Heads up to my man Andre for donating me his copy of 2K9. My copy was damaged and I wasn't able to make moves since game 1 of the NBA Finals.
I've completed five teams thus far...
ATLANTA HAWKS
90 - Joe Johnson (SG/SF)
86 - Josh Smith (PF)
85 - Al Horford (C/PF)
83 - Mike Bibby (PG)
82 - Jamal Crawford (SG/PG)
81 - Marvin Williams (SF/PF) (free agent)
78 - Zaza Pachulia (C)
76 – Maurice Evans (SF)
74 – Jeff Teague (PG)
65 – Randolph Morris (C)
X – Sergey Gladyr (SG) (unsigned/europe)
81 - Flip Murray (SG/PG) (free agent)
71 – Mario West (SG) (free agent)
BOSTON CELTICS
95 - Kevin Garnett (PF/C)
90 - Paul Pierce (SF)
90 - Rajon Rondo (PG)
89 - Ray Allen (SG/SF)
83 - Rasheed Wallace (C/PF)
82 - Kendrick Perkins (C)
79 - Marquis Daniels (SF/SG)
77 – Glen Davis (PF/C)
77 - Eddie House (PG/SG)
70 – Gabe Pruitt (PG/SG)
70 – Bill Walker (SF)
69 - Brian Scalabrine (PF)
69 – J.R. Giddens (SG/SF)
X – Lester Hudson (SG/PG) (unsigned)
80 - Leon Powe (PF) (free agent/injured)
77 - Tony Allen (SG/SF) (should be traded to Indiana for Daniels relatively shortly)
73 - Stephon Marbury (PG/SG) (free agent)
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
102 - LeBron James (SF/PF)
88 – Shaquille O’Neal (C)
86 - Zydrunas Ilgauskas (C)
85 - Maurice Williams (PG)
84 - Delonte West (SG/PG)
81 - Anthony Parker (SG)
80 - Anderson Varejao (PF/C)
77 – Jamario Moon (SF/PF)
73 - Daniel Gibson (PG/SG)
73 – J.J. Hickson (PF/C)
73 - Tarence Kinsey (SG)
70 – Jawad Williams (SF)
67 – Darnell Jackson (PF)
X – Danny Green (SF) (unsigned)
78 – Joe Smith (PF/C) (free agent)
77 - Wally Szczerbiak (SF/SG) (free agent)
66 - Lorenzen Wright (C) (free agent)
DALLAS MAVERICKS
92 – Dirk Nowitzki (PF/C)
88 - Jason Kidd (PG)
86 - Josh Howard (SF/SG)
86 - Jason Terry (SG)
81 - Shawn Marion (SF/PF) (83 as PF)
79 - Drew Gooden (PF/C)
78 - Erick Dampier (C)
76 - Jose Barea (PG/SG)
75 - Kris Humphries (PF)
74 - Quinton Ross (SG/SF)
73 - Matt Carroll (SG)
72 – Rodrigue Beaubois (PG)
72 - Greg Buckner (SF/SG)
71 - Shawne Williams (SF/PF)
71 – Nathan Jawai (C)
X - Ahmad Nivins (PF) (europe/unsigned)
77 - James Singleton (PF/SF) (free agent)
72 – Ryan Hollins (C) (free agent)
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
92 - Brandon Roy (SG/SF)
86 - LaMarcus Aldridge (PF/C)
85 - Andre Miller (PG)
81 – Greg Oden (C)
80 - Joel Przybilla (C)
80 - Travis Outlaw (SF/PF)
80 – Steve Blake (PG)
79 – Rudy Fernandez (SG)
76 – Nicolas Batum (SF)
76 - Martell Webster (SF)
72 – Jerryd Bayless (PG/SG)
X – Victor Claver (SF) (europe/unsigned)
X - Danta Cunningham (SF) (unsigned)
X – Jeff Pendergraph (PF/C) (unsigned)
X – Patrick Mills (PG) (unsigned)
71 - Raef LaFrentz (C/PF) (free agent/retiring)
70 - Shavlik Randolph (PF) (free agent)
66 - Michael Ruffin (C/PF) (free agent)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sheed to Boston
Rasheed Wallace goes to the Boston Celtics to presumably be their 6th man. His contract is 3 years for the full MLE starting at 5.8 million (3rd year is a player option he almost certainly exercises at age 37).
