2024-25 West Cross Standings Draft - Semis - Fadeaway_J* vs durantbird

[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).

[durantbird]

PG: John Stockton 95' - 9.6
SG: Ray Allen 04' - 18.2
SF: Kevin Durant 13' - 17.7
PF: Andrei Kirilenko 06' - 10.6
C: Dikembe Mutombo 95' - 7.7

Bench: Bryon Russell 96' - 3.0
Bench: Scottie Pippen 01' - 9.3
Bench: Chet Holmgren 24' - 11.6

87.6/88

Stockton (38), Pippen (10)
Allen (38), Russell (8), Pippen (2)
Durant (33), Pippen (15)
Kirilenko (36), Holmgren (7), Durant (5)
Mutombo (33), Holmgren (15)

vs

C - D. Robinson (40), C. Robinson (8)
PF - C. Robinson (28), Horry (20)
SF - Green (28), Drexler (14), Johnson (6)
SG - Drexler (24), KCP (24)
PG - Johnson (34), Dunn (14)

Matchup
- Defensive assignments: Kirilenko vs Magic, Stockton vs Green, Allen vs Drexler, Durant vs Cliffy, Mutombo vs Robinson.

- Defensive Game Plan: We’re extremely well-equipped to handle their primary actions—especially the Magic–D. Robinson pick-and-roll—with Kirilenko and Mutombo anchoring the defense. Kirilenko is one of the best defenders you could hope to throw at Magic: disruptive, long, and able to pressure initiators without compromising team structure. Mutombo backs that up with elite rim protection and recovery ability.

Allen on Drexler is a solid matchup. Ray has good size, strength, and discipline—he’s not a defensive liability and can hold his own physically. Drexler will also see different looks throughout the game, including stretches where we switch Durant onto him for added length and resistance. In those moments, Allen can handle Clifford Robinson’s more stationary offensive role, which suits him well.

- Offensive Advantages: It’s hard to see how they match up with Stockton–Allen–Durant without conceding somewhere. Magic/Drexler can’t check Stockton’s speed and pick-and-roll savvy. KCP and Green are too small or light for Durant, and Clifford Robinson simply isn’t built to guard a scorer of Durant’s caliber in space. That mismatch is glaring.

Allen’s elite gravity and off-ball movement create constant pressure on their defense. He warps spacing, pulling help defenders away from our primary actions. Kirilenko, meanwhile, offers connective playmaking, cutting, and hustle that elevates everyone around him.

- Depth Comparison: While they’ve got decent depth, ours is simply better. All five of our starters were All-Star caliber in their seasons, and we bring Pippen and Holmgren off the bench. Pippen adds defensive versatility and playmaking across four positions. Holmgren gives us modern stretch-big skills: rim protection, floor spacing, and mobility. There’s no drop-off in quality, and everyone fits a clear role.

- Conclusion: Magic and David Robinson may be an elite pick-and-roll combo, but we’re built to contain it. On the other end, Stockton and Durant form a lethal two-man game by themselves that can punish any coverage—pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll, or clear-outs. While they don't have an ideal answer for Durant. Drexler vs Allen is also in our favor because Allen spreads the floor while Drexler needs to earn his points inside against Mutombo. In the end, we’re the team equipped to shut down their main action—while they have no real answer for ours.

[Fadeaway_J]

Starters
C - David Robinson (1995-96)

Spoiler:

25.0 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 3.3 bpg, .516 FG%, .761 FT%, .589 TS%
- Led the NBA in PER (29.4), DWS (7.2), DBPM (3.1)
- #2 in MVP voting
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team
- All-Defensive First Team

PF - Clifford Robinson (1998-99)

Spoiler:

16.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg, .475 FG%, .417 3P%, .697 FT%, 58 3P (1.2 pg), .599 TS%

SF - Danny Green (2013-14)

Spoiler:

9.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.9 bpg, .432 FG%, .415 3P%, .794 FT%, 132 3P (1.9 pg), .580 TS%
- NBA Champion

SG - Clyde Drexler (1991-92)

Spoiler:

25.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.9 bpg, .470 FG%, .337 3P%, .794 FT%, 114 3P (1.5 pg), .560 TS%
- #2 in MVP voting
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team

PG - Magic Johnson (1990-91)

Spoiler:

19.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 12.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, .477 FG%, .320 3P%, .906 FT%, 80 3P (1.0 pg), .623 TS%
- #2 in MVP voting
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team

Bench
F - Robert Horry (1999-00)

Spoiler:

5.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, .438 FG%, .309 3P%, .788 FT%, .528 TS%
- NBA Champion

G - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (2022-23)

Spoiler:

10.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.5 bpg, .462 FG%, .423 3P%, .824 FT%, 135 3P (1.8 pg), .598 TS%
- NBA Champion

G - Kris Dunn (2024-25)

Spoiler:

6.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.4 bpg, .439 FG%, .335 3P%, .682 FT%, 75 3P (1.0 pg), .531 TS%

Rotations
C - D. Robinson (40), C. Robinson (8)
PF - C. Robinson (28), Horry (20)
SF - Green (28), Drexler (14), Johnson (6)
SG - Drexler (24), KCP (24)
PG - Johnson (34), Dunn (14)

FGA Per Player

Spoiler:

Magic Johnson - 12.4
Danny Green - 7.4
David Robinson - 16.8
Robert Horry - 4.8
Clyde Drexler - 19.4
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 8.3
Clifford Robinson - 12.6
Kris Dunn - 5.9

Total: 87.6/88.0

As Magic teams do, we focus on pushing the ball off makes and misses, and we've given Magic the perfect running mates in D-Rob and Clyde who are both devastating transition finishers. Cliffy is another athlete who gets a boost from playing alongside Magic, while Green is a lethal weapon trailing the break for threes. In the halfcourt, we have one of the GOAT offensive hubs in Magic; he can score for himself off the dribble and in the post, but more importantly his ability to create easy looks for others at the rim will maximise both D-Rob and Clyde, not to mention opening things up for shooters like Green, KCP, Cliffy, and Horry. Defensively, D-Rob controls the paint, allowing our rangy wings and guards who can play more aggressively on the perimeter. Green, Dunn, KCP, Cliffy, and Horry give us great perimeter size and versatility, allow us to keep Magic out of unfavourable matchups.

Matchup
- Initial assignments will be Green-Stockton, Clyde-Allen, Cliffy-KD, Magic-AK, D-Rob-Deke. I'm not sure why Cliffy is being portrayed as some kind of liability against KD, he was an excellent defender across all frontcourt positions and is similarly-sized. Prime Danny Green certainly had the lateral mobility to deal with Stockton. Most importantly, D-Rob guarding Deke allows him to patrol the lane with impunity and put out fires where necessary.
- Durantbird has the deeper team, but conversely we have a pretty clear edge in high-end offensive talent. A lot is riding on KD and Allen to carry the offensively load here; Deke is a non-factor, AK is a pretty limited shooter and scorer, and Stockton is notorious for failing to ramp up his usage in the playoffs when the Jazz needed it. On a team level, nobody else in this series is creating easy baskets at a level close to Magic, especially when transition is factored in.

Good luck durantbird.

[durantbird]

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Voting is open. Fade please vote for yourself

[durantbird]

The comeback wasn't enough.

Fade advances

[Fadeaway_J]

Can't win a game for love or money, but I've made finals with Luka and now Magic. What a time to be alive.

GG durantbird