Team tfivas:
PG - Isiah Thomas / Deron Williams
SG - Michael Jordan / Jeff Hornacek
SF - Scottie Pippen / Peja Stojakovic / Ron Artest
PF - Kevin McHale
C - Alonzo Mourning / Marcus Camby
Team silesian:
PG - Oscar Robertson / Mo Cheeks
SG - Julius Erving / John Havlicek
SF - Kawhi Leonard / Bobby Jones
PF - Bill Walton / Anthony Davis
C - Moses Malone / Karl-Anthony Towns
tfivas' Case:
Defensive Match-ups
PG - Oscar Robertson / Isiah Thomas
SG - Julius Erving / Michael Jordan
SF - Kawhi Leonard / Scottie Pippen
PF - Bill Walton / Kevin McHale
C - Moses Malone / Alonzo Mourning
silesian's Case:
If you are a defeatist who believes “Jordan always wins, even in fantasy tournaments” you can skip ahead and cast your vote. To the open-minded: please read on to learn why the Jazz’s nemeses on tfivas' Bulls-led team have just met their match.
Talent: Team Silesian has an advantage at 4 starting positions (Silesian's peak year PER advantage shown in parentheses)
....Oscar>Isiah (+5.4 PER) Scoring, assists, rebounds. Big O did it all.
....Dr J> Pippen (+2.7 PER) [[ Moreover, Dr J is backed up by Hondo, who Sports Illustrated ranked 22nd, one spot ahead of Pippen and wrote: “Think of a slightly shorter version of Pippen, just as versatile, just as indefatigable and a better scorer. Oh yeah, he has eight rings”]]
....Walton > McHale (+0.8 PER) Remember this is dominant MVP/ finals MVP Walton before foot injuries.
....Moses > Mourning (+1.0 PER) 2X MVP, don't need to say more.
Of course MJ has advantage at the 2, but Silesian has put together an ideal lineup to counter him with 2X defensive player of the year Leonard. Kawhi will harass and deny Jordan on the perimeter with his length and athleticism, knowing that he has elite rim protection and long wings that "have his back." Moreover, I will rotate Kawhi, Bobby Jones (10X all defense) and Hondo (8X all defense) so that there is always a fresh body harassing and wearing MJ down. MJ has never seen a defensive fortress like this one -- there will be no Bryon Russell push-off game-winner, you can count on that.
Large Defensive Advantage: While Silesian has the offensive edge, Silesian’s defensive advantage is substantial, with 8 all-league defenders -- stacked with elite length, athleticism and anchored by all-defense rim protectors Walton, Moses and the Brow.
HUGE Rebounding Advantage: Average peak-year of 10.7 rebounds per 36 min to tfivas’s 7.7. [10.7 is NOT a typo]. Team Silesian will have second-chance points aplenty (Moses was all-time best offensive rebounder) and will pick clean the defensive boards.
Superior depth, with 7 players on ESPN’s top 100 list (4 starters, 3 reserves) to tfivas’s 5. And a bench average peak-season PER advantage of 22.7 to 21.4. [easy to imagine that Silesian's 3 players added someday (Kawhi, The Brow and KAT).
Tfivas’ exploitable weaknesses: My opponent will likely deploy the triangle offense where their star players are comfortable, with Jordan/ Pippen/ Mchale in the key roles. The point guard role here is problematic, since it is typically played by tough, physical, defensive-minded players who can knock down the three (think Derek Fisher). Instead they have Isiah, who played his entire career as the leading figure of a point-guard-centered offensive scheme where he was ball dominant and had great mid-range but weak long-range capability. Add to this the ongoing conflict between MJ and Isiah (Olympics freeze out, allstar game feud, Pistons leave court with time remaining in game 7), you should expect mis-fit and chemistry problems galore. Not known to be a defensive stalwart, Isiah is physically undaunting so expect the 6-5 Big O to abuse him early and often.
To sum up: this is MJ's nightmare matchup and your chance to make sure we don't suffer the indignation of "Da Bulls" winning a title on Utah Jazz's home court.
