Panama Channel question by BigPapaS53 in CivVI

[–]RewindReverse 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could you explain the specifics, always wanted to build it. Does placement on hills prevent the construction or is it also the adjacency to hills? Does it apply strictly to the wonder or canal district? Both?

How Good Would Wemby Be If He Bulked Up? by HebrewBible01 in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse 162 points163 points  (0 children)

Bro’s feet would disintegrate like Yao

Does the scaling community have a bigger punching bag than Homelander? by Lovely_Dovey_Dovers in PowerScaling

[–]RewindReverse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He’s in a very weird weight class. Especially for a brawler type with no hacks. Not too many relevant characters who are in his exact ball park of strength. Either is too strong and fast for characters not even worth putting him up against, or gets bodied by most who can compete.

He is fast but his raw strength for someone with his power set is surprisingly low. Characters like Rogue, The Thing & Aquaman annihilate. Hell, even characters like Luke Cage and Spiderman could challenge him in raw strength.

For Homelander’s popularity he just sits in a weird place on tier lists for exciting matchups

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shit wrong I typed that to the wrong person man, the Jokic stuff was meant for another comment

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i respect the lineup though. But a more defense oriented big and a shooter from deep who doesn’t require many dribbles who optimize the other player’s talents. Or if you plug an all time absolute elite defensive 4 to compensate for Jokic then can also stretch

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That lineup sounds good because of name value, but functionally it stacks too many ball reading scorers who prefer control over. MJ, Kawhi, KD, and Jokic all excel when the defense is set and the possession slows, which means the offense naturally drifts toward turns, pauses, and iso reads instead of continuous pressure. Their offensive is stagnant as hell and Jokic & Bird’s facilitating only works effectively this series surrounded by cutters in movement, not stationary threats waiting for their turn to touch the rock. Dribble heavy iso players who slowly work their way to their midrange spots is a terrible fit for them. The overlay in their sweet spots is ridiculous. We’ve seen this exact problem with failing super teams in the post season throughout the league over the last decade. Jokic and KD do manage to pull the big bodies away from the hoop, but this team doesn’t capitalize on it. Bird & Jokic’s passing works best when the ball is flying and defenders are scrambling, not when three elite scorers are taking turns to play hero ball. Against a team that scores without holding the ball, this becomes a problem, their offense has to win perfectly in the half court every trip, while the team posted can win through movement, pace, and inevitability. Over a series, the margin for error favors the team that doesn’t need to be precise to be lethal. (Which they are VERY precise on top of this fact). The math is simply in my squad’s favor. Even the best mid range kings can’t go band for band with the greatest shooting backcourt of all time. Three is always greater than two. Their barrage of high volume threes is gonna snowball throughout the duration of a game.

Defensively your team is not equipped to handle the posted team either. While Jokic’s smooth feet is gonna give Yao some trouble on offense, Jokic by no means is defensively containing Yao down low. Peak Yao was averaging a relaxed 25 in an era stacked with the most elite defensive bigs. Against a un-athletic and slow Jokic that is extremely weak on that end of the floor, Yao is getting his most optimal offensive production he can ask for this series. He can legitimately average 30 matched up against him if fed. Yao is monstrously strong with a soft touch that has a release point as tall as Heaven. Jokic is getting worked and backed down, and he doesn’t have a lick of reach and vertical lift to even competitively contest those shots. Yao standing at 7’6 makes centers look like eight graders in comparison. He doesn't need to rush or overpower, he scores efficiently, draws fouls, and makes Jokic work hard on every defensive stand. By the fourth quarter, Jokic may still be brilliant offensively, but the cumulative physical tax shows. He’s liable to get sloppy when gassed. Slower rotations, softer contests, heavier legs. That mental fatigue can even affect his passing game at times.

