Space Jam 1.5: An All-Star Draft
Eric Chen and Kenneth Chan duke it out to assemble the team that’ll save the world
Eric: Ay, check up!
Eric bounces the ball to Kenny
Kenny: 10-all, your ball, game point.
Kenny bounces the ball back to Eric.
Eric jab steps to the right but Kenny isn’t fooled. Eric throws up a pump fake as if he’s shooting the ball but Kenny remains diligent in his defense. He jab steps again and notices the tiniest hesitation in Kenny’s eyes. Immediately, Eric crosses up Kenny from right to left and blows by him. As Eric nears the elbow, he feels Kenny attached to his hip — having recovered from the blow-by.
Like clockwork, Eric stops on a dime and unleashes the HESI PULL-UP JIMBO move that only REAL ballers know. As the ball is launched over Kenny’s outstretched hands, Eric can see his hoist is dead-on. As he lands, Eric throws the words of Knicks legend Rasheed Wallace in Kenny’s face:
Eric: BALL DON’T LIE!
Out of nowhere — before the ball even reaches the basket — the pavement tremors and both players are thrown to the ground. As they gather their bearings, they look up to find a strange-looking alien ship has landed on the court.
As the door to the ship opens, out steps the Monstars.
Monstar 1: FINALLY! We could’ve arrived 3 days earlier if you would have just stopped and asked for directions.
Kenny: [bravely] HEY! What are you guys doing back here?
Monstar 2: We’re back to take over the world!
Eric: Yeah? We’ll play you for it!
Eric & Kenny proceed to get destroyed 11–0 by the Monstars.
Kenny: [hands on his knees] No fair! We’re just 2 smol Asian boys.
Monstar 1: Fair enough. We’ll give you three days to assemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes™ and meet back here. We’ll play a full-court 48-minute game for the fate of the Earth.
Monstars leave.
Eric: [claps his hands together] Easy, I know exactly who to put on the team.
Kenny: Whoa hold on — I may look to be in my late 20’s, but I’m actually an old soul who knows way more about basketball than you. I am Earth’s last chance.
Eric: [offended] Fine. We’ll hold tryouts then and the winning team will play for THE FATE OF THE EARTH.
The Rules
- One game, winner-takes-all
- NBA rules apply
- We take turns drafting our teams based on the All-Star lineups (same draft rules apply)
- Each captain receives one Wild Card pick
- Eric is Team Giannis and Kenny is Team LeBron
- Each captain will make the case for why their team is better
- A Turnover guest star (Robert Hwang) will choose the winner (and Earth’s savior)
Rosters
Team Kenny
Starters:
LeBron James (Captain)
Paul George (1)
James Harden (4)
Kawhi Leonard(5)
Kemba Walker (8)
Nikola Jokic (2)
Klay Thompson (3)
Karl-Anthony Towns (6)
Khris Middleton (7)
LaMarcus Aldridge (10)
Kyle Lowry (11)
Nikola Vucevic (14)
Dwyane Wade (15)
Rudy Gobert — Wild Card (17)
Team Eric
Starters:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Captain)
Kevin Durant (2)
Stephen Curry (3)
Kyrie Irving (6)
Joel Embiid (7)
Anthony Davis (1)
Russell Westbrook (4)
Bradley Beal (5)
Ben Simmons (8)
Damian Lillard (9)
Blake Griffin (12)
D’Angelo Russell (13)
Dirk Nowitzki (16)
Jrue Holiday—Wild Card (18)
The Debate
What was your pre-draft strategy?
Kenny
My strategy was simple — focus in on defense. In a competitive all-star game, there’s no need to have that many primary scoring options; there simply isn’t enough shots to go around. Secondly, I want LeBron James focusing his energy on doing what he does best: breaking down defenses, getting into the paint, and getting the ball to open shooters on the perimeter — so I targeted and took Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. They’re really the only two dominant wing defenders amongst the all-star player pool, can defend multiple positions, shoot from the perimeter, and are willing to defer to LeBron.
