We've now moved on from the preliminary round of 64 where the match ups were solely decided by numbers and we gave no reasoning. Round 2 the match ups will actually be discussed and broken down properly.
1. Henrik Lundqvist vs. 9. Deron Williams
Swagger: 8-7
Skills: 10-9
ESPN Underhype: 8-9
Greatness Factor: 7-8
Reasoning:
Our second tie of the bracket is a little bit easier to call. Lundy is the best goaltender in hockey, and has been for years now. Yet he's somehow fallen behind Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas in terms of ESPN hype. Lundy finally has a team in front of him and look at his stats now? Mind-blowing. D-Will is a great player and all, and might even receive less hype than Lundy because of D-Rose and CP3, but I don't think he's as cool or as skilled as Lundy. I'd consider him a tad greater than Lundy because of his solid playoff performances, but King Henrik will be sure to erase that this year.
Winner: Henrik Lundqvist
4. Alexander Ovechkin vs. 12. Rajon Rondo
Swagger: 10-7
Skills: 10-8
ESPN Underhype: 1-6
Greatness Factor: 2-3
Reasoning:
Ovie is mired in the worst season of his life, and could be a tell-tale sign of how badly we've overrated this guy. He isn't great in anyone's eyes because of his postseason failure, but even worse is the hype he gets from ESPN. Rondo has been kept pretty low on the ESPN radar, even though he deserves some more credit for his skills. Rondo has won a title, Ovie hasn't even come close. Rondo by 1.
Winner: Rajon Rondo
2. Steven Stamkos vs. 10. LaMarcus Aldridge
Swagger: 7-5
Skills: 9-9
ESPN Underhype: 8-10
Greatness Factor: 4-4
Reasoning:
One more tie to make things interesting. If it wasn't for Malkin's red-hot season, I'd have to say that Stamkos is the best player in the NHL, and he never gets credit for it. Aldridge is the most underrated player in the NBA, hands down, though that's going to change when he kills it at the olympics for Team USA this summer. I had to give the nod to Stamkos because he's a little bit more experienced in the playoffs and arguably the best player in his league without getting much recognition for it. Aldridge is still coming up though, see this matchup in two years, I might think differently.
Winner: Steven Stamkos
6. Matt Kemp vs. 14. Terrell Suggs
Swagger: 9-10
Skills: 7-9
ESPN Underhype: 7-4
Greatness Factor:3-5
Reasoning:
This matchup features the coolest guy in baseball vs. the badest dude in football. Suggs' swagger and ability to get to the quarterback make him a dangerous player in any sport. Kemp hasn't yet proved himself on any big stage though he remains the only viable hitting option for the Dodgers. His stats are impressive, but he doesn't have the postseason credentials Suggs does. The whole "Ball So Hard U" thing definitely put the Ravens' star LB on ESPN way too much, but he still survives to pull off a win here.
Winner: Terrell Suggs
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