I liked this move a lot more when it was a 2 year deal, as Sheed will surely be an overpaid Robert Horry at that point (of course, they can probably send his expiring deal off at that point, and really, the important thing is that they have him NOW as this team is built for NOW).
So let's look at where Sheed fits in the Boston frontcourt after starting at C the last few years in Detroit.
PER
KG: 21.2
Sheed: 14.9
Perk: 13.2
BBD: 10.7
Powe: 17.2
Talentwise, Sheed appears to be an upgrade over Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis. The injury to Leon Powe made bringing in another frontcourt player a must for Boston to have any chance at a championship next season. Big Baby Davis is still drawing interest as a free agent, although Danny Ainge has stated he wants to bring him back. If he does return he'd likely go back to the 10 mpg role he had before KG went down. This isn't the stacked frontcourt it's made out to be, as it is still heavily dependant on KG's return to form (25.3 PER in 2008).
TS%
KG: .563
Sheed: .520
Perk: .591
BBD: .502
Powe: .591
Sheed doesn't get many points at the line as he has strayed further from the post with every passing season. And while he is among the better 3pt shooting centers in the league, he's only average for an NBA player with 35% the last four seasons. Of course, Glen Davis doesn't even have legit 3pt range yet, and isn't much of a finisher in the post either, so Sheed shouldn't exactly feel threatened. The Celtics could use another bruising presence inside to replace Powe, and while Sheed ain't it, BBD definitely ain't either.
ORB%
KG: 5.6
Sheed: 3.1
Perk: 11.5
BBD: 9.4
Powe: 15.1
Offensive rebounding has never been Sheed's strongest suit, which is a bit concerning because it hasn't really been Garnett's either. KG's 5.6 may have been due to injury, but his 7.3 the year prior was also a career worst. He is definitely trending down as he spends more and more time away from the basket, a problem also compounded by Sheed settling for more and more threes. Perkins should maintain his starting spot for this reason. And yeah, losing Powe really hurts. This area is probably the main incentive to keeping Davis around, because replacing Powe will be very difficult.
DRB%
KG: 26.7
Sheed: 24.6
Perk: 21.4
BBD: 12.8
Powe: 18.9
Sheed's numbers can probably be expected to drop a bit considering he'll be playing next to KG or Perkins most of the time, but at the very least he's as good as Perk, which makes this trio very solid on the defensive boards. And man, I really can't overstate how overrated BBD got filling in for KG. He's sandwiched between PGs Rondo (13.9) and Eddie House (11.5), which is not good when you're a PF/C.
BLK%
KG: 3.1
Sheed: 3.1
Perk: 5.3
BBD: 0.9
Powe: 2.5
Yet another reason why Perk should continue to start over Sheed. And another example of how limited BBD is as a player and why the Celtics won't miss him if he does indeed move on (if another team is stupid enough to offer him the full MLE, by all means, let him walk).
SUMMARY
This is a solid signing for Boston that certainly fills a need. A healthy Kevin Garnett negates it's importance somewhat, but his health is no guarantee either. In a perfect world, the Celtics would let BBD walk and bring in Brandon Bass to replace him, but that's a pipe dream with only the bi-annual exception to offer (which they are already begging Grant Hill to take). Sheed won't contend for sixth man of the year, and may not even be the 4th option in some Boston lineups. He is a great defensive player joining a great defensive team. He is also a jumpshot dependant player like everyone else on the team not named Rajon or Kendrick. But regardless of his pros and cons, whether you like or dislike him, the most important thing he does in Boston is ensure Brian Scalabrine never plays another meaningful playoff minute again. Which is a good thing when you're trying to bring home that ring.
I liked this move a lot more when it was a 2 year deal, as Sheed will surely be an overpaid Robert Horry at that point (of course, they can probably send his expiring deal off at that point, and really, the important thing is that they have him NOW as this team is built for NOW).
So let's look at where Sheed fits in the Boston frontcourt after starting at C the last few years in Detroit.
PER
KG: 21.2
Sheed: 14.9
Perk: 13.2
BBD: 10.7
Powe: 17.2
Talentwise, Sheed appears to be an upgrade over Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis. The injury to Leon Powe made bringing in another frontcourt player a must for Boston to have any chance at a championship next season. Big Baby Davis is still drawing interest as a free agent, although Danny Ainge has stated he wants to bring him back. If he does return he'd likely go back to the 10 mpg role he had before KG went down. This isn't the stacked frontcourt it's made out to be, as it is still heavily dependant on KG's return to form (25.3 PER in 2008).
