East Cross Era Duos - SF2 - MadNess* vs Larry_Russell

[durantbird]

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 wins the championship**

[durantbird]

[Larry_Russell]

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

SG: Michael Jordan (1990-91) 22.4
31.5ppg, 6rpg, 5.5apg, 2.7spg, 1bpg
MVP, NBA 1st, Def 1st, DPOY-6, All Star, #1ppg, PER, OWS, WS, WS/48, OBPM, BPM, WS, VORP

SF: Jimmy Butler (2016-17) 16.5
24ppg, 6.2rpg, 5.5apg, 2spg, 0.5bpg, 37% on 3.3-3pta
NBA 3rd, All Star, Highest OWS, DWS, WS, Vorp of career

PF: Rahsard Lewis (2008-09) 13.8
17.7ppg, 5.7rpg, 2.6apg, 1spg, 0.6bpg, 40% on 7-3pta
All Star

C: Dwight Howard (2009-10) 10.2
18.3ppg, 13.2rpg, 1.8apg, 1spg, 2.8bpg
DOPY, MVP-4, NBA 3rd, Def 1st, All Star, #1 FG%, efg, rpg, bpg, dws, dbpm

PG/SG: Terry Porter (1998-99) 7.4
10.5ppg, 3rpg, 3apg, 1spg, 41% on 2.8-3pta
6MOY-5

SF/PF: Mike Miller (2011-12) 45.4
6ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.1apg, 0.5spg, 45.5% on 3-3pta


C: Kendrick Perkins (2004-05) 3
2.5ppg, 3rpg, 0.5apg


PG: White (38) / Porter (10)
SG: Jordan (40) / Porter (8)
SF: Butler (40) / Miller (8)
PF: Lewis (38) / Miller (10)
C: Howard (40) / Perkins (8)

87.9/88


Defense is going to be switch heavy for everyone not called Howard. He is staying close to the paint.

Penny is going to see time being defended by all of White, Jordan and Jimmy. Jordan defended Magic brilliantly and gave him fits, and I think for stints he will be great against penny as well. Most of the time though penny will have White check him up. White with his fast hands and impeccable timing from behind

White will primarily defend Penny though and will play off him. I am far less concerned about Penny 31% average on 3 attempts from a shorter 3pt line than I am about his speed at attacking the rim. So white plays off.

Jordan will check Dumars, 33 year old dumars 2 seasons from retirement. Jordan is at his absolute peak, and this season he smoked a 27 year old Dumars who was a vastly superior player to this version.

Lewis will take on Pierce. I love the truth, but he was 100% a step slower in this season from his prime, he was decending down the slope of age and was a much slower player who needed someone passing the ball to him to get a shot up. (assisted on over 40% of his 2pters, over 90% of his threes) He only had 20 dunks on the season. Lewis is my weakest defender, but he has the height, speed and mobility to make Paul have nothing easy.

Butler will be doing the majority of the work on the man Bird. No one stops bird, just doesnt happen. He is one of the 10 guys in nba history that will always get his points. My only hope here is to put a fast handed and tough Jimmy on him to give him fits like how Cooper did back in the day. Just be in front of him at all times. Bird also really likes having the ball to create and score but with Penny being a creator, hopefully this lets the Bird defense work a little better.

Howard on Moses. THis is a great one. Moses was his biggest threat as a offensive rebounder. But this time he is up against an athletic freak who is easily as strong if not stronger then him, who is also a defensive monster down low and an elite rebounder with crazy second and third jump ability. Moses will not be able to be moses against Howard.

Offensively, I still have the best player here. Alpha scorer who is at his absolute peak. I have great shooting around him with Miller, White, Porter and Lewis all being sharpshooters there, and Jimmy even taking and making threes at 37% on over 3 attempts per game!!

We are going to stifle defensively and look to run whenever possible as I have real elite horses on the team, white and Lewis to the corners, Howard right down the middle and Jordan starting if off,

In a halfcourt I have the GOAT there with guys that I can run a triangle or a pick and roll, or backscreens to get whoever we want on a jordan postup.




