Final 4 Semi-Finals - Son_Of_Saul vs. DraftCat

[DraftCat]

Welcome to March Madness this is the Final 4 of the 2024 UK Draft. (Click Here for Bracket).

Voters - Please vote for the team you believe would win in a 1 game elimination format. You will be able to change your vote and voting period is open for 48 hours. If a tie should occur I will extend the voting by another 2 hours until the tie is broken. Your vote will be visible.

@Son_Of_Saul - John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Jodie Meeks, Antonio Reeves, PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson,Tyler Herro, Mark Pope, Reggie Hanson, Cason Wallace, Jarrod Polson

vs.

@DraftCat - Antoine Walker, Kenny Sky Walker, Wayne Turner, Nerlens Noel, Gerald Fitch. Robert Dillingham, Ed Davender, Bill Spivey, Trey Lyles, James Young, Cameron Mills

 

[DraftCat]

Starters

PG - Wayne Turner. 6'2
SG - Gerald Fitch 6'3
SF - Kenny Sky Walker 6'8
PF- Antoine Walker 6'9
C - Nerlens Noel 6'10

Super 6th man - Robert Dillingham. 6'3. (I'm sorry he still doesn't start)

Bench

PG - Ed Davender 6'2
SG - Robert Dillingham 6'3
SF - James Young 6'6
PF - Trey Lyles 6'9
C - Bill Spivey 7'0

(Walk on) - Cameron Mills 6'3


Quick synopsis of my team is I believe I put together a perfect mix of defensive and offensive players that can give any team a fit in March Madness. My team can run and gun but we likely thrive in a rock fight.

Great thing about my team is I feel like I can certainly play many different line up constructions. I have Wayne Turner and Noel as two of the best defensive players in Kentucky history but if I need offense I can sub them out for Dilly, Davender, Spivey and James Young


*First look I find this to be a pretty compelling matchup and pretty even. I think my team may be a bit more consistant offensively and defensively but my opponent does not lack star power... which makes for a great match up*

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I'll keep this short.

He has a roster filled with elite guys who can make two pointers.

I have a roster filled with elite guys who can make two pointers and three pointers. We have eight players who shot at least 35% from three.

Fitch is a good shooter, but low volume. He's going for 10 to 12 points in a game like this.

Dillingham is great offensively, but how much does @DraftCat play him against guys like Meeks, Reeves, and Herro? Those guys will feast offensively against Dillingham, who is one of the worst guard defenders we've ever had in a Kentucky rotation.

Turner vs. Wall will be fun to watch. Both will want to push pace, although I think a halfcourt setting is what @DraftCat 's entire roster lends itself towards.

Noel may contain Boogie a bit, but let's remember that Noel's not going for more than 10 to 12 points in this game himself. He was never a scorer, especially in a game where he'll be the fifth option. We can play off Noel a bit and help Reeves if Walker posts him up.

PG Wall vs. Turner = Wall, slight advantage
SG Meeks vs. Fitch = Wall, major advantage
SF Reeves vs. Kenny Walker = push (from a practical impact level, this is true). Kenny will post up Reeves, but can you visualize Kenny defending Reeves out on the perimeter?
PF Washington vs. Antoine Walker = Walker, slight advantage
C Cousins vs. Noel = Cousins, slight advantage

Bench: Respectfully, I think I have an advantage here. I bring two scorers and two defenders off the bench. All five of my bench players can hit the three, including Pope.

I have eight players on my roster who shot at least 35% from three.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

With all due respect, @DraftCat 's bench if filled with non-defenders. Young, Lyles, and Dillingham will have trouble defending in this game. He's going to have to lean heavily on Davender.

Outside of Noel and Turner and a bit from Kenny Walker, his lack of overall defense lends itself to my team forcing pace in this game. Turner would often be able to control tempo, but not with Wall. Turner, as we know struggled to guard elite guards like Mateen Cleaves, Mike Bibby, etc. How does he contain Wall in this game if he struggles with guys who were inferior to Wall? Plus, Turner's strengths and weaknesses are the same as Wall's, except Wall's strengths are superior to Turner's.

Spivey's not going to be a factor in this game. He was a career 38% field goal shooter as a seven footer in the 1950s. How does that translate to playing against Boogie, PJ, and Pope?

 

[DraftCat]

Dilly and Fitch are 40% Three point shooters who will space the floor... but lets not forget that the highest % shot in basketball is within the paint.

