Post by Nick Malone 77 on Jun 10, 2014 16:06:55 GMT -6
5 on 5 Questions
As the 1994-95 season comes to a close, the SLOE Basketball Writers of North America answered these few questions in anticipation of the exciting rounds of playoff basketball that are sure to enthrall the entire league. There will be another round of 5 questions per each round. Enjoy reading below. Other writers may participate in the comments below.
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Easily the Celtics. The East is tough but no one is on the Celtic's level as they continue to stroll through the regular season. The Warriors, on the other hand, lost Cassel for the season and their backup PG Rivers for at least the first few games of the first round of the playoffs. Warriors still have a solid trio but making it past the 2nd round will be a tough task if he makes it.
--Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): I think by default, it has to be the Celtics. Besides the fact that the Road to the Finals goes through Boston this season, they will also get to play what will probably be a sub-.500 team in Round 1 and in Round 2 will play either the Heat or the Raptors, two teams they matched up pretty favorably to in the regular season even in their 2 combined losses. The Warriors on the other hand, have some injury "concerns" since losing Cassell and Rivers, and while they haven't been slowed down thus far, the playoffs is exactly when these injuries can hurt you. Playing against Strickland, Pack, Van Exel, Kevin Johnson or Stockton won;t make it any easier.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Boston. While rounds 2 and 3 won't be easy, their first round matchup will be a breeze whoever wins that unfortunate spot. I also give it to Boston because they're heads and shoulders above their competition in the East. If detroit, Toronto, or the Knicks would beat them, it would be a very large upset.
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Gary Payton with the Miami Heat. The Heat are talented and play in the toughest division this season and have been very quiet lately, but I think the league's best PG is Gary Payton, and what better way to prove you're the best than by dominating in the playoffs? This will be Payton's first career playoff appearance and I don't think he'll be an afterthought once the playoffs are said and done.
-- Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): While David Robinson and Shawn Kemp should be the favorites for this distinction after what looks like a potential sweep of the Player of the Month Awards for the pair, Reggie Miller is putting together an impressive April resume and will look to carry his high scoring output into the playoffs. The safe bet though is on Kemp as Robinson has been known to catch the injury bug this time of year.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I'm sure there will be a lot of quality choices here between Shawn Kemp and Alonzo Morning, and Stacey Augmon. I'd have to say that it'll be between Charles Barkley and Tom Gugliotta. Both have taken their respective teams on their shoulders and have assumed the leadership role for their clubs. While Charles and Gugliotta both had debilitating injuries both have been back and in full force. Both teams will need them to thrive and advance. I think Sir Charles could really lead Toronto to the NBA Finals but that's just an early guess.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Steve Smith. The Pistons are primed for a deep playoff run, and Steve Smith is better than any matchup he'll face in the playoffs. I could see him having the best playoffs ever by a perimeter player. I think he can average 30-6-6.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Shaq. Kemp, Penny, Smith, Zo, D Rob and Daughtry all have complementing stars to take the ball out of their stars hands. Houston will get into a tough series and finally decide team ball is not the wave of the future houston and throw the ball to the conrete Giant.
As the 1994-95 season comes to a close, the SLOE Basketball Writers of North America answered these few questions in anticipation of the exciting rounds of playoff basketball that are sure to enthrall the entire league. There will be another round of 5 questions per each round. Enjoy reading below. Other writers may participate in the comments below.
1. Which team will have an easier road to the finals of the 2 #1 seeds, Boston or the Warriors?
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Easily the Celtics. The East is tough but no one is on the Celtic's level as they continue to stroll through the regular season. The Warriors, on the other hand, lost Cassel for the season and their backup PG Rivers for at least the first few games of the first round of the playoffs. Warriors still have a solid trio but making it past the 2nd round will be a tough task if he makes it.
--Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): I think by default, it has to be the Celtics. Besides the fact that the Road to the Finals goes through Boston this season, they will also get to play what will probably be a sub-.500 team in Round 1 and in Round 2 will play either the Heat or the Raptors, two teams they matched up pretty favorably to in the regular season even in their 2 combined losses. The Warriors on the other hand, have some injury "concerns" since losing Cassell and Rivers, and while they haven't been slowed down thus far, the playoffs is exactly when these injuries can hurt you. Playing against Strickland, Pack, Van Exel, Kevin Johnson or Stockton won;t make it any easier.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Boston. While rounds 2 and 3 won't be easy, their first round matchup will be a breeze whoever wins that unfortunate spot. I also give it to Boston because they're heads and shoulders above their competition in the East. If detroit, Toronto, or the Knicks would beat them, it would be a very large upset.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Celtics. The West is brutal and with Cassell's injury, no series will be easy for the Warriors. With all due respect to the Nets and Wizards, neither stand a chance vs the Celtics. The Grizzlies are just as good as the Raptors and Nets and the Mavs and Rockets are just as good if not better than the Pistons and Knicks. Neither path will be easy, but the extra tough series and Cassell injury gives the Celtics an easier path than the Warriors.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I have to agree with the consensus here and say the Celtics. Losing a key to the Warriors like Sam Cassell could make them a vulnerable target even with Shawn Kemp on the court along with their three point targets, they could find themselves whoever they play between the Timberwolves, Kings or Clippers.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I have to agree with the consensus here and say the Celtics. Losing a key to the Warriors like Sam Cassell could make them a vulnerable target even with Shawn Kemp on the court along with their three point targets, they could find themselves whoever they play between the Timberwolves, Kings or Clippers.
2. Who will make it as the 8th seed in the East, Nets or Wizards?
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: While the Nets play the tougher schedule, they have the best play between the two squads in Isiah Rider. The Wizards have had some very disappointing results and bumps along the way and even while they have the favorable schedule down by 1 game with 5 to play, I think the Nets will ride out this Reggie Lewis injury and face the Boston Celtics in the first round despite the gallant push by the Wizards.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Wizards. While the Nets have the better record as of this moment, the Reggie Lewis injury will kill them in their brutal last sim. The Wizards on the other hand have a much easier last sim and should grab the 8 seed.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: While the Nets play the tougher schedule, they have the best play between the two squads in Isiah Rider. The Wizards have had some very disappointing results and bumps along the way and even while they have the favorable schedule down by 1 game with 5 to play, I think the Nets will ride out this Reggie Lewis injury and face the Boston Celtics in the first round despite the gallant push by the Wizards.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Wizards. While the Nets have the better record as of this moment, the Reggie Lewis injury will kill them in their brutal last sim. The Wizards on the other hand have a much easier last sim and should grab the 8 seed.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Wizards. I think the Nets injuries finally snuff them out. The Wizards have been fighting all season to make a playoff run. They sold a lot of assets to make said run and if they don't make it, their season would have the be considered a failure. The Nets meanwhile got hot at the right time. Unfortunately for them, one of their top players got injured for the foreseeable future.
--Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): While the eighth seed is the Nets's to lose at the moment, I'd put money on Washington to sneak into the eight spot and push New Jersey out. Both teams have 5 games remaining, and while NJN has been better lately, 4 of their last 5 are against playoff teams and almost all of them could make an argument for playing the season out with their starters. Meanwhile the Wiz are only playing against two playoff bound teams and get to play the Bulls twice who get a chance to play spoiler here. It is important to note however, the Nets do own the tie-breaker and could still hang on, but it is their's to lose.
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Tough one here. Nets are 1 game ahead and have the tie breaker against the Wiz, but the Wiz have 3 left games against non-playoff teams compared to just 1 for the Nets. The deciding factor for me is Reggie Lewis. He's out for the biggest sim of the season and the team needs to figure out in one attempt how to replace their leading scorer. I feel the Wiz can overcome the odds and sneak into the playoffs by taking advantage of the injury to Lewis.
--Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): While the eighth seed is the Nets's to lose at the moment, I'd put money on Washington to sneak into the eight spot and push New Jersey out. Both teams have 5 games remaining, and while NJN has been better lately, 4 of their last 5 are against playoff teams and almost all of them could make an argument for playing the season out with their starters. Meanwhile the Wiz are only playing against two playoff bound teams and get to play the Bulls twice who get a chance to play spoiler here. It is important to note however, the Nets do own the tie-breaker and could still hang on, but it is their's to lose.
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Tough one here. Nets are 1 game ahead and have the tie breaker against the Wiz, but the Wiz have 3 left games against non-playoff teams compared to just 1 for the Nets. The deciding factor for me is Reggie Lewis. He's out for the biggest sim of the season and the team needs to figure out in one attempt how to replace their leading scorer. I feel the Wiz can overcome the odds and sneak into the playoffs by taking advantage of the injury to Lewis.
3. Which player do you see breaking out Thor’s Hammer and having a playoff for the ages?
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Gary Payton with the Miami Heat. The Heat are talented and play in the toughest division this season and have been very quiet lately, but I think the league's best PG is Gary Payton, and what better way to prove you're the best than by dominating in the playoffs? This will be Payton's first career playoff appearance and I don't think he'll be an afterthought once the playoffs are said and done.
-- Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): While David Robinson and Shawn Kemp should be the favorites for this distinction after what looks like a potential sweep of the Player of the Month Awards for the pair, Reggie Miller is putting together an impressive April resume and will look to carry his high scoring output into the playoffs. The safe bet though is on Kemp as Robinson has been known to catch the injury bug this time of year.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I'm sure there will be a lot of quality choices here between Shawn Kemp and Alonzo Morning, and Stacey Augmon. I'd have to say that it'll be between Charles Barkley and Tom Gugliotta. Both have taken their respective teams on their shoulders and have assumed the leadership role for their clubs. While Charles and Gugliotta both had debilitating injuries both have been back and in full force. Both teams will need them to thrive and advance. I think Sir Charles could really lead Toronto to the NBA Finals but that's just an early guess.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Steve Smith. The Pistons are primed for a deep playoff run, and Steve Smith is better than any matchup he'll face in the playoffs. I could see him having the best playoffs ever by a perimeter player. I think he can average 30-6-6.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Shaq. Kemp, Penny, Smith, Zo, D Rob and Daughtry all have complementing stars to take the ball out of their stars hands. Houston will get into a tough series and finally decide team ball is not the wave of the future houston and throw the ball to the conrete Giant.
4. Which potential matchups are you most excited to see?
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Dallas Houston has a very good chance to be excting. Last year Houston coach Rockets78 lost that series by panicking. I think the extra season ripens him and he will prove more savvy. I'm also excited to see Pistons Celtics Round 3. the Celtics have earned 2 TKO, the second being flawless. I'm interested to see if they've learned and their risky offseason pays dividends.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Celtics-Pistons. This has been the Eastern Conference Finals the last 2 years. Can the Pistons finally pull it off? Warriors-Mavs. The Mavs have been very vocal about beating the Warriors despite their 0-4 regular season record. Can they return to the Finals by getting revenge over their rivals?
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Out West almost nothing is settled. The only thing certain is the Warriors are #1, #2-4 can mix around, and #5-8 can be interchanged throughout. There are so many great potential 1st Round matchups, like a possible Warriors vs. Kings, Mavs vs. Lakers, Rockets vs. T-Wolves, and Grizz vs. Clips. Any of those matchups can be switched around but the West seems to be competitive once again in the playoffs.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Dallas Houston has a very good chance to be excting. Last year Houston coach Rockets78 lost that series by panicking. I think the extra season ripens him and he will prove more savvy. I'm also excited to see Pistons Celtics Round 3. the Celtics have earned 2 TKO, the second being flawless. I'm interested to see if they've learned and their risky offseason pays dividends.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Celtics-Pistons. This has been the Eastern Conference Finals the last 2 years. Can the Pistons finally pull it off? Warriors-Mavs. The Mavs have been very vocal about beating the Warriors despite their 0-4 regular season record. Can they return to the Finals by getting revenge over their rivals?
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: Out West almost nothing is settled. The only thing certain is the Warriors are #1, #2-4 can mix around, and #5-8 can be interchanged throughout. There are so many great potential 1st Round matchups, like a possible Warriors vs. Kings, Mavs vs. Lakers, Rockets vs. T-Wolves, and Grizz vs. Clips. Any of those matchups can be switched around but the West seems to be competitive once again in the playoffs.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I really think the East can have a lot of exciting matchups. I'm personally excited to travel to New York or Auburn Hills to cover the first round series the Hornets will have. I think also the Raptors and Heat matchup will be exciting to see Gary Payton play against Magic and Hakeem go toe to toe against Pervis and Barkley. I won't give away just yet who I think will meet in the end but I'm excited to see some intense games and of course, the West is Wide Open with a fun series any way you look at it. But the two I'm most looking forward to if we're just talking the first round is probably Heat/Raptors and probably also Pacers, Hornets/Pistons or Knicks.
-- Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): While getting to see another Lakers v Grizzlies matchup could've been a personally exciting first round matchup, the injury to Rony Seikaly takes off some of the luster in that battle. So I shall default to the Texas twosome, Houston and Dallas, for an exciting potential matchup. These two teams have battled each other all season for the Midwest crown and even though the Mavs were swept in the regular season series, I'm sure that will not discourage the Mavericks GM from getting his boys rallied for the matchup that may even rival Texas HS football in hype factor.
-- Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): While getting to see another Lakers v Grizzlies matchup could've been a personally exciting first round matchup, the injury to Rony Seikaly takes off some of the luster in that battle. So I shall default to the Texas twosome, Houston and Dallas, for an exciting potential matchup. These two teams have battled each other all season for the Midwest crown and even though the Mavs were swept in the regular season series, I'm sure that will not discourage the Mavericks GM from getting his boys rallied for the matchup that may even rival Texas HS football in hype factor.
5. Which top seed (1-4) is most vulnerable to a first round upset?
-- Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): Sadly, I have to pick the team I cover for this distinction. While this team is much improved from last season's squad, their season has been largly built upon beating the weaker teams and more importantly, not losing to them. When it has been time to face a superior opponent, more often then not, they have come up short with no better evidence then going a combined 2-8 against the other 2 top Midwest teams. Wouldn't be surprised to see a quick exit here, which would not help with the questions about whether Daugherty and Gatling can carry this team.
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: We still need to see how the new head coach in New York transitions into the playoffs where gameplans and lineups become very important rather than coasting through regular season. However I think D-Rob is good enough to carry the team to the 2nd round by himself. The Warriors and Grizzlies are my two teams to watch out for an upset. The Warriors have serious injury concerns at the PG position and the Grizz are inconsistent and depth is also an issue. A lot depends on who they matchup against but there's too much uncertainty right now to predict that.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Grizzlies. They only hold a 3.5 point point differential this season. They have a compelling argument for the best starting front court in the NBA. They also have a compelling argument for the worst bench of the top 4 seeds.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I'll say the Knicks. I think David Robinson will always be that great player to never get a ring. After that Roy Tarpley is a quality and talented player but I think Terry Porter will have a tough time trying to guard a taller and stronger 2 guard in a Ron Harper and or Dell Curry. The Knicks can rely on David Robinson but the rest could get eaten alive thus making them a softie and a possible first round exit.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Warriors. The Warriors are without their 4th best player and have been stumbling a bit since the Cassell injury. Like I said before, no matchup in the West is easy, and I can see the Warriors easily stumbling and being the first #1 seed to ever lose in the first round.
(I would like to thank Loco, NOLA, Balls, and Bow for participating in this. As I said before, other writers can contribute with their own answers in the comments below. Also, this is just a thing to stir debate and get points. Let the fun and hate begin.)
-- Jean Baptiste Étienne, La Révolution de Vancouver (Memphis Branch): Sadly, I have to pick the team I cover for this distinction. While this team is much improved from last season's squad, their season has been largly built upon beating the weaker teams and more importantly, not losing to them. When it has been time to face a superior opponent, more often then not, they have come up short with no better evidence then going a combined 2-8 against the other 2 top Midwest teams. Wouldn't be surprised to see a quick exit here, which would not help with the questions about whether Daugherty and Gatling can carry this team.
-- Jason Jones, Sac-Town Daily: We still need to see how the new head coach in New York transitions into the playoffs where gameplans and lineups become very important rather than coasting through regular season. However I think D-Rob is good enough to carry the team to the 2nd round by himself. The Warriors and Grizzlies are my two teams to watch out for an upset. The Warriors have serious injury concerns at the PG position and the Grizz are inconsistent and depth is also an issue. A lot depends on who they matchup against but there's too much uncertainty right now to predict that.
-- Bill Plashke, LA Times: Grizzlies. They only hold a 3.5 point point differential this season. They have a compelling argument for the best starting front court in the NBA. They also have a compelling argument for the worst bench of the top 4 seeds.
-- Nick Melon, Charlotte Observer: I'll say the Knicks. I think David Robinson will always be that great player to never get a ring. After that Roy Tarpley is a quality and talented player but I think Terry Porter will have a tough time trying to guard a taller and stronger 2 guard in a Ron Harper and or Dell Curry. The Knicks can rely on David Robinson but the rest could get eaten alive thus making them a softie and a possible first round exit.
-- Jack Markson from Golden Take: Warriors. The Warriors are without their 4th best player and have been stumbling a bit since the Cassell injury. Like I said before, no matchup in the West is easy, and I can see the Warriors easily stumbling and being the first #1 seed to ever lose in the first round.
(I would like to thank Loco, NOLA, Balls, and Bow for participating in this. As I said before, other writers can contribute with their own answers in the comments below. Also, this is just a thing to stir debate and get points. Let the fun and hate begin.)
/assets.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2860892/bruh.0.gif)
