Piston All-Time Fantasy League 1st Round : Snakebites* (2) vs. RexRyan (7)

[Pharaoh]

On that note, I surrender. I had a theory, I gave it my best, but my theory prevailed...... Good luck everyone!

What's your theory?

I'll share it after it's all over - all good

I personally think you missed your opportunity in the write up mate.

Comparing players via draft order got nothing to do with how your guys fit or how they'll counter Snake's.

[RexRyan]

What's your theory?

I'll share it after it's all over - all good

I personally think you missed your opportunity in the write up mate.

Comparing players via draft order got nothing to do with how your guys fit or how they'll counter Snake's.

With the way I drafted my team, I felt that stressing overall talent was my best bet. Here's where I failed - I drafted Iverson. Look at your original comment - talking about three people guarding him. What about the first ballot Hall of Famer in the backcourt with him? Drafting Iverson was the kiss of death, because as Mrs. Rex said, no true Piston fan would take him. All of the judges hammered chemistry - and cited Iverson.

If I would have drafted Long instead, the chemistry issue goes away (although some probably hammer Smith), and my talent advantage probably prevails.....

Don't draft players that everyone hates. Lesson learned. But I'll go Tale of the Tape on all of you going forward.....

[Pharaoh]

I'll share it after it's all over - all good

I personally think you missed your opportunity in the write up mate.

Comparing players via draft order got nothing to do with how your guys fit or how they'll counter Snake's.

With the way I drafted my team, I felt that stressing overall talent was my best bet. Here's where I failed - I drafted Iverson. Look at your original comment - talking about three people guarding him. What about the first ballot Hall of Famer in the backcourt with him? Drafting Iverson was the kiss of death, because as Mrs. Rex said, no true Piston fan would take him. All of the judges hammered chemistry - and cited Iverson.

If I would have drafted Long instead, the chemistry issue goes away (although some probably hammer Smith), and my talent advantage probably prevails.....

Don't draft players that everyone hates. Lesson learned. But I'll go Tale of the Tape on all of you going forward.....

For me it's about Lanier, Aguirre and his defensive guards really applying pressure on your strengths

Bing & AI lead your charge but Hunter, RJ, James & Curry is just too much for them to counter with limited help from Money & Jose.

I feel the same way in my match up where people have stated Sheed could be the difference despite the fact he's gotta contend with Cliffy, JYD, Corliss and Illy.

As great as one or 2 guys might be there's no way they can survive the constant rotation of multiple defenders with fresher legs that each present different defensive strengths and weaknesses - not over 30+ minutes or over an entire series.

That's just my take on it though - had nothing to do with AI or Smith.

I will say I'm disappointed you didn't state a clearly defined role for Smith - he could have been a difference maker in a Pippen-like role where he's too athletic for Mills & a match up nightmare for Snake's SFs

[RexRyan]

Bing & AI lead your charge but Hunter, RJ, James & Curry is just too much for them to counter with limited help from Money & Jose.

I feel the same way in my match up where people have stated Sheed could be the difference despite the fact he's gotta contend with Cliffy, JYD, Corliss and Illy.

You're right, my two HOF guards would probably be too scared to come out of the locker room. And lucky for Sheed, he'll only be guarded by one of those guys at a time. He'll destroy them all. I apologize for my sarcasm - I was just envisioning Reggie Jackson and Michael Curry trying to chase around AI and Bing

[Snakebites]

Bing & AI lead your charge but Hunter, RJ, James & Curry is just too much for them to counter with limited help from Money & Jose.

I feel the same way in my match up where people have stated Sheed could be the difference despite the fact he's gotta contend with Cliffy, JYD, Corliss and Illy.

You're right, my two HOF guards would probably be too scared to come out of the locker room. And lucky for Sheed, he'll only be guarded by one of those guys at a time. He'll destroy them all. I apologize for my sarcasm - I was just envisioning Reggie Jackson and Michael Curry trying to chase around AI and Bing

Problem with Bing and Iverson is that they'd never have a good game at the same time. They overlap way too much, and Iverson was famously unable to play with other good guards.

To be perfectly frank, I'm surprised Iverson was taken as seriously as he was as a starter in this game. I'd have been apprehensive starting him next to Dumars, Billups, or someone else capable of playing off the ball more, let alone Dave Bing.

You took a gamble grabbing most talented player available at every pick and the outcome was a team that just doesn't fit together well.

I was particularly surprised when you made the Warrior comparison. The criticism I had with your team wasn't that it was too talented (that would be a pretty silly argument to make), but that the talent in place simply doesn't fit.

And yeah, it rubbed me the wrong way when you simply compared them by draft order with various non-analytical quips such as "call me when this guy makes an all star team" and "12 and 6 on a crappy team" without addressing the positives those players bring and how they fit well with what I was doing.

