Dwight Howard Draft - CHAMPIONSHIP - durantbird** vs MadNess

[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).

[durantbird]

PG: James Harden 2015 - 18.1 - Houston
SG: Joe Dumars 1996 - 8.9 - Lost to Lakers
SF: Kevin Durant 2017 - 16.5 - Two teams finals
PF: Dirk Nowitzki 2011 - 16.2 - No college
C: Alonzo Mourning 1999 - 13.8 - Multiple stints

Bench: Derek Fisher 1998 - 4.6 - Lakers
Bench: James Posey 2008 - 5.6 - 7 franchises
Bench: Bo Outlaw 2000 - 4.1 - Orlando

Rotation:
PG: James Harden 38 / Derek Fisher 10
SG: Joe Dumars 32 / James Posey 12 / Derek Fisher 4
SF: Kevin Durant 33 / James Posey 15
PF: Dirk Nowitzki 38 / Bo Outlaw 5 / Kevin Durant 5
C: Alonzo Mourning 38 / Bo Outlaw 10

87.8/88

vs

PG: Gary Payton (38) | Alex Caruso (10)
SG: Tracy McGrady (40) | Alex Caruso (8)
SF: Paul Pierce (36) | Bruce Bowen (12)
PF: PJ Tucker (34) | Bruce Bowen (14)
Cc: Nikola Jokic (40) | Dikembe Mutombo (8)

Matchup:
- We were able to put together an incredibly potent team with three MVPs who happen to be three of the best shooters of all time in Harden-Durant-Dirk - with Mourning 99' being second in MVP votes, and Dumars-Mourning complementing our trio perfectly in a no weak-point starting five. Alongside them, we've built an extremely solid bench with three big versatile defenders and glue guys. Harden–Durant–Dirk forms one of the most unguardable offensive cores possible, our off-the-chart shooting ability is going to stretch any defense to the maximum.
- Defensive assignments: Dumars/Posey vs McGrady, Harden vs Payton, Durant vs Pierce, Nowitzki vs Tucker, Mourning vs Jokic.
- We match up well. Dumars even if older still was a reliable defender and got DPOY votes a year later, he's a great counter for McGrady with good size (was one of MJ's best defenders). Posey/Fisher can also do credible job on him off the bench. Mourning is a great Jokic counter.
- Pierce as the main Durant defender is the biggest mismatch of the series.
- We've got thee MVPs and MVP-2 versus one. 3 of a kind is more than 1 of a kind.
- MadNess will try to say Pierce and Payton are comparable to Harden and Dirk but we all know they aren't.
- Our bench complements our team well with gritty and versatile identity.

[MadNESS]

PG: Gary Payton (38) | Alex Caruso (10)
SG: Tracy McGrady (40) | Alex Caruso (8)
SF: Paul Pierce (36) | Bruce Bowen (12)
PF: PJ Tucker (34) | Bruce Bowen (14)
Cc: Nikola Jokic (40) | Dikembe Mutombo (8)



No College - 22’-23’ Nikola Jokic 14.8 FGA MVP (2) | All NBA 2 | All Star | Champion
Magic - 02’-03’ Tracy McGrady 24.2 FGA MVP (4) | All NBA 1 | All Star | 39% 3’s
Lost to Lakers - 07’-08’ Paul Pierce 13.7 FGA Champion | All NBA 3 | All Star | 39% 3’s
Multiple Stints - 02’-03’ Bruce Bowen 5.8 FGA All NBA D | 44% 3’s
7 Different Teams - 18’-19’ PJ Tucker 6.4 FGA 46% 3’s in playoffs | 3 & D | Hustle & Grit
Lakers - 19’-20’ Alex Caruso 4.5 FGA 3 & D | Champion
Rockets - 04’-05’ Dikembe Mutombo 3.0 FGA Defense!
2 Finals Teams - 97’-98’ Gary Payton 15.6 FGA MVP (3) | All NBA 1 | All NBA 1 D | DPOY (2)

Total: 88.0 | 88.0 FGA

GL DB

Gary Payton on Harden. This is easily the best guard defender ever on a dude who always gets bashed in these games. Every time I draft him I don’t move on. Gary Payton absolutely shuts him down, getting in his head and taking DB’s offense out of rhythm.

Young Fisher cannot handle the ball, so taking Harden completely out of the game messes everything up for DB’s team. They don’t call him the Glove for nothing.

I will double up Durant with Pierce and Tmac. I’m not even going to guard old man Dumars, who won’t even get to see the ball with Harden/KD/Dirk.

Doubling up on KD will frustrate him!

Tucker is going to bully Dirk. Push him, pull him, get in his face, play dirty, whatever it takes.

Jokic on Alonzo.

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Offensively we will put Harden/KD/Dirk in hard to manage situations who are all below average defenders. 3 week defenders like this all on one team usually is a disaster.

Tmac and Pierce will consistently attack the Rim, with Jokic keeping Alonzo out of the paint.

