Giannis Draft - CHAMPIONSHIP - lilroddyb** 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, you may post a vote by commenting to this post (notice we will not be using a poll) - all participants of the draft are invited and encouraged to post a vote, so as other regular participants of the games in the forum. You are not required to explain your vote, but you are welcome to do so if you want.

First to 4 votes wins. There is no AI vote when the host is playing in the matchup.

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]

PG: Steve Nash 2005 - 11.4 - non lotto
SG: Jrue Holiday 2024 - 10.0 - brother
SF: LeBron James 2013 - 17.6 - no college
PF: Karl Malone 2000 - 18.0 - 10+ years
C: Kristaps Porzingis 2024 - 13.2 - small-scale international

Bench: Mikal Bridges 2021 - 9.3 - playoffs opponent
Bench: Joe Ingles 2016 - 3.6 - teammate
Bench: Alonzo Mourning 2006 - 4.8 - 1 of 1

PG: Steve Nash 38 / Jrue Holiday 10
SG: Jrue Holiday 28 / Mikal Bridges 20
SF: LeBron James 34 / Joe Ingles 8 / Mikal Bridges 6
PF: Karl Malone 38 / Kristaps Porzingis 6 / LeBron James 4
C: Kristaps Porzingis 30 / Alonzo Mourning 18

87.9/88

vs

C: Nikola Jokic 38 min / Steven Adams 10 min
Pf: Anthony Davis 38 min / OG Anunoby 10 min
Sf: OG Anunoby 28 min / Brent Barry 20 min
Sg: Dwyane Wade 38 min / Delon Wright 10 min
Pg: Kyle Lowry 38 min / Delon Wright 10 min

Matchup:
- Defensive assignments: Nash on Lowry, Holiday on Wade, LeBron on Anunoby (+free safety roamer), Porzingis on Davis, Malone on Jokic.
- Holiday, LeBron, Bridges, Ingles is a pretty strong perimeter defense group to throw at Lowry/Wade, while Malone/Porzingis/Mourning is a formidable two-way big man rotation against Davis and Jokic. We're going with Malone as Jokic's man-to-man defender because his strength allows him to absorb Jokic's physicality while keeping Porzingis free to protect the rim and LeBron free to roam as a help defender.
- roddy has built a strong two-way group, but we can still take advantage of it by Porzingis drawing Jokic to the three point line and bombing threes. Our bench also keeps the defensive intensity better with Bridges instead of Barry.
- Nash-Malone pick and roll is one of the best PNR duos imaginable, and will be pretty tough to guard. When this PNR is flanked by prime LeBron, with pick and pop options with Porzingis, lethal shooting and defense all around, our team is very well rounded and cohesive

[lilroddyb]

C: Nikola Jokic 38 min / Steven Adams 10 min
Pf: Anthony Davis 38 min / OG Anunoby 10 min
Sf: OG Anunoby 28 min / Brent Barry 20 min
Sg: Dwyane Wade 38 min / Delon Wright 10 min
Pg: Kyle Lowry 38 min / Delon Wright 10 min

2023 Nikola Jokic 14.8 Category 6
2020 Anthony Davis 17.7 Category 5
2006 Dwyane Wade 18.8 Category 2
2018 Kyle Lowry 12.1 Category 1
2026 OG Anunoby 12 Category 8
2022 Delon Wright 3.5 Category 7
2025 Steven Adams 3 Category 4
2001 Brent Barry 6 Category 3

tfga: 87.9

offense

I think this is close to ideal Jokic Supporting cast. Everyone around him is an good shooter or great midrange shooter (like Wade ). So the floor will be spaced out. There are bunch of athletic freaks that can run pick and Roll/pop and catching lobs. Multiple guys that can take over the game scoring wise in Jokic, Wade , Davis and to lesser extend Lowry and OG.

All my starters are at their peaks or close to it and my bench guys are all playing at high level.

Wade is at his athletic peak and during the playoffs he averaged 28 pts on 59 ts% with limited spacing around him, now everyone is great shooter that will space the floor for him


Defensive matchup

Jokic on Porzingis
Anthony Davis on Karl Malone
OG on Lebron
Dwyane Wade on Holiday
Kyle Lowry on Kyle Lowry

Everyone on my team is elite defender outside of Jokic and maybe Brent Barry but Jokic is smart defender and elite rebounder.

overall

DB build a great team that should give every team trouble but I think I have the right personal to win this. Thankfully we have huge sf in OG that wont stop Lebron but should bother him alot especially with Anthony Davis ready to help out

Not a big fan of Porzingis like some know because he is constantly hurt and can't handle long playing time in real life and it wont get easier dealing with physical players like AD and Jokic

DWade at his peak could get anywhere on the court and in the playoffs dominated legendary Pistons defense so even if Holiday is guarding him I still think Wade should do really well in this matchup with all of the spacing around him

DB can target Jokic on defense but we can target Nash

best of luck DB

[Fadeaway_J]

Good adjustments by durantbird and I think he has the wherewithal to keep the series competitive, but roddy has had this draft wrapped for a while IMO. Jokic-AD-Wade is bad enough but adding Lowry and peak OG is just overkill.

Vote: lilroddyb

[JimmyPlopper]

Vote roddy

[Dr Positivity]

Vote durantbird, bench pieces tip it a bit to his side with two stack sides.

[durantbird]

lilroddyb wins!! gg

[lilroddyb]

GG DB

Feel like I haven't won in months maybe years lol, so this is pretty sweet