One Time Draft SF2 - wackbone* vs. Snakebites

[Fadeaway_J]

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).

[wackbone]

Julius Erving - 1981 - 18.6 FGA - MVP
James Harden - 2015 - 18.1 FGA - 2nd in MVP, 37.5 3P% on 6.9 att
Alonzo Mourning - 1999 - 13.8 FGA - 2nd in MVP, DPOY
Al Horford - 2018 - 10.5 FGA - All-Star, 5th in DPOY, 42.9 3P% on 3.1 att
Herb Jones - 2024 - 7.7 FGA - 5th in DPOY, 41.8 3P% on 3.6 att
Danny Green - 2014 - 7.4 FGA - 41.5 3P% on 4.7 att, notably good defender
Marcus Smart - 2019 - 7.1 FGA - All-Defensive 1st, 36.4 3P% on 4.3 att
Andrew Bogut - 2016 - 4.0 FGA - Starter on best team ever
Total: 87.2/88 FGA

James Harden (22) / Marcus Smart (26)
Danny Green (32) / James Harden (16)
Julius Erving (38) / Herb Jones (10)
Al Horford (32) / Herb Jones (16)
Alonzo Mourning (36) / Andrew Bogut (12)

Writeup:

Helluva team as always Snake, best of luck.

Defensively we will start with Harden on Kidd, Green on Richmond, Erving on Bridges, Horford on Dirk, and Mourning on Gasol. Smart/Herb will also see significant time on Kidd/Richmond off the bench.

I think we matchup pretty well defensively. Harden is our only weak spot, with several elite defenders throughout the lineup to throw at Snake's best players. In the chosen season, Mourning was DPOY, both Horford and Herb were 5th in DPOY voting, and Smart was All-Def 1st. And then there is also Green and Erving who are good-great defenders as well.

Offensively we are built around our three-tiered attack, with 2nd in MVP Harden as the primary playmaker, MVP Erving on the wing, and 2nd in MVP Mourning down low. They are surrounded by 3&D galore in Green, Horford, Smart, and Herb. Both Smart and Erving will take some of the playmaking responsibilities off of Harden as well.

Defensively he has two guys we can target in the starting lineup in Mitch and Dirk, as opposed to just Harden on our end (I have Erving as a good defender). And off the bench we have two more elite defenders (Smart/Herb) playing big minutes whereas Snake's 6th man (Barry) probably isn't providing as much resistance.

If you look at both teams as a big 3, a 4th man, and then depth, I think we have an edge in the big 3 (Harden/Erving/Mourning vs Kidd/Mitch/Dirk), Snake has an edge in the 4th man (Horford vs Gasol) and the depth is a matter of preference (Green/Smart/Herb/Bogut vs Bridges/Barry/Posey/Perkins), But I think our edge in the big 3 outweighs Gasol's edge over Horford.

I do anticipate a close vote but I think we have some advantages.

[Snakebites]

10-11 Dirk Nowitzki 16.2 FGA All NBA 2nd, FMVP
99-00 Jason Kidd 12.8 FGA All NBA First, All Defensive Second
20-21 Mikal Bridges 9.3 FGA
12-13 Marc Gasol 10.9 FGA DPOY, All NBA 2nd, All Defensive First
96-97 Mitch Richmond 16.9 FGA All NBA Third

01-02 Brent Barry 9.8 FGA
97-98 Sam Perkins 5.8 FGA
07-08 James Posey 5.6 FGA

Kidd (38)/Barry (10)
Richmond (37)/Barry (11)
Bridges (35)/Barry (5)/Posey (8)
Nowitzki (38)/Posey (10)
Gasol (36)/Perkins (12)

Alrighty lets do this.

My team will run a very conventional offense. Jason Kidd is among the best passer/playmakers of his generation and he's being given all of the tools he needs to excel. Both prime Nowitzki and prime Gasol pair excellently with him in two man action and he has capable shooters at both of the wing spots to ensure that he has plenty of room to operate and alternatives to feed the ball to. Additionally both Dirk and Mitch are also adept at scoring in isolation, making my offensive attack one of the most balanced and well rounded in this game.

Defensively I have a rock solid foundation with prime DPOY Marc Gasol anchoring things, and Jason Kidd and Mikal Bridges both being elite point of attack defenders- particularly useful in this game where both of my opponents' guards do most of their work with the ball in their hands- I think we matchup very well in that regard.

Matchup specific:

Wack does not have an ideal point of attack defender for Kidd, at least not in the starting unit. For the majority of his minutes, Kidd will be able to pick apart my opponents' defense with Harden on him, and I think that creates a lot of opportunities for my team. While Wack does have a strong defense on balance I think that he's missing a pretty important component that I am not. While his other man defenders match up reasonably well to my group, I think Jason Kidd will be able to find high percentage opportunities for his teammates given I've surrounded him with a variety of different types of offensive pieces that all fit with him extremely well.

On my end, I've got defenders for all of his key pieces. Kidd is my POA defender, Bridges is my versatile wing defender who can take Erving, and Gasol is my rim protector who should be able to guard Mourning quite well.

Wack has a solid bench, but I'd argue mine is even better. Brent Barry isn't just a shooter in the year I've picked for him, he's a legitimate and efficient scorer and shot creator with a 4.2 VORP- easily the best weapon on either bench. Posey and Perkins slide into ideal roles off the bench as floor spacers and defenders, and give my bench a very well spaced small-ball dynamic.

