Post by kipper on Jun 20, 2023 23:37:52 GMT -6
With the Finals coming up, but not there yet, I wanted to make a "Finals Preview" article.
Obviously, when I am writing this, the Conference Finals are still going on. That means there is still 4 teams that can make it to the Finals, so I want to preview those 4 possible matchups.
First let us look at the teams.
Minisoda Timbawolfies 62-20
111.7 ppg 101.5 pag
26.9 apg 10.8 turnovers
7.7 steals 8.4 blocks
55 rebounds
47.6%
The wolfies have been led by their big guy Shumate who has been averaging 22 and 11 for the season on 48% shooting. He also has 2 of the 8 blocks per game, which makes him a huge threat on both ends. For their backcourt, they have Maxey and Brown, who are averaging 16, 10 and 4 rebounds and 21, 5 and 5 respectively. the 47%FG and 41%3P is pretty impressive for Maxey. He is a pretty efficient shooter which let the other guys get theirs as well which is what you want from your PG. Brown is also big with 48%FG and 38%3P. To round out the starters, we have Neal and Wallace. 14 and 10, as well as 16 and 10 respectively with both of them at about 1.5 blocks per game. They are also efficient with their 47%FG and 49%FG.
Key players other than starters : Kelley with 2 blocks per game and 8ppg 8rpg, with Anderson and his 48%FG and 3P.
Les Anges Clippas 52-30
104 ppg 98.3 pag
21.7 apg 9.8 turnovers
9.6 steals 8.5 blocks
55 rebounds
44%
Za Clippas, unlike the Wolfies, only have 1 20+ppg player in their ball handler Skinner at 21ppg. He also has 5 rebounds and 7 assists per game which is pretty good as he splits time with the ball with Gale who has 6 assists per game. Walton is the #1 big with 14 and 12 and 1.7 blocks per game. He is the only big they have with more than 30 minutes per game, everything else seems to be on a rotation basis. Heard at 20 mins, Hillman at 25 mins and Haskin at 26 mins. Haskin is the tower that blocks everything with 3 blocks per game, which is more than a third of the teams average. Willoughby and Gervin are the last two starter players. Averaging 18 and 8 for Willoughby and 16 and 6 for Gervin, they are the 2 other primary scorers with the team. In all, this team seems to be the best Defensively off the teams left.
Key players other than starters: Mannion with 13 ppg in 21 mins. 46%FG and 44%3P
Nu Yak Nikes 68-14
121.1 ppg 102.8 pag
25.5 apg 9.3 turnovers
8.7 steals 10.4 blocks
57.9 rebounds
47.5%
The best Ball brother's team. The guy is scoring on all cylinders. 32 6.5 and 10 assists. That is pretty crazy. What makes it more crazy though is 49%FG and 46%3P. Guy is a monsta. With him in the backcourt is Stoudamire. 25 6 and 4 on 50%FG, 45%3P and 91%FT. This team has a nasty backcourt with those 2. Bargnani is playing the 3 and racking up 19 and 8 on 48%FG. This team has a bunch of scorers but they can also play D which is the crazy part. 20 points per game more scored almost. The 2 bigs are Hughes and Gilmore. At this point, what you want from these guys is mostly rebounds, defense and being efficient. Gilmore is just that with 15 and 12 on 47%FG and 1.7 blocks. Hughes has the rebound and defense part with 11 rebounds and 3.5 blocks but 38%FG. With his massive 4ppg though, he probably does not cost too many shot attempts for his team. This team looks to be the favorite in term of pure stats.
Key players other than starters: Maledon 14, 4 and 4 on 27 mins playing time with 50%FG 46%3P and 85%FT
Toronto Reptiles 65-17
118.7ppg 103.9 pag
25.1apg 11.2 turnovers
8.7 steals 7.5 blocks
56.2 rebounds
47.3%
This team has a very well rounded offense between the PG, SG and SF. All of them around 25ppg. Hayes has 28 and 9 on 48%FG and 46%3P. He is their primary guy and he is doing just that. Roy plays SG and averages 25 6 and 4 assists on 49/48/93 which is crazy efficient. Erving was switch to SF late in the season and seems to have done well overall. 25 and 8 rebounds with 50%FG. Those 3 alone have more than half the steals per game of the team. They are very well rounded on defense on that end. To complete the starters, we have Embiid with 20 and 12 on 46%FG and about 2 blocks per game (only 59 games, which seems fitting for him) and Ostertag with 14 and 12, but 4 blocks per game. Ostertag is blocking everything that gets close to the rim, so avoid that.
Key players other than starters: Williams with 9 and 10 in 29 mins and 2 blocks per game
Now that we know who the teams are. Let us see what matchups could happen. For that, I will take a team from the West and switch out the team from the East.
Wolfies vs Nikes
Looking at the stats, it is hard for me to say that the Knicks are not favored, but they are also favored in every series they played, so nothing new here. So instead of trying to see how the Knicks could win, let's see what the Wolfies need to do to win a 7 game series for the Championship. To me, it seems like you have to swing the ball and attack Hughes when he is not ready for it. He has fouled out of 10% of his games this season, so if you are lucky, he could foul out of 2 games and that could give you a big chance. You can do the same with Gilmore which would cut their rebounds by a good bit probably so also give you second chance. You also need Maxey to slow down with the ball and not give it away for no reason. That goes for basically whoever has the ball since the Knicks are very good at stealing the ball.
