Draft Night Trades Draft - CHAMPIONSHIP - Laimbeer** vs MadNess

[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).

[MadNESS]

PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (38) | Alex Caruso (10) | LeBron James
SG: Bruce Bowen (32) | Alex Caruso (16) | Luka Dončić
SF: Luka Dončić (36) | Anthony Mason (12) | LeBron James
PF: LeBron James (36) | Anthony Mason (12) | Bruce Bowen
Cc: Dikembe Mutombo (36) | Anthony Mason (4) | Kyle O’Quinn (8)



Total: 87.9 | 88.0 FGA

19’-20’ LeBron James 19.4 FGA
99’-00’ Anthony Mason 8.1 FGA
23’-24’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 19.8 FGA
22’-23’ Alex Caruso 4.3 FGA
21’-20’ Luka Dončić 20.5 FGA
99’-00’ Dikembe Mutombo 7.0 FGA
02’-03’ Bruce Bowen 5.8 FGA
18’-19’ Kyle O’Quinn 3.0 FGA

GL Laimbeer, love the Lakers squad!

First things first I’m a die hard Lakers fan.

Gasol and Shaq are a terrible fit. Terrible.

Spacing is terrible from start to finish on this Lakers team.

He’s not go no one to defend LeBron.

How does he guard Luka AND SGA.

Mutombo makes Shaq work but we can pack the paint with my team and force them to shoot.

Mason and O Quinn are 6 hard bully fouls on Shaq.

Only Batum is a viable 3 point threat and he’s not even a “shooter”.

Just don’t see how he defends SGA, Luka and LeBron.

Did I mention I have one of the “Kobe Stoppers” in Bruce Bowen on Kobe for the entire game.

Caruso shines in the playoffs. He’s nice to guard CP3 as well after SGA makes him work.

Bottom line, he can defend my big 3 and we have good answers for his best guys.

Vote NESS

[Snakebites]

If there were three basketballs Ness's team would be completely unstoppable.

[Laimbeer]

Shaquille O'Neal ( 2000 ) 21.1 - MVP (1), DPOY (2)
Pau Gasol ( 2009 ) 12.9 - All-NBA
Nicolas Batum ( 2019 ) 7.5 - 3-D, 38.9% on 4.0 3PA
Kobe Bryant ( 2008 ) 20.6 - MVP (1), DPOY (5)
Chris Paul ( 2020 ) 12.7 - MVP (7)

Tyson Chandler ( 2010 ) 3.7 - 9.9 rebs / 1.7 blks per 36
Dennis Rodman ( 1996 ) 4.8 - MVP (15), DPOY (7), TRB (1)
Hersey Hawkins ( 2001 ) 3.0 - 37.0% 2.1 (per 36) 3PA

86.3

Shaquille O'Neal (38) / Tyson Chandler (10)
Pau Gasol (36) / Dennis Rodman (12)
Nicolas Batum (30) / Dennis Rodman (18)
Kobe Bryant (30) / Hersey Hawkins (12) / Nicolas Batum (6)
Chris Paul (38) / Kobe Bryant (10)


We have the heart of the back-to-back 2009 and 2010 champions in Kobe and Pau. Then the upgrades (ahem) of Bynum to Shaq and Fisher to Chris Paul. This group could take that offensive architecture to crazy levels. Kobe and Paul playing off Shaq is another frightening scenario.

Shaq was second in DPOY and along with Chandler provides 48 minutes of elite rim protection. Deke's feeble offensive game enables a lot of paint patrol. With defensive standouts like Rodman, Batum, Kobe, and Paul out front, this is an elite defensive unit. Shaq/Deke, Pau/Bowen, Batum/LeBron, Kobe/Luka, Paul/SGA is pretty solid.

I like our top two talent of Shaq and Kobe with a proven fit. Ness has a very talented big three, but we are pretty talented ourselves and I think the fit bridges any gap.

If there were three basketballs Ness's team would be completely unstoppable.

[durantbird]

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Matchup is open. Laimbeer and Ness please vote for yourselves

[durantbird]

Laimbeer wins!!! GG

[Laimbeer]

Ness had a powerhouse. Feel fortunate to win. These are getting few and far between LOL.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

[MadNESS]

Ness had a powerhouse. Feel fortunate to win. These are getting few and far between LOL.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

Had ya for most of the voting lol, wish we got all 10 votes! Good game ‘beer!

[Snakebites]

Ness had a powerhouse. Feel fortunate to win. These are getting few and far between LOL.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

Im kinda relieved your team won.

I don’t like the type of team building (or lack of it, rather) represented by Ness’s team.

I thought you and I had the best teams in this.

Nothing personal Ness. Just very different build philosophies. I don’t buy the “great players figure it out” philosophy, particularly not in these games where, really, EVERY team is a super team. Fit should matter.

I also broadly think that, even as a separate issue from spacing, that off-ball ability is valued as much as it should be in these. In games where every team usually has an elite on-ball player or two, that guys elite at doing the work without needing the ball in their hands (Klay, Steph, Reggie, etc) should be extremely prized.