Golden Era Auction Writeups - 1st Round FINISHED

[Gremz]

Eastern Conference

Group 1

TMACFORMVP Vs BlackIce

Props to TMACFORMVP for making me read yet another novel of a writeup. Unfortunately it wasn't required.

vote: TMACFORMVP, no writeup for BlackIce, subject to change.

TMACFORMVP Vs Miller4ever

Coming soon......

BlackIce Vs Miller4ever

Coming soon.....

Group 2

All In the Name Vs bness888

vote: All In The Name, no writeup from bness888, subject to change.

All In the Name Vs CellarDoor

vote: All In The Name, subject to change if CellarDoor finished writeup.

bness888 Vs CellarDoor

No writeups either way, no winner.

Remaining votes to follow. Internet trouble atm.

[roc]

I was hoping to see all the write ups complete before judging.

I have made my decisions on match ups with both write ups complete but will hold off a bit on posting.

I do not have a book written to justify my choices, hell I haven't even written a sentence yet.

If I do not see the MIA appear soon I will post as is.

[CellarDoor]

God...week from hell. Between the snow relegating my internet use at home to my phone, and my training at work taking me off-site to a location where RGM is blocked I pretty well couldn't access this place for long posts.

If the judging isn't done, I'll get to my write-up v. All in the Name / rebuttal time allowing.

[Miller4ever]

^^Get that up. I'm looking forward to our matchup.

[BlackIce]

Sorry about that.

Blackice vs Tmac

Rotation

Hakeem (30)/Parish (18)
Brand(24)/Hakeem(10)/AK47(14)
Pippen(38)/Battier(10)
Finley(34)/Battier(10)/Bell(4)
Thomas(38)/Agent 0 (10)

I knew as soon who I was matched up against that this would be tough. I won’t go over the individual matchups much the judges should know who is who, I will simply attempt to highlight the other teams weaknesses and our advantages. Good luck Tmac and may the best team win.

*I don’t have internet while I’m doing this so I can’t look up numbers. Meh. On my laptop at school and the network is down. Will get this up as soon as the network goes back up.

Fit
Nash and Wade is a backcourt of two great players however I’m not sure both in the same backcourt is the greatest fit. Both players have a high usage rate, and both are at their best when they have the ball in their hands and are creating opportunities for themselves or others. There’s a reason MIA has targeted PG’s that can shoot the 3 while working off the ball and defend the point (Payton in decline, Chalmers, Williams to some extent), and there’s a reason (Bell/Richardson) why PHX has targeted SG’s that work off the ball and hit the 3, defend (in the case of Bell), etc. What happens when the Nash has the ball in his hands and is trying to create does Wade become a spot up shooter? How about vice versa? I’m fine with that. We feel that while we have a pretty ball dominant PG in Thomas we complement him better with Battier and Finley at SG, 3 point shooters that work off the ball.

3 Point Shooting
Tmac points out that while my chosen Pippen is a good 3 point shooter, the 3 point line was shortened. What he falls to mention is that my bench is built around guys that can spread the floor (Parish) and hit the 3 (Battier/Gil/AK47/Bell) and of course defend (outside of Gil). He also says that it sounds like Pippen’s primary role will be to spread the floor. Not true. He will be my 1st option on the wings and while he’s matched up against Artest, this isn’t Artest at his defensive peak in CHI and IND. To be fair this Artest isn’t as crazy though and a better 3 point shooter buts it’s payoff.

PF
We have a disadvantage here and though I expect Brand to be underrated in a competition like this, I concede that Mchale will get his. However our aim is to limit him with our above average help defense. Mchale was called the black hole back in the day because once he got the ball it wasn’t coming back out. We feel that with all the mouths that Tmac has to feed on offense we can use this to our advantage. If Mchale is working in the low post that means Kareem isn’t.

Nash vs. Finley
Here is our biggest advantage on offense. Nash was regarded is a very poor defender, and this is a stacked league. Finley was a great offensive player that will shred Nash and attract help defense opening opportunities for other guys, or score. Nash’s the weak link in an otherwise good defensive team that we will look to exploit as much possible. I’ve upped Finley’s minutes for this reason, and we will use screens to matchup different guys against Nash.
Wade vs. Thomas
Wade is a good on ball defender but he’s guarding a prime Thomas who was used to being defended by some of the best defenders of his time. Chasing around Thomas should tire out Wade, and for once Wade won’t have the advantage in terms of speed. On the other end he’ll be guarded by the best perimeter defender of alltime.

