First round playoff matchup (merged)

[Greenspan 101]

Hypothetically, what matchup does anyone think would the Kings have the best chance with: Phoenix, SA, Dallas?

Given healthy teams of course

 

[DeAtHrOw]

Dallas

 

[JJ22L]

Phoenix (2-1 against them), then dallas, then SA in my opinion...obviously i want denver though.

I think when Amare comes back its going to hurt phoenix. Everyone thinks..OMG amare is back they will be elite..

...they said that about webb

Diaw will get less minutes, and their chemistry will change. Alot of players on phoenix this year have not played with amare in a game. They lost Joe Johnson, and Q..both started with Amare. Their makeup will be different. Not to mention with a legit center, that will push amare to PF. Last year he was amazing at C because noone at that spot was quick enough to guard him. Transitioning him to PF's will be hard on him because PF in this league are obviously quicker then C's.

They will look amazing on paper...but you know how that can turn out

Thats my schpeal...rip it if you must.

 

[Kings113]

mavs/suns/spurs...

 

[JJ22L]

I pose a question to the people that believe the mavs are an easier team to play. Not because i dont agree or disagree, just to start a conversation.

Also note: this is a different mavs team from the one we used to have the number of in the past ...by far...

Who do you suggest we put on dirk?

Kenny Thomas- far smaller in size, plays same position.
Artest- far smaller in height, then who would guard josh howard?
SAR- maybe could pull it off, i say MAYBE
Miller - Ha...review last game, nuff said

Seems like the only one we had that could guard dirk was peja.

Now the suns
depending on if amare meshes back in, we would only have to worry about nash and marion, maybe diaw depending on if he steps up (isnt he a second year?). Artest could handle marion (both SF), and for some fersaken reason bibby plays well against nash..(dont ask me).

By the end of Sunday's game i am sure we will know more.

Also note: the same kings team that was 8 games under 500 at one point blew out the suns...and edged them out on one of the opening games of the season.

so- elaborate on why the mavs are better for us. (Spurs will probably finish first, which means the mavs are a matchup for the 5th place team, so it probably dosen't matter anyways)

 

[tubiscus]

I would think Denver would be the preference, then Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio.

 

[JJ22L]

I would think Denver would be the preference, then Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Denver could be a tough team, i agree though. But still..could be a really tough team to have to play.

 

[SacKings4Life21]

Dallas is so much better than you can see.. we will see on sunday about how we can play them with our new team but i am high on dallas. they are 21 deep and very good, no weaknesses. I pick dallas to win the west. I would rather play them than SA just becase of duncan. but Dirk will use us to, unless artest guards him (Bowen shut dirk down) but then their guards use us. But I would love to see den PHX... then dalls SA

 

[Kings113]

I think everyone knows their different than in the past, and are really good, deep, balanced (I think). But they aren't like a Spurs/Pistons mammoth. I definitely disagree on them winning the west though.

I'd say put Artest on Dirk mostly, SAR/KT would guard him also. Josh Howard? Artest/Bonzi/Martin/Garcia. Ditto for Marquis Daniels, who is very good and can impact the game.

 

[captain bill]

Seems like the only one we had that could guard dirk was peja.

...and Darius.

1.Pho-showed last year by SA that a little concentrated effort on D, combined with pushing it uptempo on the offensive end really works to beat the Suns at their own game. We can probably do the same thing- we can play better team D and still try to outgun them. It certainly isn't easy, but we're talking about top teams in the west, and I think our style is best to beat them.

2.Dallas-basically get this spot because they're not the Spurs. The Dirk question isn't that hard to answer, IMO- we just tell Kenny, Reef, Ron, and Bonzi to drive at him all night long, chew him up on defense rather than stop him on offense. If our guys in the post can get a lot of points against him in the paint, force him to foul, and wear him down early it will have a huge impact on the defensive end. What I'm more concerned about is their team d interrupting the flow of the offense, cutting off passing and ball movement, shutting us out of the perimeter. Dampier/Dirk is about as soft as a frontcourt can get, and our powerguard assault should favor us. But they're playing much better than previous Mavs squads, and that really scares me. More fluid, dynamic, and flexible than the Suns, who are still a one trick pony, which really scares me. Not an impossible feat, but Suns are a better team to face.

3.Spurs are the Spurs. They'll fight to the end, try to find ways to win no matter what. Yes, someone has to beat them, and I think there are a few teams that can, maybe even the Kings, but you never want to face them.

 

[JJ22L]

...and Darius.

1.Pho-showed last year by SA that a little concentrated effort on D, combined with pushing it uptempo on the offensive end really works to beat the Suns at their own game. We can probably do the same thing- we can play better team D and still try to outgun them. It certainly isn't easy, but we're talking about top teams in the west, and I think our style is best to beat them.

2.Dallas-basically get this spot because they're not the Spurs. The Dirk question isn't that hard to answer, IMO- we just tell Kenny, Reef, Ron, and Bonzi to drive at him all night long, chew him up on defense rather than stop him on offense. If our guys in the post can get a lot of points against him in the paint, force him to foul, and wear him down early it will have a huge impact on the defensive end. What I'm more concerned about is their team d interrupting the flow of the offense, cutting off passing and ball movement, shutting us out of the perimeter. Dampier/Dirk is about as soft as a frontcourt can get, and our powerguard assault should favor us. But they're playing much better than previous Mavs squads, and that really scares me. More fluid, dynamic, and flexible than the Suns, who are still a one trick pony, which really scares me. Not an impossible feat, but Suns are a better team to face.

