Round 2 GoBigBlue712 vs. JHannibalSmith

[DraftCat]

Welcome to the 2022 Rupp Rafters NBA Playoffs - the objective is to draft a team of 10 players that give you the best chance at multiple championships over a 5 year period.

Voters please select the team you believe accomplished this object... This round will be 48 hours. You will be able to change your pick if swayed by the two players. This is the bracket


@GoBigBlue712 - Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Demar Derozan, James Harden, Jaren Jackson Jr, Collin Sexton, Sadiqq Bey, Jonas Valanciunas, Caris LeVert, Keegan Murray

vs.

@JHannibalSmith - Trae Young, Anthony Davis, CJ McCollum, Julius Randle, Jalen Green, Christian Wood, Gordon Hayward, Wendell Carter, Derrick White, Bogdan Bogdanovic

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Starting Lineup [age in parentheses]

PG Trae Young 6-1 (23) 28ppg/4 reb/10 assists/1 steal
SG CJ McCollum 6-3 (30) 22/4/5/1
SF Jalen Green 6-5 (20) 17/3/3/1
PF Julius Randle 6-9 (27) 20/10/5/1/1
C Anthony Davis 6-10 (29) 23/10/3/1/2

Bench

PG Derrick White 6-4 (27) 13/4/5/1/1
SG Bogdan Bogdanovic 6-6 (29) 15/4/3/1
SF Gordon Hayward 6-7 (32) 16/5/4/1
PF Christian Wood 6-10 (26) 18/10/2/1/1
C Wendell Carter 6-10 (23) 15/11/3/1/1

Depth Chart

PG Trae Young, Derrick White
SG CJ McCollum, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jalen Green, Derrick White
SF Jalen Green, Gordon Hayward, Bogdan Bogdanovic
PF Julius Randle, Christian Wood, Gordon Hayward, Anthony Davis, Wendell Carter
C Anthony Davis, Wendell Carter, Christian Wood

 

[JHannibalSmith]

This is a versatile, deep & complete team with scoring (shooting), passing, rebounding & solid defense at every position. And, IMO, all of the parts fit very well together & complement each other on both ends. With 4 of the top 18 rebounders in 2022, they will be tough to keep off the glass. 9 of the 10 players averaged at least 4 reb & the other guy, Jalen Green, averaged 3.4.

Everyone except for Wood averaged at least 3 assists/game, & he was close with 2. They’re all willing & effective passers, so, ball movement should be elite. Trae & White are my only two true PGs but McCollum, Bogdanovic & Hayward can all facilitate if it comes to that. I have at least one elite shooter at every spot on the floor & they all shoot well enough to force defenses to respect them on the perimeter. So, floor spacing should be very good.

Trae gets a bad rap sometimes but at 22 he led the freaking Hawks to the ECF & within 2 games of the Finals. He was extremely clutch throughout that playoff run. McCollum can score from anywhere on the floor & is an ideal back court partner for him. Green is an explosive, 3 level scoring wing to offset CJ’s game & will be a 25/6/5 type of player in the next cpl years, IMO. After the AS break, he averaged 22 ppg & shot 40% from 3. He was also the first rookie since Iverson to have 4 consecutive 30 point games.

Randle & AD can also spread the floor, handle & find the open man, while dominating the boards. I’d love to see Trae & AD in the PnR. Yes, AD is made of glass. But, he won’t be hurt every season & when he plays he can dominate games on both ends & might be the best shot blocker in the league. But, if he does go down yet again, I have two young studs who can replace him without a gigantic drop off.

It’s a very deep team for a 10 man roster & can go at least 3 deep at every position except PG, but other guys are capable of facilitating in a pinch. 7 of the 10 are either in their prime or about to enter it. There is a good blend of experience & youth, with only one rookie & the oldest being Hayward, at 32. But, he’s still in his prime years & effective at both ends. If healthy, they will all be playing at a high level throughout the 5 year window, with no weak spot on the roster.

 

[GoBigBlue712]

I’m not sure my team has a single glaring weakness. Almost ever player on my team progressed last season. My team excels in almost every category both offensively and defensively. JJJ and Jonas are exceptional rebounders and shot blockers. All of my guards can shoot it like nobody’s business. Almost every player on my team can play multiple positions at a high level. I don’t really have anyone who could drop off significantly in the next 5 years, as DeMar is coming off a career year, and Harden is still putting up numbers. Should he happen to fall off, I would still have 4 guards in their primes, making it so I could realistically contend despite going 9 deep.

 

[dvillecatfan]

Ja, Edwards, and Derozan too much in my opinion. Add in Jackson and Jonas V....its a wrap.

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Ja, Edwards, and Derozan too much in my opinion. Add in Jackson and Jonas V....its a wrap.

From a purely talent perspective, I could see that. But, idk about fit or chemistry. Harden is a cancer. I’ll believe his teams can win a championship when I see it. He’s a black hole at PG & has sabotaged a few teams that were favorites & looked dominant on paper. How will he handle not controlling every possession? And, he & DeRozan are both technically past their prime & it showed with Harden this season. Although, DD seems to just get better. We have no idea how Murray will do at the next level & LeVert has only played one season out of 6 that could be considered a full season & he still missed 11 games that year. On a side note, is it just me or does it feel like we play each other in every one of these, @GoBigBlue712? Regardless, good luck, man.

 

[GoBigBlue712]

From a purely talent perspective, I could see that. But, idk about fit or chemistry. Harden is a cancer. I’ll believe his teams can win a championship when I see it. He’s a black hole at PG & has sabotaged a few teams that were favorites & looked dominant on paper. How will he handle not controlling every possession? And, he & DeRozan are both technically past their prime & it showed with Harden this season. Although, DD seems to just get better. We have no idea how Murray will do at the next level & LeVert has only played one season out of 6 that could be considered a full season & he still missed 11 games that year. On a side note, is it just me or does it feel like we play each other in every one of these, @GoBigBlue712? Regardless, good luck, man.

Very true, it seems like you’re beating me just about every time
As for the basketball points, I’m not sure Harden has ever been surrounded by skill like he is on my team. KD and Kyrie barely played together with him. Embiid missed a chunk of the 6ers’ loss this past season. While we may not know how Murray turns out, he’s been billed by scouts as one of the most complete guys in this class, and he’s already old enough to contribute immediately.

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Very true, it seems like you’re beating me just about every time
As for the basketball points, I’m not sure Harden has ever been surrounded by skill like he is on my team. KD and Kyrie barely played together with him. Embiid missed a chunk of the 6ers’ loss this past season. While we may not know how Murray turns out, he’s been billed by scouts as one of the most complete guys in this class, and he’s already old enough to contribute immediately.

There’s not much to nitpick about your team so I have to use the little bit that I can muster, lol. Harden is the only real monkey wrench on the roster & that’s still just a hypothetical. I like Murray a lot, too, & think he’ll have a nice career. But, you just never know for sure til they actually play. For example, I thought Ron Mercer would be the second coming of Dr J 😂. But, you always draft well & there would be no shame in losing to any of your teams. Your back court is just nasty & the depth is really solid, with good shooters all over the floor. Even DD has become a respectable shooter. The bench is where these things are mostly won & lost, IMO, if ppl actually take the time to look at it.