Donut Draft CHAMPIONSHIP - Laimbeer** 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**

[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
- Primary defensive assignments will be Kawhi/Posey-Luka, KCP/Caruso-Steph, Kyrie-O'Neale, Giannis-Draymond, Horford-Robinson. KCP and Caruso have the right skill set to chase Steph and Reggie around screens. Giannis helps off Draymond to interfere with Luka pick-and-roll actions.
- Kyrie is once again positioned to have a big series against a Luka-Steph-Reggie backcourt trio. Additionally, he and Kawhi can run two-man actions to force even more advantageous matchups.
- Between Draymond, AK-47, and Mbah a Moute, Laimbeer's frontcourt offers plenty of places for Giannis to roam and be a destructive defensive force. This also doesn't bode well for Robinson who won't have much room to operate in the post.

Good luck Laimbeer.

[Laimbeer]

David Robinson ( 1995 ) 18.4 - MVP (1)
Draymond Green ( 2017 ) 8.0 - World Champ, DPOY (1)
Royce O'Neale ( 2021 ) 5.5 - All-D votes, 38.5% on 3.9 3PA
Stephen Curry ( 2021 ) 18.3 - World Champ, MVP (6)
Luka Dončić ( 2017 ) 20.5 - MVP (6)

Andrei Kirilenko ( 2007 ) 6.0 - DPOY (13), 2.5 blks per 36
Luc Mbah a Moute ( 2016 ) 3.0 - All-D votes
Reggie Miller ( 2004 ) 7.4 - 40.1% on 4.2 3PA

87.1

David Robinson (38) / Andrei Kirilenko (10)
Draymond Green (38) / Andrei Kirilenko (10)
Royce O'Neale (36) / Luc Mbah a Moute (8) / Reggie Miller (4)
Stephen Curry (28) / Reggie Miller (20)
Luka Dončić (38) / Stephen Curry (10)

Good luck, Fade.

Offensively we're a juggernaut. Luka/DRob P&R is nightmarish and Steph will absolutely feast off-ball. Draymond can provide secondary playmaking. Reggie Miller is a game changer off the bench.

If Bam and Embiid are the best Giannis defenders today, I have to believe DRob is his worst nightmare. DRob/Giannis, DRaymond/Horford, O'Neale/Kawhi, Luka/KCP and Steph/Kyrie are good covers. Giannis being so ball dominant a bit of Kawhi's value as an offensive hub gets lost.

Their bench isn't bad, but there's no game changer like Reggie.

[durantbird]

Both have similar level of talent, with Fade having the defensive edge overall and specifically with the Kyrie Steph matchup. Laimbeer has a nice bench pair in Reggie AK but at the expense of a low end 3&d starter in O'Neale who really plays too much and isn't a very good cover for Kawhi either. Kirilenko's fit between Draymond and Luka is imperfect as well. All in all I think the matchup favors Fade.

Vote Fade

[Dr Positivity]

I think Laimbeer wins the front court battle due to MVP Robinson vs 22 Horford and talent makes up for worse fit of perimeter stars. His bench is a bit better and Kyrie as primary passer is never ideal. Vote Laimbeer

[Fadeaway_J]

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[JimmyPlopper]

Really evenly matched teams to me. I've been thinking of how to decide, but it's really difficult.

[JimmyPlopper]

Part of what makes it so difficult is that the strengths of the respective teams are different - the teams' best guys aren't matched up against each other for the most part.

[flaco]

Both teams are loaded. I usually opt for fit over talent unless there's a considerable talent gap. I think Draymond becomes an offensive liability next to Luka. His biggest strength on offense is his secondary playmaking, especially for shooters coming off screens. I have a hard time imagining Draymond being a mid-post passer or a short roll playmaker on a Luka team. Not even sure he'd excel at transition passing cause Luka teams are built to play in the half court. Fade's team fits seamlessly on offense and has great defense 2 through 5. Giannis roaming off Draymond should be able to provide defensive cover for Kyrie.

Vote: Fadeaway_J

[lilroddyb]

Great teams guys

Fade has close to perfect Giannis built team. Great fit. Laimbeer doesn't have as good fit with luka and Draymond but I think they will make it work with awesome offball players in Steph and David Robinson

In the end I like Laimbeers team a bit more with overall talent advantage ( 3 mvp type players vs 2 mvp players ) and Draymond and David Robinson are as good frontcourt you can hope for to slow down Giannis

Vote Laimbeer

[durantbird]

ChatGPT vote Laimbeer

Laimbeer wins the game

Spoiler:

This matchup between Fadeaway_J and Laimbeer is fascinating due to their contrasting strengths and playing styles. Here's a breakdown of the key factors in a seven-game series:


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Offensive Analysis

Fadeaway_J

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the engine of this team. Paired with Kawhi Leonard, they form an elite forward duo with scoring, defense, and physicality.

Kyrie Irving adds dynamic shot creation and floor spacing, with his off-ball ability complementing Giannis.

Al Horford and Marc Gasol provide spacing and playmaking from the center position, which fits well with Giannis' drive-and-kick game.

Shooting around Giannis is solid but not elite. While KCP and Kawhi are reliable, they don’t offer the same consistent gravity as someone like Steph Curry on the opposing team.


Laimbeer

This team revolves around the Luka Dončić–David Robinson pick-and-roll. Luka's ability to manipulate defenses and D-Rob's athleticism create matchup nightmares.

Steph Curry's elite off-ball movement creates chaos, allowing Luka and D-Rob more room to operate.

Draymond Green adds a layer of secondary playmaking and spacing, making this offense highly versatile.

Reggie Miller provides a sharpshooting spark off the bench, which is something Fadeaway_J lacks in his second unit.



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Defensive Analysis

Fadeaway_J

Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Al Horford anchor a formidable defense. Alex Caruso adds a disruptive presence off the bench.

Primary matchups:

Kawhi on Luka

KCP/Caruso chasing Steph around screens

Giannis roaming off Draymond to help on Luka/Robinson actions

Horford on D-Rob


The combination of length and mobility makes it tough for Luka and D-Rob to dominate consistently.


Laimbeer

David Robinson is one of the best defenders historically, which makes him a credible matchup for Giannis.

Draymond Green and Andrei Kirilenko add versatile defense to contain Giannis’ drives and help on switches.

Primary matchups:

Robinson on Giannis

Draymond on Horford

O'Neale on Kawhi

Steph on Kyrie

Luka hiding on KCP


The bench defense isn't as strong beyond AK-47, which could be an issue in the series' later games.



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Intangibles

Fadeaway_J relies on Giannis' ability to dominate the interior and Kawhi’s two-way brilliance. However, Giannis’ ball dominance slightly limits Kawhi’s offensive impact.

Laimbeer has better floor spacing and off-ball movement, particularly with Steph and Luka orchestrating. The bench advantage with Reggie Miller could be decisive in close games.

Coaching adjustments will be crucial. Laimbeer might zone up against Giannis to neutralize his driving lanes, while Fadeaway_J could attack Steph and Luka defensively.



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Verdict

Fadeaway_J has a more balanced defense and a physically imposing lineup, but Laimbeer’s offensive versatility and floor spacing give him an edge in tight games.

In a seven-game series, Laimbeer likely wins in 6 or 7 games, with Luka, Steph, and D-Rob’s offensive synergy overpowering Giannis and Kawhi's defensive wall. Reggie Miller's bench scoring tilts close games in Laimbeer's favor.

[Laimbeer]

Woot. Been a while. GG Fade.

I really wondered how people would react to the Luka and Steph back court.

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