ROUND 2: OG VS. GERT (24 HOURS TO VOTE)

[Brooklyn Zoo]

ROUND 2 - 90s NBA DRAFT TOURNAMENT:

OG VS. GERT

24 HOURS TO VOTE

HERE IS THE RUNDOWN:

OG:

Starters:
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Dennis Rodman (SF)
SF: Dan Majerle (SG)
SG: Reggie Lewis
PG: Jason Kidd (SG)

Rotation:
6: Tom Chambers, PF
7: Sean Elliott, SG/SF
8: Damon Stoudamire, PG
9: Dale Davis, C

Specialists:
10: Vernon Maxwell, SG
11: Kevin Duckworth, C
12: Brent Barry, SG

Play style is similar to the mid-90's Rockets. Suffocating defence and playing through Hakeem on offence. Everyone on my roster except Chambers and Stoudamire is a strong and active defender. We give up no easy shots and anyone driving on Hakeem and Rodman will get beaten up in the post.

Hakeem will draw double teams with shooters around him to space the floor. When Hakeem sits, so does Kidd and we play a more uptempo game with Damon/Reggie/Chambers causing havoc with their pace and driving ability. When we need to big in crunch time, Chambers plays PF, Rodman slides to SF, Majerle to SG and Reggie to the bench.

For the last shot, Hakeem is option 1 and Majerle is option 2.

GERT:

Depth Chart
PG: Gary Payton/Fat Lever/Kenny Smith
SG: Dale Ellis/Kerry Kittles
SF: Larry Bird/Cedric Ceballos
PF: Derrick Coleman/Terry Cummings
C: Vlade Divac/Larry Nance/Benoit Benjamin

Year Selections:
Benjamin, Benoit #00 (1990-91)
Bird, Larry #33 (1989-90)
Ceballos, Cedric #23 (1994-95)
Coleman, Derrick #44 (1992-93)
Cummings, Terry #34 (1989-90)
Divac, Vlade #21 (1994-95)
Ellis, Dale #3 (1989-90)
Kittles, Kerry #30 (1997-98)
Lever, Lafayette #12 (1989-90)
Nance, Larry #22 (1990-91)
Payton, Gary #20 (1996-97)
Smith, Kenny #31 (1990-91)

The majority of the bench minutes will go to Fat Lever, Larry Nance (both at C/PF) an Terry Cummings. I also wanted to get guys on my second unit with some similar skills as the starter they would replace.

 

[King Kamala]

Going to be stop by TSM's resident Canuck in the UAE.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

For highlights of this matchup, check out my status

 

[alfdogg]

Gert has a really nicely put-together team. I particularly like the Coleman-Cummings combo at PF, going from a skilled well-rounded forward to a big, athletic bruiser who can fill it up. And that second unit can definitely get out and run.

OG has a lineup that can run, as well, with the difference being that his main players I think can fit more seamlessly into that running game. Bird is still an elite player into the 90's, but his body is starting to break down, and I think the key is to establish a physical presence defensively, stay at home on the shooters and try to make him beat you one-on-one. Again, Rodman ideally guards Bird and then *maybe* you can hide Reggie Lewis on Vlade.

Tough matchup, and I liked Gert's team more and more as I analyzed it, but I have to slide another vote to OG this round.

 

[MFer]

Divac is BBQ chicken vs. The Dream. Coleman was a great, but underachieving talent, so Rodman should be able to handle him. Kidd has the size to bother Payton on both ends. I do think 90s Bird was a little underrated, but I don't think he can carry this, so I'm going with OG.

 

[AA484]

I feel like whoever wins this is gonna have one of the Big 4 centers on their squad which makes me regret not taking David Robinson even more. Nobody with Hakeem, Shaq, Robinson, or Ewing have lost to a non-big 4 squad, yet.

I just think Hakeem crushes it down low here. Gert's team has great depth at PF but I'm not sure if Divac, Benjamin, or any of the converted PF's can contain Hakeem. I feel he would dominate on both sides of the ball. I like Gert's scrappy, workhorse like squad but I don't think he could beat OG.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

Alright! OG is the first contestant to advance to the CONFERENCE FINALS