That being said, I think the Wolves could take a few games from the Knicks, but I believe that the Knicks will ultimately win it all.
Knicks in 6
Wolfies vs Reptiles
This match up is pretty different than the previous above one. Here the Timberwolves have the advantage in blocks, points allowed, assists and turnovers while the Raptors have a better points per game, rebounds and steals. The goal of the Raptors would be to take the ball and make sure that when they shoot, they do not get the rebounds. For the Wolves, force turnovers, swing the ball around. The big boys also need to help block the shots and get the rebounds from the Raptors players. Unfortunately for them, the Raptors are very good at shooting from 3, so it could be a hard task to block many of the shots.
For this one, I believe that the Wolves would be the winner. I think that the Wolves defense and their ability to not turn the ball over would ultimately be the reasons why they would win.
Wolves in 6
Clippas vs Nikes
Here the advantage for the Clippers is the defense. 98pag vs 103pag. They also have almost 10 steals per game, which could be crucial to take the ball away from the Knicks' guards. Clippers also need to be as efficient with their shooting as possible since from the last 4 teams, they are the least efficient at 44% shooting. They cannot really shoot 3's much, so they will have to try and play inside and possibly get the bigs in foul trouble which would slow them down and allow them to score more points which is what they will probably need to do against the Knicks.
This to me would be the most lopsided finals possible of all 4 possibility. I do believe that the Clippers would be able to hold their own in a game, but ultimately I think it would be a gentleman sweep.
Knicks in 5
Clippas vs Reptiles
This would be very interesting for a Finals actually. Defensive team vs an offensive team. Unlike the Knicks, the Raptors are not better than the Clippers in defensive categories besides rebounds. Which means it would be the Clippers trying to force the Raptors bad shots by stealing the ball and blocking shots in the paint. Raptors have the most turnovers per game for all 4 teams which could very well be in the Clippers favor, but would the Clippers' offense be enough to score more points than the opponent. They would not be as forced to shoot from outside as they would be against the Knicks.
This would be a very interesting finals to have. I do believe that the Offense would ultimately win though. I do think that the Raptors would win it all, but it would be a 7 game series. Would come down to who can play their style and be effective more.
Raptors in 7
That means, I believe the East wins it in 3 of the 4 scenarios.
Hope you enjoyed the read, this whole article comes from a guy who has literally not been there before 3 days ago!
Obviously, when I am writing this, the Conference Finals are still going on. That means there is still 4 teams that can make it to the Finals, so I want to preview those 4 possible matchups.
First let us look at the teams.
Minisoda Timbawolfies 62-20
111.7 ppg 101.5 pag
26.9 apg 10.8 turnovers
7.7 steals 8.4 blocks
55 rebounds
47.6%
The wolfies have been led by their big guy Shumate who has been averaging 22 and 11 for the season on 48% shooting. He also has 2 of the 8 blocks per game, which makes him a huge threat on both ends. For their backcourt, they have Maxey and Brown, who are averaging 16, 10 and 4 rebounds and 21, 5 and 5 respectively. the 47%FG and 41%3P is pretty impressive for Maxey. He is a pretty efficient shooter which let the other guys get theirs as well which is what you want from your PG. Brown is also big with 48%FG and 38%3P. To round out the starters, we have Neal and Wallace. 14 and 10, as well as 16 and 10 respectively with both of them at about 1.5 blocks per game. They are also efficient with their 47%FG and 49%FG.
Key players other than starters : Kelley with 2 blocks per game and 8ppg 8rpg, with Anderson and his 48%FG and 3P.
Les Anges Clippas 52-30
104 ppg 98.3 pag
21.7 apg 9.8 turnovers
9.6 steals 8.5 blocks
55 rebounds
44%
Za Clippas, unlike the Wolfies, only have 1 20+ppg player in their ball handler Skinner at 21ppg. He also has 5 rebounds and 7 assists per game which is pretty good as he splits time with the ball with Gale who has 6 assists per game. Walton is the #1 big with 14 and 12 and 1.7 blocks per game. He is the only big they have with more than 30 minutes per game, everything else seems to be on a rotation basis. Heard at 20 mins, Hillman at 25 mins and Haskin at 26 mins. Haskin is the tower that blocks everything with 3 blocks per game, which is more than a third of the teams average. Willoughby and Gervin are the last two starter players. Averaging 18 and 8 for Willoughby and 16 and 6 for Gervin, they are the 2 other primary scorers with the team. In all, this team seems to be the best Defensively off the teams left.