Finley vs. Artest
Finley will guard Artest and we’re comfortable with this, with Nash and Wade in their backcourt and Mchale and Kareem in their frontcourt I don’t see how Artest is going to get his touches. Besides Artest isn’t a guy that’s going to take over a game with his offense and if he tries to post up who is he going to kick is to other then Nash? If he gets the ball deep in the post Hakeem will be waiting for him.

Rodman
Tmac says he spaces the floor better than I do but while I have AK and Battier playing major minutes off the bench at the F positions, both guys that can hit the 3 at a good rate, he has Rodman (playing 24 minutes I believe). The paint will become congested and we’ll pack the paint when he’s on the floor and guard tighten up on Nash.

Overall we feel that we don’t have as many weaknesses as Tmac and in a series like this that could be the difference between winning and losing.

[TMACFORMVP]

What happens when the Nash has the ball in his hands and is trying to create does Wade become a spot up shooter? How about vice versa? I’m fine with that. We feel that while we have a pretty ball dominant PG in Thomas we complement him better with Battier and Finley at SG, 3 point shooters that work off the ball.

Eh, it would work, when Nash has the ball in his hands, Wade will act as a finisher on the fastbreak, or cutting/coming off screens to get to the rim. And vice versa? I'd have no problem with Nash shooting wide open jumpers, as he's one of the best shooters of ALL TIME. Battier, and Finley are decent in retrospect, but the one two punch that Nash and Wade can throw at you, despite both not being the GREATEST of fits, is more than Isiah, and Battier can. The general premise is there though, I just don't think it's really valid.

There’s a reason MIA has targeted PG’s that can shoot the 3 while working off the ball and defend the point (Payton in decline, Chalmers, Williams to some extent), and there’s a reason (Bell/Richardson) why PHX has targeted SG’s that work off the ball and hit the 3, defend (in the case of Bell), etc.

Trust me, if Miami had a chance to acquire Nash, or a Chalmers, I'm sure they'd choose Nash, and try to make that work. Same situation with Phoenix, I'm sure if they had a chance to acquire Wade, over a Bell/Richardson, they'd do the same as well. We all know this from Be A GM.

3 Point Shooting
Tmac points out that while my chosen Pippen is a good 3 point shooter, the 3 point line was shortened. What he falls to mention is that my bench is built around guys that can spread the floor (Parish) and hit the 3 (Battier/Gil/AK47/Bell) and of course defend (outside of Gil). He also says that it sounds like Pippen’s primary role will be to spread the floor. Not true. He will be my 1st option on the wings and while he’s matched up against Artest, this isn’t Artest at his defensive peak in CHI and IND. To be fair this Artest isn’t as crazy though and a better 3 point shooter buts it’s payoff.

What? I called out Pippen being "one of the best shooters in the league." That has nothing to do with mentioning BI's bench shooting ability. And, while Pippen was an adequate scorer, he wasn't one to beat you with his explosive scoring, or shooting from behind the arc. I've already conceded Artest is a worse defender in the years I've chosen, but he's still an All-NBA defender, that's shown, with a role in LA, he can be better. In the original team writeup, the strategy was to sell Pippen as a lockdown shooter from the perimeter, when it's best for the defense to force him to the outside.

PF
We have a disadvantage here and though I expect Brand to be underrated in a competition like this, I concede that Mchale will get his. However our aim is to limit him with our above average help defense. Mchale was called the black hole back in the day because once he got the ball it wasn’t coming back out. We feel that with all the mouths that Tmac has to feed on offense we can use this to our advantage. If Mchale is working in the low post that means Kareem isn’t.

That's why we have Nash, to maximize our offensive possessions.

If McHale is in the low post, Kareem is just as efficient with his hook shot, or high post game from 15 feet. McHale could do the same with Kareem. I've heard the nicknames, and heard the term blackhole, yet McHale played on a team with Parish, Bird, DJ, Ainge, Walton, and others, and was still able to be a large contributor on arguably the greatest team of all time, the 86 Celtics.