Eric
It was harder than I thought putting together a cohesive strategy. In the end, I simply split all the players into tiers and ranked each player within their tier. Similar to fantasy football or basketball drafts, the unknown variable of what my opponent would do makes it hard to come up with a game plan and stick to it. Case in point, Kenny chose Paul George with his very first pick and I almost fell out of my chair. Not to hate on PG — who has had an incredible year and is in the mix for MVP — but (IMO) 3 of the top 5 players in the league were still on the draft board (KD, Curry, Harden). Either way, I deviated from my pre-planned strategy and chose KD with my first pick. As a lil man, I still have nightmares of the time LeBron & KD trapped Steph Curry in the final seconds of last year’s all star game:
But to replace LeBron in that scenario with ANOTHER 7-footer?? That’s a fuckin’ Nightmare on Elm Street sequel in the making.
Verdict
Robert: This comes down to the big men, Generational Unicorns Embiid and Davis. Eric’s team will have one on the court at all times. KD and Curry are some of the most offensive-talented players ever AND Curry makes everyone around him better with his gravity. Top gravity player ever.*
*Not scientifically-backed.
Winner: Eric
What are your rotations?
Kenny
Eric skipped over James Harden to snag Kevin Durant, so I felt like I couldn’t pass on a 40-point-per-game scorer — despite my initial strategy to focus on defenders. I’m gonna bench him, because that way he can shoot as many off-the-dribble threes when LeBron takes a break. That’s right, James Harden is my sixth man.
Instead, I’m inserting Kyle Lowry in as my starting point guard. He’s willing to facilitate and give up some of his shots, and he’s a tough defender — someone’s gonna have to chase Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving around the court. His three point shooting this year hasn’t been as sharp, but I trust him to get the job done.
Klay gets the start at shooting guard. I thought about going big with Paul George in this spot, but for whatever reason Eric has drafted a bunch of sub-6’4” guards. I’m thinking Klay is just a little more mobile and adept at defending some of these smaller guys like Westbrook, Beal, or Lillard. Also, unlike James Harden, Klay is actually used to shooting catch-and-shoot threes this year — 2.4 a game at 39%. LeBron will ensure that he will feast.
Paul George and LeBron James are my starting forwards. Not much else needs to be said about LeBron. Imagine last year’s Cleveland LeBron except his supporting cast isn’t a lackluster Kevin Love and Jordan Clarkson. Paul George gets the start over Kawhi for reasons similar to Klay; he’s killing it as a spot-up shooter this year, hitting 41% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Center is where things get a little dicey for me as I lost out on snagging Embiid because I went for Harden, and Eric wisely drafted Anthony Davis with the first reserve pick. I have great offensive options in Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns, but I’ve decided to play it conservatively and insert my wild card pick Rudy Gobert to ensure things are stable on the defensive end. Gobert won’t stretch the floor like the other two, but he’ll be capable of at least providing some sort of defensive presence against Embiid and Davis.
As I mentioned earlier, James Harden is the first man off the bench, leading the second unit, which consists of Kawhi Leonard, Khris Middleton, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Kawhi provides additional defense and versatility, Middleton a shooter and creator, and Towns both stretches the floor and provides interior presence. But I’m also looking to play Harden and Gobert next to each other so Gobert can throw down some lobs a la Clint Capela.
Eric
At Point Guard, Steph Curry is my GUY. There’s not a lot that needs to be said about the 2-time MVP that hasn’t been said already. Curry morphs the geometry of my team (as he does any team) because of the gravity his presence commands. Nobody’s sagging off the greatest shooter of all-time to play help D. In fact, Curry won’t even be my primary ball handler. Instead, I’ll have him running around screens, setting off-ball screens for others (he’s a surprisingly great screener), and still run the occasional pick & roll with Durant/Giannis/AD. On defense, Steph is a solid team defender — about all you can ask for from a PG in today’s NBA. Most importantly, Steph will be great for team chemistry. Not many all-time players would be okay with taking a semi-step back in their absolute prime (letting KD mesh with the team, losing Finals MVP twice, etc.). Steph Curry is all about the W. Another way to think about it, Steph Curry is probably one of three guys in the NBA that can single-handedly win a game if he gets hot. In a winner-take-all scenario, I’m trusting Curry to put up video game numbers.
