Opening Day Pairs 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).

[MadNESS]

PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40) | Nate McMillan (8)
SG: Ray Allen (38) | Nate McMillan (10)
SF: Jimmy Butler (38) | Mario Elie (10)
PF: Shane Battier (36) | Mario Elie (12)
Cc: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (40) | Tyson Chandler (8)



79’-80’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 16.9 FGA | MVP | All NBA 1 | All NBA D 1 | Champion
17’-18’ Jimmy Butler 15.6 FGA | NBA 3 | All NBA D 2 | MVP (10) | All Star | 35% 3’s
23’-24’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 19.8 FGA | MVP (2) | All NBA 1 | All Star | DPOY (7) | 43% 3’s in PO
08’-09’ Shane Battier | 5.9 FGA | All NBA D 2 | DPOY (4) | 38% 3’s
07’-08’ Ray Allen 13.5 FGA | Champion | 40% 3’s | All Star
11’-12’ Tyson Chandler 5.7 FGA | DPOY | All NBA D 2 | All NBA 3 | FG% Champion
95’-96’ Nate McMillan 4.3 FGA | Defense
94’-94’ Mario Elie 6.0 FGA | 40% 3’s | Champion

Total: 87.7 | 88.0 FGA

GL DB

Defense:
Plan to have Jimmy Butler on Magic Johnson.
Magic wants to distribute on this team and not score as much. If we mess up the distribution for Magic, I don’t see his offense flowing.
* Also this isn’t even an MVP season of Magic.

SGA on Klay. SGA is also a really good defender, we just want someone bigger and tougher on Magic, so we make the switch here. Should do fine against Klay.

Ray Allen on Iggy. This isn’t finals MVP Iggy. Ray Allen can stick on Iggy no problem.

Battier on AD. Battier is an excellent and smart defender. Tough match up here, but with Kareem having his back, I think he will do solid. We can all throw Chandler on him when needed to beat him up a bit.

KAJ on Moses. Nothing much to say here. All NBA D 1, one of the goats defending an of peak player.
* This isn’t an MVP version of Moses, which was available to be selected.

Nate, Elie and Chandler all 3 excellent defenders off the bench. We have ample defensive players to match up with anyone.

Offense:

We plan to play inside first and then find the slashers and shooters.

Peak MVP KAJ will have his way against Moses. We feed him early and often.

SGA is easily the 3rd best player in this series. I would assume Magic won’t be on him and he would blow right this version of Iggy.

Ray Allen is one of the greatest shooters of all time. I actually hope Klay is chasing Jesus Shuttlesworth around so he’s tried for offense. Ray opens up everything for slashers and KAJ.

Battier keeps the defense honest. You can’t leave him to double as he will make you pay. He can hit the open shot from anywhere.

Our offense would almost be seamless. Nothing is missing from this roster and our minor weaknesses are covered by our major strengths.

Vote NESS!

[durantbird]

PG: Jrue Holiday 24' - 10.0
SG: Klay Thompson 18' - 16.2
SF: Magic Johnson 85' - 11.7
PF: Anthony Davis 20' - 17.7
C: Moses Malone 80' - 18.9

Bench: Thabo Sefolosha 12' - 3.7
Bench: Andre Iguodala 16' - 5.7
Bench: Isaiah Hartenstein 23' - 4.0

87.9/88

Rotation:
PG: Jrue Holiday 33 / Magic Johnson 15
SG: Klay Thompson 33 / Thabo Sefolosha 15
SF: Magic Johnson 23 / Andre Iguodala 20 / Klay Thompson 5
PF: Anthony Davis 38 / Andre Iguodala 6 / Isaiah Hartenstein 4
C: Moses Malone 38 / Isaiah Hartenstein 10

Vs

PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40) | Nate McMillan (8)
SG: Ray Allen (38) | Nate McMillan (10)
SF: Jimmy Butler (38) | Mario Elie (10)
PF: Shane Battier (36) | Mario Elie (12)
Cc: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (40) | Tyson Chandler (8)

Matchup
- Defensive assignments: Magic vs Butler, Holiday vs SGA, Klay vs Allen, Davis vs Battier, Moses vs Kareem.
- We match up great. We've got two of the best modern POA defenders in Holiday and Iggy to throw at SGA, alongside Klay and Sefolosha. Kareem always struggled against Moses. Davis will create havoc defensively here as an help defender.Magic has the size to disturb Butler and not get bullied around.
- No one to guard Davis for Ness. When Elie plays PF, it's even worse.
- Given our size, defenders like McMillan Battier and Elie have a lesser effect.
- We've got three players who were MVPs or top 5 players in Magic Davis Moses. He has two.
- SGA isn't even MVP season.
- SGA and Butler fit is somewhat clunky.
- We've got the best playmaker ever setting up two of the most offensively gifted big men ever, each bringing his own unique skill set to the table, flanked by one of best pure shooters ever, and some great spacing across the board.
- We start five All Star level guys, and no 3 and Ds like Battier. Considering all in all, Iggy is also easily the most impactful bench player.

[durantbird]

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Voting is open. Team owners please vote for yourselves

[Dr Positivity]

MadNESS has great team but I think the lack of PF size gets him here. Can't believe I had durantbird tied 3-3 for a while that is a stacked team.

[MadNESS]

5 votes with 9 player! Come on board!!!

[durantbird]

durantbird wins! GG MadNess, wasn't sure I can beat you