Expanding Era Draft R1 - Square* vs. ardee

[Fadeaway_J]

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.**

[Square]

Team Square

Roster
G Jamal Murray '23: 20/4/6, 45/40/83 shooting (Playoffs: 26/6/7 on 59 TS% and +5 BPM), NBA Champ
G Brent Barry '06: 12/5/4/1/1 per 36, 45 FG%, 40 3P%, +3 BPM
G/F Thabo Sefolosha '12: 5/3/1, 44 3P%, 2nd in league in DRAPM
G/F Andre Iguodala '17: 10/6/5/1/1 per 36 on 53/36/71 shooting, +3 BPM, NBA Champ
G/F Khris Middleton '20: 21/6/4, 50/42/92 shooting, 2.4 3PM/G, +4 BPM, All-Star
F Michael Porter Jr '21: 19/7 on 54/45/79 shooting, 2.8 3PM/G, 66 TS%, +3 BPM
F Paul Millsap '19: 13/7/2/1/1 on 48/37/73 shooting, +2 BPM
C Shaquille O'Neal '01: 29/13/4/3 (Playoffs: 30/15/3/2), 57 FG%, All-NBA 1st, All-D 2nd, Finals MVP, NBA Champ

Picks, FGA:

Spoiler:

1. Shaq 19.2
2. Middleton 15.3
3. Murray 16.0
4. Iguodala 5.5
5. Porter Jr. 13.4
6. Sefolosha 3.7
7. Millsap 9.5
8. Barry 4.7
Total FGA: 87.3

Rotation:
G Murray 38 / Barry 10
G Iguodala 30 / Barry 10 / Sefolosha 8
F Middleton 38 / MPJ 6 / Sefolosha 4
F MPJ 30 / Millsap 18
C Shaq 38 / Millsap 10

About Team Square:
Given the constraints of this draft, the concept here was how to build a Shaq-focused team without the traditional star wing to pair with him. I think it ended up pretty nice. The main ideas of this team are:

• Built around Shaq: The Big Aristotle is the main offensive engine here, and the supporting cast is designed around making his game as easy and efficient as possible, even more than his real life teams (which sometimes featured teammates who wanted the limelight or less-than-ideal spacing).
• Multiple championship-level playmakers: Murray and Middleton were each the lead perimeter playmaker for a championship offense. Both can handle in pick and roll, shoot off the dribble or off the catch, and make plays for others. Both are comfortable playing secondary roles to unconventional big men, and both fit perfectly with Shaq. We also have an additional explosive scorer in MPJ who never needs to handle the ball and two more creative championship ballhandlers in Iguodala and Barry.
• Shooting: Shaq is unguardable when surrounded by shooters, and we didn’t skimp there: every single non-Shaq player on the roster is dangerous from 3 (MPJ 45%, Sefolosha 44%, Middleton 42%, Murray 40%, Barry 40%, Millsap 36%, Iguodala 36%). Murray and Middleton are awesome shooters on and off the ball, and Porter’s 3 threes a game on 45 3P% is insane. Every Shaq double is an impossible gamble against this squad.
• Size, athleticism, defense: No player under 6’4” on the roster, and no weak defensive links to pick on. A stable of elite defensive wings in Iggy, Middleton, and Sefolosha. A strong defensive big in Millsap. And Shaq at his defensive peak cleaning up near the rim.
• Depth: No crappy throw-ins. All 8 guys played important minutes on champs or contenders. Millsap is a strong starter-caliber player off the bench, and Barry and Sef are excellent bench pieces.

vs. ardee:
Nice team from ardee. I think we have a few advantages in the matchup.

On offense, obviously the Diesel is our main weapon. It’s an excellent matchup for him: Bynum is a talent but also one of the least resilient, mentally weakest players I’ve ever seen, and I imagine peak Shaq would take great pleasure in breaking his spirit. Bynum might have some moments, but a few big Shaq dunks and I’m expecting him to devolve into flagrant fouls and sulking on the bench. It’s also not a good matchup for the otherwise great Draymond, who is just too small for Shaq. Otherwise, we have a lot of playmaking and shooting all over to serve us well, even against some strong defenders on the other side. Even the best defenders have to face the reality of the "double Shaq or open three" conundrum.

Defensively, we are pretty switchy but the default matchups would be: Murray on Holiday, Middleton on Finley, Iguodala on Durant, Porter/Millsap on Draymond, Shaq on Bynum. Obviously KD is the main focus, and he should see Iguodala/Middleton/Sefolosha at various times. Here, he doesn’t have the elite PG that he’s accustomed to, and especially earlier in his career his efficiency could drop against physical defenses. Overall, I feel like we have a much better answer for KD than he does for Shaq. Then factor in that Shaq was a more consistent and effective playoff weapon than KD, and I think we are in good shape.

