Legacy League match 22 Bobloblaw vs Maury

[Axel]

The legacy league was created to pit teams drafted by fellow RR members against each other and allow the general RR populous to vote on who would win this winner take all, single elimination game if all players were at their peak performance.

Each team drafted a 10 man roster. Each team provided a gameplan justification as to why they believe they should get your vote. Each team is allowed 1 post for "in game adjustments." The role of RR community is simple, vote for who you believe should win. Post justification if you want (encouraged) and weigh the pros and cons for all to see, but ultimately, your vote decides who will win this tournament of legends.

Bobloblaw vs Maury

BobLoblaw Lineup

g Penny Hardaway; 1995 NBA finals: 25.5pt, 8ast, 5rb, .500 FG%, .458 3P%
g Kobe Bryant
f Kawhi Leonard
f Kevin McHale, 6 time all defense, the only player in history to average 25+ points on .600+ FG%
c David Robinson, DPOY, MVP

Reserves

6th man: Nate tiny Archibald, the only player in history to lead the league in scoring and assists in the same season
g Brandon Roy
g/f Chris Mullin
stretch big: Bob McAdoo, MVP 1975
D big: Dikembe Mutombo, 4 time DPOY


Defense:

Team Maury's only real 3 point threat is Jordan (and Rice off the bench). Their attack will bog down. Jordan will have to take too many jumpshots, with Kobe or Kawhi in his face.

We're starting 4 All-defense players, and the shortest starter is Kobe at 6'6.

Long armed, tall, athletic, defensive team. Robinson = maybe the quickest, most athletic center ever. 7'1, long enough to guard Yao. McHale helps with freak wingspan in the post.

Offense:

Triangle-ish system. We have 3 huge perimeter players who can all post up, rotate positions, shoot, pass. All of them have big size advantage vs. Isiah.

Robinson high post, McHale low post, but they can also switch. Team Maury doesn't have good options to guard McHale in the post.

Robinson is much faster and more athletic than Yao and Walton, and we will take advantage, both in transition and with halfcourt rolls.


Starting Lineup

PGIsiah Thomas - 21.3 PPG, 11.3 APG, 2.3 SPG (84-85), 12x All Star, 2x NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 5x All NBA, 3x All NBA 1st Team

SGMichael Jordan - 33.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.8 SPG, .376 3P% (89-90), DPOY, 14x All Star, 5x MVP, 6x NBA Champion, 6x Finals MVP, 9x All Defensive, 11x All NBA

SFJulius Erving - 27.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 2.5 BPG, .395 3P% (74-75), 3x ABA MVP, 1x NBA MVP, 16x All Star, 3x Champion, 13x All NBA/ABA, 1st team All Defence

PFBill Walton - 18.6 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.2 BPG, 5.0 APG, 24.8 PER (76-77) 2x All Star, NBA MVP, 2x NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 2x All Defensive 1st team, 2x All NBA, 6MOY.

CYao Ming - 25.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 2.0 APG, .516 FG%, .862 FT%, 8.6 FTA, 8x All-Star, 5x All-NBA

Bench

Derrick Rose - 25.0 PPG, 7.7 APG, .445 FG%, .332 3P% (10-11), 3x All Star, Youngest MVP in league history, All-NBA 1st team

Sidney Moncrief - 19.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.7 SPG (81-82) 22.6 PER (82-83), 5x All Star, 2x DPOY, 5x All Defence, 5x All NBA,

Glen Rice - 26.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, .470 3P%, .477 FG%, 0.9 SPG (96-97), 3x All Star, NBA Champion, 2x All-NBA

Chris Webber - 27.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.7 BPG, (00,01) 5x All Star,
5x All NBA

Bob Pettit - 31.1 PPG, 18.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, .450 FG%, (61-62), 11x All Star 2x MVP, NBA Champion, 11x All-NBA

Gameplan

I'm gonna start Yao at centre and move Bill Walton to power forward. Bill Walton can match up with Kevin Mchale as he was an incredibly mobile and talented defensive centre whose jump shot can stretch the floor well enough to be a power forward next to a midrange capable Yao. Jordan wins over Kobe both offensively and defensively. Julius Erving won't force his offence on the claw. He'll be more of a distraction and when he has an opening or someone gets switched on him he will attack effectively. Isiah can work Anfernee with his savvy and skill. Derrick Rose would absolutely dominate off the bench and would most likely get heavy minutes. Bob can't guard him whatsoever and we will take advantage of this. We will have great spacing if needed with Glen Rice and Bob Pettit off the bench.


In Game Adjustments - Coming Soon!

So RR faithful, who wins this game?

[e_wheazhy_]

I like Bill Walton on McHale, and Yao has a size advantage on the Admiral. Bob has good d in the Starting Lineup but everyone in there needs the ball in their hands to be successful. I think it'll come down to a front court duel, which I think maury takes.

I can already see Jordan backing down Kobe with that signature smirk on his face, shimmy, shake him, hit a jumper over his shoulder and then give him the shrug.

[Maury]

Every single person in my lineup is an above average mid range shooter, so spacing isn't much of an issue. Bob is under rating Walton as an athlete. He was athletic and mobile and the combo of him and Yao would definitely overpower Robinson and Mchale. Bob's bench has wholes throughout.

