2023 Annual JazzFanz Current Players Draft - Round 1: Team K vs. Team L

[Fosto]

Nah... people ain't with Draymond and Gordo around these parts. Let's see how it finishes and how we do during the season when people catch up to my 20/20 future vision. Ant and Luka gonna have phenomenal seasons.

I couldn't care less about Hayward or Green. I voted for Team K because team L's 3, 4 and 5 lack speed and toughness, while Team K is strong in every position. Team L's 4 and 5 probably won't grab 10 rebounds combined.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I couldn't care less about Hayward or Green. I voted for Team K because team L's 3, 4 and 5 lack speed and toughness, while Team K is strong in every position. Team L's 4 and 5 probably won't grab 10 rebounds combined.

Vote how you will but lets see... Team L starting lineup rebs per 36... 33.5. Team K starting lineup rebs per 36... 29.6.

My 3, 4, 5 lack speed and toughness? Draymond is pretty fast and tough for a 5. McDaniels is fast and athletic for a 4. The bench 4s and 5s are tough too. Middleton is slow but he's a far better player than OG and PJ Washington. Not sure how you measure toughness but Middleton is a great playoff performer and I'm not sure how you argue that JJJ, PJ, or OG are tougher than him. Stronger? maybe... but tougher... nah. OG actually pretty bad in the halfcourt... which is where playoff series are won.

Again vote how you want but rebounding and toughness really ain't it. I ain't ******** on Team K I just think pairing two guys who work best with great ball moving frontcourt partners and then giving them poor passers isn't the way to complement your best players. All these teams are good and Team K is no different. So its all nit picking.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I just don't see the combination of Ant, Green, and Luka being mentally tough enough to work together. Green looked cooked in the playoffs this year. I need to see Ant and Luka actually win meaningful games before I pick them over Steph and Jamal who have show they can get it done at the highest level.

 

[LogGrad98]

Nah... Team L's ball in hand guys are better than Team K's. We've never seen Steph without Dray or Murray without Jokic and those guys are key to certain actions. Steph is phenomenal but who's running the Dray stuff with him on this squad... same question with Murray.

The roster has exactly one non-shooter and the rest of the dudes are 40%-ish catch and shoot 3 point shooters. Slow? Ant ain't slow, McDaniels either, got bigs that can survive on the perimeter and shoot. Also, playoff series are played in the half court... Team L got proven playoff winners on top of proven playoff winners.

Team L is solid AF.

Green is nowhere near the player he used to be. And at center is a huge problem. This is supposed to be as expected for this upcoming season. He is a shadow of his former self. That's a hole by itself. They need to bring him off the bench and start Lopez really.

 

[Ron Mexico]

LWe've never seen Steph without Dray or Murray without Jokic and those guys are key to certain actions. Steph is phenomenal but who's running the Dray stuff with him on this squad... same question with Murray.

We've seen plenty of Curry without Green and he's been just as good, maybe even better. Murray now has Curry to play off of which so far has been great for every player who's been lucky enough.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I just don't see the combination of Ant, Green, and Luka being mentally tough enough to work together. Green looked cooked in the playoffs this year. I need to see Ant and Luka actually win meaningful games before I pick them over Steph and Jamal who have show they can get it done at the highest level.

Luka career playoff averages - 32.5/9/8
Ant career playoff averages - 28/4.5/4

Steph - 27/5/6
Murray - 25/6/5

Luka and Ant did that as guys that could barely buy a beer. They on the rise... ain't worried about that at all. Steph and Jamal are more proven cuz they been around longer but the early returns on Luka and Ant in the playoffs are fantastic.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Green is nowhere near the player he used to be. And at center is a huge problem. This is supposed to be as expected for this upcoming season. He is a shadow of his former self. That's a hole by itself. They need to bring him off the bench and start Lopez really.

Respectfully disagree... he's still a great defender... especially in the playoffs. Starting him there is a matchup thing. If it isn't working Lopez would step in... or Horford... its pretty simple. Draymond at center has been a huge benefit in the playoffs.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

We've seen plenty of Curry without Green and he's been just as good, maybe even better. Murray now has Curry to play off of which so far has been great for every player who's been lucky enough.

When exactly did we see Curry without Green? They are one of the greatest NBA duos ever. Arguing Steph is just as good or maybe better is pretty rich. While Green didn't "make" Curry he has certainly benefitted playing with him (and vice versa of course). I'm cool if people like your team more than mine but sometimes we just say stuff and its not true or based in any kind of fact... this is one of those things.

