Four-man core vol. 2, SF2: Dr Positivity* vs Larry_Russell

[flaco]

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**

[Larry_Russell]

PG: Jrue Holiday (2021-22) 14.2
18.3ppg, 4.5rpg, 6.8apg, 1.6spg, 0.5bpg, 41% on 4.8-3pta
DPOY-8, All Defense 2nd

SG: Doug Christie (2002-03) 7
9.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.7apg, 2.3spg, 0.5bpg, 39.5% on 2.3-3pta
DPOY-5, All Defense 1st

SF: Khris Middleton (2021-22) 15.5
20ppg, 5.4rpg, 5.5apg, 1.2spg, 0.3bpg, 37.5% on 6.6-3pta
All Star

PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021-22) 18.6
30ppg, 11.6rpg, 5.8apg, 1.1spg, 1.4bpg
MVP (3), DPOY-6, All NBA 1st, All Defense 1st, All Star

C: Brook Lopez (2021-22) 10.1
12.5ppg, 4rpg, 0.5apg, 0.6spg, 1.2bpg. 36% on 4.1-3pta


PG/SG: Derrick White (2022-23) 9.2
12.5ppg, 3.6rpg, 4apg, 0.7spg, 1bpg, 38% on 4.8-3pta
All Defense 2nd

SF/PF: Robert Covington (2021-22) 7
8.5ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.5apg, 1.5spg, 1.3bpg, 38% on 4.8-3pta


C: Kelly Olynyk (2019-20) 5.9
8.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.7apg, 0.7spg, 40% on 3.5-3pta


PG: Holiday (36) / White (12)
SG: Christie (30) / White (18)
SF: Middleton (36) / Covington (8) / Christie (4)
PF: Giannis (38) / Covington (10)
C: Lopez (36) / Olynyk (10) / Covington (2)

87..5/88

We will defend straight up, and we will do an amazing job at it. I have an elite defensive team top to bottom here and we will look to force turnovers whenever possible.
Jrue/White are both terrific defender for Lowry as he is big, strong, has quick hands and is fast to recover

Christie/White is an ideal cover for Manu as an elite defender with elite size on the wing who both have elite level recovery as well.

Middleton/Covington/Christie will be tasked with taking on Kawhi giving me lots of looks to throw at him throughout the game to keep him on his toes.

Giannis will be tasked with Siakam, who took 70% of his shots from inside 10 feet. This lets Giannis be the free safety defensively and really lets my defense click.

Brook will take on Turner.

My offense is simple, shooter spacing around Giannis, which I really maximize that here as everyone can shoot on volume from deep and at a great percentage to boot.

I have lots of scoring from various positions with Giannis at 30ppg, Middleton at 20ppg, Jrue at 18ppg, White and Brook at 13 ppg and Christie, Covington and Olynyk all about 9ppg.

We will just run lots of screens to get the desired matchup for Giannis to attack and spread everyone out for him to have targets to toss to to bomb from deep. Middleton, Jrue and White can all be secondary scorers, Jrue, White and Christie can all be secondary ball handlers.

[Dr Positivity]

PG: Kyle Lowry (2019: 11.4 FGA)
SG: Manu Ginobili (2005: 10.5 FGA)
SF: Kawhi Leonard (2019: 18.8 FGA)
PF: Pascal Siakam (2019: 11.8 FGA)
C: Myles Turner (2023: 11.8 FGA)

PG/SG: Fred VanVleet (2019: 9.4 FGA)
SF: Bruce Bowen (2008: 5.3 FGA)
PF/C: Lamar Odom (2009: 9.0 FGA)

88 / 88

PG: Kyle Lowry (36) / Fred VanVleet (12)
SG: Manu Ginobili (32) / Fred VanVleet (12) / Bruce Bowen (4)
SF: Kawhi Leonard (32) / Bruce Bowen (16)
PF: Pascal Siakam (32) / Lamar Odom (10) / Kawhi Leonard (6)
C: Myles Turner (32) / Lamar Odom (16)

Defensive matchups: Lowry on Holiday, Manu on Christie, Kawhi on Middleton, Siakam on Giannis, Turner on Lopez. As in 2019, Kawhi will get some time on Giannis.

This is a favorable matchup for us since the Raptors beat the Bucks in 2019 with Kawhi's defense proving useful against Giannis. Or to put it another way, Larry's team is mostly a deeper version of 2021 Bucks (though he actually used 2022), while I think switching Gasol for Turner and adding Manu upgrades my team more. I don't think he has the wings to stop Kawhi, and Turner is a poor matchup for his defense since Lopez relies on being able to drop in the paint. My bench is stronger as Odom's advantage over Olynyk is much more significant than White's over FVV, and I'd take Bowen over Covington with both being older.

[Fadeaway_J]

It is funny how this turned out to be a 2019 rematch in a lot of ways, and Dr P's upgrades seem more meaningful to me. Not only did he get an All-NBA level guard while Larry only added role players, but Turner provides even more rim protection to help "build a wall" against Giannis. Odom is a premium bench piece as well and another guy who can form part of the plan to deter Giannis. I feel like this Bucks core has underperformed offensively too often for me to favour them against Dr P's defensive unit in a playoff series.

Vote: Dr Positivity

[Colbinii]

I agree much with Fadeaway_J here and believe Manu/Turner/Odom is significantly more impactful than Holiday/Christie.

Dr Positivity

[Snakebites]

Yeah, sorry LR. I got Dr P too.

Dr P got a halfway decent Gasol substitute in Myles Turner and upgraded the perimeter scoring and bench of the group that sent Giannis home in 2019. And LR's team is just a slightly better version of Bucks teams that we've already seen in the wild.

Vote Dr P

[flaco]

Dr Positivity advances to the Finals.