Kings are the better team on paper, but the Suns protect the ball and generate possessions. Will that be enough, along with the injury to one of the Kings' top players, for the Suns to asterisk their way to another later-round exit? I'm dying to see which of these two is eliminated in round 2!
DarthVegito: Spurs/Nuggets should be a very good matchup. I see it going at least 6 games. These two teams are VERY evenly matched and it will come down to who is the better game planner. Who throws the wrench in the others plan. Who goes outside the box and who doesn't predict that move. Should be a very interesting matchup.
KUcoach7: Hornets-Bucks. There is a lot to like about this series. The two GMs that love to trade the most square off. With Artest on the sideline at the start this could be interesting. Z-Bo, the player Artest was traded for is finally coming into his own. Two deep teams. And, oh yeah, the Hornets took the regular season series 2-1. Should be fun.
All great choices and good reasonings, topic number three, which series is the most boring?
42: Magic-Knicks. The Knicks are the only team with a losing record in the playoffs, they have a negative point differential despite having Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony, and now Elton Brand all playing at a high level. That's because the Wiglet doesn't have a bench. The Magic will have teams with actual talent, but no one on the Knicks can overcome their Quail-cock-thin roster.
PaulyP: This is kinda tough for me because I can find something intriguing about each one but I'll go with the Timberwolves/Mavericks series. The Wolves have Bosh who I love but they have only beat the Mavericks once this year so this series might not be the most competitive so thats why Im going to choose it, hopefully Im wrong and this series is awesome.
KUcoach7: I know I'm going to regret this pick because the plucky Suns never cease to amaze us but I'm going with Sacramento-Phoenix. The Kings owned the Suns in the regular season and I don't see any reason why that would change in the playoffs. I don't foresee the Kings choking until at least the second round so The Kings will roll in this one.
DarthVegito: I have to go with the Kings/Suns series here. I really do like this Suns team. A lot. But I think they pulled the wrong straw and just will be completely outmatched by this Sactown team. Tracy McGrOPy will have his way with ANYONE that guards him on this Suns team. I'll be shocked if this series goes to 5 games.
Yeah that segment might rub some guys the wrong way but lets be honest, we dont give a Frye. Our 4th topic, which team is on upset alert from one of the higher seeds?
DarthVegito: I'll take a long shot here. A pretty <expletive deleted> up long shot but although the Magic won the season series against the Knicks 3-1, the one game that the Knicks won was an eye-opener. Yao Ming put up 32 points on the former DPOY like he was nothing. If Yao can do that a few more times this series could get interesting. Sorry CG
PaulyP: I think the Bucks are in trouble. I dont believe in going into the playoffs cold and they still have a few guys on the injury list, Quail will be defensive about this and he has every right to be because hes a good GM but the Hornets are a very formidable opponent who have beat them twice this season, should be a very good series.
KUcoach7: I'm going with the Hornets here. With Artest out, Richard Jefferson may have a shot to take control of this series and propel the Hornets to victory. Gugliotta may have one more run in a Hornets uniform left in him. This is a pretty interesting matchup in general because of the history between these two teams with the Artest-Z-Bo trade not too far back.
42: Bucks might go down in round 1. They have 2 players day-to-day for their first game (I think) and 1 is Ron Artest, whom they will have day-to-day for a few more. If they play him, will they lose him to a more devastating injury? If not, will they suffer as they have of late, going 2-14 in their games without him? I'm not sure if science would call those little things testicles, but Quail is going to have to flex something to save his reputation. On the other side, Jefferson is not going to be a speed bump if Artest does play at 85% or 100%, plus the Hornets have an actual big man, not a disappointment of a draft pick dressed in transparent hype. Lastly, who the Frye are the Hornets? No one, not even Nick, knows what the Frye this team is because they've played like 4 games together. This team could be as good as the Hawks are bad.
Sorry Quail, dont use your commish powers to retract our teams. And lastly our final topic! The Biggest X-Factor who can change a series for better or worse!
KUcoach7: Chris Bosh. The only time the Wolves beat the Mavs, Bosh went off for 43. The Mavs really don't have the post defense to stop both Shaq and Bosh. If Bosh can show up on offense and defense, this series could get interesting. If he doesn't show up, Antawn, Andre, and Camby will role.
42: That's going to be Shaq. Big man can turn a series. Bradley was a get ingredient, though not the keyest key, for the Sixers last season, and Shaq was a Hawk-killer when the Hawks were relevant (they were at two times). The Mavericks have some talent and depth and luck, but a defensive big man who can turn on the scoring is a weakness of theirs. Don't believe me? Believe the data: The Mavericks lost to the Timberwolves in their only meeting involving Shaq.
DarthVegito: Here I'm going to name 2 X-Factors in one series. Chris Bosh and Antawn Jamison. These two guys control what happens for their respective teams. If Minny can find SOME way to slow down Jamison even a tiny bit they could pull this upset off. Bosh just needs to be Bosh. But if Jamison has his way and outscores Bosh every game, the T-Wolves have very little chance.
PaulyP: Michael Finley. He's been an absolute beast in the playoffs and he can really take the wind out of the Wizards sail early on in the series if he plays up to his dominant self. Washington has been known to shake up their lineups because of their versatility so its entirely possible he might guard Rashard Lewis during stretches and if you cut off the Wizards' head (Lewis) they will die quickly.
That was a very good discussion and plenty of fun, I would like to thank all my guests for participating and good luck to all the teams in the playoffs!