BlondeBomber41
09-01-2009, 07:09 PM
Every offseason some of us on PSD do a mock offseason where we simulate an offseason by doing mock free agency and trades. Below are the rosters of two teams after the game, please look at both rosters and give your honest opinion on who you believe would win.
Remember, these votes have nothing to do with your real team so there is no reason to be a homer.
Boston Celtics Lineup:
C-Rasheed Wallace/Jeff Foster/Mark Blount
PF-Kevin Garnett/Kenyon Martin/Brian Skinner
SF-LeBron James/Shawne Williams
SG-Dahntay Jones/Keith Bogans
PG-Devin Harris/Luke Ridnour
Phoenix Suns Lineup:
C - Yao / Rasho Nesterovic / Stephen Hunter
PF - Rashard Lewis / Lamar Odom
SF - Stephen Jackson / Grant Hill / Stephen Graham
SG - Vince Carter / Joey Graham / Adam Morrison
PG - Steve Nash / Earl Watson / Speedy Claxton
Boston Celtics Series Writeup:
Before I say anything else, I want to congratulate Mile High Champ on advancing to the Mock Finals. He has put together an excellent Suns team and I wish him the best of luck.
Frontcourt:
Overall this is primarily Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Kenyon Martin vs. Yao Ming, Rashard Lewis, and Lamar Odom. The Suns frontcourt has presented match-up problems to virtually every other team they faced out West but that won't work here.
Garnett and Martin are long and athletic enough to defend Rashard Lewis or Lamar Odom, both streaky shooters, on the perimeter if they need to. Garnett and Foster are established interior defenders with the toughness, length, and athleticism to contain the wobbly Yao inside.
Offensively, this Suns frontcourt is as potent and dangerous as the mock has to offer but Wallace, Garnett, and Martin will be playing the beneficiary of each other, LeBron, and Harris. Not to mention all 3 have their fair share of offensive talent. Odom and Lewis are underrated defenders but even underrated, they are still merely average. The penetration of LeBron and Harris with Wallace outside and KG underneath the basket will cause their frontline all kinds of problems. That and I seriously doubt Yao will take pleasure in trying to defend Wallace from the perimeter or KG from midrange.
Edge: Celtics
Small Forward:
As I've said before, it takes an excellent defensive unit to have any success defending LeBron James. The Suns have some good defensive players, but not near the personnel it will take to cut him off in this series. Stephen Jackson is a solid, versatile defender but he has a tendency to do himself in offensively and defensively, he doesn't have the speed to handle LeBron.
The teams that have managed to contain LeBron to some extent have managed to limit his penetration and make him more of a jump shooter. But with options like Devin Harris and Kevin Garnett, by the far the best complements he's played with in his life, that won't work against these Celtics.
Edge: Celtics
Backcourt:
Dahntay Jones doesn't have a chance to match Vince Carter's production. There's no denying that. But he has the defens size, strength, and explosiveness as well as the defensive ability to cut him off on a few possessions and that's all I expect him to do.
Devin Harris vs. Steve Nash is a pivotal match-up in my eyes. Nash is the better playmaker and the better shooter, but the size and quickness advantage Harris has will limit him at the offensive end. That and he is also an excellent defender on the ball and if he can manage to slow down Tony Parker on occassion, Steve Nash won't be nearly as formidable for him. Offensively, point guards have a history of going off on Nash and Harris will be no exception. He'll pick him apart with insanely superior quickness and explosiveness.
Harris will get the better end of his match-up with Nash, but I'll give Vince Carter his due. His presence puts this end of the match-up in the Suns favor.
Edge: Suns
We match up very well with this team. LeBron James has carried worse, over better, with less. He and Kevin Garnett compose the most deadly duo the NBA has seen since Shaq and Kobe in the early decade. They are game changers at both ends of the floor and when you add stars like Devin Harris and Rasheed Wallace, great defense, great depth, and an incredible amount of experience to that, the result is the Larry O'Brien Trophy. This team can play big, small, fast, and slow.
In terms of team defense, starpower, and versatility this team is second to none and that is why the Mock Boston Celtics should be NBA Champions. Good luck once again to Mile High Champ.
Phoenix Suns Writeup:
Well I am very happy to have made it to the finals. I faced some great teams on my way to this point in the Rockets, Warriors and Spurs. Perhaps now I face my toughest challenge yet in Lebron and the Celtics. This series should be a great one and I am excited to see how it turns out. I wish nothing but the best of luck to Catfish in the final.