[RexRyan]

Yes, that's what I said earlier - but without Iverson everyone doesn't play the chemistry card. Congrats

[Snakebites]

Yes, that's what I said earlier - but without Iverson everyone doesn't play the chemistry card. Congrats

Replace Iverson with a 3 point threat that can play good defense and you probably would have had a better argument. Of course, no such player was available at that spot.

This isn't blind Iverson bias. Its well informed based on what he did as a Piston bias. He wasn't just a chemistry problem. He was a bad player for us. Hurt us on offense, hurt us worse on defense. In terms of the impact he had on the floor he's very possibly the worst starter in this entire game.

The only context I could ever see him sold in a game like this is as a 6th man spark plug, never as a starter, and certainly not as a starter surrounded by other big scorers. If he's playing around other players who don't need the ball and don't complain, he's okay. That's why the Sixers ended up having to ship out every legitimate second scoring option that ever came their way and wound up surrounding him with guys like Eric Snow, Theo Ratliff, and Aaron Mckie. And this version of Iverson was a lot slower than the one the Sixers got.

[RexRyan]

Congrats

[Timmaytime]

Not sure if still need votes or not, but I vote Snakebites.

Much better chemistry, and I don't really see a counter for Lanier.

[RexRyan]

Not sure if still need votes or not, but I vote Snakebites.

Much better chemistry, and I don't really see a counter for Lanier.

Damn you Iverson!!!!!!

[Laimbeer]

Laimbeer, Warspite, Pharaoh, and Timmaytime make four votes.

Snakebites advances.

[Warspite]

My whole issue with Rex team is that it doesn't play much defense and that its 2 leading scorers Bing .448 FG on 19FGA and 7apg (very high usage) and then Iverson .410 on 15 FGA is going to work. That is not Curry and Thompson.

Now if you have Afflalo/Houston/Rip with Bing that works.

I just don't see how 2 ball dominate undersized SGs with limited range to 18ft are going to work.

[RexRyan]

Yeah, these two first ballot Hall of Famers would be totally screwed

[Pharaoh]

Ok sexy Rexy this is how I would have done it:

Minutes:

Laimbeer 32/Edwards 16
Harris 32/Smith 12/Edwards 4
Tripucka 16/ Smith 22/ Woolridge 10
Iverson 32/ Tripucka 16
Bing 30/ Iverson 4/ Calderon 14

DNP: Money

Offensively -

Obviously AI dominates the ball and whilehe's inefficient he's surrounded here by absolute guns - Bing, Trips & Harris can knock down shots from everywhere

Laimbeer can drag bigs outta the paint too so AI getting into the lane aint a problem

And just when teams think we're gonna run out of puff Josh Smith enters the fray at SF operating from the high/low

His addition strengthens the O since he can score over the bigger, longer PFs that would give Harris trouble...

Smith can play PnR & PnP with AI, just like Harris, Laimbeer & Trips...and if needed we're able to play iso ball against whatever match up we feel we can dominate every single night

Teams would be scratching their heads trying to contain the offense while being unable to overcome AI/Bing at PG to start their attack, which means that the other defenders - while not incredibly impressive on their own - can stay home and they all can do that easily.

Defensively -

Laimbeer ain't here to **** around and pound for pound AI is probably the toughest player the league has ever seen - mentally and physically.

On this team, with Laimb, Bing, Trips...AI is dialled in on both ends...Harris, Budda & Smith bring it all up front...only Jose Calderon sucks on D and he's only getting playing time so Bing & AI get enough rest...

Cause destroying more fancied teams would tire them out

The new NBA has the Splash Brothers...this draft has the old school Shot Makers...yeah they take a tonne of shots - but they hit a tonne of shots too and in the end that'd be enough

[RexRyan]

Looks good.... can we start again?

[Laimbeer]

Yeah, Bing wouldn't be bad playing off Iverson. You just wouldn't be taking full advantage of his abilities. If you play each of them 36 minutes they'd only be on the floor together for 24. And you'd always have at least one of them in the game, a guy good with the ball in his hands to put pressure on the defense. Or if you're really concerned about the combination just give Iverson 12-18 minutes a game in a sparkplug role.

I'd also think about playing Edwards more. I don't recall Mills being much of a great defender and there might be some hay to be made there. And as I said earlier, Tripuka at the two would be a load for their smaller guards.

Your choice of Iverson was interesting and after seeing him hashed out here I wouldn't be as hesitant to take him.

[Pharaoh]

I think building your offense around AI dominating the ball was the obvious choice and the fact Harris, Laimbeer & Trips can all shoot it made it the only choice.

Very few here would have done any research on Bing...could have used him in the Joe D role with AI as your Isiah...

Having Budda play more and Smith play more as a point forward might have helped...

And on D you'd probably prefer to play Edwards, Laimbeer, Smith, Bing & AI as a unit...

Rex, you assembled a lot of talent but I believe how you broke it down hurt you...the same way it hurt me.

All good though - we're merely passing the time until Draft & Free Agency anyway

[Han Solo]

I vote for RexRyan in 7