There were many naysayers when both finals competitors lost key pieces over the offseason. While this seems to have placed a stake in the Knick's chances this year, the Blazers powered on and made the finals with little difficulty. The Nets found a longer road. The squad from the Meadowlands have mastered the 7 game series. Will this year end in NYC metro bringing home a title, or will the rings go back to the Rose City.
Lets dig a little deeper. This year's finals matchup brings a number of familiar faces from last year, though not all on the same side. Very much a clash of style mixed, the Nets attack from the post to the midrange (with Mitchel spreading from the top of the key) and the Blazers and Jordan can devastate from deep. You also have the added element of the tale of the two Jordans, Mitchel vs Michael. One came in unheralded with a chip on his shoulder the size of the Big Apple and the other anointed as the the great one, and yet picked behind the Dream. Again as last year all the stats are restricted to the playoffs only as that is best representative of the teams as they are playing against the best and eliminates noise from roster moves made before the deadline.
PG
Mitchel Jordan: C+ A- B- A+ C- C:
40 min/16.8ppg/9.1 ast/2.2 steals/ 2.8 TOs
vs
Jim Brogan: C+ B+ B A- C C
36 min/16.6ppg/8.3ast/2.3 steals/2.4 TO
Advantage: Jordan, decisively. Brogan is one of your classic game manager point guards. He defends his position well, doesn't turn over the ball much and his true shooting is high due to his reliance on his point coming form the 3 ball. As we saw last year against Young, he can defend the perimeter very well so he has the ability to shut down the Nets only true option from deep. All these plaudits said both Jordans provide a significant advantage compared to their matchup. After last year, he posted better PPG, assists, lower TOs, and Steals and was a run away for the 1st team this year, and in my humble opinion, was robbed of MVP by his teammate. He does everything you want in a PG and is one of the best defenders the league has seen at the PG position. The Blazers need a huge performance to keep this matchup even.
SG
Kannard Johnson: C C- D+ B+ C+ B
21.3 min/3.3pts/5.2 reb/0.6 stl/0.8 blk/1.2 TOs
vs
Michael Jordan: A- A C A- C C
36 min/28.7ppg/6.3 reb/3.9 stl/0.1 blk/3 TOs
Advantage: Jordan, maybe even more than the last matchup. Jordan is the heartbeat of his team. He pours it in from deep while spreading the floor and can devastate his matchup with an unblockable turnaround J. If you are the Nets you are hoping for similar heroics out of your defensive minded G/F to at least try to slow Jordan down. I honestly think that both teams will get theirs from this series and the surrounding pieces will decide the middle.
SF
Ricky Pierce: A- C- C A- C- D
33 min/15 ppg/4.4 reb/2.1 stl/0.1 blk/1.3 TOs
vs
Ken Barlow: A- D- D- B B- D
26.8min/13.9 ppg/6.3 reb/.9 stl/1.0 blk/1.7 TOs
Advantage: Lean Barlow by a nose, super close. Both players are talented low post scoring G/Fs. Both pour it in from the SF position. Pierce loses out height and strength but makes up for it in his quick hands and lower turnovers. This matchup maybe leans Barlow as he does those stats in 6 less minutes before turning things over to Mihalik who will have an even greater rebounding and blocking advantage at this position. Pierce will be able to fight back regardless as he plays better defense overall.
PF
Ralph Sampson: A- C- C A- A- B
38 min/21.1ppg/12.1 reb/1.1 stl/4.4 blk/2.5 TOs
vs
Bill Cartwright: B+ C- D+ B+ B+ B
35 min/13.6 ppg/11.3 reb/1.1 stl/1.4 blk/2.1 TOs
Advantage: Sampson and its not close. No disrespect to Bill intended, but Sampson's move down to the 4 spot has taken his game to a whole new level. Very few outside of the likes of scrappy Barkley could compete with the way the MVP is playing this year. He has been a monster for the Nets, putting up insane blocking and rebounding number (not to mention his mundane >20ppg average). The key part of this matchup is keeping the rebounding totals similar between the two and that will be a win for the Blazers who can then turn to their bench scorers when the Nets rim protector extraordinaire is not on the court.
C
Steve Stipanovich: B+ C C- B+ B+ C
34 min/15.8 ppg/10.4 reb/1.8 stl/2.2 blk /1.6 TOs
vs
Jessie Samake: C C D+ B+ B- C
25 min/4.6 pts/6.7 reb/0.5 stl/2.1 blk/1.1 TOs
Advantage: Steve, not really close. On the bright side Samake and Stimpanovich have very similar block totals given Jessie's 9 les min per game, on every other hand the matchup is Stimpanovic's to lose. While the two are nearly the same defensively, the Nets big man has a significant edge over his starter on the other side. Another theme seen in other positions is the Blazers will turn to their bench early and often with Geigher and Roberts.
Benches (not per 36 used to better side by side stats)
Nets: Woolridge 6th man, Durrant, Webber, Polynice, Grant, and Colfield
85.6 min total/9.2 pts/7.5 reb/1 stl/.9 blk/1 TO
vs
Blazers: Williams and Geiger 6.5 men, Mihalik, Roberts, Sparrow
82 min total/ 12.5 pts/8.5 reb/1.8 stl/2.3 blk/2.5 TOs
Advantage: Blazers big time. The only advantage that the Nets have is the turnovers, full stop. Every other metric favors the Blazers when the starters leave the floor. They play less and pour in 7 more points. Even when you factor out the extra time, the Trailblazers bench squad just is deeper and pouts out significantly more production across the board.
Overall Impressions
I went into this thinking that the Blazers were the team to beat, looking at all the above I'm not so sure. while I think that the overall starter quality favors the boys from the Meadowlands, I think every Nets fan will be chewing their nails down to the bone the moment the starters leave the floor. If Freeman gets hot against the Nets weak 2nd unit, the end of halves could be a show to watch. Overall the shooting % really does favor the Blazers here whereas the rebounding advantage tips NJ. All this said, the post quality of the Nets cannot be denied. My pick, and this is splitting hairs in my mind, PDX in 7. If NJ can steal 1 on the road they easily can finish it out at home. That said if home court in the first 4 games holds, I think PDX takes home a 2nd ring.
