Put Them Over the Top Draft- Discussion Thread

[Fadeaway_J]

.

Up

[flaco]

Kinda surprised nobody selected the 2021 Mavs: Luka, Zinger, Brunson, DFS, 3.3-FGA Dwight Powell, Kleber. Personally, I don't like the Luka-Brunson fit, but the talent is undeniable. I think it's the best core left on the table. The Sixers would have been a good shout as well thanks to Embiid.

I thought KJ-Barkley will be picked. Also Harden Ariza Tucker is a pretty nice trio, I guess Harden would've been taken if Paul was available.

I don't think it's a good idea to pair Barkley with a slashing PG. Spacing would be terrible by modern standards. Majerle would be a nice 3rd option, although his Suns seasons are relatively expensive.

The Rockets core is fairly versatile. Nice mix of shooting and defense. I guess Harden is considered overrated cause he's a notorious playoff choker. Can't argue with that tbh.

[Fadeaway_J]

Kinda surprised nobody selected the 2021 Mavs: Luka, Zinger, Brunson, DFS, 3.3-FGA Dwight Powell, Kleber. Personally, I don't like the Luka-Brunson fit, but the talent is undeniable. I think it's the best core left on the table. The Sixers would have been a good shout as well thanks to Embiid.

I thought KJ-Barkley will be picked. Also Harden Ariza Tucker is a pretty nice trio, I guess Harden would've been taken if Paul was available.

I don't think it's a good idea to pair Barkley with a slashing PG. Spacing would be terrible by modern standards. Majerle would be a nice 3rd option, although his Suns seasons are relatively expensive.

The Rockets core is fairly versatile. Nice mix of shooting and defense. I guess Harden is considered overrated cause he's a notorious playoff choker. Can't argue with that tbh.

The Rockets core was hit pretty hard by CP3 going with the second pick. Even in 2017-18, I would consider him to be better than any PG you could get with a wildcard.

[Square]

Kinda surprised nobody selected the 2021 Mavs: Luka, Zinger, Brunson, DFS, 3.3-FGA Dwight Powell, Kleber. Personally, I don't like the Luka-Brunson fit, but the talent is undeniable. I think it's the best core left on the board. The 2021 Sixers would have been a good shout as well: Embiid, peak Tobias, Danny Green, Thybulle.

Definitely there are some interesting leftovers, but which core that was picked do you think the Mavs or Sixers are better than?

I also idly considered the 18 Pels with AD/Jrue. Not a great team by any means but a nice top 2.

[Snakebites]

Please have your teams and roster pages complete by Monday at 12 pm.

I’m going on a trip so I am uncertain when playoffs will be posted, but it will be sometime tomorrow. Assuming all 10 post a completed roster, we will have 2 play-in matchups before round 1.

[durantbird]

Rob Williams III

Laimbeer has him

[Snakebites]

Kevon Looney?

Surely there was a low FGA Celtic that could have gone in that spot.

[flaco]

Kinda surprised nobody selected the 2021 Mavs: Luka, Zinger, Brunson, DFS, 3.3-FGA Dwight Powell, Kleber. Personally, I don't like the Luka-Brunson fit, but the talent is undeniable. I think it's the best core left on the board. The 2021 Sixers would have been a good shout as well: Embiid, peak Tobias, Danny Green, Thybulle.

Definitely there are some interesting leftovers, but which core that was picked do you think the Mavs or Sixers are better than?

I also idly considered the 18 Pels with AD/Jrue. Not a great team by any means but a nice top 2.

In a vacuum, I think the 2021 Mavs were definitely a top 10 core. Thing is, once the first round is complete, we aren't drafting in a vacuum anymore. Fit comes into play as well. Luka requires a very specific build. It feels very restrictive when building around him.

The Sixers supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired. That said, Embiid might have been OP in this pool due to the dearth of talent at the Center position. The only HOF Centers are pre-prime Shaq, post-prime Arvydas and Pau Gasol. I think the vast majority of teams couldn't have handled Embiid.

[Fadeaway_J]

.