Steve Nash - Devin Harris: Two great pg's, though very different in many ways. Devin Harris is a very skilled offensive, shoot first pg who knows how to put up points on the board. That being said, his playmaking and ability to create shots for others with his passing is questionable at times. That cannot be said for Steve Nash. The two time MVP is the best playmaking pg in the NBA arguably. He makes everyone around him so much better and simply knows the easiest ways to create great scoring opportunities for his teammates. With so many weapons at Nash's disposal, he should really continue to show his importance to this suns team as the series goes on. Nash's experience and sound decision making is what gives him the edge in this series over Devin Harris.
Vince Carter -Dahntay Jones: This is really a no contest. While Jones can be a good defender, he does not have the necessary talent or ability to stop VC or Jackson, whoever he may cover in this series. J Jones last year only averaged 5 and 2 as a starter, offensive numbers for a starting SG that are below average. VC remains one of the best SG's in today's game, he is an outstanding shooter and knows how to get to the line. Not to mention, like Lebron, he can take over the game at any time and be the that gets the ball every play. VC this past year also show an improved commitment to defence which should help the suns case even more. Huge Advantage for the Suns.
Stephen Jackson - Lebron James: Wow could not of asked for a tougher match up. Lebron as many of you would agree, is probably the best player in the league. It will be up to Jackson to try and at least contain him the best he can. Jackson however is no slouch, this match-up is nowhere near as one sided as the VC-Jones match-up. Jackson can hold his own on defence and remains a very solid perimeter defender. He knows how to get in players faces and play a physical game. I expect Jackson to play Lebron very tough and also make Lebron work on the defensive end as Jackson himself is a 20 ppg scorer. He also averaged an under the radar 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game last year.
Rashard Lewis - Kevin Garnett: Another great match up, while KG is the better player, we could not be happier that we are going up against a hybrid 4 like Garnett instead of a more traditional bruising PF. Lewis this past year really had his game reach new levels. Many saw him only as a SF playing out of position but last year really changed all that. Lewis became a solid and reliable PF who could defend the hybrid 4's of the NBA quite well. He stays in front of his man at all times and always contests shots. I feel like his quickness and speed will be an asset against KG who relies on those qualities on the offensive end of the floor to score and be efficient. Lewis also brings KG away from the basket because of his ability to hit shots from anywhere on the floor, which allows some of our wing players like Jackson, Carter and Hill to get to the rim easier. I expect Lewis to play KG tough but we also have Lamar Odom to help out as well.
Yao Ming - Rasheed Wallace: A few years ago this would of been a closer matchup, sadly Wallace since then has really had his game slip. Once one of the best post defenders in the league is no showing his inability to play at the same level. Yao is sure to have a big series against the older Wallace. Yao remains significantly stronger and bigger then Wallace at every aspect of the game. He is a polished scorer from the block and knows how to step out and hit a shot. He also has very good lateral quickness for such a big guy and that will be needed against a center like Wallace. Yao also is a force in the middle on defence who can contest and block shots at will, he should certainly make Lebron life much harder. People have to remember that this is not the same Rasheed Wallace, he is very much a shadow of what he once was. Huge Advantage Suns.
Suns Bench - Celtics Bench: Once again my depth and talent off the bench will be counted on to help shoulder the load in the series. Lamar Odom remains the best player by a large margin coming off the bench in this series. He can defend and score from a variety of positions on the floor. He has matched up against KG before and has done well and we feel he is a great compliment to Lewis off the bench. He experience as an NBA champion is another added bonus as he can be an effective player on both offense and defence. The Celtics counter in Kenyon Martin who is also a talented player but his defensive abilities since his time in NJ are not the same as what they once were. Both back up pg's in Ridinour and Watson have experience as starters and can run an offense. That matchup is very much a wash. Both Back up centers are also role players, Rasho and Foster know what works for their games and they stick to it. Foster while a great rebounder is an average defender at best. He also has no offensive game to speak of. Rasho has experience playing on championship teams like the spurs and can be effective hitting shots from mid range and also posting up. Another wash match-up . Finally the Suns have something the Celtics do not, a talent wing player off the bench. Grant Hill just last year was starting and remains one of the smartest players in the league today. He is a team orientated player and knows how to be effective on offense and defence. He should have a nice series for us with the talent he has to work with around him. With Odom and Hill leading the way, the Suns bench is very much deeper and more talented than the Celtics.
Conclusion: I feel that our starting line-up is better rounded then the Celtics. We have 5 unselfish starters who can score 20 ppg any give night. Add that with Odom and Hill coming off the bench and you have the recipe of a championship. With Lewis on KG and Jackson on Lebron, we feel we match up well with Celtics star players but feel the Celtics needed more help at SG and Center to win the series. Suns in 6 games hopefully.
