Choose the Eras No Champs - Playin - Snakebites* 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. 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.**

[Laimbeer]

Dwight Howard ( 2009 ) 12.4 - DPOY (1); MVP (4)
Kevin Durant ( 2013 ) 17.7 - MVP (2)
Dorian Finney-Smith ( 2021 ) 7.8 - 3 & D
Ray Allen ( 2011 ) 12.2 - All-Star
Derrick Rose ( 2011 ) 19.7 - MVP (1)

Dikembe Mutombo ( 2005 ) 3 - Strong Def / Reb
Robert Covington ( 2023 ) 4.8 - 3 & D
James Harden ( 2012 ) 10.1 - 6MOY (1)

87.7

Dwight Howard (38) / Dikembe Mutombo (10)
Kevin Durant (38) / Robert Covington (10)
Dorian Finney-Smith (38) / James Harden (10)
Ray Allen (38) / James Harden (10)
Derrick Rose (38) / James Harden (10)

We've got a pretty serious set of offensive weapons in Rose, KD, Allen and Howard. Rose will have far more offensive support than he ever had in Chicago with the luxury of KD taking over at times and doing some creating himself. Horford is a good defender but doesn't bring the elite rim protection.

We'll go Dwight/Mason, KD/Horford, DFS/Peja, Allen/Jordan, Rose/Porter. Jordan will get his, but Allen played some pretty decent defense against Kobe in the finals so he'll provide credible resistance. Dwight being able to stay low here is huge and changes the whole complexion of the defense.

Harden is far away the best bench player and a difference maker. Deke was still defending at a high level and RoCo is solid as well.

[Snakebites]

PG: Terry Porter 90-91 11.7 FGA
All Star
17/8/2, 51/42/82 on 4 3pt att, 63% TS, 6.2 VORP

SG: Michael Jordan 88-89 22.2 FGA
All NBA First, All Defensive First, 2nd in MVP Vote, 5th in DPOY
33/8/8, 61% TS, 11.4 VORP

SF: Peja Stojakovic 03-04 17.1 FGA
All NBA 2nd, 4th in MVP Vote
24/6/2, 48/43/93 on 7 3pt att, 62% TS

PF: Anthony Mason 96-97 11.3 FGA
All NBA Third, All Defensive 2nd
16/11/6, 4.3 VORP, 59% TS

C: Al Horford 17-18 10.5 FGA
All Star, All Defensive 2nd
13/8/5 43% 3pt on 3 attempts, 58% TS

B: Patrick Beverley 20-21 5.9 FGA
8/3/2, 40% 3pt on 4 att

B: Nic Batum 20-21 6.1 FGA
8/5/2, 40% 3pt on 4 attempts

B: Mark Eaton 91-92 3.0 FGA
3/6/3

Rotation:

Porter (37)/Beverley (11)
Jordan (39)/Beverley (9)
Peja (38)/Batum (10)
Mason (34)/Batum (14)
Horford (34)/Mason (6)/Eaton (8)

Alrighty let’s do this.

I’ve got a very strong Michael Jordan team that has four other All Stars that complement his game perfectly. It’s a core that has playmaking and elite shooting at multiple positions.

I’ll contend that 2004 Peja is the perfect second option to Jordan offensively- he’s a high volume shooter with a 62% TS and 24 ppg- no small feat in the early 00s. He’ll benefit a lot from the attention MJ gets on defense, and he’ll brutally punish any attempted double team.

More to the point, young Michael Jordan is going to light old Ray Allen up like a Christmas tree in that matchup- I think that overall perimeter defense is a weakness for Dr P’s team and that we’re in the best position in the game to exploit that fact.

By contrast I’ve got the ability to match up to him very well. Porter and Jordan are great defenders and covers for his guard play, and I’ve also got Pat Bev off the bench. Mason is a legit 1-5 defender who often guarded perimeter players, and he’s got enough size to be a passable KD cover. Horford is as ever a reliable post defender. Peja hides on DFS in the corner.

I respect that he’s got Harden off the bench but candidly thinl the matchup favors me here as I don’t think he can prevent my offense around Jordan from gaining momentum.

[Fadeaway_J]

Yeah, that Allen-MJ situation is unfortunate for Laimbeer, as he has an excellent team otherwise. Allen guarding Kobe was part of a wider defensive ecosystem spearheaded by KG, and that was a "normal" team where you could dedicate most of your defensive attention towards Kobe. MJ flanked by Porter, Peja, and Horford is a different matter altogether. By contrast, Mase allows Snake to match up with KD at the 4 reasonably well, and older Horford is a pretty formidable post defender. Just not a good matchup for Laimbeer.

Vote: Snakebites

[durantbird]

Yeah the Allen MJ matchup is kinda brutal, I'd at least put DFS on him and maybe try Allen on Peja, but still I think Laimbeer just has too much firepower here. Three MVP level guys in Rose Durant Howard, flanked by Ray Allen and James Harden, makes me have just a bit more faith in Laimbeer here, as I'm not sure Snake's overall firepower is quite on the same level. And usually if I think there's a better way to arrange the defensive assignments, I won't penalize on that. Howard staying close to the basket guarding Mason will provide additional resistance to MJ's drive.

Vote Laimbeer

[wackbone]

The Rose/Allen/Harden defensive backcourt trio seems to be the main issue here against an MJ team. Too much for Dwight to cover for.

Vote: Snake

[JimmyPlopper]

As others have alluded to - Laimbeer has a higher talent level, while Snake has a more cohesive lineup, as well as a particular defensive mismatch he can exploit by his best player. I'm typically more likely to pick talent over cohesion in a vacuum, but in this case, because of the vulnerability in covering Jordan, I will
vote snake

[durantbird]

Snake advances