Murray and Curry could be amazing, but both play with great passing bigs and its different with attracting mismatches and causing creases in the defense...

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

OG is a turnover machine on drives (like worst in the league) and garbage on isos. Steph and Jamal aren't iso players either. So if the key actions breakdown with a switching defense then where they going? PJ Washington or JJJ... cool. Part of the reason KD was such a cheat code for the Warriors was because Steph had trouble creating in iso situations with some of the great switching defenses.

JJJ also can't stop fouling... so he will end up playing like 20 minutes a night with Luka and Ant driving at him.

 

[Elizah Huge]

Team L has 3/5 better players for starters and you could easily make a case for 4/5. Voting on these has been wild.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Luka career playoff averages - 32.5/9/8
Ant career playoff averages - 28/4.5/4

Steph - 27/5/6
Murray - 25/6/5

Luka and Ant did that as guys that could barely buy a beer. They on the rise... ain't worried about that at all. Steph and Jamal are more proven cuz they been around longer but the early returns on Luka and Ant in the playoffs are fantastic.

How many wins in the playoffs? They are on the rise. They might improve and lead to actually winning. But as of now I prefer guys who have. We'll see at the end of next season though. Both those guys maybe put up big stats but they both were apart of two of the most disappointing teams in the NBA last season Dallas and Minny. Neither could lead their teams to any meaningful wins last year.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

OG is a turnover machine on drives (like worst in the league) and garbage on isos. Steph and Jamal aren't iso players either. So if the key actions breakdown with a switching defense then where they going? PJ Washington or JJJ... cool. Part of the reason KD was such a cheat code for the Warriors was because Steph had trouble creating in iso situations with some of the great switching defenses.

JJJ also can't stop fouling... so he will end up playing like 20 minutes a night with Luka and Ant driving at him.

I guarantee Curry is in an extremely high percentile for isolation play every year. Might not have the volume, but if he wanted to he could. Talking out your ***.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Green is nowhere near the player he used to be. And at center is a huge problem. This is supposed to be as expected for this upcoming season. He is a shadow of his former self. That's a hole by itself. They need to bring him off the bench and start Lopez really.

Not to mention Green is good at heliocentric offense. HH took Luka/Ant, two extremely high volume iso guys. Green is going to be mediocre offensively with those two.

 

[LogGrad98]

Respectfully disagree... he's still a great defender... especially in the playoffs. Starting him there is a matchup thing. If it isn't working Lopez would step in... or Horford... its pretty simple. Draymond at center has been a huge benefit in the playoffs.

Has been. Key phrase. However, hasn't been in years. This next year he isn't going to suddenly get it back. Just bring him off the bench and it more or less plugs that hole.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

HH really tried to convince us that Curry is a product of Green and that he is useless if an offensive play breaks down.

Shameful.

 

[LogGrad98]

The vast majority of the time the best player wins the series. In this one it's really Curry vs Luka. I think that baton will get passed at some point, but it won't be this year.

 

[Fosto]

The vast majority of the time the best player wins the series. In this one it's really Curry vs Luka. I think that baton will get passed at some point, but it won't be this year.

Karl Malone was the best player in the vast majority of series he lost.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I guarantee Curry is in an extremely high percentile for isolation play every year. Might not have the volume, but if he wanted to he could. Talking out your ***.

You know we can look this stuff up right. He is a mixed bag in iso... some years its high percentile some its mid... in the playoffs its the same. One thing is its always low volume for a guy that scores as much as he does. Against the Rockets... a great switching team at the time... he didn't perform as well because with the two man actions he is other worldly but in iso he isn't (at least against a good switching team).

Surprised you are pushing back on this lol... it was a thing... its part of why they went iso KD end of games in the playoffs when they had him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

HH really tried to convince us that Curry is a product of Green and that he is useless if an offensive play breaks down.

Shameful.

I didn't at all... you argue like a child... not even like a child prodigy that is some sort of musical genius... I'm talking a normal booger eating child.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Not to mention Green is good at heliocentric offense. HH took Luka/Ant, two extremely high volume iso guys. Green is going to be mediocre offensively with those two.

Wait Green is good at heliocentric offense but is going to struggle with heliocentric players? K