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Potential Playoff Foes

443 views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  nbanoitall 
#1 ·
Potential Playoff Foes

By: Nate Timmons
thetobin73@yahoo.com


The only thing that is for certain is that the Nuggets will make the playoffs. During the season Denver’s goal was to win the Northwest Division. By winning the division Denver will lock up the no. 3 seed in the Western Conference and a third playoff birth in as many seasons, but they may not gain home court advantage in the first round.

The race for the no. 6 seed and Denver’s first round opponent is indeed a hot one. You would have to think that teams are positioning themselves to play the Nuggets (40-31). After all earning the no. 5 seed guarantees a match up against either the Dallas Mavericks (54-17) or the defending champion San Antonio Spurs (55-16). And the no. 7 seed will face the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns (47-23) so Denver is clearly the best possible match up of the bunch.

So the race for the 6th seed is coming down to two maybe even four teams.

Current playoff standings for seeds no. 5 through 8:

5th: Los Angeles Clippers (41-29 with 12 games remaining)
6th: Memphis Grizzlies (41-30 with 11 games remaining)
7th: Los Angeles Lakers (38-34 with 10 games remaining)
8th: Sacramento Kings (35-36 with 11 games remaining)


Read the rest here: http://www.basketballboards.net/forum/showthread.php?t=254801
 
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#2 ·
I think we will beat any of those teams. Personally, Id like to see the kings in the first round, watch Artest try to guard Melo. Melo abuses Bowen inside when he plays the spurs (then pops some jumpers on him on ocassion as well). With Artest (who isnt in as good as shape as before) tries to guard Anthony, he is going to have to deal with his midrange game, and quick first step. I love Ronnie, but I dont think he can handle Melo (at least not until he gets back into great shape)
 
#3 ·
nbanoitall said:
I think we will beat any of those teams. Personally, Id like to see the kings in the first round, watch Artest try to guard Melo. Melo abuses Bowen inside when he plays the spurs (then pops some jumpers on him on ocassion as well). With Artest (who isnt in as good as shape as before) tries to guard Anthony, he is going to have to deal with his midrange game, and quick first step. I love Ronnie, but I dont think he can handle Melo (at least not until he gets back into great shape)

we deffinetly won't play the Kings. I guess it will be the Clipps so he have really to hope, that K-Mart and Camby are fit and can play very good against Brand on the defense. Also we have to see how Melo will play in the PO. 17 PPG is his PO-Career avarage, thats not enough
 
#5 ·
nbanoitall said:
I think we will beat any of those teams. Personally, Id like to see the kings in the first round, watch Artest try to guard Melo. Melo abuses Bowen inside when he plays the spurs (then pops some jumpers on him on ocassion as well). With Artest (who isnt in as good as shape as before) tries to guard Anthony, he is going to have to deal with his midrange game, and quick first step. I love Ronnie, but I dont think he can handle Melo (at least not until he gets back into great shape)
Excellent point! But Melo did look tenative against Artest a few weeks/months ago in Sac Town. But like you say maybe Melo will see Artest can't stay with him and he can abuse him. That would be ideal.

Again the best matchup is Memphis IMO, and the Clippers have to be scary although they don't come with much experience other than Cassell and Mobley.
 
#6 ·
Timmons said:
Excellent point! But Melo did look tenative against Artest a few weeks/months ago in Sac Town. But like you say maybe Melo will see Artest can't stay with him and he can abuse him. That would be ideal.

Again the best matchup is Memphis IMO, and the Clippers have to be scary although they don't come with much experience other than Cassell and Mobley.
im not worried about any matchup. I just like watching Melo abuse great defenders
 
#7 ·
SuperMascotRocky said:
We own the Grizz. And Camby + K-Mart = the Anti-Gasol. They also need to prove they can win a single playoff game. The Clips has more talent. LAL has Kobe and we won't play the Kings so i think the grizz is best for us
We've never had an answer for Gasol, and never will. Due to Memphis' great outside shooting, he creates a matchup problem for us (as well as everyone else).

