Playoff Discussion

[NetsGM]

Dude, there are just some teams you generally feel bad for.  There are times I've generally felt bad for the Hawks, they seem to have rotten luck.  The Hornets are one of them.

They absolutely had one of the 3 best teams in the league this year.  To lose in the first round, to the wizards, is a travesty.  I mean, the wizards have done a nice little job this year, but they're not in the Hornets class.

Anyway, round 1 is up.

[HeatGM]

wow.... j rich was just HUGE!!!! he's on fire... haywood was so good defensively he's top 7 in steals per game...the only center in the list....and shultz was productive also... i cant wait for round 2... i guess the trade made late in the trade deadline works out really well...

[MagicGM]

nice series pacers

[CelticsGM]

So another quick exit from the Celtics, not surprising this time it came at the hands of the world-class Nets.

A bit disappointed i couldn't make it a real series after having some success against them during the regular season, but first i overvalued Manu's defense at SF and them Chauncey put up a bad bad outing which cost me at least one, if not two games.

Celtics lost game 2 and 3 in the 4th were I had a 3pt and 10pt lead respectively. The other games were blowout losses. Congratulations to the Nets and good luck against the surprise Magic (as if they need luck)
 

Well, back to the drawing board for my Celtics and lets work on the team for 2013 now ...
 

[MagicGM]

btw, when will the contract extension be given?

[RaptorsGM]

wow.... j rich was just HUGE!!!! he's on fire... haywood was so good defensively he's top 7 in steals per game...the only center in the list....and shultz was productive also... i cant wait for round 2... i guess the trade made late in the trade deadline works out really well...

You're not kidding. You're on fire. Congrats. There is really nothing more to say. Not only did JRich torch Melo on Offense, he shut him down on defense.

[KingsGM-old]

4 - 1 vs the Wolves. Started with 3 - 0 lead.

Gatling - KG are scary combo but the series was more easier then i expected.

Duncan was a relatively quiet, understandable considering what a great defender KG is. But Tmac was once again pretty much unstopable.

Game #1
106 - 100. Tracy with great all round effort (26pts, 7as, 7rebs) as well as Mike Bibby (9pts, 12as, 6rebs). Duncan with modest 20/4/9 and Camby with 11pts and 15rebs. Great game for him.

Game #2
105 - 92. Nice ballanced scoring with 6 players in double figures. Enough to overcome KG's monstrous 38pts & 21rebs performance.

Game #3
103 - 89. Mcgrady with solid 32pts, 11rebs, Duncan 16pts, 14rebs, 4blocks, 4 steals, Mike Bibby 15pts, 14as and Danny The Man Forston with 14pts and 9rebs.

Game #4
85 - 93. Only loss. Led by 8 at the half and then got completely shut down in the second half. Camby was injured and wasn't playin this game. It seems he really makes a diference.

Game #5
112 - 90. Tmac and Duncan with their best games of the sim (Tmac with 37pts, 3st, 6as, 6rebs and Duncan with 23pts, 20rebs, 5as, 3bl, 2ste). Bibby had his usual 17pts & 11as and team went 55% from the 3. Led the entire game, Wolves never had a chance.

Wolves, congrats on a nice round and good luck with your team next year.

UP NEXT! WARRIORS VS KINGS!

This one is going to be classic!

[CelticsGM]

...
They absolutely had one of the 3 best teams in the league this year.  To lose in the first round, to the wizards, is a travesty.  I mean, the wizards have done a nice little job this year, but they're not in the Hornets class.
...

 
Wow, this has to hurt the Wiz as much as it overvalues the Hornets. I haven't understood the hype around them from day 1 (if you remember my quotes then). Just why is this a proclaimed title favourite team?

They got Yao, nice, who's perennial MVP and can't lead a team or carry it to the next level (like Dirk can), which he has proven over and over on other teams too.
The rest of their frontcourt is old. Good defenders but clearly not as valueable as they were earlier in their career (i see that myself with Ginobili). I have no clue why Pavel didn't play more or even start, he would have been exactly what Ben was 3 seasons ago. A top defender holding the opponent PF down and relieving Yao.

Radman is fine. He shouldn't start on a championship team but being a former Celtic I really like him. Good 6th man. Their SG and PG is ground solid, good %, no exorbitant high TO numbers and good defensively against most opponents.

Finally the bench. Surely one of the worst among contenders with Jaric, Wolkovski, Piatkowski and Priddy. Not one potential starter among them.

So, that said what are the Hornets? Good team, no doubt, among the better and their regular season success proved just that. But title contender? Hardly. Too many flaws. And give the "not in their class" Wiz a break, they just proved on day 109 and with earlier close sessions that they can play with the Hornets, so this "upset" doesn't come as complete surprise ...

[NetsGM]

Their SG and PG is ground solid

Solid?  Solid?

Out of that entire post, that's all you had to say about their PG?

Livingston, in my mind, might be the best PG in the league.  Take the best overall PG in the league, with the best player in the league, and put good roleplayers around them, and I think that makes them a great team.

This is a team that went +10 ppg on the season.  +5 rpg.  They shot 46.5% on offense (first in the league), and held their opponents to 40.6% (first in the league).  They could beat you both inside and out (3rd in the league in 3pt%.  They dominated on both sides of the ball.

Sorry, I disagree.

[HornetsGM]

I appreciate the sympathy Nets.
I felt a little sorry for myself, but really, what can I do. I had some doubts about this team because it was so streaky. I'd have a 7-0 sim followed by a 2-3 sim. It was strange.
Honestly though, I thought I'd make it to the conference finals...

[KingsGM-old]

Hm...Warriors barely made out of the first rn after being down 1-3. Could be a good sign...

[HornetsGM]

Celts, I don't see how you would dispute with such vigor that I'm a top 3 team.
I'm not going to address all of your points, but I will address your grossest mischaracterization: my bench.
Here was the 2nd level of my DC during the regular season:

Podkolzine (12 mpg)
Gadzuric (23 mpg)
Piatowski (27 mpg)
Piatowski (27 mpg)
Jaric (9 mpg)

Priddy played in only 23 games and was never listed on my DC. Wolkowyski played only 9 mpg (shooting 49% from the field and 49% from three). Jaric, certainly my weakest bench player, also played only 9 mpg, but has A- defense.
Two of those guys have "A" defense. Podkolzine is one of the top shotblockers in the league.

[JazzGM-old]

Hm...Warriors barely made out of the first rn after being down 1-3. Could be a good sign...

I had a nice gameplan, I was pretty confident coming in despite being the 8th seed. Hughes was out the first two games but I was still able to steal one of those, but I wonder if Hughes could have gotten me that other game had he been in, he was going against their weakest defensive starter.

[NetsGM]

Not to mention the Warriors are currently MIA

[KingsGM-old]

I think he's on vacation