The League (IV): power ranks, and key match-ups for the 1st Round

 

The League is over. The best 104 teams survive from the initial 248: 96 are now heading to 1st Round and other 8 teams keep advancing in the ABA-NBA Wild Card after 3 rounds.

Now, it comes the time to really show what the players are capable of. Accordingly to their seed in The League (remember, each groups qualifies its teams from 1st to 8th as in regular NBA), the 1st Round will consist of only 1 game. The winner advances to the 2nd Round, the loser cross the space-time divide -with whichever way the NBA has apparently found- and goes home.

The road has been everything but easy. Some of the best players have fallen and we won't be enjoyning them in the competition (we won't see Dominique Wilkins and Oscar Robertson), whereas some teams have achieved what one could thought at first as inconceivable. Let's have a look at the Power Ranks of the first stage of the championship to find out:

The Best:

1. 2001 Milwaukee Bucks

Milwauke Bucks has a representative in the next phase. We are talking about such an historical franchise that it should not be surprising, right? The thing is that this Milwaukee will be the only in following phases. Not Lew Alcindor (who would be later called Abdul-Jabbar), not Giannis Antetokounmpo; but a young Ray Allen with the support of Glen Robinson have achieved the 1st spot of Group VII. With a 57-25 record, they have outscored Shaq's Lakers and now head to the next round, where they will have to face Moses Malone's 1985 76ers.

Shaquille O'Neal in 02' Lakers' win over 82' Nuggets

2. 2011 Dallas Mavericks

Tied with 2013 Miami Heat, Dirk-lead Dallas Mavericks have managed to get the 2nd spot in Group II with an atonishing 60-22 record.  The Mavericks, which stand also on the shoulders of Caron Butler and an aged Jason Kidd, will receive the 1948 Washington Bullets to advance to next round.

3. 1996 Chicago Bulls

Well, Michael Jordan had to appear. Not only 5 of his Chicago Bulls are making the next round, this one has achieved one of the best records in the entire championship. A 57-25 mark has let them win the extremely competitive Group XI, and will now await for a Barkley-less 97 Phoenix Suns.

4. 2007 San Antonio Spurs

Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan. Those names are history on the NBA, and they have not upseted anyone with their incredible performance in The League. Getting a 56-26 record, they are the leaders of GVII and are clear favorites at their game against the 06 Wizards to make it to the next round.

5. 2017 Golden State Warriors

The 73 wins team + Kevin Durant. Of course, they are rolling over each team that dares to face them. Following the Wild Card route, they are now 2 rounds away of winning. The all-mighty lineup formed by Durant, Curry, Thompson, and Green will need to get through oe of the most interesting match ups, though. Their next rival in their Wild Card bracket will be the 2015 Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors have won 12 games and lost 3 (two of them to Anteto's Bucks, which eventually lost to The Bay), but... will Durant regret going to Oakland after 2016? Which one of both Durants will prevail? A 7 game series awaits so we can discover.

Ewing's 92' Kincks play 96' Suns in a Regular Season game.

What about our favorite teams?

Of course we have not lost track of our followed teams. In order to bring fresh air to the redaction, we've invited Carlos Alvarez, a fellow expert that works in NBA Quart de Poblet, to bring us his predictions and analysis of the most interesting games for the 1st Round

(2) 1986 Boston Celtics - (7) 2000 Toronto Raptors

C.A.: Toronto against Boston is one of those games that are really attractive to the viewer. A match-up in which quality will prevail over the physical of the Canadians, which won't be counting on T-Mac due to an injure. I don't think there is any actual chance for our beloved dinosaurs to avoid extinction. 

(3) 1995 Chicago Bulls - (6) 1995 Orlando Magic

C.A.: The aspirant will try to put the best team in NBA history in difficulties with its fantasy pair, Hardaway and Shaq. However, every chance remains with the 23 and his loyal lieutenants, which won't spend much energy at winning this round.

(4) 1998 Minnesota Timberwolves - (5) 1989 Detroit Pistons

C.A.: The ruthless Bad Boys, in the quest for their last chance of taking eternal fame, will face the cute puppies that the Wolves are, as Minnesota won't be able to oppose any resistance due to the loss of its young leader Garnett for an injury.

Shaquille and Wade, united in the 06 Miami Heat, lose in a Regular Season game against the 74 Celtics, leaded by Havliceck.

(2) 2004 Los Angeles Lakers - (7) 1977 Phladelphia 76ers

C.A.: after the hard blow of Shaquille's goodbye, a lonely Kobe Bryant will go against the odds along with his veterans squad, against an unknown Philadelphia. Fraternal Love's city best asset? A guy called Julius Erving, which will make the difference in his first big game as a rising star. 

(4) 2009 Los Angeles Lakers - (5) 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder

C.A.: Youth and experience will meet in a duel that won't leave anyone indifferent. The pace of the game will be the key factor to unbalance the match-up. I bet on Kobe's leadership and on the paint lectures from Gasol, which will tame the inexperience of the OKC Big Three.

In next post, we will see results from the 1st Round, and you will be able to look at the whole brackets. The 8 Wild Card temas have gone through 3 rounds already, and will have to face a 7 game round to head to their 'finals'*. For the other 96 teams, it is a matter of 1 game, whcih will decide if they make it to the next round. Everything will be possible.

* Reminder: the Wild Card tournament winners will be part of the best 16 teams in NBA history. While they will have to play less games than the rest of teams, thay have faced elimination since their first game as the tournament follows a playoff structure. Only 2 out of 64 teams will be part of the best 16.