3.Spurs are the Spurs. They'll fight to the end, try to find ways to win no matter what. Yes, someone has to beat them, and I think there are a few teams that can, maybe even the Kings, but you never want to face them.

Nice post- good points

 

[venom_7]

corliss can guard dirk.

 

[Kings113]

He could too.

 

[JJ22L]

corliss can guard dirk.

...strategically throwing gatorade bottles at him from the bench

 

[16to93]

Playoff Match-ups

Saying the Kings make the playoffs, how would you match them up defensively against the opposing (1st, 2nd, and 3rd seeded) teams? Assuming that the 1st seed will be either Dallas or San-Antonio, and that the 2nd and 3rd seeds remain the same with Pheonix and Denver.

Here is mine:

Dallas

PG - Terry - Bibby
SG - Stackhouse - Wells
SF - Howard - Thomas ( Sub Garcia here often )
PF - Nowitzki - Artest ( Sub SAR here often )
C - Diop - Miller

San-Antonio
PG - Parker - Bibby
SG - Ginobili - Wells
SF - Bowen - Artest
PF - Duncan - SAR ( Yes, I would start SAR against the Spurs )
C - Nestorovic/Mohammed - Miller

Pheonix

PG - Nash - Wells ( I would do this switch with Bonzi and Bibby because Nash is so critical to their offense, so if Bonzi could atleast slow him down a little bit... )
SG - Bell - Bibby
SF - Jones - Thomas
PF - Marion - Artest
C - Diaw/ Stoudamire - Miller ( Sub in SAR often here )

Denver

PG - Miller - Bibby
SG - Anthony - Artest
SF - Patterson - Wells
PF - Martin - Thomas / Sar ( Equal PT )
C - Camby - Miller

Whats yours?

 

[CreeksideBaller]

San-Antonio
PG - Parker - Bibby
SG - Ginobili - Wells
SF - Bowen - Artest
PF - Duncan - SAR ( Yes, I would start SAR against the Spurs )
C - Nestorovic/Mohammed - Miller

I don't know about that...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Phoenix (2-1 against them), then dallas, then SA in my opinion...obviously i want denver though.

I think when Amare comes back its going to hurt phoenix. Everyone thinks..OMG amare is back they will be elite..

... Diaw will get less minutes, and their chemistry will change...

Why would a return of Stoudemire mean less minutes for Diaw? That just means that they start him at SF instead of C.

 

[JJ22L]

Why would a return of Stoudemire mean less minutes for Diaw? That just means that they start him at SF instead of C.

True- Diaw plays any position, but the return of any guaranteed starter takes minutes from somewhere. Marion wont get his cut, nash wont get his cut, where else do they take them?

Edit: I thought marion was the sf...
that would push diaw to SG...i dont know how that would match up

 

[Warhawk]

You're getting way ahead of yourself here. We gotta make the PO first. I'm not looking at matchups in the PO until the last week of the regular season.

 

[VF21]

PejaHoops16 - I honestly think ONE thread devoted to first round playoff matchups is enough.

I've merged your thread into the one already in existence.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

True- Diaw plays any position, but the return of any guaranteed starter takes minutes from somewhere. Marion wont get his cut, nash wont get his cut, where else do they take them?

They don't take them from anywhere... or did you forget that Kurt Thomas is out for the season?

PG - Nash
SG - Bell
SF - Diaw (or Marion)
PF - Marion (or Diaw)
C - Stoudemire

If Stoudemire's return affects anybody, it'll be scrubs like Tim Thomas and James Jones... and possibly even House and Barbosa. But they won't sit Diaw to play Stoudemire; why would they?

 

[Greenspan 101]

You're getting way ahead of yourself here. We gotta make the PO first. I'm not looking at matchups in the PO until the last week of the regular season.

It's funny how a conversation-killing realist opinion like this inevitably shows up in just about any thread. Nothing against this Warkhawk guy b/c I'm sure we all do it, but it's just amusing. The Miami Fins fan site is the same way.

 

[VF21]

Ah, but it didn't kill the conversation, did it?

 

[Greenspan 101]

Ah, but it didn't kill the conversation, did it?

True enough

 

[Warhawk]

It's funny how a conversation-killing realist opinion like this inevitably shows up in just about any thread. Nothing against this Warkhawk guy b/c I'm sure we all do it, but it's just amusing. The Miami Fins fan site is the same way.

Nah, I just don't like to get too far out there. A lot of you folks looking ahead to player matchups in the PO for us right now were the ones looking ahead to the Lakers losing to Detroit and SA and saying "it's a lock". You are now looking ahead to specifics on something that is still weeks away, and there is no telling who will rise and who will drop between now and then. I don't mind a little conjecture, but at at times it gets a bit much for my taste. I try not to look more than a couple games, like a home stand or a road trip, ahead. Injuries to our team or opponents can have profound effects, for example....

 

[Greenspan 101]

Nah, I just don't like to get too far out there. A lot of you folks looking ahead to player matchups in the PO for us right now were the ones looking ahead to the Lakers losing to Detroit and SA and saying "it's a lock". You are now looking ahead to specifics on something that is still weeks away, and there is no telling who will rise and who will drop between now and then. I don't mind a little conjecture, but at at times it gets a bit much for my taste. I try not to look more than a couple games, like a home stand or a road trip, ahead. Injuries to our team or opponents can have profound effects, for example....

Well played, sir.