2024-25 East Cross Standings Draft - R1 - Snakebites vs Laimbeer*

[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).

[Laimbeer]

Brook Lopez ( 2020 ) 9.9
Charles Barkley ( 1992 ) 15.0
Jimmy Butler ( 2023 ) 13.9
Dwyane Wade ( 2006 ) 18.8
James Harden ( 2023 ) 14.5

Isaiah Hartenstein ( 2023 ) 4
Anthony Mason ( 1995 ) 6.6
Norman Powell ( 2018 ) 5.3

88.0

Brook Lopez (36) / Isaiah Hartenstein (12)
Charles Barkley (38) / Anthony Mason (10)
Jimmy Butler (38) / Anthony Mason (10)
Dwyane Wade (30) / Norman Powell (18)
James Harden (38) / Dwyane Wade (10)


We have a really potent offense featuring four stars with Harden running the show for Wade, Butler, and Barkley. Lopez is the perfect complement to provide space and screens. There's a ton of playmaking and scoring ability that puts great pressure on the defense. Peja and old Bird are vulnerable.

We match up pretty well defensively. Lopez/Wallace, Barkley/Bird, Butler/George, Wade/Peja, and Harden/Blaylock. Bird was a fraction of himself at this point. Wallace has no offensive game, so Brook can provide some effective interior help.

Both benches are pretty solid.

Bottom line, we have a bit more firepower. And I don't think Bird in his sunset years is a true alpha.

[Snakebites]

PG: Mookie Blaylock 1996-97 All Defensive 2nd
17/6/3, 6.8 VORP, 37% 3pt on 7.7 Attempts (lead league in made threes)

SG: Drazen Petrovic 1992-92 All NBA Third
2.5 VORP, 61% TS, 52/45/87

SF: Paul George 2013-14 All NBA Third, All Defensive First
5.0 VORP, 22/7/4/2, 36% 3pt on 6 Att

PF: Larry Bird 89-90 All NBA 2nd
5.5 VORP, 24/10/8

C: Ben Wallace 02-03- All NBA 2nd, DPOY, All Defensive First
7/15/3, 7.9 DWS, 4.3 VORP

Bench:

G: Alex Caruso 22-23 All Defensive First
F: Jonathan Isaac 23-24
C: Tyson Chandler 09-10

FGA:

Bird- 20.2
George- 17.0
Petrovic- 16.2
Blaylock-14.9
Wallace- 6.0
Isaac- 4.9
Caruso- 4.3
Chandler- 3.7

Blaylock (37)/Caruso (11)
Drazen (36)/Caruso (12)
George (37)/Bird (11)
Bird (27)/Isaac (21)
Wallace (37)/Chandler (11)

Alrighty.

I've built a well balanced team with All-NBA Level performers at every starting position. The only member of my starting 5 who didn't make an All NBA team in the selected year is Mookie Blaylock, and his 1997 season is one of the most underrated seasons of this decade- he clocked in at 6.8 VORP, lead the league in three pointers and steals, and was the best player on the 56 win Hawks in this season (IMO).

I've also got guys who score at all levels of the court, and playmaking at 4 of 5 starting positions.

Laimbeer has a ton of talent on this team, but Lopez is his most reliable three point shooter in his starting lineup, and I'd argue that his core 3 of Wade, Butler, and Barkley aren't all that additive to themselves.

Ben Wallace has enough strength and mobility to guard Barkley, and doing so will keep him closer to the basket where his rim protection should have a dramatic affect. Blaylock, Caruso, and George are three elite perimeter defenders to counter the perimeter talent of Laimbeer.

I don't think I win the talent calculus, but would argue that my team is more additive. Note that Larry Bird, while not at MVP level in the chosen season, was still an absolutely elite all round player who made All NBA 2nd in the selected season. Drazen is another hyper-underrated 90s player- a multi-level scorer who was ahead of his time and underappreciated for that reason. I didn't use conventional tools to build this team, but would argue that it works and should win this series.

[durantbird]

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Matchup is open. Laimbeer and Snake please vote for yourselves

[durantbird]

Laimbeer advances