[Axel]

Bob's bench has wholes throughout.

Totally first read this as "whores throughout" which would be amazing.

[Maury]

Totally first read this as "whores throughout" which would be amazing.

Interpret as you wish 😉.

[BobLoblaw]

Walton wasn't athletic or quick. Way below Kareem as athlete. Can't picture Walton as PF.

Not a shooter either.

This team starts 2 slowish centers, rim protectors. I doubt that works defensively or offensively.

All this team will ever do is shoot contested midrange jumpers because there's no space inside.

[Axel]

Walton wasn't athletic or quick. Way below Kareem as athlete. Can't picture Walton as PF.

Not a shooter either.

This team starts 2 slowish centers, rim protectors. I doubt that works defensively or offensively.

All this team will ever do is shoot contested midrange jumpers because there's no space inside.

Walton certainly seems quick enough to hang with McHale though (which is what Maury said was the plan, so your point about him not being athletic enough for Kareem seems off base). McHale doesn't scream "athletic" PF, so Walton seems to fit.

[BobLoblaw]

Hehe, well, i can't reply anymore.

[Axel]

All this team will ever do is shoot contested midrange jumpers because there's no space inside.

Currently leaning Maury, because even if this is true, MJ, DrJ and Zeke can make those.

I think Penny struggles mightily vs Zeke and that is currently tipping the balance imo

[Joey]

I think Bob matches up nicely against Maury. Nice defense and shooting balance for Bob. Tough choice though.

[Axel]

Tight match. Few hours left to vote.

[e_wheazhy_]

I Vote Maury

[BobLoblaw]

Walton certainly seems quick enough to hang with McHale though (which is what Maury said was the plan, so your point about him not being athletic enough for Kareem seems off base). McHale doesn't scream "athletic" PF, so Walton seems to fit.

To clarify here what I meant with that Kareem sentence. I was just using Kareem to paint a picture, so to speak, since I think he's much more known/ seen than Walton. Kareem was a pure center, Walton was a slow pure center.

I was about to use modern comparisons there, but I decided it's a bit too shaky to do when there's a word limit. Everyone can open up a game and see him play Kareem, no one can see him play modern players.

I'd say he's definitely taller and less mobile than Valanciunas. He's a slowish tall rim protector. In 1977 finals he didn't even make it across halfcourt on offensive possessions a lot of the time, not much of a runner and his main job was to stay around the rim.

I didn't mean to compare Kareem and McHale, I just meant to say Walton's a slow player and pairing him with another really slow player is going to end badly. Yao alone could be liability in certain defensive situations because of his lack of speed.

I think it's like starting two Hibberts, one might be ok and you can drop him back and cover for his mobility with a good scheme. Two Hibberts, it's going to be impossible to cover. People will want to switch, attack them in pick and rolls. Big numbers advantage on both ends of a floor for a few seconds, while slow giants jog across.

---

As far as McHale, I'd say he was a solid athlete, he wasn't challenged athletically, he was mobile and could jump fine. The Celtics would often ask him to defend people like Nique or Worthy, athletic small forwards / small power forwards, to save Bird on defense. He probably scored more off simple athletic plays and putbacks than off his post up game. He was a fine athlete, just not a Shawn Kemp or Charles Barkley level athlete.

[Maury]

To clarify here what I meant with that Kareem sentence. I was just using Kareem to paint a picture, so to speak, since I think he's much more known/ seen than Walton. Kareem was a pure center, Walton was a slow pure center.

I was about to use modern comparisons there, but I decided it's a bit too shaky to do when there's a word limit. Everyone can open up a game and see him play Kareem, no one can see him play modern players.

I'd say he's definitely taller and less mobile than Valanciunas. He's a slowish tall rim protector. In 1977 finals he didn't even make it across halfcourt on offensive possessions a lot of the time, not much of a runner and his main job was to stay around the rim.

I didn't mean to compare Kareem and McHale, I just meant to say Walton's a slow player and pairing him with another really slow player is going to end badly. Yao alone could be liability in certain defensive situations because of his lack of speed.

I think it's like starting two Hibberts, one might be ok and you can drop him back and cover for his mobility with a good scheme. Two Hibberts, it's going to be impossible to cover. People will want to switch, attack them in pick and rolls. Big numbers advantage on both ends of a floor for a few seconds, while slow giants jog across.

---

As far as McHale, I'd say he was a solid athlete, he wasn't challenged athletically, he was mobile and could jump fine. The Celtics would often ask him to defend people like Nique or Worthy, athletic small forwards / small power forwards, to save Bird on defense. He probably scored more off simple athletic plays and putbacks than off his post up game. He was a fine athlete, just not a Shawn Kemp or Charles Barkley level athlete.

He was as athletic as any centre, and incredibly mobile. At his peak, he rivals the likes of Kareem and Russel for greatest centre of all time. He was the ultimate impact player and could do it all, and would do it all for his team to win. He would hang back on defence when his team went on a fast break in case the other team got a fast break, which was a smart play and worked all the time for him. He was anything but a slow rim-protector.

[e_wheazhy_]

He wouldn't make it past half court because he threw pin point outlet passes, his team was fast and liked to run, they usually scored before he even needed to get there