PC Board Post-Merger Draft - Roster Thread

[ardee]

Go.

[Texas Chuck]

Draft Picks:

Round 1: Kevin Garnett 07-08 (13.9 FGA)
Round 2: Manu Ginobli 06-07 (11.4 FGA)
Round 3: Andrei Kirilenko 07-08 (7.6 FTA)
Round 4: Grant Hill 96-97 (15.7 FGA)
Round 5: Doug Christie 02-03 (7.0 FGA)
Round 6: Duncan Robinson 19-20 (9.4 FGA)
Round 7: Moses Malone 82-83 (16.7 FGA)
Round 8: Chris Andersen 10-11 (3.0 FGA)

Total FGA 84.7

Rotation (somewhat match-up dependent):

Moses Malone (36) /Chris Andersen (12)
Kevin Garnett (36) /Andrei Kirilenko (12)
Duncan Robinson (30) /Andrei Kirilenko (18)
Doug Christie (18) /Manu Ginobli (30)
Grant Hill (36) / Doug Christie (12)

[Colbinii]

Round 1: LeBron James, '12-13
Round 2: Anthony Davis, '14-15
Round 3: Shane Battier, '08-09
Round 4: Andre Iguodala, '11-12
Round 5: Dikembe Mutombo, '93-94
Round 6: Damian Lillard, '13-14
Round 7: George Hill, '19-20
Round 8: Pablo Prigioni, '13-14

Rotation

Spoiler:

PG: Damian Lillard (36), George Hill (4), Pablo Prigioni (8)
SG: Andre Iguodala (34), George Hill (14)
SF: LeBron James (18), Shane Battier (30)
PF: Anthony Davis (25), LeBron James (23)
C: Dikembe Mutombo (35), Anthony Davis (13)

Field Goal Attempts (81.7/85)

Spoiler:

2013 LeBron James: 17.8
2015 Anthony Davis: 17.6
2009 Shane Battier: 5.9
2012 Andre Iguodala: 10.2
1994 Dikembe Mutombo: 7.8
2014 Damian Lillard: 15.9
2020 George Hill: 6.5

[Hawk Eye]

Roster:

Chauncey Billups

Spoiler:

-18.5ppg, 3.1rpg, 8.6apg
- .433 3P% / .602 TS%
- All-NBA 2nd Team
- All-NBA Defensive Team (2nd)

Brandon Roy

Spoiler:

-22.6ppg, 4.7rpg, 5.1apg
- All-NBA 2nd Team

Khris Middleton

Spoiler:

-21.1ppg, 6.2rpg, 4.1apg
- .418 3P% / .619 TS%

Larry Bird

Spoiler:

- 25.8ppg, 9.8rpg, 6.8apg
- .423 3P% / .580 TS%
- MVP
- FMVP
- All-NBA 1st Team

Dwight Howard

Spoiler:

- 18.3ppg, 13.2 rpg, 1.8apg, 2.8bpg
- .630 TS%
- DPOY
- All-NBA 1st Team
- All-Defense 1st Team

Depth Chart:

PG: Chauncey Billups (2005-06’)
SG: Brandon Roy (2008-09’)
SF: Khris Middleton (2019-20’)
PF: Larry Bird (1985-86’)
C: Dwight Howard (2009-10’)

G/F: Quincy Pondexter (2018-19’)
G/F: Matisse Thybulle (2019-20’)
F/C: Dennis Rodman (1994-95’)

TOTAL: 84.8/85.0

Draft Picks:

Round 1 - Larry Bird (19.6 FGA)
Round 2 - Dwight Howard (10.2 FGA)
Round 3 - Khris Middleton (15.5 FGA)
Round 4 - Chauncey Billups (12.5 FGA)
Round 5 - Brandon Roy (16.9 FGA)
Round 6 - Dennis Rodman (4.9 FGA)
Round 7 - Matisse Thybulle (4.1 FGA)
Round 8 - Quincy Pondexter (1.1 FGA)

[Odinn21]

Hello there.

---

Atacama Land Sharks
Led by the ultimate trio


Roster;

C: 1980 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.9 fga)
PF: 1992 Horace Grant (9.8 fga)
SF: 2018 Robert Covington (10.5 fga)
SG: 1995 Clyde Drexler (16.3 fga)
PG: 1996 Penny Hardaway (14.8 fga)

C sub: 2011 Nick Collison (3.4 fga)
F sub: 2005 Robert Horry (5.0 fga)
G sub: 1981 Maurice Cheeks (7.2 fga)

83.9 / 85.0 fga

---

Rotation;
C: Kareem (40) / Collison (8)
PF: Grant (36) / Horry (8) / Collison (4)
SF: Covington (32) / Horry (10) / Drexler (6)
SG: Drexler (32) / Penny (16)
PG: Penny (24) / Cheeks (24)

Kareem (40) / Grant (36) / Covington (32) / Drexler (38) / Penny (40)
Collison (12) / Horry (18) / Cheeks (24)

This may (and probably will) change depending on the matchup.

---

Description;
We have seen the connection between Kareem and offensive minded legendary guards.
We also have seen the connection between these two legendary guards and legendary centers.
And this time they got better teammates as well.
I can see them succeeding like the Spurs trio did in mid '00s. They feel so similar. Quality trio with no ego issues.