At the two, I’m actually moving Kyrie to the bench. Kyrie’s an all-time scorer who has vastly improved at playmaking & defense this year. With that, he’s a perfect microwave option off the bench that can run my second unit. Instead, I’m moving my wild-card pick, Jrue Holiday, to the starting line-up. Here’s why: every team needs a glue guy and he’s ours. Zach Lowe’s recent player profile portrays Holiday as a hard-nosed player whose primary concern is the defense he’s playing. At 6’4, Holiday will be slightly undersized but he’s strong as a bull and will have no problem running around with Kemba/Thompson on the perimeter as well as bodying up Harden/Kawhi/etc in ISO situations. More importantly, Holiday is perfectly happy as the 4th or 5th scoring option on my team — another plus for team chemistry.
At the three and the four, I’ll have KD and Giannis (interchangeable). Here, I have 2 long-boi 7-footers with guard skills. Giannis will be the primary ball-handler on my team. Can you imagine the Greek Freak running at you full speed in transition with Curry/KD in the corners? In the half court, I’ll have Giannis playing the roll-man with one of my guards. If you’re having a hard time picturing my team, just replace Draymond Green with Giannis in the current iteration of their team. Giannis is a superior scoring option and has the ability to sling cross court passes to Steph, KD, Holiday, etc. In KD, I have arguably the most complete offensive player in NBA history. He’s a player our team can just throw the ball to if we need a bucket. However, unlike his Thunder days, KD is now an off-ball threat whether he’s setting screens, coming off pin-downs, or just spacing the floor. More importantly, on defense, I now have ultimate size on my team. KD is slightly overrated as an on-ball defender but he’s a great help defender. Giannis remains a DPOY candidate this season. Kenny has great passers on his team but I’d like to see even prime Jason Kidd threading passes around two long-boi 7-footers in the front court.
Last but not least, I’ll have AD starting at the five (instead of Embiid). Embiid is a great player in his own right, but starting AD unlocks a flexibility on my team that allows us to be dominant. With AD, I have additional rim protection (along with pseudo rim protectors KD/Giannis) and incredible finishing ability on pick and rolls/transition. Prior to our wild-card picks, I identified the five as Kenny’s biggest weakness. Not to say Jokic & KAT aren’t great players in their own right, but that’s BBQ chicken for AD and Embiid. I have a sneaking suspicion that Kenny will move Gobert to his starting line-up. A great adjustment by him but Gobert is a 7’2 center whose greatest value is protecting the rim from drivers/slashers. What’s Gobert going to do when Davis is spacing the floor with his jump-shot? What’s Gobert going to do if he gets switched onto Curry or KD up top? On offense, Gobert is a serviceable roll-man but what other offensive skills does he provide besides that? It’ll be easy to match Giannis up on him. Gobert has no serviceable strength advantage over Giannis and it will unlock Giannis’ max potential in being a help defender.
Off the bench, I’ll have Kyrie/Ben Simmons/Embiid as a bench mob. Simmons & Embiid have chemistry already being on the same NBA team and Kyrie has the ability to play off-ball with Simmons, who possesses incredible court vision and great ball-handling. On Defense, Simmons will be a terror with his switchability and KAT/Jokic won’t be able to buy a bucket against Embiid.
Verdict
Robert: I think Kenny’s team has more versatile wings: PG, Kawhi, Klay, Lebron, and Middleton all fit the really long and annoying wing players who can guard anyone when they are locked in. Eric only has two of these guys: KD and Giannis. This proves to be the key to the rotations as any lineup becomes cohesive with these guys. Also big depth is better as Kenny brings in DPOY Rudy Gobert to spell the bigs. All in all, Eric’s rotations leave his lineups a bit smaller as he has a shit-ton of guards and not enough minutes. (Is Ben Simmons gonna play the three? XD).
Winner: Kenny
Who is your team’s X-factor?