My bench is miles ahead of his, young Fisher is useless (I’m a Laker fan). Caruso, Bowen and Deke is a great bench.

Vote fit and depth. Not all stars thrown on a team.

Big 4 VS Big 4, but we got the better bench.

No OFF seasons of players on my team! GOD season of TMac!

VOTE NESS!

[durantbird]

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Voting is open. Team owners please vote for yourselves

[Snakebites]

I voted for Ness.

Dumars by the mid 90s wasn't all that as a defender, and as offensively potent as Harden/KD/Dirk is I really didn't think a team with older Joe Dumars as the only proper POA defender was likely to be successful here.

Ness's team was similarly potent but I perceived as slightly more balanced, albeit with a slightly weaker offensive fit with no off-ball threats.

[durantbird]

I voted for Ness.

Dumars by the mid 90s wasn't all that as a defender, and as offensively potent as Harden/KD/Dirk is I really didn't think a team with older Joe Dumars as the only proper POA defender was likely to be successful here.

Ness's team was similarly potent but I perceived as slightly more balanced, albeit with a slightly weaker offensive fit with no off-ball threats.

This finals featured even older Dumars as the only POA defender last year and it won https://tinyurl.com/2zjzejmf

It isn't true though that Dumars is the only POA defender in my team, considering Posey and Fisher

[Snakebites]

I voted for Ness.

Dumars by the mid 90s wasn't all that as a defender, and as offensively potent as Harden/KD/Dirk is I really didn't think a team with older Joe Dumars as the only proper POA defender was likely to be successful here.

Ness's team was similarly potent but I perceived as slightly more balanced, albeit with a slightly weaker offensive fit with no off-ball threats.

This finals featured even older Dumars as the only POA defender last year and it won https://tinyurl.com/2zjzejmf

It isn't true though that Dumars is the only POA defender in my team, considering Posey and Fisher

In this matchup Posey will likely be needed to guard larger players, and I never thought of Fisher as a particularly imposing defender.

And sure, maybe it won in the past. That doesn't mean I as a voter must accept that it should win now.

[durantbird]

ChatGPT vote durantbird - durantbird wins

https://chatgpt.com/share/68e754e7-6d50-800a-a19b-93a75f0de4a6

Given both teams healthy, durantbird’s team likely wins a close matchup — though it’s stylistically tight and comes down to how well Payton’s defense can actually disrupt Harden. Let’s break it down by phases:


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Offensive Structure

durantbird’s team:

The Harden–Dirk–Durant trio provides elite half-court scoring balance. Harden drives and creates, Dirk spaces as a pick-and-pop nightmare, and Durant scores from anywhere.
Dumars and Mourning anchor the defense while fitting off-ball.
Floor spacing is elite (three 39–41% 3-pt shooters at volume).
Against a defense with Jokic and Tucker, Dirk can force mismatches, and KD shooting over Pierce or Bowen remains high-efficiency.

MadNESS’ team:

Jokic–McGrady–Pierce as playmaking trio is potent, but less perimeter shooting (McGrady and Pierce are good but not elite spacers).
Payton isn’t a floor-spacer, so spacing compresses.
Still, Jokic playmaking punishes switches — he’ll draw Mourning out and find cutters.

Edge: durantbird, for superior spacing and isolation reliability.


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Defense and Matchups

durantbird’s defense:

Dumars on T-Mac is a good fit; Posey or Fisher can help.
Harden is a defensive weak link but somewhat protected by Dirk’s improved 2011 positional defense and Mourning’s rim protection.
Durant can hold his own on Pierce.

MadNESS’ defense:

Payton on Harden is elite; he can bother him more than anyone in the pool.
Doubling KD with Pierce and T-Mac risks opening Dirk or Harden kickouts.
Tucker’s physicality helps vs Dirk, but Dirk has size and mid-range counters.

Edge: MadNESS, narrowly — better perimeter defense and Jokic’s defensive intelligence.


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Fit and Depth

durantbird’s bench (Fisher, Posey, Outlaw) offers solid defensive versatility, if limited shot creation.
MadNESS’ bench (Caruso, Bowen, Mutombo) is even stronger defensively and meshes perfectly with Jokic lineups.

Depth edge: MadNESS.


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X-Factors

Harden’s efficiency vs Payton’s ball pressure decides the series. If Harden produces near-MVP efficiency (2015), the offensive ceiling of Harden–KD–Dirk is unmatched.
Jokic will test Mourning’s mobility; Zo could rack up fouls trying to contain Jokic’s playmaking.


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Final Verdict

durantbird: Offense 9.5 / Defense 8 / Fit 8.5
MadNESS: Offense 8.5 / Defense 9 / Fit 9

Net: durantbird wins 4–3, powered by superior shot creation and spacing.

In short:

> Harden + KD + Dirk simply have more reliable scoring options than McGrady + Pierce + Jokic, even against an excellent defensive cast.