Playoff Upsets Draft - Semi - Laimbeer* vs durantbird

Moderators: Snakebites, MadNESS, Fadeaway_J

Which team wins?

Poll ended at Today 7:43 am

Laimbeer
5
71%
durantbird
2
29%
 
Total votes: 7

durantbird
General Manager
Posts: 8,653
And1: 1,772
Joined: Nov 30, 2019

Playoff Upsets Draft - Semi - Laimbeer* vs durantbird 

Post#1 » by durantbird » Sun Aug 3, 2025 4:08 pm

[url][/url]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).

Laimbeer wrote:

durantbird
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Re: Playoff Upsets Draft - Semi - Laimbeer vs durantbird 

Post#2 » by durantbird » Sun Aug 3, 2025 5:21 pm

Image
Image

PG: Jrue Holiday 21' - 13.9
SG: Michael Jordan 96' - 22.6
SF: Jimmy Butler 19' - 13.9
PF: Paul Millsap 19' - 9.5
C: Shaquille O'Neal 05' - 15.0

Bench: Delon Wright 22' - 3.5
Bench: Nate McMillan 96' - 4.3
Bench: Nicolas Batum 24' - 4.3

87/88

PG: Jrue Holiday 38 / Delon Wright 10
SG: Michael Jordan 20 / Nate McMillan 26 / Delon Wright 2
SF: Jimmy Butler 30 / Michael Jordan 18
PF: Paul Millsap 22 / Nicolas Batum 18 / Jimmy Butler 8
C: Shaquille O'Neal 38 / Paul Millsap 10

Vs

Brook Lopez (38) / Andrew Bogut (10)
Dirk Nowitzki (38) / PJ Tucker (10)
Scottie Pippen (28) / PJ Tucker (6) / Dan Majerle (6)
Klay Thompson (38) / Dan Majerle (10)
Steve Nash (38) / Scottie Pippen (10)

Defense assignments Holiday vs Nash, MJ vs Klay, Butler vs Pippen, Millsap vs Dirk, Shaq vs Lopez.

Great defensive assignments for us across the board. Our team has practically no defensive holes.

Biggest mismatch is Lopez vs Shaq. Shaq 05' was near MVP, with all the respect to Lopez, Shaq is going to feast.

MJ Butler can have MJ Pippen like synergy. Pippen got his 3pt reliable percentage only in short arc seasons, Butler is a much better spacer, so that combo has even higher ceiling. Together with Shaq it's overwhelming.

They might have a spacing advantage, but we got a clear defensive edge with stronger individual defenders and no defensive holes. The MJ Shaq duo should dominate nevertheless, and note that beside Shaq everyone can hit the three and space the floor.
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Laimbeer
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Re: Playoff Upsets Draft - Semi - Laimbeer vs durantbird 

Post#3 » by Laimbeer » Yesterday 12:17 am

Brook Lopez ( 2023 ) 11.5 - DPOY (2)
Dirk Nowitzki ( 2011 ) 16.2 - MVP (6), Finals MVP
Scottie Pippen ( 1996 ) 15.8 - MVP (5), DPOY (2)
Klay Thompson ( 2015 ) 16.9 - MVP (10), All-NBA
Steve Nash ( 2003) 13.6 - MVP (11), All-NBA

Andrew Bogut ( 2016 ) 4.0 - Starter on WCC, All-D votes
PJ Tucker ( 2023 ) 3.0 - Starter on Playoff Team, All-D votes
Dan Majerle ( 2000 ) 6.1 - Starter on Playoff Team, All-D votes

87.1

Brook Lopez (38) / Andrew Bogut (10)
Dirk Nowitzki (38) / PJ Tucker (10)
Scottie Pippen (28) / PJ Tucker (6) / Dan Majerle (6)
Klay Thompson (38) / Dan Majerle (10)
Steve Nash (38) / Scottie Pippen (10)


We have a duo in Dirk and Nash that led one of top offenses in the league now joined by Pippen, Klay, and a floor spacing center in Lopez. Their defensive interior is weak with Miami Shaq and Batum/Butler playing most of the minutes at the four. Dirk will feast. Nash and Lopez working P&R/P&P against Shaq is another fire.

Defensively, Pippen is an all-time great cover for Jordan. Lopez has the size and skill (2nd in DPOY, 7'1 282 lbs) to provide a strong answer to Shaq. Then there's Bogut in reserve. Millsap and Butler are shaky as three point shooters. Dirk/Millsap, Klay/Butler, and Nash/Jrue are fine. Jrue isn't elite offensively and will be an afterthought in this offense.

Both benches are decent, but they have no bigs in reserve.

I like the scoring depth in our offense a bit better. The match-ups are favorable with us being in a better position to take advantage of defensive shortcomings as well as having great answers to their big two.
Comments to rationalize bad contracts -
1) It's less than the MLE
2) He can be traded later
3) It's only __% of the cap
4) The cap is going up
5) It's only __ years
6) He's a good mentor/locker room guy
durantbird
General Manager
Posts: 8,653
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Joined: Nov 30, 2019

Re: Playoff Upsets Draft - Semi - Laimbeer vs durantbird 

Post#4 » by durantbird » Yesterday 7:43 am

Dr Positivity wrote:...

durantbird wrote:...

Larry_Russell wrote:...

lilroddyb wrote:...

Stan wrote:...

Fadeaway_J wrote:...

Laimbeer wrote:...

GeorgeMarcus wrote:...

Mr Ringer wrote:...

Snakebites wrote:...


Voting is open. Team owners please vote for yourselves
durantbird
General Manager
Posts: 8,653
And1: 1,772
Joined: Nov 30, 2019

Re: Playoff Upsets Draft - Semi - Laimbeer vs durantbird 

Post#5 » by durantbird » Today 1:34 pm

Laimbeer advances

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