2024-25 West Cross Standings - Playin - MadNess* vs wackbone

[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).

[wackbone]

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 2025 - 21.8 FGA - 32.7 ppg (led league), 37.5 3P% on 5.7 att, Presumptive MVP
Kyrie Irving - 2024 - 19.5 FGA - 25.6 ppg, 41.1 3P% on 7.3 att
Kevin Garnett - 2005 - 16.6 FGA - All-NBA 2nd, All-Def 1st, 22.2 ppg, 13.5 rpg (led league)
Rudy Gobert - 2017 - 7.7 FGA - All-NBA 2nd, 2nd in DPOY, All-Def 1st, 14.0 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 2.6 bpg (led league)
Joe Ingles - 2020 - 7.7 FGA - 39.9 3P% on 4.9 att
PJ Tucker - 2019 - 6.4 FGA - 37.7 3P% on 4.7 att
Larry Nance Jr. - 2024 - 4.0 FGA - 41.5 3P% on 1.1 att, .160 WS/48
Thabo Sefolosha - 2012 - 3.7 FGA - 43.7 3P% on 1.7 att

Total: 87.4/88 FGA

Rotations:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (38) / Kyrie Irving (10)
Kyrie Irving (28) / Thabo Sefolosha (20)
PJ Tucker (20) / Joe Ingles (20) / Thabo Sefolosha (8)
Kevin Garnett (38) / PJ Tucker (10)
Rudy Gobert (36) / Larry Nance Jr (12)

Writeup:

Helluva team as always Ness. Best of luck.

Defensively we will start with SGA on Harden, Irving on CP3, Tucker on Butler, KG on Dirk, and Gobert on Chandler. Sefolosha will also see significant time on CP3/Harden. Ingles will also see significant time on Butler.

We matchup fairly well, with an ideal defender for Dirk in KG and several solid-great perimeter in Mavs' Kyrie, SGA, Thabo, Tucker, and Ingles. Kyrie has gotten significantly better as a defender in recent years. SGA is uber athletic and a solid defender in his own right. Ingles is good. Thabo and Tucker are elite.

Ultimately I think the biggest positive for our defense is a bit too many high usage players on Ness's team. Yes, CP3 and Harden worked well together but that was not 08 CP3 who was much higher usage. Add in Butler and Dirk who both need their touches and at some point there are some diminishing returns. To reiterate, I'm not arguing that Butler or Dirk aren't effective off-ball, but rather that they will need some on-ball possessions as well, which doesn't necessarily jive as well with both 08 CP3 and Harden.

I think my offense has a bit better-defined roles. Last year Kyrie proved he could still be highly effective as a SG and backup PG next to a super high-usage perimeter star in Luka. Our team is designed in much the same way, but with potential MVP SGA instead. SGA and Kyrie will split ball-handling duties throughout, taking pressure off of either to be the sole creator while simultaneously not having diminishing returns. 05 KG was coming off of an MVP and still playing at a high level and will be our primary frontcourt weapon. Tucker, Gobert, Thabo, and Ingles all slot in as high level role players.

I also have Harden and Dirk as the clear worst two defenders in the matchup, and both are playing 38 minutes. Harden especially left a LOT to be desired on that end in his Houston days especially. Assuming he puts Harden on Tucker we will look to generate switches as often as possible, which both SGA and Kyrie are excellent at producing. Dirk is going to have his hands full with prime KG.

As a final point, 17 Gobert is clearly better than 07 Chandler on both ends, finishing 2nd in DPOY and making the All-NBA 2nd Team.

[MadNESS]

PG: Chris Paul (38) | James Harden (10)
SG: James Harden (28) Jimmy Butler (20)
SF: Jimmy Butler (18) | Shane Battier (22) | Kyle Anderson (8)
PF: Dirk Nowitzki (38) | Shane Battier (10)
Cc: Tyson Chandler (34) | Dwight Howard (14)



06’-07’ Dirk Nowitzki 17.2 FGA
17’-18’ Jimmy Butler 15.6 FGA
07’-08’ Chris Paul 16.1 FGA
08’-09’ Shane Battier 5.9 FGA
16’-17’ James Harden 18.9 FGA
06’-07’ Tyson Chandler 6.4 FGA
19’-20’ Dwight Howard 4.0 FGA
15’-16’ Kyle Anderson 3.8 FGA

Total: 87.9 | 88.0 FGA

GL Wack

Offense:
Pick and rolls and pick and pops with CP3/Dirk or Harden/Dirk. If it is CP3/Dirk, Harden gets open to shoot the 3 ball. If its Harden, CP3 attacks the basket from the weak side. Butler always cuts. Chandler looks for lobs on the curls/picks. Basically pick your poison with match ups. Battier off the bench offers another knock down shooter, and Dwight offers another good roll man. He caught a ton of lobs from Rondo/LeBron in that finals run.

Defense:
CP3 on Kyrie. Harden on Tucker (who can't post him up with KG/Gobert in the paint). Butler on SGA. Dirk on Gobert. Chandler (Battier) on KG.
Plan to use Butler are our POA and try take SGA out of the game. CP3 was a great defender in N.O.'s and should have no problem slowing Kyrie down. Tucker provides little to no offense and basically is in for defense. Harden on him to keep a hand in his face when he shoots is cool to me.

I have MVP Dirk, and 2 guys who finished 2nd in MVP (Harden and CP3). Butler becomes the ultimate 4th man. Chandler/Battier are the perfect role players for this team.

Vote NESS. My big 4 > Wack's big 3.

[durantbird]

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Voting is open. MadNess and wackbone please vote for yourselves

[Dr Positivity]

MadNESS is too stacked in this one.

[durantbird]

MadNess advances