No Recent Champions Draft - Finals - flaco -v- Fadeaway_J**

[wackbone]

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.**

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[flaco]

Best of luck, Fade!

Rotations
PG: Steve Nash (36) / Jordan McLaughlin (12)
SG: Eddie Jones (36) / Thabo Sefolosha (12)
SF: Vince Carter (36) / Andrei Kirilenko (12)
PF: Andrei Kirilenko (24) / Jaren Jackson Jr. (24)
C: Amar'e Stoudemire (36) / Jaren Jackson Jr. (12)

7-seconds or less Offense
D'Antoni and Nash are on record as saying they regret not fully embracing the 3pt shot. We won't make the same mistake. Plan is rather simple: We play at breakneck pace on the open court. By pushing the tempo, we should be able to attack before Fade sets his D around Porzingis. If the D is set, we spam the spread PnR and we force Porzingis to defend in space. Nash-Amar'e have proven synergy in real life. Carter, EJ and AK47 provide secondary shot creation. JJJ can either roll to the basket or pop for 3.

Defense
EJ and McLaughlin are my POA defenders. Wing D should be strong with 5 switchable defenders on the roster. JJJ and AK47 provide defensive versatility. They can switch, drop, hedge, blitz, you name it. AK47 in particular may be the optimal cover for KD. He has the height, length, athleticism and BBIQ to match up against him. Amar'e has the mobility to follow Porzingis on the perimeter. Nash pre-switches and peels off to the corners. All teams have an off-ball shooter lurking in the corners. I'd expect Battier to be that guy on Fade's team.

FGA
2005 Steve Nash 11.4
2000 Eddie Jones 15.5
2003 Andrei Kirilenko 8.0
2005 Vince Carter 20.0
2007 Amar'e Stoudemire 12.9
2023 Jaren Jackson Jr. 13.0
2012 Thabo Sefolosha 3.7
2024 Jordan McLaughlin 3.0

Total: 87.5

[Snakebites]

Regretting not taking Nash fourth in this one.

Everyone hates Harden.

[Fadeaway_J]

.Starters
C - Kristaps Porzingis (2022-23)

Spoiler:

23.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.5 bpg, .498 FG%, .385 3P%, .851 FT%, 137 3P (2.1 pg), .627 TS%

PF - Kevin Durant (2012-13)

Spoiler:

28.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.3 bpg, .510 FG%, .416 FT%, .905 FT%, 139 3P (1.7 pg), .647 TS%
- Led the NBA in FT%
- NBA All-Star
- All-NBA First Team

SF - Shane Battier (2008-09)

Spoiler:

7.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.8 bpg, 0.9 spg, .410 FG%, .384 3P%, .821 FT%, 91 3P (1.5 pg), .568 TS%
- All-Defensive Second Team

SG - Devin Booker (2023-24)

Spoiler:

27.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.9 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.4 bpg, .492 FG%, .364 3P%, .886 FT%, 152 3P (2.2 pg), .611 TS%
- NBA All-Star

PG - Jason Kidd (2006-07)

Spoiler:

13.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 9.2 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.3 bpg, .406 FG%, .343 3P%, .778 FT%, 124 3P (1.6 pg), .516 TS%
- NBA All-Star
- All-Defensive Second Team

Bench
C/F - Serge Ibaka (2011-12)

Spoiler:

9.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.5 spg, 3.7 bpg, .535 FG%, .661 FT%, .556 TS%
- Led the NBA in bpg, BLK% (9.8)
- All-Defensive First Team

F - Nicolas Batum (2023-24)

Spoiler:

5.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.6 bpg, .453 FG%, .395 3P%, .714 FT%, 73 3P (1.2 pg), .603 TS%

G - Charlie Ward (1999-00)

Spoiler:

7.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, .423 FG%, .386 3P%, .828 FT%, 102 3P (1.4 pg), .559 TS%

Rotations
C - Porzingis (34), Ibaka (14)
PF - Durant (28), Ibaka (12), Batum (8)
SF - Battier (30), Durant (12), Batum (6)
SG - Booker (38), Ward (6), Battier (4)
PG - Kidd (37), Ward (11)

FGA Per Player

Spoiler:

Kevin Durant - 17.7
Jason Kidd - 11.4
Shane Battier - 5.9
Devin Booker - 19.2
Kristaps Porzingis - 15.7
Nicolas Batum - 4.3
Charlie Ward - 6.2
Serge Ibaka - 7.4

Total: 87.8/88.0

This being a Jason Kidd team, our transition game will be one of our main strengths. With Kidd cleaning the glass and orchestrating the break alongside KD, Booker, and Ibaka we're guaranteed a bunch of easy baskets every game. Porzingis and Battier trail for threes. In the halfcourt, we have Kidd as the organiser to get KD and Booker in position to wreck shop either in isolation or coming off screens. Porzingis is an elite third option, as he's not only a legit stretch 5 but has now figured out how to punish smaller defenders on switches. 2007 Kidd is just beginning to develop into a reliable spot-up shooter, hitting well into the 40s from 3 over this and the next two playoffs. Ward and Batum are solid glue guys on both ends.

Matchup
- Initial defensive assignments will be Kidd-Nash, Booker-Jones, Battier-Carter, KD-AK, Porzingis-Amar'e. A big key is Porzingis who is not only an excellent pick-and-roll defender (his numbers with the Wizards were elite: https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2023/07/01/nba-boston-celtics-zinger-fit-2/) but also a great rim protector. He can slide his feet to stick with Amar'e in the midrange, and his insane wingspan will allow him to contest those midrangers effectively while also presenting a formidable obstacle at the rim. Kidd fights through the screen to deny Nash the easy jumper.
- KD will dig down off the non-shooting AK-47 to clutter up the lane. The combined length of our big man pairing will shrink the space for Nash to pick out those pocket passes to Amar'e. Ibaka provides more of the same off the bench.
- AK on KD might work well enough individually, but it leaves flaco's help defense very compromised given that Amar'e is also being spaced out by Porzingis. Even the best one-on-one defender can only stop the KDs and Bookers of the world a certain percentage of the time; at some point they will get by their man to force help, and flaco's group will have a hard time covering the necessary ground.

Good luck flaco.

[durantbird]

flaco has better offense to me with Nash Amar'e chemistry flanked by Vince Carter as a wing creator, and he seems to have a very good matchup here.

Vote flaco

[durantbird]

[Snakebites]

I buy Fade’s argument that Flaco’s defense will be spaced out by that front court and I like Kidd as a disruptor versus Nash.

Vote Fade

[Dr Positivity]

flaco's fit is better but I think Fade has a talent advantage and Amare's D on the perimeter could be an issue, Mavs Porzingis wouldn't have worked on D but I can buy the numbers saying his PNR D had already improved by Wizards. I also think this being a younger Durant is for the better both from a chemistry standpoint and because he can be a transition threat with Kidd. Vote Fadeaway.

[Fadeaway_J]

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Can you help us out with votes please?

[parsnips33]

I don't love 2013 KD at the 4 - I think he had improved significantly by the end of his OKC tenure. and Nash/Amare presents a huge challenge for Porzingis on the defensive end, improved as he might be.

With that being said, I think Kirilenko is just being asked to do too much defensively here between covering KD and covering for Amare. Fade has a potent enough offensive mix with KD and Book flanking JKidd and just a more reliable defensive foundation IMO

vote: Fade

[Fadeaway_J]

GG flaco

[flaco]

Congrats, Fade! Well deserved victory!