I’ll also add that the comparatively lower level of shooting on ardee’s squad makes him easier to guard than we are. KD and Finley are excellent, but beyond that it’s guys who are inconsistent (Draymond, Holiday who shot 32% in the playoffs this year, ‘09 Ariza who was not yet the shooter he became later) or outright non-shooters (Livingston, Bynum, Looney). This makes it much easier for us to clog the paint with our bigger bigs in Shaq and Millsap.

So I think our size, shooting, and the advantage of having the best playoff player in the matchup wins this for us. Good luck ardee.

[ardee]

2013 Kevin Durant: 17.7 FGA
2016 Draymond Green: 10.1 FGA
2022 Jrue Holiday: 14.2 FGA
2004 Michael Finley: 16.1 FGA
2012 Andrew Bynum: 13.3 FGA
2009 Trevor Ariza: 7.3 FGA
2017 Shaun Livingston: 4.2 FGA
2019 Kevon Looney: 4.7 FGA

Total: 87.6/88.0 FGA

Holiday (38)/Livingston (10)
Finely (38)/Livingston (10)
Durant (30)/Ariza (18)
Draymond (38)/Durant (10)
Bynum (36)/Looney (12)

Good luck Square, nice team!

-This will be the Kevin Durant show on offense. Square says Iggy will be the main defender, but keep in mind that this is 33 year old Iggy who played 26 mpg, he is unlikely to do much to slow down KD who is quite close to or at his peak (I firmly believe he was at his best pre-foot injury in OKC).

-There is serious talent to compliment him and the spacing is lethal. Holiday and Draymond were no. 2s on championship teams, and Finley was a big part of the greatest offense of all time (the 2004 Mavs were +9.2 relative to league average, yes, this has not been topped even to this day). Bynum was an All-Star in 2012 and the best offensive big man in the league who will get a ton of easy baskets from lobs and offensive boards.

-Holiday shot 41% from 3, Finley 40.5%, Durant 41.6% and Draymond 39%. All on good volume too. The floor will be spread, and when we put Holiday and Bynum in a PnR, Shaq will be brought out to the perimeter and put on skates. Bynum had 68% of his field goals assisted that year, and was an excellent PnR finisher.

-Defensively, we will use simple positional matchups. Murray is his no. 2 guy and will have one of the best defensive PGs of all time Holiday clamp down on him the whole time. MPJ will be shut down by Draymond who will also help on Shaq when needed. As for Middleton, Durant will do fine on him. I don't really consider him to be very dangerous in a series like this, his Playoff performance has always dipped hard.

-Not gonna pretend Shaq will be contained too much, but we will shut down everyone else, and have enough firepower to outscore him on the other end.

Vote ardee!

[Fadeaway_J]

Both squads are pretty much rock solid. Shaq should have a grand time with this much shooting and playmaking around him. I will say, I don't have as harsh a view of Bynum as Square does (although he was definitely mercurial), and if nothing else he does have the bulk to present something of a challenge to Shaq. I've always felt Jrue would be a more reliable shooter in a less prominent role, which I think has been borne out in real life. I can see Draymond shutting off MPJ's water, but having Draymond stick so close to an excellent off-ball shooter does open up more space for others to operate. To put it simply, I have more confidence in Shaq, Murray, Middleton, and MPJ as an offensive core; ardee has a nice balanced group, but I'm not sure who I trust to ramp up their production to be a reliable second option to KD here.

Vote: Square

[flaco]

I'd expect a close series. Leaning Square due to superior spacing. More often than not, better spacing equals more efficient offense, especially with Shaq dominating the paint. Shaq surrounded by shooters is a nuclear weapon.

Vote: Square

[MadNESS]

Square. Plenty of spacing around Shaq. Enough defense to get by KD. Also like his depth better.

[lilroddyb]

Fun matchup

Shaq should have a great series. Square has build great team around Shaq on the offensive end. Great threepoint shooters all around.

Ardee doesn't have as strong offense like Square but its really good though with great spacing aswell and great go to scorer in KD.

I do think the gap is bigger on the defensive end in favor of Ardee imo with the best defender Draymond and really good defenders in Jrue and Kd and big guys to throw at Shaq in Bynum and Kevon

pretty close but I'll vote Ardee

[Fadeaway_J]

Square advances