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BBN Jam Sweet 16: (2012) Davis and MKG vs. (2019) Herro & Washington

by: Nick Roush04/17/20@RoushKSR
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The first round of BBN Jam was just an appetizer of what's to come. In the Sweet 16 we waste no time getting to a highly contested main course. Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist received plenty of help on their way to a National Championship. Terrence Jones was a preseason All-American selection after an exceptional freshman campaign, Doron Lamb was a sophomore sharpshooter that led the Cats in scoring in the National Championship Game, and the team's sixth man was once Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, Darius Miller. The first and second overall picks in the 2012 NBA Draft were great talents, but we cannot omit the help they received during their college basketball conquest. Tyler Herro and P.J. Washington did not have similar luxuries. In 2019 Washington efficiently anchored the post, while stretching out defenses as the team's highest-percentage three-point shooter. Herro was not far behind but brought much more volume to the court, catching and shooting from a pair of starting point guards, Quade Green and Ashton Hagans. Keldon Johnson scored in spurts as a slasher and Reid Travis was reliable inside, yet in the Elite Eight it all fell on Herro and Washington's shoulders to carry the Wildcats to overtime victory over Auburn.

TALE OF THE TAPE

There are two important things you must consider before casting a vote: 1. Is this a straight up "NBA Jam" contest? If so, you gotta pull the trigger on a 2019 upset. Fortune favors outside shooting more so than any other aspect of that game. Both '19 Wildcats have it, while neither could catch fire in 2012. Unlike the NBA Jam game, NBA 2K does not place such a high premium on downtown property. That's why the No. 1 overall seed cruised in this simulation. https://twitter.com/JamSimulation/status/1249416313245704193 2. How much can you weigh one's defense? Yes, Washington and Herro are better outside shooters, but could either get off a shot? MKG's length and physicality would frustrate Herro, possibly to the point of taking him out of the game. It usually took a double team to take Washington out of the game, yet Anthony Davis might as well be a walking double team. So what will it be, a Bucket or a Unibrow?

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2025-08-03