[url][/url]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).
20.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 2.4 bpg, .546 FG%, .637 FT%, .579 TS% - Led the NBA in DWS (6.8) - NBA Champion - NBA All-Star - All-NBA First Team - All-Defensive First Team
PF - Jaren Jackson Jr. (2022-23)
Spoiler:
18.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 3.0 bpg, .506 FG%, .355 3P%, .788 FT%, 100 3P (1.6 pg), .613 TS% - Led the NBA in bpg, BLK% (9.6) - Defensive Player of the Year - NBA All-Star - All-Defensive First Team
9.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.1 bpg, .516 FG%, .460 3P%, .842 FT%, 81 3P (1.4 pg), .659 TS% - Led the NBA in 3P%
Rotations C - Duncan (38), Jackson (10) PF - Jackson (26), Highsmith (22) SF - Middleton (38), Miller (10) SG - KCP (36), Hill (12) PG - SGA (38), Hill (10)
FGA Per Player
Spoiler:
Tim Duncan - 14.1 Jaren Jackson Jr. - 13.0 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 21.8 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 8.3 Khris Middleton - 15.3 Haywood Highsmith - 5.0 George Hill - 6.4 Mike Miller - 3.9
Total: 87.8/88.0
We've got arguably the best inside-outside combo in this game in SGA and Duncan. The offensive ecosystem around SGA is pretty much an upgraded version of the real-life Thunder. Duncan is obviously a much more capable individual scorer than Hartenstein, but he can also fulfill a lot of the same functions as a passing hub and pick-and-roll finisher. JJJ, like Chet, is a prototypical stretch 4 who can also attack off the dribble and finish efficiently at the rim. Middleton is a less athletic but better shooting iteration of J-Dub as a secondary wing scorer and playmaker. KCP is what Dort would be with a more reliable jumper and the ability to score on the move. In general, I would say our halfcourt offense has more consistent outside shooting as well as a proven fail-safe option (Duncan in the post) which makes us less susceptible to the droughts that plagued OKC in the playoffs.
Defensively, this is a more modern Twin Towers with Duncan and JJJ completely walling off the paint. Throw in Shai and our rim protection becomes pretty much God-tier. We have no weaknesses on the perimeter either, with KCP and Highsmith being the standouts.
Matchup - Initial assignments will be KCP-Conley, SGA-Harden, Middleton-Kawhi, JJJ-Wemby, Duncan-Gasol. Highsmith will be our secondary option against Kawhi. - The combination of Harden and the undersized Conley makes it tough for roddy to match up with SGA and Middleton. Presumably Kawhi would start on SGA, but one screen from Middleton (who is too good a shooter to leave open) allows us to target our preferred matchup instead. In any case, Harden or Conley guarding Middleton is also far from ideal. - Wemby doesn't have the lower-body strength to establish good post position against JJJ, which we feel will lead him being over-reliant on shooting the pullup three. This is exacerbated by him playing exclusively at the 4. We much prefer dealing with him in this mode where he's operating as a glorified stretch 4 rather than causing havoc in the basket area (although we can handle that as well with Duncan and JJJ). - Craig, GPII, and Chandler is a pretty rough trio of bench players from a spacing standpoint.
C: Marc Gasol 34 min / Tyson Chandler 14 min Pf: Victor Wembanyama 38 min / Kawhi Leonard 10 min Sf: Kawhi Leonard 28 min / Torrey Craig 10 min / Gary Payton jr 10 min Sg: James Harden 36 min / Gary Payton jr 12 min Pg: Mike Conley 38 min / Gary Payton jr 10 min
2017 Kawhi leonard 17.7 2013 Marc Gasol 10.9 2025 Victor Wembanyama 18.6 2017 Mike Conley 14.6 2012 James Harden 10.1 2020 Torrey Craig 4.6 2011 Tyson Chandler 5.5 2022 Gary Payton jr 4.8
tfga: 86.8
Defense
everyone is a good defender outside of Harden.
defensive matchup
Marc Gasol/Tyson on Duncan wembanyama on Jaren Jackson Kawhi on Shai Harden on Middleton Conley on KCP
overall
Fade build great team around Duncan and Shai but I think I got some advantage here and there. I think I got playmaking advantage with Mike Conley, Harden and Kawhi to lesser extend being better than Shai and friends. When Shai sits I think the playmaking will be tough for Fade.
Wemby is better than Jaren Jackson Conley is better than KCP and Harden is better than Middleton imo
This is a close matchup between two well-built, modern teams — both strong defensively and well-balanced on offense. Let’s break it down in a seven-game vacuum assuming full health and normal performance levels from each player.
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Top Talent Comparison
Matchup Edge
SGA vs Harden SGA — MVP, Finals MVP, elite efficiency, two-way threat Duncan vs Gasol Duncan — still elite on both ends, more versatile scorer JJJ vs Wemby Slight edge to Wemby, but JJJ holds his own Middleton vs Kawhi Kawhi — especially 2017 Kawhi (MVP-level season) KCP vs Conley Conley, though KCP’s shooting and defense still valuable
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Defense
Fadeaway_J has elite paint protection with 2007 Duncan and 2023 JJJ, plus strong perimeter defenders like KCP, SGA, and Middleton. roddy counters with Wemby and Gasol for rim protection and Kawhi, Conley, GPII, and Craig as perimeter options, but Harden is a weak link that Fade can exploit.
Key defensive mismatch:
Harden guarding Middleton is a clear liability — Middleton’s size and off-ball shooting will punish soft contests.
Kawhi on SGA is logical, but Fade can force switches or use Middleton screens to get SGA free.
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Offensive Execution
Fadeaway_J’s Offense:
Built like a souped-up OKC team with Duncan in the Chet/Hartenstein role but far more dominant.
SGA is at his absolute peak — 32.7 ppg on .637 TS% with elite clutch and playmaking.
Middleton, KCP, JJJ all stretch the floor, and Duncan gives a post scoring and passing hub.
Bench has elite spacing with Hill (league-leading 3P%) and Miller.
roddy’s Offense:
Strong playmaking core: Conley, Harden, and Kawhi — all capable pick-and-roll and isolation creators.
Wemby adds spacing and shot creation from the 4, though he’s used more as a stretch than a post threat.
Bench is weak offensively: GPII, Craig, Chandler offer very little spacing or scoring.
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X-Factors and Fit
SGA-Duncan synergy: SGA’s downhill game, midrange, and pick-and-roll mastery pair perfectly with Duncan.
Wemby at PF limits his interior impact somewhat (as Fade correctly points out).
roddy lacks a true go-to scorer who is both efficient and dominant in this peak year — Harden and Kawhi aren’t at their peak seasons (2012 Harden and 2017 Kawhi are close but not at their best playoff form).
roddy’s bench limits flexibility in rotations.
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Verdict: Fadeaway_J wins in 6 or 7 games
Why:
SGA is playing like the best player in the world in this version.
Duncan is the most stable anchor in this series on both ends.
The spacing, depth, and defensive balance are better on Fadeaway_J’s side.
roddy's playmaking trio is solid, but his offensive ceiling suffers with spacing issues and Harden’s defense being a consistent liability.
Winner: Fadeaway_J in 7 games But it’s close — roddy has the tools to take a few games, especially if Kawhi and Harden get hot.
