Infrequent Finalist Franchises - R2 - wackbone vs durantbird*

[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: Oscar Robertson 63' - 16.9 with multiplier
SG: Jrue Holiday 21' - 13.9
SF: Rashard Lewis 09' - 13.8
PF: Scottie Pippen 01' - 9.3
C: Shaquille O'Neal 95' - 20.2

Bench: Royce O'Neale 19' - 4.2
Bench: Jared Dudley 10' - 6.0
Bench: Bismack Biyombo 16' - 3.5

Rotation:
PG: Oscar Robertson 38 / Jrue Holiday 10
SG: Jrue Holiday 28 / Royce O'Neale 20
SF: Rashard Lewis 28 / Jared Dudley 20
PF: Scottie Pippen 38 / Rashard Lewis 10
C: Shaquille O'Neal 38 / Bismack Biyombo 10

87.8/88

vs

Luka Doncic (38) / Jalen Suggs (10)
Doug Christie (32) / Jalen Suggs (16)
Peja Stojakovic (38) / Joe Ingles (10)
Andrei Kirilenko (38) / Joe Ingles (10)
Dwight Howard (38) / Joel Przybilla (10)

Matchup:
- Defensive assignments: Holiday vs Luka, Oscar vs Christie, Lewis vs Kirilenko, Pippen vs Peja, O'Neal vs Howard.
- We match up well here with the defensive squad of Holiday, Pippen, O'Neale, Dudley being able to disturb Luka, as well as Oscar with his size being assigned with a non threatening offensive guy. Shaq can stay close to the rim and disturb Dwight.
- Overall we've got the more dominant duo in Oscar and Shaq, with Oscar being his peak form in his Cincinnati days and Shaq with his best Magic season, second in votes to MVP. We've got a deep supporting cast with Holiday Lewis Pippen, all can create all sorts of problems for the opposing defense.
- Shaq being a far better offensive big man, and overall better supporting cast, give us the edge here.

[wackbone]

"Luka's Revenge Tour, complete with a Croatian, a Russian, and an Australian"

Luka Doncic - 2024 - 23.6 FGA
Peja Stojakovic - 2004 - 17.1 FGA
Andrei Kirilenko - 2004 - 11.9 FGA
Dwight Howard - 2010 - 10.2 FGA
Jalen Suggs - 2024 - 9.5 FGA
Doug Christie - 2003 - 7.0 FGA
Joe Ingles - 2017 - 5.5 FGA
Joel Przybilla - 2008 - 3.2 FGA
Total: 88/88 FGA

Luka Doncic (38) / Jalen Suggs (10)
Doug Christie (32) / Jalen Suggs (16)
Peja Stojakovic (38) / Joe Ingles (10)
Andrei Kirilenko (38) / Joe Ingles (10)
Dwight Howard (38) / Joel Przybilla (10)

Writeup:

Helluva team as always commish, best of luck!

Defensively we will start with Luka on Jrue, Christie/Suggs on Oscar, Peja on Rashard, AK47 on Pippen, and Dwight on Shaq.

Think we matchup pretty well. Oscar/Shaq is a potent duo to be sure, but we have 2 All-Def guys for Oscar and a 3rd All-Def guy for Shaq. Yes Shaq was still elite on the Magic but importantly here is that he was significantly skinnier than his best years on the Lakers. I wouldn't necessarily love Dwight guarding heavier versions of Shaq, but I think he will be (relatively) fine with this lighter version. By 2001 Pippen is no where near the player he once was, to the point that peak AK47 seems comfortably better. I also think that 4th in MVP Peja has a significant edge over Rashard even if they play a similar role on our teams. And I don't think Jrue's edge over Christie is enough to make up that difference, particularly when Suggs is the best 6th man on either team as a clear step above O'Neale/Dudley and Ingles IMO.

TBH I don't really know enough about Oscar's actual playstyle to comment on his fit with Shaq, but I will say that given Luka's excellent playoff run last season with Gafford/Lively he will be at an even higher level with the pinnacle of that offensive archetype with Dwight as well as peak versions of both Peja and AK47 at the forward spots. Then we have Christie and Suggs as high level 3&D guys who can handle some ballhandling duties as needed to take some pressure off of Luka and an additional 3&D guy in Ingles.

My team revolves around putting Luka in the best position to go off. Peja/AK47/Dwight as additional firepower and Christie/Suggs/Ingles as 3&D support.

[durantbird]

Ready for votes. wackbone, please vote for yourself

[durantbird]

durantbird advances