Dream Team Semi-Final: The Team (3) Vs. The Fighting Gerbils (7)

[SLAB]

kingsnation (3)
1: Michael Jordan --- SG
2: Dirk Nowitzki --- PF
3: Steve Nash --- PG
4: Rick Barry --- SF
5: Tony Parker --- PG
6: Willis Reed --- C
7: Robert Horry --- F
8: Michael Cooper --- G/F
9: Mark Eaton --- C
10: George Karl --- Head Coach
11: Mike Budenholzer --- Asst. Coach
12: Anthony Mason ---F
13: Jason Terry ---G
14: A.C. Green --- C/F
15: The Team

Vs.

Bricklayer(7)
1: Larry Bird --- SF
2: Gary Payton --- PG
3: Kevin McHale --- PF/C
4: Dennis Rodman --- F
5: Arvydas Sabonis --- C
6: Chuck Daly --- Head Coach
7: Sidney Moncrief --- SG
8: Toni Kukoc --- F/G
9: Marcus Camby --- PF/C
10: Bobby Jackson --- PG
11: Brad Daugherty --- C
12: Nate McMillan --- PG
13: Dale Ellis --- SG/SF
14: Jeff Van gundy --- Asst. coach
15: The Fighting Gerbils

 

[VF21]

Another tough matchup.

 

[jthompson1]

Real tough. Alot tougher than the other one in my opinion. But I have to give the edge to The Team because of MJ.

 

[Bricklayer]

 

[Bricklayer]

And the slightly more complex argument:

Nobody stops MJ. But starting not one but two hyper athletic DPOYs in the backcourt makes this as tough as possible for him. In some ways I created this team specifically with slowing MJ or other high scoring guards in mind. Meanwhile Dennis Rodman would kick the poop out of soft little Dirk, nobody is there to stop McHale, and great as Rick Barry was, Larry was better. And he won't embarrass his team shooting his FTs underhanded like a gradeschooler either. I'm not going to quibble too much with kingsnation's bench -- I've always liked it maybe the best of any of the benches except my own. But I think I've got a little more offensive punch, and none of my guys is prone to wearing green teddy bears on his head while sitting on the bench.

Oh yes, and I have the better coaches.

Congrats to kingsnation on making it this far. Now may the best team named after a small rodent win!

 

[NME]

Thanks a lot for making that disturbing subtext explicit.

 

[kingsnation]

Congrats Brick, I have to say this is quite the matchup.

I think our benches are the best in this draft. I think my bench is defensively better while yours is offensively better, while our starters are vice-versa, IMO.

I think a frontline combo of Eaton and Reed will be huge for my team in this matchup while MJ and Dirk do alot of the offensive damage. I think that the only real offensive threat of your team that can take over the game is Larry.
And we will be putting Cooper on him.

Terry will also be heavily utilized. We will be doing a lot of drive and kick, our offense will spread the floor and let MJ, Parker and Nash dominate the ball.

With guys like, Eaton, McHale, Worm, Mason, Payton and Cooper. This one could get ugly.

I think the games will be close, so we will be putting out a lineup of MJ, Horry, Terry and Reed to hit the big shots when the game is on the line.

 

[kingsnation]

BTW, this is classic.

 

[GoGoGadget]

Brick's lucky I voted before seeing the picture of creepy Gere.

 

[VF21]

...Meanwhile Dennis Rodman would kick the poop out of soft little Dirk...

And thereby hangs the tale...and my vote. I would give almost anything to see that actually happen, but just seeing it with my mind's eye brings a smile to my face.

 

[kingsnation]

And thereby hangs the tale...and my vote. I would give almost anything to see that actually happen, but just seeing it with my mind's eye brings a smile to my face.

Hey now, hate shall only be directed against The Lakers on my team.

 

[VF21]

I actually have more than enough hate for Robert Horry left after my detest meter hits max for good ol' Dirkie-Poo.

 

[Bricklayer]

Since there seems to be a totally unacceptable anti-Gerbil push going on here, I decided I needed to share my team's training montage to put the question to rest:

[yt=Gerbils Rule All!]G-HUFPO-Bek[/yt]

 

[Bricklayer]

Come on peeps -- get out the rodent vote! Consider: Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash are too soft to win it all in the real NBA, never played enough defense to even reach the Finals when paired together, and yet they are somehow going to be starters in the Finals of a draft of all time greats? With George Karl coaching them?

Vote small and furry!

 

[GoGoGadget]

Vote small and furry!

But... But I thought you were trying to stop us from voting for Steve Nash.

Me confused.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Come on peeps -- get out the rodent vote! Consider: Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash are too soft to win it all in the real NBA, never played enough defense to even reach the Finals when paired together, and yet they are somehow going to be starters in the Finals of a draft of all time greats? With George Karl coaching them?

Vote small and furry!

He probably could have had Larry, Moe, and Curly starting along side Michael Jordan and still reached this round.

