Common Theme Pairs Draft 2.0 - R1 - Snakebites* vs Larry_Russell

[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, I will add a poll, and the team with the most votes after 24 hours will advance. EACH MANAGER SHOULD ALSO VOTE FOR THEIR OWN TEAM IN THE POLL - IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS, YOU ARE SIMPLY GIVING AWAY A VOTE. If the votes are tied, we will decide the matchup via AI vote.

You are not required to state or explain your vote, but you are free to comment in the thread if you want to.

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).

[Larry_Russell]

PG: Jalen Brunson (2022-23) 17.6
24ppg, 3.5rpg, 6.2apg, 1spg, 41.5% on 4.7-3pta

SG: Jeff Hornacek (1997-98) 10.4
14.2ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.4apg, 1.5spg, 44% on 1.5-3pta

SF: Paul George (2019-20) 16.3
21.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 4apg, 1.5spg, 0.5bpgm, 41.5% on 8-3pta

PF: Al Horford (2017-18) 10.5
13ppg, 7.5rpg, 4.7apg, 0.6spg, 1.1bpg, 43% on 3-3pta
DPOY-5, DEF-2, AS

C: Shaq (1999-00) 21.1
29.7ppg, 13.6rpg, 3.8apg, 0.5spg, 3bpg
MVP, FMVP, DPOY-2, NBA-1, DEF-2, AS

PG/SG: Nate McMillan (1993-94) 5.4
6ppg, 4rpg, 5.3apg, 3spg, 39% on 1.8-3pta
DPOY-7, 6moty-2, DEF-2

SF/PF: Thabo Sefolosha (2011-12) 3.7
4.8ppg, 3rpg, 1apg, 1spg, 0.5spg, 43.7% on 1.7-3pta

C: Greg Ostertag (2001-02) 3
3.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 0.7apg, 1.5bpg

PG: Brunson (32) / McMillan (16)
SG: Hornacek (38) / McMillan (10)
SF: George (38) / Sefolosha (10)
PF: Horford (36) / Sefolosha (12)
C: Shaq (38) / Ostertag (8) / Horford (2)


SGA will have a combined McMIllan and Hornacek defending
Eddie will have Brunson and McMillan defending
Kawhi will have George and Thabo defending
Mason will have Shaq waiting for him in the paid (Mason only can handle and attack the rim)
Horford will defend the 3pt line where KP will be standing.



Offense is Shaq inside, everyone else outside. I strongly believe that I am going to pulverize this team on offense. No one here can come close to slowing prime shaq, and all me guys can force any help defense out away from the paint, so no doubles.

All my guys can put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts, and all my guys can create offense for others and with Shaqs gravity it should be even easier and everyone is > 40% from the 3pt line.

[Snakebites]

PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 23-24 19.8 FGA
SG: Eddie Jones 97-98 12.6 FGA
SF: Kawhi Leonard 20-21 17.5 FGA
PF: Anthony Mason 94-95 6.6 FGA
C: Kristaps Porzingis 23-24 13.2 FGA

B: Rudy Gobert 16-17 7.7 FGA
B: James Posey 07-08 5.6 FGA
B: Greg Anthony 94-95 4.8 FGA

SGA (32)/Anthony (16)
Jones (36)/SGA (6)/Posey (6)
Kawhi (37)/Posey (11)
Mason (33)/Posey (15)
Porzingis (26)/Gobert (22)

Alrighty, lets do this.

The firs thing that obviously jumps out in this matchup is Shaq, and I'm sure LR's writeup will have a lot to say about how he matches up with my front court.

I'd argue that LR really doesn't match up all that well with the REST of my team. Brunson/Hornacek is nice offensively but is a very pourous defensive backcourt, and Paul George was statistically a greatly diminished defensive player in 2019-2020- I wouldn't be at all comfortable with this version of him being my best perimeter defender. I think my perimter of SGA, EJ and Kawhi is unforgiving of defensive weakness given I have shooting, shot creation and passing at all three perimeter positions.

I'd also argue that this well spaced offense is exactly the type of offense where peak Shaq can be a liability defensively.

By contrast, while I'll openly acknowledge we don't have the best matchup against Shaq, we slot against the rest of his team pretty well- my team has no individual defensive weaknesses. EJ and SGA can share time on Brunson and both should do a solid job there. Kawhi is still a very solid cover for this version of Paul George. And lets not forget I've also got PRIME Rudy Gobert off the bench here- this is an elite center platoon. It's worth noting that Mason was very strong and notable for being able to guard larger players in stretches as well- he was like Rodman in that way. Overall I think my team has really strong firepower offensively and a great deal of strength defensively.

The benches are fair to point out too. Rudy is DPOY who I have coming off the bench for my team. Posey is a very strong 3 and D player who can handle the defensive load. And Anthony is a solid defensive point guard. On the flip side, Ostertag borders on unusable in the modern NBA, and while Thabo and McMillain help a bit with some of the defensive issues LR's perimter has in the minutes they are out there, that comes at the price of them both being pretty much free covers on defense- his offensive production will suffer when they are out there, especially if they are out there at the same time.

[durantbird]

Voting is open. Larry and Snake, please vote for yourselves

[Fadeaway_J]

This is a tough one. Both teams have some major matchup advantages and disadvantages against each other.

[durantbird]

Snakebites advances