Grant is one of the best glue guys you could find. He was at the peak of his game in 1991-92. And you can tell his impact how 1991-92 stands out in the 1st threepeat or how the Bulls suffered from his departure and lost directly to the team Grant made better.

Arguably the best modern 3&D player completes the starting 5. His impact was off the charts;
http://nbashotcharts.com/rapm?id=-2001727936

And the bench to complement this beautiful team. Young and athletic, defensive monster Cheeks will split the PG duties with Penny. Horry will bring experience and clutch plays. Lastly Collison will have his big impact and locker room presence.

---

Highlights;

1980 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; MVP, Finals MVP*, All-NBA 1st, All-D 1st, All-Star (and would probably be the front runner for DPoY if it existed)
1996 Penny Hardaway; 3rd in MVP Vote, All-NBA 1st, All-Star, 9th in assist leaderboard
1995 Clyde Drexler; Champion, All-NBA 3rd (honourary All-Star in our hearts)
1992 Horace Grant; Champion, 14th in rebound, 3rd in FG% and 5th in TS% leaderboards
2018 Robert Covington; All-D 1st, 9th in steal leaderboard
1981 Maurice Cheeks; 4th in steal leaderboard, Conference Finalist
2005 Robert Horry; Champion, 4th in 3 pointers made in the playoffs
2011 Nick Collison; the guy who made the Thunder locker room a nice place

---

My team isn't exactly built around three pointers but it's not a disadvantage at all. I have many and willing three pointers.

From three point range;
Covington 36.9% on 6.9 attempts in rs / 31.3% on 4.8 attempts in playoffs
Drexler 36.0% on 5.4 attempts in rs / 30.3% on 4.5 attempts in playoffs
Penny 31.4% on 3.5 attempts in rs / 36.4% on 4.6 attempts in playoffs
Horry 37.0% on 1.8 attempts in rs / 44.7% on 3.7 attempts in playoffs

Overall; 35.5% on 17.6 attempts in rs / 35.9% on 17.1 attempts in playoffs

[Dutchball97]

1. Magic Johnson, 89/90, 14.4 FGA

Spoiler:

22.3pts, 6.6trb, 11.5ast, 1.7stl
MVP
All-NBA 1st Team
All-Star

2. Charles Barkley, 86/87, 13.8 FGA

Spoiler:

23pts, 14.6trb, 4.9ast, 1.8stl, 1.5blk
League Leader in 2pt%, eFG%, TS% and ORB%
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-Star

3. Bruce Bowen, 02/03, 5.8 FGA

Spoiler:

All-Defensive 2nd Team
League Leader in 3pt%

4. Ben Wallace, 02/03, 6.0 FGA

Spoiler:

15.4trb, 3.2blk
Defensive Player of the Year
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-Defensive 1st team
All-Star

5. Eddie Jones, 97/98, 12.6 FGA

Spoiler:

16.9pts, 2stl
All-Defensive 2nd Team
All-Star

6. Peja Stojakovic, 03/04, 17.1 FGA

Spoiler:

24.2pts, 6.3trb, 1.3stl
43% from 3 on 6.8 attempts
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-Star

7. Marcus Smart, 18/19, 7.1 FGA

Spoiler:

4ast, 1.8 stl
All-Defensive 1st Team

8. Marcus Camby, 07/08, 8.0 FGA

Spoiler:

13.1trb, 3.6blk
All-Defensive 1st Team

Total: 84.8/85 FGA

Rotation:
PG: Magic Johnson (40), Marcus Smart (8)
SG: Eddie Jones (30), Bruce Bowen (10), Marcus Smart (8)
SF: Peja Stojakovic (28), Bruce Bowen (20)
PF: Charles Barkley (40), Peja Stojakovic (8)
C: Ben Wallace (36), Marcus Camby (12)

[Doctor MJ]

The Cascade Range...



A team shared by Seattle and Vancouver, allowed each to replace the hole in their heart left by the lost of their respective franchises (Sonics & Grizzlies), with a motif inspired by the Cascadia independence movement.

1. Steve Nash, '04-05, 11.4 FGA
2. Joel Embiid, '18-19, 18.7 FGA
3. Michael Cooper, '86-87, 9.0 FGA
4. Rasheed Wallace, '05-06, 13.3 FGA
5. OG Anunoby, '19-20, 8.4 FGA
6. Brook Lopez, '18-19, 9.7 FGA
7. Raja Bell, '02-03, 2.8 FGA
8. Ricky Rubio, '19-20, 10.7 FGA

Total FGA: 84.0/85

In the Spoiler below you'll find me talking through what I was thinking as I made each pick, the "Meta" on the team. Please read if you're interested, or if you're looking to evaluate my team for a matchup.

Spoiler:

When I saw that I'd be picking 4th, my first thought was Hakeem Olajuwon. He's a guy I'd love to build around and has a good case for being a Top 4 Post-Merger player, and someone I thought would likely be available at that spot.

Then I saw the first pick was Tim Duncan, and I started seriously thinking about Kevin Garnett, who folks might know, I rank higher than Duncan and I'd love to make a team to show what could be done with him. But when I really thought about the FGA limit that was shaping all of this, it just felt like this was the perfect setting to try to build around...

