Create a Team to Beat the Warriors

[TheFlex]

Chris Paul/[M. Smart]
K. Caldwell-Pope/M. Smart
T. Ariza/C.J. Miles/M. Harkless
A. Davis/[T. Ariza]
C. Capela/[A. Davis]

I did my best to avoid loopholes to the guidelines such as KAT, who isn't technically an All-Star, though is playing like one at this point. It's much more interesting to realistically construct a team.

The backcourt of Paul, KCP and Smart is the toughest one I could think of to go against the Splash Bros. All three players are terrific defenders, and Paul will most certainly make Steph work on the other end of the floor. If you don't know much about KCP, him and Marcus Smart are two sides of the same coin, IMO. KCP takes advantage of his speed and quickness while Smart uses his strength and bulk. Both are highly energetic, fan favorite type players.

The Rox are a train wreck this season (relatively), but Ariza, the professional that he is, has been really good, particularly as of late. Crowder is probably the best choice - and to us Celtic fans, the most obvious - as the starting SF/small ball PF if you're not going to choose an All-Star like PG13. To switch it up, I went with Ariza, who can pretty much do everything Crowder can do as of right now (obviously it's still unknown if Crowder can make another leap), but brings more playoff experience. Miles supplies bench scoring and shooting. Harkless is an athlete with young legs and can contribute on both ends of the floor.

Capela gives the team a defensive backbone in its traditional lineup. The team goes with A. Davis and Ariza as its bigs when GSW goes small; Davis would give the Warriors as much trouble as he gives anyone else - a lot.

[Monkhouse]

PG: Smart
SG: Bradley
SF: George
PF: Mickey
C: DMC

As for a bench, I would choose ET, Tony Allen, Perkins, Paul Pierce, etc as a few of my key bench players.

[Roy H.]

Cousins / Monroe
Davis / Anderson
Hayward / Crabbe
Middleton / Smart
Jackson / Holiday

Jrue Holiday should be the bench PG on 100% of these teams. He defends Curry as well as anybody, and he's averaging like 18 / 7 since his minutes restriction was lifted.

[PhoSita]

Cousins / Monroe
Davis / Anderson
Hayward / Crabbe
Middleton / Smart
Jackson / Holiday

Jrue Holiday should be the bench PG on 100% of these teams. He defends Curry as well as anybody, and he's averaging like 18 / 7 since his minutes restriction was lifted.

Yeah, as Flex pointed out, I think there are certain players who kind of "break" the challenge as they are technically coming off the bench but function as starters for their teams, and either did start for much of the season, or would be starting in different circumstances (as with Holiday, who has had a minutes restriction).

The list includes Monroe, Whiteside, Holiday ... I'm sure there are others.  I, of course, didn't specify anything about that, but I think it makes the challenge more interesting if you try to stick to guys who are what you might call, for lack of a more specific term, "bench caliber."

I like the Davis - Cousins pairing.  I think that duo is more or less the stylistic counter-punch to the Splash Brothers.

[Eja117]

Starters

M Smart
Avery B
Melo
KAT
Andre Drummond

Backups
IT
Jordan Clarkson
Jonas Valanciunus
Crowder
Chandler Parsons

11th man Doug McDermott
12 man....Bernie Sanders to complain about the refs and general unfairness

I think you can see what I'm doing here.

[KG Living Legend]

 None of these teams beat the Warrior's. You can't with the parameters.

 If you add Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant to the Celtics we have a shot at beating them.

[Csfan1984]

So not a lot of people going for building off the current roster and assets like my first post?
Then I go
Conley, Hayward, LeBron, Davis, Favors
Smart, TA, Crowder, Anderson, Whiteside
LaVine, Wiggins, GA, KAT, Porzingis.

[bleedGREENdon]

G: Damian Lillard/ Smart
G:Avery Bradley/ Jamall Crawford
F: Paul George / Justice Winslow
F:Kevin Durant/ Kelly Olynyk
C: Anthony Davis/ Hassan Whiteside

Lilliard KD combo scoring wise is ridiculous. Yes I know there's a lot of Celtics there, reason being, our team has the best role players in the league.
Jar Crowder and KD are marked as forward because they are interchangeable.

Crunch time line up

KD Plays point forward Guards Harrison Barnes
Smart Gurds Klay Thompson
Avery Guards Curry
Paul George guards Draymond
Anthony Davis guards Bogut

Pick N roll between Davis and KD.

Anthony Davis wasn't an all star this year lol that's why this works... But if we're being technical I have a whole different team.
Same as Lilliard who's looked at as an all star but isn't.

[Roy H.]

Anthony Davis wasn't an all star this year lol that's why this works... But if we're being technical I have a whole different team.
Same as Lilliard who's looked at as an all star but isn't.

I think the rules applied to all-stars this year, and the two prior seasons.

[RJ87]

Kyle Lowry
JJ Reddick
Kawhi Leonard
Paul George
Anthony Davis

[bleedGREENdon]

Honestly just combining OKC and some of The Celtics probably beats GS

Russell Westbrook/ Smart
Avery Bradley/ Roberson
KD/ Turner
Ibaka/ Amir Johnson
Adams/ Kanter

That's keeping starters as starters and bench as bench.

If we can mix the two

Westbrook/ Smart
Avery/ Waiters
KD/ Turner
CRowder/ Kanter
Ibaka/ Adams

Turner handles PG duties with 2nd unit but preferably Turner doesn't get PT and Russell or Durant handles that.

Crunch time

Westbrook
Avery
KD
Crowder
Ibaka

Run Westbrook KD pick n roll spread floor

[mgent]

Our team plus DMC.