 

[kingsnation]

Come on peeps -- get out the rodent vote! Consider: Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash are too soft to win it all in the real NBA, never played enough defense to even reach the Finals when paired together, and yet they are somehow going to be starters in the Finals of a draft of all time greats? With George Karl coaching them?

If those Dallas teams with Dirk and Nash had MJ, Reed and Barry they would've had the 3-peat not the Lakers.

Also, Nash was drafted as a Sun, NOT a Maverick.

BTW, this was not a draft of all time greats, it was a dream team. Remember, Mateen, Marko Jaric, Hasheem Thabeet were all drafted. If I wanted a team of all time greats, I would've drafted Superstars at every position.

 

[kingsnation]

He probably could have had Larry, Moe, and Curly starting along side Michael Jordan and still reached this round.

Yes because 3 MVP Titles and perhaps the greatest Euro to ever play in the NBA is certainly equatable to the 3 stooges...

 

[LoungeLizard]

Yes because 3 MVP Titles and perhaps the greatest Euro to ever play in the NBA is certainly equatable to the 3 stooges...

???? That wasn't meant as a dig on your team, Nash, or Nowitzki, more as an ode to His Airness. You could team Michael up with almost anyone and be instant contender, team MJ with MVP's and Hall of Famers and you are unstoppable. Pretty much why I voted for you.

 

[SLAB]

Polls close today at 4:11!
Get in your last day votes and discussion!

 

[Emma]

And the slightly more complex argument:

Nobody stops MJ. But starting not one but two hyper athletic DPOYs in the backcourt makes this as tough as possible for him. In some ways I created this team specifically with slowing MJ or other high scoring guards in mind. Meanwhile Dennis Rodman would kick the poop out of soft little Dirk, nobody is there to stop McHale, and great as Rick Barry was, Larry was better. And he won't embarrass his team shooting his FTs underhanded like a gradeschooler either. I'm not going to quibble too much with kingsnation's bench -- I've always liked it maybe the best of any of the benches except my own.

I think your team is too mentally unstable. I don't even think your team cares if they're setting up in the halfcourt, someone will still play D against their defender and the pick and rolls would be disastrous. Rodman getting all carried away and defending Gary Payton out of his own screen. This would be hella fun to watch, I think Kingsnation just has too good of a hungry superstar offensive edge.

 

[Bricklayer]

I think your team is too mentally unstable. I don't even think your team cares if they're setting up in the halfcourt, someone will still play D against their defender and the pick and rolls would be disastrous. Rodman getting all carried away and defending Gary Payton out of his own screen. This would be hella fun to watch, I think Kingsnation just has too good of a hungry superstar offensive edge.

Dennis Rodman has as many rings on his hand as he has fingers, and he and Payton are two of the best defenders of all time at their positions. If your rationale truly is that somehow they can't defend then there really is not much to be said. I can only assume that you never watched either of them play.

 

[kingsnation]

...more as an ode to His Airness. You could team Michael up with almost anyone and be instant contender, team MJ with MVP's and Hall of Famers and you are unstoppable.

My mistake, good sir. It was early. My bad.

BTW, thank you for your vote.

 

[Bricklayer]

Sad.

 

[kingsnation]

Brick - you were a great opponent. And I believe you had the 2nd strongest team in this draft.

 

[VF21]

No, he had the STRONGEST team in the draft. You had the benefit of the GOAT, and I have to suspect a lot of people who voted never actually saw some of the players on the Gerbils take the court.

You won but I wouldn't by any stretch of the imagination call your team the strongest in the draft.

 

[kingsnation]

Well, 11 people agreed with you.

Since the GOAT is a part of my team, doesn't that make them the strongest team?



The votes told the story, and I really don't think any of my players can save me from SLAB's Kings combo so, it is all irrelevant anyways.

 

[VF21]

I didn't mean that to come out quite as snarky as it seems, BTW...

Having the GOAT doesn't automatically make your team the strongest, for the simple reason it is a team game and not individual matchups whose scores are combined...

Basically I thought your downfall was the two Charmin players. I could picture Michael Jordan slapping at least one of them upside the head more than once.



But bottom line, I think you're right. I think you're really screwed going up against Webber, Adelman and Coachie.


Sorry again if I sounded snippy.

 

[kingsnation]

No worries.

I actually have to almost agree looking back at the 2 picks of Dirk and Nash. I was actually in a rush and had the draft backed up at that point. However, they have 3 MVP titles between them, including possibly the best Euro ever. But, looking back I probably would've gone somewhere else at least at PF.

That being said, IMO - my team is the strongest until we get beat.

And trust me, through the first 3 (4?) rounds of these playoffs, there have been plenty of YouTube videos popping up of MJ laying the smackdown on Dirk and Nash.

 

[VF21]

And trust me, through the first 3 (4?) rounds of these playoffs, there have been plenty of YouTube videos popping up of MJ laying the smackdown on Dirk and Nash.

If I ever get a connection faster than the ol' string/tin can system I'm currently laboring with, I have a feeling I'll be watching a lot of YouTube videos. Heck I could probably spend an entire TDOS just going through all the ones I've missed viewing here at KF.