1. Steve Nash, '04-05, 11.4 FGA

I mean, I do believe he's an Offensive GOAT candidate, and he shot the ball way less than any of the others. A team just has to pick him, don't they? Well then, it should be me. No one's argued more for Nash than me. The very first post I made on this site was to defend Nash from doubters during the '04-05 season.

How fitting for me to pick him, and pick that season? Serious catharsis potential there.

Okay then, what do I need to consider if I'm building around Nash?

1. As many 3-point shooters as possible.
2. Every teammate has to be good at defense.
3. In particular, i'm going to need strong perimeter defenders, particularly those known for man defense, who can take the hard match-ups and at times switch adroitly.

In my head, I started thinking of players Nash played with, and thought about how to "round them up" if possible.

While Amar'e Stoudemire wasn't Nash's most valuable Sun teammate (Shawn Marion), that was because of his defensive weakness. The dream would be to find a big man quick enough and smart enough to run the break and a killer pick & roll, but who was also a defensive anchor...oh and really would be great if he had 3-point range too.

2. Joel Embiid, '18-19, 18.7 FGA

Embiid immediately came to mind. I thought through the list of all-time great 5's, and by and large it just wasn't all that clear you could expect them to be able to shoot the 3 (from prior experience, I've found people are skeptical that older guys could learn to hit the 3, so I decided not to risk it this time).

So did Anthony Davis, and my choice was between those two - I couldn't see passing up either of them for a player at a different position. The funny thing there is that coming out of Kentucky I was over-the-moon high on Davis and was always in the Davis > Embiid camp, and to this day I'd still build a franchise around Davis over Embiid because of injury concerns.

But I just think Embiid is better able to impact games than Davis. I haven't seen a big impact the game so easily since Shaq, and that Shaq comparison has come to mind to me a lot with Embiid. He ain't Shaq, but he's the most talented 5 since Shaq, and he can also shoot from range and run the break.

I seriously think, in fact, that things could easily be different right now in the perception of Embiid if Simmons were just a slightly competent shooter. I think that if Philly could really use space around Embiid, that makes them enough better Toronto doesn't beat them, and from there it's entirely possible they are on their way to the title.

Also, there's the reality that Davis likes to play 4 (unwisely), and that in this league he'd need to play 4. A 5 with everything I need is going to be harder to get than a 4.

After getting Embiid, now I could more clearly consider the 3rd and 4th picks that would come close together. My top priority was getting the best backcourt mate to help Nash thrive on both sides of the ball. A super-Raja Bell, in other words.

The first two guys to come to mind were Steph Curry's teammates, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala. There was a sense of safety I felt when picking the guys who protect Curry. Neither was quite what I wanted. I wasn't looking to have my off-guard to be as much of a focus as Thompson's FGA would demand, and Thompson's defense while good, isn't the best of the best. With Iguodala, the shooting concerned me. I didn't want to have a 2 that the opponent was even tempted to cheat away from.

I went and looked up bkref's list of All-Defensive team guys, and found myself with a short list of Bruce Bowen, Doug Christie and

3. Michael Cooper, '86-87, 9.0 FGA

All 3 guys fit the description of 3 & D. Bowen, of course was the guy first associated with 3 & D, and Christie was a contemporary of his. Michael Cooper on the other hand came way back before on the Showtime Lakers in the '80s.

Now, you should understand that my relationship with Laker fandom is complicated. I spend more time at odds with the Laker fans around them than really being on the same page...but my feelings about the Showtime Lakers are entirely positive. I grew up in LA during the bulk of that run and the names of some of these guys felt like Uncles. A chance to draft Uncle Coop on my team? Man that would be nice. Is that the smart move?

I concluded it was. Looking back at past players trying to identify guys who could be stars today but weren't back then, he has everything you'd look for. He was THE 3-point guy for the Lakers, his defense was so good he won DPOY, he was incredible on fast breaks and slammed breath-taking dunks, and eventually he was operating as the 2nd point guard and - get this - casually taking and hitting 3's off the dribble. He was well-liked and made people smile, he would go on to coach, and he felt like he was just destined to be a fan favorite.

Another note about his 3-point shooting: His volume is low by today's standards, but it was right at the top of the league back then. His percentage is respectable by today's standards, but this is something he'd get better at if he were allowed to really make it a focus like it would be today, and I'd note that he was an excellent free throw shooter.

Another note about his defense: Coop's arms have been described as "spidery" because they are so long. I've never seen their actual measurements, but we know today how advantageous such arms can be. This is someone who would absolutely be able to both man guard his guy hard, and rush over to challenge shots from other guys.

Anyway, I believe that Coop is quite possibly the best guy in NBA history to protect an offensive star like Magic or Nash, and I didn't want to settle for 2nd best here.

With my 4th pick, I knew I'd take either a 3 or a 4, but I found myself feeling like the 4 was the higher priority because it would be hard to find guys who could shoot the 3 and play defense there. I'll acknowledge up front that if I had decided on a 3, the top two on my list were Iguodala (who works as either a 2 or a 3 for me) or Shane Battier (who I'm more comfortable with as a 3), and both got picked before I would have had the chance.

