Same Standings Draft - R1 - Larry_Russell vs. wackbone*

[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. Please ensure you give a rationale for your vote; votes with no explanation will not be counted.

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).

**First to 3 votes advances.**

[Larry_Russell]

PG: Steve Nash (2004-05) 11.4
15.5ppg, 3.3rpg, 11.5apg, 1spg, 43% on 3-3pta
MVP, All NBA 1st, #1 apg, All Star

SG: Donovan Mitchell (2022-23) 20.6
28.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.4apg, 1.5spg, 0.5bpg, 38.5% on 9.3-3pta
MVP (6), All NBA 2nd, All Star

SF: Jaden McDaniels (2022-23) 9.1
12.1ppg, 4rpg, 2apg, 1spg, 1bpg, 40% on 3.4-3pta
12th in all defense voting

PF: Al Horford (2015-16) 12.8
15.2ppg, 7.3rpg, 3.2apg, 0.8spg, 1.5bpg, 34.5% on 3-3pta
All Star

C: Shaquille Oneal (1999-00) 21.1
29.7ppg, 13.6rpg, 3.8apg, 0.5spg, 3bpg
MVP, FMVP, DPOY (2), All NBA 1st, All Defense 2nd, All Star, #1ppg, ows, dws, ws, ws/48, obpm, bpm, vorp, per

PG/SG: Pablo Prigioni (2013-14) 3
3.8ppg, 2rpg, 3.5apg, 1spg, 46.5% on 2.1-3pta

SF/PF: Nic Batum (2022-23) 4.9
6ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.6apg, 0.5spg, 0.5bpg, 39.1% on 4.1-3pta

SG/SF Mike MIller (2010-11) 4.9
5.6ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.2apg, 0.5spg, 36.5% on 2.9-3pta


PG: Nash (38) / Prigioni (10)
SG: Mitchell (38) / Miller (10)
SF: McDaniels (38) / Miller (10)
PF: Horford (28) / Batum (20 )
C: Shaq (38) / Horford (10 )

87.8/88

Matchups defesively.
Mostly straight up man to man but also will spend about of a 3rd of the time in a 2-1-2, 2-3 zone.

When in the zone McDaniels and Mitchell will pressure at the top, Horford and Nash on the sides (both great hands in the passing lanes) and big daddy diesel patrolling the middle.

We will also, just to tire and keep Embiid on his toes, run a few plays with Horford being his primary defender (probs mostly when Shaq is resting and Horford is at C)

I think I have pretty solid overall defense overall, despite having Nash and Mitchell. McDaniels, Horford and Shaq give me a crazy front court defense that should help mitigate their weaknesses.


Offensively, I have a monster of a team.

I have the most dominate half court player surrounded by shooting and a wing that can play Kobe lite to Shaqs bigman. I feel any team needs a big body at center as well as another big body to try and contain shaq and I dont see posey or Peja being any help for Embiid here.. Also have one of the goat PGs to set the table. Have those three guys paired up with a great shooter on the wing in McDaniels and a PF who can space the floor and also handle/pass the ball in Al.

Bench is full of shooters too.

When we can we are going to run. When shaq gobbles that board he will look to get it to Nash who has the green light to set everything up. If he sees an opportunity to run he will take it, if not let shaq get up the court and run through him.

When Shaq is off the court we will turn up the octane full throttle with putting Al Horford in the middle and adding another elite shooter in Batum or Miller to the 4 other starters.

[wackbone]

Joel Embiid - 2023 - 20.1 FGA - MVP, All-NBA 1st, Noted Defender
Peja Stojakovic - 2004 - 17.1 FGA - 4th in MVP voting, All-NBA 2nd
Klay Thompson - 2015 - 16.9 FGA - 10th in MVP voting, All-NBA 3rd, Noted Defender
Jason Kidd - 2002 - 13.9 FGA - 2nd in MVP voting, All-NBA 1st, All-Def 1st
Dan Majerle - 2000 - 6.1 FGA - 36.2 3P% on 4.4 att, Noted Defender
James Posey - 2006 - 5.9 FGA - 40.3 3P% on 4.3 att, Noted Defender
Tyus Jones - 2018 - 4.0 FGA - .117 WS/48, 14.1 PER
Anthony Tolliver - 2019 - 4.0 FGA - 37.7 3P% on 3.3 att
Total: 88/88 FGA

Jason Kidd (38) / Tyus Jones (10)
Klay Thompson (38) / Dan Majerle (10)
Peja Stojakovic (22) / Dan Majerle (26)
James Posey (32) / Peja Stojakovic (16)
Joel Embiid (38) / Anthony Tolliver (10)

Writeup:

Nash and Shaq are both two of the best offensive players in this time period, best of luck LR.

