[Seuss]

GM/Coach has one day to get his gameplan up. Here's a gameplan template.

Offensive Plan:
Defensive Plan:
Overall Focus:

(#2) Phoenix Suns Team:

PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Anfernee Hardaway
SF: James Worthy
PF: Jermaine O’Neal
CE: Alonzo Mourning

BENCH: Jerry Stackhouse, Alvin Adams, Dan Majerle, Steve Kerr, AC
Green

(#3) Houston Rockets Team:

PG: Steve Nash
SG: Dwayne Wade
SF: Ron Artest
PF: Elton Brand
C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

BENCH: Michael Redd, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Luol Deng

[Seuss]

Offensive Gameplan: Team Play
The Phoenix Suns will walk onto the court as team. They will represent that to the truest of it's words. Although with a quick glance, we can tell the Rockets are stacked. Which is exactly how I want it to be. I don't think 5 individuals can beat one team. We haven't seen that happen. The Suns will rely on ball movement, and the contribution from the whole, to win this series. Even if it's a grueling 7 game series. I think the homecourt will be the ultimate tipping point in favor of my Suns.

Defensive Gameplan: Chuck it!
I'm not too sure how the Rockets are going to score. Lets take into consideration that their big 4, ALL depend on the ball to be at their best. That will eliminate shots from themselves. Making them less effective. You go to Kareem, risk taking away from Nash, Wade and Brand. I will always double Kareem to force Artest to beat us. I just don't see how those players can all play together. That in intself is a very nice defensive. Plus their only long bomb shooting is Nash, who will be wrapped up by Kidd.

Overall Focus: 5 Against 1
The Rockets bench is laughable. Not sure how you could consider it in a legends draft. They have 5 individuals, who I don't think can play team ball long enough to win. The Suns will all look to play team ball, and pull a Pistons, over the stacked Lakers. Team ball always prevail. I think it will again.

[Sharpie]

Kareem would probably have an outstanding series against Mourning, could get ugly.

This is almost like the Spurs v. Rockets series because of the excellent guard combination on the Suns, but Richardson and Iverson had Spencer Haywood and Willis Reed down low with Gus Johnson coming off the bench.

[BadBaronRudigor]

Dr. Seuss, what makes you think your team is more likely to play as a team than Houston (other than maybe Artest's immaturity); Kareem, Nash, and Wade are certainly team players and Brand is a class guy who is probably desperate for a winner after being a Clipper. I could see it your way, but don't see it as a foregone conclusion.

Matching up the individuals, I'd favor Kidd over Nash, but Wade over Penny by even larger margin as he is far more of a match offensively while also a much better defender. Similarly, while Worthy is better than ARtest, Brand is equally superior to O'Neal so no edge there. And at center a prime Kareem is much better than a prime Zo . . . the bench difference isn't enough to make up for the center matchup. Edge to Houston.

[Seuss]

Originally Posted by BadBaronRudigor

Dr. Seuss, what makes you think your team is more likely to play as a team than Houston (other than maybe Artest's immaturity); Kareem, Nash, and Wade are certainly team players and Brand is a class guy who is probably desperate for a winner after being a Clipper. I could see it your way, but don't see it as a foregone conclusion.

Matching up the individuals, I'd favor Kidd over Nash, but Wade over Penny by even larger margin as he is far more of a match offensively while also a much better defender. Similarly, while Worthy is better than ARtest, Brand is equally superior to O'Neal so no edge there. And at center a prime Kareem is much better than a prime Zo . . . the bench difference isn't enough to make up for the center matchup. Edge to Houston.

What exactly is Wade, Brand, and Nash going to do without the ball?
That team is too stacked for it's own good.

[Diophantos]

Originally Posted by Dr. Seuss

What exactly is Wade, Brand, and Nash going to do without the ball?
That team is too stacked for it's own good.

I imagine Wade will cut to the basket, looking for feeds from Nash and his own catch-and-quick-move explosions. Brand will crash the offensive glass, muscle in the post, and maybe step out for his mid-range jumpers. Nash is a great shooter and capable of spotting up and spreading the floor.

A lot of people have this conception that if a guy is a ball-handler or not a great shooter, he's lost without the ball and can only hang his head and cry when he doesn't have it. Great slashers know what to do without the ball. So do great post players. Penetrate-kickout-catch-slash with multiple slashers is a great strategy for keeping defenses off balance if you have multiple good slashers (go back and watch Pip kicking to Jordan on the perimeter on vice versa; especially in the 1st three-peat, those kickouts weren't for threes). Great post players seal off their men for easy buckets and offensive rebounds, watch Tim Duncan do this--he's working harder without the ball than with it.

I think in a league like this with so many great defenders, you need multiple ball-handlers, playmakers, and scorers (even when it seems like you might be "overloading") because of the focus that these defenses can put on individuals.

Anyways, that's my harangue on that subject. In this particular matchup, I do agree that Nash may be a bit of a poor fit with Houston, but that's not because of "what he'll do without the ball", it's because Kareem and Brand may not be very interested in flying up and down the floor. I'm also not such a big fan of Houston's bench; relying on only current players gives you a smaller pool to choose from.

That said, they have great defenders at two important half-court scorers for Phoenix - Artest on Worthy and Kareem on Zo. So that's a mark in their favor. Phoenix's best option in the halfcourt might be Kidd posting up Nash (though that gets more difficult with Deron in the game) but Nash will have two shot-blockers behind him so I'm not sure if that's enough.

Kareem controlling the tempo is probably the difference maker for me right now, but I'm open to changing my mind. There are certainly some interesting aspects of this matchup that I haven't completely thought about.

[tkb]

I agree with Diophantos here. While at first look i give the Rockets the edge because of Kareem i can be swayed in this one. Seuss has a nice looking team. The thing i'm sceptical about is how Kareem is going to be limited. He can shoot over a small double (compared to his own size), and if they double with both post guys, then Brand has a nice jumper of his own.

I just see Kareem as a deadly matchup in this series, but like i already said i can be swayed.

[Knick_Killer31]

I said it before and I'm going to say it again...drafting all current players doesn't impress me. And IMO the Suns are put together much better. All they players fit nicely together and the game-plan really suites the team.