Two Rings or Less Draft : Round 2 uberhikari* vs Fadeaway_J

[Laimbeer]

Here is a quick list of what you need in your writeup.

1. Specific years for each player on your team
2. Rotations and minutes for each player
3. Reasoning as to why your team will win and/or why people should vote for you.

Do not vote in this thread until both managers have submitted their writeups.

If writeups aren't posted within 24 hours, we will vote solely based on the players they have drafted (and any rotations they have posted on their roster page).

**First to 3 votes advances**

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[Fadeaway_J]

Starters
C - Rudy Gobert (2021-22)

Spoiler:

15.6 ppg, 14.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.1 bpg, .675 FG%, .713 FT%, .683 TS%
- Led the NBA in rpg, FG%, TS%, DRB%, TRB%
- NBA All-Star
- All-Defensive First Team

PF - Jaren Jackson Jr. (2022-23)

Spoiler:

18.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 3.0 bpg, .506 FG%, .355 3P%, .788 FT%, 100 3P (1.6 pg), .613 TS%
- Led the NBA in bpg, BLK% (9.6)
- Defensive Player of the Year
- NBA All-Star
- All-Defensive First Team

SF - Kawhi Leonard (2020-21)

Spoiler:

24.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.4 bpg, .512 FG%, .398 3P%, .885 FT%, 101 3P (1.9 pg), .622 TS%
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team
- All-Defensive Second Team

SG - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (2022-23)

Spoiler:

10.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.5 bpg, .462 FG%, .423 3P%, .824 FT%, 135 3P (1.8 pg), .598 TS%
- NBA Champion

PG - Luka Doncic (2021-22)

Spoiler:

28.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 8.7 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.6 bpg, .457 FG%, .353 3P%, .744 FT%, 201 3P (3.1 pg), .571 TS%
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team

Bench
F - Trevor Ariza (2017-18)

Spoiler:

11.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.2 bpg, .412 FG%, .368 3P%, .854 FT%, 170 3P (2.5 pg), .567 TS%

F/G - Anthony Parker (2009-10)

Spoiler:

7.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.2 bpg, .434 FG%, .414 3P%, .789 FT%, 108 3P (1.3 pg), .576 TS%

G - Nate McMillan (1995-96)

Spoiler:

5.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, .420 FG%, .380 3P%*, .707 FT%, 46 3P (0.8 pg), .537 TS%
* shortened line

Rotations
C - Gobert (36), Jackson (12)
PF - Jackson (24), Leonard (12), Ariza (12)
SF - Leonard (26), Ariza (14), Parker (8)
SG - KCP (32), Parker (10), McMillan (6)
PG - Doncic (38), McMillan (10)

FGA Per Player
Kawhi Leonard - 17.5
Luka Doncic - 21.6
Jaren Jackson Jr. - 13.0
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 8.3
Rudy Gobert - 7.7
Nate McMillan - 4.3
Trevor Ariza - 9.7
Anthony Parker - 5.9

Total: 88.8/88.0

Luka and Kawhi shoulder the offensive load. We've given Luka a spaced floor so he can operate in the ways he does best: spread pick-and-roll with Gobert/JJJ, drive-and-kick to our various shooters, or simply attacking his man one-on-one at the top of the floor or in the mid post. Kawhi can play off Luka himself (as a screener or spot-up shooter), or he can leverage out shooting himself to set up his own deadly iso game, and the Clippers iteration is also a solid secondary playmaker in his own right. Quality 3-and-D players like KCP, Ariza, McMillan, and Parker round out the roster nicely.

Matchup
- KCP will take Lowry at the point of attack, Kawhi guards Penny to start (with significant support from Ariza/McMillan over the course of the game), and Luka rests on OG.
- I think the Luka/Kawhi duo presents uber with a unique defensive challenge as they both require wings with size and strength. For uber, the only guy who fits the bill is OG, and he can only guard one of them at a time. Additionally, Luka is an expert at teasing out mismatches for himself and others.
- The Gobert/JJJ tandem makes things tough in the paint for Hakeen and Penny.