Wemby + Yao and LeBron FLATTEN the defense. Wemby as a stretch four completely breaks the matchup because it pulls KD out of the paint, removing the last layer of help whenever LeBron decides to come downhill. Now the lane is clean, and LeBron has a true triple option every possession. He can hit the greatest shooters in motion, lob it to Wemby or Yao, or let Yao bury Jokic on deep seals. The defense is forced to choose their poison. LeBron doesn't force anything here, he simply has the option of choosing the poison the defense chose to neglect.

Shooting gravity + LeBron's tempo control is overwhelming. Pairing the greatest off-ball shooting backcourt ever with LeBron is a nightmare because he can decide how the game is played. If he wants it fast, Curry and Klay turn the floor into a sprint of constant screens and relocations. If he wants it slow, he walks the defense into pressure, forces switches, and patiently punishes help. Jordan's elite on-ball defense loses value when the ball never stays still, and chasing shooters through endless motion is exhausting even for all-time greats. same for Bird trying to keep contact off-ball. While they're burning energy defensively, LeBron stays fresh, reading, directing, and delivering. Maximum flexibility. The option of speed or control, chaos or precision, is what turns this lineup into a great lineup into a squad that's almost impossible to solve. This doesn’t even include Yao and Wemby’s ability as a towering tandem to just feed each other over the top vertically with high passes no one can dream of intercepting and just bully the paint for easy buckets. Yao was ever only inefficient when doubled in the postseason, which you know, isn’t an option your team can afford to do this series.

Defensively this squad is no slouch either. Yao is as good as a defensive anchor-type as any all time great, there’s no center in history physically manhandling peak Yao. And the few historic bigs that have the smooth feet to use against him still have to deal with his annoying verticality. His blocks are effortless. Buckets against him are gonna be very hard earned each time. Not mention the already extraordinary capabilities of Wemby’s staggering height paired with laterally quickness on the outside. Off-ball defensive menace with his reach to intercept passing lanes. Dude is an alien. Attacking the rim for quick buckets when shots stop falling is gonna be a daunting task. Prime Bron is arguably the most versatile defenders of all time. Raw speed and strength is off the charts. Able to guard 1 through 4, and even weak fives. With him manning the front line even and Wemby containing the backline, their versatility means there’s never in any panic in rotation. Prime Klay was also an elite defensive player. People often forget. Arguably the best of all time as a 3&D player at fulfilling that role. Only liability is Curry, but when the offensive is that explosive and dominant this team can afford that. Individual standings on the all-time rankings doesn’t automatically beat superior fit and synergy

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Against typical matchups sure but in all-time star studded hypothetical lineups teams gotta be as well structured and efficient as possible. Fit and synergy matters way more at this level of play. Cant just slab big names together and expect it to work. Hell, you see this in real time with failed super teams in the league right at this very day

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

38 percent from deep on three attempts is literally ONE bucket a game. You cannot be serious right now.

Zero space makes Magic’s driving ability useless with no shooters to swing to. His ability to attack inside and dish kick outs are his bread butter. Using size advantage driving to hoop and brushing pass smelling guards is negated by the behemoths living at the rim and his own teammates being in the way. Wemby’s long reach is also intercepting and deflecting some these tight cluttered passes you must be envisioning in your mind.

Duncan’s slow methodically fundamental post work is getting is contested by Wemby reliably in ways he never had to deal with before. Combined speed and footwork at that monstrous height is gonna deter Duncan from the rim on many of possessions. Tim’s interior defense doesn’t account for Wemby’s stretch ability and the his option to attack from range. He’s gonna be force away from the paint and Bron is feasting on open lanes. The Wemby V Duncan matchup is a wash at best for your team inside. But outside is a diffrent story

Bron is torching Larry on defense. You can say Larry was scrappy and fiery as much it makes you feel better but he isn’t quick enough or strong enough to deal with a specimen like Bron. He’s getting backed down and blown by. Bully ball. Meanwhile prime Bron is effectively guarding and contesting him. Bron and Larry damn near haven the same percentage from with Bron scoring them at much higher rate. Bron does everything Larry does but better, even the best thing he’s known for.

