2023-2024 mid season draft SF1 - murphyslamz vs durantbird (murphyslamz advances)

[Dr Positivity]

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**

[durantbird]

PG: Tyrese Haliburton - 15.8 - 40% 3
SG: Paul George - 17.2 - 39% 3
SF: Kawhi Leonard - 17.1 - 45% 3
PF: Evan Mobley - 11.3 - 40% 3
C: Jarrett Allen - 9.9

Bench: Royce O'Neale - 6.6 - 36% 3
Bench: Kyle Anderson - 5.1
Bench: Anthony Black - 3.7 - 37% 3

86.7/88

Tyrese Haliburton 38 / Anthony Black 10
Paul George 38 / Royce O'Neale 10
Kawhi Leonard 34 / Royce O'Neale 14
Evan Mobley 28 / Kyle Anderson 16 / Kawhi Leonard 4
Jarrett Allen 38 / Evan Mobley 10

Vs

PG: Steph Curry (27) | Caruso (21)
SG: Lu Dort (22) | Caruso (16) | Curry (10)
SF: Lebron James (26) | Dort (14) | Roco (8)
PF: Siakam (37)| Lebron (11)
C: Lopez (30) | Harteinstein (18)

Matchup:
- Defensive assignments: Haliburton vs Dort, George vs Steph, Kawhi vs LeBron, Mobley vs Siakam, Allen vs Lopez.
- We match up well here. We got a great defensive squad to throw at his guys, with George/Kawhi and Black/O'Neale/Anderson off the bench as a versatile squad to particularly disturb Steph and LeBron.
- I think murphy runs into a defensive mismatch here, as he has nowhere to hide Steph. I'm not sure LeBron still has the intensity to both be an offensive cornerstone and also take a tough perimeter assignment like Kawhi/George/Haliburton.
- We got great rim protection with the proven Mobley/Allen duo, where Mobley is also a great perimeter defender who can disturb LeBron. I trust our frontcourt duo more than Siakam/Lopez, especially because of the defensive difference between Mobley and Siakam.
- We got a starting lineup of 5 All Star level players, whereas he is starting a 3 and D guy in Dort. This diminishes any bench difference, though O'Neale/Anderson is a very useful role player duo who are key contributors for their teams. RoCo is washed, so I don't think he's more useful than Black, especially since he can have some key minutes on Steph and he is an efficient low usage offensive catalyst. Caruso is overstretched with his minutes, and I'm not sure RoCo still holds the value for extended minutes to mitigate.
- I think we also have the clearer fit, where outside the Curry LeBron duo, Siakam is kind of an odd fit as third guy. Haliburton with Allen as a rim runner, with Kawhi and George spreading the floor and creating their own shots, and with Mobley as a do it all big who can be a lob threat and has developed an effective three this year, should be unguardable.

[murphyslamz]

Really nice team Durantbird, and I think my team is going to have lots of trouble. However, I think there are some areas we can exploit too.


PG: Lebron James (17.9) | 39.5% from 3
SG: Stephen Curry (19.8) | 42% from 3
SF: Lu Dort (8.2) | 39.3% from 3
PF: Pascal Siakam (15.8) | 34.7% from 3
C: Brook Lopez (10.2) | 34.2 from 3 | 2nd in 2023 NBA DPOY voting

6th: Alex Caruso (7.1) | 40% from 3 | 2023 1st team all defence

7th: Isaiah Hartenstein (4.6) |Has the highest D-EPM (Defensive estimated plus minus) per 100 possessions in the NBA (https://dunksandthrees.com/epm)

8th: Robert Covington (3.4) | 35.4% from 3 | Still a very good help defender, which might pay dividends vs. Doncic & AD.

87/88 FGA


Minutes ->

PG: Lebron James (26) | Caruso (21)
SG: Steph Curry (37) | Caruso (11)
SF: Lu Dort (34) | Covington (14)
PF: Siakam (37) | James (11)
C: Brook Lopez (31) | Isiah Hartenstein (17)


Defensive Matchups:

- Lopez on Allen. The Mobley \ Allen Front court allows Lopez to really camp in the paint as neither are good three point shooters. (Mobley has made 10 all season, which is good for 0.8 per game)

- Lebron guards Mobley. He's likely not a featured option on offence, and Lebron can often switch on his PnR.

- Siakam guards Kawhi. Old teammates. Siakam has the size and lateral quicks to put up a strong fight against both Kawhi & George. Siakam will priotize defence in this series.

- Dort guards George. Will spend time on Kawhi also

- Curry guards Haliburton. Haliburton at least won't be the #1 option, and Lopez will hopefully be there to help in drop coverage with Mobley and Allen unable to space the floor.


Why Murphyslamz will win.

1) Durantbirds lack of spacing on offence. Mobley's 40% shooting is deceiving as he has made 10 3pointers all season. Brook Lopez will be able to play lots of help defence, but it will be harder for Mobley and Allen to do the same

2) Lebron & Curry duo

3) Strong defensive supporting cast --> Caruso / Dort / Roco / Siakam / Lopez / Harteinstein

4) Brook Lopez spacing the floor from the 5. Siakam is also much more efficient when he is not the #1 option. He shot 37% on 3pointers during the year the raptors won the chip and went 21 for 48 (42.8%) from 3 between the time of his trade and the all star break.


Good luck DB

[Dr Positivity]

durantbird has more talent however I'm not totally sold on the Mobley and Allen combo after last year's playoffs and the Cavs taking off this year when Mobley got injured. Haliburton is also not as proven in this type of lineup with two bigs and a superstar wing taking touches. There are matchups on both sides I don't love. The starting lineups are close as a result but I'll say Caruso off the bench is a difference maker. Vote murphyslamz.

[Dr Positivity]

[Laimbeer]

I love DB 's perimeter but I believe the Allen mobley interior is quite an impediment on the offense. I think the LeBron stuff combination and the balance of that offense make more sense

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Vote MS

[Fadeaway_J]

Waffling back and forth on this one. Durantbird's perimeter firepower and spacing can help to offset the limitations two-big lineup. Steph has declined quite a bit defensively so him having to guard Hali is problematic, and murphy's roster is not ideally constructed to defend the big wing combo of Kawhi and PG.

On the other hand, Steph and LeBron remains a high-level duo and there's solid spacing around them. I also don't see Allen as any more of an "All-Star calibre player" than Lopez is (I'd consider both sub All-Stars for the record), and Mobley is an even tougher sell at that level playing the 4. Hartenstein and Caruso are clearly the two most impactful reserves IMO, and I'm more skeptical about durantbird's team staying afloat offensively when Hali is on the bench than RoCo being playable for 14 minutes. Despite some suboptimal matchups, the low-spacing Allen/Mobley/Slo-Mo frontcourt trio plays into the hands of Lopez/Hartenstein and dampens durantbird's perimeter advantage.

Vote: murphyslamz

[Dr Positivity]

murphyslamz advances