TS%
KG: .563
Sheed: .520
Perk: .591
BBD: .502
Powe: .591
Sheed doesn't get many points at the line as he has strayed further from the post with every passing season. And while he is among the better 3pt shooting centers in the league, he's only average for an NBA player with 35% the last four seasons. Of course, Glen Davis doesn't even have legit 3pt range yet, and isn't much of a finisher in the post either, so Sheed shouldn't exactly feel threatened. The Celtics could use another bruising presence inside to replace Powe, and while Sheed ain't it, BBD definitely ain't either.
ORB%
KG: 5.6
Sheed: 3.1
Perk: 11.5
BBD: 9.4
Powe: 15.1
Offensive rebounding has never been Sheed's strongest suit, which is a bit concerning because it hasn't really been Garnett's either. KG's 5.6 may have been due to injury, but his 7.3 the year prior was also a career worst. He is definitely trending down as he spends more and more time away from the basket, a problem also compounded by Sheed settling for more and more threes. Perkins should maintain his starting spot for this reason. And yeah, losing Powe really hurts. This area is probably the main incentive to keeping Davis around, because replacing Powe will be very difficult.
DRB%
KG: 26.7
Sheed: 24.6
Perk: 21.4
BBD: 12.8
Powe: 18.9
Sheed's numbers can probably be expected to drop a bit considering he'll be playing next to KG or Perkins most of the time, but at the very least he's as good as Perk, which makes this trio very solid on the defensive boards. And man, I really can't overstate how overrated BBD got filling in for KG. He's sandwiched between PGs Rondo (13.9) and Eddie House (11.5), which is not good when you're a PF/C.
BLK%
KG: 3.1
Sheed: 3.1
Perk: 5.3
BBD: 0.9
Powe: 2.5
Yet another reason why Perk should continue to start over Sheed. And another example of how limited BBD is as a player and why the Celtics won't miss him if he does indeed move on (if another team is stupid enough to offer him the full MLE, by all means, let him walk).
SUMMARY
This is a solid signing for Boston that certainly fills a need. A healthy Kevin Garnett negates it's importance somewhat, but his health is no guarantee either. In a perfect world, the Celtics would let BBD walk and bring in Brandon Bass to replace him, but that's a pipe dream with only the bi-annual exception to offer (which they are already begging Grant Hill to take). Sheed won't contend for sixth man of the year, and may not even be the 4th option in some Boston lineups. He is a great defensive player joining a great defensive team. He is also a jumpshot dependant player like everyone else on the team not named Rajon or Kendrick. But regardless of his pros and cons, whether you like or dislike him, the most important thing he does in Boston is ensure Brian Scalabrine never plays another meaningful playoff minute again. Which is a good thing when you're trying to bring home that ring.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Real 2K Insider Returns
Yeah, you read that right.
Expect NBA offseason coverage, and my final 2K9 ratings.
Expect NBA offseason coverage, and my final 2K9 ratings.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
First Round Review
Series Result: Lakers 4, Jazz 1
Prediction: Lakers 4, Jazz 1
Utah never had a chance in this series. All the Laker wins were double digit victories, whereas Utah's one win came by a mere two points. Utah was outscored by 46 points over the 5 games.
The Lakers were led by their big three of Kobe (27/5/5), Gasol (18/9/1), and Odom (17/11/2) whereas Utah was only a two star team with Boozer (20/13/2) and Deron (20/3/10) fighting vailiantly, but clearly lacked the necessary firepower as Mehmet Okur (8 pts, 10 rebounds, 2-12 FG) was ineffective in the two games he played through his injury).
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Series Result: Nuggets 4, Hornets 1
Prediction: Nuggets 4, Hornets 3
New Orleans was limited by injuries and as with the Laker/Jazz series, they were blown out in all their losses and could only muster a 2 point win. This included a 58 point trouncing by Denver, who won this series by a jaw dropping 102 points over the 5 games.
CP3 (16/4/10) and West (18/7/1) were playing at half-speed by the time the series was over, and were just no match for Melo (24/6/5) and Billups (22/4/7). Denver's bench absolutely killed New Orleans (as expected). Tyson Chandler was a total non-factor in the series and has probably played his last game in a Hornets uniform. Chris Andersen, who couldn't get off the Hornets bench last season, was all-world for Denver (12-16 FG, plus 9 blks in 112 mins) and New Orleans probably should have made a more aggressive attempt to keep the Birdman last summer.
