Two Sides Of The Hoop » Utah Jazz

Second Round Predictions

Ryan — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:42:41 +0000

We look into the 2SOTH crystal ball to see who will progress, who will head home and take a look at some of the key storylines of Round 2 of the 2010 NBA Playoffs.

Ryan

This is a really tough round to call. Especially since the Cavs turned in such a stink bomb in game 2, which has turned my opinion around considerably. Now I say Lakers in 5, Orlando in 4, Boston in a tug-of-war 7 and PHX in 5.

The storylines of the secound round for mine are seeing if D12 can stay out of foul trouble. I’m also keen to see how effective Boozer can be against the Lakers front line, especially defensively. He needs to get it done, and if he at least turns in an adequate performance, he will go a long way to validating a call for max dollars this offseason. As it stands, I don’t think he’s worthy. I was tempted to put Amare in the same boat, but it’s too different a set of circumstances.

They key storyline is seeing if Cleveland will continue to be the cowardly lion, or will they finally find some heart.

Paul

The City of Cleveland… How you must be living in fear right now. Hard to picture any other number 1 seed in recent memory having this sort of pressure for a Game 3. The Cavs sucked but the Celtics weren’t exactly invincible.

Rajon Rondo registered an assist on almost exactly 50% of the Celtics made baskets. One has to wonder why the Cavs defense didn’t just overplay the guy that Rondo passed to. Seems like a simple strategy to me..

Cleveland being heartless? Seems like overkill to me. I still expect to see them take one, if not two in Boston and then we’ll all wonder why we thought they looked shaky.

As for series scoreline predictions, I can’t knock you on the Lakers and Orlando. I still think if Orlando played Cleveland or Boston right now, they’d lose. The Altanta Hawks is a golden ticket to the NBA Conference Finals Chocolate Factory. The Lakers will probably drop one in Utah, which happens to everyone.

As for Boston in 7? No way. This will be a 6-gamer absolute max, and Cleveland will be playing Orlando in just over a week.

Phoenix and San Antonio is the hardest series to pick for mine. I can quite reasonably predict about 4 different outcomes. It will all be a lot easier to talk about after game 2. If Phoenix take a 2-0 lead, then I’m not sure the Spurs can recover. If they split the two Arizona games, I say it’s Spurs in 6.

It’s definitely all on the line for Boozer and Amare.

ps. Dwight Howard is turning into the biggest, strongest, most charismatic and dominant crybaby since… well, Shaq.

Ryan

Right, let’s revisit this after tonights games and see who is smiling.

Results:

Orlando def Atlanta 114 – 71

Los Angeles def Utah 111-103

Paul	Predictably the Lakers take care of business at home and as a result take a handy 2-0 lead to Utah. Kobe Bryant again the master with a game-high 30 points and very caring and sharing 8 assists. Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol clearly dominating the boards with 44 between them. Utah had 40 rebounds total… Orlando took their free ticket and ran with it! Just a lazy 43 point win at home. Atlanta had a night to forget, that’s for sure. Especially Jamal Crawford who managed 1-11 from the field and a +/- of -35. Ouch. Even Boston could’ve beaten Atlanta 4-0 it seems.
Ryan	The Lakers will roll at home. They have too much length, even if/when Kirilenko comes back. No surprises there. They match up much better against Utah than they did against the Thunder. How long till Bynum is out for the playoffs again though? Orlando took care of business and Atlanta crapped the bed. Still no real read on how good Orlando is as it appears they are playing average opposition. Either a really good or really bad sign for them.
Paul	Bynum still looks very gimpy to me. (Note: Great use of the word gimpy) He never moves fluently and rarely jumps with any authority. I guess it takes a while to get that confidence back. I can’t really blame him with his history of injury. Plus, more minutes for Odom = more chance of winning it seems. Orlando will make the Conference Finals by default, and then get steam-rolled. I genuinely believe that either Boston or Cleveland will 5-pac Shakur the Magic.. although it will be Cleveland. Speaking of which… Boston in 7? Are you on crack?
Ryan	Bynum is rubbish. He looks fantastic against the clueless Fesenko or Paul Millsap who gives up nearly a foot. I can forgive him looking gimpy though. I have particular sympathy for Achilles injuries. Orlando is in the box seat as far as I can see. Cleveland aren’t impressing me and Orlando have shown the intestinal fortitude to beat anyone. And yes, Boston will beat Cleveland unless they find some fire. And I’m not convinced they will find it, so for now, Boston in 7.
Paul	Boston beating Cleveland has about as much chance of happening as Big Baby Davis winning a spelling bee. I hear he wanted to be referred to as the “ticket stub”… I’d prefer Paul Pierce assumed that nickname, so he was more likely to be punched. “The Truth” seems like such a wrong nickname for him now. Cavs in 6, it’s academic.
Ryan	I’m ashamed to be involved in a website with you if you think Cleveland can beat Boston if they continue to play the way they are playing. They will be down 3-1 before they return to Cleveland at this rate.

