Best of Enemies Draft : Semis - Laimbeer* vs Larry_Russell

[Laimbeer]

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.

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**

...

[Laimbeer]

Artis Gilmore ( 1975 ) 13.7 - Peak season (RealGM PC forum)
LeBron James ( 2013 ) 17.8 - Peak season (RealGM PC forum)
Jaylen Brown ( 2020 ) 15.6 - All-D Votes, 38.2% on 5.9 3PA
Ray Allen ( 2001 ) 16.0 - MVP (11), All-NBA
Alex Caruso ( 2023 ) 4.3 - DPOY (11), 36.4% on 2.3 3PA

DeAndre Jordan ( 2012 ) 4.9 - 10.9 rebs / 2.7 blks per 36 (2nd in league)
Austin Reaves ( 2023 ) 7.7 - 6MOY (7), 39.8% on 3.4 3PA
Dana Barros ( 1998 ) 7.6 - 40.7% on 3.1 3PA; 17.7 PER

87.6 / 88.0 87.6

Artis Gilmore (38) / DeAndre Jordan (10)
LeBron James (38) / Jaylen Brown (10)
Jaylen Brown (28) / Austin Reaves (20)
Ray Allen (38) / Austin Reaves (10)
Alex Caruso (32) / Dana Barros (16)

Good luck, Larry.

We're pretty loaded offensively with the best player here and three high-level scoring threats around him in Gilmore, Brown, and Allen. LeBron will generally run the show with Caruso as a secondary ball handler. This is young Gilmore who can thrive off lob passes and play from the dunker's spot effectively as needed. Sheed isn't a great answer for LeBron.

They are a Wilt-centered team, but with Gilomore and Jordan we've got two big bodies as a good answer. Pierce is the only other significant offensive threat. Harper is limited as a playmaker. We will play straight up.

I like our bench a lot. Barros is a borderline all-star talent offensively who will bring a Kyrie-type of boost. Reaves is excellent and Jordan was pretty much developed at this point. Their bench is really good as well. I don't see either as a big advantage.

[Larry_Russell]

STARTERS

PG: Derek Harper (1989-90) 14.2
18ppg, 3rpg, 7.4apg, 2.3spg, 37% on 3-3pta
DPOY-3, All Defense 2nd

SG: Doug Christie (2002-03) 7
9.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.7apg, 2.3spg, 0.5bpg, 39.5% on 2.3-3pta
DPOY-5, All Defense 1st

SF: Paul Pierce (2007-08) 13.7
19.5ppg, 5rpg, 4.5apg, 1.3spg, 0.5bpg, 39.2% on 4.6-3pta
FMVP, All NBA 3rd, All Star

PF: Rasheed Wallace (2007-08) 11.3
12.7ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, 1.7bpg, 35.5% on 4.1-3pta
MVP (14), All Star, 12th in All Defense voting

C: Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67) 12.1
24ppg, 24rpg, 7.8apg
MVP, All NBA 1st, All Star, #1 RPG, FG%, PER, TS%, OWS, WS, WS/48

BENCH

PG/SG: Malcolm Brogdon (2022-23) 10.9
15ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.7apg, 0.7spg, 44.5% on 4.5-3pta
6-MOTY

SF/PF: Lamar Odom (2010-11) 10.9
14.5ppg, 8.7rpg, 3apg, 0.6spg, 0.7bpg, 38% on 2.2-3pta
6-MOTY

SF: Reggie Bullock (2022-23) 6
7.2ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.4apg, 0.7spg, 38% on 5.1-3pta


ROTATION

PG: Harper (36) / Brogdon (12)
SG: Christie (36) / Brogdon (12)
SF: Pierce (38) / Bullock (10)
PF: Wallace (26) / Odom (22 )
C: Chamberlain (40) / Wallace (8 )

86.1/88

We will defend straight up.
Wilt is an ideal cover for the kmart brand wilt. He has everything in Gilmore.

Sheed should be as good as anyone at defending lebron as he is strong agile and big and for the other 20 mins there I have odom who also has the tools to work on lebron.

Pierce is a great cover for brown who in the season chosen dissappears and commits a lot of turnovers when pressured

Christie is a perfect defender for allen
Harper will shut caruso down.

Offensively there is no one to give wilt trouble here.
Pierce has the body on brown.

Harper averaged 7 assists per game and christie as my secondary playmaker averaged 4. So i disagree with the playmaking point.

Offense will be very efficent and like always defense will be top shelf

And my bench is dominate here.
2 6moty winners and a skilled 3d guy.

[Fadeaway_J]

Yeah, I can't quite buy Sheed as the primary LeBron defender. Maybe young Sheed, but not this older version who was mostly playing the 5. I would have stashed Sheed on Caruso, Larry's other defenders have the size to make it work. On a more macro level, LeBron/Ray/Brown is just a much more potent group of creators than Pierce/Harper/Christie, and Brown's weaknesses aren't as damaging in this smaller role. Add in peak Gilmore and it's just too much for Wilt and a stronger bench to overcome.

Vote: Laimbeer

[Snakebites]

I still have recurring nightmares of the 2007 ECF when Lebron scored 28 straight points late in one of the games and essentially beat the Pistons by himself. It was like watching the worlds longest trainwreck. And it's been 16 years.

We didn't try Rasheed on him, but I can't imagine it would have made a difference. Sheed was a great post defender but he can't handle a multi-faceted offensive superstar like Lebron. He wasn't quick enough- he was a center by this point and Lebron REALLY exploited the relative lack of athleticism that those late 2000s Pistons had (Ben gone, core older in general)- Sheed was a part of that. I broadly see similar issues with this team trying to guard Lebron- there really isn't an ideal option.

I also think Laimbeer has a better overall offense- I thought about taking Ray Allen over Bob McAdoo just to stop his pairing with Lebron. Laimbeer did a great job from that starting point.

Vote Laimbeer

[durantbird]

Agree with Fade and Snake. Prefer Laimbeer's core and the matchup against LeBron isn't ideal.

Vote Laimbeer

[Laimbeer]

Laimbeer advances