PG - Isiah Thomas / Deron Williams
SG - Michael Jordan / Jeff Hornacek
SF - Scottie Pippen / Peja Stojakovic / Ron Artest
PF - Kevin McHale
C - Alonzo Mourning / Marcus Camby
Team silesian:
PG - Oscar Robertson / Mo Cheeks
SG - Julius Erving / John Havlicek
SF - Kawhi Leonard / Bobby Jones
PF - Bill Walton / Anthony Davis
C - Moses Malone / Karl-Anthony Towns
tfivas' Case:
Defensive Match-ups
PG - Oscar Robertson / Isiah Thomas
SG - Julius Erving / Michael Jordan
SF - Kawhi Leonard / Scottie Pippen
PF - Bill Walton / Kevin McHale
C - Moses Malone / Alonzo Mourning
silesian's Case:
If you are a defeatist who believes “Jordan always wins, even in fantasy tournaments” you can skip ahead and cast your vote. To the open-minded: please read on to learn why the Jazz’s nemeses on tfivas' Bulls-led team have just met their match.
Talent: Team Silesian has an advantage at 4 starting positions (Silesian's peak year PER advantage shown in parentheses)
....Oscar>Isiah (+5.4 PER) Scoring, assists, rebounds. Big O did it all.
....Dr J> Pippen (+2.7 PER) [[ Moreover, Dr J is backed up by Hondo, who Sports Illustrated ranked 22nd, one spot ahead of Pippen and wrote: “Think of a slightly shorter version of Pippen, just as versatile, just as indefatigable and a better scorer. Oh yeah, he has eight rings”]]
....Walton > McHale (+0.8 PER) Remember this is dominant MVP/ finals MVP Walton before foot injuries.
....Moses > Mourning (+1.0 PER) 2X MVP, don't need to say more.
Of course MJ has advantage at the 2, but Silesian has put together an ideal lineup to counter him with 2X defensive player of the year Leonard. Kawhi will harass and deny Jordan on the perimeter with his length and athleticism, knowing that he has elite rim protection and long wings that "have his back." Moreover, I will rotate Kawhi, Bobby Jones (10X all defense) and Hondo (8X all defense) so that there is always a fresh body harassing and wearing MJ down. MJ has never seen a defensive fortress like this one -- there will be no Bryon Russell push-off game-winner, you can count on that.
Large Defensive Advantage: While Silesian has the offensive edge, Silesian’s defensive advantage is substantial, with 8 all-league defenders -- stacked with elite length, athleticism and anchored by all-defense rim protectors Walton, Moses and the Brow.
HUGE Rebounding Advantage: Average peak-year of 10.7 rebounds per 36 min to tfivas’s 7.7. [10.7 is NOT a typo]. Team Silesian will have second-chance points aplenty (Moses was all-time best offensive rebounder) and will pick clean the defensive boards.
Superior depth, with 7 players on ESPN’s top 100 list (4 starters, 3 reserves) to tfivas’s 5. And a bench average peak-season PER advantage of 22.7 to 21.4. [easy to imagine that Silesian's 3 players added someday (Kawhi, The Brow and KAT).
Tfivas’ exploitable weaknesses: My opponent will likely deploy the triangle offense where their star players are comfortable, with Jordan/ Pippen/ Mchale in the key roles. The point guard role here is problematic, since it is typically played by tough, physical, defensive-minded players who can knock down the three (think Derek Fisher). Instead they have Isiah, who played his entire career as the leading figure of a point-guard-centered offensive scheme where he was ball dominant and had great mid-range but weak long-range capability. Add to this the ongoing conflict between MJ and Isiah (Olympics freeze out, allstar game feud, Pistons leave court with time remaining in game 7), you should expect mis-fit and chemistry problems galore. Not known to be a defensive stalwart, Isiah is physically undaunting so expect the 6-5 Big O to abuse him early and often.
To sum up: this is MJ's nightmare matchup and your chance to make sure we don't suffer the indignation of "Da Bulls" winning a title on Utah Jazz's home court.