Tuesday Predictions…

Paul — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:28:37 +0000

There’s 9 games on the books today in the NBA and I’m in the mood for some predictions. So here’s my take on the games for November 3rd. Now you might raise your eyebrows at a couple of my suggestions, but I’ll explain my reasons as we go.

Washington @ Cleveland: There’s a big rivalry between these two teams and this game will be no exception. The Wiz are on their way upwards while the Cavs are finding their feet. Prediction: Cavs by 4. Result: Cavs by 12.

Denver @ Indiana: These two teams played each other in China during the pre-season. I think if Indiana get to within 10 points, they can consider it a win. Prediction: Nuggets by 14. Result: Nuggets by 18.

Boston @ Philadelphia: The Celtics aren’t going to lose this… there is no way. Philly have some nice emerging talent but the Celtics are WAY too deep and will win easily. Prediction: Celtics by 18. (Side bet: Rondo to have a triple double by 3/4 time to celebrate his contract heist!) Result: Celtics by 31.

This is Rajon showing you how many millions he's going to be earning per year from now on. Also, how many points, rebounds and assists he's likely to get tonight.

Orlando @ Detroit: The Pistons have had an indifferent start and the Orlando Magic are trying to look as deep as Boston. They’re not doing a bad job thanks to Ryan Anderson and JJ Redick. I think Ben Gordon will be the only thing that keeps this close for three quarters. Prediction: Orlando by 14. Result: Pistons by 5.

Phoenix @ Miami: A hard one to pick in my opinion. Both teams have a perfect 3-0 record and I really wouldn’t have said either of them would be 4-0 to start the season. One of these teams has to be however and I’ll have to go for the Heat but only because they are at home. Prediction: Miami by 3. Result: Suns by 8.

Milwaukee @ Chicago: United Center. Where Derrick Rose will happen. Prediction: Bulls by 10. Result: Bulls by 2.

The Bulls need a BIG night from Derrick Rose tonight...

LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City: The Thunder do look exciting and there’s a few reasons to predict an OKC victory here but I’m sticking with the Lakers in a close one. Russell Westbrook has the opportunity to score 25 on Fisher and Farmar. I’m most interested to see if Artest guards Durant, and if so… the results. Prediction: Lakers by 8. Result: Lakers by 3.

Utah @ Dallas: I couldn’t care less about this game but in the spirit of equality and objective journalism, I will predict a 15 point win to the Mavericks. Mainly because of Okur’s gimpy foot. Result: Mavericks by 11.

Atlanta @ Portland: In my opinion the most exciting game of the night. I definitely predict a shoot out. If Oden and Aldridge can have a large impact, I see the Blazers doing it fairly comfortably. However, that is not a certainty. This one is ultimately a flip of the coin for me and I think it’ll go overtime. Prediction: Portland by 4 in OT. Result: Atlanta by 6.

Here’s to another entertaining day in the NBA!

2010

Paul — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:49:59 +0000

As far as predictions go, I realize this is practically impossible to get 100% correct. A full scale prediction of every team’s win-loss record for the upcoming season. And worse yet, it’s only September! However, I thought this would be interesting to look back on in June 2010.





Eastern Conference      W     L
Western Conference      W     L


Cleveland               60    22
Boston                  56    26
Orlando                 54    28
Atlanta                 50    32
Toronto                 45    37
Chicago                 43    39
Miami                   42    40
Charlotte               39    43
Indiana                 38    44
Washington              37    45
Detroit                 34    48
Philadelphia            32    50
Milwaukee               28    54
New York                27    55
New Jersey              24    58

LA Lakers               62    20
San Antonio             56    26
Dallas                  54    28
Denver                  50    32
Portland                50    32
Utah                    48    34
New Orleans             42    40
Oklahoma City           41    41
Houston                 38    44
Phoenix                 37    45
LA Clippers             36    46
Golden State            35    47
Memphis                 31    51
Minnesota               28    54
Sacramento              15    67

In making these predictions, I’ve taken into account all roster changes up to and including the 13th of September 2009. As soon as a blockbuster deal goes down, I may have to edit these figures.

I’m excited to see what Blake Griffin can do for the Clippers, what Allen Iverson can bring to the Grizzlies and how Amare Stoudemire will handle being stuck on a 37-win team. But most importantly, it will be interesting to see who can secure home court advantage throughout the entire Playoffs. This one fact alone may determine the Champion this year.

As always, time will tell and bring on the upcoming season!!!

Threads of success…?

Paul — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:30:57 +0000

I’ve had a theory for a long time now regarding NBA teams and new uniforms. This theory has been ridiculed before but the stats don’t lie. If an NBA team makes a significant change to their uniforms, they are historically likely to experience a distinct improvement for the current or next season and in a lot of cases a trip to at least the Conference Finals. I’m not saying this is psychological, it just happens.