My short list of 4's was Paul Millsap, Chris Bosh, and

4. Rasheed Wallace, '05-06, 13.3 FGA

I'm a big Millsap fan, but he would have been my last resort here. Partly because I just don't think others are all that effectively swayed that he's as effective as I think he is, and partly because I've had him on a team before, and I'd rather not have the same players each time if I can help it.

(I am bummed no one took Millsap though. Oh well.)

Bosh was a good option, no doubt about it. He could do everything I wanted. But I think Sheed was better.

My feelings on Sheed have taken something of a 180. I saw him as a talented underachiever until he came to the Pistons. In Detroit it became clear that mostly he needed leadership from someone other than himself that he respected. He got that from Ben Wallace and the rest of the Piston core.

Something that I didn't realize until we got enough +/- data, was that Sheed was like a mini-Shaq impact-wise. Both were guys who you'd swear should have inevitable on-court consequences to the malaise that they carried with them through the season, and yet bother guys were reliably helping their to a remarkable degree (Shaq more than Sheed of course).

This has caused me to really think of Sheed as essentially the best possible non-superstar in terms of what he achieved for his teammates on the court, but he just couldn't handle expectations beyond that. But that's just fine, I don't need him to.

One other thing: Sheed's ability to play the rangier defensive 4 to Ben's classic interior anchor means he ought to be able to fit well with someone like Embiid. Can't assume that about very many strong defensive 4's.

As I considered my 5th & 6th picks, I found myself tempted to grab another 3 & D big or backcourt guy, but had to acknowledge that I wasn't just missing my starting 3, there was a gap on my team without anyone in a certain size range that also happened to be just about the most in demand size range in the game right now (6'6" to 6'8"). While Coop had the length to play that role and was a fierce defender, I really wanted a guy a bit bigger than him with extreme athleticism.

I found myself fixated on

5. OG Anunoby, '19-20, 8.4 FGA

Here you had a guy with the agility of a 3, the mass of a 4, and the reach of a 5. He could shoot the 3 too.

I also have been a bit fascinating watching what happens in the vacuum that Kawhi left in Toronto. While Pascal Siakam took on the alpha scoring load, OG was the guy who took on more of a defensive focus, and the Raptors this year had an even more elite defense than last year with OG being the guy getting praised as the defensive MVP.

Now, OG is young. The youngest on my team by 2 years, but quite frankly, while OG is a physical marvel, he's not an outlier the way Embiid is. Embiid seems like he can just walk out onto the court and dominate, OG is a guy who is going to get more valuable as he figures more things out fitting in where there are gaps.

But on a team with experienced and smart, OG can be allowed to really specialize to add punch.

Also: I think Michael Cooper would be a great role model for him.

Had he not been available, I was also considering Robert Covington as well as the guy I picked 6th

6. Brook Lopez, '18-19, 9.7 FGA

When I was thinking about Embiid vs AD, Brook also came to mind. He wasn't someone I'd have considered picking over those guys, but I had been fascinated by what I saw from Brook in Milwaukee. This is a guy who had always been seen as more of a classic volume scoring big with his skill, touch, and intelligence, but who now was cast in a 3 & D role and it was working amazingly to the point where people were seriously talking about him this year as a DPOY candidate (for the record, I side with Giannis there). In doing so, he made himself perfect for my team and the question was really just when it made sense to draft him.

When Marc Gasol went in the 5th, I had a feeling of panic that I couldn't wait any longer with him, but I really wanted OG. I decided to risk waiting until the 6th round to get Brook and it worked out.

Before I move on, a shout out to Jack Sikma who was not drafted. Had I not been worried that people wouldn't respect him or his shooting ability enough (didn't shoot 3's until late in his career), I may well have picked Sikma instead of Brook.

Moving on to the last two picks, I had actually been thinking about the backup point guard role since I drafted Sheed 4th. I wanted the right fit and cared enough about it that I considered drafting a 1 in with my 5th pick before I did my research and came away feeling like I had several options, which I'll go into below. Sufficed to say, I decided I could wait until the final pick for the backup point guard if I could get someone who gave me a lot of "bang for the buck" FGA-wise.

7. Raja Bell, '02-03, 2.8 FGA

Raja came to mind for obvious reasons. Known to be an amazing fit with Nash and someone who relished finding a way to add value as a role player. But from an All-Time League perspective, he just wasn't celebrated enough for me to seriously consider him when I was shopping for a starting 2, and I really wanted someone who didn't take as many shots as I thought of Raja taking.

But then I started thinking about pre-Phoenix Raja, because the impression he made on me when he was in Dallas/Utah was really the same type of thing I saw in Phoenix, it's just that in Phoenix we all saw "Oh, he definitely needs to be a starter." I thought a lot about it and researched his history in more depth than I'd done before. I really came away with the conclusions that he could have been doing the Phoenix stuff earlier.

Yes, he learned a thing or two with each year he aged, but he was 29 when he came to Phoenix, and he'd been playing 3 & D ball for many years before that. I find it to be a bit absurd to think he was "too raw" at age 26, he didn't come to us from Pluto, he won Freshman of the Year in his conference before a fallout with the coach disrupted him - and based on his later career path, by and large he wasn't a trouble maker. In his own words, the key to his success earning his way to the NBA was being a good attitude guy who worked harder than everyone else. I'm sure he learned something from the college coaching experience and became more mature, but some college coaches are just nutcases.