I wouldn't mind facing Memphis, because I question whether they have enough talent to step it up in the playoffs. In other words, can Gasol continue to be the premier player he has been during the regular season, and can Mike Miller really step it up off the bench.
 
#8 ·
Timmons said:
Excellent point! But Melo did look tenative against Artest a few weeks/months ago in Sac Town. But like you say maybe Melo will see Artest can't stay with him and he can abuse him. That would be ideal.

Again the best matchup is Memphis IMO, and the Clippers have to be scary although they don't come with much experience other than Cassell and Mobley.
Carmelo won't abuse Artest. He can score on him, but not abuse him.

I agree that the best matchup is Memphis. They're a really solid team, but they just don't have the talent level to step it up the next level, although the addition of Eddie Jones might make a huge difference come playoff time.
 
#9 ·
RoddneyThaRippa said:
We've never had an answer for Gasol, and never will. Due to Memphis' great outside shooting, he creates a matchup problem for us (as well as everyone else).

I wouldn't mind facing Memphis, because I question whether they have enough talent to step it up in the playoffs. In other words, can Gasol continue to be the premier player he has been during the regular season, and can Mike Miller really step it up off the bench.
He doesn't create that bad of a matchup for us. We rarely double him and that's why we can and have dominated the Grizz the past few years. Pau is too good to shut down, but we have done a great job of not letting beat us by paying to much attention to him. With the exception of last game.
 
#10 ·
major homerism here! i love melo, but artest is simply the best. end of story...

there is only ONE player that comes to mind that is just as fast AND strong as melo...and that is artest. sorry.

btw, melo scored like 26 against him (artest's SECOND game back!!!) and scored 13 in the 3rd, ALL of which were when artest was on the bench!!! please stop with the sillyness...
 
#11 ·
SuperMascotRocky said:
He doesn't create that bad of a matchup for us. We rarely double him and that's why we can and have dominated the Grizz the past few years. Pau is too good to shut down, but we have done a great job of not letting beat us by paying to much attention to him. With the exception of last game.
last game was all mike miller. he wont do that on a nightly basis, trust me ;)
 
#12 ·
pac4eva5 said:
major homerism here! i love melo, but artest is simply the best. end of story...

there is only ONE player that comes to mind that is just as fast AND strong as melo...and that is artest. sorry.

btw, melo scored like 26 against him (artest's SECOND game back!!!) and scored 13 in the 3rd, ALL of which were when artest was on the bench!!! please stop with the sillyness...
you can have a cold night. i dont think this is sillyness, Artest is not in the shape he was before the brawl, and then sitting out games waiting for a trade. I feel confident that in a series Melo could maintain his average and shooting percentage against Artest throughout a series.

strong ill give you, artest is strong, but he isnt as fast as melo, melo is in the shape of his life, artest is not
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
nbanoitall said:
you can have a cold night. i dont think this is sillyness, Artest is not in the shape he was before the brawl, and then sitting out games waiting for a trade. I feel confident that in a series Melo could maintain his average and shooting percentage against Artest throughout a series.

strong ill give you, artest is strong, but he isnt as fast as melo, melo is in the shape of his life, artest is not
what are u basing this on? i live in sac and have watched every game hes played in this year. the dude has been in playing shape for a while. hes been dominating everyone. ask kobe and lebron...
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
before the brawl (season before, and up to). Artest was averaging 19 to 24 (games before the brawl) a game point wise. This year artest is shooting .384 from the field, way down, steals are down, and rebounding is basically the same.

now i have watched him but not as much as you obviously, but based on watching him and those numbers, that guy doesnt have his legs back completely yet, and id bet a lot of money that if you put him on the scale he weighs over 260lbs.

in a recent interview (i might look for it) artest discussed his weight and getting back in shape, so what I said wasnt (unfounded), and Ron Artest is not in pre brawl shape. period
 
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