If the Nets play Indiana or Milwaukee in the 1st round, they will finish either of them off in 5 games, maybe even 4. I'm not a huge homer, I criticize the Wizards alot, but I really think we could beat the Cavs in 6 games. We match up well against them. Cleveland is not good at containing quick, scoring guards like Gil. If you think Hughes or Snow can stop him, you're out of your mind. Hughes is too fragile, thats why he simply cant play lock-down defense. Gil is just too strong for Hughes despite the small height advantage. Snow is a veteran, but he has become slower, and isnt the defender he used to be in Philly. It's tough to guard a 24 yr old, 29 PPG scorer in Gil when you're 33 yrs old. I simply dont think it can happen. And if anyone of you say Damon Jones, I'm going to die of laughter. As for LeBron, he'll get his, but still we have good defenders for his 'supporting cast'. Daniels is underrated as a defender. He will keep an eye on Hughes and Jones, from the perimeter. Butler is also solid, if he guards Hughes, Larry is going to seriously struggle offensively. Hughes is giving up around 35 pounds. Jeffries is our best defender. He's going to try and guard LeBron, but I think LeBron is just too strong and quick, but I think Jeffries can limit LeBron to 17-27 pts. Keep in mind this is LeBron's first playoff experience. As for Big Z, Haywood will get under his skin. Z always throws up these tiny hooks that always manage to go in but against Haywood he better think twice. Gooden will most likely guarded by Etan Thomas, who looks like he's taken steroids before. These are the reasons why I think my Wizards can beat Cavs in 6.
I think whoever the Wizards play will be tough matchup. Especially Cleveland. Atawn Jamison is a tough matchup for LeBron, and he can post him up, and is too quick for Gooden of Marshall. Plus, Big Z and Marshall are slow, which allows Jamison and Haywood to get the 10 foot jumpers. Washington is big, and can flat out score. That would be a fun series
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Apr 14 2006, 07:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't think a team winning 60 games can be considered an upset.</div>Yes it is considering the fact that Spurs are the best team in the world.
Yes Dallas and the Spurs have won 60 games. Yade-Yade-Yada. If you've watched basketball over the past few years, you should have a pretty clear view how far ahead the Pistons and Spurs are above any other team in the league. If you can't see it, your vision is simply clouded, and you need to see past it
The Pistons and Spurs aren't that far away from the other teams. They are they favorites but they aren't the greatest thing ever. They can be beat.I think the Kings might be able to upset. Oh boy, that Artest-Manu match-up will be awesome. I think the Clippers can upset the Nuggest also, though I don't think that's an upset really since they have a better record. Memphis has a little chance to upset....I doubt it.
The Spurs and Pistons are the best teams, but not that much over Dallas and the Heat, but those 4 are head and shoulders above everyone else(cept maybe the Suns too.)And no, Dallas beating the Spurs would not be an upset...they are pretty even, and have played that way all year. They always play good series. Besides it's a secound round matchup...I think upsets are really about lower seeded teams(5th through 8th seeds) that beat teams in the first round with homecourt advantage.In that case the Grizz, Clipps, could be upsets(as long as they don't play the Mavs) and the Lakers and Kings could be upset potentials.BTW Arizonafan, I want to hurt you right now over that Sig...first off this is a basketball site, and second VY isn't that dumb, or he wouldn't have won the NC...but damn, a stupid test makes him dumb, so he's too stupid to play QB...great one man.
Oh, come on, the Suns are much better than the Heat and the beat the Mavs 2 times in a row without their defense, KT. There is no "maybe the Suns".I was going to take that sig off, but yes he is dumb and you can't be a moron and play QB in the NFL. You can be an idiot and play other positions but some you need brains in. It turned out he didn't get such a low score so he isn't too dumb to play the position probably but I haven't been on for a while and am too lazy to chance it to my Eddie House one. Plus, I thought it was funny.
Well I'd put the Suns over the Heat too. But since they are in different conferences and the Heat are the second best team in the East, they have a better chance than the Suns, without Amare, against the Spurs or Mavs in the Conference Finals, or maybe even Denver in the second round.Yeah man, I've seen that picture before, and it was funny, I just hate how that <Censored> was overblown, especially considering that D McNabb and Dan Marino both had the same score or lower than him, doesn't say much about the test to me.Oh and did you know Ryan Leaf scored pretty high on that test? That's proof enough to me that the test is garbage.
