2023-2024 midseason draft R1 - flaco vs Fifii (flaco 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**

[flaco]

Rotation
PG: Damian Lillard (38) / Jordan McLaughlin (10)
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (38) / Mikal Bridges (10)
SF: Jimmy Butler (20) / Mikal Bridges (28)
PF: Nicolas Batum (30) / Jimmy Butler (18)
C: Joel Embiid (38) / Dwight Powell (10)

Offense
The big 3 of Lillard-Butler-Embiid should complement each other well. I decided to bring Bridges off the bench to maximize his scoring output. He would have been a glorified 3+D glue guy in my starting lineup playing 4th fiddle to the big 3. KCP and Batum stretch the floor. Batum isn't getting any younger, but he's still effective on both ends of the floor. We know for a fact he has great synergy with Embiid being the starting PF for the Sixers this season. Btw, Embiid is having a monster season averaging 34.27 in PER which is an all-time NBA record way ahead of the competition.



Defense
Embiid drops. He's at his best in a drop scheme. Gobert cannot force him to step out of his comfort zone. I'd argue Fifii's team lacks a PG (similar to the Suns in real life). Chances are Book and Tatum will be the primary ball handlers in the half court. They are decent secondary facilitators, but they have score-first mentality. In any case, my wing D should be strong with plenty of switchable (s)wings to throw at Fifii's creators.

FGA
Joel Embiid 22.2
Jimmy Butler 13.4
Mikal Bridges 16.9
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 7.9
Nicolas Batum 4.0
Dwight Powell 3.0
Damian Lillard 17.4
Jordan McLaughlin 3.0

Total: 87.8

Best of luck, Fifii!

[Fifii]

Summary :

He has Joel who is the best / second player in this league. I have Jayson Tatum who is in TOP 5 players so basically , he is very close in skills to Joel. My second options is Booker who is in TOP 10 players , I know how good is Butler , but Miami fans suggest that he play on halfway in this RS. My third option is Middleton , in opponent this is Lillard. Both playing in the same team. Middelton is better in defense ( in offense Lillard ) , however Lillard was in slump in January and he doesn’t play D. Mikal has regress in this season , obviously he is good , but how many opportunity he will has to score points if he is 4th option ? He has KCP who is good defender , but in offense he is spot up shooter ( I have similar player from the bench and it is Grayson who is better in offense ) and has -1.3 OEPM. Batum plays on PF and he has only 8.2 PPG per 36 vs Toppin 17.2 per 36. Zu is in starting five in contender vs Powell who lost spot in rotation after come Gafford. Both are backup centers. I have NAW from the same team like J Mac BTW.

Roster :

Nickeil Alexander-Walker – very cheap player, looking at criterium this draft. He playing in contender and him team has the best defense in this league. Good handling, but so more important very good defense. We have a lot of good lockdown defenders in this draft like Kawhi, Dort and NAW fits in this group. This is why I drafted him. In attack he is passable.

Devin Booker – in many powers ranking he is in TOP 10 players in this league. In this season he become solid creator. Perfect fit with Jayson Tatum (in real he has KD). In defense he is better than previous season.

Khris Middleton – in real he is third options, just like in my team. He has excellent EPM stats and hight PIE. Maybe this isn’t not the same Middelton when he won a championship, but still All – Star level. He could play on multiple positions. His connections between him and Giannis is awesome and I can imagine this same with Tatum and Booker.

Jayson Tatum – he participants in MVP race so this says everything. He is universal player who play in both side of the floor.

Rudy Gobert – the best rim protector in this league. He playing like a NAW in the best defense team. He is superb fit in my team, because he can play off the ball. 43.4 % DFG and 8th in BPG (2.1), also he is second rebounder in this league.

Grayson Allen – he is revelations in this season. Third the best player in his team (yes, yes that’s I write very knowingly). The best shooter form three points in this league and he has superb TS. Perfect shooting guy from the bench.

Ivica Zubac – nice backup (maybe the best backup in this draft?). In real he plays beside three All – Stars so we know how it does look like. He plays the best season in his career, he has 12.5 PIE(for example Siakam 12.8) , 1.3 BPG and 45.8 DFG%, 9.5 RPG.



