Post by GP on Jun 27, 2008 15:24:29 GMT -5
BBS Senior Writer
Galo Pesantes[/i]
2008 Western Confernece Playoffs Preview
The Matchup:
No. 1 Utah Jazz vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers
The Skinny:
Thanks to some shrewd but wise acquisitions in the off-season, the Jazz find themselves at the top of the Western Conference standings. GM Andy started an incredible off-season by stealing power forward Darko Milicic from the Mavericks in free agency and signing him to lucrative deal. Then he made deals to acquire scoring machine Vince Carter and the underrated Peja Stojackovic to solidify his swing spots. Finally, he topped it off by acquiring the Diesel, the 2008 defensive player of the year and also good for 26 points per game. Obviously, the Jazz are loaded with weapons and with a decent bench to boot.
The Lakers are just happy to have stayed in the playoff picture. After lingering in the No. 6 and 7 spots, they were overtaken by the T-Wolves, Sonics and Kings for the slots ahead of them. They will certainly be overmatched in this matchup but can create some problems for the Jazz. Joe Johnson will be one to watch as he led the team in scoring this year in addition to Kevin Durant and Josh Smith in the forward spots. L.A. will need more from his frontcourt though to matchup with Shaq and Darko.
The Prediction:
Jazz in 6.
Surprisingly, these two split their season series with the Lakers winning the last match up 103-102 at the Staples Center. The series should shift significantly though to the Jazz because of all the star power and quality players they have. However should there be an injury to the Jazz, things could get interesting and there may be an upset here that can affect the entire playoffs.
The Matchup:
No. 2 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 7 Sacramento Kings
The Skinny:
Since acquiring Kirk Hinrich in a deal for Joe Johnson, this Suns team has gone to a whole another level. Along with stars Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand and Dirk Nowitzki, the Suns boast three 20 point scorers and a top point guard dishing it out to them. The only glaring weakness the Suns have is Al Harrington at shooting guard who is on a cheap, two year deal but is a liability offensively and defensively at times. Phoenix also sports one of the tallest lineups in the league, with only Hinrich standing shorter than 6’10.
GM Scott made a vow to rebuild but not before earning 40+ wins and a trip to the playoffs. Veterans Rip Hamilton and Antonio McDyess may be in their last playoffs as members of the Kings but have had sensational campaigns this year nonetheless. Point guard Jason Kidd also enjoyed his highest assist average output since 2004 when he was with the Hawks. However this team is going to need more than that to beat the Suns’ superior lineup.
The Prediction:
Suns in 5.
Although these teams split their season series as well, Phoenix should run away with this one. In their last two meetings, the Suns won by 23 and 21 and held the Kings below 40% shooting each time. The Kings have a shot if they can get some production from their other players during crunch time if not it should be the Suns advancing in the second round.
The Matchup:
No. 3 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 6 Seattle Sonics
The Skinny:
For a good amount of time this year, the Grizzlies were the hottest team in the West. Most of that is due to Baron Davis, who was acquired from the Clippers late last year. Couple that with the arrival of Ray Allen and the emergence of Ike Diogu resulted in the Grizzlies reaching 55 wins this season. They are also well rounded in all statistical categories as they don’t turn over the ball much, score enough and do not give up many points and are defensively sound in getting blocks and steals while shooting a high percentage.
As for the Sonics, they have gone through some stages of change as well. They opted in dealing for Ron Artest in exchange for Tracy McGrady and shored up their frontline with the acquisition of Jermaine O’Neal. Although they lost some scoring punch, they still score enough and seem to be capable on the defensive end as well. If Richard Jefferson can have a good series, the Sonics have an excellent chance at an upset.
The Prediction:
Grizzlies in 6.
Another pair that split their season series, but this should be a pretty even series. The Sonics are a bit underrated heading into the playoffs while the Grizzlies have been flying high for a while. The way this series swings may come down to depth and backups on their bench. The Grizz seem to have the best big reserves while the Sonics have small, but deadly backcourt backups in Earl Boykins and Nate Robinson.
The Matchup:
No. 4 Dallas Mavericks vs. No. 5 Minnesota Timberwolves
The Skinny:
Following the departure of Darko Milicic to Utah this off-season, GM David Krupinski went out and got Raef LaFrentz to man down the power spot. LaFrentz did not disappoint as he played up to his ratings while still sharing time with LSU youngster, Brandon Bass. There may not be a better young trio than LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire for quite some time. For now, it’s a joy just to watch them play together for however long it lasts. Perhaps the most overlooked starter on this team is forward Vladimir Boisa who has nice ratings and is only 26 years old.
Minnesota started with Stephon Marbury as their rock and for the past three seasons he has carried the team as well. His 11.2 assists per game is tops in the league and is a great defender and shooter. Teammates David West and Desmond Mason have great inside games which help them reach 20 point per game plateaus and carry the scoring load. The T-Wolves do not have a very good front court though, and will be vulnerable in this series to the likes of Stoudamire and LaFrentz.
The Prediction:
Mavericks in 6.
The only way I see this series going beyond six games is if the Mavs falter somehow or have an injury. LBJ-Melo-Amare is just too good to stop and Minnesota will have a hard time trying to shut down one of them, let alone all three. It will be interesting to see if they can possibly use the speed of Marbury to snatch a game or two from the Mavs.
