Put Them Over the Top Draft Round 1: Fifii vs Flaco

[Snakebites]

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**

...

...

[flaco]

Best of luck, Fifii!



Rotation
PG: Derrick White (36) / Alex Caruso (12)
SG: Jaylen Brown (36) / Alex Caruso (12)
SF: Paul Pierce (36) / James Posey (12)
PF: Jayson Tatum (36) / James Posey (12)
C: Al Horford (32) / Kevon Looney (16)

Offense
We run a 5-out motion offense. All 5 starters are volume 3pt shooters! All starters can put the ball on the floor and create their own shot. All of them but Brown are reliable facilitators. White and Horford are low-usage, team-first players. They can play either on or off the ball. Exactly what I need alongside 3 high-scoring (s)wings. Looney operates primarily as a screener. He sets picks on the perimeter and rolls hard to the basket. Ranks 1st in the league in screen assists per 36 this season among qualified players. Averaged 5.5 screen assists per game in his selected season. Matchup-wise, both Pau and Ayton are drop bigs. Curious to see how Fifii plans to defend the perimeter.

Defense
White/Caruso are my POA defenders. Horford/Looney may either drop or switch. Literally all players on the roster are switchable defenders standing between 6'4'' and 6'9''. Oversized guards and undersized bigs are the perfect mix for a switch-heavy scheme. I'd argue switching is the optimal way to slow down CP3 in the PnR, plus defend the 3pt line against CP3, Book and Bridges. Since Ayton is an interior-oriented big, we also have the option of drop coverage. The POA defender goes over the pick against CP3 and dares him to either shoot the long 2 off the dribble (with the POA defender trying to contest the shot from behind) or attack the basket against Horford/Looney.

FGA
2023 Jayson Tatum 21.1
2023 Jaylen Brown 20.6
2023 Derrick White 9.2
2023 Al Horford 7.6
2008 Paul Pierce 13.7
2023 Alex Caruso 4.3
2006 James Posey 5.9
2023 Kevon Looney 4.7

Total: 87.1

[Fifii]

Rotation

PG: Chris Paul 33 / Derek Fisher 15
SG: Devin Booker 36 / Tony Allen 12
SF: Mikal Bridges 34 / Tony Allen 14
PF: Pau Gasol 37 / Bo Outlaw 11
C: DeAndre Ayton 30 / Bo Outlaw 18

Offense :

I play a lot of p&r actions because :

Chris Paul as a pick and roll ball handler , scored 0.99 PPP ( 3rd in league, >= 8.6 poss ) on 52.9 % FG
DeAndre Ayton is the best pick and roll man in the league , scored 1.25 PPG on 64.8 % FG

I have better rebounder than my rival :

Gasol 4.0 2nd pts ( 4 in this season ) and DeAndre Ayton 2.4 ORPG.

Pau Gasol is good in pick & pop plays and I have good creators to this actions

Mikal plays like spot up shooter , so it is very hard to double team any my player if he stand on outside.

Booker 41 % FG in iso plays. I search Al Horford on missmatch, because he is the worse defender in starting five and he is very slow and can’t guard Booker on one on one.

Gasol uses his advantages of height ( 12 cm over Jayson ) and plays hook shoots in which he is very effective

Fisher 2.0 ORAMP in RS , Gasol 2.4 ORAMP in RS and 5th RAMP in PO.

Defense :

Fisher 6th DRAMP in PO , Tony Allen 2.0 DRAMP in RS.

Tony Allen and Mikal Bridges are my POA defenders.

Gasol defend 34.8 % OPP 3PFG ( 12th in this season )

On D I’m playing 2-3 matchup zone because I have good off ball / on ball defenders and hide Gasol when Jayson Tatum is on other side.


Summary :

I have better size on PF / C position so I dominate glass on the both side.

I’m switchable on PG position, I don’t see in my rival who is ball handler if White is on the bench ( now Phoenix too playin without PG and we see how many turnover they generate )

Gasol is my point forward like Giannis in Milwaukee (3.5 APG)

[Colbinii]

This is a fun match-up.

Overall, I don't think Pierce fixes much of the Celtics issues from being unable to get over the hump. I think size can give their core issues [Bam & Embiid] and Ayton [Locked-In] and Pau Gasol give them issues in the paint.

Fifii

[Dr Positivity]

Please include the seasons chosen in the write up

[Fifii]

Please include the seasons chosen in the write up

Chris Paul (21/22) – floor general, very high BBIQ. Leader in APG (10.8) in this season. 14th ORAPTOR, TS almost 60 %. He was in form and contribute to break record Phoenix Suns in wins (9th in Win Shares in whole league). Make third All-NBA Team.

Devin Booker (21/22) – 12th ORAPTOR, 58% TS. 38 % 3PFG on 7.0 3PFGA. 4th in MVP vote, make first All-NBA Team. 8th in PPG in whole league in this season (26.8 PPG), great self-created shooter.

Mikal Bridges (21/22) – All-Defense 1st Team and second in DPOTY vote. 37% 3PFGA on 3.8 3PFGA, one of the higher TS (63 %) , very good defensive wing who can play in offense.

Pau Gasol (08/09) – All-NBA 3rd team, 62% TS. 8th in RPG (9.6), very good rebounder in offensive glass. 6th in VORP and second reason why Lakers won championship.