Here is our biggest advantage on offense. Nash was regarded is a very poor defender, and this is a stacked league. Finley was a great offensive player that will shred Nash and attract help defense opening opportunities for other guys, or score. Nash’s the weak link in an otherwise good defensive team that we will look to exploit as much possible. I’ve upped Finley’s minutes for this reason, and we will use screens to matchup different guys against Nash.

We knew once BI read our writeup, that he would change his lineup to adjust accordingly. But knowing that, I already addressed what our gameplan would be, and the plan would still work to perfection. As BI noted, in such a stacked league, but indirectly Finley isn't close to a player that will beat a team in a seven game series. Not too mention, that the years chosen for Finley are nearing his twilight, again more used in a role in which he'd be a spot up shooter.

If Finley is the biggest offensive advantage for a team in a competition such as this, then it's trouble. In this series, he's being used as a spot up shooter. If they go to him more in which this writeup would imply, that means, their primary floor spacer is gone, as he's used in a greater offensive role. That also means, the ball will be out of the hands, of more greater offensive weapons in players like Isiah, and Hakeem. If Finley tries to attack Nash off the dribble, in which he can, we'll have players like Wade, and Rodman/Artest to come in and help (and it honestly can't get much better than that), as they don't have enough shooting to counterbalance that, in a zone based defense.

Finley's not in a position, but individually, or team wise, to fully attack Nash in a series of this magnitude. Also means, there's a worse defender on the floor for a longer time, allowing Artest to roam more freely, when Battier essentially provides the same role, in terms of spot up shooting. Finley will get his, and likely more, but that's part of the plan. If Michael Finley is going to beat us in a series, in which the opponent team has Kareem, Wade, Nash, Rodman, Artest, McHale, and others, then so be it. We'll take our chances.

Wade vs. Thomas
Wade is a good on ball defender but he’s guarding a prime Thomas who was used to being defended by some of the best defenders of his time. Chasing around Thomas should tire out Wade, and for once Wade won’t have the advantage in terms of speed. On the other end he’ll be guarded by the best perimeter defender of alltime.

I agree Wade won't shut him down, but we like his size, and ability to at least match quickness, or come close, when guarding Isiah. In general though, that's valid point, but Wade can handle it.

Finley vs. Artest
Finley will guard Artest and we’re comfortable with this, with Nash and Wade in their backcourt and Mchale and Kareem in their frontcourt I don’t see how Artest is going to get his touches. Besides Artest isn’t a guy that’s going to take over a game with his offense and if he tries to post up who is he going to kick is to other then Nash? If he gets the ball deep in the post Hakeem will be waiting for him.

It's a double standard in this case. Finley can take over the series, or become the biggest offensive advantage, but in this case Artest isn't a player that can do the same? Granted, Finley is a better defender than Nash, but the fact Artest would have a mis-match is undeniable. I could say the same thing about Finley, with Hakeem, Brand, and Isiah, with Pippen, Finley won't get his touches, and if he tries to attack in the post against Nash, Kareem will be waiting for him.

Rodman
Tmac says he spaces the floor better than I do but while I have AK and Battier playing major minutes off the bench at the F positions, both guys that can hit the 3 at a good rate, he has Rodman (playing 24 minutes I believe). The paint will become congested and we’ll pack the paint when he’s on the floor and guard tighten up on Nash.

I'm playing Rodman more minutes than that. I need to recheck my writeup, because I'm not sure I said my spacing was better than yours, moreso pointing out the flaw in the overall spacing argument. We'll have Nash on the floor for most of the game, but when he's not in, players like Joe Johnson will be on the floor as well. Our spacing isn't the greatest, but it's not bad. Nash is one of the best all time, using picks, and screen and rolls to find himself open for threes. In that case, Rodman would be used to set those picks to free up Nash for the shot.

And AK is not a "guy that can hit a three at a good rate."

33.8%, 29.9%, 30.8%

And in those three seasons, never made more than one three per game. That's not even good, that's very poor, especially for a player that isn't a star player. Because even as a role player, he's been a poor three point shooter, in fact even worse. With a career 31% from three, and four seasons with under 30% (once with 21%), we'll gladly let him shoot threes all day long.

Best of luck BI, didn't really want to do a rebuttal, but was kind of bored, and didn't take much time. So why not, I figure.

