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Current Players NBA Draft Quarterfinals: Ron Mexico vs. Silesian

Which team would win in a 7-game series?

  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .
Siro

Siro

Well-Known Member
Contributor
2018 Award Winner
Team Ron Mexico

PG - Eric Bledsoe / Will Barton
SG - Kawhi Leonard / Brandon Ingram
SF - Giannis Antetokounmpo / Kelly Oubre Jr.
PF - Blake Griffin / James Johnson
C - Lauri Markkanen / Jacob Poeltl

Team Silesian

PG - Mike Conley / Darren Collison
SG - Robert Covington / Kyle Korver
SF - LeBron James / Josh Richardson
PF - Al Horford / Dirk Nowitzki
C - Nikola Jokic / Jusuf Nurkic

Ron Mexico's Case

I have a couple of the best guys in the NBA to guard Lebron. Kawhi and Giannis will bother Lebron as much as they can for the full game.

2- Legit MVP candidates vs the Actual MVP for the last decade. It would be a fun matchup to watch

I have Lauri who can pull any big away from the rim and is a good big at running the pick and roll. I have Griffin who can play inside and out. James Johnson is one of the more versatile bigs in the NBA. Look at what he did in the playoffs this year. Plus he is an enforcer. If I need more defense I can bring in my other bigs who are both solid defenders to go with 2 Elite defenders Giannis and Kawhi, along with Bledsoe who is a good PG defender. So that I have 5 good defenders. Otherwise ill roll with more offense of my starters.

I have 9 guys who can handle the ball, shoot, create for themselves, and create for others.

Here are the links to head to head matchups from last year.

Bledsoe/Conley - This ones close, Bledsoe was better last year but Conley was hurt most of it.
https://www.basketball-reference.co...nley&y2=2018&player_id2=conlemi01&idx=players

Kawhi/Covington - This is actually Kawhi's stats from 2 years ago since he missed last year. This is a blow out matchup. Kawhi is a 2x dpoy and MVP candidate.

https://www.basketball-reference.co...gton&y2=2018&player_id2=covinro01&idx=players

Giannis/Lebron - I expect Giannis to get even better and Lebron to slide a bit. Lebron is better but its close and I expect it to get even closer next year.

https://www.basketball-reference.co...nmpo&y2=2018&player_id2=antetgi01&idx=players

Griffin/Horford - I expect Horford to continue to slide at 32 next year. These players are just different both have their strengths and weaknesses.

https://www.basketball-reference.co...ffin&y2=2018&player_id2=griffbl01&idx=players

Lauri/Jokic. This ones in Jokic's favor but I expect a huge jump in Lauris game.

https://www.basketball-reference.co...okic&y2=2018&player_id2=jokicni01&idx=players
 
This is the toughest one for me, as those are my two favorite teams. Since I can't really decide, I'm just gonna go with Lebron.
 
Yup, REALLY tough.

Conley & Bledsoe's dead even for me.

LeBron has and will always step up in big games. But then the Kawhi & Giannis duo is fire. An argument can be made either way really, so I generally think Kawhi & Giannis = LeBron & Covington.

So then it's down to the frontcourt. Blake is really unreliable injury wise, you don't really know when he's gonna break down again. Lauri is a great prospect but I'm not really sure he's at the level of Jokic is yet - maybe in a year or two he will but, but not quite there yet. Horford I think will be able to guard Blake just fine. So overall slight edge to Jokic and Horford.

Bench is pretty even.

So even though Kawhi & Gianis is a great 1-2 punch, I think silesian with LeBron + Horford + Jokic is a great 1 - 2a+2b punch, and would ultimately be too much.
 
Siro said:
This is the toughest one for me, as those are my two favorite teams. Since I can't really decide, I'm just gonna go with Lebron.
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That reasonable and what I expect many people to do in this.

Personally I think two MVP candidates overcome him. Giannis was really really good last year and a legit MVP candidate and will be even better this year when he turns 24. Kawhi returning to healthy is the key but I expect him to put up his best numbers of his career next year.
 
ONE LOVE said:
Yup, REALLY tough.

Conley & Bledsoe's dead even for me.

LeBron has and will always step up in big games. But then the Kawhi & Giannis duo is fire. An argument can be made either way really, so I generally think Kawhi & Giannis = LeBron & Covington.

So then it's down to the frontcourt. Blake is really unreliable injury wise, you don't really know when he's gonna break down again. Lauri is a great prospect but I'm not really sure he's at the level of Jokic is yet - maybe in a year or two he will but, but not quite there yet. Horford I think will be able to guard Blake just fine. So overall slight edge to Jokic and Horford.


So even though Kawhi & Gianis is a great 1-2 punch, I think silesian with LeBron + Horford + Jokic is a great 1 - 2a+2b punch, and would ultimately be too much.
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All of that is reasonable except the Kawhi and Giannis = Lebron and Covington. My two are top 10 players or higher especially next year. Lebron is the #1 player. Covington is a solid player but he isnt even in the top 50. He is maybe in the top 100. You think that a #1 plus a #90 type players equals 2 #10s? But I think both Giannis and Kawhi are top 5 players. Giannis was last year, Kwahi was the year before and both will be next year.
 