Up

[Snakebites]

Kinda surprised nobody selected the 2021 Mavs: Luka, Zinger, Brunson, DFS, 3.3-FGA Dwight Powell, Kleber. Personally, I don't like the Luka-Brunson fit, but the talent is undeniable. I think it's the best core left on the board. The 2021 Sixers would have been a good shout as well: Embiid, peak Tobias, Danny Green, Thybulle.

Definitely there are some interesting leftovers, but which core that was picked do you think the Mavs or Sixers are better than?

I also idly considered the 18 Pels with AD/Jrue. Not a great team by any means but a nice top 2.

In a vacuum, I think the 2021 Mavs were definitely a top 10 core. Thing is, once the first round is complete, we aren't drafting in a vacuum anymore. Fit comes into play as well. Luka requires a very specific build. It feels very restrictive when building around him.

The Sixers supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired. That said, Embiid might have been OP in this pool due to the dearth of talent at the Center position. The only dominant Center is pre-prime Shaq. Chances are the vast majority of teams couldn't have handled Embiid.

Both of the things you mention are ideas I looked into.

The issue with the Mavs is that while Zingis has certainly recouped his value in a big way in Washington and Boston, and he and Luka are a solid fit in theory, they never really had much synergy in practice. The Mavs had more success WITHOUT him the following season. And if you want Zingis you don't get breakout Brunson.

I briefly toyed with the idea of an Embiid team, but KG got the nod for 2004 KG being a better player and him having a star co-pilot. With Embiid the only other starter I'd get out of that for my core would be...Tobias Harris? I don't view him as a guy who should start in this setting. Sixers Green and Thybulle are okay but not needle movers.

I was pretty stunned when Jimmy Butler was taken as a wildcard and not as a pair with Joel though.

[flaco]

Definitely there are some interesting leftovers, but which core that was picked do you think the Mavs or Sixers are better than?

I also idly considered the 18 Pels with AD/Jrue. Not a great team by any means but a nice top 2.

In a vacuum, I think the 2021 Mavs were definitely a top 10 core. Thing is, once the first round is complete, we aren't drafting in a vacuum anymore. Fit comes into play as well. Luka requires a very specific build. It feels very restrictive when building around him.

The Sixers supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired. That said, Embiid might have been OP in this pool due to the dearth of talent at the Center position. The only dominant Center is pre-prime Shaq. Chances are the vast majority of teams couldn't have handled Embiid.

Both of the things you mention are ideas I looked into.

The issue with the Mavs is that while Zingis has certainly recouped his value in a big way in Washington and Boston, and he and Luka are a solid fit in theory, they never really had much synergy in practice. The Mavs had more success WITHOUT him the following season. And if you want Zingis you don't get breakout Brunson.

I briefly toyed with the idea of an Embiid team, but KG got the nod for 2004 KG being a better player and him having a star co-pilot. With Embiid the only other starter I'd get out of that for my core would be...Tobias Harris? I don't view him as a guy who should start in this setting. Sixers Green and Thybulle are okay but not needle movers.

I was pretty stunned when Jimmy Butler was taken as a wildcard and not as a pair with Joel though.

Wasn't possible to select Butler as part of the Sixers core because of the ''2 consecutive years'' rule. Butler played for only half a season at Philly. Him and Embiid would have been an amazing duo, that's for sure!

[Colbinii]

I was pretty stunned when Jimmy Butler was taken as a wildcard and not as a pair with Joel though.

How?

[Square]

Kinda surprised nobody selected the 2021 Mavs: Luka, Zinger, Brunson, DFS, 3.3-FGA Dwight Powell, Kleber. Personally, I don't like the Luka-Brunson fit, but the talent is undeniable. I think it's the best core left on the board. The 2021 Sixers would have been a good shout as well: Embiid, peak Tobias, Danny Green, Thybulle.

Definitely there are some interesting leftovers, but which core that was picked do you think the Mavs or Sixers are better than?

I also idly considered the 18 Pels with AD/Jrue. Not a great team by any means but a nice top 2.

In a vacuum, I think the 2021 Mavs were definitely a top 10 core. Thing is, once the first round is complete, we aren't drafting in a vacuum anymore. Fit comes into play as well. Luka requires a very specific build. It feels very restrictive when building around him.

