RollWithEm

Depth Charts:

Nets
PG Jason Kidd (36)/ Chauncey Billups (12)
SG Ray Allen (30)/ Earl Monroe (18)
SF Ron Artest (36)/ Andre Iguodala (12)
PF Kevin McHale (32)/ Horace Grant (16)
C Wilt Chamberlain (40)/ Andrew Bynum (8)

Heat
PG Penny Hardaway (36)/Dwyane Wade (2)/Tim Hardaway (8)
SG Dwyane Wade (36)/Michael Redd (12)
SF Kevin Durant (36)/Peja Stojakovic (12)
PF Dave Cowens (26)/Elton Brand (20)/Kevin Durant (2)
C Shaquille O’Neal (38)/Dave Cowens (4)/Tyson Chandler (6)

__________________
But that's just me.

Knick Killer

The Heat by a hair.

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Diophantos

Roster
G Penny Hardaway, 95-96: 22 ppg, 4 rpg, 7 apg, 2 spg, TS% 60.5, PER 24.6, All-NBA 1st team
G Dwyane Wade, 08-09: 30 ppg, 5 rpg, 8 apg, 2 spg, 1 bpg, TS% 57.4, PER 30.4, All-NBA 1st team, All-D 2nd team
G Tim Hardaway, 90-91: 23 ppg, 4 rpg 10 apg, 3 spg, 38.5 3p%, PER 20.9
G Michael Redd, 05-06: 25 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 163 3pm at 40% 3-point shooting, PER 21.2
F Kevin Durant, 11-12: 28 ppg, 8 rpg, 4 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg 50%/39%/86% shooting, TS% 61.0, PER 26.2, All-NBA 1st team
F Peja Stojakovic, 03-04: 24 ppg, 6 rpg, 240 3pm at 43%, TS% 62.4, PER 21.8, All-NBA 2nd team
F Elton Brand, 05-06: 25 ppg, 10 rpg, 2.5 bpg, TS% 58, PER 26.5, All-NBA 2nd team
F-C Dave Cowens, 72-73: 21 ppg, 16 rpg, 4 apg, NBA MVP
C Tyson Chandler, 11-12: 11 ppg, 10 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 68% shooting, NBA DPoY
C Shaquille O'Neal, 99-00: 30 ppg, 14 rpg, 57% shooting, PER 30.6, NBA MVP, NBA finals MVP

This is definitely a marquee matchup: Shaq vs. Wilt, and two similarly built teams with lots of shooters around the dominant big men. I think the centers play each other close, and both teams’ shooters knock down outside shots off the big men’s passing.

The glass will be a tough and important battle in this series; Wilt was a better overall rebounder than Shaq, but I think Shaq’s size and Cowens’ and Chandler’s activity can keep him from going crazy. The Heat have rebounding advantages at the 4, 3, and 2 that can help swing it in their favor and keep Brooklyn from getting out in transition.

But the absolutely crucial difference, for me, is the attacking wings that Miami has in Wade, Penny and Durant. I see pretty much one perimeter player on Brooklyn who can get to the rim, draw defenders, and both dish and finish (Monroe). Miami has three in the starting lineup alone. This makes a huge difference in terms of putting fouls on Wilt and forcing him to move to contest defensively, opening up lanes to feed Shaq for dunks and alley-oops. In addition, the Wade/Durant pick and roll I mentioned in a previous matchup (with Shaq lurking and another shooter on the wing) is a wrinkle that I don’t think Brooklyn has an answer for defensively (or a real analogue of offensively). Artest is a good defender, but this year in the playoffs against LA Durant averaged 27 ppg on 52% shooting and 39% three-point shooting, so I’m not sure he’s really an answer against that play.

I know I would definitely pay to watch this matchup, and I think Miami can pull it out.

__________________

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master— that's all."

Legends Draft - Miami Heat
PG Penny Hardaway / Tim Hardaway
SG Dwyane Wade / Michael Redd
SF Kevin Durant / Peja Stojakovic
PF Dave Cowens / Elton Brand
C Shaquille O'Neal / Tyson Chandler

e-monk

I think Wilt outclasses Shaq who perhaps in the first and only time in his career finds himself dealing with someone who is not only at least as strong as him but vastly more athletic and skilled and whose conditioning allows him to run Shaq off the floor

peak Artest is a good match-up for Durant, McHale's bag of post tricks has Cowens (who was foul prone anyway) sitting

the nets have better D, better distributors and better floor scoring balance

RollWithEm

I know this is a silly thing to say, given that Wade and Shaq obviously won a championship together, but I think this team would be better off with a shooter/defensive specialist in place of DWade. Penny, Durant, and Cowens is an unbelievably solid 3 to surround Shaq with, but if that 4th guy was a lesser player who just fit better like Sidney Moncreif or even someone like a Bruce Bowen... the Heat might be my favorite team in the league. As it stands now, though, I think Ray Ray, McHale, Pearl, and Wilt would be too much for them.

__________________
But that's just me.

Diophantos

Obviously I don't agree with this; I guess we just have different philosophies. I think it's crucial to have elite perimeter playmakers and slashers at multiple positions, especially in a league like this. It keeps defenses from loading up on one or two guys, stifling ball movement, and it gives me multiple avenues to creatively get the ball inside to Shaq or outside to shooters. Honestly, I consider it a mistake to have a lot of defensive-minded role players in a league like this--it makes you easier to guard and I don't think even the best perimeter defenders have a great effect on the types of offensive players around here. (Big men are another story.)

Of course Moncrief and Bowen are better man defenders than Wade, but Wade has a big impact defensively himself and gives my offense another dimension completely.

__________________

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master— that's all."

Legends Draft - Miami Heat
PG Penny Hardaway / Tim Hardaway
SG Dwyane Wade / Michael Redd
SF Kevin Durant / Peja Stojakovic
PF Dave Cowens / Elton Brand
C Shaquille O'Neal / Tyson Chandler