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Round 2: gossie 21 vs catsfan3523

Which team is best suited to win now and in the future

  • gossie21

    Votes: 15 65.2%
  • catsfan3523

    Votes: 8 34.8%

  • Total voters
    23
  • Poll closed .

gossie21

All-American
Jan 24, 2005
20,220
11,199
113
gossie21
PG: Tony Parker (Backups Reggie Jackson & Dante Exum)
SG: Andrew Wiggins (Backups Tony Allen, Jodie Meeks, & Dante Exum)
SF: Kevin Durant (Backups Andrew Wiggins and Lance Stephenson)
PF: Zach Randolph (Backup Aaron Gordon)
C: Karl Towns (Backup Omer Asik)

catsfan3523
PG: Russell Westbrook, Goran Dragic, Jordan Clarkson, and Cameron Payne,
SG: Wes Matthews, Devin Booker
SF: Joe Johnson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF: Paul Millsap, Terrence Jones
C: Dwight Howard, Timofey Mozgov
 
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@catsfan3523

If I have misrepresented your lineup let me know and I will change it. Since I created the thread I will let you make your case first for your team.
 
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Starters
C: Dwight Howard (15.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg. 19.31 PER. Top 20 among centers in PER.)
PF: Paul Millsap (16.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.1 apg. 20.1 PER. 9th best PF in PER.)
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ( 10.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 15.14 PER. 16th best SF in PER.)
SG: Goran Dragic (16.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.5 apg. 17.47 PER. 8th best SG in PER.)
PG: Russell Westbrook ( 28.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 8.6 apg. 29.12 PER. Best PER among PGs. 2nd best PER overall.)

Bench

Jordan Clarkson: 11.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg. 16.94 PER.
Wesley Matthews: 15.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg. 16.15 PER
Joe Johnson: 14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.7 apg. 14.11 PER.
Terrence Jones: 11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8 bpg. 18.31 PER.
Timofey Mozgov : 9.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg.16.59 PER.
Devin Booker
Cameron Payne

My team has good balance on both sides of the ball. I have a top 5-10 player in the NBA in Russell Westbrook. Westbrook could drop 50 points on any night to go along with 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Dwight Howard didn't have the best year this year but toward the end of the year he started to get his feel back pretty good. With my team he don't need to be a big time scorer just a lock down post defender and a big time rebounder.

Paul Millsap showed his versatility in full this year. He can bang down low with any power forward and can also step out and knock down the 3 with consistnecy.

Goran Dragic can knock down the 3 or take his defender to the basket. Can also run the point some for Westbrook to work some off the ball too.

MKG is the ultimate competitor. He is working very hard to make his jump shot better. Elite lockdown defender.

My bench has a good blend of old and young players that will be able to contribute instantly. Wesley Matthews is one of the best 3 and D guys in the NBA. Jordan Clarkson showed a ton of upside for the Lakers toward the end of the year. Joe Johnson brings veteran leadership to my team as well as a big threat off the bench. Timofey Mozgov is a very good center able to step out and knock down the 15 to 18 foot jumper. Terrence Jones is a solid all around player.

I'm hoping Devin Booker can step in and learn the ropes under Wesley Matthews and end up being an excellent 3 and D player.

Cameron Payne can come in and not have to play significant minutes right away and learn from Westbrook and Dragic on how to be a good point guard or combo guard.
 
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I didn't really do a team breakdown last round and somehow ran away with the voting. I am sure that won't happen this time around so I am going to make the strongest possible case for my team.

My team excels on both sides of the ball. On offense teams are going to have to find a way to stop Kevin Durant from scoring......

3039729-slide-goodluck.gif


If a team manages to slow down the insane shooting ability of Durant then they will also have to account for the athleticism of Andrew Wiggins, the versatility of Karl Anthony Towns, and the brute strength of Z-Bo. I love having both Wiggins and Towns as superstars in waiting to apprentice under Durant. I don't think anyone has a transition set up as well as that. My point guard is the only spot where I think people can point to a weakness (and that is relative). So I will take a moment to address that weakness.

In year 1 I plan on starting Tony Parker, but resting him throughout the year, and Reggie Jackson is strong enough to be the starter full time if I needed him to do that. But I really want Parker's veteran leadership to set the tone for my team. In year 2 Jackson will take over and Parker will take on the role of savvy veteran off the bench (AKA Derek Fisher's career). The only reason Jackson isn't more well known is that he spent the first part of career as a backup to Russell Westbrook (a player that I avoided drafting because I see him as a blackhole and detrimental to a cohesive team). I should also point out that my opponent has Westbrook on his team this will give Jackson added fuel to play above his already high level. As a full time starter for Detroit Jackson averaged 18 ppg and 9 apg.

Turning to the defensive side of the ball. My team is full of defensive stoppers. Z-Bo will just as soon curb stomp you. Tony Allen may not ever score a basket and wouldn't care in the least so long as he can frustrate your best perimeter player. Lance Stephenson and Wiggins are both competitive defenders and Karl Towns turned into a pretty good rim protector at UK. The best asset I have is that Z-Bo, Allen, and Stephenson are all a little bit, nay entirely insane.

I could keep going, but I don't want to drown people in a wall of text.
 
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This looks like the closest matchup so far this round.

I would love to get input from outsiders on how they think the teams match up.
 
so far this has been the toughest choice. maybe not the best lol but the closest. i chose gossie by a hair. i like star power of durant and wiggins moving forward more than howard westbrook. that's what i chose to break the tie anyway. good young players and vets in key positions to win. thought you both did good too.
 
Close call. I went with gossip Wiggins can be a top 5 player in the league in 3 or 4 seasons and KAT has the potential to be that too in 4 or 5 years. Durant can be the man right now and slowly give way to the young superstars
 
I went with Catsfan3523, but it was close. I like his backcourt better, assuming Matthews bounces back from injury.

Of course Durant is dealing with injury on Gossie's side, which is a bigger deal.

Mostly, I don't see a pg on Gossie's roster who I love going forward. If Wiggins and Exum blow up, and Durant is 100%, then I may end up wrong.
 
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2 wining rosters, well done. I don't like any of @gossie21 Point guards for now or future. Not a Tony Parker fan and he is past his prime. You are hoping Dante Exum develops enough to replace Tony soon, but with those other 4 starters. Wiggins, Durant, Z-Bo, and Karl Towns all you need is someone than can dribble past mid court and pass to any of them. @catsfan3523 Team could have won almost any other 2nd round matchup but this one. My only question is what kind of chemistry would Russel Westbrook and Dwight Howard have. I vote for gossie, and Wiggins, Durant, Z-Bo, Karl Towns will be tough to be stopped moving forward.
 
Survive and advance, as they say.

@catsfan3523 I was worried that you might take this round with all of the early votes going to you.
 
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