NBA 1v1 Madness: Round of 64
By: Wayne and Schwartz
Round of 64
Region #1: West (Location: Venice Beach)
1) Kawhi Leonard over 16) Lou Williams
Kawhi pretty easily knocks off Lou in this type of format - he would post up Williams on every possession and all 6’1” of the Clips’ longtime 6th man would have no chance against the Board Man as he looks to get paid.
Final score: 21-8
2) Paul George over 15) Aaron Gordon
Gordon, a big, athletic presence, provides more resistance than you would expect from your average 15 seed, but the more polished, and well-rounded PG is able to dispatch him without the game ever really getting close.
Final score: 21-11
3) Damian Lillard over 14) DeAndre Ayton
DeAndre Ayton has really good athleticism and nimble feet for the center position, but Dame would get hot in a heartbeat and this would be over pretty quick. Ayton would have the rebounding advantage and could score inside at will, but 3 > 2 and in a loser’s format Dame would have plenty of opportunities to snipe.
Final score: 21-12
4) Pascal Siakam over 13) Danilo Gallinari
A versatile and physically dominant threat, Siakam proves far too much for Gallinari. The Italian import hits a few nice deep balls, but the Raps star moves on without breaking a sweat.
Final score: 21-7
5) Devin Booker over 12) LaMarcus Aldridge
DBook was made for this format, and his isolation scoring skills would overwhelm the aging Aldridge. Booker’s 3-point shooting, ball-handling, and elite mid-range pull-up game propel him to victory.
Final score: 21-10
11) Zach LaVine over 6) Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons, who never played in the NCAA tournament himself, falls victim to a March Madness classic- the 11/6 upset. LaVine’s physical inside presence paired with a hot streak late in the game from behind the arc overwhelm the young Aussie, as his lack of any sort of shooting ability causes his late comeback to fall short.
Final score: 21-16
10) Jaylen Brown over 7) Khris Middleton
Jaylen is a defensive menace and would hound Middleton on every possession. He’s an improved 3-point shooter, and his inside scoring game combined with his tenacity give him a tight win.
Final score: 21-19
8) Kyle Lowry over 9) Jrue Holiday
Two teams’ emotional leaders square off in a tightly contested 8/9 battle, but Lowry flexes the toughness and late-game finishing ability that helped the Raps to their first ring and sits down the Pels guard.
Final score: 21-18
Region #2: Midwest (Location: Hoosier Gym)
1) LeBron James over 16) ___ Morris
LeBron takes on the winner of the Morris matchup in Markieff. Or was it Marcus? Who the hell knows, or cares for that matter. All we do know is LeBron takes over with his physicality and athleticism and doesn’t give either Morris any hope of winning.
Final score: 21-6
2) Anthony Davis over 15) Myles Turner
Myles Turner is an excellent rim protector, and Davis might have some trouble scoring inside against him. Ultimately, though, Davis’s versatility as a scorer and defender wins out against a player who struggles to create his own offense.
Final: 21-10
14) John Collins over 3) Luka Doncic
Yeah, I already know what you’re thinking. We here at WWOS love Luka quite a bit ourselves. But in this format, John Collins is the perfect Cinderella candidate. He combines hops for days, a sweet stroke from deep, and prototypical big man size with the length of a wing to overwhelm Luka physically. Doncic excels in a team setting, building offense for himself and teammates, but his play doesn’t translate the same here.
Final score: 21-16
4) Joel Embiid over 13) T.J. Warren
T.J. Warren has been a fun story this year, finally playing for, well, not the Suns, and proving himself to be a capable high-level contributor. Against Embiid in a one-on-one matchup though, he would be hard-pressed to stop the physically dominant Cameroonian big man.
Final score: 21-7
12) C.J. McCollum over 5) Rudy Gobert
One of the most underrated sharpshooters in the league takes on one of the most overrated and one-dimensional players in all of basketball, and does not disappoint. 3J lives up to his nickname and snipes the Stifle Tower right back into quarantine, shutting down his efforts to infect the rest of the tourney participants.
Final score: 21-14
6) Klay Thompson over 11) Tobias Harris
If you’re like me, then you really really miss watching Klay play. If you went into an NBA lab and put together the perfect role player, you’d come out with a pretty identical representation of Thompson. He never demands the ball, but in this format he thrives with it and knocks down 7 3-pointers to send Tobi packing.
Final score: 21-13
10) Ja Morant over 7) Victor Oladipo
After his team’s surprise playoff push is abruptly cut short, the Grizzlies’ electric rookie guard pulls off another shocker and knocks off a more established player in Victor Oladipo. His offensive skill set proves to be too much for a still-recovering Dipo, who never gets comfortable or finds a groove and suffers an embarrassing defeat.
