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).
PG/SG: Jason Kidd (2009: 7.6 FGA) (Multiple finals) SF: Danny Green (2020: 7.0 FGA) (Lakers) C: Marcin Gortat (2010: 2.8 FGA = 3.0) (Magic)
87.1 / 88
PG: Chauncey Billups (38) / Jason Kidd (10) SG: Dwyane Wade (34) / Jason Kidd (14) SF: Trevor Ariza (18) / Danny Green (26) / Dwyane Wade (4) PF: Kevin Garnett (32) / Trevor Ariza (16) C: Kristaps Porzingis (34) / Marcin Gortat (8) / Kevin Garnett (6)
GL Fade
Defensive matchups: Billups on Dragic, Wade on Jones, Ariza on Kawhi, KG on Davis, Porzingis on Gasol
While the talent is pretty close overall, his team is putting a lot of responsibility on Dragic as the main playmaker for this level especially with Beverley as his backup, while we have Billups, Kidd, Wade, KG's passing to help us. I prefer Wade and KG as a top 2 to Kawhi and Davis because of the guard/big man balance. The matchups are great for us here with long defender in Ariza and KG on Davis. Dragic is the weakest defender in either starting lineup which Billups will take advantage of, and Porzingis stretching out Gasol will help us. Both teams have solid benches but I'd rather have Gortat backup C minutes as my 8th man than Bogans. Kidd and Green makes us even more dangerous on defense and fit in perfectly to winning team.
14.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.7 bpg, .494 FG%, .848 FT%, .559 TS% - Led the NBA in DBPM (3.1) - Defensive Player of the Year - All-NBA Second Team - All-Defensive Second Team
PF - Anthony Davis (2019-20)
Spoiler:
26.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.3 bpg, .503 FG%, .333 3P%, .846 FT%, 72 3P (1.2 pg), .610 TS% - NBA Champion - NBA All-Star - All-NBA First Team - All-Defensive First Team
SF - Kawhi Leonard (2016-17)
Spoiler:
25.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, .485 FG%, .381 3P%, .880 FT%, 147 3P (2.0 pg), .611 TS% - NBA All-Star - All-NBA First Team - All-Defensive First Team
SG - Eddie Jones (1997-98)
Spoiler:
16.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.0 spg, 0.7 bpg, .484 FG%, .389 3P%, .765 FT%, 143 3P (1.8 pg), .592 TS% - NBA All-Star - All-Defensive Second Team
PG - Goran Dragic (2013-14)
Spoiler:
20.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.3 bpg, .505 FG%, .408 3P%, .760 FT%, 122 3P (1.6 pg), .604 TS% - Most Improved Player - All-NBA Third Team
Bench F - Dennis Rodman (1993-94)
Spoiler:
4.7 ppg, 17.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.4 bpg, .534 FG%, .520 FT%, .549 TS% - Led the NBA in rpg, ORB% (17.9), DRB % (32.8), TRB% (25.7) - All-Defensive Second Team
Rotations C - Gasol (38), Davis (10) PF - Davis (28), Rodman (20) SF - Leonard (38), Jones (6), Bogans (4) SG - Jones (32), Beverley (12), Bogans (4) PG - Dragic (38), Beverley (10)
FGA Per Player
Spoiler:
Kawhi Leonard - 17.7 Anthony Davis - 17.7 Eddie Jones - 12.6 Marc Gasol - 10.9 Dennis Rodman - 3.7 Patrick Beverley - 6.1 Goran Dragic - 14.4 Keith Bogans - 4.2
Total: 87.3/88.0
We roll out a literal five-star starting lineup led by a monster forward combo of Kawhi and AD. This group can score in a variety of ways: Kawhi isos, Dragic running pick-and-roll with AD or Gasol, high-low actions with Gasol and AD, Jones attacking closeouts off the attention drawn from our superstar forwards, and the combo of Dragic, Jones, Kawhi, and AD getting out in transition. On top of that, any of our frontcourt trio can punish a mismatch in the post. The bench is rock solid with Bev as the archetypal 3-and-D PG, Bogans offering a similar skillset on the wing, and an overqualified sixth man in Rodman. Defensively, this roster is like a vice grip with six All-Defensive Team regulars plus Bogans being a clear positive on that end, and Dragic is solid with good size and competitiveness.
Matchup - Defensive assignments are mostly straight up except the more mobile AD covers Porzingis while Gasol guards KG with Rodman deputising. - Kawhi's strength presents a unique challenge that I'm not sure Dr P is equipped to handle. Ariza is already kind of skinny to handle him but using a natural SG in Green for more than half of the SF minutes is even more problematic. I've watched this version of Green trying to guard Kawhi and it wasn't particularly effective. As I always point out, Kawhi operates a lot in the midrange where it isn't easy to send help, and in any case KG will also have his hands full with AD as his primary assignment. - In addition to the Kawhi issue, Rodman will absolutely murder Ariza on the offensive glass during those minutes. - While the frontcourt battle should be hotly contested, I think we have a definite advantage on the perimeter with our worst player in Jones still being a dynamic scorer and off-the-dribble creator who will make Wade work to some degree, compared to a guy like Ariza who Kawhi can basically rest against. - Our transition game is more robust with Dragic being great at pushing the ball plus the athleticism of Jones, Kawhi, and AD running the lanes.