Rotations:

PG : Nickeil Alexander-Walker - 5.9
SG : Devin Booker - 19.2
SF : Khris Middleton - 11.6
PF : Jayson Tatum - 19.5
C : Rudy Gobert - 8.0

Bench : Grayson Allen - 8.4
Bench : Obi Toppin 7.4
Bench : Ivica Zubac - 7.7

87.7/ 88

Nickeil Alexander-Walker 30 / Devin Booker 18
Devin Booker 20 / Grayson Allen 28
Khris Middleton 38 / Jayson Tatum 10
Jayson Tatum 28 / Obi Toppin 20
Rudy Gobert 38 / Ivica Zubac 10

I played Grayson only a SG so I eliminate his disadvantages when he played on SF (too small). Devin may be on PG like in his real team couple minutes. If Rudy would be in foul trouble, Zu play more minutes.


Offense :

In offense I play in triangle ( Booker - Tatum - Middleton ). I playing p&r , Gobert and Zu are very good in p&r. Booker is leading in transition offense so I play more faster in some moments ( Middleton is not bad ). NAW is top scorer in spot up and it is fits perfect in my team where he has three All Stars around himself. Tatum is in TOP 3 players in PPP in iso plays so sometimes he play this actions, especially if he will be defend by Batum ( only + 0.3 DEPM). Zu is good in post up so if he is guarded by Powell I will try pass ball to him , that he can play post up actions. Zu played all 10 minutes if Powell is on the floor. Gobert should be use-full in tip in or offense rebound. Grayson plays off screen and Obi Toppin is energy player from the bench. Gobert set a lot of screen ( he is second in this league in screen assist ). Middleton has 57.4 % in 3.4 FGA from mid range. Lillard is weak on D so I haunting him and create miss match Tatum vs him.

Defense :

I put NAW on Lillard. NAW has very huge DEPM in all around league. Tatum guard Butler and Booker - KCP. I think Middleton may guard Batum ( he is only 2 cm shorter ). In my opinion Gobert who is the best rim proctor in this league and contested a lot of shoots. I think he will handle fine with Joel also the same situation with Grayson and KCP. In 10 minutes when opponent play Mikal - JB - Batum I’m playing Booker - Grayson - Tatum / Middleton - Obi Toppin. Booker guard Mikal , Tatum / Middleton guard Butler, meanwhile Grayson guard player who play on PG in oponent team. Powell and J Mac aren’t very damage in O.

Advantages :

- Duo Tatum - Booker are better than Butler - Joel
- I have better bench ( Grayson - Obi Toppin - Zu vs J Mac - Mikal - Powell ) and size which is important nowadays
- My team is balance ( I have players who are good in O and D ).
- Grayson has second TS in this league , Gobert 5th , Obi Toppin 6th , Zu 9th so I have good shooters.
- Tatum , Middleton are also good rebounder
- Gobert is one the best pick-n-roll guys in the league
- We also highlight a proven chemistry of both Grayson - Booker and NAW - Gobert

Regards flaco

[Dr Positivity]

He is deeper but feels like Fifii is an offensive star short to match the well fitting Lillard/Butler/Embiid big 3 and Bridges off the bench, with Embiid being the most dominant player in the series and Butler clutch in the playoffs. Booker can run the offense decently but I'd still trust having a traditional PG in Lillard more. Vote flaco.

[Fadeaway_J]

Tatum/Booker just isn't quite enough juice for me as an offensive foundation, with Middleton no longer at All-Star level and Gobert taking a step down offensively in the last couple of years. I'd also say NAW is overextended as a 30-minute starter, and I'm also not too comfortable with present-day Middleton sustaining those big minutes. Honestly, I'm a bit reluctant to vote this way because flaco's depth is pretty bad, but I see Fifii's core lineups having to play from behind a lot, and his own depth advantage is a bit inflated given the aforementioned minute allocations.

Vote: flaco

[Dr Positivity]

[Laimbeer]

The same thing jumped out for me - more star power for Flaco. Fifii' team is balanced but a little underwhelming for this game.

Vote - Flaco

[Dr Positivity]

flaco advances