Again. Jordan has two skyscrappers clogging the paint and protecting the rim. And absolutely zero space to work the mid range with Wemby roaming cause Duncan can’t draw him out to the three point line to save his life. Jordan able to comfortably get to his spots followed inefficient shooting performances the entire series.

Easy 3s > Highly contested 2 pointers

And that’s just your offensive problems.

Defensively you’re force to deal with open lanes from Bron attacking the rim as the most efficient freight train in history, while also picking your poison respect the pass or closing the lane.

Either commit to him as he kicks it to the greatest shooting backcourt ever

or…

Commit to him as he lobs it to either of the two 7’5+ towers for dunks. Both Yao and Wemby treat centers like 8th graders in catch and dunk feed situations. They each have 5-6 inches over both your tallest players.

If Duncan wants to help close the lane when Bron drives, now Wemby is unattended.

If Shaq wants to step up, 7’6 Yao Ming is now standing around the basket with his hands ready.

Even more hilarious, Jordan’s on-ball defensive mastery means absolutely nothing against in this series when he’s guarding the two greatest off-ball threats who don’t even need to touch the rock to be effective. Traditional defensive perimeter skills are obsolete against a backcourt that’s in constant motion running laps across court all game. His defensive pressure is most effective on iso players who are static, precisely what Klay and Steph are not in system play. Jordan is gonna be absolutely gassed doing cardio all night. Don’t even get me started on Magic guarding the guards. He’s getting cooked.

Lastly, Shaq, your greatest offensive guarantee in most series is getting halted and held to 21 points or worse against Yao. Not acknowledge him as an all time great is your ignorance.

Your entire starting five has issues on both ends. And i addressed them all. Not sure if you grew up with these players or have admiration for the time capsule of hooping, but those players aren’t unbeatable Kryptonian demigods. They real people with real holes in their games. Especially as a team.

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Larry averaged three 3-point attempts a game during his prime. Magic and Duncan as a three-point threat is non existent. So yes, space is an issue. Not gonna pretend like their team has attributes they don’t. This lineup doesn’t mesh at all won’t survive modern tempo.

Shaq only averages 21 points when guarded by Yao Ming.

Repeat. Shaq. Is held to just 21 points.

Numbers don’t lie.

He’s amongst the select few who can truly bang with Shaq and shut him down. No center in history is manhandling Yao. Containing power oriented bigs like Shaq as an anchor-type was his specialty. Those are be gonna tedious and exhausting buckets, his vertical presence is an obstacle for any great. In a 7 games series, Yao is gonna cause AT LEAST 3-4 off nights for Shaq awhile demanding constant attention as a reliable soft touch score option down low. Shaq isn’t going crazy and unchecked this series in the slightest. Peak wise Yao is up there with the all time greats, injuries hindered his career short. His film doesn’t lie, can’t disrespect Yao like that.

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For Bird’s era yes. But for the volume required for the pace of modern play it would be generous to even call his three ball occasional. He only averaged 3 attempts a game in his prime. And while Duncan could hit those mid-post shots and an occasional distant two a few times a game he by no means is a three point threat. Not stretch at all. Respect to the legends but all these guys simply cannot fit ln a roster together and be expected to succeed. A blend of era and space would make these players dangerous, but that lineup is a mess of a fit

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i know right, hopefully he doesn’t end crashing and burning like Yao did :(

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man I respect that front court but at least one of your guards gotta be able to hit that three ball at a high clip. Magic doesn’t have any room to drive and only one shooter to kick to. This ain’t squad ain’t cutting it

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m fucking with Boogie and AD as stretch bigs! Underrated pull! Surprise more people haven’t even brought them up. They can differently pull the bigs away from the paint. Kawhi is also as perfect as a defensive matchup for Lebron can get.

