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Francisco Elson over Steve Francis -- ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!
You're right about one thing: You are about the only person I know who would take Francisco Elson on your Class of '99 team over Steve Francis -- which, quite frankly, would be a certifiably insane decision. The talent and production gap between Francis and Elson is so large that there is no way you could justify taking Elson.
Given the depth of this class and the fact there really is no quality big man in that group, just go with the best 12 players. I personally would pick this group:
PG: Baron Davis
SG: Rip Hamilton
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Lamar Odom
C: Elton Brand
BENCH: Ron Artest, Steve Francis, Manu Ginobili, Andrei Kirilenko, Corey Maggette, Andre Miller, Jason Terry.
Yeah, it's an undersized group. But people forget that Brand is perennially one of the league's top rebounders (10.6, sixth among active players) and shot-blockers (2.1, 9th). He's a better option than players like Elson and Jeff Foster at this position, and certainly better than what the Class of 2000 can offer.
With Odom and Marion at forwards, you have a pair of exceptional rebounders (Marion's career average of 10.1 is seventh among active players; Odom's 8.9 is 10th) who can score. Marion is an above-average defender who also is a great shot-blocker for a small forward (career average: 1.3 per game) and is third among active players in steals per game (1.9). Odom is an exceptional ball-handler and passer (career average of 4.4 assists per game) for a 6-foot-10 player.
And before his game went into the toilet, Francis was an exceptional rebounder from the point guard slot (career average: 5.4 rebounds per game, to go with 18.1 points and 6 assists), while Davis is not too shabby in that department (4.1). With Davis, Francis, Miller and Terry coupled with Odom, this should be a good passing and transition team.
Ginobili has been coming off the bench for San Antonio for the past two seasons, so I would apply that here by starting Hamilton and making Ginobili my sixth man. With Brand, Marion, Artest and Kirilenko, you have the core for a very good defensive team. Davis has led the NBA in steals per game twice and is second in that category this season. Terry and Francis can man both guard positions.
And to put it bluntly, the Class of '99 team will beat the Class of 2000 team so badly that Social Services would have to intervene. The 2000 draft was one of the worst drafts in modern NBA history (the only one that is close is the Class of 1971). I would make one tweak with the group and start Jamal Crawford (a starting combo guard) at point guard over Speedy Claxton (a career backup), but it's not going to make a difference because the '99 crew has so much better talent and depth.
FINAL SCORE: Class of '99 130, Class of 2000 82.
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"(Mike) Tyson got a bad rap. He's NEVER messed with anyone outside of boxing. ... What normal person has Tyson blown up on?"
TRAGEDY, who made arguably the most inexplicable quote of 2008.
Last edited by Najee : 04-14-2008 at 04:05 PM.
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