UB
It's all about the chemistry, boyz.
STARTERS PPG RPG APG SPG
Jason Kidd PG 6'4''/205 16.9 6.8 10.8 2.3 --
36% 3PG
Dwyane Wade SG 6'4''/220 30.2 5 7.5 2.2 -
1.7 blocks/gm
Dominique Wilkins SF 6'8''/215 30.3 7.9 2.6 1.8 --
38% 3PG
Rasheed Wallace PF 6'10''/225 19.3 8.2 1.9 1.3 --
36% 3PG
Pau Gasol C 7'/250 18.3 11.3 3.4 0.6 --
53.8% 3PG (0.9/1.6 att/gm)
Starting lineup: 124.2ppg 41.5rpg 26.5 apg 9.5spg
BENCH PPG RPG APG SPG
Baron Davis PG 6'3''/209 22.9 4.3 7.5 2.4
Ben Gordon SG 6'3''/200 20.7 3.5 3.4 0.9 --
41.0% 3PG
Manu Ginobili SF 6'6'/205 19.5 4.8 4.5 1.5
Paul Millsap PF 6'8/246 18.1 7.7 3.7 1.3
Joel Embiid C 7'/250 27.5 13.6 3.7 1.9 --
10.1 FTA; 80%FT
Bench: 99.5ppg 31.6rpg 22.5apg 6.7spg
Total (non-restricted minutes): 223.7ppg 73.1rpg 49apg 16.2spg
Kidd vs Parker
Wade vs Harden
Wilkins vs Barkley
Wallace vs McHale
Gasol vs Chamberlain
This is a fun matchup, anchored around James Harden versus Dwyane Wade. The guards matchup is prb in favor overall to Gandalfe, because Harden is a beast. However, playing Harden on his weakside, making him go to his right, has been proven to work, provided the opposition has enough offensive firepower. Run Harden into Gasol or Wallace in the paint, or force him to kick out to…Barkley or Parker? Not very threatening. In my case, Dwyane Wade led NBA guards in blocks (1.3/game) during his time because he would play off his defender and catch him at the rim.
Wade also averaged 2.2 steals a game over his career. Kidd versus Parker is pretty even, but I think Kidd was more versatile, averaged a career double-double and 107 career triple-doubles.
However, much of Parker’s success depended on the other two in his menage-a-trois, Duncan and Ginobili. I’ve got Ginobili on my bench, btw. So Parker would then rely on Barkley and Wilt as his trio? I’m not seeing that work. Harden needs to have the ball in his hands too much to make Parker relevant.
Just for fun, can you imagine Charles Barkley trying to run up and down the court, chasing ‘Nique?
In the front court: Gasol is one inch-short than Wilt, but I think Pau’s overall offensive game was more well-rounded. Wilt could hit a 3pt hook shot, had a great fadeaway; Gasol flourished in the Triangle Offense, could hit a spot-up 3 reliably, and had great finishing for a big guy. Not to mention he was a rebounding beast, averaging a career double-double. There’s been a lot of doubt cast on Wilt’s stats, to be sure, but whether they were inflated or not, Wilt was a BEAST. If Gasol gets tired, I'll throw Embiid at him and make Wilt come out of the paint, leaving space for Wade to do his thing.
Benchwise, Gandalfe’s choice of Rick Barry is questionable. No one liked him, he was toxic; backing up Harden would bruise his ego, and I just don’t see him being effective. That really messes with a team's chemistry. But boy what a cool trick with that underhanded free throw.
Porzingas hasn’t done anything yet, and this draft is about achievement not potential. Wallace and Millsap are both hard-nosed defenders, willing to get into scrap, and would wear McHale down. The Pink Unicorn (or whatever his nickname is) would prb get injured, IDK.
***All in all, this is a fairly even matchup of two better-than-average but not really "All-Time" teams. My argument is that my team has better chemistry, Kidd is a better leader than Harden or Parker, Wade was a prolific clutch scorer, Wallace literally fought to win at all costs, and Gasol is a decent match for Wilt. My bench is more athletic and better adapted to run-and-gun.***
