Billups Carter Draft - R1 - Snakebites* vs parsnips33

[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. Please ensure you give a rationale for your vote; votes with no explanation will not be counted.

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).

**First to 3 votes advances.**

[parsnips33]

r1: 17-18 Jimmy Butler - 15.6 FGA
r2: 19-20 Paul George - 16.3 FGA
r3: 12-13 Marc Gasol - 10.9 FGA
r4: 23-24 Jrue Holiday - 10.0 FGA
r5: 02-03 Ben Wallace - 6.0 FGA
r6: 20-21 Nicolas Batum - 6.1 FGA
r7: 13-14 Pablo Prigioni - 3.0 FGA
r8: 13-14 Kevin Love - 18.5 FGA

Total FGA: 86.4/88.0

Jrue Holiday (38) / Pablo Prigioni (10)
Paul George (38) / Jimmy Butler (10)
Jimmy Butler (30) / Nicolas Batum (18)
Kevin Love (40) / Ben Wallace (6) / Nicolas Batum (4)
Ben Wallace (20) / Marc Gasol (28)

Writeup:

Starting Big Ben here as I like his mobility better against Snake's spaced out front line.

To start, we'll have Jrue on Book, PG on KCP, Jimmy on Scottie, Love on Dirk, and Ben on Kristaps. As the one elite perimeter player, Booker will see all 3 of Jrue, PG, and Jimmy through out the game to keep him always thinking. Jimmy can be super active with help defense, especially when Dirk has the ball. I'm fully confident in Butler's motor and ability to help and close back out to his man, and it doesn't hurt that Pippen's shooting <33% from 3 in the selected season.

I admit, we don't have an offensive player as good as Prime Dirk. Last pick of the draft made it tough to pick up a bona fide offensive GOAT. But this team is set up perfectly to pull of upsets. Trio of elite perimeter defenders with a DPOY center manning the backline at all times. Can play super aggressive defensively and we have the skillset to force turnovers. In addition to forced turnovers, elite rebounding helps us win the possession battle. Just to compare starting front courts:
Wallace + Love = 27.9 combined RPG
Dirk + Porzingis = 14.2 combined RPG (less than Wallace by himself )
We will beast on the boards to limit Snake's team to 1 shot every time down while generating extra possessions on the other end.

Offensively, I think Love should have success going at Dirk. Will play a lot of 2 man game with Jrue, Jimmy, and PG. When Gasol is in, the combined spacing and passing of the frontcourt will lead to lots of cutting and handoff opportunities for Jimmy and PG who are both elite off-ball. With playmakers up and down the roster, I think there's more than enough offense on this team given the elite collection of defenders.

May the best team win!

[Snakebites]

PG: Devin Booker 23-24 19.2 FGA
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 23-24 7.7 FGA
SF: Scottie Pippen 99-00 10.5 FGA
PF: Dirk Nowitzki 10-11 16.2 FGA
C: Kristaps Porzingis 23-24 13.2 FGA

B: Mike Conley Jr 23-24 8.5 FGA
B: Dorian Finney-Smith 19-20 7.4 FGA
B: Robert Williams 20-21 5.0 FGA

Total: 87.7 FGA/88

Rotation:

Booker (24)/Conley (24)
KCP (34)/Booker (14)
Pippen (35)/Finney-Smith (13)
Nowitzki (39)/Finney-Smith (9)
Porzingis (35)/Williams (13)

Alrighty, let’s do this.

I think it’s fairly easy to see how my team operates. Dirk is a top shelf go-to scorer in this pool. He and Zingis also spread the floor for Booker with his scoring and playmaking. Pippen gives Booker the supplemental playmaking that I think you need with him, but Booker himself is also a great pick and roll playmaker.

I’d further argue that we also have easily the second best go-to scorer in this game too.

The rebounding advantage is mitigated by the fact that Wallace and Love will both be out of position for a lot of defensive rebounds due to the 3 pt gravity of both of my scorers.

Defensively Porzingis protects the rim by guarding Wallace. Kevin Love was a nice scorer who will more or less have the role Cavs love did the following year. Pippen takes George, KCP takes Butker, Booker takes Jrue.

