Non-Dynastic Vintage Champions - Semi - durantbird* vs JimmyPlopper

[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).

[JimmyPlopper]

Rotation
PG: Gary Payton (38) / Joe Dumars (10)
SG: Joe Dumars (28) / Brent Barry (20)
SF: Julius Erving (38) / Brent Barry (10)
PF: Rasheed Wallace (36) / Detlef Schrempf (12)
C: Wes Unseld (28) / Tyson Chandler (20)

Draft
Round 1, Pick 8: Julius Erving (1981) - 18.6 FGA/G
Round 2, Pick 15: Wes Unseld (1969) - 9.3 FGA/G
Round 3, Pick 26: Rasheed Wallace (2006) - 13.3 FGA/G
Round 4, Pick 41: Gary Payton (1996) - 15.8 FGA/G
Round 5, Pick 48: Joe Dumars (1989) - 13.1 FGA/G
Round 6, Pick 63: Brent Barry (2001) - 6.0 FGA/G
Round 7, Pick 70: Tyson Chandler (2012) - 5.7 FGA/G
Round 8, Pick 85: Detlef Schrempf (2000) - 5.6 FGA/G

87.4/88


I feel good about my team’s ability to compete in this matchup. Julius Erving has an opportunity to be a difference-maker against a later-career version of Scottie Pippen, and Rasheed Wallace’s shooting will help space the floor by drawing Giannis away from the paint. Defensively, I have strong perimeter options in Gary Payton and Joe Dumars to apply pressure on Chris Paul and Chris Mullin, while my frontcourt is well-equipped to make things difficult for Giannis. By keeping Mullin from getting comfortable looks and forcing Brook Lopez to operate outside his ideal spots, I can limit their offensive efficiency.

Depth is another area where I like my team’s position. Brent Barry brings additional spacing, Tyson Chandler provides reliable interior defense, and Detlef Schrempf adds shooting and versatility off the bench. James Harden is a key weapon for db, but I trust Dumars to make him work for his points while also looking to disrupt their rhythm with defensive adjustments. By staying disciplined, controlling the tempo, and making the most of my team’s two-way strengths, I believe I have a strong path to success in this series.

GL durantbird

[durantbird]

PG: Chris Paul 20' - 12.7
SG: Chris Mullin 90' - 16.3
SF: Scottie Pippen 01' - 9.3
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo 21' - 18.0
C: Brook Lopez 19' - 9.7

G: James Harden 12' - 10.1
F: Jared Dudley 15' - 5.9
F/C: Ben Wallace 03' - 6.0

88/88

CP3 (37) | Harden (11) | Pippen
Mullin (30) | Harden (18) | Dudley
Pippen (35) | Mullin (8) | Dudley (5)
Giannis (39) | Dudley (9) | Pippen
Lopez (30) | Wallace (18) | Giannis

vs
PG: Gary Payton (38) / Joe Dumars (10)
SG: Joe Dumars (28) / Brent Barry (20)
SF: Julius Erving (38) / Brent Barry (10)
PF: Rasheed Wallace (36) / Detlef Schrempf (12)
C: Wes Unseld (28) / Tyson Chandler (20)

Matchup
- Defensive assignments: Paul vs Payton, Mullin vs Dumars, Pippen vs Erving, Giannis vs Rasheed, Lopez vs Unseld/Chandler.
- We've got great answers here. Their two main offensive focal points are Payton and Erving and they are guarded by Paul and Pippen. Rasheed is not a too concerning offensive threat, so Giannis can definitely be effective as a roamer, while also taking Unseld which might put him in an even better position.
- Giannis-Paul duo flanked by peak Mullin, 6MOY Harden, Pippen & Lopez provide us more than enough offensive juice and great options to maximize Giannis. I feel like we have much better offensive versatility here, while after Erving and Giannis, we've got Paul who is comparable to Payton if not better, while Mullin and Harden might be the next two best offensive weapons.
- I strongly disagree JP has the depth advantage. While he's get very solid depth, we've got pretty insane depth, with 6MOY and All-Star offensive level Harden off the bench, peak Ben Wallace, and an effective 3&d in Dudley.

[durantbird]

Matchup is open. JP please vote for yourself

[durantbird]

ChatGPT vote durantbird - durantbird advances

Spoiler:

This is a well-constructed and close matchup with compelling arguments on both sides, but let’s break it down across key categories:


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Star Power

durantbird has Giannis (2021 MVP-level), Chris Paul (elite IQ/playmaking in 2020), and James Harden (6MOY-level) off the bench. Mullin gives another scoring threat, and Pippen, while older, still contributes.

JimmyPlopper's biggest name is Julius Erving (1981) with a strong season. Gary Payton (1996 DPOY) is elite defensively, and Rasheed Wallace provides spacing and size. Dumars is another two-way presence.


Edge: durantbird, mostly because of Giannis's peak impact and having multiple players with All-NBA caliber seasons.


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Fit and Spacing

durantbird has Giannis with shooters around him—Mullin, CP3, Lopez, Dudley, even Harden. That’s an ideal setup for a Giannis-led offense.

JimmyPlopper has Erving and Payton, who aren’t ideal floor-spacers, and Unseld at center who doesn’t stretch the floor. Rasheed helps with spacing, but it’s a bit tighter overall.


Edge: durantbird, better spacing and fit around a dominant star.


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Defense

JimmyPlopper: Payton, Dumars, and Rasheed give a strong defensive backbone. Chandler off the bench helps with rim protection. Erving has size and athleticism.

durantbird: Pippen and Ben Wallace bring elite defense, Giannis is DPOY-caliber, and Lopez is a solid anchor.


Edge: even, both teams are highly competent defensively and can throw tough matchups at each other's stars.


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Depth

durantbird brings 6MOY Harden, Ben Wallace, and Dudley—very high-quality depth.

JimmyPlopper counters with Brent Barry, Detlef Schrempf, and Chandler—useful, but not as dynamic.


Edge: durantbird, Harden and Wallace are huge weapons off the bench.


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Matchup Specifics

durantbird can guard Erving with Pippen, and has Giannis lurking as a help defender.

JimmyPlopper puts Dumars and Payton on CP3 and Mullin/Harden, which is solid, but Giannis is a mismatch problem for him unless Rasheed plays out of his mind.


Edge: durantbird, because there’s no clear answer for Giannis, and he’s the most dominant two-way player in the matchup.


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Final Verdict

Winner: durantbird
His team has better top-end talent, more modern spacing around Giannis, superior depth, and fewer matchup liabilities. JimmyPlopper’s squad is gritty and strong defensively, but will likely struggle to keep up with the offensive versatility and creation of durantbird’s roster.

[JimmyPlopper]

wow exciting and surprising finish! good game db