Remember, these votes have nothing to do with your real team so there is no reason to be a homer.
Boston Celtics Lineup:
C-Rasheed Wallace/Jeff Foster/Mark Blount
PF-Kevin Garnett/Kenyon Martin/Brian Skinner
SF-LeBron James/Shawne Williams
SG-Dahntay Jones/Keith Bogans
PG-Devin Harris/Luke Ridnour
Phoenix Suns Lineup:
C - Yao / Rasho Nesterovic / Stephen Hunter
PF - Rashard Lewis / Lamar Odom
SF - Stephen Jackson / Grant Hill / Stephen Graham
SG - Vince Carter / Joey Graham / Adam Morrison
PG - Steve Nash / Earl Watson / Speedy Claxton
Boston Celtics Series Writeup:
Before I say anything else, I want to congratulate Mile High Champ on advancing to the Mock Finals. He has put together an excellent Suns team and I wish him the best of luck.
Frontcourt:
Overall this is primarily Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Kenyon Martin vs. Yao Ming, Rashard Lewis, and Lamar Odom. The Suns frontcourt has presented match-up problems to virtually every other team they faced out West but that won't work here.
Garnett and Martin are long and athletic enough to defend Rashard Lewis or Lamar Odom, both streaky shooters, on the perimeter if they need to. Garnett and Foster are established interior defenders with the toughness, length, and athleticism to contain the wobbly Yao inside.
Offensively, this Suns frontcourt is as potent and dangerous as the mock has to offer but Wallace, Garnett, and Martin will be playing the beneficiary of each other, LeBron, and Harris. Not to mention all 3 have their fair share of offensive talent. Odom and Lewis are underrated defenders but even underrated, they are still merely average. The penetration of LeBron and Harris with Wallace outside and KG underneath the basket will cause their frontline all kinds of problems. That and I seriously doubt Yao will take pleasure in trying to defend Wallace from the perimeter or KG from midrange.
Edge: Celtics
Small Forward:
As I've said before, it takes an excellent defensive unit to have any success defending LeBron James. The Suns have some good defensive players, but not near the personnel it will take to cut him off in this series. Stephen Jackson is a solid, versatile defender but he has a tendency to do himself in offensively and defensively, he doesn't have the speed to handle LeBron.
The teams that have managed to contain LeBron to some extent have managed to limit his penetration and make him more of a jump shooter. But with options like Devin Harris and Kevin Garnett, by the far the best complements he's played with in his life, that won't work against these Celtics.
Edge: Celtics
Backcourt:
Dahntay Jones doesn't have a chance to match Vince Carter's production. There's no denying that. But he has the defens size, strength, and explosiveness as well as the defensive ability to cut him off on a few possessions and that's all I expect him to do.
Devin Harris vs. Steve Nash is a pivotal match-up in my eyes. Nash is the better playmaker and the better shooter, but the size and quickness advantage Harris has will limit him at the offensive end. That and he is also an excellent defender on the ball and if he can manage to slow down Tony Parker on occassion, Steve Nash won't be nearly as formidable for him. Offensively, point guards have a history of going off on Nash and Harris will be no exception. He'll pick him apart with insanely superior quickness and explosiveness.
Harris will get the better end of his match-up with Nash, but I'll give Vince Carter his due. His presence puts this end of the match-up in the Suns favor.
Edge: Suns
We match up very well with this team. LeBron James has carried worse, over better, with less. He and Kevin Garnett compose the most deadly duo the NBA has seen since Shaq and Kobe in the early decade. They are game changers at both ends of the floor and when you add stars like Devin Harris and Rasheed Wallace, great defense, great depth, and an incredible amount of experience to that, the result is the Larry O'Brien Trophy. This team can play big, small, fast, and slow.
In terms of team defense, starpower, and versatility this team is second to none and that is why the Mock Boston Celtics should be NBA Champions. Good luck once again to Mile High Champ.
Phoenix Suns Writeup:
Well I am very happy to have made it to the finals. I faced some great teams on my way to this point in the Rockets, Warriors and Spurs. Perhaps now I face my toughest challenge yet in Lebron and the Celtics. This series should be a great one and I am excited to see how it turns out. I wish nothing but the best of luck to Catfish in the final.
