NT's All Time NBA ReDraft Thread: GR8 Write Up Page 187, Bracket Final Vote

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With that said, congrats to everyone who placed!

Thanks big j for your efforts with the bracket

And thanks to CP for making the thread and the draft :pimp:

Had fun fellas. Solid job to all :smile:
 
awwsome:
Synopsis – Gambler.
In true form, a personal friend took the risk taker route. Easily the safest and most common option would be to select Michael Jordan first overall. Not surprised you went against the grain, brother. That’s the beauty of this redraft, every GM has a different vision and outside opinion be damned, let’s create the team we always liked and wanted. Hakeem Olajuwon’s a 2-time NBA champion and 2-time Finals MVP. Defensive stalwart, coupled with footwork and agility we may never see so naturally from a big man again. FYI, Olajuwon translates to “always being on top.” Nigerian king.
Favorite Pick – David Thompson, SG.
When you hear the name David Thompson in NBA lore, first thing that comes to mind is: “What could have been?” Commonly known Thompson struggled with his emotions and turned to a deadly combo of white and drink. Insane vertical and hangtime. One of the most explosive basketball players in the mid-to-late 1970s. His first three to four years with Denver were memorable, pouring in points in the high-20s nightly at a 50%+ FG clip.
Strengths – Frontcourt, Bench Athleticism.
Touched on “The Dream” in the synopsis, but Olajuwon’s offensive technique and skillset coupled with Blake Griffin’s raw athleticism is downright unfair. Peja Stojakovic was a known sniper in his Sacramento days, although one nitpick would be his penchant to fade in the clutch. Late in fourth quarters, Peja’s shot would seem to not fall when the Kings needed it most. To spell Olajuwon and Griffin, you have the luxury of subbing in Joakim Noah and Josh Smith. Major pet peeve, “Smoove” should never be played at the 3. Offensively playing on the perimeter is Smith’s career downfall. He’s a PF bottom line. Noah provides defensive energy, hustle, and attitude.
Another strong point is bench athleticism. Smith outrunning opposing power forwards up and down the floor in transition. Victor Oladipo as a combo guard, if you want a more athletic alternative to Dragic when substituting the second unit. George McGinnis was a unique blend of athleticism and strength in his prime with ABA Indiana and then Philly later on, where he was a 2-time All-Star with the 76ers.
Weaknesses – Perimeter Shooting.
Tony Parker’s a career 32% three-point shooter, although he’s improved drastically his last three years with San Antonio from deep. As much as Thompson scored, he was sub-30% from deep. This criticism is more so for the starting lineup, with the exception of Peja. I suppose my argument could be countered given the situation, Jeff Hornacek an ideal swap for Thompson if perimeter shooting was a dire need. Dragic is also a better three-point shooter than Parker, if you wanted to sub.
rck3sactown:
Synopsis – Boston-Themed.
You had a plethora of options with the #3 pick. Fortunate to have a choice between Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I get why you went Russell. Winner, defensive monster, and elite rebounder. Russell and Bob Cousy give you a lot of championship pedigree and winning leadership. Drazen Petrovic, a life tragically gone too soon. Made his mark on the NBA from Croatia. Shot the three at damn near a 44% clip. Tom Chambers an early stretch four. Had three to four really good years, predominantly with Phoenix.
Favorite Pick – Bob Cousy, PG.
6-time NBA champion and 13-time All-Star. Accolades galore as a Boston Celtic. Flash personified on the court. A true showman in the late-50s and early-60s. Breed of playmaker and fancy passing. Adequate three-point shooter at a career 37% clip. Rebounded well for his size and a point guard. Intensity, passion, leadership. Three characteristics I love in an athlete.
Strengths – Shooting.
Petrovic leads the way in this department, but you’re not short for options. Cousy was beyond adequate from downtown for an older point guard. Chambers is able to stretch the floor and run the floor, while allowing Russell to operate and dominate the paint. Kiki Vandeweghe was an efficient shooter, capable of playing SF or if you wanted to go small, PF. Shot a whopping 48% from three one season in Portland (1986). He didn’t take a ton of threes, but when Kiki did, he made them count.
Weaknesses – Defensive Rebounding.
With all the great big men in this all-time redraft, I honestly believe Tom Chambers would get killed on the boards by opposing elite PFs. Kiki Vandeweghe was far from a good rebounder from the small forward position either, so it’s not like you can mask Chambers’ deficiencies. Good stretch four though, Chambers that is. I know you have Bill Russell, but he can’t rebound for three positions.
Seymore CAKE:
Synopsis – High Ceiling.
When I look at your roster, all I see is extremely high potential. Starting with LeBron James, who is squarely in his prime. Athletically, we’ve seen his best. Yet he continues to add elements to his game like utilizing his remarkable size advantage in the post-up game. Or improving his deep jump shot. LeBron’s effort in the most recent Finals was incredible given the injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. That Cleveland roster was stripped of all notable talent. John Wall is another player just scratching the surface. Excellent perimeter defender from the point guard position. Offensively he’s a top-notch athlete. Only aspect that needs work is his jump shooting. Vince Carter is known for highlight reel dunks, but also was fully capable as a very good downtown threat. His leaping ability was unprecedented at the time. Bill Laimbeer adds toughness and grit, a borderline dirty player in his era. Bill Walton displayed a wide range of skills, a diverse skillset beginning during his UCLA days under the legendary John Wooden. He passed well, an underrated trait, for damn near a 7-footer.
