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NBA virtual 1-on-1 Tournament: Derrick Rose vs. Dirk Nowitzki

Rose has knee issues in a tournament where you don't have much time to rest and this could be a serious problem.

By Cameron Adamczyk
Ronald Martinez

The next matchup in the second round of the NBA Summer Showdown is between a speed-oriented player and a savvy offensive veteran.

The Rules

It is a half-court game in which the scoring increments are 1 point for everything inside the arc and 2 points for everything outside the arc, so long-distance bombers will do well in our tourney.  The higher seed starts off with the ball and the first player to 11 points wins. The possession switches every time the ball is scored, and your votes determine the winner.

Derrick Rose (1st Seed)

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Rose surprised me when he was voted as a No. 1 seed in this tournament, but it wasn't surprising when he smoked Andrew Wiggins in the first round. Rose now enters his second game of the tournament, and you have to take into account the soreness his knees would feel.

Take last night's Team USA scrimmage for example.  Rose sat out that game due to soreness with multiple days off. In this format, you have to be ready to go the next day. This could put him at a disadvantage coming into Game 2, and it puts him in progressively worse situations as the tournament progresses.

Scoring against Nowitzki shouldn't be a problem. He has a serious speed advantage and that is perfect for his style of offense. The other end is a different story. He has a serious disadvantage when trying to defend Dirk.

Dirk Nowitzki (4th Seed)

Dirk may be one of the older players in this tournament, but he is facing a player that has old knees.

Dirk faced a similar opponent in round one. He had a serious disadvantage in the speed department, and defending will still be an issue, but he will be able to have his way offensively. I said this in the first game, Dirk is built for this format. These smaller guards cannot block his fade-away jump shot. He has mastered that shot, and it could add another player to the list of losers.

Now It's Your Turn

This is where you decide the outcome. Vote on the poll below and make sure to let your opinion be known in the comments of this article.

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