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Boogie's Fake Team

On a recent TrueHoop Show episode with Kevin Arnovitz and Kevin Pelton, they played a little game that piqued my interests. After a discussion about how Sacramento and Vlade Divac have failed DeMarcus Cousins (I really don't want to rehash that; that would take nearly a thousand words and would be really depressing), they ended their conversation with drafting a fake team under the salary cap for Boogie.

So, I'm unabashedly going to do that: a 13-man roster, under the salary cap, with the sole purpose of making Boogie happy and in the Finals contention.

Starting Lineup
PG: John Wall (Salary: $16.96 million)
SG: Rodney Hood (Salary: $1.41 million)
SF: Jae Crowder (Salary: $6.29 million)
PF: Serge Ibaka (Salary: $12.25 million)
C: DeMarcus Cousins (Salary: $15.85 million)

Bench
PG: Cory Joseph (Salary: $7.35 million)
SG: Malcolm Brogdon (Salary: $925 thousand)
SF: Tony Snell (Salary: $2.37 million)
PF: Channing Frye (Salary: $7.81 million)
C: Willie Cauley-Stein (Salary: $3.55 million)
PG: T.J. McConnell (Salary: $875 thousand)
SG: Jordan McCrae (Salary: $875 thousand)
PF: Jarell Martin (Salary: $1.29 million)

And, we are under the salary cap with room to pay Rodney Hood when he demands a max contract in a couple years. This lineup is easily ten deep, and in the playoffs, the rotation can easily tighten to nine. Wall and Boogie can play pick-and-roll really well together, and since Boogie's now a 37% three-point shooter, Wall will have ample space in the lane to finish on pick-and-pop schemes. Hood and Crowder can spot up, if need be, and are adept post-entry passers for Boogie. The team is also going to be a monster on defense, with Ibaka protecting the paint and Wall, Hood, and Crowder playing intense ball denial.

What opens up the floor geometry is the bench. I would personally stagger Wall's minutes and insert him with the bench mob - playing off Frye's amazing shooting. Joseph can play off-the-ball with Hood handling mostly, or he can play a Mike Conley-lite role, feeding Boogie on every possession and cutting or spotting up. Again, this is entirely speculative, but it's a fun thought exercise.

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