Donut Draft R2 - MadNess vs Fadeaway_J*

[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).

We'll be using a AI vote when a matchup seems stuck, at least 24 hours since its opening. AI vote counts for a single vote.

**First to 3 votes advances**

[MadNESS]

PG: Russell Westbrook (40) | Jason Terry (8)
SG: James Harden (41) | Jason Terry (7)
SF: Andre Iguodala (28) | PJ Tucker (20)
PF: Dirk Nowitzki (41) | PJ Tucker (7)
Cc: Tim Duncan (40) | Dikembe Mutombo (8)



Total: 87.8 | 88.0 FGA

01’-02’ Tim Duncan - 18.3 FGA MVP
04’-05’ Dirk Nowitzki- 18.5 FGA MVP (3)
14’-15’ James Harden - 18.1 FGA MVP (2)
16’-17’ Andre Iguodala - 5.5 FGA Champ
22’-23’ PJ Tucker - 3.0 FGA 3 & D Swing
04’-05’ Dikembe Mutombo - 3.0 FGA No No No
15’-16’ Russell Westbrook - 18.1 FGA MVP (4)
16’-17’ Jason Terry - 3.3 FGA Sniper 43% 3’s

Write Up:

GL Fade!

Defense: WB on Kyrie / Harden on KCP / Iggy on Kawhi (Tucker too) / Duncan on Giannis / Horford on Dirk
Giannis won't pull Duncan out of the paint as he plays in the paint. Horford isn't a true scoring threat so Dirk there is fine.
Plan is to have one of the highest IQ players of all time take Giannis out of the game. Duncan can do that. He was athletic enough in chosen season as well. Our team defense is very solid with Duncan leading the way, our heart and soul, followed by Iggy, WB, Tucker and Deke. Dirk has a soft match up here, same with Harden. This is a typical Giannis build and we have the tools to defend it. Iggy and Tucker will take turns slowing down Kawhi.

Offense: We are the only team left with 4 MVP caliber players. We plan to push the ball when we can, but also play good basketball in the half court. Duncan and Dirk are a match made in heaven. WB and Harden worked in OKC and worked decently in HOU. They've even played AAU ball together and have been friends for years, still to this day. They fit just fine. Russ can cook with this team. We have 4 guys who can create their own shot, are willing passers, good cutters, can absolutely light it up at any point. We will find the mis matches and work that angle. Dirk will keep Giannis out of the paint. We will look to get his bigs into foul trouble with slashers like WB, Harden and Iggy getting to the basket.

Overall - 4 MVP caliber players to 2 (maybe 3). Benches are not far off. Tucker has a huge role on this team.
Can Fade slow down my guards attacking him all day? Can Horford and Giannis Defend Dirk and Duncan for 40 minutes?

Vote Ness

[Fadeaway_J]

Starters
C - Al Horford (2021-22)

Spoiler:

10.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.7 spg, 1.3 bpg, .467 FG%, .336 3P%, .842 FT%, 89 3P (1.3 pg), .574 TS%

PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021-22)

Spoiler:

29.9 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.4 bpg, .553 FG%, .293 3P%, .722 FT%, 71 3P (1.1 pg), .633 TS%
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team
- All-Defensive First Team

SF - Kawhi Leonard (2018-19)

Spoiler:

26.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.4 bpg, .496 FG%, .371 3P%, .854 FT%, 112 3P (1.9 pg), .606 TS%
- NBA Champion
- NBA Finals MVP
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA Second Team
- All-Defensive Second Team

SG - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (2019-20)

Spoiler:

9.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.2 bpg, .467 FG%, .385 3P%, .775 FT%, 92 3P (1.3 pg), .584 TS%
- NBA Champion

PG - Kyrie Irving (2023-24)

Spoiler:

25.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.5 bpg, .497 FG%, .411 3P%, .905 FT%, 173 3P (3.0 pg), .608 TS%

Bench
C - Marc Gasol (2020-21)

Spoiler:

5.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.1 bpg, .454 FG%, .410 3P%, .720 FT%, 50 3P (1.0 pg), .606 TS%

F - James Posey (2007-08)

Spoiler:

7.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.3 bpg, .418 FG%, .380 3P%, .809 FT%, 106 3P (1.4 pg), .587 TS%
- NBA Champion

G - Alex Caruso (2022-23)

Spoiler:

5.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.7 bpg, .455 FG%, .364 3P%, .808 FT%, 55 3P (0.8 pg), .588 TS%
- Led the NBA in STL% (3.0)
- All-Defensive First Team

Rotations
C - Horford (33), Gasol (15)
PF - Giannis (38), Posey (10)
SF - Leonard (38), Posey (10)
SG - KCP (36), Caruso (12)
PG - Irving (38), Caruso (10)

FGA Per Player

Spoiler:

Kawhi Leonard - 18.8
Giannis Antetokounmpo - 18.6
Al Horford - 8.2
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 7.3
Alex Caruso - 4.3
James Posey - 5.6
Kyrie Irving - 19.5
Marc Gasol - 3.7

Total: 88.0/88.0

Standard Giannis build with awesome shooting at every other position, with the added wrinkle of Kawhi alongside him creating a dual matchup nightmare. Kyrie is the perfect third option: great floor spacer and off-ball player in general, good enough to take over offensively for long stretches, and has become great at pushing it in transition in his Dallas tenure, which dovetails nicely with Giannis. Horford and Gasol give us additional playmaking at the 5. Defensively, Horford affords us the option to play with more versatility than the real-life Bucks, and our 2 through 4 rotation is eyewatering. Kyrie also played some of the best defense of his career in the chosen season.

Matchup
- Assignments are as follows: KCP-Westbrook, Kyrie-Iggy, Kawhi-Harden, Giannis-Dirk, Horford-Duncan. We also have Caruso and Posey to throw at Harden/Westbrook. Against Harden pick-and-roll we switch, as we're comfortable with Kawhi/Giannis guarding either forward. We play drop against Westbrook and encourage him to take the long jumper. Horford and Gasol remained excellent post defenders even in post-prime years, and should both do a solid job against Duncan.
- With Duncan operating from the post and Giannis guarding Dirk on the perimeter, it's asking a lot for Duncan to beat Giannis down the court in transition. We feel like we can make a lot of hay with early offense, as anyone else being matched up with Giannis is big trouble for Ness. Additionally, we can use screening actions to force mismatches given that everyone except Giannis is a threat from outside.
- If we're talking about prime Harden, he and Westbrook only halfway worked as a pairing in Houston, and even that was only after they ditched all their bigs and played with five-out spacing. That isn't the case here with Duncan in the post and an unreliable shooter in Iggy. I think our trio has a much cleaner fit.
- Needless to say, our bench is considerably better.

Good luck Ness.

[Dr Positivity]

MadNESS has a three 3 FGA bench and didn't take Thybulle?

The big 4 talent is obviously imposing but questionable fit with Harden/Russ, the frontcourt could be a bit bit for them too. 15 Harden sharing with Russ and being guarded by Kawhi could get taken out of the series and Caruso, Posey and Gasol off the bench makes a big difference obviously. Vote Fade.

[durantbird]

Pretty much agree with Dr P. I prefer Fade's build.

Vote Fade

[JimmyPlopper]

Fade has a much better balance but Ness has much more talent. I will err on the side of talent here. Vote Ness

[lilroddyb]

kind of even matchup

Madness has the talent advantage but not by that much and I like Fadeaways fit quite a lot more

vote Fade

[durantbird]

Fade advances