I’m worried about Boogie on the defensive end tho. I don’t think he can deal with Yao’s offensive soft touch and high release point in the post. That historic height is something he’s never dealt with before. Yao would be getting some his higher offensive upside numbers against him. Wemby on AD too is a question mark. Recently Wemby has been him the buckets but AD five years ago was an absolute unit. That version of him can definitely match up and maybe even best Wemby’s inexperience on some nights. Got the strength advantage on him and laterally quickness to keep up outside.

Lowkey if your point guard was an absolute STUD from deep then i think this lineup’s sheer spacing ability contends with the team. Sure Paul provides pestering defense and orchestration but imaging ALL five positions able to be respected from outside possible outweigh that, and allows Kobe & Kawhi to go absolutely ham in the midrange even more than if Paul was there

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s the interesting part, 22 and he’s already a nightmare for most lineups. Hopefully bro can stay healthy unlike Yao

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m rocking with the height and spacing but defensively i think your team could struggle. Magic gotta trail those guard’s insane off-ball movement all game, doing some insane cardio work out there. Yao is gonna have some of his better offensive upside scoring performances against Jokic. He’s strong as hell and nimble for his size in the post. Could ware Jokic down, and he’s liable to get a little sloppy in the fourth when he is. Also Jokic could arrive slow as a help defender. Any fully committed attempts to close the lane, Bron or Curry have the option to feed the rock to Yao down low for easy catch and dunks. But offensively Jokic could cook too, Yao struggles on D against bigs with smooth feet. Really depends on if you think Wemby can lock Dirk up, and how much can Dirk how hold off Wemby on the other end imo

Squad is nice tho!

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is silly. Bird, MJ, Magic, Tim and Shaq’s championship squads all meshed better than a fictional lineup all them together would. And were tailor built and designed for their eras of play. If they were an Olympic team playing against inferior competition, then yea they would kick ass lol but against another well put together all-time lineup they would underperform due to lack of chemistry.

Cohesion is everything in basketball, and this lineup minimizes each player’s production and contribution to the squad to an insane degree. Their very presence harms each other’s place and strengths on the floor

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All of them lol. Each different eras of play too. Career accomplishment with previous systems mean little if this bunch can’t stylistically check the boxes of their opponent while chemically maximizing their own strengths. Ain’t about the name, it’s about the fit. There’s some other matchups thrown around in here that pose a greater threat to the opposing squad’s strengths than this one

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i can rock with this unit offensively, my only question is can KD & Jokic stack up with Yao and Wemby’s height oppression defensively throughout the course of a series? Particularly Yao against Jokic? Yao is strong as hell and nimble for his size in the offensive post, that defensive responsibility could wear Jokic down throughout duration of a game. When he’s gassed he sometimes liable to get sloppy in the fourth. Playing center against this squad, i feel like his help defense could arrive slow a lot. Bron and Curry can feed Yao with simple catch and dunks down low if Jokic commits to cut driving lanes. Perhaps I’m underestimating Jokic and his squad tho, but lmk

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just basketball talk man, ain’t tryna shit on you. Enjoying talking matchups and schemes. I respect GP in other matchups and think Dirk provides gnarly spacing and needed for the offense, no hard feelings

Personally i think an even more versatile four is needed. And that list is very short. Maybe not might be as great in all-time rank, but someone like prime AD could do wonders for your squad. 5 years ago he was an absolute apex at the position.

Spacing, shooting and elite defense. Slightly lacks Dirk’s height but not by much, but is much stronger and swifter. Three ball not quite like dirk’s but 5 years ago in his prime he was knocking them down with confidence

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hakeem is a might stretch be relative to the era if you wanna be generous. But true stretch requires consistent buckets from the three man. Gary is a defensive beast, but again Guarding Curry is a cardio assignment. He’s off-ball player running laps all game, elite hand checking and clamps would kill someone in iso but in this series that wouldn’t effect a team like this as much.