Lets face it his team is touting 3 point shooters who've we all seen go cold. Wall vs. West Virginia. Reeves vs. Kansas State 1 for 15 performance. Herro 3 for 16 in his last 4 games as a Wildcat.

I don't think this game is going to be a game where each team puts up 80+.... it will be in the 60's and I believe that advantage goes to the bigger and better defense team who has enough offense to pull out a win in March/April.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Dilly and Fitch are 40% Three point shooters who will space the floor... but lets not forget that the highest % shot in basketball is within the paint.

Lets face it his team is touting 3 point shooters who've we all seen go cold. Wall vs. West Virginia. Reeves vs. Kansas State 1 for 15 performance. Herro 3 for 16 in his last 4 games as a Wildcat.

I don't think this game is going to be a game where each team puts up 80+.... it will be in the 60's and I believe that advantage goes to the bigger and better defense team who has enough offense to pull out a win in March/April.

We can all cherry pick games. Fitch (5/16 from the field) and crew choking against UAB in the 2nd round as a 1 seed? Bill Spivey's CAREER scoring mark of 38% from the field? Wayne Turner career ender against MSU on 2/8 shooting? Antoine Walker's virtual no-show in the 1996 title game? Off games are going to come and go, but you have to have real bodies to replace them who can produce. We have those guys.

I have eight guys who can shoot threes, not just three or four. If Reeves goes cold, you put in Keldon at 38% from three. If Keldon is cold, you put in Hanson at 35% from three. If Hanson is cold, you put in Herro at 35% from three.

That's not even counting Meeks, who's capable of knocking down multiple threes in one game changing flurry of possessions.

 

[DraftCat]

Honestly I guess it's the way you think the game plays out. There is only so many minutes to go around. Your starters are going to get the lion share. In my opinion it's a Final 4 game there's going to be jitters which leans more towards a rock fight.

If this scenario plays out you will have two of the best defensive players in UK History (Turner and Noel) going up against two superstar freshman in Wall and Boogie. I think experience here wins out not only from a defensive stand point but the pressure and magnitude of the game. If Turner and Noel get the best or draw even vs. their matchups I like our chances from the 3 and 4 spot.

These two can absolutely do damage against their opponent.

SF - Kenny Sky Walker 6'8. vs. Antonio Reeves don't even see how this is close.
PF- Antoine Walker 6'9 vs. PJ Washington - I'll give the edge to Walker.

I don't think my scoring punch off the bench gets enough credit. We've all seen and recently how red hot Dilly can get. He can make a close rock fight into a 10 point advantage within a minute. James Young from the wing seemed to always make a clutch 3 when needed.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

Went w/ Saul because of DraftCats mismanagement of the Walkers. Antoine's the 3 and Sky the 4; it's the more natural fit offensively and defensively.

 

[TriangleUKCat]

Not voting because I haven’t before this round but same. Walker head scratcher.

 

[DraftCat]

Went w/ Saul because of DraftCats mismanagement of the Walkers. Antoine's the 3 and Sky the 4; it's the more natural fit offensively and defensively.

Antoine is 224 LBS - I mean am I suppose to keep a man that big floating out guarding a 3?

Basketball Reference shows the below

Antoine is listed as a PF
Sky Walker - SF/PF

I didn't see them play but can hardly judge my lineup construction based on what position they are shown to have. Plus Sky Walker is the 2nd leading scorer all-time at KY with a high % of shots made inside the arc. I want him close to the basket period.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Went w/ Saul because of DraftCats mismanagement of the Walkers. Antoine's the 3 and Sky the 4; it's the more natural fit offensively and defensively.

And neither one could shoot or would shoot in college. Kenny played during a time when the three point line was being implemented, but if they had the three point line in his tenure, his eventual NBA shooting shows us what he would have been in college: a 21% three point shooter.

Antoine Walker went on to be a decent NBA three point shooter, but at Kentucky he was pretty marginal. He was a career 25% three point shooter in two seasons at UK.

Together, they provide no spacing from the forward spots, and even less when one considers that Noel can't make a jump shot.

 

[jrpross]

Dang, great matchup. I like SoS’s guards better but Draftcat’s forwards better. Then you’ve got offense vs defense at the 5. Both benches are very comparable. I had to go with SoS though because quite simply, he stacked with shooters. 3 of his 5 starters and everyone on his bench can hit an outside shot. Draft really only has one starter and 3 bench players that can reliably hit from outside. His team has a ton going for them and in a series of 10, I bet they take 3 or 4. But if I gotta go with one game, SoS takes it.