I think our benches are similar

[MadNESS]

PG: Penny Hardaway (24) | Jason Williams (24) | Joe Dumars
SG: Joe Dumars (32) | Penny Hardaway (16) | Paul Pierce
SF: Paul Pierce (30) | Matisse Thybulle (13) | Joe Dumars (5)
PF: Larry Bird (41) | Paul Pierce (7) | Matisse Thybulle
Cc: Moses Malone (38) | Aron Baynes (10) | Larry Bird



Total: 88.0 | 88.0

85’-86’ Larry Bird - 19.6 FGA
MVP | All NBA 1 | All Star | Champion | FMVP

09’-10’ Paul Pierce - 12.2 FGA
All Star | 41% 3’s

82’-83’ Moses Malone - 16.7 FGA
MVP | All NBA D 1 | All NBA 1 | All Star | Champion

20’-21’ Matisse Thybulle - 3.7 FGA
All NBA D 2 | 3 & D Wing

95’-96’ Penny Hardaway - 14.8 FGA
MVP (3) | All NBA 1 | All Star

09’-10’ Jason Williams - 5.2 FGA
Creator | 38% 3’s | Back Up PG on 59 win team

96’-97’ Joe Dumars - 11.1 FGA
All Star | DPOY (6) | 43% 3’s

15’-16’ Aron Baynes - 4.7 FGA
Enforcer | 17.8 PER

Write Up:

GL LR

First and foremost, we have the MJ stopper in Dumars.
We will slow him down the best we can. No one can stop MJ, so we will try to slow him down. The team starts and stops with MJ. He will also see some Thybulle.

Pierce on Butler. He played defense in playoffs. He was an above average defender.

The key to this series is Bird and Moses dominating this match up. He’s got no answer for Bird. None. This is what happens when you have Rashard Lewis. Moses will keep Dwight on him the whole game not allowing him to patrol the paint and stop Penny and Pierce from driving.

Penny is going to go crazy. He’s the second best guard in this series, and he will go HAM.

I’m not gonna get long winded here.

We have the shooting and the star power to beat LR’s team and we think we advance pretty easily actually.

Vote NESS.

[Larry_Russell]

Just want to again post up that I have butler guarding Bird, not Rashard. Butler is big, strong and an elite level defender. That makes far more sense that Shard, imo.

Also, defending Moses Keeps Howard in the paint, where I want him. Defending and rebounding.

And Penny is a non shooter and White is an ALL NBA level defender, so like I stated, he will play off penny and dare him to shoot. Giving white a far better chance at defending the drive with his intelligence on defense.

Also, this is old Dumars, a much Young Dumars in 90-91 (my season of Mike) defended Jordan yet in the playoffs when they met Mike averaged
30ppg,
5rpg
7apg
2.3spg
1.8bpg
60% on 1.5-3pta

Calling him a Jordan stopper is disengenuos.

[durantbird]

I have to disagree with MadNess that Larry has no one to guard Bird and Penny - Butler and White are very good answers. On the other hand old Dumars can struggle with MJ. I'm still going with MadNess because I prefer his leading five.

Vote MadNess

[flaco]

Ness somehow created a 5-headed monster despite the relative dearth of talent in the Eastern pool. I think he has hands down the best team in the draft. The Dumars pick was the icing on the cake. Penny is a ball handler on offense, but a wing on defense. His ideal backcourt partner is a POA defender who's also a low-usage floor spacer. That's Dumars. All in all, the team is supremely talented and makes perfect sense on both ends of the floor.

Vote: MadNESS

[Laimbeer]

Mike is the best player here but Bird isn't that far behind and has a superior supporting cast.

Vote - Ness

[Larry_Russell]

I thought I had a trip to the finals for sure this time.

[Snakebites]

These were the 2 best teams. I was leaning LR but do understand the other votes.

[durantbird]

MadNess advances