Best of Enemies Draft : Round 1 - durantbird* vs LA Bird

[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**

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[durantbird]

PG: Jerry West 71' - 16.7 - MVP (2), DEF1
SG: Eddie Jones 98' - 12.6 - All Star, DEF2, 39% 3
SF: Glen Rice 96' - 16.4 - All Star, 42% 3
PF: Karl Malone 98' - 18.2 - MVP (2), DEF1, NBA Finalist
C: Tyson Chandler 11' - 5.5 - DEF2, DPOY (3), NBA Champion

Bench: Bruce Bowen 03' - 5.8 - DEF2, NBA Champion, 44% 3
Bench: Rick Fox 01' - 7.9 - NBA Champion, 39% 3
Bench: Gary Payton II 22' - 4.8 - NBA Champion, 36% 3

Rotation:
PG: Jerry West (39) / Gary Payton II (9)
SG: Eddie Jones (36) / Bruce Bowen (8) / Gary Payton II (4)
SF: Glen Rice (30) / Bruce Bowen (18)
PF: Karl Malone (20) / Rick Fox (24) / Glen Rice (4)
C: Tyson Chandler (30) / Karl Malone (18)

87.9/88

Vs

C: Gasol (32) / Russell (16)
PF: Russell (20) / Hawkins (28)
SF: Artest (32) / Prince (8) / Hawkins (8)
SG: Johnson (36) / Beverley (12)
PG: Nash (36) / Beverley (12)

Matchup:
-Defensive assignments: West vs Nash, EJ vs Johnson, Rice vs Artest, Malone vs Russell, Chandler vs Gasol.
-We match up perfectly here, with good defenders for Nash and Johnson and also for his frontcourt. On the other side, he will struggle to hide Nash and Johnson as we have a pretty imposing backcourt trio.
-We built a formula that should work very well around the deadly duo of West and Malone, with superb spacing around them. I like our duo's chemistry more than any Nash and Russell, and I don't think the pieces around them quite maximize them, as I don't particularly like a double big lineup for a Nash team, added by another interior focused star like Hawkins.

[LA Bird]

Starters
C: 2019 Marc Gasol (14/8/4). 36% from 3.
PF: 1965 Bill Russell (14/24/5). MVP.
SF: 2010 Ron Artest (11/4/3). 36% from 3.
SG: 2007 Joe Johnson (25/4/4). All Star. 38% from 3.
PG: 2005 Steve Nash (16/3/12). MVP. 43% from 3.

Bench
F: 1968 Connie Hawkins (27/14/5). MVP.
F: 2003 Tayshaun Prince (3/1/1). 43% from 3.
G: 2020 Patrick Beverley (8/5/4). All Defense. 39% from 3.

Rotation
C: Gasol (32) / Russell (16)
PF: Russell (20) / Hawkins (28)
SF: Artest (32) / Prince (8) / Hawkins (8)
SG: Johnson (36) / Beverley (12)
PG: Nash (36) / Beverley (12)

Writeup
• We have the best player on both defense with Russell and offense with Nash. Plus a 3rd MVP in Hawkins.
• Nash PnR with 4 out spacing and an athletic rim runner (Russell or Hawkins) is a proven formula.
• Gasol as a 3pt shooting center spaces the floor even more by stretching Chandler. The two big lineup may seem unusual but it was unstoppable even in Nash's later years with lesser players like Gortat and Frye (+9.3 net lineup).
• Malone and Rick Fox at C/PF for a third of the game is very weak interior defense that will be exploited by Nash.
• Russell shuts down Malone who usually isn't a good playoffs performer anyway. Tyson has zero range so Gasol can help off him and provide even more rim protection. Pat Bev guards a non-peak 32 year old West when he is in the game. Artest guards Rice.
• Not sure how Peak ABA Hawkins gets viewed in these games but he was better than prime Rick Barry when they played together. It is an overwhelming talent advantage off the bench and adds another unstoppable offensive option when Nash sits. In contrast, Gary Payton II (0.9 assists per game) is strictly a defensive role player who can't run the offense at all when West is resting.

[Fadeaway_J]

I don't necessarily see Nash playing with two bigs as a problem, but I don't love the fact that one of them (Gasol) is kind of a slowpoke. Apart from Russell and Hawkins off the bench, this doesn't seem like a cast that fits naturally with an uptempo style (Joe at least has experience with SSOL although his approach in Atlanta was quite different). Doesn't seem like there's a good cover for West in the starting lineup, while durantbird has an elite defensive backcourt to pressure Bird's main creators. Hawkins is tough for me to factor in here as footage of him is thin on the ground, but presumably he can do some damage anchoring second unit groups against a smaller frontcourt. However, I prefer durantbird's starting five in a vacuum as well as in how it matches up with LA Bird's.

Vote: durantbird

[Snakebites]

Russell was the foundation of an amazing Nash team but I'm not sure I'm generally feeling the supporting pieces that were put around that. All in all it feels like Nash will be forced to play a slower style than is really the best for him. He certainly was a capable half court player but I think you limit him a bit by building a slower team around him.

It doesn't help that this is a rough matchup for Nash with nowhere for him to hide defensively.

Overall I think DB's team is a bit stronger in a vacuum as well.

Vote DB

[Dr Positivity]

I'm pretty high on Bird's talent with Hawkins off the bench and Max Joe both as quality pick ups. I think Russell beside the 3pt shooting version of Gasol can work well enough. I also see Malone struggling in this series. Vote Bird.

[uberhikari]

Joe Johnson and Connie Hawkins somewhat allay my fears about Nash/Russell not having enough scoring punch but the pieces don't quite fit, especially Iso Joe, Gasol, and Metta. I can buy Hawkins as an athletic high-flying running mate next to Nash but their minutes aren't quite synced with an MVP awkwardly coming off the bench. I also have grave concerns about Nash on defense vs West/Jones. Vote: durantbird

[Laimbeer]

durantbird advances