And once I started getting behind the idea of picking his Dallas season, the catharsis started kicking in and I realized I desperately wanted Raja on my team, and probably should have drafted him sooner. But I got lucky, he was still available, and that meant I really had some great options for my final pick.

Incidentally, if Raja didn't work out, Wesley Matthews was on my mind.

Point guards I was considering: Marcus Smart, Don Buse, George Hill and

8. Ricky Rubio, '19-20, 10.7 FGA

I love Smart, and would have been thrilled to pick him with the 8th spot. He had everything I needed including the ability to play off-ball and guard effectively.

Buse is from before my time and I expect most wouldn't know a lot about him. He'd work perfectly as the backup point guard, and could transition offensively to off-ball easily, but his defensive acclaim was mostly about steals. That's fine when he's my 1, but I don't need Nash's backcourt mate to be more focused on steals than than man defense.

George Hill blossomed this year in an All-Time League friendly way, but while his defense was respectable, it was never an outlier even before he entered his 30s.

The debate was between Smart and Rubio. Neither is a great shooter, but both have practiced the 3 to the point where they are quite solid on that front. Rubio's a great defender, but I'd give Smart the edge there. But while I'll praise Smart's passing, the reality is that he hasn't been spending years honing genius-level floor generalship. For a backup point guard, he's awesome, but in Rubio I had the chance to make the best guard passer since Nash - someone who regularly gets talked about as a creative genius - the guy who I slotted in whenever Nash went to the bench.

It was just too perfect. Once I really thought about Rubio, I had to pick him over Smart (though I never got the chance since Smart got drafted before my pick anyway).

Total FGA: 84.0/85

Fun:
Steve Nash and Joel Embiid played an intense game of soccer ping pong.

[70sFan]

70s Fans

Picks:
1. 2006-07 Tim Duncan 14.2 FGA
2. 2008-09 Jason Kidd 7.6 FGA
3. 1977-78 George Gervin 19.6 FGA
4. 2012-13 Boris Diaw 4.4 FGA
5. 2003-04 Tayshaun Prince 8.8 FGA
6. 1980-81 Artis Gilmore 10.0 FGA
7. 1985-86 Sidney Moncrief 13.2 FGA
8. 2009-10 J.J. Redick 6.7 FGA

Total: 84.5/85 FGA

Rotation - matchup based

Description - coming soon

[MisterHibachi]

Shaq and the Other Guys:

1. Shaquille O'Neal, 2001; 19.2 FGA
2. Reggie Miller, 1994; 13.2 FGA
3. Paul Pierce, 2010; 12.2 FGA
4. Kyle Lowry, 2019; 11.4 FGA
5. Trevor Ariza, 2009; 7.3 FGA
6. Pascal Siakam, 2019; 11.8 FGA
7. Ron Harper, 1997; 5.3 FGA
8. Aron Baynes, 2019; 4.4 FGA

84.8/85 FGA

[Dr Positivity]

PG: Steph Curry (2015: 16.8 FGA)
SG: Ray Allen (2001: 16.0 FGA)
SF: Danny Green (2014: 7.4 FGA)
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019: 17.3 FGA)
C: Myles Turner (2019: 10.5 FGA)

PG: Mark Price (1992: 12.5 FGA)
SF: Mike Miller (2013: 3.9 FGA)
C: George Johnson (1986: 0.6 FGA)

85 / 85

PG: Steph Curry (20) / Mark Price (28)
SG: Ray Allen (30) / Steph Curry (18)
SF: Danny Green (20) / Mike Miller (20) / Ray Allen (8)
PF: Giannis Antentokounmpo (34) / Danny Green (14)
C: Myles Turner (38) / George Johnson (8) / Giannis Antetokounmpo (4)

[ardee]

2017 Kawhi Leonard: 17.7 FGA
1977 Bill Walton: 14.3 FGA
2017 Jimmy Butler: 16.5 FGA
2013 Mike Conley: 11.8 FGA
2014 Chris Bosh: 12.1 FGA
2017 Shaun Livingston: 4.2 FGA
2018 PJ Tucker: 5.4 FGA
1992 Mark Eaton: 3.0 FGA

Total: 85/85 FGA

[SHAQ32]

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Team Stay in School! Roster:

Spoiler:

PG: James Harden (2016-17)
SG: Joe Dumars (1996-97)
SF: Kevin Durant (2016-17)
PF: Kevin Love (2010-11)
C: Tyson Chandler (2011-12)

G/F: Steve Kerr (1995-96)
G/F: Rick Fox (1999-00)
F/C: David West (2015-16)

TOTAL: 84.7/85.0

Draft Picks:

Spoiler:

Round 1 - Kevin Durant (16.5 FGA)
Round 2 - James Harden (18.9 FGA)
Round 3 - Joe Dumars (11.1 FGA)
Round 4 - David West (5.7 FGA)
Round 5 - Tyson Chandler (5.7 FGA)
Round 6 - Steve Kerr (5.9 FGA)
Round 7 - Rick Fox (6.1 FGA)
Round 8 - Kevin Love (14.1 FGA)

Rotation:

Spoiler:

James Harden(25)/Steve Kerr(14)/Joe Dumars(9)
Joe Dumars(28)/James Harden(11)/Steve Kerr(9)
Kevin Durant(28)/Rick Fox(20)
Kevin Love(24)/Kevin Durant(8)/David West(16)
Tyson Chandler(33)/Kevin Love(12)/David West(3)

[O_6]

Roster + FGA for selected season
C ---- 1993 Hakeem Olajuwon (19.5 FGA)
PF --- 2016 Draymond Green (10.1 FGA)
SF --- 1995 Scottie Pippen (16.7 FGA)
SG --- 2015 Kyle Korver (8.0 FGA)
PG --- 1991 Terry Porter (11.7 FGA)
--------------------------------------------------
6th -- 1998 Hersey Hawkins (7.9 FGA)
7th -- 1980 Cornbread Maxwell (9.4 FGA)
8th -- 2011 Joel Anthony (1.3 FGA)

Total: (84.6/85.0 FGA)

Rotation: General MPG estimate
C --- Hakeem (40) -- Anthony (8)
PF -- Draymond (36) -- Maxwell (12)
SF -- Pippen (36) -- Maxwell (12)
SG -- Korver (32) -- Hawkins (12) -- Pippen (4)
PG -- Porter (36) -- Hawkins (12)
--------------------------------------------------
*MPG split of Korver/Maxwell/Hawkins trio really depends on matchups

Player Stats and Write-Ups
1993 Hakeem: 26.1 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 3.5 APG , 4.2 BPG, 1.8 SPG, .577 TS% (+4.1%)
- He finished 2nd in the MVP vote behind Barkley and ahead of MJ, along with winning the DPOY award this year. All due respect to Sir Charles and his MVP, but '93 Hakeem's defensive edge is just too large to ignore when simply talking about who was the best player. It's really MJ or Hakeem this year, I'd probably go MJ but it's a very small gap unlike many other Prime MJ seasons. Under Tomjanovich, Hakeem's passing finally evolved and allowed him to hit a new level on offense and enter his peak years as a player. '93 or '94 are Hakeem's 2 best years, maybe a hair better on offense and worse on defense in '94. The FGA difference is what made the choice easy for me since it was so close. All things considered, Hakeem was probably the best defensive player since' the merger and '93 is probably his best or 2nd best ('90) defensive season in his career. Combine that with an absolutely legendary interior scoring arsenal + a newfound ability to take advantage of the spacing his offense provides with crisp passing, and you have the most complete Center in this project and a hell of a 2-way building block

1995 Pippen: 21.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.1 BPG, 2.9 SPG, .559 TS% (+1.6%)
- There are quite a few seasons from Scottie that I could have gone with for different reasons. Almost every season from '91 to '97 has some sort of argument you could make outside of '93. I thought about '91 because of the FGA cost being lower, but I felt like '94-'96 was Scottie's peak as a player and I wanted that version of him. '94 is typically considered his most impressive season because he led the Bulls to 55 wins without MJ. Hell of an achievement, but after analyzing it I feel like his '95 season was even better. The main reason is because they also lost Horace Grant after 1994 yet the Bulls finished with the 2nd best DRtg in the league in '95! I'll repeat, they lost Michael Jordan and Horace Grant yet remained the 2nd best defense in the league? This is the year that cements Pippen's status as the best perimeter defender since the merger. This is the best defensive season from a perimeter defender in this project in my book. It wasn't just defense either, the '95 Bulls (pre-MJ's arrival) actually had a better SRS than the '94 Bulls but were just worse in close games. Pippen put this team without MJ and Grant on his back, literally leading the team in everything (PPG, APG, RPG, BPG, SPG, FGM, 3PM). Just a monster of a 2-way player.

2016 Draymond: 14.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.5 SPG, .587 TS% (+4.6%)
- He's had a few down years since, but let's not forget what an absolute animal Draymond was this season. I drafted 2016 Draymond Green and in 2016 he was one of the best players in the league. He was DPOY runner-up with him and Kawhi considered head and shoulders the best defenders in the league for the 2nd straight year. He was absolutely everywhere on defense and is one of the most complete defensive players we have ever seen. But it wasn't just about defense, his offensive synergy with the Splash Bros. was what spearheaded a record breaking 73 win season. His ability to bring the ball up court and facilitate made him perfect for wings who could put pressure on defense with off-ball movement on offense like Curry and Thompson (and Korver). He was also drilling his outside shots this year with 1.2 threes made at a .388 clip. His raw On/Off totals are historic, his advanced impact metrics are off the charts good, he finished 7th in MVP voting, his team won 73 games, he had a Frazier-esque Game 7 Finals performance despite the loss. This was a special season from Draymond and getting this kind of player to put next to Peak Hakeem/Pippen makes for an incredible frontcourt, especially on defense where they're on a tier of their own.