Ron Mexico said:
All of that is reasonable except the Kawhi and Giannis = Lebron and Covington. My two are top 10 players or higher especially next year. Lebron is the #1 player. Covington is a solid player but he isnt even in the top 50. He is maybe in the top 100. You think that a #1 plus a #90 type players equals 2 #10s? But I think both Giannis and Kawhi are top 5 players. Giannis was last year, Kwahi was the year before and both will be next year.
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Yeah like I said a case can be made from both sides of the argument. It's a tough one to call.

But then I'm probably a bit generous saying Horford/Jokic has a slight edge over Blake/Markanen when it's more than a slight edge.
 
ONE LOVE said:
Yeah like I said a case can be made from both sides of the argument. It's a tough one to call.

But then I'm probably a bit generous saying Horford/Jokic has a slight edge over Blake/Markanen when it's more than a slight edge.
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It is really close, I agree with that.

Yeah, Griffin/Lauri put up 36.4 ppg, 14.9 boards, and 7.4 assists to Horford/Jokic 31.4 ppg, 18.1 boards, and 10.8 assists. Plus I expect Horford to continue to get worse next year. But I expect a huge jump from Lauri. The other two will be about the same, Jokic will probably take another small step up again. I think its a fairly close matchup. Last season I would give the nod to Horford/Jokic. Next season? It will be close.

Lauri is the rich mans Porzingis. Lauri just had a fairly similar season to Porz and I expect a similar jump going into year 2.
 
Ron Mexico said:
It is really close, I agree with that.

Yeah, Griffin/Lauri put up 36.4 ppg, 14.9 boards, and 7.4 assists to Horford/Jokic 31.4 ppg, 18.1 boards, and 10.8 assists. Plus I expect Horford to continue to get worse next year. But I expect a huge jump from Lauri. The other two will be about the same, Jokic will probably take another small step up again. I think its a fairly close matchup. Last season I would give the nod to Horford/Jokic. Next season? It will be close.

Lauri is the rich mans Porzingis. Lauri just had a fairly similar season to Porz and I expect a similar jump going into year 2.
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Not sure how you can call Lauri a rich man's Porzingis with a straight face. It really hurts your credibility when you do that IMO. Defensively Porzingis (2.4 blocks) has a HUGE edge over Lauri (0.6 blocks). It's not even close.
 
I would vote for Ron’s team
 
Ron Mexico said:
Covington is a solid player but he isnt even in the top 50. He is maybe in the top 100.
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RoCo is first team NBA All Defense, third in DRPM, Eighth in RPM. Shoots 37% from 3.

Tons of intangibles, toughness, scrappy. Complements this team well not needing touches as offense driven by LeBron/ Jokic

You guys need to watch some Sixers.
 
I like Ron's team, but I'll score at will. Zero rim protection. I have 4 shooters > 40% from 3P and 5 others who are >37%. His 2 studs can only do so much.
 
It is kinda a weird that I've been matched up against the second and third best teams in the first 2 rounds. Its almost as if the mods were afraid when creating the "mostly random" match ups. Whoever wins this one will cruise to the title.
 
This is a tough one, but I ended up voting for Silesian.
Argument for Silesian:
1) I am a big fan of Conley, I think he makes others around him better. I feel the opposite about Bledsoe, so PG goes to Silesian.
2) I also give Silesian the edge for Bigs as I think Horford is the best center (followed by Jokic), and you always have the option to move LeBron to the 4 as needed. Also, if Markkanen is in at C I throw the ball to Jokic in the block and let him work. He is the rare efficient low post scorer, and obviously his passing/vision is elite. This is the rare Bigs matchup that creates a significant offensive advantage.
3) Silesian has LeBron, who is the best player.

Concerns:
1) Wing quality and depth outside of LeBron. Covington is a good defender, but i don't trust him offensively (his 3 ball disappeared in the playoffs). Korver and Richardson are NBA players, but I see them as back of the rotation guys.
2) LeBron stamina. LeBron is great, but if Kawhi is healthy, this is a tough matchup for him and will take a lot of energy. In addition, I don't see a great place to put LeBron on defense which allows him to conserve energy on that side of the floor.

My doubts:
1) Ron Mexico has the best wing players, and I really hate picking against the best wing combination.
2) Giannis. I didn't watch much of him last year, so I may be underestimating his game and how it would elevate the team.
 
How is this even close. Ron, with Griff and Markk in the front court is laughable. Both want to play on the perimeter, and all the other team has to do is play LBJ at the 4 for big chunks of the game and interchange Horford and Jockic at the 5 the way the jazz do with Gobert and Favors and he creates matchup issues for Ron.
 
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