I don't know. Luka is great, but we are talking about a 48-win team that lost in the first round (to a team that lost in the 3rd round). I'm not really convinced that they are better than the other groups that were taken.

[Fadeaway_J]

Definitely there are some interesting leftovers, but which core that was picked do you think the Mavs or Sixers are better than?

I also idly considered the 18 Pels with AD/Jrue. Not a great team by any means but a nice top 2.

In a vacuum, I think the 2021 Mavs were definitely a top 10 core. Thing is, once the first round is complete, we aren't drafting in a vacuum anymore. Fit comes into play as well. Luka requires a very specific build. It feels very restrictive when building around him.

I don't know. Luka is great, but we are talking about a 48-win team that lost in the first round (to a team that lost in the 3rd round). I'm not really convinced that they are better than the other groups that were taken.

Same here. I'm not super high on Porzingis prior to the last couple of years, and he definitely had his own fit issues with Luka.

[Colbinii]

Porzingis is significantly better now than he was in 2021.

Listen to the JJ Redick Podcast where he interviews Porzingis. Really interesting stuff where Porzingis goes into detail about how he himself was immature and it directly affected his play.

[Dr Positivity]

I definitely would've considered an Embiid/Harden pick if I had realized in time centers were so small in this.

[flaco]

In a vacuum, I think the 2021 Mavs were definitely a top 10 core. Thing is, once the first round is complete, we aren't drafting in a vacuum anymore. Fit comes into play as well. Luka requires a very specific build. It feels very restrictive when building around him.

I don't know. Luka is great, but we are talking about a 48-win team that lost in the first round (to a team that lost in the 3rd round). I'm not really convinced that they are better than the other groups that were taken.

Same here. I'm not super high on Porzingis prior to the last couple of years, and he definitely had his own fit issues with Luka.

There are 3 all-stars in that core (albeit before their prime), plus 2 more serviceable role players to choose from. Talent-wise, it's an intriguing group of players. For instance:

PG: Brunson
SG: Klay or EJ
SF: Luka*
PF: DFS
C: Zinger

*Luka is a SF/PF on defense, but a PG on offense

Some bench options to choose from: Danny Green, Battier, Tucker, Horry, Delon Wright, you name it. All reaslitic targets. Some of these guys are still on the board.

Luka spams the PnP with Zinger. Loads of space in the paint for him to attack the basket. I'd like that team, although I'd personally prefer yet another wing instead of Brunson.

[Laimbeer]

I thought the Kawhi/George combo was an elite core. I was really surprised to see them there as well as Boston with great three and four options. Manu and a non all-star at point may have been a better follow up, but I'm pretty happy with Chauncey and Bane.

Perkins at center is a new look. I wanted a stretch five, and he does have some defensive cred. I'd be more nervous in a traditional pool. Shaq is the only one that concerns me here. At least Perkins will have a stellar defense in front of him.

[Fadeaway_J]

I don't know. Luka is great, but we are talking about a 48-win team that lost in the first round (to a team that lost in the 3rd round). I'm not really convinced that they are better than the other groups that were taken.

Same here. I'm not super high on Porzingis prior to the last couple of years, and he definitely had his own fit issues with Luka.

There are 3 all-stars in that core (albeit before their prime), plus 2 more serviceable role players to choose from. Talent-wise, it's an intriguing group of players. For instance:

PG: Brunson
SG: Klay or EJ
SF: Luka*
PF: DFS
C: Zinger

*Luka is a SF/PF on defense, but a PG on offense

Some bench options to choose from: Delon Wright, Danny Green, Battier, Tucker, Horry, you name it. All reaslitic targets. Some of these guys are still on the board.

Luka spams the PnP with Zinger. Loads of space in the paint for him to attack the basket. I'd like that team a lot, although I'd personally prefer yet another wing instead of Brunson.

Yeah but we saw that core together and it didn't work. Porzingis wasn't satisfied with just "spamming PnP", and wasn't as good at punishing mismatches either. Also, Brunson was nowhere near All-Star level at that stage.

[Laimbeer]

I definitely would've considered an Embiid/Harden pick if I had realized in time centers were so small in this.

Harden didn't have two seasons with Philly. But people are high on Maxey. Could have had a decent supporting cast.