1991 Porter: 17.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 8.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, .632 TS% (+9.8%)
- Terry Porter was arguably the best player on a 63 win Blazers team with the 2nd best ORtg in the league. He led the team in Win Shares and BPM. He led the team in APG and finished 2nd in PPG to Drexler (21.5 PPG), but his TS% edge on Drexler (.632 vs. .563) leads you to question who the better scorer was. But while Drexler was a dominant transition scorer, he had his struggles in the half-court. Terry Porter was unquestionably the best half-court offensive player on the Blazers this year. His shooting efficiency is ridiculous for a guy with his offensive responsibility. Terry Porter doesn't get enough credit relative to Drexler for his role on the dominant '90-'92 Blazers who averaged 60 wins and lost to the Bad Boy Pistons, late-Showtime Lakers, and Dynasty Bulls in the playoffs during those years. During that 3 year/58 game stretch in the playoffs against the best competition, Porter averaged 20.2 PPG on a .628 TS% while Drexler averaged 23.3 PPG on a .537 TS%. Terry Porter proved he was capable of being the best half-court offensive player and perimeter scorer on a Championship-caliber team. Not to mention that he was also a very solid defensive player, capable of guarding most 2s as well as PGs due to his size. Great fit next to Pippen as he proved he could play with a similar offensive player in Drexler, and Hakeem as he was a deadly outside shooter like Hakeem had when he won in the playoffs.


2015 Korver: 12.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 BPG, .699 TS% (+16.5%)
-The best non-Steph Curry 3pt shooting season in history. He shot 49.2% from 3 while making 2.9 of them per game. That is just a preposterous volume/efficiency combination. But like Curry and Reggie Miller before him, it wasn't just about the shooting, it was also about all the pressure he put on defenses with his off-ball movement causing all kinds of issues for those defending him. The Hawks' offense was 6th in the NBA this year and they won 60 games mainly because of the Horford/Millsap/Korver chemistry. His basic stats don't stand out besides his shooting but the raw On/Off data is eye-opening and the advanced impact metrics paint him as making a legitimate star level impact on the Hawks this year. I think it's simply because this kind of off-ball movement based dominant 3pt threat causes so many issues for defenses from a communication level, that it opens up easier opportunities for that 3pt shooters teammates. Korver's 2015 season is the best version of this type of player outside of Curry/Reggie. His gravity will be great for Hakeem to go to work on the inside, and Draymond/Pippen have the perfect type of skillsets to take advantage of Korver due to their ball-handling + passing.

1998 Hawkins: 10.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, .594 TS% (+7.0%)
- This is a player who was better than his basic stats would indicate. The '98 Sonics were a dominant 61 win team with excellent depth, they didn't need Hawkins to provide great scoring volume. But Hawkins was still an extremely efficient scorer due to his great shooting + he was a solid defender who could handle both guard positions. From '96-'98, the Sonics averaged 61 wins and went to an NBA Finals. During this 43 game playoff stretch, Hawkins averaged 13.4 PPG on a .622 TS% (he averaged 13.4 PPG on a .634 TS% during the '98 playoffs). That kind of scoring for a guy who is a good ball-handler and defender is so valuable. He's the kind of player that would be a good fit on almost every single team. His .415 3P% is going to mean that Hakeem will still have space to operate when Hawkins comes into the game to replace Porter or Korver. For almost the entire game, my team will have 40% 3pt shooters on the floor in both guard spots (Porter/Korver/Hawkins). Plus ball-handler, 40% 3pt shooter, solid defender who could defend both guard positions, could create his own shot, and consistently showed up big in the playoffs.

1980 Maxwell: 16.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG, .679 TS% (+14.8%)
- People just know him as the guy who won the Finals MVP in '81 over Bird. But that was no fluke. Maxwell was an absolutely dominant scorer in terms of efficiency with an incredible ability to score inside with skill and power. He did not take many outside shots but he didn't attain his ridiculous efficiency by being a pure rim runner like a Gobert/DeAndre Jordan type. He was just gifted with an ability to get inside and finish. Larry Bird helped Maxwell but before you say that Bird was the reason for Maxwell's efficiency, let me remind you that Maxwell led the league in TS% at .676 the year before in 1979. Maxwell is the x-factor off the bench for my squad, as he was capable of guarding both SF and PF when he played. He will provide strong bench minutes when Draymond or Pippen aren't on the floor. There are also certain times where I'll sacrifice 3pt shooting and play Maxwell at the 3 and Pippen at the 2 depending on the matchup. Maxwell's scoring inside provides its own type of gravity, which helps with his lack of a 3pt shot.


2011 Anthony: 2.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.2 BPG, .583 TS% (+4.2 TS%)
- I needed a real Center type of player to round out my rotation when Hakeem was on the bench. Luckily I found Joel Anthony who was a very good rim protector and played 20+ minutes on a Miami Heat team that went to the NBA Finals. He actually averaged 27.4 MPG and 1.8 BPG during this year's playoffs. He doesn't bring too much to the table, but for 8-10 MPG to backup Hakeem, I don't need much besides passable rim protection which he provides.