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Series Result: Mavericks 4, Spurs 1
Series Prediction: Mavericks 4, Spurs 3
The loss of Ginobili proved to be the critical blow to San Antonio, who had no answers to Dallas deep bench. JJ Barea proved himself early in the series and quickly became a starter, providing the Devin Harris-like quickness that San Antonio couldn't stop in 2006. Dallas simply had too many weapons at it's disposal, while the Spurs were essentially the Tim & Tony show. When the #3 scorer on your team is averaging 8 ppg (Finley), chances are you didn't win your series, no matter how vailant an effort your stars (Parker 28/4/6 and Duncan 19/8/3) put forth.
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Series Result: Rockets 4, Blazers 2
Prediction: Blazers 4, Rockets 3
Way to second guess yourself Rashidi. Portland struggled to score as Houston's defense took Portland's role players out of the series by playing Roy straight up. Houston had a very balanced offensive attack with four players averaging 15 ppg in the series (Scola, Yao, Artest, & Brooks) whereas Portland didn't get much beyond Roy (26/4/2) and Aldridge (19/7/5). Houston has the look and feel of the 2004 Pistons, although to be quite honest they have their hands full, as the Lakers team they are going to face in round two is much better than the one Detroit easily dispatched 5 years ago.
Prediction: Lakers 4, Jazz 1
Utah never had a chance in this series. All the Laker wins were double digit victories, whereas Utah's one win came by a mere two points. Utah was outscored by 46 points over the 5 games.
The Lakers were led by their big three of Kobe (27/5/5), Gasol (18/9/1), and Odom (17/11/2) whereas Utah was only a two star team with Boozer (20/13/2) and Deron (20/3/10) fighting vailiantly, but clearly lacked the necessary firepower as Mehmet Okur (8 pts, 10 rebounds, 2-12 FG) was ineffective in the two games he played through his injury).
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Series Result: Nuggets 4, Hornets 1
Prediction: Nuggets 4, Hornets 3
New Orleans was limited by injuries and as with the Laker/Jazz series, they were blown out in all their losses and could only muster a 2 point win. This included a 58 point trouncing by Denver, who won this series by a jaw dropping 102 points over the 5 games.
CP3 (16/4/10) and West (18/7/1) were playing at half-speed by the time the series was over, and were just no match for Melo (24/6/5) and Billups (22/4/7). Denver's bench absolutely killed New Orleans (as expected). Tyson Chandler was a total non-factor in the series and has probably played his last game in a Hornets uniform. Chris Andersen, who couldn't get off the Hornets bench last season, was all-world for Denver (12-16 FG, plus 9 blks in 112 mins) and New Orleans probably should have made a more aggressive attempt to keep the Birdman last summer.
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Series Result: Mavericks 4, Spurs 1
Series Prediction: Mavericks 4, Spurs 3
The loss of Ginobili proved to be the critical blow to San Antonio, who had no answers to Dallas deep bench. JJ Barea proved himself early in the series and quickly became a starter, providing the Devin Harris-like quickness that San Antonio couldn't stop in 2006. Dallas simply had too many weapons at it's disposal, while the Spurs were essentially the Tim & Tony show. When the #3 scorer on your team is averaging 8 ppg (Finley), chances are you didn't win your series, no matter how vailant an effort your stars (Parker 28/4/6 and Duncan 19/8/3) put forth.
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Series Result: Rockets 4, Blazers 2
Prediction: Blazers 4, Rockets 3
Way to second guess yourself Rashidi. Portland struggled to score as Houston's defense took Portland's role players out of the series by playing Roy straight up. Houston had a very balanced offensive attack with four players averaging 15 ppg in the series (Scola, Yao, Artest, & Brooks) whereas Portland didn't get much beyond Roy (26/4/2) and Aldridge (19/7/5). Houston has the look and feel of the 2004 Pistons, although to be quite honest they have their hands full, as the Lakers team they are going to face in round two is much better than the one Detroit easily dispatched 5 years ago.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Real 2K Insider and the NBA Playoffs (part 2)
L.A. Lakers (65-17)
112.7 OffRate (3rd)
104.6 DefRate (6th)
vs
Utah (48-34)
110.1 OffRate (8th)
107.2 DefRate (10th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Fisher (12.1) - Williams (21.6)
SG: Bryant (24.3) - Brewer (16.1)
SF: Ariza (15.5) - Miles (11.8)
PF: Gasol (22.2) - Boozer (17.5)
C: Bynum (19.9) - Okur (17.7)
Williams should have a huge advantage all series long, but the Lakers are better at every other position. The Jazz do have the bench advantage (Millsap 18.6, Kirilenko 16.8, Korver 12.1) against the Lakers (Odom 16.5, Brown 15.0, Vujacic 12.6, Walton 11.3, Farmar 9.9). However that could be taken away as Mehmet Okur does not sound optimistic about his chances of starting the series healthy.
