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Ben Gordon


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Both the Magic and the Lakers have yet to gel, but from what I've observed so far this year, the Magic are the better team.  This is all made possible by the return of Grant Hill and the rise of Dwight Howard.  Without those two in the picture, the Magic would be getting mopped.

 

Who has the better 9 man rotation?

 

Magic

PG Francis

SG Mobley

SF Hill

PF Howard

C Battie

6 Turkoglu

7 Cato

8 Garrity

9 Nelson

 

Lakers

PG Atkins

SG Bryant

SF Butler

PF/SF Odom

C Mihm

6 Walton

7 Grant

8 Divac

9 Cook

 

The Lakers have zero backcourt depth, and their frontcourt is not too impressive...perhaps bottom 5 in the league.

 

While I would have bet on the Lakers in their own building (as I still think that they're a 45 win type team), I think that the Magic are better overall.

 

And I'm sure that I'm not alone on that one.

 

But if/when Hill gets injured, stick a fork in 'em.

Well you are forgetting the Johnny Davis vs. Rudy Tomjanovich aspect also. Sure, the Lakers bench looks like crap at first glance, but I've watched them a few times this year and they always seem to be more than the sum of their parts. Also, I don't know that a frontcourt, starter-wise can be bottom five with Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. Mihm is averaging 11/6 a game and that's only playing 25 minutes. Everyone loves to rip on him but he's been really solid this year.

 

Anyway, it's not like any great scientific analysis went into my prediction, as with most things I say. I guess it was more of a hunch.

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Well you are forgetting the Johnny Davis vs. Rudy Tomjanovich aspect also.  Sure, the Lakers bench looks like crap at first glance, but I've watched them a few times this year and they always seem to be more than the sum of their parts.  Also, I don't know that a frontcourt, starter-wise can be bottom five with Lamar Odom and Caron Butler.  Mihm is averaging 11/6 a game and that's only playing 25 minutes.  Everyone loves to rip on him but he's been really solid this year.

 

Anyway, it's not like any great scientific analysis went into my prediction, as with most things I say.  I guess it was more of a hunch.

When I think frontcourt, I think of the PF/C rotation. Dudes who can dominate in the paint. The Lakers ain't got it. I know that SF is technically a position in the frontcourt, but they're out on the perimiter in most cases. Odom is a SF who is verstile enough play PF depending on the matchup, but he's not gonna box out the Kenyon Martins of the world. Butler is a nice full-court/perimiter defender.

 

Here is Chris Mihm's game log:

Yahoo Sports

 

I wouldn't go as far as to call him a solid player. Maybe average to slightly above average. Above all, a solid player is one who is consistent.

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When I think frontcourt, I think of the PF/C rotation.  Dudes who can dominate in the paint.  The Lakers ain't got it.  I know that SF is technically a position in the frontcourt, but they're out on the perimiter in most cases.  Odom is a SF who is verstile enough play PF depending on the matchup, but he's not gonna box out the Kenyon Martins of the world.  Butler is a nice full-court/perimiter defender.

 

Here is Chris Mihm's game log:

Yahoo Sports

 

I wouldn't go as far as to call him a solid player.  Maybe average to slightly above average.  Above all, a solid player is one who is consistent.

Mihm's low totals are in games where gets in foul trouble. I've said that forever that he could be a lot better if he was disciplined. But his game is running around like a madman so that's what happens.

 

I used to think Odom was built like a 3 but he's really not. He's 6-10, 232. He's big enough, and skilled enough to be a PF. K-Mart is 6'9, 240. He's more of a swingman than Odom is. Neither of them really has a ton of post moves, but Odom is more skilled in the paint. Plus he is grabbing 11 boards a game.

 

But anyway, I would still take Odom/Mihm/Divac/Grant over Howard/Battie/Garrity/Cato right now.

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I used to think Odom was built like a 3 but he's really not.  He's 6-10, 232.  He's big enough, and skilled enough to be a PF.  K-Mart is 6'9, 240.  He's more of a swingman than Odom is.  Neither of them really has a ton of post moves, but Odom is more skilled in the paint.  Plus he is grabbing 11 boards a game.

He's a big guy, but IMO he's a small forward on a championship team. I feel the same way about Shawn Marion. These guys are big and versatile, but they're not mean, and they're not necessarily grinders in the true PF mold. I think that they can out-rebound all other small forwards in this league...that's why their totals are somewhat inflated.

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He's a big guy, but IMO he's a small forward on a championship team.  I feel the same way about Shawn Marion.  These guys are big and versatile, but they're not mean, and they're not necessarily grinders in the true PF mold.  I think that they can out-rebound all other small forwards in this league...that's why their totals are somewhat inflated.

Marion has been more agressive than ever before this year. I have seen all but about two of their games and he have been diving all over the place hustling his ass off. Maybe now that they are winning it has inspired him? The suns as a whole are just a treat to watch. :)

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Marion has been more agressive than ever before this year. I have seen all but about two of their games and he have been diving all over the place hustling his ass off. Maybe now that they are winning it has inspired him? The suns as a whole are just a treat to watch. :)

That team is insane!

 

Before the season started, I'd have told you that the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Mavericks, and Kings were all better than the Suns. I'd like to take that back.

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He's a big guy, but IMO he's a small forward on a championship team.  I feel the same way about Shawn Marion.  These guys are big and versatile, but they're not mean, and they're not necessarily grinders in the true PF mold.  I think that they can out-rebound all other small forwards in this league...that's why their totals are somewhat inflated.

I know what you mean, because I used to think Odom was the swingman type like Marion and Martin. Because it's true that he's not a traditional grinder-type PF like a Charles Oakley/Anthony Mason. But I think he's closer to them than he is Marion. He's not a leaper like them, and he also isn't allergic to the paint like they can be. The comparison that comes to mind is an Antoine Walker/Jamal Mashburn type player. A guy who has size, puts the ball on the floor and kinda slithers his way to the hoop. You don't think they've done much until you look at the box score and they somehow have like 18 and 10. He doesn't really depend on other people/fortunate rebounds to get him easy buckets.

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What are your thoughts on the sonics?

They're attempting 22 three pointers per game, and they're hitting nearly 40% of them. It's almost like the early-nineties Phoenix Suns (Majerle, Ainge, KJ, Chambers, etc) minus Barkley. I can't see them winning a 7 game series against the Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Mavs, Kings, Nuggets, a healthy Jazz squad with Kirilenko, or even the Lakers.

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They're attempting 22 three pointers per game, and they're hitting nearly 40% of them.  It's almost like the early-nineties Phoenix Suns (Majerle, Ainge, KJ, Chambers, etc) minus Barkley.  I can't see them winning a 7 game series against the Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Mavs, Kings, Nuggets, a healthy Jazz squad with Kirilenko, or even the Lakers.

I feel that they will start to fade some what because there is no way in hell they keep up shooting as well as they have. But when i say fade i am saying to about the fourth seed because they have quite a nice bench, about three players off their bench can get you 8-12 points in any given quarter which is always nice to have.

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