Madness Draft - CHAMPIONSHIP - JimmyPlopper** vs durantbird

[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. Once the writeups are posted, I will add a poll, and the team with the most votes after 24 hours will advance. EACH MANAGER SHOULD ALSO VOTE FOR THEIR OWN TEAM IN THE POLL - IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS, YOU ARE SIMPLY GIVING AWAY A VOTE. If the votes are tied, we will decide the matchup via AI vote.

You are not required to state or explain your vote, but you are free to comment in the thread if you want to.

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).

[durantbird]

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 24' - 19.8
Clyde Drexler 91' - 16.3
Herbert Jones 24' - 7.7
Chris Webber 97' - 16.2
Dereck Lively 24' - 5.4

Morris Peterson 04' - 7.2
Gerald Wallace 10' - 12.4
Bo Outlaw 96' - 3.0


88/88

SGA 40 / Drexler 8
Drexler 30 / Peterson 18
Herb 32 / Wallace 14 / Peterson 2
Webber 20 / Wallace 18 / Outlaw 10
Lively 30 / Webber 18

Vs

Kyrie Irving (26) / Brad Davis (22)
Latrell Sprewell (38) / Kyrie Irving (10)
Tayshaun Prince (36) / Grant Williams (12)
Aaron Gordon (34) / Grant Williams (14)
Hakeem Olajuwon (40) / Jaylin Williams (8)

Matchup Analysis

Defensive Assignments: Herb on Kyrie, SGA on Sprewell, Drexler on Prince, Webber on Gordon, Lively on Hakeem.

We match up well defensively, with a highly switchable unit. Herb, SGA, Drexler, Gerald, and Peterson can all rotate on the perimeter, throwing different looks at Kyrie and Sprewell to disrupt their rhythm.

Our interior defense is anchored by Lively’s length and mobility, with strong support from Gerald Wallace, Bo Outlaw, and Webber. Hakeem will get his, but we’ll make him work for every bucket and limit his supporting cast.

Offensive Edge:
We hold the advantage in firepower and versatility. SGA, Drexler, and Webber form a dynamic trio who can score in isolation, facilitate, and punish mismatches. Gerald Wallace adds cutting, energy, and transition scoring.

We have multiple playmakers, inside-out balance, and the ability to adapt based on the defense thrown at us. In a tight, defensive battle, our ability to generate high-quality shots and play through multiple creators will be the difference.

Bench Advantage:
Our bench brings a decisive edge—Gerald Wallace’s two-way impact, Peterson’s shooting, and Outlaw’s hustle give us quality minutes across positions, while their bench lacks offensive punch and versatility.

Bottom Line:
We have more offensive weapons, more defensive flexibility, and better depth. Hakeem is elite, but this isn’t a one-man game. We take this one in a hard-fought, grind-it-out series.

[JimmyPlopper]

Kyrie Irving (26) / Brad Davis (22)
Latrell Sprewell (38) / Kyrie Irving (10)
Tayshaun Prince (36) / Grant Williams (12)
Aaron Gordon (34) / Grant Williams (14)
Hakeem Olajuwon (40) / Jaylin Williams (8)

87.6/88 FGA/G


This is a fittingly tough finals matchup. Durantbird built a dynamic and well-balanced team—SGA and Drexler form a versatile backcourt with scoring, playmaking, and size, and Webber gives them a real offensive engine in the frontcourt. Defensively, their wing depth with Herb Jones, Wallace, and Outlaw brings a ton of length and pressure. For my team, the focus is on letting Hakeem anchor both ends as the centerpiece while surrounding him with smart, disciplined defenders and secondary scorers. Kyrie and Spree provide different looks in the backcourt—Kyrie with surgical scoring and Spree with downhill force and energy—while Tayshaun and Aaron give us excellent wing defense and flexibility. We're leaning on chemistry, balance, and rim protection to navigate their athleticism and creativity. Durantbird’s team is loaded with talent and extremely well-constructed, so I’m expecting a great chess match. Much respect heading into this one.

[durantbird]

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Matchup is open, Jimmy please vote for yourself

[durantbird]

Yeah, Hakeem is a problematic matchup in this draft. In round 2 my best option for a rim protector was Bam and going for Drexler, Lively was actually the best rim protector I could have since round 3.

I actually had Hakeem first on my list for the draft, ahead of Magic. Still, Jimmy did a nice job building around him.

We'll wait for the official closing time.

[JimmyPlopper]

Yeah, Hakeem is a problematic matchup in this draft. In round 2 my best option for a rim protector was Bam and going for Drexler, Lively was actually the best rim protector I could have since round 3.

I actually had Hakeem first on my list for the draft, ahead of Magic. Still, Jimmy did a nice job building around him.

We'll wait for the official closing time.

I had a lucky spot in the draft for sure. But I also didn't anticipate this to be so lopsided. SGA/Drexler is a great backcourt.

[durantbird]

JimmyPlopper wins GG

[JimmyPlopper]

Gg db