Defensively we will play straight up, with Kidd on Nash, Klay on Mitchell, Peja on McDaniels, Posey on Horford, and Embiid on Shaq. Majerle provides another solid defensive wing off the bench to mostly guard Mitchell and let Klay rest on McDaniels.

While Nash and Shaq are individually two of the best offensive players since 2000 without a doubt, I really fail to see the combo being optimal. Nash was at his apex in a run and gun, SSOL offense. 2000 Shaq was at his apex as a feed him down low and let him go to work big man. I don't think 2000 Shaq, at 330 pounds or whatever he was, is in anywhere near the cardio shape to be an ideal fit for a Nash-led offense. On the flip side I don't think Nash is anywhere near at his best in predominantly the half court. I think the pair just doesn't work. Add on Mitchell as a primary ball handler who isn't an ideal 2 guard next to Nash, and I think his big 3 has significant fit concerns. I have All-Def 1st Kidd to be the primary Nash defender and further disrupt their offense.

Simply put, I think my offense fits way better, with a super simple offensive gameplan. Kidd is the primary ball handler and has no other competition for that role, Klay and Peja both provide elite spacing as well as secondary playmaking as needed, and Peja specifically was at his peak here. Majerle and Posey both provide great spacing. And we have a dominant, MVP big down low. It's pretty easy to visualize this team on the court together. Kidd and Embiid are both streaky shooters at best, but I think that matters little with elite shooters in Klay and Peja as well as great shooters in Majerle and Posey sharing the court with them. I don't think LR has the defensive pieces to put up much resistance, especially with Nash and Mitchell being a poor defensive backcourt.

Both benches are pretty bad, but I would contend that Majerle is the best bench piece, playing 33 minutes per game on the team that finished 2nd in the East regular season. Batum and Miller both played about 20 minutes per game.

[Dr Positivity]

Nash and Shaq isn't perfect but not sure I love Embiid on a Kidd team either. Close so I think I'll take the team with the best player and more proven in playoffs in Shaq. Vote Larry.

[uberhikari]

The talent on Larry_Russell's team is great but I just don't see the synergy between the players. Nash's game is built on aggressively attacking the defense as early and as often as possible but this goes against Shaq's low-post playstyle. Moreover, Mitchell is best as an on-ball scorer, but Nash is best utilized by maximizing and optimizing off-ball scorers. Wackbone's team just makes more sense to me on offense and he has an advantage with an elite defensive backcourt in Kidd/Klay. Vote: wackbone

[Fadeaway_J]

More or less agree with uber on the less than optimal fit between Larry's stars. I don't think it's comparable to Kidd/Embiid as Kidd was pretty adaptable and played in a bunch of different setups. Embiid with elite shooting and a top-notch PG just seems like a more coherent theory. I also don't see Larry's backcourt as viable defensively even with the frontcourt support he has behind them.

Vote: wackbone

[durantbird]

I also agree that Nash and Shaq don't really mesh well together. Each of those guys is a very highly talented guy, but the sum of those parts just doesn't add up, because they can't utilize each other very well. Also Nash-Mitchell is extremely vulnerable as a defensive backcourt.

Vote wackbone

[durantbird]

wackbone advances

[Larry_Russell]

wow did not see me getting smoked here.

Surprised at the fit statements with Nash and Shaq, 38 year old shaq and 34 year old steve played together just fine.

FYI the season picked for Shaq the lakers played at a 93.3 pace and the season picked for steve the suns played at 95.9 pace.

The pace at which Shaq played in 99-00 would have been 5th in the league in 2004-05.


It really would not have been a detriment.

[Fadeaway_J]

wow did not see me getting smoked here.

Surprised at the fit statements with Nash and Shaq, 38 year old shaq and 34 year old steve played together just fine.

FYI the season picked for Shaq the lakers played at a 93.3 pace and the season picked for steve the suns played at 95.9 pace.

The pace at which Shaq played in 99-00 would have been 5th in the league in 2004-05.


It really would not have been a detriment.

It was "fine" with Shaq playing no more than 30 mpg (although that was the worst Suns team of the Nash era). Different story with a team being built around prime Shaq plus with the ball-dominant Mitchell in the mix. Of course they'll score because it's a super talented trio, but I don't see how you maximise those pieces enough to outweigh the defensive issues, especially bearing in mind that wack's team is also loaded offensively.