Favorite Pick – Bill Laimbeer, C.
Won back-to-back titles with Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Laimbeer was a bruiser, who had to compensate for lack of athleticism and coordination. He became great at positioning himself properly on the basketball court and using brute force and pure muscle to get his way and impose his will for the Detroit Pistons. Laimbeer used tactics that can be considered borderline dirty. Pandering for a foul call or getting under his opponents’ skin intentionally, but also using all his limbs to physically reveal his presence.
Strengths – High Potential, Championship Pedigree on Bench.
I touched on this in my synopsis. It’s possible that LeBron James’ peak is up there if not above Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. That’s not embellishment and I don’t mean that for career consistency, because as of now, Jordan and Bryant both hold significant advantages over LeBron. I just mean with LeBron’s natural athleticism, if he continues to exploit the post-up game and develop his three-point shot more consistently, that’s a scary proposition for the rest of the league. Not to mention his defensive prowess when he’s not expected to carry such a heavy offensive burden, like we saw in the Finals. Similarly, there were years with the Raptors and the Nets that “Vinsanity” looked downright unstoppable offensively with his three-point stroke and can’t-miss dunks. John Wall is another one where you can’t teach his athleticism, defensive ability, and raw potential.
When I say championship pedigree, I’m partial to “Rip” Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Hamilton and Prince both only won one championship together in 2004, but Hamilton was a nightmare to guard coming off screens with the pick and pop. “Rip” was a 3-time All-Star and Prince was named to the Defensive Team four times in his career. Pretty silky left-handed three-point shot as well, for Prince. Those are good role players to have, relatively unselfish and willing to dig down deep defensively.
David West brings similar grit to Laimbeer. Tough, intimidating player but with a mid-range jump shot. Andrea Bargnani provides spacing on the floor, as much as I personally dislike his skillset as a player. Chuck Person’s a needed sniper off the bench, high-volume 36% career three-point shooter.
Weaknesses – Deep Shooting.
Although LeBron is improving, the three-point shot is one of his streakier and less reliable tools. Same with John Wall, that’s probably the only aspect of his game most critics will point to when comparing Wall to Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, etc. VC holds it down at a 37% clip from deep. I guess you could argue Laimbeer developed his three-point shot in his later Detroit years. Shot a low-volume 37% from three in the early 90s. But again, if I had to nitpick, three-point shooting would be an Achilles’ heel for your squad.
Mamba MVP:
Synopsis – Balance.
Starting lineup top to bottom, I don’t see any flaws that really stand out. Deron Williams in his Utah prime, before he ran Jerry Sloan out of town, averaged close to 20/10 for a few years with a steal per game. The surprising thing about Deron’s offensive prime is for the high level of scoring, he was shooting the ball efficiently in the high-40s (percentage wise). Kobe Bryant was a homer pick and probably considered early at 5th overall in an all-time redraft. I mean Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar were still on the board. Let’s keep it real. On the plus side, Kobe was the ultimate competitor, often perceiving sleights as motivational tools. Money fadeaway jumper with dogged perimeter defense. Who wouldn’t want “Big Game James” Worthy, deserves the real moniker unlike James Shields in the MLB. Worthy raised his level of play come postseason time. Owns a NCAA MOP and Finals MVP. Surprised guys like Arvydas Sabonis, James Harden, and Kevin Johnson went over James Worthy. Al Horford I’ll touch on as my favorite pick. Criminally underrated in the modern era. Able to play power forward or center, although a better fit at the former position. DeMarcus Cousins is a savage. Crazily developed offensive skillset and footwork for a 25-year-old player. Defensive analytics measure back well on him too. Over 1.5 BPG and SPG. Rebounds extremely well and shoots FT beyond adequately for a center.
Favorite Pick – Al Horford, PF.
It’s a shame that the current generation fails to fully grasp and appreciate Al Horford’s game. He’s far better suited defensively at the 4 rather than C. Not necessarily a rim protector, but Horford’s individual defensive responsibilities are duly noted. Gets you almost 1.5 BPG, with a steal per game as well. Doesn’t turn the ball over all that often, rarely runs into foul trouble so you’ll likely have him on the floor during crunch time. Shoots free throws well for a big. Imagine if he added a 30% three-point shot. Career 54% from the field on an average of 11 shots per game. Yeah, I’ll take that on my squad any day.
Strengths – Bench Defense.
Bradley Beal is an up-and-coming “3nD” guy. Tony Allen is a terror on the perimeter with his individual defense and steals. Tyson Chandler largely charged the Dallas Mavericks’ successful championship run defensively. We have no idea what Karl-Anthony Towns will be in the NBA, but his defense should translate because of length and athleticism. All the Kentucky guys seem to do well defensively in the NBA after being coached for a year or two under Coach John Calipari. Rick Mahorn was a Detroit “Bad Boy.” Extremely physical, something the modern game probably couldn’t handle. Also provided leadership and set the tone of a game or series. Tobias Harris is another above-average defender, versatile enough to play small forward or power forward.
Weaknesses – Bench Offense.