I always love Al Horford in these but I think I prefer him as the center in a pace and space offense, he's had mixed results at best when at the 4 while paired with a conventional low-post center. Horford would be ideally suited as a P/R partner to Harden, but Zo there as a low-post option complicates that just a tad. Wack's team should still be very effective as these are relatively minor quibbles, but I'd argue my team gets more bang for it's buck in terms of optimally using the talent I have.

[Fadeaway_J]

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Ready for votes. Wack and Snake, please vote for yourselves as well.

[durantbird]

Harden Erving seems like a much more formidable duo with supporting casts quite similar overall. That's why I voted wackbone

[Snakebites]

Man, my team has people spilt down the middle.

Once again the AI gods must decide this one.

[wackbone]

Man, my team has people spilt down the middle.

Once again the AI gods must decide this one.

Best of luck!

[Fadeaway_J]

Chat-GPT Vote: wackbone

Spoiler:

This is a fantastic matchup with a lot of intriguing contrasts. Both teams have strong defensive foundations, elite talent, and solid bench depth, but there are a few key factors to weigh in the series. Here's a breakdown:

### **Offensive Strengths:**
- **Wackbone:** Their offensive setup revolves around a versatile big 3 (Harden, Erving, Mourning) with great spacing and complementary role players (Green, Horford, Smart, Herb). Harden is a prime playmaker who can run the offense, and Erving and Mourning are both potent scoring options at different areas on the floor. They also have shooters in Green and Horford, which creates ample space for those scorers to thrive.
- **Snakebites:** Snake’s offense revolves around one of the most well-rounded playmakers in Kidd, paired with one of the most versatile big men in Nowitzki and the elite post presence of Gasol. They also have a strong isolation scorer in Mitch Richmond and two capable wing shooters/defenders in Bridges and Barry. Kidd's ability to facilitate and create for teammates, combined with Dirk's shooting and Gasol’s inside presence, gives Snake plenty of options to attack.

### **Defensive Strengths:**
- **Wackbone:** The defense is elite across the board. You have Mourning (DPOY), Horford (5th in DPOY voting), Smart (All-Defensive 1st), and Herb Jones, who can lock down nearly any matchup. The versatility on defense will help them in handling Kidd, Richmond, and Nowitzki. Erving, while not a defensive stopper like some of the others, is still a solid defender, which gives Wackbone multiple options to throw at Snake’s best players.
- **Snakebites:** Snake’s defense is also strong. Kidd is an elite POA defender, Bridges can guard wings, and Gasol is an anchor in the paint. The key here is Gasol’s ability to protect the rim, which could be essential in neutralizing Mourning. However, Wackbone’s perimeter shooting could stretch Snake’s defense, and Kidd’s ability to defend Harden will be crucial for Snake.

### **Matchup Specifics:**
- **Harden vs. Kidd:** This is probably the most intriguing matchup. Kidd is a phenomenal defender, but Harden’s offensive skillset (combined with his playmaking) might be a bit too much for Kidd to contain. The question will be if Kidd can slow Harden down enough to disrupt his flow while also providing his own offensive playmaking. If Harden can get past Kidd, it opens up the offense for Wackbone significantly.
- **Erving vs. Bridges:** This is an intriguing wing matchup, with Bridges being one of the best defenders at his position. However, Erving's scoring and ability to create for himself will likely give Bridges some trouble. Erving has the edge in versatility and scoring, although Bridges can contribute in other ways defensively.
- **Mourning vs. Gasol:** Mourning’s DPOY season will be key against Gasol’s inside scoring. Gasol is a much more versatile big, capable of scoring both inside and outside, while Mourning is more traditional as a rim protector. This could come down to whether Gasol’s skill set allows him to get past Mourning’s shot-blocking presence.
- **Horford vs. Nowitzki:** A matchup of two highly skilled bigs with different styles. Nowitzki's perimeter game could create problems for Horford, particularly if Horford is playing the 4 next to Mourning. However, Horford's defense, ability to stretch the floor, and intelligence could keep things competitive.

### **Bench Depth:**
- **Wackbone’s Bench:** Green, Smart, Herb, and Bogut give Wackbone significant depth on both ends. Smart and Herb provide additional defense and playmaking, while Green can catch fire as a shooter. Bogut is a solid, if unspectacular, presence who can anchor the defense when Mourning is off the floor.
- **Snakebites’ Bench:** Barry is a legit scorer who can provide a lot of offense, and Posey/Perkins provide defense and spacing. However, Snake’s bench is likely more offensive-minded, while Wackbone’s bench has a more defensive-oriented approach.

### **Intangibles:**
- **Matchup Flexibility:** Wackbone has more versatility on defense, especially with players like Smart and Herb Jones who can defend multiple positions. Snake's bench is a little more offensively oriented, which could be a double-edged sword. Wackbone can lock down defensively and make it harder for Snake’s offense to flow.

### **Overall Prediction:**
This would be a tight, competitive series, with both teams having strengths in different areas. Snake’s offense, driven by Kidd’s playmaking and Nowitzki’s scoring, is incredibly dangerous. However, Wackbone’s defensive depth and the presence of elite defenders across the board might give them the edge. They have multiple options to limit Snake's best players (Kidd, Nowitzki, Gasol), and their offensive firepower, with Harden and Erving leading the way, should be enough to outlast Snake in a series.

**Wackbone in 7 games** — The combination of defensive versatility, scoring balance, and the presence of multiple elite defenders likely gives them the slight edge in a seven-game series.

[wackbone]

Sweet! GG Snake

[Snakebites]

GG Wack.

Didn’t like my odds in the finals after splitting the vote in two matchups anyway.