Infrequent Finalist Franchises - Semi - JimmyPlopper vs flaco*

[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).

[JimmyPlopper]

PG: Jason Kidd (38) / Delon Wright (10)
SG: Drazen Petrovic (38) / Delon Wright (5) / Kyle Korver (5)
SF: Marques Johnson (38) / Kyle Korver (10)
PF: Dirk Nowitzki (38) / Clifford Robinson (10)
C: Tyson Chandler (32) / Clifford Robinson (16)

1. Dirk Nowitzki (2007) - 17.2
2. Jason Kidd (2010) - 8.4
3. Tyson Chandler (2011) - 5.5
4. Drazen Petrovic (1993) - 16.2
5. Kyle Korver (2010) - 5.4
6. Delon Wright (2019) - 5.6
7. Marques Johnson (1981) - 15.2
8. Clifford Robinson (1999) - 12.6

86.1/88

Attack Porzingis in the Pick-and-Roll
Use Kidd-Dirk P&R to force Porzingis to defend in space.
If he drops, Dirk can hit mid-range jumpers. If he steps up, Kidd can lob to Chandler.

Exploit Danny Green & Mario Elie’s Defense
Dražen should relentlessly attack Green and Elie, who are solid defenders but not elite against high-level shot creators.
Run Dražen off screens to free him for open jumpers.

Make Giannis Defend in Space
If Giannis is guarding Dirk, pull him outside to limit his rim protection.
Use quick ball movement to make Giannis work and prevent him from roaming defensively.

Wall Off Giannis
Pack the paint when Giannis drives—force him to take mid-range jumpers.
Use Chandler’s length to challenge his finishes.

Disrupt Chris Paul’s Playmaking
Full-court pressure with Kidd to wear him down.
Chase him over screens and force him into contested shots instead of easy setups.

Make Porzingis & Tucker Beat Us
Close out hard on George and Green, but live with contested Porzingis jumpers and Tucker threes.
Switch defensive assignments if Porzingis is cooking—Clifford Robinson can match up well.

Key Adjustments
If Giannis is dominating, consider a 2-3 zone to keep bodies in the paint.
If Paul George is getting hot, put Marques Johnson on him full-time.
If Chris Paul’s mid-range is too effective, try trapping him early in possessions.
Win Condition: Control the pace, keep Giannis out of the paint, and exploit Porzingis’ defensive weaknesses. If Dirk gets rolling offensively, their defense will struggle to handle our floor spacing.

Good luck flaco

[flaco]

Best of luck, Jimmy!



Rotations
PG: Chris Paul (36) / Antonio Daniels (12)
SG: Danny Green (24) / Mario Elie (24)
SF: Paul George (36) / Danny Green (12)
PF: Giannis (24) / P.J. Tucker (24)
C: Kristaps Porzingis (36) / Giannis (12)

Offense
Giannis surrounded by 4 volume 3pt shooters is unguardable. If the defense collapses, Giannis finds the open shooter on the perimeter. If they close out on Zinger, Giannis wreaks havoc 1-on-1 in the paint. CP3-Zinger running the PnP are equally unstoppable. PG13 is the ultimate complementary star. Fits with everybody without needing the ball in his hands to maximize his effectiveness. I'd argue Jimmy's strategy against CP3 seems like a recipe for disaster. Going over the pick denies the 3, but allows the uncontested long/mid 2. CP3 is arguably the best mid-range shooter ever. Jimmy would basically allow him to shoot uncontested mid 2s all series long.

Defense
All players on the roster are plus defenders, at the very least. Giannis and PG13 were all-D 1st teamers in their selected season. Zinger drops. Chandler cannot force him to step outside his comfort zone. The presence of 2 non-shooters in Marques Johnson and Chandler allows us to occasionally double on Dirk. I'd expect Marques Johnson to play partly on the ball. We always go under the pick and dare him to shoot the 3. CP3 / Danny Green share conventional POA duties. We go over / fight through vs 36-year-old Kidd who lacks the explosiveness to turn the corner and blow by his defender off the dribble. Wing D should be strong with plenty of versatile defenders. Giannis-Zinger complement each other in the front court. Giannis is a mobile defender while Zinger is a terrific rim protector. They should give Dirk a run for his money.

FGA
2019 Giannis 17.3
2014 Paul George 17.0
2021 Chris Paul 12.6
2019 Danny Green 7.9
2021 Kristaps Porzingis 15.9
2014 P.J. Tucker 7.6
1993 Mario Elie 6.4
2003 Antonio Daniels 3.0

Total: 87.7

[durantbird]

Ready for votes. Jimmy and flaco, please vote for yourselves

[JimmyPlopper]

Gg Flaco!

[JimmyPlopper]

We've been capped at about ten voters in which case I wouldn't be able to make up the difference even with time. It's fine to call this one

[durantbird]

We've been capped at about ten voters in which case I wouldn't be able to make up the difference even with time. It's fine to call this one

I'll wait for the poll to end

[durantbird]

Flaco advances