[Miller4ever]

Who else is judging?

[Gremz]

Rocdogg and Tsherkin I believe.

Sorry, I've been lazy will finish all judgements today.

[Snakebites]

penbeast has also agreed to judge. I think TMAC said he might have shawngoat as well.

[TMACFORMVP]

ronnymac hasn't been anywhere to be seen. shawngoat, and rocdogg will judge, and in replacement of ronnymac, and for an odd amount, both penbeast, and tsherkin will judge. The deadline I've given them are Saturday.

Gremz, roc, penbeast, tsherkin, and shawngoat23.

[CellarDoor]

So I started to write my rebuttal, then it kicked in that even if I beat All in the Name, I'm going to have the same issues for weeks here. Given that, I'll go ahead and just forfeit in this match-up.

Sorry guys

[roc]

I only have a couple match ups left to work out and will have my votes in tomorrow afternoon/early evening.

[roc]

Here is how I see it, no write ups ATM. If really needed they will be added

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Snakebites v SamBone - Snakebites
jcldallas24 v Snakebites - Snakebites
SamBone v jcldallas24 - SamBone

Baller 24 v bryant08 - Bryant 08
Teddy KGB v Baller 24 - Baller24
bryant08 v Teddy KGB - bryant08

EASTERN CONFERENCE

TMACFORMVP v Miller - TMACFORMVP
BlackIce v TMACFORMVP - BlackIce
Miller4ever v BlackIce - BlackIce

All In the Name v CellarDoor - All in the Name
bness888 v All In the Name - All in the Name
CellarDoor v bness888 - inc

[TMACFORMVP]

tsherkin forgot about the judging, and does not have the time anymore. ronnymac hasn't been seen, and shawngoat also doesn't have the time. penbeast has said he'd do it, but I haven't had much contact with him, so I'll just call off three brackets. This has gone long enough.

All In the Name wins his bracket in a sweep.
bryant08 wins his bracket in a sweep.
Snakebites wins his bracket in a sweep.

All the votes have been pretty much the same except the series between me and BlackIce. If Gremz could get an official vote on that series, and depending on if he votes for BI, then he'd advance and if he keeps the vote as is, in my favor, then I guess I'll have to find a judge for just that one series. Or I could get a series of people that do have experience in this competition, willing to read both of our writeups, and give in final votes.

[TMACFORMVP]

I was thinking about it. I really want quality in this judging, and with ronnymac, shawngoat, sherkin, penbeast, and a few others not really being able to judge, or nowhere to be seen, or heard of, the most knowledgeable posters that will/already have taken the time to read writeups are those in this competition. So for this matchup only, it'll be available for those in the other division (meaning the Western Conference) to be able to vote on the matchup between BlackIce and I.

Only those that posted both their writeups would be allowed to judge on the matchup, meaning guys like Snakebites, bryant08, and Baller 24. Others as well. Hopefully, they won't have to spend much time reading, as most of them already have, and would just punch it out to finish this round by tonight.

Would be real appreciated guys.

[bryant08]

Really tough one on the matchup of BlackIce vs. T-Mac, but T-Mac's latest rebuttal just really did it for me. McHale over Brand is a significant advantage and although Thomas does beat Nash easily, offensive execution for T-Mac's team is just too good. It'd be a true nail-biter, but I think offensive execution and a stronger bench (awesome bench defensively) win this one for T-Mac. Shooting is a concern, but I have a lot of faith in Nash and Artest hitting open 3s. I flipped-flopped on this one many times before coming to a decision.

[roc]

It was definitely the hardest match up to male a call on. Will be curious to see how it pans out. Both are worthy combatants for sure.

[Miller4ever]

BlackIce and I

Am I still in it if Gremz's vote comes in?

EDIT: Unless he doesn't vote for me, which I would totally understand, I don't see why I'm automatically eliminated.

[TMACFORMVP]

Yeah, my fault, I made a mistake with Gremz vote. I'll ask bryant to vote on that as well. And yeah, you're NOT eliminated. I'm sorry for that mistake.

Basically, our bracket needs to be judged on.

[penbeast0]

I was reading the matchups to judge when I read this last post (told you I would do it Saturday -- just turned out to be very late Saturday); but if I'm not needed, no problem. Let me know if you need me after all.

Good luck.