[Fadeaway_J]

Starters
C - David Robinson (1995-96)

Spoiler:

25.0 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 3.3 bpg, .516 FG%, .761 FT%, .589 TS%, 29.4 PER
- Led the NBA in PER, DWS (7.2), BPM (9.2), VORP (8.5)
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team
- All-Defensive First Team

PF - Buck Williams (1991-92)

Spoiler:

11.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.5 bpg, .604 FG%, .754 FT%, .651 TS%, 15.0 PER
- Led the NBA in FG%, TS%
- All-Defensive Second Team

SF - Paul George (2012-13)

Spoiler:

17.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.6 bpg, .419 FG%, .362 3P%, .807 FT%, 170 3P, .531 TS%, 16.8 PER
- Led the NBA in DWS (6.3)
- Most Improved Player
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA Third Team
- All-Defensive Second Team

SG - Kobe Bryant (2007-08)

Spoiler:

28.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.5 bpg, .459 FG%, .361 3P%, .840 FT%, 150 3P, .576 TS%, 24.2 PER
- NBA MVP
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team
- All-Defensive First Team

PG - Deron Williams (2007-08)

Spoiler:

18.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 10.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.3 bpg, .507 FG%, .395 3P%, .803 FT%, 83 3P, .595 TS%, 20.8 PER
- All-NBA Second Team

Bench
C - Ervin Johnson (2003-04)

Spoiler:

1.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.7 bpg, .534 FG%, .607 FT%, .551 TS%, 8.5 PER

F - Bobby Jones (1982-83)

Spoiler:

9.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.2 bpg, .543 FG%, .793 FT%, .603 TS%, 16.4 PER
- NBA Champion
- NBA Sixth Man of the Year
- All-Defensive First Team

G - Nate McMillan (1995-96)

Spoiler:

5.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, .420 FG%, .380 3P%, .707 FT%, .537 TS%, 12.9 PER

Rotations (subject to matchups)
C - Robinson (40), Johnson (8)
PF - Williams (24), Jones (24)
SF - George (40), Bryant (10)
SG - Bryant (32), McMillan (16)
PG - Williams (38), McMillan (10)

FGA Per Player
Kobe Bryant - 20.6
David Robinson - 16.8
Paul George - 14.9
Bobby Jones - 6.2
Nate McMillan - 4.3
Deron Williams - 13.6
Buck Williams - 7.0
Ervin Johnson - 1.6

Total: 85.0/85.0

Offensively, this team can attack you from all angles. Kobe isos. Admiral running pick-and-roll with either Kobe or D-Will. PG taking advantage of the attention drawn elsewhere to spot up for triples or attack closeouts and knife into the lane. All four of our stars are capable of creating for themselves and others to varying degrees, while also have the all-ball skills to fit together seamlessly. By keeping at least two of them on the court at all teams, we ensure we can always find somewhere to go for a good shot. If you've got a weak defender out there, there's almost nowhere for him to hide. Our PF tandem of Williams and Jones fits in nicely with their ability to finish efficiently around the rim and knock down short-range jumpers.

At the defensive end, this group shines even more. Robinson patrols the paint like few in history, and also has the athlecisim to extend his coverage way out to the perimeter if necessary. Williams and Jones give us 48 minutes of outstanding defence at the 4, with Williams specialising against more physical opponents while Jones offers nearly unparalleled versatility. PG and Kobe can crank the pressure up on opposing wings, and McMillan maintains that pressure when he comes in off the bench. Even Johnson has value with his physicality in the post, especially in this pool where most teams are built fairly conventionally. The only relative weak spot is D-Will, but he's not a liability by any stretch, and his size is a plus against bigger backcourts. Our ability to get into your jersey and force mistakes will also create spillover benefits at the other end, because Kobe, PG, D-Will, Robinson, Jones, and Williams are all lethal in transition - either as creators, finishers, or both - and will get us a few easy points in every game.

[Narigo]

PG:2015 Chris Paul 14.3FGA
SG: 2011 Dwyane Wade 18.2 FGA
SF:2018 Joel Ingles 8.8FGA
PF:1999 Karl Malone 16.3FGA
C: 1990:Bill Laimbeer 9.7FGA

BE: 2016 Andrew Bogut 4.0FGA
BE: 1996 Toni Kukoc 9.7FGA
BE: 1996 Charlie Ward 3.5FGA

85/85

[Stan]

Starters
2011 Rondo: 9.9
2018 Klay: 16.2
2010 Artest: 9.6
2011 Dirk: 16.2
1989 Ewing: 16

Bench
1996 Jackson: 7.7
2006 Posey: 5.9
1986 Bol: 3.5

85/85 FGA

[Laimbeer]

John Stockton ( 1995 ) 9.6 - All-NBA, all-D, led league in assists
Michael Jordan ( 1991 ) 22.4 - Voted peak season by RealGM PC forum
Julius Erving ( 1981 ) 18.6 - MVP, led league in W/S per 48, BPM, VORP
Al Horford ( 2018 ) 10.5 - All-star, all-D, 42.9% on 3.1 3PA, 4.7 APG
Marc Gasol ( 2013 ) 10.9 - DPOY, led league in DPBM

Thabo Sefolosha ( 2012 ) 3.7 - Starter on NBA finalist, 43.7% on 1.7 3PA
Brent Barry ( 2001 ) 6.0 - 47.6% on 3.4 3PA, 4.6 ast. per 36
Marcin Gortat ( 2009 ) 3.0 - 13 rebs/2.4 blks per 36, led league in playoff eFG%


84.7/85

Marc Gasol (36) / Marcin Gortat (12)
Al Horford (36) / Thabo Sefolosha (12)
Julius Erving (38) / Thabo Sefolosha (10)
Michael Jordan (38) / Brent Barry (10)
John Stockton (38) / Brent Barry (12)