Kenny
Surprisingly — not LeBron! It’s the veteran Dwyane Wade, providing vocal support and leadership at the end of the bench. We’ve got the super best friends on the team, and it’ll only create a positive locker room culture and do wonders for team chemistry. Remember, LeBron is the reason why Dwyane Wade will eat fish.
Also, Dwyane Wade is dirty as hell, so I can also throw him out there to throw and elbow or try to sprain Kevin Durant’s ankle.
Eric
Jrue Holiday, absolutely. Even though I have a bunch of great team defenders, my wild-card pick is the only great on-ball defender on my team. Holiday will serve as a good secondary (or even tertiary) scoring/playmaker but when I NEED a stop on the defensive end, he’s who I’ll turn to.
Verdict
Alex: Going to have to override whatever thoughtful verdict Robert came up with…
Winner: Kenny
What is your team’s play style?
Kenny
On offense, it’s simple. Put the ball in LeBron’s hands and watch the four-time MVP work. You can’t collapse on him because a murderer’s row of shooters of Klay, George, and Lowry (Okay, admittedly Lowry isn’t on the same level as the other two) are waiting on the perimeter. He’ll just hit Gobert for the lob if you leave him too. Or maybe, we throw Karl-Anthony Towns out there instead, and you’ve got four knockdown shooters and the modern-day GOAT.
LeBron gets tired? No problem. Get the ball to Paul George, or better yet, James Harden. The same principles are at play, except James Harden has Kawhi Leonard and Khris Middleton to work with instead of Eric Gordon. You give him the ball and get out of the way. There is no one on Eric’s team — nada, zero, zilch — that can guard James Harden. Take as many step-back threes as you please.
Defensively, this is a lengthy and versatile squad. Giannis and Durant will be problems, yes, but we have three guys with seven-foot wingspans to throw at them: Kawhi, Paul George, and Khris Middleton. We’re gonna play aggressively, attacking pick-and-rolls because Gobert is waiting for you down in the paint. We can switch too, ensuring no easy looks at the perimeter. Klay will prove to be the superior Splash Brother by shutting down Steph.
Eric
One of the greatest advantages of my team is that we have multiple play styles (similar to that of the Warriors). We can run a pace & space system with players running off screens and bombing threes from all over the court. How can you plan a defensive strategy when you don’t know who’s getting the ball on a possession? It’s also true that in crunch time, the game slows down. In cases like these where off-ball movement isn’t working, I have three of the top bucket getters in the NBA with Kyrie, KD, and Embiid.
Taking one look at Kenny’s team, I’d guess that they’ll run an ISO game through LeBron/Harden with shooting. On paper, it’s a strategy and play style that’s easier to gameplan for. I know who will have the ball and I know where the pass will go. In reality, it’ll be much harder to stop. To be clear, stick LeBron/Harden with four shooters (let alone all-stars) and that’s a team that could potentially win the finals. Is that a play style that maximizes team potential though? A your-turn-my-turn offense? Does it keep other players on the team in rhythm? Do players try their absolute hardest on D knowing that there’s a 60% chance they’ll just be spotting up in the corner? My team’s players complement each other and maximizes their potential.
Verdict
Robert: Eric’s team seems stronger to me in a one-game winner-takes-all scenario. I could see over the course of a season, Kenny’s team winning out because of his superior lineup versatility. Like Golden State right now, Curry is just the single greatest game changer. His ability to make everyone’s life on offense a bit easier makes him the ultimate buff to the team. Add on proven crunch time finals performers in KD and Kyrie, and they edge out Harden, Lebron, and Kawhi.
Winner: Eric
What is your team’s biggest strength? Biggest weakness?
Kenny
Our strengths, I’ve talked about — shooting, length, and defense. I’ll admit that our biggest weakness is that we aren’t that big. Last year’s finals run by Cleveland reminded us that despite narratives of the modern-NBA switchability and small-ball centers, size still matters. Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson absolutely bullied the Toronto Raptors into submission. The two players I’m scared of the most are the two big men: Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. Sure, I’ve got the Steiffel Tower, but I also have no true power forward. I’ve put my trust that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are versatile enough to bang in the paint.
