Opening Day Pairs Draft - Playin - lilroddyb vs Laimbeer*

[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).

[lilroddyb]

C: Rudy Gobert 28 min / Kevin Garnett 20 min
Pf: Kevin Garnett 20 min / Amen Thompson 28 min
Sf: Eddie Jones 36 min / Alex Caruso 12 min
Sg: Danny Green 30 min / Alex Caruso 18 min
Pg: James Harden 36 min / Hersey Hawkins 12 min

05 Kevin Garnett 16.6
98 Eddie Jones 12.6
25 Alex Caruso 5.8
15 James Harden 18.1
20 Danny Green 7
24 Rudy Gobert 8.1
25 Amen Thompson 10.1
98 Hersey Hawkins 7.8

86.1

Offense

Harden/KG will run the offense with decent spacing around them. Secondary playmakers in Caruso and Hersey and a good scorer in Eddie Jones and pick and roll player in Gobert

Defense

I think I got the best Defense in the tournament with only one bad defender in Harden all the other players are elite

Defensive matchups

Gobert/ KG on Ewing
KG/ Amen on Bird
Eddie Jones/ Caruso on Paul Pierce
Danny Green/ Caruso on Luka Doncic
Harden/ Hawkins on Dorian Finney Smith

Overall

Laimbeer build a great team but I think I got the better defense and better bench imo

Best of luck Laimbeer

[Laimbeer]

Patrick Ewing ( 1988 ) 14.4 - DPOY (5); All-NBA
Larry Bird ( 1986 ) 19.6 - Peak Season (RealGM)
Paul Pierce ( 2008 ) 13.7 - Finals MVP; All-NBA
Dorian Finney-Smith ( 2025 ) 6.9 - 41.1% on 5.0 3PA
Luka Dončić ( 2025 ) 20.5 - PER (6); BPM (4)

Kevon Looney ( 2018 ) 3 - Rotation player on NBA Champ
Anthony Mason ( 1995 ) 6.6 - 6MOY (1)
Shaun Livingston ( 2019 ) 3.3 - Rotation player on NBA Finalist

88.0

Patrick Ewing (38) / Kevon Looney (10)
Larry Bird (34) / Anthony Mason (14)
Dorian Finney-Smith (26) / Anthony Mason (16) / Larry Bird (6)
Paul Pierce (38) / Dorian Finney-Smith (10)
Luka Dončić (38) / Shaun Livingston (10)

Good luck Roddy.

Luka's will run high pick-and-rolls with Ewing to create rim pressure or open kick-out passes. Bird facilitates from the wing with his GOAT level passing and shooting to stretch defenses. Pierce spreads the floor and provides still another offensive option. DFS provides spacing. Ewing’s low-post dominance with Dončić and Bird’s playmaking and Pierce and Finney-Smith’s perimeter scoring is nearly impossible to stop. KG is great but I don't think chasing Bird is his best use.

Defensively, we're a very intelligent team that should thrive on playing roles and helping out. Ewing/Gobert, DFS/Garnett, Bird/Jones, Luka/Green and Pierce/Harden. Pierce was in his KG-era and played big game defense against LeBron and Kobe among others.

Mason is a great bench anchor along with two rotation players, LIvingston and Looney, from the great Warrior teams. Their's gets an edge but doesn't match our superiority in star power.

[durantbird]

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Voting is open. Team owners please vote for yourselves

[MadNESS]

Voted Roddy. Luka and basically no other guards doesn’t bode well for any team. I love Laimbeers 3-5 though. Roddy has solid defense throughout and Harden/KG offense is tough. Amen off the bench is solid too.

[Dr Positivity]

This was tough cause Laimbeer's top 4 is so strong but the depth difference is massive especially considering 25 DFS starting. I sided with Roddy in the end.

[Snakebites]

I voted for roddy- I thought his team had more balance on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Ewing really wasn't a pick and roll player so his fit with Luka is dubious. Bird/Luka is mega-talented as on offensive 1/2 punch but I wasn't wild about the fit between those two guys on either end of the floor.

Perimeter defense was a concern as well. Roddy has strong backcourt options and Laimbeer's team doesn't have any players starting who slot firmly as guards on defense (Luka, Pierce and 25 DFS are all forwards on defense IMO).

Comment in passing- I'm a fan of Amen Thompson. I wonder what kind of season he'll have this year and if he'll start getting drafted more frequently.

It definitely requires the right offensive fit to make him work but I think as a 6th man (as he is here) or as a starter on a team full of shooters he's viable.

[durantbird]

ChatGPT vote Laimbeer - Laimbeer advances

https://chatgpt.com/share/68ec0f15-d20c-800a-9b71-17926b8680e6

I’ve got **Laimbeer in 7**—by a nose.

### Why it tilts Laimbeer

* **Top-end creation stack:** 2025 Luka + ’86 Bird + ’88 Ewing gives three different advantage engines (high PnR, elite wing hub, power post). That variety is tough to scheme out over seven games.
* **KG pulled out of help:** If KG spends long stretches on Bird, his elite backline value is diluted. With Gobert occupied by Ewing, Luka/Ewing PnR plus Bird’s off-ball cutting and spacing strain the backline.
* **Enough spacing/finishing:** Pierce + DFS around Luka/Bird provides clean kick-out targets; Pierce can punish Harden in key minutes.

### Why it still goes 7

* **Roddy’s defense is monstrous.** KG + Gobert + Jones + Caruso/Green puts real pressure on Luka’s drives and Bird’s reads; Harden/KG PnR will score against Ewing-in-drop.
* **Bench edge to Roddy.** Amen/Caruso/Hersey bring more two-way pop than Livingston/Looney/Mason, keeping minutes competitive.

### Swing details

* **Foul trouble:** If Gobert picks up early fouls, Ewing’s post & O-boards swing a game.
* **Amen’s shooting:** Roddy plays Amen 28 at PF; if DFS/Mason sag, it compresses Harden/KG actions in 4th quarters.
* **Late-game shotmaking:** Laimbeer can close with Luka/Bird/Pierce—three clutch shotmakers vs. Harden/KG + Jones/Green.

### What would help Roddy flip it

* Trim Amen’s closing minutes vs. DFS/Mason, close with **Hersey** for spacing.
* **More KG-at-5** stints (no Gobert) to switch Luka actions and keep KG as the primary helper on Bird.

**Call:** Laimbeer’s blend of heliocentric creation (Luka), GOAT-level secondary orchestration (Bird), and a reliable post/rim anchor (Ewing) ekes out the margins. **Laimbeer 4–3.**