ROUND 2: ALFDOGG VS. CWM

[Brooklyn Zoo]

ROUND 2 - 90s NBA DRAFT TOURNAMENT:

ALFDOGG VS. CWM

24 HOURS TO VOTE

HERE IS THE RUNDOWN:

ALFDOGG:

Starting lineup:
C: Shaquille O'Neal
PF: Bill Laimbeer
SF: Dennis Scott
SG: Kobe Bryant
PG: Isiah Thomas

Bench:
Toni Kukoc, SF/PF
Clifford Robinson, SF/PF/C
Rod Strickland, PG
Allan Houston, SG
Antonio Davis, PF/C
Steve Kerr, PG/SG
Terry Mills, PF

I feel like this team is capable of playing any style. Isiah Thomas led two championship teams in a grind-it-out style, but also showed that he can excel in an up-tempo game, as well. He did lead the highest-scoring team in NBA history, after all. And Orlando Shaq could run the floor with just about anyone and finish strong. Kobe is still very young, but blossoming quickly, and this group of vets will bring a fire out of him like we haven't yet seen. Double-team at your own risk, and the threes start raining down. Teams with this much shooting are going to rule the league in the future. The 90's aren't ready for us. You've been warned.

CWM:

Starters:
PG Stephon Marbury
SG Clyde Dexler (SF)
PF Detlef Schrempf (F)
SF Chris Mullin (SG)
C Alonzo Mourning

Bench:
Shareef Abdur-Rahim (F)
Alvin Rovertson (SG)
Buck Williams (PF)
Michael Adams (PG)
Theo Ratliff (C/PF)
Scott Skiles (PG)
Xavier Mcdaniel (SF/PF)

I think these fellas are pretty good at basketball.

 

[AA484]

I went with CWM here. I think Mourning (who I earlier mistakenly left off of the "1B" center group with Murombo and Daugherty) can hold his own against Shaq defensively and the second option is a still-young (but good Kobe) or a getting older (but good) Isiah. Alf's team managed to get by in the first match up with Laimbeer at PF but I just can't see him lasting long in the rotation having to guard a guy like Detlef who stretches the PF position. I just think CWM has the more well-rounded team here.

 

[alfdogg]

I voted for me, obv.

As great as Zo was defensively, Shaq is not going to be denied his production one-one-one, and you can't really throw a double at him and leave the shooting or leave Kobe and Zeke to isolate. Young Kobe was at his best defensively and could cause a long night for Clyde. CWM did manage to put together a spacing attack to combat the one I have with Detlef and Chris Mullin. And I do like his bench a lot, they will bring a lot of toughness and Shareef is a very solid 6th man here. It's a very tough matchup for sure, but I have faith in my guys, they have the championship mettle and the size and versatility to cover a lot of ground defensively. The key is to let young Stephon play his hero ball, because you know he wants the glory. This guy was playing with a young KG and asked for a trade because he wanted to be the star player. I can definitely see there being chemistry problems.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I voted for myself as well, of course but Alf has a very good team.

AA explained things for me better than I can over all.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

this matchup

 

[MFer]

Hard for me to call. Alf is interesting because some of his main guys arguably peaked in other decades, but were still good to great in the 90s. He does have a lot of 3-point shooting potential among his starters and bench which could be the ultimate difference. CWM has a lot of underrated players who could really be formidable playing together. I do worry that Mourning, despite being a great defender, will be too undersized for Shaq. Ratliff is a nice shot blocker to have off the bench, but he wasn't the biggest guy either (side note: Rodman and Ben Wallace were even more undersized, but had unique abilities to make up for it).

All that said, I'm gonna go with Alf here. A couple other things I like: Strickland would make for a interesting change of pace when he comes into the game. Cliff Robinson off the bench could be the solution to the Schrempf problem mentioned earlier.

 

[OG]

Very close one here but I voted Alf.

Young Kobe would hound Drexler and I don’t think Mourning could contain Shaq. CWM’s big strength is the Schrempf/Mullin combo and that’s makes this a close matchup.

I don’t think Laimbeer will be able to stay on the court at all but it doesn’t hurt Alf because his bench is very strong. In fact I’d be curious to see Kukoc and Robinson starting ahead of Scott and Laimbeer.

Marbury/Isiah is a fascinating matchup.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

I went with Alf here. I don't think Schrempf can handle Laimbeer's aggro-phsyicality. Shaq is one of the most forceful guys and will get his points even against Alonzo. It may night be a 35 point night but a solid 20-22 would be enough. Kobe/Isaiah are still solid slashers and the ability for Shaq or Laimbeer to pass outside to the shooters is pretty underrated aspects of both guys.

I think CWM's team can matchup offensively pretty well but the 3 point shooting depth pushed Alf ahead for me.

 

[AA484]

I just think that any team with one of either Olajuwon, Robinson, O'Neal, or Ewing is getting overrated in this draft. Yeah, they are big; yeah, they can be unstoppable, but someone like Mourning should be enough to at least contain one of the above listed. 15 of the 20 teams that made it to the Finals in the 90s didn't have big-time centers, and a lot of them had way worse centers than Alonzo Mourning. I just don't want people seeing one of those four guys and granting an automatic win for the team based on that.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

A scintillating contest concludes with Alfdogg advancing to the CONFERENCE FINALS!

 

[Broward83]

I just think that any team with one of either Olajuwon, Robinson, O'Neal, or Ewing is getting overrated in this draft. Yeah, they are big; yeah, they can be unstoppable, but someone like Mourning should be enough to at least contain one... I just don't want people seeing one of those four guys and granting an automatic win for the team based on that.

So, I know I'm the Houston homer, but, am I really in the wrong if I feel that Olajuwon is a bit underrated? I think people see Shaq and might automatically give him the advantage and talk about his dominance but no one really talks about how Hakeem was just as dominant, if not more.

 

[MFer]

So, I know I'm the Houston homer, but, am I really in the wrong if I feel that Olajuwon is a bit underrated? I think people see Shaq and might automatically give him the advantage and talk about his dominance but no one really talks about how Hakeem was just as dominant, if not more.

Maybe among casual fans and the media, but there are definitely corners of the internet where people stan for Hakeem big-time. It almost becomes "so underrated he's overrated" territory, but not quite. Obviously the common knock was that he won during a (mostly) Jordan-less league, but I think another reason is that Houston had a lot of early playoff exits between the '86 and '94 Finals, making people think Olajuwon had a short run.

 

[alfdogg]

I think he is rated appropriately. It took him being away from the game for a while for people to really come around and appreciate him. If you look at pretty much anyone Top 10 GOAT list, Hakeem is either on the list or just outside it, and that's about right. As far as the Shaq vs Hakeem debate, some of it is recency, some of it is longevity (more stats/broader resume), and also, while people talk about Hakeem winning his titles while Jordan was gone (although, another reminder, he played in 95 and lost to the Magic), Shaq's glory days came at a time when the era of the dominant center was dying out. Hakeem had elite competition at that position his whole career, from guys like Kareem and Moses in the 80's to the Big 6 in the 90's. I don't think there's really a wrong answer tbh