As good as your bench is defensively, there’s some offense lacking. With the exception of Gilbert Arenas, who second units will obviously and immediately key on. Chandler, Mahorn, and Allen are far from reliable scorers. Beal is your best two-way option off the bench. You could argue Harris is enough of a two-way player as well. His offense is far from broke. We have no idea what “KAT” will be in the league, but his ceiling is extremely high and his potential offense could certainly help lift the bench burden off Arenas and Beal.
RetroBaller:
Synopsis – Another Good Draft.
You’ve done well at these redrafts, MLB and NBA Modern. Now this. Especially with baseball, you sniped a lot of the players queued on my board drafting near each other. Shaquille O’Neal is obviously one of the most dominant centers to ever play the game, physically. Had it all minus FT shooting. Paired with Elvin Hayes, who was a reliable rebounder and aggressive defender, there’s not many better PF/C combos in this redraft. I like the Dennis Johnson pick, defensive wizard. Paul Westphal gives you added scoring, there was a 5-year stretch he was averaging over 20 points per game. Not to mention Chris Mullin, who gives you high-volume, accurate three-point shooting.
Favorite Pick – Elvin Hayes, PF.
“The Big E” fourth on the all-time NBA rebounding list. Aggressive defense and patented turnaround jumper. One of the most durable power forwards in the history of basketball, and a fan favorite at that. Although teammates have called him mercurial in the past. 1978 champion and 12-time All-Star. Finished his career in Houston, figured you’d be the one to select him.
Strengths – Frontcourt.
Again, not many teams in this redraft are matching up with “The Big E” and Shaq easily. Hayes would clean up the boards and play stout D, while Shaq bulldozes opponents on offense. Mix in Mullin’s shooting and Westphal’s scoring. Westphal was a 1974 champion with the Celtics, then helped lead the Suns to play his former Celtics in ’76, in an epic/historic Game 5. Johnson would put clamps on any offensively-minded guard in the history of the NBA, serves as your defensive specialist. It must be noted Brad Miller is one of the best passing big men in the modern era. Uncanny ability to find the open man. Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley just make sense being a Houston guy, and they’re close “buddies” at that.
Weaknesses – Starting Lineup Shooting.
Westphal, as good a scorer as he was with Phoenix, only shot 27-28% from deep when the three-point line was introduced in 1979-1980. Similarly, as great a defender DJ was, putrid outside shooter at 17% clip. Mullin’s your only sniper in the starting lineup. You could counter with Stevie “Franchise,” but then you lose significant defense from the point guard position. Mobley’s another shooter off the bench, so you certainly addressed shooting with the bench picks. Mike Miller a well-known shooting specialist, so my criticism is more regarding the outside shooting prowess of your starting lineup.
Proshares:
Synopsis – Fusion.
Went with a somewhat old-school lineup. Magic Johnson was close to a no-brainer at #7 overall. There is literally nothing the man could not do on the court. We had never seen a player that size do the things Magic did with the ball and his body. Truly a unique skillset. You’re fine with Earl Monroe at 6’3’’ playing SG because Magic could defend so many positions. Glenn Robinson gives you scoring, career 34% three-point shooter. Pettit who I mentioned as my favorite pick, hard worker bottom line. Artis Gilmore is your strong intimidator, enforcer role if need be. Clean up the boards and block shots.
Went with modern two-way players on your bench. Mike Conley’s one of the better current defensive point guards in the league. Luol Deng, ample on both ends of the court. Khris Middleton is one of the more underrated players in the NBA, single-handedly changed the complexion of Milwaukee’s team defense in recent years. Al Jefferson gives you buckets in the paint, Nikola Mirotic or “Baby Dirk” gives you instant offense from the perimeter the European way. Jerry Stackhouse gives you some old-school toughness. That’s one guy I would never want to fight. Tyreke Evans serves as your Swiss Army knife.
Favorite Pick – Bob Pettit, PF.
Constantly overlooked coming out of LSU, Pettit was tall and thin, not the prototype power forward to handle the rigors of the NBA. How did he combat that? Work ethic. Out-grinded almost everyone at his position. What he lacked in talent or physical attributes, he compensated with will. What’s the proof? 1958 champion, 2-time MVP, 11-time All-Star. Never finished lower than seventh in the NBA scoring race. Russell even credited Pettit for second effort and being an overall fighter on the basketball court.
Strengths – FT Shooting, Eclectic Squad.
Your whole starting lineup shoots free throws well. Robinson: 82%, Magic: 85%, Monroe: 81%, Pettit: 76%, Gilmore: 70%.
Everyone has their role on your team. You didn’t miss much in terms of filling out a complete basketball roster. Magic can facilitate the offense in passive mode, Monroe could score, Robinson shoots from outside, Pettit grinds, and Gilmore intimidates. Modern bench gives you two-way players, defense, instant offense, and a Jack of all trades.
