Jason Kidd 09' - 7.6 - Dallas
Reggie Miller 00' - 12.9 - 3pt PCT
Jimmy Butler 19' - 13.9 - Philly
Larry Bird 86' - 19.6 - Coach
Tyson Chandler 08' - 7.7 - Pelicans
JJ Redick 09' - 4.7 - Magic
Marques Johnson 81' - 15.2 - Bucks
DeAndre Jordan 13' - 6.3 - Clippers
7.6+12.9+13.9+19.6+7.7+4.7+15.2+6.3=87.9
Kidd, Bird, Butler and Marques handle playmaking duties. Bird, Reggie and Redick provide elite shooting. While Chandler and DeAndre are both elite lob threats that anchor our defense.
Rotations:PG: Jason Kidd 35 / Marques Johnson 10 / Jimmy Butler 3
SG: Reggie Miller 36 / JJ Redick 10 / Jimmy Butler 2
SF: Jimmy Butler 33 / Marques Johnson 15
PF: Larry Bird 38 / Marques Johnson 10
C: Tyson Chandler 30 / DeAndre Jordan 18
Vs
Shaq (38) / Zeller (10)
Bobby Jones (33) / Schrempf (15)
Doncic (30) / Schrempf (18)
Christie (35) / Doncic (8) / Hill (5)
CP3 (38) / Hill (10)
Matchup:- Defensive assignments: Kidd vs Paul, Reggie vs Christie, Butler vs Luka, Bird vs Jones, Chandler vs Shaq.
- We match up great defensively—Kidd and Butler are excellent covers for Paul and Luka, and Chandler is a great cover for Shaq.
- Offensively, our fit is much cleaner: we surround our playmakers (Kidd, Bird, Butler, Marques) with elite shooters in Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, and JJ Redick. Even Kidd in Dallas was a very solid spot-up option.
- This spacing allows our offense to thrive with constant movement, drive-and-kick actions, and high pick-and-rolls involving Chandler or DJ as lob threats.
- Their team, while talented, is built around three high-usage players—CP3, Luka, and Shaq—who all operate best with the ball and can be limited with inadequate spacing. With wings like Christie and Bobby Jones around them, the floor will shrink fast.
- Jones also has durability concerns and might be stretched playing heavy minutes. Meanwhile, we bring Marques Johnson off the bench—a legit MVP candidate in '81 who provides scoring, creation, and positional versatility.
- While Schrempf is a nice weapon for them, Marques as mentioned was an MVP candidate. On the other hand, Cody Zeller wasn't very useful last year on either side.
- We also have the best player in the matchup—Larry Bird in his '86 MVP season—clearly outshining an early-career, less polished Orlando version of Shaq.
- Luka is guarding Jimmy.
- Our depth, fit, and high-level shooting give us the more cohesive and potent squad.
). It also helps that Chandler's presence (+ DeAndre's) ensures that Shaq can stay close to the basket defensively.