Tale of the Tape: Finals Edition
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:58 am
How they got here:
Sacramento Kings
1st round: Beat Spurs in 6
2nd round: Beat Clippers in 7
3rd round: Beat Nuggets in 4
In rounds one and two, the Kings beat the past two champions. He was able to beat Josh Smith in the first round. He ran into Delonte West and Kevin Durant in round two. None of the games were close in score including a 114-106 win at home. In the third round, the Kings swept the Nuggets in 4.
Atlanta Hawks
1st round: Beat Cavaliers in 6
2nd round: Beat Heat in 7
3rd round: Beat Raptors in 4
Both Finals teams have the same road as far as games played. In the first round, CP22 led his team against the first seeded Hawks but ultimately fell in 6 games. In round two, Atlanta went to a game 7 with the Miami Heat. Multiple games in that series were one possession games and this series could have easily gone the other way, but challenged the Hawks which proved their championship pedigree. In the conference finals, the best player in Chris Bosh was just overwhelmed by the all-around play of this Atlanta team.
Position by Position Breakdown:
Center:
Joakim Noah (ATL) vs Tyson Chandler (SAC)
Joakim is a defensive and rebound heavy center with middle of the ground offensive skillset. Tyson Chandler at his current age is a similar player with slightly better offensive skills. The tipping point is the intangibles. Chandler has a distinct advantage at both strength and jump.
Edge: Tyson Chandler
Power Forward:
Carmelo Anthony (ATL) vs Greg Monroe (SAC)
Carmelo started at 4 for most of these playoffs for Atlanta. He is the best player on the court most times when he plays. He is an elite inside scorer with good size, but he has above average intangibles. Greg Monroe is a traditional big man. His quickness lends him more for the center spot, but he is elite in offensive rebounding and down low defense.
Edge: Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward:
Rudy Gay (ATL) vs Chandler Parsons (SAC)
Rudy Gay is a great scorer, and has the size and skill to be a really good defender. His rebounding is his only weakness in the game. Parsons is a role player for this team. He is a stretch the floor scorer that is mediocre at defense.
Edge: Rudy Gay
Shooting Guard:
Khris Middleton (ATL) vs Randy Foye (SAC)
Khris Middleton is a perimeter shooter with below average defensive ablilty. His quickness lends him to be a quicker small forward than a slower shooting guard. He will have the size advantage over most players at this position. Randy Foye is three inches shorter than Middleton. He has is a great scorer with 100 rating at three point range. His perimeter defense is exponentially better than Middleton and he is quicker.
Edge: Randy Foye
Point Guard:
Nate Robinson (ATL) vs Darren Collison (SAC)
Nate Robinson is an extremely short point guard who makes up for it with his quickness and jumping ability. His weakness is in his passing ability, but he brings the ability to score inside that a lot of point guards lack. Darren Collison, although on the shorter side compared to the league, is three inches taller than Robinson. He doesn’t have the inside scoring ability, but he has the passing prowess to facilitate scores for his teammates. This is the most even matchup by position in this series.
Edge: Push
Final thoughts:
This matchup is as even of a matchup as we’ve had in the finals for a while. Both teams have strengths that play into the other team’s “weaknesses.” Home court advantage goes to Sacramento, which could be a deciding factor. In the two games they played this season, both road teams won. The Atlanta Hawks have a deeper bench. If an injury happens to both teams, that favors Atlanta. Ultimately, this series is a coin flip.
Pick: Atlanta Hawks
Sacramento Kings
1st round: Beat Spurs in 6
2nd round: Beat Clippers in 7
3rd round: Beat Nuggets in 4
In rounds one and two, the Kings beat the past two champions. He was able to beat Josh Smith in the first round. He ran into Delonte West and Kevin Durant in round two. None of the games were close in score including a 114-106 win at home. In the third round, the Kings swept the Nuggets in 4.
Atlanta Hawks
1st round: Beat Cavaliers in 6
2nd round: Beat Heat in 7
3rd round: Beat Raptors in 4
Both Finals teams have the same road as far as games played. In the first round, CP22 led his team against the first seeded Hawks but ultimately fell in 6 games. In round two, Atlanta went to a game 7 with the Miami Heat. Multiple games in that series were one possession games and this series could have easily gone the other way, but challenged the Hawks which proved their championship pedigree. In the conference finals, the best player in Chris Bosh was just overwhelmed by the all-around play of this Atlanta team.
Position by Position Breakdown:
Center:
Joakim Noah (ATL) vs Tyson Chandler (SAC)
Joakim is a defensive and rebound heavy center with middle of the ground offensive skillset. Tyson Chandler at his current age is a similar player with slightly better offensive skills. The tipping point is the intangibles. Chandler has a distinct advantage at both strength and jump.
Edge: Tyson Chandler
Power Forward:
Carmelo Anthony (ATL) vs Greg Monroe (SAC)
Carmelo started at 4 for most of these playoffs for Atlanta. He is the best player on the court most times when he plays. He is an elite inside scorer with good size, but he has above average intangibles. Greg Monroe is a traditional big man. His quickness lends him more for the center spot, but he is elite in offensive rebounding and down low defense.
Edge: Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward:
Rudy Gay (ATL) vs Chandler Parsons (SAC)
Rudy Gay is a great scorer, and has the size and skill to be a really good defender. His rebounding is his only weakness in the game. Parsons is a role player for this team. He is a stretch the floor scorer that is mediocre at defense.
Edge: Rudy Gay
Shooting Guard:
Khris Middleton (ATL) vs Randy Foye (SAC)
Khris Middleton is a perimeter shooter with below average defensive ablilty. His quickness lends him to be a quicker small forward than a slower shooting guard. He will have the size advantage over most players at this position. Randy Foye is three inches shorter than Middleton. He has is a great scorer with 100 rating at three point range. His perimeter defense is exponentially better than Middleton and he is quicker.
Edge: Randy Foye
Point Guard:
Nate Robinson (ATL) vs Darren Collison (SAC)
Nate Robinson is an extremely short point guard who makes up for it with his quickness and jumping ability. His weakness is in his passing ability, but he brings the ability to score inside that a lot of point guards lack. Darren Collison, although on the shorter side compared to the league, is three inches taller than Robinson. He doesn’t have the inside scoring ability, but he has the passing prowess to facilitate scores for his teammates. This is the most even matchup by position in this series.
Edge: Push
Final thoughts:
This matchup is as even of a matchup as we’ve had in the finals for a while. Both teams have strengths that play into the other team’s “weaknesses.” Home court advantage goes to Sacramento, which could be a deciding factor. In the two games they played this season, both road teams won. The Atlanta Hawks have a deeper bench. If an injury happens to both teams, that favors Atlanta. Ultimately, this series is a coin flip.
Pick: Atlanta Hawks