West Cross-Era Duos R1 - Fadeaway_J* vs. Laimbeer

[Fadeaway_J]

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)

Good luck, Fade.


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. Kareem is very outside his comfort zone guarding a player like Jokic. Nearly a half century ago he wasn't matched against 6'11 284 lb ballhandlers who threatened to do just about everything from 25 feet and in. It's also important to note Allen is not equipped to guard Kobe. In short, less than optimal answers to our two best players.

We'll play straight up defensively with a good answer at each position. We've got superb point of attack defenders in Kirilenko and Chauncey. Durant has acknowledged Tony Allen as his most troublesome defender. Bane isn't on Allen's level, but he's very good and fits the mold of a smaller, quick player. At this stage Kareem struggled with strong centers who used their body (Moses, etc) Jokic has the bulk to deny Kareem his spot or at least make him work very hard.

We have two of the three best bench players in O'Neale and Beverly, with Reaves the best of the bunch. No game changers.

This is a good matchup for us. They have no good answer for our two best players.

[Fadeaway_J]

Starters
C - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1979-80)

Spoiler:

24.8 ppg, 10.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 3.4 bpg, .604 FG%, .765 FT%, .639 TS%
- Led the NBA in bpg, OWS (9.5), WS (14.8), WS/48 (.227), VORP (7.3)
- NBA Champion
- NBA All-Star
- NBA MVP
- All-NBA First Team
- All-Defensive First Team

PF - Draymond Green (2021-22)

Spoiler:

7.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.1 bpg, .525 FG%, .285 3P%, .659 FT%, .582 TS%
- NBA Champion
- NBA All-Star
- All-Defensive Second Team

SF - Kevin Durant (2012-13)

Spoiler:

28.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.3 bpg, .510 FG%, .416 FT%, .905 FT%, 139 3P (1.7 pg), .647 TS%
- Led the NBA in FT%
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team

SG - Ray Allen (2005-06)

Spoiler:

25.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, .454 FG%, .412 3P%, .903 FT%, 269 3P (3.4 pg), .590 TS%
- Led the NBA in 3P
- NBA All-Star

PG - Mike Conley (2021-22)

Spoiler:

13.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.3 bpg, .435 FG%, .408 3P%, .796 FT%, 169 3P (2.3 pg), .572 TS%

Bench
F - Bryon Russell (1997-98)

Spoiler:

9.0 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg, .430 FG%, 341 3P%, .766 FT%, 73 3P (0.9 pg), .570 TS%

G - Jon Barry (1995-96)

Spoiler:

3.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.2 bpg, .492 FG%, .473 3P%, .838 FT%, 44 3P (0.6 pg), .638 TS%

G - Austin Reaves (2022-23)

Spoiler:

13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.3 bpg, .529 FG%, .398 3P%, .864 FT%, 86 3P (1.3 pg), .687 TS%

Rotations
C - KAJ (40), Green (8)
PF - Green (26), Durant (14), Russell (8)
SF - Durant (26), Russell (12), Allen (8)
SG - Allen (30), Reaves (10), Barry (8)
PG - Conley (32), Reaves (16)

FGA Per Player

Spoiler:

Kevin Durant - 17.7
Ray Allen - 19.2
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 16.9
Austin Reaves - 7.7
Draymond Green - 5.6
Jon Barry - 3.0 (2.7)
Mike Conley - 11.0
Bryon Russell - 6.4

Total: 87.5/88.0

Our attack is two-pronged: we can dump into one of the most unstoppable post scorers of all time, or we can lean on our flamethrowers on the perimeter. Even with his limited shooting, Draymond fits in perfectly with his ability to run DHOs or screen away for KD, Allen, Conley, Reaves, or Barry; playing off Draymond (an excellent screener) runs the risk of giving up a wide-open look to an elite shooter. Defensively, Kareem holds down the paint, Draymond does his "everything everywhere all at once" routine, and KD uses his length to provide supplementary rim protection. Russell is a solid bench option to throw at opposing wings.

Matchup
- We'll start with Conley on Billups, KD on Kobe, Allen on Bane, Draymond on AK-47, Kareem on Jokic. Draymond has licence to roam given AK's offensive limitations. We'll mix up the coverages with Draymond and Russell also seeing time on Kobe.
- Defensively Bane to Tony Allen is about as bad as comparisons get. Bane has a notoriously short wingspan (6'4") which is part of why he fell in the draft. Allen's is 6'9" which helped him to compensate him for his relative lack of height. Bane is a decent defender but has none of the tools that made Allen so tough for KD to deal with. KD will be able to shoot over him with impunity.
- Kareem doesn't have Jokic's all-round offensive game, but he's just as undeniable as a post scorer. Jokic isn't stopping the skyhook either.

Good luck Laimbeer.

[Dr Positivity]

I feel going to 04 Kobe to upgrade AK was an unforced error here and I would have liked the supporting cast around Durant/KAJ more than Jokic/Kobe anyway, plus he's not playing Jake something 8 minutes. Vote Fade.

[Snakebites]

It's hard to evaluate a matchup where I don't think either team is particularly well suited to defend the other.

Laimbeer has no real answer to KD- Bane is strong and has managed to become a solid defender despite not really having the physical tools normally needed for that. But KD is the wrong matchup for him.

On the flip side, I don't see Fade containing Laimbeer in the general sense. Kareem should do a solid job against Jokic in the post, but not out on the perimeter where Jokic is well capable of doing damage both as a scorer and a playmaker, and his perimeter D leaves a lot to be desired too. Conley's defense had declined by this point in his career despite finally getting the All-Star nod his Memphis version was far better.

I don't love the downgrade of Kobe- I think older or younger AK with 2008 Kobe would have been better even if it would have "wasted" some FGA. But it's not enough for me.

Vote Laimbeer

[Larry_Russell]

This is a bad matchup for Laimbeer, Imo.

I really really like his team. Monster team, but the weaknesses he has is getting exposed byt Fades team.

HAving Green be a roamer along with KAJ in the frontcourt makes life really hard for Jokic. Really hard.

And having to have Joker defend the greatest scoring bigman of all time with the most unguardable move is just unfair to him.

Also there is no cover for Durant either.


Vote Fade

[uberhikari]

Snakebites is right: it's hard to evaluate a matchup where the teams can't defend each other. I almost voted for Laimbeer but it's difficult for me to imagine a team that can outscore prime KAJ and KD, especially when no one can defend them. These guys can not only score at insane volume but at insane efficiency. What tips the scales is Jokic's defense. In the modern NBA there's only 1 skilled, high-volume scoring big man, Embiid, so Jokic's defense usually can't be exploited but this is KAJ. I remember in the 2020 WCF Jokic had very hard time staying out of foul trouble vs AD/LBJ. This would be even worse. Vote: Fadeaway_J

[Fadeaway_J]

GG Laimbeer

[Laimbeer]

GG Laimbeer

GG. Thought I'd get swept, tbh. People like the Kobe/Jokic pairing more than I thought. I didn't realize 2004 Kobe was considered such a downgrade. Should have gone with a cheaper and longer SF than Bane.