Let’s run through a list of teams that have changed their uniforms and seen prompt results.

2009 – Orlando Magic (2009 NBA Finals)	2008 – Atlanta Hawks (2009 ECSF)
2006 – Cleveland Cavaliers (2007 NBA Finals)	2005 – Dallas Mavericks (2005 NBA Finals)
2003 – San Antonio Spurs (2003 NBA Champions)	2001 – New Jersey Nets (2001 NBA Finals)
2000 – Los Angeles Lakers (2000 NBA Champions)	2000 – Indiana Pacers (2000 NBA Finals)
1997 – Utah Jazz (1997 NBA Finals)	1996 – Chicago Bulls (1996 NBA Champions)
1996 – Seattle SuperSonics (1996 NBA Finals)	1993 – Chicago Bulls (1993 NBA Champions)
1993 – Phoenix Suns (1993 NBA Finals)	1992 – Portland Trailblazers (1992 NBA Finals)

I’m sure there’s more that I can’t recall…

So far I’ve only heard whispers of Philadelphia, Utah and Golden State making uniform changes for this upcoming 09/10 season. I wonder if any other teams are looking to make changes?

Will the trend continue?

Note: All images sourced from: www.sportslogos.net

Fixing the World – Episode 2

Ryan — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:40:05 +0000

Okay now for another entry in our series on Fixing the World, one team at a time. In this scenario, we might just be able to help two teams with one simple move. Let’s look at the teams issues first though.

Utah:

Seriously capped out, with max money to two injury prone non-performers (Boozer and Kirilenko) and big dollars to a player best suited to coming off the bench (Millsap). They could use a quality small forward, but are pretty good at the other positions.

Toronto:

Capped out, with a ’superstar’ who is just a little bit overrated because of the draft class he arrived with. They are not going to be able to hang on to him in any scenario and they really need some low post scoring, as well as rebounding.

The Solution:

This one is pretty simple. Utah gets Bosh for Boozer. Both players would have to agree to new contracts to make this a risk free proposition, but it’s not outrageous. Boozer is not going to get max money next year any other way. He’s just not that good or reliable, but would be a great fit next to Bargnani.

Bosh would look amazing in Utahs constant motion offense, and his only other real option for going to a good team is to go to Miami where there would only be two decent players (since Beasley may be taking a sabbatical).

Next Utah has another huge trade chip up it’s sleeve. The completely unprotected number one 2010 pick of the New York Knicks. The 2010 draft is projected to be strong. They need a strong defensive 3 who can knock down the long ball when left open. Tayshaun Prince seems to fit the bill well here and could be had for Matt Harpring’s expiring deal and the number one pick, allowing Utah to win now with the roster it has already mostly established and get the most out of Jerry Sloans (possibly) last year.

Could it happen? Yes. Will it happen? No.

Blinded by the light

Ryan — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:39:41 +0000

The Lakers needed 7 games to beat a Houston team without it’s two best players (totally nearly 50 million in yearly salary), and they were starting a 6′6″ centre! That’s shameful. Even Denver, if they had any playoff experience at all would have beaten the Lakers. Talk about a charmed run.

But it is what it is. Wishing that San Antonio, Houston, Utah and Boston were healthy or that Portland and Denver had just a little bit more experience doesn’t change the fact that the Lakers caught each team at just the right time. Even if all of those listed teams would have won a seven game series.

A little slice of Cleveland history pie

Ryan — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:00:40 +0000

I agree that Cleveland haven’t beat 60 win teams, but they did beat a 54 win team. Atlanta is better people think. I would suggest it’s wrong to judge them just by the way they were manhandled by the Lebrons. Granted Detroit was the weakest team in the playoffs, but that’s what you get for finishing topsies. Doesn’t change the fact that Atlanta were better than Utah… they started that series relatively healthy, whereas Utah were in freefall entering the playoffs AND had major injury concerns, yet people were still talking about them being dangerous. It’s all about perception.

The 8 game streak is hugely impressive… not only for the fact that they’ve done it, but how. With limited doses of Lebon, besides his huge explosion in game 3.

Eastern Conference W L	Western Conference W L
Cleveland 60 22 Boston 56 26 Orlando 54 28 Atlanta 50 32 Toronto 45 37 Chicago 43 39 Miami 42 40 Charlotte 39 43 Indiana 38 44 Washington 37 45 Detroit 34 48 Philadelphia 32 50 Milwaukee 28 54 New York 27 55 New Jersey 24 58	LA Lakers 62 20 San Antonio 56 26 Dallas 54 28 Denver 50 32 Portland 50 32 Utah 48 34 New Orleans 42 40 Oklahoma City 41 41 Houston 38 44 Phoenix 37 45 LA Clippers 36 46 Golden State 35 47 Memphis 31 51 Minnesota 28 54 Sacramento 15 67