Can ‘Melo handle Bruce Bowen?

Dime takes a look at the best individual matchups of the first round of the NBA Playoffs…

Allen Iverson/Carmelo Anthony vs. Tony Parker/Bruce Bowen
Not even Steve Nash/Shawn Marion is a worse matchup for Denver’s two superstars than Parker/Bowen. While Iverson (and every other guard in the West) can give Nash buckets all day, Parker isn’t a pushover on D, and he’s one of the few people fast enough to hang with A.I. in the open floor and quick enough to stick with him in the half-court. As for ‘Melo, remember how Quinton Ross had him locked-up and frustrated in last year’s Nuggets/Clippers series? Bowen is the king of driving guys to their breaking point … just ask Ray Allen. Bowen’s sole purpose in this series will be to keep Carmelo somewhat under wraps, and if he gets into his head and ‘Melo is mentally checked out, Denver is hitting the golf course early.

Dwyane Wade vs. The United Center
The Chicago native has a history of not coming through in the House that Mike Built. Last season he averaged only 14.5 points on a combined 7-for-25 shooting in the United, including one game where he went 1-for-8 and turned the ball over 10 times. This year he got hurt six minutes into his first game in the Chi and didn’t return, and in a January loss to the Bulls on the road, Wade scored 24 points (with eight dimes and eight boards) on 8-for-24 shooting.

Golden State’s backcourt (Baron Davis, Monta Ellis) vs. Dallas’ backcourt (Jason Terry, Devin Harris)
Last year’s Mavs/Spurs series turned when Avery Johnson inserted Devin Harris into the mix and Harris outran San Antonio’s backcourt. That won’t happen in this series. Harris is still quick as hell, but Monta and Boom Dizzle can keep up with him. And just like D-Wade torched Devin in last year’s Finals, Baron’s mix of strength, speed and Cassell-like cajones could spell doom for Devin for the second postseason in a row. Terry has a penchant for hitting big shots, which might give him the edge over Ellis, who can go on scoring tears like nobody’s business.

Jerry Sloan vs. Jeff Van Gundy
For hoop purists who love a good old school coaching chess match, Sloan vs. Van Gundy should deliver. Who does Sloan assign to guard Yao, and how will Van Gundy counteract to protect Yao? If he’s guarding Mehmet Okur, Memo will immediately set up on the perimeter to draw Yao out of the lane and limit his shot-blocking prowess. So what does Van Gundy do? He can probably guard Okur with Shane Battier, because Okur isn’t as dangerous down low, and then look for a better matchup for Yao in the paint.

Chauncey Billups vs. Jameer Nelson
Conventional wisdom says Chauncey pops Jameer in the mouth, steals his lunch money and tells him about it while eating the turkey sandwich he bought with Jameer’s cash. After all, Billups has the playoff experience (68 postseason games for him; zero for Nelson), a Finals MVP trophy at home, and they don’t call him “Mr. Big Shot” for nothing. (Although “Jameer-acle” isn’t a bad handle.) Then again, the last time we saw these two head-to-head – at The Palace in an important game for the Pistons – Jameer was giving Chauncey the business, scoring 10 straight points in crunch-time and almost single-handedly winning the game for Orlando. Of course, Billups iced that game with a dagger three-pointer over two guys to beat the shot clock. The Magic/Pistons series might be short, but the back-and-forth between the point guards could be its most interesting subplot.

Antawn Jamison vs. The World
As talented as he is, Jamison is one of those guys you hate playing pickup ball with because he wants to shoot the rock every time he touches it. While that itchy trigger finger is part of what makes Jamison so effective – he’s mastered the art of weird angles and funky release points, allowing him to get off more shots than normally possible – it also means he’s like a black hole on offense. Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler’s presence was the only reason Jamison took 20-plus field goals in only 14 games this year; if he were the focal point of an offense, he’d put up Kobe-like numbers. With Gil and Caron on the shelf, no doubt Jamison will put the onus on himself to beat the Cavs.

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