When it's all said and done though, Kobe Bryant is the best player in this series, and Gasol as his #2 guy is just better than any duo Deron can muster, unless Boozer rejuvenates suddenly. More than likely though, he's counting the days until he gets out of Utah.
SERIES PREDICTION: Lakers in 5 games.
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Denver (54-28)
110.4 OffRate (7th)
106.8 DefRate (8th)
vs
New Orleans (49-33)
108.7 OffRate (12th)
107.0 DefRate (9th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Billups (18.8) - Paul (30.0)
SG: Jones (9.0) - Butler (11.8)
SF: Anthony (19.0) - Stojakovic (12.5)
PF: Martin (13.6) - West (18.9)
C: Nene (18.8) - Chandler (13.4)
Like LeBron and Wade, Chris Paul was all-world this year, and if anyone can change a playoff series single-handledly, it's him. Melo should enjoy a hearty advantage over Peja, and James Posey will undoubtedly draw the assignment. West/Chandler and Martin/Nene are about as even a frontcourt matchup as one can get.
Andersen (18.1), Smith (16.8), Balkman (16.8), Kleiza (13.2), and Carter (10.8) round out a very impressive bench for Denver however, and New Orleans bench has been barren all year long. Wright (12.6), Daniels (12.6), Posey (10.8), and Armstrong (10.7) are a rather weak second unit and will likely force the Hornets starters into heavy duty in what will undoubtedly be a deep series. Lingering injuries and thin-Colorado air don't help matters for the Hornets. Chris Paul can't do everything himself, can he?
SERIES PREDICTION: Denver in 7 games.
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San Antonio (54-38)
108.5 OffRate (13th)
104.5 DefRate (5th)
vs
Dallas (50-32)
110.5 OffRate (5th)
108.4 DefRate (17th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Parker (23.4) - Kidd (16.9)
SG: Mason (11.9) - Wright (8.6)
SF: Finley (11.4) - Howard (17.0)
PF: Duncan (24.4) - Nowitzki (23.1)
C: Bonner (15.0) - Dampier (15.7)
The Spurs will be without Manu Ginobili (22.9 PER) which is a huge blow to their chances in this series, much less their championship aspirations. The Mavs you see, still have Jason Terry (19.0) coming off their bench, along with Singleton (16.4), Bass (16.4), and Barea (13.4). Drew Gooden (18.8), Thomas (14.0), Hill (11.6), Udoka (9.5), and Bowen (5.4) are considerably weaker and depth should play a factor as the Spurs are essentially a two-man show offensively without their olympic gold medalist providing an all-star bench contribution. The Mavs traditionally matchup well with San Antonio, so this should be a very close and exciting series.
SERIES PREDICTION - Dallas in 7 games.
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Portland (54-38)
113.9 OffRate (1st)
107.8 DefRate (13th)
vs
Houston (53-29)
108.5 (15th)
103.9 (4th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Blake (14.5) - Brooks (12.9)
SG: Roy (24.0) - Artest (15.6)
SF: Batum (12.9) - Battier (10.6)
PF: Aldridge (19.1) - Scola (17.0)
C: Przybilla (15.4) - Yao (22.6)
The starting lineups between these two teams are evenly matched, even down to the bench with Oden (18.1), Fernandez (15.4), and Outlaw (15.1) going up against Landry (17.2) and Lowry (15.0), and Wafer (14.7).
Usually I'm a big believer that defense wins championships, and Houston certainly is the better defensive team here. Portland was the best offensive team in the league this season though, and they have an edge on Houston at every position but center. Portland may struggle to score at times against this experienced Rockets squad, but it's not like Houston is going to have it's way offensively either.
SERIES PREDICTION - Portland in 7 games.
