Hawks vs. East part 3...hawks vs. Cleveland Cavs

[Plainview1981]

PG:JT vs. Darius Miles

SG:Dion vs. LaBron

SF:Jackson vs. Ricky Davis

PF:Shareef vs. Carlos Boozer

C: Ratliff vs. Big Z

Bench:Kevin Ollie/Wagner/JR Bremer/Ira newble/Chris Mihm

Bench:Jacque Vaughn/Boris Diaw/Lee Nailon/Hansen/Hendu/

Nazr

PG:Bottom line, Darius Miles is NOT a starting PG and

never will be one. While JT's abilities as a PG are question

able...Miles is extremely questionable. Miles has the

size, but someone his size can't keep up with Jt..No

if's, and's, or buts.... Miles didn't appear to have got

much better with the jumper.....Winner JT

SG:LaBron is a rookie...However, he has showned that

he already knows how to pass and rebound alittle. However, Dion will be able to lay off him and allow

Bron to miss jumpers as a rookie....Neither are that

good of defensive players....Both will probably average

around 12PPG this year or so...I say Draw

SF:Jackson vs. Ricky Davis: Well, although Jax might

make a nice role player he's no match for a 20/4/5

player like Ricky Davis. Pretty easy to see that Davis

is the winner.

PF:Shareef vs. Carlos Boozer:Reef is obviousally the

better player here. However, since Boozer has the

ability to rebound and play defense while getting

11PPG I'd say this isn't as huge of an advange for

Atlanta as one might think. However, Reef is a

20/8 guy so you got to give him the edge. Winner:

Hawks.

C:Theo Ratliff vs. Big Z:Alright, while Theo lead the

league in shot blocks...Big Z can willingly take Theo

in the post and score on him. Big Z is abit better

rebounder than Theo...However, Theo has more speed

and can run up and down better...But I feel Big Z

is the better player here due to his ability to score

inside..

Benches:

The hawks advange is the front court with Nailon/hendu/

Nazr/Crawford...While the Cavs advange is the guard

slots. Wagner is out with an injury and this could effect

him for the season...Being that is the case....I think the

Hawks have the advange..Bremer/newble and Chris Mihm

is nothing to get excited over. Winner Hawks

Coaching: While Stotts has the team looking good on

defense in the preason...Paul Silas is a proven head

coach and has been sucessful for years and I give him

the advange.

All in all I think the Hawks might be a better team despite

being less talented. I copied and pasted my rankings in

the other post. Watching the Cavs the other night I think

it's clear they'll need one more year.

[swolehawk2]

How is it so obvious is that Ricky Davis is so much better than S Jax, but Reef just has an edge over a role player like Boozer. If Boozer were a Hawk you would be calling him a scrub and all kinds of names.

You should write what you wrote about Reef for Ricky Davis...because S Jax has a better chance of shutting down Ricky than Boozer has of shutting down Reef.

The way Lebron plays defense Dion would abuse him.

[Plainview1981]

How is it so obvious is that Ricky Davis is so much better than S Jax, but Reef just has an edge over a role player like Boozer. If Boozer were a Hawk you would be calling him a scrub and all kinds of names.

Well, Davis averaged 20PPG 5RPG 5APG last year and

Jax only averaged 11PPG and 3RPG....Jax is no lock

down defensive player either.....

Boozer averaged 10PPG and 7.5RPG last year and my

money is on him improving on that this season. Maybe

14/8...Still giving Reef an advange in scoring...but that's

about it.

[jeddelong]

Gee Hotlanta...I though you would at least wait until we lost a few games before you started with your negativity. I might buy the SJAX stuff but the Shraeff stuff? (No way Boozer performs at the same level with that crowd, though great 2nd round pick)

[Iman]

Hotlanta, I pretty much agree with your final estimates but not how you got there. First off, Cleveland is tough to compare due to their multiposition players, just like we'd be if we started Diaw. I think Lebron will lead Cleveland in assists, followed by Ricky Davis and I doubt Miles bring the ball up the court more than either of them either so who really is playing what position. I didnt see the preseason games but I gotta believe the on floor matchups had Ricky Davis on JT most of the time so that's how I'd compare them.

I think JT is a little less explosive than Davis but JT is overall better, for a better comparision let's use their career stats. So there I take JT.

Lebron and Miles have huge upside but Dion and SJ are more solid, I'd call those two positions slightly for Atlanta.

Big Z seems to just disappear at times but his size causes me to give Cleveland a slight advantage there.

Shareef vs Boozer; sheot, I'd take Hendu or Nazr or maybe even Ekezie over Boozer.

Both benches suck.

Paul Silas is such a good coach that all he needs is a few things (BigZ healthy, Wagner and Lebron panning out, I've about given up on Miles already) to fall the right way and Cleveland may be tough but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon, or honestly maybe no time this decade but we'll see.