Key players other than starters: Mannion with 13 ppg in 21 mins. 46%FG and 44%3P
Nu Yak Nikes 68-14
121.1 ppg 102.8 pag
25.5 apg 9.3 turnovers
8.7 steals 10.4 blocks
57.9 rebounds
47.5%
The best Ball brother's team. The guy is scoring on all cylinders. 32 6.5 and 10 assists. That is pretty crazy. What makes it more crazy though is 49%FG and 46%3P. Guy is a monsta. With him in the backcourt is Stoudamire. 25 6 and 4 on 50%FG, 45%3P and 91%FT. This team has a nasty backcourt with those 2. Bargnani is playing the 3 and racking up 19 and 8 on 48%FG. This team has a bunch of scorers but they can also play D which is the crazy part. 20 points per game more scored almost. The 2 bigs are Hughes and Gilmore. At this point, what you want from these guys is mostly rebounds, defense and being efficient. Gilmore is just that with 15 and 12 on 47%FG and 1.7 blocks. Hughes has the rebound and defense part with 11 rebounds and 3.5 blocks but 38%FG. With his massive 4ppg though, he probably does not cost too many shot attempts for his team. This team looks to be the favorite in term of pure stats.
Key players other than starters: Maledon 14, 4 and 4 on 27 mins playing time with 50%FG 46%3P and 85%FT
Toronto Reptiles 65-17
118.7ppg 103.9 pag
25.1apg 11.2 turnovers
8.7 steals 7.5 blocks
56.2 rebounds
47.3%
This team has a very well rounded offense between the PG, SG and SF. All of them around 25ppg. Hayes has 28 and 9 on 48%FG and 46%3P. He is their primary guy and he is doing just that. Roy plays SG and averages 25 6 and 4 assists on 49/48/93 which is crazy efficient. Erving was switch to SF late in the season and seems to have done well overall. 25 and 8 rebounds with 50%FG. Those 3 alone have more than half the steals per game of the team. They are very well rounded on defense on that end. To complete the starters, we have Embiid with 20 and 12 on 46%FG and about 2 blocks per game (only 59 games, which seems fitting for him) and Ostertag with 14 and 12, but 4 blocks per game. Ostertag is blocking everything that gets close to the rim, so avoid that.
Key players other than starters: Williams with 9 and 10 in 29 mins and 2 blocks per game
Now that we know who the teams are. Let us see what matchups could happen. For that, I will take a team from the West and switch out the team from the East.
Wolfies vs Nikes
Looking at the stats, it is hard for me to say that the Knicks are not favored, but they are also favored in every series they played, so nothing new here. So instead of trying to see how the Knicks could win, let's see what the Wolfies need to do to win a 7 game series for the Championship. To me, it seems like you have to swing the ball and attack Hughes when he is not ready for it. He has fouled out of 10% of his games this season, so if you are lucky, he could foul out of 2 games and that could give you a big chance. You can do the same with Gilmore which would cut their rebounds by a good bit probably so also give you second chance. You also need Maxey to slow down with the ball and not give it away for no reason. That goes for basically whoever has the ball since the Knicks are very good at stealing the ball.
That being said, I think the Wolves could take a few games from the Knicks, but I believe that the Knicks will ultimately win it all.
Knicks in 6
Wolfies vs Reptiles
This match up is pretty different than the previous above one. Here the Timberwolves have the advantage in blocks, points allowed, assists and turnovers while the Raptors have a better points per game, rebounds and steals. The goal of the Raptors would be to take the ball and make sure that when they shoot, they do not get the rebounds. For the Wolves, force turnovers, swing the ball around. The big boys also need to help block the shots and get the rebounds from the Raptors players. Unfortunately for them, the Raptors are very good at shooting from 3, so it could be a hard task to block many of the shots.
For this one, I believe that the Wolves would be the winner. I think that the Wolves defense and their ability to not turn the ball over would ultimately be the reasons why they would win.
Wolves in 6
Clippas vs Nikes
Here the advantage for the Clippers is the defense. 98pag vs 103pag. They also have almost 10 steals per game, which could be crucial to take the ball away from the Knicks' guards. Clippers also need to be as efficient with their shooting as possible since from the last 4 teams, they are the least efficient at 44% shooting. They cannot really shoot 3's much, so they will have to try and play inside and possibly get the bigs in foul trouble which would slow them down and allow them to score more points which is what they will probably need to do against the Knicks.
This to me would be the most lopsided finals possible of all 4 possibility. I do believe that the Clippers would be able to hold their own in a game, but ultimately I think it would be a gentleman sweep.
Knicks in 5
Clippas vs Reptiles
This would be very interesting for a Finals actually. Defensive team vs an offensive team. Unlike the Knicks, the Raptors are not better than the Clippers in defensive categories besides rebounds. Which means it would be the Clippers trying to force the Raptors bad shots by stealing the ball and blocking shots in the paint. Raptors have the most turnovers per game for all 4 teams which could very well be in the Clippers favor, but would the Clippers' offense be enough to score more points than the opponent. They would not be as forced to shoot from outside as they would be against the Knicks.
This would be a very interesting finals to have. I do believe that the Offense would ultimately win though. I do think that the Raptors would win it all, but it would be a 7 game series. Would come down to who can play their style and be effective more.
Raptors in 7
That means, I believe the East wins it in 3 of the 4 scenarios.
Hope you enjoyed the read, this whole article comes from a guy who has literally not been there before 3 days ago!