112.7 OffRate (3rd)
104.6 DefRate (6th)
vs
Utah (48-34)
110.1 OffRate (8th)
107.2 DefRate (10th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Fisher (12.1) - Williams (21.6)
SG: Bryant (24.3) - Brewer (16.1)
SF: Ariza (15.5) - Miles (11.8)
PF: Gasol (22.2) - Boozer (17.5)
C: Bynum (19.9) - Okur (17.7)
Williams should have a huge advantage all series long, but the Lakers are better at every other position. The Jazz do have the bench advantage (Millsap 18.6, Kirilenko 16.8, Korver 12.1) against the Lakers (Odom 16.5, Brown 15.0, Vujacic 12.6, Walton 11.3, Farmar 9.9). However that could be taken away as Mehmet Okur does not sound optimistic about his chances of starting the series healthy.
When it's all said and done though, Kobe Bryant is the best player in this series, and Gasol as his #2 guy is just better than any duo Deron can muster, unless Boozer rejuvenates suddenly. More than likely though, he's counting the days until he gets out of Utah.
SERIES PREDICTION: Lakers in 5 games.
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Denver (54-28)
110.4 OffRate (7th)
106.8 DefRate (8th)
vs
New Orleans (49-33)
108.7 OffRate (12th)
107.0 DefRate (9th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Billups (18.8) - Paul (30.0)
SG: Jones (9.0) - Butler (11.8)
SF: Anthony (19.0) - Stojakovic (12.5)
PF: Martin (13.6) - West (18.9)
C: Nene (18.8) - Chandler (13.4)
Like LeBron and Wade, Chris Paul was all-world this year, and if anyone can change a playoff series single-handledly, it's him. Melo should enjoy a hearty advantage over Peja, and James Posey will undoubtedly draw the assignment. West/Chandler and Martin/Nene are about as even a frontcourt matchup as one can get.
Andersen (18.1), Smith (16.8), Balkman (16.8), Kleiza (13.2), and Carter (10.8) round out a very impressive bench for Denver however, and New Orleans bench has been barren all year long. Wright (12.6), Daniels (12.6), Posey (10.8), and Armstrong (10.7) are a rather weak second unit and will likely force the Hornets starters into heavy duty in what will undoubtedly be a deep series. Lingering injuries and thin-Colorado air don't help matters for the Hornets. Chris Paul can't do everything himself, can he?
SERIES PREDICTION: Denver in 7 games.
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San Antonio (54-38)
108.5 OffRate (13th)
104.5 DefRate (5th)
vs
Dallas (50-32)
110.5 OffRate (5th)
108.4 DefRate (17th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Parker (23.4) - Kidd (16.9)
SG: Mason (11.9) - Wright (8.6)
SF: Finley (11.4) - Howard (17.0)
PF: Duncan (24.4) - Nowitzki (23.1)
C: Bonner (15.0) - Dampier (15.7)
The Spurs will be without Manu Ginobili (22.9 PER) which is a huge blow to their chances in this series, much less their championship aspirations. The Mavs you see, still have Jason Terry (19.0) coming off their bench, along with Singleton (16.4), Bass (16.4), and Barea (13.4). Drew Gooden (18.8), Thomas (14.0), Hill (11.6), Udoka (9.5), and Bowen (5.4) are considerably weaker and depth should play a factor as the Spurs are essentially a two-man show offensively without their olympic gold medalist providing an all-star bench contribution. The Mavs traditionally matchup well with San Antonio, so this should be a very close and exciting series.
SERIES PREDICTION - Dallas in 7 games.
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Portland (54-38)
113.9 OffRate (1st)
107.8 DefRate (13th)
vs
Houston (53-29)
108.5 (15th)
103.9 (4th)
Matchups (PER)
PG: Blake (14.5) - Brooks (12.9)
SG: Roy (24.0) - Artest (15.6)
SF: Batum (12.9) - Battier (10.6)
PF: Aldridge (19.1) - Scola (17.0)
C: Przybilla (15.4) - Yao (22.6)
The starting lineups between these two teams are evenly matched, even down to the bench with Oden (18.1), Fernandez (15.4), and Outlaw (15.1) going up against Landry (17.2) and Lowry (15.0), and Wafer (14.7).
Usually I'm a big believer that defense wins championships, and Houston certainly is the better defensive team here. Portland was the best offensive team in the league this season though, and they have an edge on Houston at every position but center. Portland may struggle to score at times against this experienced Rockets squad, but it's not like Houston is going to have it's way offensively either.
SERIES PREDICTION - Portland in 7 games.
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