West Cross-Era Duos Play-In #2 - lilroddyb vs. Laimbeer*

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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. Please ensure you give a rationale for your vote; votes with no explanation will not be counted.

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.**

[Laimbeer]

Nikola Jokić ( 2023 ) 14.8 - Greatest offensive season ever(?)
Andrei Kirilenko ( 2004 ) 11.9 - Fifth in DPOY voting
Desmond Bane ( 2023 ) 16.2 - All-D votes, 40.8% on 7.0 3PA
Kobe Bryant ( 2004 ) 18.1 - Fifth in MVP
Chauncey Billups ( 2009 ) 12.4 - Sixth in MVP

Jake Tsakalidis ( 2006 ) 3.2 - PER 17.3; 10.4 rebs/1.6 blks per 36
Royce O'Neale ( 2021 ) 5.5 - All-D votes, 38.5% on 3.9 3PA
Patrick Beverley ( 2023 ) 5.4 - All-D votes, 38.5% on 3.9 3PA

87.5 / 88.0 87.5

Nikola Jokić (40) / Jake Tsakalidis (8)
Andrei Kirilenko (38) / Royce O'Neale (10)
Desmond Bane (36) / Royce O'Neale (12)
Kobe Bryant (40) / Patrick Beverley (8)
Chauncey Billups (38) / Patrick Beverley (10)

On offense, Joker gets Jamal Murray on a double dose of steroids in Kobe. No doubt Kobe has the ability, adaptability, and acumen to take that show to still another level. The balance of the team provides space and still another playmaker in Chauncey as needed. I don't think Brand is a particularly good match for Joker. Along with Pau it's an unimpressive defensive interior.

We'll play straight up defensively with a good answer at each position. Kawhi has a small size advantage and does like to go inside on occasion. But this is a team that will already be struggling for space with Pau, Brand and 18 minutes of Chandler. Kawhi going low on top of that is a major traffic jam.

Both benches are okay, with no game changers. This is just a good matchup for us. We will benefit from their interior heavy game and our having the most dominant player on the floor. I would suggest we might have the best two players, depending on how you view Kobe/Kawhi.

[lilroddyb]

C: Pau Gasol 30 min / Tyson Chandler 18 min
Pf: Elton Brand 36 min / Robert Horry 12 min
Sf: Kawhi Leonard 38 min / Robert Horry 10 min
Sg: Manu Ginobili 36 min / Jason Kidd 12 min
Pg: Chris Paul 38 min / Jason Kidd 10 min

2005 Manu Ginobili 10.5
2017 Kawhi Leonard 17.7
2015 Chris Paul 14.3
2002 Elton Brand 12.6
2011 Tyson Chandler 5.5
2009 Jason Kidd 7.6
2010 Pau Gasol 13
2002 Robert 'Horry 5.7


tfga: 86.9

Offense

Chris Paul will run the offense. KAwhi can take over the game scoring wise.

Defensive matchup

Pau and Chandler guard Jokic
Elton/ Horry on AK
Kawhi/ Kidd on Kobe
Manu / Kidd on Desmond Bane
CP3/Kidd on Billups

best of luck Laimbeer

.

[flaco]

Talent-wise, I'd argue Laimbeer has the 2 best players in the series. Kobe was notoriously selfish which makes Jokic arguably the best possible partner for him. Personally, I'd use Bane at SG and Kobe at SF. I don't think Bane can hold his own against swings. No big deal though. With the ammount of switching in the modern game, everybody defends pretty much everybody. Leaning Laimbeer cause I think he has the edge on top-end talent, plus I love the Jokic-Kobe fit. Roddy has superior depth, but some of his players cancel each other out (for instance, CP3-Kidd failing to both maximize their passing or Brand-Pau clogging the paint for each other).

Vote: Laimbeer

[Fadeaway_J]

Laimbeer's argument that "both benches are OK" is quite the stretch. Roddy's is clearly better and maybe his strongest argument to win this matchup; it could be argued that his worst reserve (Horry) is better than any of Laimbeer's. I do prefer Laimbeer's fit though and would have preferred to see the team clearly built around spread pick-and-roll with peak Brand. However, I don't see Kawhi being all that bothered by playing with the two bigs, as those mid-2010s Spurs were similar and roddy's team has more high-volume shooting threats on the perimeter. CP3 also dealt with some low-spacing two-big setups with the Clippers and produced strong offensive results, and Pau can help open things up with his passing much as Griffin did. I suspect a perimeter group with Manu as the third (!!!) banana can survive a few rogue post-ups.

Vote: lilroddyb

[Snakebites]

I don’t think there’s enough spacing up front to really exploit Jokic defensively here, and he’s the best player in this series. Lakers Gasol is someone he should do fine against defensively. Peak Brand (a much better midrange shot) and Spurs Gasol probably would have been better, albeit a bit more expensive.

I buy the fit around Jokic here- I think Kobe a very good match with him as he always paired well with big men who could pass well. The Kawhi matchup isn’t ideal but I still think he has enough here.

I agree with others that the wonky fit of Kidd offsets the depth advantage a little bit here.

Vote Laimbeer

[uberhikari]

I'm fine with the CP3/Kidd fit. Kobe isn't the kind of defender who can really slow down peak Kawhi. Laimbeer's bench is pretty bad. But despite all this, the top-end talent disparity is just too much. The Elton Brand downgrade is canceled out by the downgrades for Billups and Kobe but that's still too many weapons for peak Jokic, who roddy has not great defender for. Vote: Laimbeer

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Laimbeer advances