Galo Pesantes[/i]
2008 Western Confernece Playoffs Preview
The Matchup:
No. 1 Utah Jazz vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers
The Skinny:
Thanks to some shrewd but wise acquisitions in the off-season, the Jazz find themselves at the top of the Western Conference standings. GM Andy started an incredible off-season by stealing power forward Darko Milicic from the Mavericks in free agency and signing him to lucrative deal. Then he made deals to acquire scoring machine Vince Carter and the underrated Peja Stojackovic to solidify his swing spots. Finally, he topped it off by acquiring the Diesel, the 2008 defensive player of the year and also good for 26 points per game. Obviously, the Jazz are loaded with weapons and with a decent bench to boot.
The Lakers are just happy to have stayed in the playoff picture. After lingering in the No. 6 and 7 spots, they were overtaken by the T-Wolves, Sonics and Kings for the slots ahead of them. They will certainly be overmatched in this matchup but can create some problems for the Jazz. Joe Johnson will be one to watch as he led the team in scoring this year in addition to Kevin Durant and Josh Smith in the forward spots. L.A. will need more from his frontcourt though to matchup with Shaq and Darko.
The Prediction:
Jazz in 6.
Surprisingly, these two split their season series with the Lakers winning the last match up 103-102 at the Staples Center. The series should shift significantly though to the Jazz because of all the star power and quality players they have. However should there be an injury to the Jazz, things could get interesting and there may be an upset here that can affect the entire playoffs.
The Matchup:
No. 2 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 7 Sacramento Kings
The Skinny:
Since acquiring Kirk Hinrich in a deal for Joe Johnson, this Suns team has gone to a whole another level. Along with stars Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand and Dirk Nowitzki, the Suns boast three 20 point scorers and a top point guard dishing it out to them. The only glaring weakness the Suns have is Al Harrington at shooting guard who is on a cheap, two year deal but is a liability offensively and defensively at times. Phoenix also sports one of the tallest lineups in the league, with only Hinrich standing shorter than 6’10.
GM Scott made a vow to rebuild but not before earning 40+ wins and a trip to the playoffs. Veterans Rip Hamilton and Antonio McDyess may be in their last playoffs as members of the Kings but have had sensational campaigns this year nonetheless. Point guard Jason Kidd also enjoyed his highest assist average output since 2004 when he was with the Hawks. However this team is going to need more than that to beat the Suns’ superior lineup.
The Prediction:
Suns in 5.
Although these teams split their season series as well, Phoenix should run away with this one. In their last two meetings, the Suns won by 23 and 21 and held the Kings below 40% shooting each time. The Kings have a shot if they can get some production from their other players during crunch time if not it should be the Suns advancing in the second round.
The Matchup:
No. 3 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 6 Seattle Sonics
The Skinny:
For a good amount of time this year, the Grizzlies were the hottest team in the West. Most of that is due to Baron Davis, who was acquired from the Clippers late last year. Couple that with the arrival of Ray Allen and the emergence of Ike Diogu resulted in the Grizzlies reaching 55 wins this season. They are also well rounded in all statistical categories as they don’t turn over the ball much, score enough and do not give up many points and are defensively sound in getting blocks and steals while shooting a high percentage.
As for the Sonics, they have gone through some stages of change as well. They opted in dealing for Ron Artest in exchange for Tracy McGrady and shored up their frontline with the acquisition of Jermaine O’Neal. Although they lost some scoring punch, they still score enough and seem to be capable on the defensive end as well. If Richard Jefferson can have a good series, the Sonics have an excellent chance at an upset.
The Prediction:
Grizzlies in 6.
Another pair that split their season series, but this should be a pretty even series. The Sonics are a bit underrated heading into the playoffs while the Grizzlies have been flying high for a while. The way this series swings may come down to depth and backups on their bench. The Grizz seem to have the best big reserves while the Sonics have small, but deadly backcourt backups in Earl Boykins and Nate Robinson.
The Matchup:
No. 4 Dallas Mavericks vs. No. 5 Minnesota Timberwolves
The Skinny:
Following the departure of Darko Milicic to Utah this off-season, GM David Krupinski went out and got Raef LaFrentz to man down the power spot. LaFrentz did not disappoint as he played up to his ratings while still sharing time with LSU youngster, Brandon Bass. There may not be a better young trio than LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire for quite some time. For now, it’s a joy just to watch them play together for however long it lasts. Perhaps the most overlooked starter on this team is forward Vladimir Boisa who has nice ratings and is only 26 years old.
Minnesota started with Stephon Marbury as their rock and for the past three seasons he has carried the team as well. His 11.2 assists per game is tops in the league and is a great defender and shooter. Teammates David West and Desmond Mason have great inside games which help them reach 20 point per game plateaus and carry the scoring load. The T-Wolves do not have a very good front court though, and will be vulnerable in this series to the likes of Stoudamire and LaFrentz.
The Prediction:
Mavericks in 6.
The only way I see this series going beyond six games is if the Mavs falter somehow or have an injury. LBJ-Melo-Amare is just too good to stop and Minnesota will have a hard time trying to shut down one of them, let alone all three. It will be interesting to see if they can possibly use the speed of Marbury to snatch a game or two from the Mavs.
