1980s All-stars Draft R1 - Dr Positivity vs Snakebites*

[Dr Positivity]

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).

Up

[Snakebites]

C: Kareem Abdul Jabbar 79-80 16.9 FGA
PF: Lamar Odom 10-11 10.9 FGA
SF: Marques Johnson 80-81 15.2 FGA
SG: Derrick White 23-24 11.5 FGA
PG: Kevin Johnson 88-89 13.9 FGA

B: Dennis Rodman 88-89 6.4 FGA
B: Boris Diaw 12-13 4.4 FGA
B: Lu Dort 24-25 8.4 FGA

87.4/88

KJ (37)/White (11)
White (25)/Dort (23)
Marques (36)/Dort (5)/Odom (7)
Odom (23)/Rodman (25)
Kareem (37)/Diaw (11)

Alrighty let’s do this.

Kareem is comfortably the best player in this series, in this his final MVP season. I’ve paired him with a pair of All-NBA 2nd team guys (KJ and Marques) who were both the best players on 55 plus win teams. KJ’s penetration, athleticism, and passing make him an ideal co-pilot to Kareem, and Marques is an ideal 2nd scoring option here. My trio of high end stars are flanked by a pair of do-it-all glue guys in White and Odom, and my bench contains multiple lockdown defenders, including 88-89 Dennis Rodman, who could guard every position.

My opponent has Malone/Stockton- a great P/R duo who in the 80s were still commanding league average offenses, and the iso-heavy Bernard King. By contrast Kareem was a proven offensive anchor for title winners, and here he’s flanked by scoring and playmaking at every position.

Vote Snake!

[Dr Positivity]

PG: John Stockton (1988: 9.6 FGA)
SG: Joe Dumars (1989: 13.1 FGA)
SF: Bernard King (1984: 18.1 FGA)
PF: Karl Malone (1989: 19.5 FGA)
C: Arvydas Sabonis (1996: 9.9 FGA)

PG: Delon Wright (2022: 3.5 FGA)
SF: Trevor Ariza (2013: 8.1 FGA)
PF: Bobby Jones (1983: 6.2 FGA)

88 / 88

PG: John Stockton (38) / Delon Wright (10)
SG: Joe Dumars (38) / Trevor Ariza (10)
SF: Bernard King (38) / Trevor Ariza (10)
PF: Karl Malone (20) / Bobby Jones (28)
C: Aryvdas Sabonis (30) / Karl Malone (18)

GL Snakebites

Defensive matchups: Stockon on KJ, Dumars on White, King on Marques, Malone on Odom, Sabonis on Kareem

He has a good team but the matchup is an issue as King and Malone will cause problems for his frontline here especially with Sabonis dragging Kareem out of the paint. We're comfortable with King playing beside Stockton and Malone, who will play the 10 minutes without him and vice versa. We have great defensive pressure in the backcourt causing him to have trouble getting the ball up and his sets with Kareem going. Bobby Jones can match or surpass Rodman for best bench player.

[Dr Positivity]

Voting is open, Snake please vote for yourself

[Snakebites]

I like Sabonis but I'm unsure where this notion of him as a floor spacer that a conventional big needs to chase around the perimeter comes from.

[Dr Positivity]

Tiebreaker

TEAM OVERVIEWS
Team 1 – Versatility + Star Power

Strengths:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1979-80) is the clear best player in the series — MVP-level season, nearly unstoppable in the post.

Kevin Johnson (1988-89): Explosive PG, averaged 20+ PPG and 12 APG, relentless penetration.

Defensive versatility: Derrick White, Lu Dort, Rodman, Odom — excellent defenders.

Bench defense and hustle: Rodman and Dort bring elite defensive energy.

Weaknesses:

Outside shooting is only moderate; White is solid, but others (KJ, Marques Johnson, Odom) aren’t spacing the floor much.

Boris Diaw's limited minutes suggest a minimal role.

Kareem’s traditional post game may be slowed by physicality + help defense.

Team 2 – Grit + Firepower

Strengths:

Elite pick-and-roll duo: Stockton and Malone are at the beginning of their legendary chemistry.

Scoring wing: Bernard King (1983-84) averaged 26.3 PPG on elite efficiency.

Sabonis (1995-96): Still crafty, solid passing big, stretches the floor some.

Bench defense: Bobby Jones is one of the greatest defenders of all time.

Weaknesses:

Sabonis is older and less mobile at this stage, could struggle guarding Kareem.

Bench depth at guard is thin — Delon Wright only played 10 MPG that season.

Not a lot of true three-point shooting outside of Dumars/Ariza.

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
Position Edge Notes
PG Team 1 (Kevin Johnson) More dynamic than Stockton offensively in this season.
SG Team 2 (Joe Dumars) Better defender and shooter, though White is excellent.
SF Team 2 (Bernard King) King is an offensive machine; Marques is great but not the same scorer.
PF Team 2 (Karl Malone) Malone is a top-15 all-time PF; Odom’s versatility helps but can't match scoring.
C Team 1 (Kareem) Clear advantage. MVP-level dominance vs aging Sabonis.

Bench Comparison

Team 1: Rodman is a huge weapon — can guard Karl Malone effectively and dominate the glass.

Team 2: Bobby Jones is elite defensively, but Ariza/Wright are support pieces only.

Edge: Team 1 — Rodman + Dort bring more impact.

X-FACTORS

Team 1's defensive schemes with Rodman/Odom/Dort/White could frustrate Stockton and King.

Team 2’s physicality with Malone and Jones might wear down Team 1's perimeter.

Pace: Team 1 would try to run with KJ/Odom/White; Team 2 is more half-court pick-and-roll and isolation.

VERDICT: Who Wins?

Prediction: Team 1 in 7 games.

Why?

Kareem is the most dominant player in the series and can’t be matched by Sabonis.

Kevin Johnson provides high-speed playmaking Stockton can’t entirely contain.

Rodman and White give them enough defensive firepower to slow down Malone and Dumars.

While Bernard King is dangerous, Team 1’s switchability and help defense can make his life difficult.

Likely Series Flow:

Team 2 wins early with Stockton/Malone chemistry and King's scoring (2-1 lead).

Team 1 adjusts defensively, increases minutes for Rodman and Dort.

Kareem imposes his will as the series goes on, especially in slower half-court games.

Final Series Score: Team 1 wins 4-3.

Close, physical series — Kareem’s dominance and bench defense are the difference.

Let me know if you want a simulated game-by-game breakdown or advanced stats!

Snakebites advances

[Dr Positivity]

Tbh I thought Snake had the better team here.

[Snakebites]

GG Dr P.