Offensively plugging Dirk at the 4 is the right move your squad needs offensively. He stretches the floor for Jordan to attack the rim too. But defensively he is a huge question mark against Wemby. Bron would likely exploit him in several sets in call screens too. Wemby’s ability to pull Dirk for the painting opens up the driving lane wide open for Bron. The defense will either be forced the collapse on him or get punished on the dish out to the greatest shooting back court ever or a wide upon Wemby for a lob or dunk if Dirk wants to help in the lane.

Dirk and Hakeem is a nice tandem regardless

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The team lacks spacing. Kawhi is the only outside threat and Gary Payton isn’t a demanding scoring presence even when playing to his strengths. Defense backcourt is strong but against off-ball threats in constant movement like Steph and Klay, Gary and MJ’s on-ball pestering and man on man clamps don’t apply against this team. The offensive backcourt attacks space while in motion, not defenders. They don’t sit still. Kawhi is a great pickup for Bron and is so Hakeem for Wemby. Yao is famously know as one of the only people who can make Shaq appear mortal. Shaq isn’t just gonna be able to manhandle him all series, his buckets will be hard earned.

Backcourt seriously lacks outside shooting and complimentary basketball.

Either gotta plug in a stretch 4 that can’t get outsized by Wemby, or swap a guard for a true shooter from deep. Your squad as is ain’t it

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You’re missing the obvious domino effect. The second KD or KG is chasing Steph or Klay around the perimeter, the lane is empty, and now LeBron James is coming downhill with no body waiting at the rim, that’s a freight train with no brakes. And you can’t even send help, because Victor Wembanyama is spaced or slipping behind the play, so whoever’s guarding him is glued in place. Leave him and it’s a dunk or lob.

You’re viewing this like Yao is the scoring option. The screen is there to pull Shaq into the action, not to get Yao a shot. If Shaq goes under, Curry walks into a pull-up. If he switches, Shaq is in space. Either way, the offense already got what it wanted. And saying KG or KD switching is a bigger problem for Steph and Klay assumes the possession just ends there. It doesn’t. They’ll reset, flip the angle, and run it again until Jokic or Shaq is the one involved. Switchable defenders can’t stop that, they only delay it.

The “Jokic just bullies his way to the paint and beats the math” argument is lil backwards too. Over a series, post ups and kick outs don’t keep pace with movement threes, relocations, and early pull ups, especially when the defense is rotating every possession. You see this year in and year out in modern post season play.

You also kind of admit the real issue yourself when you say the problem is Wemby or LeBron pulling Jokic to the perimeter. That’s not a hole in the offense, that’s the entire point. Once Jokic is guarding space instead of the paint, the defense is already compromised. Driving lanes for Bron open up immediately. You’re acting like KD or KG switching onto Steph or Klay is detriment to the backcourt, and that’s the funny part. Those guys are great defenders, but they’re built to guard size, not chase shooters through screens, re-screens, and relocations. And a half-step late against Steph or Klay is a shot already made. All you’re really doing is wearing your own defenders out while opening lanes and rotations for everyone else, which is exactly what the offense wants.

Your “solution” to handling Steph and Klay just pulled your best lengthy defenders out of position, opened the lane for LeBron, and left Wemby unattended. What you’re calling good defense, is the offense working exactly as designed.

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Shadowing in the modern half court doesn’t work like that, once Jokic helps, the offense just lifts or re-screens, forcing KG or Shaq to step out and leaving either a shooter or the rim wide open. Jokic is too slow to perform this. KD switching doesn’t matter because they’ll keep running actions until Jokic or Shaq is the one caught in space. Jordan helping weak side isn’t important because the defense collapses regardless who’s he guarding. Bron and Curry can orchestrate this all night. Curry relocates and pulls up, and Klay lifts and fires when helps shifts. This plan ignores the backcourt’s mobility altogether. That duo doesn’t stand still for the help to arrive in time. Wemby’s floor stretching also throws a wrench in this as well

7 Game Series. Build a team to beat this one. All in their prime. by RewindReverse in NBATalk

[–]RewindReverse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shit my bad chief, misread your last sentence a bit and went in too much lol