DeAndre Ayton (21/22) – 63 % FG, 10th in RPG (10.2), +1.1 DRAPTOR, great rim protector.

Derek Fisher (01/02) – 41 % 3PFGA on 5.0 3PFGA, +9.4 on/off stats, won championship in Lakers, very good backup PG in my team.

Tony Allen (10/11) – All-Defensive second team and 4th I DPOTY vote, also he was eleven in 6th man vote. In my team he is also 6th man, 51 % FG, 5th I SPG (1.8), excellent defender from the bench.

Bo Outlaw (99/00) - 6 PPG and 6.4 RPG

[Dr Positivity]

I like Fifii's team a bit more but as in the other matchup I see those two bigs playing against Tatum and Horford shooting as a nightmare for him. I also think he should've used the 2021 Suns. Vote flaco.

[Fifii]

I like Fifii's team a bit more but as in the other matchup I see those two bigs playing against Tatum and Horford shooting as a nightmare for him. I also think he should've used the 2021 Suns. Vote flaco.

Hmm maybe I don't understand this rule

Each of the four players played at least half of games for that franchise in each of at least 2 consecutive years

I understand this that player plays minimum two seasons so if I choosing Phoenix 21 , I can’t choose Chris Paul so it would be a big lose

[Dr Positivity]

I like Fifii's team a bit more but as in the other matchup I see those two bigs playing against Tatum and Horford shooting as a nightmare for him. I also think he should've used the 2021 Suns. Vote flaco.

Hmm maybe I don't understand this rule

Each of the four players played at least half of games for that franchise in each of at least 2 consecutive years

I understand this that player plays minimum two seasons so if I choosing Phoenix 21 , I can’t choose Chris Paul so it would be a big lose

I interpreted it as that Paul crossing that threshold makes any of his Suns seasons eligible, that's why flaco can use Derrick White's first full season as well.

[durantbird]

Pau matchup is a problem (but also for flaco), nevertheless I just like Fifii's team more. I don't really think Pierce adds considerable value to what Boston already actually has, and Fifii has a significant playmaking advantage, with Paul and Pau vs White as lead PG.

Vote Fifii

[Snakebites]

I like Fifii's team a bit more but as in the other matchup I see those two bigs playing against Tatum and Horford shooting as a nightmare for him. I also think he should've used the 2021 Suns. Vote flaco.

Hmm maybe I don't understand this rule

Each of the four players played at least half of games for that franchise in each of at least 2 consecutive years

I understand this that player plays minimum two seasons so if I choosing Phoenix 21 , I can’t choose Chris Paul so it would be a big lose

I interpreted it as that Paul crossing that threshold makes any of his Suns seasons eligible, that's why flaco can use Derrick White's first full season as well.

Dr P’s interpretation is correct.

[Fifii]

Hmm maybe I don't understand this rule



I understand this that player plays minimum two seasons so if I choosing Phoenix 21 , I can’t choose Chris Paul so it would be a big lose

I interpreted it as that Paul crossing that threshold makes any of his Suns seasons eligible, that's why flaco can use Derrick White's first full season as well.

Dr P’s interpretation is correct.

A okey , but this season have someone pluses

[Square]

I guess I slightly lean flaco here. I don't really trust either of these cores too much. (I guess that's the point of this draft in some ways, but there are still some cores I have a bit more faith in than others.) I think Pau does some damage inside, and I agree with Colbinii that Pierce kind of just leans into the Celtics' flaws (no rim pressure, settling for jumpers) rather than addressing them. But overall I guess I feel like flaco's group is a little stouter defensively and the shooting could pull them through.

[Snakebites]

This one is hard.

I don’t particularly like Gasol/Ayton against a small ball lineup. I’d have preferred Gasol replacing Ayton actually- I’d have taken Crowder or Johnson with CP/Booker/Bridges.

It is a sword that cuts both ways of course- I’m not sure who’s going to be effective guarding Gasol here. I tend to buy Boston’s team defense along with the fact that they should be able to outpace their opponents through scoring from beyond the arc.

Vote flaco

[Fifii]

Maybe I should have choose 20/21 Phoenix instead 21/22 , but this team break record in wins.

I don’t understand one thing , I knew that Pau may have a problem guarding Jayson so I decide playing 2-3 matchup zone defense which a little eliminate this problem

[flaco]

Maybe I should have choose 20/21 Phoenix instead 21/22 , but this team break record in wins.

I don’t understand one thing , I knew that Pau may have a problem guarding Jayson so I decide playing 2-3 matchup zone defense which a little eliminate this problem

I'd argue zone defense is a questionable strategy against a 5-out offense. You end up with 2 defenders in a no-man's land while your 3 perimeter defenders are trying to provide cover for 5 shooters. You basically hope the open 3s don't go in.

Zone works great against interior-oriented offenses cause you have multiple players providing cover against slashers. For instance, the ''bad boys'' Pistons famously run box-and-1 against Jordan. One player was always chasing down Jordan while the other four defenders were set up in a box formation and were playing zone.

GG, Fifii!

[Fifii]

GG, Fifii!

GG , too

[Snakebites]

Flaco advances

Still 2 more to be decided. Hope to be able to post the semis at the end of today.