Steve Nash - Devin Harris: Two great pg's, though very different in many ways. Devin Harris is a very skilled offensive, shoot first pg who knows how to put up points on the board. That being said, his playmaking and ability to create shots for others with his passing is questionable at times. That cannot be said for Steve Nash. The two time MVP is the best playmaking pg in the NBA arguably. He makes everyone around him so much better and simply knows the easiest ways to create great scoring opportunities for his teammates. With so many weapons at Nash's disposal, he should really continue to show his importance to this suns team as the series goes on. Nash's experience and sound decision making is what gives him the edge in this series over Devin Harris.
Vince Carter -Dahntay Jones: This is really a no contest. While Jones can be a good defender, he does not have the necessary talent or ability to stop VC or Jackson, whoever he may cover in this series. J Jones last year only averaged 5 and 2 as a starter, offensive numbers for a starting SG that are below average. VC remains one of the best SG's in today's game, he is an outstanding shooter and knows how to get to the line. Not to mention, like Lebron, he can take over the game at any time and be the that gets the ball every play. VC this past year also show an improved commitment to defence which should help the suns case even more. Huge Advantage for the Suns.
Stephen Jackson - Lebron James: Wow could not of asked for a tougher match up. Lebron as many of you would agree, is probably the best player in the league. It will be up to Jackson to try and at least contain him the best he can. Jackson however is no slouch, this match-up is nowhere near as one sided as the VC-Jones match-up. Jackson can hold his own on defence and remains a very solid perimeter defender. He knows how to get in players faces and play a physical game. I expect Jackson to play Lebron very tough and also make Lebron work on the defensive end as Jackson himself is a 20 ppg scorer. He also averaged an under the radar 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game last year.
Rashard Lewis - Kevin Garnett: Another great match up, while KG is the better player, we could not be happier that we are going up against a hybrid 4 like Garnett instead of a more traditional bruising PF. Lewis this past year really had his game reach new levels. Many saw him only as a SF playing out of position but last year really changed all that. Lewis became a solid and reliable PF who could defend the hybrid 4's of the NBA quite well. He stays in front of his man at all times and always contests shots. I feel like his quickness and speed will be an asset against KG who relies on those qualities on the offensive end of the floor to score and be efficient. Lewis also brings KG away from the basket because of his ability to hit shots from anywhere on the floor, which allows some of our wing players like Jackson, Carter and Hill to get to the rim easier. I expect Lewis to play KG tough but we also have Lamar Odom to help out as well.
Yao Ming - Rasheed Wallace: A few years ago this would of been a closer matchup, sadly Wallace since then has really had his game slip. Once one of the best post defenders in the league is no showing his inability to play at the same level. Yao is sure to have a big series against the older Wallace. Yao remains significantly stronger and bigger then Wallace at every aspect of the game. He is a polished scorer from the block and knows how to step out and hit a shot. He also has very good lateral quickness for such a big guy and that will be needed against a center like Wallace. Yao also is a force in the middle on defence who can contest and block shots at will, he should certainly make Lebron life much harder. People have to remember that this is not the same Rasheed Wallace, he is very much a shadow of what he once was. Huge Advantage Suns.
Suns Bench - Celtics Bench: Once again my depth and talent off the bench will be counted on to help shoulder the load in the series. Lamar Odom remains the best player by a large margin coming off the bench in this series. He can defend and score from a variety of positions on the floor. He has matched up against KG before and has done well and we feel he is a great compliment to Lewis off the bench. He experience as an NBA champion is another added bonus as he can be an effective player on both offense and defence. The Celtics counter in Kenyon Martin who is also a talented player but his defensive abilities since his time in NJ are not the same as what they once were. Both back up pg's in Ridinour and Watson have experience as starters and can run an offense. That matchup is very much a wash. Both Back up centers are also role players, Rasho and Foster know what works for their games and they stick to it. Foster while a great rebounder is an average defender at best. He also has no offensive game to speak of. Rasho has experience playing on championship teams like the spurs and can be effective hitting shots from mid range and also posting up. Another wash match-up . Finally the Suns have something the Celtics do not, a talent wing player off the bench. Grant Hill just last year was starting and remains one of the smartest players in the league today. He is a team orientated player and knows how to be effective on offense and defence. He should have a nice series for us with the talent he has to work with around him. With Odom and Hill leading the way, the Suns bench is very much deeper and more talented than the Celtics.
Conclusion: I feel that our starting line-up is better rounded then the Celtics. We have 5 unselfish starters who can score 20 ppg any give night. Add that with Odom and Hill coming off the bench and you have the recipe of a championship. With Lewis on KG and Jackson on Lebron, we feel we match up well with Celtics star players but feel the Celtics needed more help at SG and Center to win the series. Suns in 6 games hopefully.