Assemble a starting 5 that can defeat this lineup.

Woodrow

Woodrow

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cobra said:
moreover, this team is really easy to beat....just have good interior defense and force them to shoot from the outside
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How in the world is stopping Lebron, MJ, Kobe and Shaq (with Magic and Lebron setting the table, no less) from getting whatever they want inside, whenever they want, “easy”?

:camby:
 
Sunalmighty

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Rhakim said:
I was going to say the team was unbeatable, but I realized the weaknesses.



That's the exact reason that team WOULD have a chance at getting beat. :russ:

Detroit knew that in 2004. You gotta get the alphas grumpy at each other. Shaq and LeBron are the most efficient scorers on that team, so they should get their touches, but Jordan and Kobe are both high-volume shooters who hate deferring. Jordan never played alongside anyone getting even 17 shots/game, Kobe through his prime never had another perimeter scorer who put up more than 14 shots/game. They're gonna be wanting to get theirs bad.

The second weakness is the lack of three-point shooting. There ain't a single elite three-baller in the whole squad. 3s are worth more than 2s. If the other team is hitting 40+% of their threes, you have to make 60+% of your own shots to keep up. That's not easy, especially if Kobe is pressing to get his.

So taking a page from the 2004 Pistons' playbook on defense and running the 1995 Rockets' system on offense, here's what you do.

Steph
Klay
Pippen
Durant
Hakeem

Hakeem will handle Shaq, Durant/Pippen/Klay have to take turns on LeBron (cause you always want to be giving him different looks on defense), Klay and Pippen take turns guarding Jordan. The secret is covering Kobe with Steph. Kobe KNOWS he can own Steph, especially shooting over him. But Kobe shooting from deep is pretty much the lowest-percentage play a team like that could possibly run, especially since Kobe is very streaky on the three-ball. So whoever is guarding Magic on any particular play is always going to be ready to help off of him if Kobe begins to post Steph up down low, and Hakeem/Durant will protect the rim just fine. Kobe gonna eat Steph up but he's going to be doing it all from outside. So even if Kobe averages 35ppg on 45% shooting and 35% from three, he's actually hurting his team because Jordan/LeBron/Shaq would all be way more efficient than that if they were getting the shots.

Meanwhile on offense, you've set yourself up ideally because Steph and Hakeem are great alpha scorers, but they can work the inside/outside game well and they both are great passers who don't mind giving the ball up at all. Pippen gives you a second ballhandler who is comfortable in a beta role and doesn't need to score (but who can if they try to hide a weak defender like Magic on him), while Klay and Durant are ultra-elite beta shooters who don't mind working off-ball and getting the shots they get.

Jordan and Kobe have to guard Steph and Klay so you tire them running around screens all day (more so Jordan, you almost WANT Kobe to expend his energy on offense), and no matter who Magic is guarding you force switches to put him on Steph and then just have Steph abuse him. Hakeem showed in the 1995 Finals that he can put up big numbers on Shaq, but he doesn't even need to with all those three-ball shooters. Shaq can score on Hakeem too, but he won't get dominant touches with Jordan/Kobe/LeBron on the same team.

It's all about the chemistry. I think my lineup has better chemistry and fewer weaknesses to exploit, and the three is worth more than two.
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Detroit Pistons tried that with the Jordan rules with much more PHYSICAL play and it didn't work.
 
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