I think that the Suns can beat the Mavs and maybe the Spurs without Amare. The Suns were playing great without him, it wouldn't matter if he came back or not. Kurt Thomas is more important to the team this season because as you can see right now, he was our defense. We are giving up 8 more points without him and our 44 FG% against turned into 49% I think... I hope he comes back at the start of the WCF at least. If he does I think the Suns have a good chance.
The suns are lucky they don't have to play both the mavs and spurs. They have equal chance. That is Suns and Heat to get to the finals.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ArizonaFan @ Apr 15 2006, 07:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Kurt Thomas is more important to the team this season because as you can see right now, he was our defense. We are giving up 8 more points without him and our 44 FG% against turned into 49% I think... I hope he comes back at the start of the WCF at least. If he does I think the Suns have a good chance.</div>Diaw at center is a matchup nightmare. The suns are pretty much unstoppable on offense. Kurt Thomas at center will slow the suns down.
Yes, equal chance because they only play 1 contender, but I think the Suns are much better. I wouldn't even call the Heat a contender. They could lose before the ECF.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ArizonaFan @ Apr 15 2006, 07:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yes, equal chance because they only play 1 contender, but I think the Suns are much better. I wouldn't even call the Heat a contender. They could lose before the ECF.</div>No way the Heat lose to anyone other than Detroit. Wade will not let them. Shaq is in better shape now as well.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Apr 15 2006, 12:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The suns are lucky they don't have to play both the mavs and spurs. They have equal chance. That is Suns and Heat to get to the finals.Diaw at center is a matchup nightmare. The suns are pretty much unstoppable on offense. Kurt Thomas at center will slow the suns down.</div>No, people always say that but we NEED him if we want any chance at winning. Diaw has been dominated by bigger guys. Kurt is our defense and he runs alright. He does what we need him to do. Without him we have a lot of trouble rebounding also. After he got injured I realized just how important he was to the team. He never slowed down our offense, our offense was always the same and he was playing in those 2 or 3 games when we scored 100 points after 3 quarters.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Apr 15 2006, 12:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>No way the Heat lose to anyone other than Detroit. Wade will not let them. Shaq is in better shape now as well.</div>I think the Nets might have a chance with how they have played lately. Shaq is nothing like what he used to be and Wade is good but they can still lose.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ArizonaFan @ Apr 15 2006, 07:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>No, people always say that but we NEED him if we want any chance at winning. Diaw has been dominated by bigger guys. Kurt is our defense and he runs alright. He does what we need him to do. Without him we have a lot of trouble rebounding also. After he got injured I realized just how important he was to the team. He never slowed down our offense, our offense was always the same and he was playing in those 2 or 3 games when we scored 100 points after 3 quarters.I think the Nets might have a chance with how they have played lately. Shaq is nothing like what he used to be and Wade is good but they can still lose.</div>If the Suns play San Antonio they will need Kurt Thomas. If they play the mavs than they should stick with Diaw/Tim Thomas at center.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ArizonaFan @ Apr 15 2006, 07:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think the Nets might have a chance with how they have played lately. Shaq is nothing like what he used to be and Wade is good but they can still lose.</div>The nets don't matchup well with the Heat. They don't have a good big man to give Shaq problems and no one to guard Wade.
I sort of agree with that. That's why I'm rooting for the Mavs to get to the conference finals. If Kurt comes back he migh come back a little bit later than the start of the series or else he'll need some games to get back in game shape. If we face San Antonio there's a good chance we will start off 0-2. With the Mavs we can beat them without our defense.
That is almost the case since Dallas doesn't have much of an offensive threat at center. The mismatch favors Phoenix. Though Dallas played a late night game against the Warriors the night before.
There's no way the Suns can beat the Mavs in a seven game series without Amare, playing defense or not.If the Mavs make it past SA in the second round, they will be playing great, and nothing will stop them from playing for a title.Now I'm not saying the Mavs besat the Spurs, but to beat them, the Mavs will have had to play so well, and will get tons of confidence.The Mavs wouldn't be a surfire loss vs the Suns With Amare, so they difinately aren't wihtout him.
The mavs are a better team than the suns but the matchups scare me. No way Dampier or Diop can guard Diaw and they can't punish them back enough. Diaw punishes the mavs almost as much as Stoudemire if you count his overall play of points, assist and rebounds. Marion bothers Dirk some and Bell does a good job on Howard. The mavs might be forced to go small. Jason Terry always gets owned by Nash.