Weaknesses – Modern Reaches.
I really have to nitpick here, but I’m not sure Mirotic belongs in an All-Time NBA Redraft. He’s played one whole season in the NBA and is a turnstile on defense. Same with Tyreke Evans, he’s just not the player we thought he’d be at the professional level coming out of Memphis. Plus his jumper’s relatively broke. Again, I’m really nitpicking here. You did take these two guys pretty late, in fairness.
Franchise3:
Synopsis – Quality Front Line.
Favorite Pick – Sidney Moncrief, SG.
Moncrief never led the league in scoring, nor was he top 5 in boards or dimes but he was an exceptionally well-rounded player and not just offensively. He was equally focused and competent on defense. Moncrief was willing and able to score in a variety of ways or make the right basketball pass. Never reached the Finals but was a 5-time All-Star and 2-time DPOY for his rugged tenacity against opponents.
Strengths – Starting Lineup.
Weaknesses – Bench.
AI3xis:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Walt Frazier, PG.
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Big J 33:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Russell Westbrook, PG.
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CP1708:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Chauncey Billups, PG.
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Chester McFloppy:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Kevin Garnett, PF.
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SenorRoboto2k5:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Oscar Robertson, PG/SG.
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Addict4Sneakers:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Bonzi Wells, SG.
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Bigmike23:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Michael Finley, SG/SF.
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JohnnyRedStorm:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Paul Arizin, SG/SF.
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JJs07:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Larry Nance, PF.
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FinallyFamous:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – D’Angelo Russell, PG.
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worldbeefreeg:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Jack Sikma, C/PF.
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LiCeNseD To BaLL:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Clyde Drexler, SG.
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SoHi 23:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Rick Barry, SF.
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Be Easy:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Sam Jones, SG.
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dland24:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Allen Iverson, SG.
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JapanAir21:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Elgin Baylor, SF.
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bhzmafia14:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Gary Payton, PG.
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JD617:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Adrian Dantley, SF.
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Statis22:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Bernard King, SF.
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Osh Kosh Bosh:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Bob Lanier, C.
Played in an era of elite company in regards to big men. Fluid player for 6’11’’. Good hook shot and rebounder. 8-time All-Star. Guaranteed 20/10 in his prime with Detroit. Shot free throws well at nearly 77%. Had a bit of an outside shot too for a center. Never won a ring, but known for a willingness to work and play through injury. Toughness that’s lacking in modern-day players.
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Ecook0808:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Alex English, SF.
Prolific scorer. He’s currently 20th all-time for most points scored. Came into his own offensively with the Nuggets. His #2 jersey retired with Denver. First player to ever record eight consecutive 2,000-point seasons. Shot free throws well at an 83% career clip. Didn’t have a three-point shot, which is probably the one offensive element lacking from his scoring arsenal.
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PMatic:
Synopsis –
Favorite Pick – Vlade Divac, C.
I could do without the flopping, but truly love and appreciate Divac’s passing ability as a 7’1’’ center for the Kings. Averaged 5.3 assists a game his final season in Sacramento. That’s unheard of from a big. Also added a steal per game over the course of his career defensively. He’s one of seven NBA players to record 13,000 points, 9,000 boards, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocks. Elite company when you see the other names, like Duncan, Shaq, K.G., etc.
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Soooo.... would anyone in their right mind still take prime Stockton over prime Curry? :rofl:
 
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