Thread Tools

Display Modes

RollWithEm · 04-16-2008, 06:15 AM

After a reasoned discussion prompted by a suggestion made by Najee, the seeding in the tournament has changed slightly. Only one match-up I’ve posted so far should be affected. Here is the new 3/6 Match-up in the Sam Bowie region:

(3) 1995
G Brent Barry
G Jerry Stackhouse
F Kevin Garnett
F Antonio McDyess
C Rasheed Wallace
-------------------------------------------
G Damon Stoudamire
G Michael Finley
G Bob Sura
F Corliss Williamson
F Joe Smith
F Kurt Thomas
C Theo Ratliff

VS

The new 6-seed:
(6) 1991
G Terrell Brandon
G Eric Murdock
F Larry Johnson
F Chris Gatling
C Dikembe Mutombo
-------------------------------------------
G Kenny Anderson
G Steve Smith
G Greg Anthony
F Stacey Augmon
F Dale Davis
F Rick Fox
C Bison Dele

This, of course, is the team based on best statistical NBA season. If I were picking the team based on my own opinions, it wouldn’t change much. It would probably look like this:

PG Terrell Brandon
SG Steve Smith
SF Rick Fox
PF Larry Johnson
C Dikembe Mutombo
-------------------------------------------
G Kenny Anderson
G Greg Anthony
G Eric Murdock
F Chris Gatling
F Dale Davis
F Stacey Augmon
C Bison Dele

I considered Stanley Roberts or Ike Austin over Dele, but I think Bison is the right choice despite his questionable name change. I considered Bobby Phills over Murdock, but his career was tragically cut short right as he reached his prime. One more season might have pushed him over the line. Incidentally, Gatling would be my 6th man. Smith and Fox are in the starting line-up because they were career starters who provide much needed leadership and shooting ability.

BadBaronRudigor · 04-16-2008, 07:55 AM

Phills had all-defesnive team nominations and a nice 3 point stroke. No question he was a far superior player to Eric Murdock.

Najee · 04-16-2008, 08:44 AM

More importantly, do you really need Greg Anthony on this team? Anthony's efficiency numbers are artificially boosted because he started on an expansion Vancouver team for the better part of two seasons and even then his career numbers aren't that impressive. I personally would keep Bobby Phills and Eric Murdock.

Najee · 04-16-2008, 09:04 AM

OK, here are the matchups for my teams:

CLASS OF '95:

PG: Damon Stoudamire
SG: Jerry Stackhouse
SF: Michael Finley
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Rasheed Wallace

BENCH: Brent Barry, Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff, Joe Smith, Eric Snow, Kurt Thomas and Corliss Williamson.

CLASS OF '91:

PG: Terrell Brandon
SG: Steve Smith
SF: Stacey Augmon
PF: Larry Johnson
C: Dikembe Mutombo

BENCH: Kenny Anderson, Dale Davis, Bison Dele, Rick Fox, Chris Gatling, Eric Murdock and Bobby Phills.

I think this will be a close game until the final quarter, where the Class of '95's depth at the power forward slot starts to wear on the '91 team. In his early Charlotte days, Johnson was a load. However, Garnett can match him in that category, plus LJ was never more than a contain-type defender. KG and McDyess can shoot over the top of the shorter (6-foot-5) Johnson and at times they will be difficult for Grandmama to stop consistently.

The Class of '91 has the better set of point guards (Brandon, Anderson and Murdock) and will wear down Stoudamire. Smith was a good outside shooter and the Class of '95 eventually will switch Finley on him to try to slow him down. Mutombo will shut down the lane and intimidate Stoudamire and Stackhouse from penetrating.

In the end, I feel it come down to KG overtaking LJ in the fourth quarter. Moreover, there is not another power forward on the '91 roster who can match up with The Big Ticket. Wallace's jump-shooting will cause problems; Mutombo won't guard him out there and Gatling isn't good enough to stop him out there.

FINAL SCORE: Class of '95 100, Class of '94 91.

RollWithEm · 04-17-2008, 08:34 AM

I actually like this match-up a little better than I liked the old 3/6 game in this bracket. The nuances of this pairing seem plentiful. Both teams seem frontcourt heavy, but both have scorers on the wings and enough shooting to get buy in this type of tournament. Both teams have more than one outstanding defensive force. Both teams have post scoring and reliable clutch options. Both teams go about 9 or 10 deep with quality contributors that bring unique things to the table.

The 1991 PG combo of Brandon/Anderson/Murdock is definitely superior in terms of play-making and unselfishness to the 1995 combo of Barry/Stoudamire/Sura. On the other hand, the 1995 big men are more versatile than the 1991 bigs. When you look at shear star power, the 1995 team has the best player (Garnett). I think Mutombo is the best defensive big in the game, but Theo, Rasheed, and Garnett might be the next three best. That being said, Kurt Thomas and Dale Davis were both very solid defensively in the paint. Augmon is probably the best perimeter defender on either team, but with the abundance of interior defenders on the 1995 team, Garnett can certainly spend a good deal of time guarding smaller guys like Fox, Augmon, and Smith. The 1995 team certainly has an abundance of athleticism with the likes of McDyess, Finley, Stackhouse, Garnett, and to a lesser extent Barry, Smith, and Wallace. The 1991 team has more specialist types.

This is the type of game where it might depend on who’s coaching these teams. Substitution patterns could influence match-ups. If 1991 puts Mutombo, Davis, and Augmon on the floor to stop Wallace, Garnett, and Finley, they would be relying exclusively on their backcourt advantage to score points. If the 1995 team goes small to try and negate Mutombo’s presence, couldn’t 1991 run with them with a line-up of Brandon/Smith/Augmon/Fox/Johnson?

I actually agree with Najee that the 1995 team’s post offense advantage will eventually wear down the 1991 frontline. Even if McDyess, Wallace, and Garnett are all somehow contained, the Big Nasty could still beat them up down low. I see the 1995 team winning this one in a low scoring affair with a lot of foul trouble on both teams.

Thread Tools Display Modes

Thread Tools

Display Modes