With all due respect to toddy, I gotta say some stuff.
There is no shortage of talent in these competitions, the questions in my mind are which teams can actually function as a team; do players pass the ball? Is there reliable spacing? Are players efficient with how they score? Are they defensively solvent? Do the 5-man units have catastrophic weaknesses?
Toddy is starting two ball-dominant SGs who will take most of the guard minutes. The only player setting anyone up with intention comes off the bench and happens to have a lower rate of assists per 100 possessions than Draymond Green, not to mention Nash and Harden who no one on his roster touches. Half his roster is either bad abjectly bad at defense (Lillard, Iso Joe, Amare, probably Baylor) or reserving their energy half the time on that side of the ball (Wade and Kobe who for all their accolades, talent, and great moments, coasted for large stretches because they had to get their shots up). Almost none of his players are simultaneously reliable three-point shooters and good defensive players at the same time, so every lineup either has no lane to the rim on offense (thus making it easier to aggressively guard the 3) and/or is bleeding points on defense.
Robinson was a great player, but he had real weaknesses that showed up as poor resilience in the post-season. Robinson is gonna have a tough time getting the ball as is on this team, and he's gonna be up against the dude that outclassed him more than any player in his career (with all due respect to Malone).
I have to strongly disagree with your assessment of my team. My response is with all due respect to you and your team, nothing should be taken personal please.
First, you make an assumption that your team will have cohesiveness and mine won’t but fail to provide any reason other than assists per 100 possessions, yet in my opinion you have two divisive players in Green and Artest, who, if we’re going by real scenarios, are known for being problems at times. My guys, in particular Wade, Pierce, Kobe, Robinson, Davis and Stoudemire have shown an ability to play nice with others ( even Kobe with Shaw for a few years) who are better than them or make their teams better. You also don’t have a strong leader who can keep those guys in line. Hakeem was quiet, Dumars was quiet, PG and Harden as leaders us laughable. You criticize my two guards as being ball dominant yet have two of the most ball dominant players of this era in your starting lineup in Harden and George. Both of whom have the reputation of coasting and being choke artists and are not in the same ballpark as Kobe or Wade when it comes to winning, intensity and having that it factor that wins games. The beauty of my team is Kobe and Wade can focus more on defense because I have such offensive firepower with Pierce, Lillard and Baylor. However, I think the narrative of them coasting is overblown.
Nash is a great set up guy, except when he has larger defenders on him (see multiple playoff series against the Spurs),which will be constant and Kobe was a defensive nemesis for him.
You talk about my team as bleeding points on defense and ignore your own team’s defensive weaknesses. Your starting guards are both matador defenders at best. Talk about bleeding points. You also make an assumption that Baylor would be a bad defender but have no argument for why, however he was a great rebounder which keeps the ball out of the opposing team’s hand, not necessarily defense but a ball hawk nonetheless.
You again say my team doesn’t have good defenders who are simultaneously good three point shooters; neither do you, but my defenders are as good or better than yours for the most part, while being tremendous scorers all around. The lane you want from spacing will come from your horrendous starting guard defense which will collapse the defense allowing for open threes and efficient cuts.
You mentioned that half my team is bad at defense, but failed to mention that half of my team is great at defense with multiple all nba selections. I get that you’re trying to push a narrative that Kobe and Wade are lazy or not as good at defense as they could be but look at any ranking and you’ll see them ranked higher than any of your players. Pierce was known for matching up with Lebron when it counted, while Lillard and Johnson can/could be such juggernauts on offense that entire defensive game plans are built to stop them.
I can make assumptions and prognosticate too: I think only Artest and PG could potentially keep up with any of my guards or small forwards on defense. Dumars is too slow, small and not allowed to hand check and body up. Sloan wouldn’t be able to do much because of how the rules regarding defense have changed. Draymond, who I believe is overrated, would struggle mightily with the length my team has. Robinson would be able to focus defensively on Hakeem and limit him. Kobe and Wade’s defense on Nash and Harden would fluster them, while on offense Kobe and Wade would be penetrating and scoring or dishing at will.
We haven’t even touched on the spacing and scoring my bench provides all while allowing for strong defenders to play their games. My bench: Lillard, Johnson, Baylor, Stoudemire and Davis smokes your bench, plus it provides many different looks.
I get that Hakeem is great ( he’s my favorite nonJazz player and I consider him right at the top as far as greats go) and dominated Robinson during one series, but you seem to be banking the entire series on Hakeem killing Robinson, which may play out. Just as you point out Robinson’s flaws, Hakeem had his own when it came to making good reads and passing for example.
However, your guards are not in the same realm as my guards. Even if you’re focusing on assists per 100 possessions, your forwards are don’t match up well with mine at all. Outside of one playoff series Hakeem and Robinson matched up pretty even throughout their careers and if he doesn’t get the ball as much he’s still an elite defender.
In a seven game series I don’t think you have enough defense or offense to overcome my team.