I think my offensive firepower and solid depth carry the day here. Not using 3 point shooting Gasol (or at least starting this version) is an unforced error IMO. Love Ben, but Marc is better for these games.

[durantbird]

I don't like some of the matchups for parsnips. Even though he has a great defensive team, he doesn't have a good cover for Dirk, and I don't like Holiday on Booker - would actually prefer George guarding him. I think overall firepower is fairly equal, even though Snake has the better leading duo, but with the matchup issues, I prefer Snake anyway.

Vote Snake

[Larry_Russell]

Tough Matchup here.

I think I am leaning towards Parsnips here for a couple of reasons.

1. there is no true PG on Snakes team here and Dirk needs a true PG. I know scottie and Booker are both sort of secondary playmakers, but away from Mike, Scotties effectiveness in that role was diminished.

2. These seconday playmakers have a couple of monster defenders covering them in Jimmy and Jrue.

tough matchup though I personally I could easily be convinced to vote otherwise.

[Snakebites]

Tough Matchup here.

I think I am leaning towards Parsnips here for a couple of reasons.

1. there is no true PG on Snakes team here and Dirk needs a true PG. I know scottie and Booker are both sort of secondary playmakers, but away from Mike, Scotties effectiveness in that role was diminished.

2. These seconday playmakers have a couple of monster defenders covering them in Jimmy and Jrue.

tough matchup though I personally I could easily be convinced to vote otherwise.

Dirk lead the Mavs to 67 wins in 2007 with Jason Terry and young Devin Harris. Booker and Pippen are both better playmakers than both of them…

He doesn’t need more playmaking to set himself up. He has enough and is also great at creating his own shot.

[parsnips33]

Follow your heart!!!

[Dr Positivity]

Pretty close matchup, having Conley helps Snake with the Booker PG issue, while I'm not sure starting Ben was necessary. Getting peak Love helps balance out small Butler downgrade and older Holiday. I think the frontcourt matchup and having a true #1 guy helps tip it to Snake. Vote Snakebites.

[flaco]

Some random thoughts:

• I think Conley is comfortably a better player than KCP. Not sure why Snake opted for a starting lineup without a true PG. Pippen and Book are secondary facilitators rather than PGs. It's not like Conley is a high-usage ball handler. He can coexist with anybody. He's a serviceable defender as well. Not at KCP's level, but still a reliable option.
• Both Dirk and Zinger are drop bigs. Fortunately for Snake, he faces 2 interior-oriented players in Jimmy and Ben. I don't think he could have handled a 4-out or 5-out offense.
• If I were parsnips33, I would have started Marc with the aim of forcing Dirk/Zinger to defend in space. Ben cannot force them to step out of their comfort zone on D.
• Maybe that's just me, but I'm super low on Kevin Love. Hopeless perimeter defender. Hopeless PnR defender. Was grabbing loads of rebs, but that's partly because he was camping in the paint on D. That's not an option in the modern era. Another thing is, teams don't put too much emphasis on offensive rebs anymore cause they focus on transition defense. Sure, he's a floor spacer. That's about it. Chances are both Dirk and Zinger would destroy him. I genuinely think parsnips33 would have been better off with a 3+D role player. Let's say Tucker who was somehow left on the board(!).

All in all, leaning Snake due to favorable matchup and superior spacing.

Vote: Snakebites

[parsnips33]

well done Snake

I can't help but feeling like I'm very bad at these games it's a shame I still find them so fun

[Snakebites]

Some random thoughts:
[list][*]I think Conley is comfortably a better player than KCP. Not sure why Snake opted for a starting lineup without a true PG. Pippen and Book are secondary facilitators rather than PGs. It's not like Conley is a high-usage ball handler. He can coexist with anybody. He's a serviceable defender as well. Not at KCP's level, but still a reliable option.

Yeah this was an unforced error on my part. Glad I didn’t get dinged for it here.

[Fadeaway_J]

well done Snake

I can't help but feeling like I'm very bad at these games it's a shame I still find them so fun

Tbh it becomes easier to work out what wins and what doesn't when you play them continuously like a lot of us do.