Good luck uber.

[uberhikari]

PG: 2018 Kyle Lowry: 16-6-7, 7.6 3PA, 39.9 3P%; All-Star
SG: 1996 Penny Hardaway: 22-4-7; All-NBA 1st, MVP(3)
SF: 2020 OG Anunoby: 11 ppg, 3.3 3PA, 39 3P%, 60 TS%
PF: 2003 Rasheed Wallace: 18-7, 4.1 3PA, 35.8 3P%
C: 1993 Hakeem Olajuwon: 26-13-4; All-NBA 1st, All-Defense 1st, MVP(2), DPOY

Bench
SG/SF: 2015 Kyle Korver: 12 ppg, 6 3PA, 49.2 3P%; All-Star
SF/PF: 2021 Robert Covington: 9-7, 5.1 3PA, 37.9 3P%
C: 2014 Steven Adams: 3-4, 54 TS%

Rotations
PG: Kyle Lowry (38) / Penny Hardaway (10)
SG: Penny Hardaway (28) / Kyle Korver (20)
SF: OG Anunoby (34) / Kyle Korver (7) / Robert Covington (7)
PF: Rasheed Wallace (36) / Robert Covington (12)
C: Hakeem Olajuwon (39) / Steven Adams (9)

Matchups: Lowry on Doncic; Penny on KCP; OG on Kawhi; Wallace on Jackson Jr; Olajuwon on Gobert.

Ironically my biggest advantage is on offense. Kawhi & Doncic are a strong offensive duo but they're surrounded by dependent offensive talent. After Doncic, Kawhi, Hakeem, & Penny, I have the next 3 best offensive players in Lowry, Wallace, and Korver. Young Rasheed was a legitimate 3-level versatile scorer; he just wasn't a #1 option.

On defense, the plan is to switch the Doncic/Gobert P&R or have Hakeem play an aggressive trap defense like Miami employed with Wade, LeBron, and Bosh. Doncic is not quick or athletic enough with the ball to get around Hakeem on the perimeter and blitzing Doncic with a 7-footer who has elite hands should be incredibly disruptive to Doncic's passing lanes.

Because of how inept Gobert is as a scorer this strategy works. Gobert is known for being unable to take advantage of mismatches even in the post where he's either unable to score or turns the ball over when smaller players converge on him.

On offense, I don't think Fade has great matchups. This isn't DPOY Kawhi, and given how much heavy lifting Kawhi has to do on offense it's a lot to ask him to score on OG and then defend peak Penny. KCP is also a bad matchup for Lowry because KCP is a POA defender but Lowry is an off-ball scorer. And while Gobert is very mobile for a big man he cannot keep up with the athleticism and dynamism of peak Hakeem, especially when Hakeem decides to attack off the dribble from the perimeter or shoot from mid-range.

My offensive strategy is simple: first attack in transition with Lowry, Penny, Wallace, and Hakeem; second, work inside-out with Hakeem surrounded by shooters and a dynamic wing scorer acting as the secondary scoring option.

[Laimbeer]

Ready for votes

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[Dr Positivity]

Very close. Both teams seem pretty reliant on 2 guys but I guess Lowry, 03 Sheed and Korver gives uber a little more supporting offense. Hakeem can have a great defensive series playing off Gobert. Vote uber.

[Square]

I like both these teams a lot. I do think (agreeing with Dr. P) that Fade is asking a bit more of his two stars on both ends than is demanded of uber's. There are some advantages the other way too, but I guess I would bet on uber here.

[Laimbeer]

Penny/Dream is a pretty sweet combo with some synergy and the supporting cast is a touch more potent. Two outstanding teams on D, btw.

Vote - Uber

[Laimbeer]

Uber advances

[Fadeaway_J]

GG, can't argue with that result

[Snakebites]

GG, can't argue with that result

We had similar approaches to the this one and ended with similar results.