Eric
I’ve already touched on my team’s ability to play multiple styles on offense. To go along with that, I think my team’s greatest strength is our chemistry. Because we can play multiple styles, everybody brings something to the table. Curry is as happy running off screens as he is breaking ankles and launching a stepback 3. Embiid will happily dig in on D if he gets one or two bully ball possessions on O. KD has already proven he’ll sacrifice his own numbers to win. The list goes on and on of proven guys that will take a step back to get the W.
My team’s true weakness is the lack of top on-ball defenders. I really only have Jrue Holiday to pair up against some of the top ISO scorers in the league (LeBron/Harden/Kawhi). When the going gets tough, I’m a little worried about who’s getting us defensive stops on a possession-per-possession basis. That being said, in a game with the world’s greatest players, 1-on-1 defense means very little on a majority of the possessions. I’ll rely on my team’s help defensive and switchability.
Verdict
Robert: Once again in a winner-takes-all one game situation, the closing five matter the most on a court. Who are your best five players? Although I’m betting against GOAT challenger Lebron and a finals MVP in Kawhi Leonard, I have to give it to the team with more Warriors players. :’( Eric’s team has more generational talents in Giannis, KD, Curry, Kyrie, Embiid/AD. I trust these guys to get the job done in crunch time against Kenny’s probable crunch time lineup of LBJ, PG, Harden, Kawhi, and KAT/Gobert.
Winner: Eric
Final Verdict
There you have it, The Turnover has decided that when the Monstars attack, this is the team we’re sending out:
Team Eric
Starters:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Captain)
Kevin Durant (2)
Stephen Curry (3)
Kyrie Irving (6)
Joel Embiid (7)
Anthony Davis (1)
Russell Westbrook (4)
Bradley Beal (5)
Ben Simmons (8)
Damian Lillard (9)
Blake Griffin (12)
D’Angelo Russell (13)
Dirk Nowitzki (16)
Jrue Holiday — Wild Card (18)
Bonus: Additional Shit-talking from Eric
Now…let’s take a look at Kenny’s team. First up, we have James Harden. Sure — incredible season thus far, incredible shot-making, etc, but I’ve also witnessed Harden give up on his team in the playoffs. When the going gets tough, are you sure Harden is going to give it his 100? I think all the “Kawhi is a robot jokes” are played out but it’s clear he’s not gonna be a giant + when it comes to team chemistry. Lastly, we have LeBron — aptly titled “The King”. Could I argue instead that LeBron is “The King of Passive-Aggression”? When was the last time LeBron’s teammates weren’t worried about getting traded? LeGM might replace the end of Kenny’s bench with Mike Miller & James Jones. What’s the over/under on LeBron sub-tweeting at KAT to stop “fitting out” and “fit in”? Even right now, there’s about an 80% chance LeBron is lobbying for Kenny to get fired as we speak.
As a reminder, this one-game winner-takes-all scenario takes place in a make-believe world where Kenny & I are pitted against each other. In my mind, our very lives would depend on the outcome of the game.
I reiterate this point because Kenny will have you believe that I lack wing size on my team. I, however, believe this to be untrue. In fact, I believe the very opposite. The two wing players on my team are THE biggest wings in the league (KD/Giannis). What I actually lack is wing DEPTH. And to that argument, I respond with a big “who cares?” You can bet that if my life depended on it, Giannis and KD are playing almost all 48 minutes. Every time the playoffs roll around, we are all reminded that bench depth means very little in crunch time. What matters is that your top five players are better than the other team’s top five players. That being said, I’d like to see Kawhi, LeBron, and PG guard KD/Kawhi. To be clear, Kawhi/PG grade out as the top on-ball defenders in the NBA today, but these guys are 6’8 guarding 7 FOOTERS. They may get 2 or 3 stops every 10 possessions but they lack the size to out-guard and out-rebound my front-court.
Words by Eric Chen and Kenneth Chan, and featuring Guest Judge Robert Hwang.