For example, it's tough to sell a Pistons-style "no true #1" approach in games where everyone has four or five All-Stars.

[parsnips33]

well done Snake

I can't help but feeling like I'm very bad at these games it's a shame I still find them so fun

Tbh it becomes easier to work out what wins and what doesn't when you play them continuously like a lot of us do.

For example, it's tough to sell a Pistons-style "no true #1" approach in games where everyone has four or five All-Stars.

Well I was sorta boxed in by draft position, but I guess I still had some options. Thought really hard about Brunson but figured nobody would take him seriously as a #1 option, could have been wrong

Ultimately, I care more about drafting a team I think is interesting than one that's optimized to win, although that might just be a post facto rationalization to explain why I've been doing these off and on since like 2015 and have only won twice

[Dr Positivity]

well done Snake

I can't help but feeling like I'm very bad at these games it's a shame I still find them so fun

Tbh it becomes easier to work out what wins and what doesn't when you play them continuously like a lot of us do.

For example, it's tough to sell a Pistons-style "no true #1" approach in games where everyone has four or five All-Stars.

Well I was sorta boxed in by draft position, but I guess I still had some options. Thought really hard about Brunson but figured nobody would take him seriously as a #1 option, could have been wrong

Ultimately, I care more about drafting a team I think is interesting than one that's optimized to win, although that might just be a post facto rationalization to explain why I've been doing these off and on since like 2015 and have only won twice

You have 6 wins according to our spreadsheet tracker ftr, I thought I remember you getting hot once and winning 3 pretty close together and then quitting on top.

[Snakebites]

well done Snake

I can't help but feeling like I'm very bad at these games it's a shame I still find them so fun

Tbh it becomes easier to work out what wins and what doesn't when you play them continuously like a lot of us do.

For example, it's tough to sell a Pistons-style "no true #1" approach in games where everyone has four or five All-Stars.

Honestly I think he had me beat potentially if he started Gasol with 3 point range. That offensive weakness was what ended this. Taking Gasol in round 3 only to bench him was rough allocation of resources. Butler and George being not the best versions was rough too.

I think teams with secondary stars that complement one another should be viable in all but the deepest pools, or at least shouldn’t be an automatic GG in round one. There is something to be said for balance.

That said there’s a clear favorite in this game and it ain’t me. It’s another late pick though.

[durantbird]

Snakebites advances

[parsnips33]

Tbh it becomes easier to work out what wins and what doesn't when you play them continuously like a lot of us do.

For example, it's tough to sell a Pistons-style "no true #1" approach in games where everyone has four or five All-Stars.

Well I was sorta boxed in by draft position, but I guess I still had some options. Thought really hard about Brunson but figured nobody would take him seriously as a #1 option, could have been wrong

Ultimately, I care more about drafting a team I think is interesting than one that's optimized to win, although that might just be a post facto rationalization to explain why I've been doing these off and on since like 2015 and have only won twice

You have 6 wins according to our spreadsheet tracker ftr, I thought I remember you getting hot once and winning 3 pretty close together and then quitting on top.

Can you send me the link? I clearly need to relive my glory days

[parsnips33]

well done Snake

I can't help but feeling like I'm very bad at these games it's a shame I still find them so fun

Tbh it becomes easier to work out what wins and what doesn't when you play them continuously like a lot of us do.

For example, it's tough to sell a Pistons-style "no true #1" approach in games where everyone has four or five All-Stars.

Honestly I think he had me beat potentially if he started Gasol with 3 point range. That offensive weakness was what ended this. Taking Gasol in round 3 only to bench him was rough allocation of resources. Butler and George being not the best versions was rough too.

I think teams with secondary stars that complement one another should be viable in all but the deepest pools, or at least shouldn’t be an automatic GG in round one. There is something to be said for balance.

That said there’s a clear favorite in this game and it ain’t me. It’s another late pick though.

I was vacillating between '19 and '13 Gasol. Liked the idea of adding another spacing big, but figured with my limited top-end options I would be better off going with the absolute best version of every player I had. Anyways, it's these types of dilemmas that make these things fun, it's not like there's any actual prize for winning. Really like the way you drafted