Final score: 21-11
9) Trae Young over 8) Brandon Ingram
Ice Tray Gang is upset about being a 9 seed. Sure, Ingram might be a similarly efficient 3-point marksman, but Trae can put the ball on a string and dribble right around Ingram’s Cinnamon Stick body. Trae has this one in the bag with his all-around offensive game.
Final score: 21-17
Region #3: East (Location: Rucker Park)
1) Giannis Antetokounmpo over 16) Alex Caruso
Told you. Empty All-Star fan votes can only carry you so far. The Lakers’ fan-favorite gets smoked by a much better player, as Giannis thoroughly dominates the game on both ends.
Final score: 21-2
2) Kevin Durant over 15) Julius Randle
The Knicks’ forward has absolutely no chance against one of the greatest scoring threats to ever pick up a basketball. Randle is also unable to pick up points, struggling inside and outside against a dominant KD who coasts to one of the easier victories in the entire tourney.
Final score: 21-6
3) Jimmy Butler over 14) Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon has had an awesome season for the Pacers, picking up the offensive load while Oladipo has been out with an injury. He’s added a great catch-and-shoot game and playmaking to his impressive defensive resume, but Butler offers the type of tenacity and physicality that is priceless in this tourney. He dogs Brogdon right off the court.
Final score: 21-14
4) Kyrie Irving over 13) DeMar DeRozan
One of the league’s most polarizing players when he’s on a team, the 1v1 streetball courts are the perfect place for Kyrie’s dazzling skill set to shine. At home in NYC’s Rucker Park, Kyrie makes it look easy while putting on a show of flashy dribbles and gorgeous layups
Final score: 21-11
5) Kemba Walker over 12) Jamal Murray
Oh man, everything about this Bronx native screams street ball. The NYC legend seamlessly steps right back into his old stomping grounds and dribbles right around Murray, flexing the old-school inside moves that first made him a hero on courts from Harlem to Storrs, Connecticut. Despite Kemba not getting many stops, Jamal barely gets any at all as the Celtics' new leader lives to ball another day
Final score: 21-15
6) Karl Anthony-Towns over 11) Jaren Jackson Jr.
KAT and JJJ have a bit in common - sniper status from deep in a big man’s body, sweet three-initial nicknames, and, well, that’s about it. JJJ is a better rim protector, but KAT is a much better rebounder and that’s a more valuable skillset in this format. Besides, KAT is much more of an isolation threat offensively and could take JJJ off the dribble.
Final score: 21-13
10) DeAaron Fox over 7) Bradley Beal
Swipa swipes one from the Wizards’ best, and really, only good player, taking away Beal’s one opportunity to have some sort of bright spot in a depressing season. Fox’s more well-rounded tool kit helps him past Beal, as he wins a close one to pull off the small upset
Final score: 21-18
8) Bam Adebayo over 9) Domantas Sabonis
Bam Bam Bam. The Heat big man has gone from first-round afterthought to all-star and potential all-NBA candidate in a short span. His Eastern Conference counterpart in Domas has also broken out in his own right, but Bam has the tenacity, defensive acumen, and dope nickname that it takes to win in this tourney. And yes, his nickname is just his first name. Bam.
Final score: 21-14
Region #4: South (Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium)
1) James Harden over 16) Boban Marjanovic
As much as I love me some Boban, Harden would run circles around him. Of course, the Serbian big man would have the advantage in rebounding and inside scoring, but Harden would pull step-back moves on him until his ankles disintegrate. Boban would be able to find a good amount of points due to Harden’s own defensive inadequacies, but he would ultimately have no shot to actually win.
Final score: 21-12
2) Steph Curry over 15) DeVonte Graham
Yeah, DeVonte Graham has no chance to beat the best shooter who’s ever lived. As a smaller guard himself, he is one of the few players in this tournament who isn’t really able to take advantage of Steph’s most glaring flaw, his size and thus, his defense. Curry shoots the lights out and coasts into the next round.
Final score: 21-8
3) Jayson Tatum over 14) Kelly Oubre
Being handsome can open the door to a lot of things in life, but that really doesn’t include winning a 1v1 basketball game. Tatum is one of the most impressive and complete young players in the sport, and he’s able to stifle Oubre defensively, while scoring at will, utilizing both the deep ball and his improved inside game to knock off the Suns’ best-looking player in an uncompetitive contest.
Final score: 21-6
13) DeAngelo Russell over 4) Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is a personal favorite here at WWOS, but this format doesn’t do him any favors - his best asset is his playmaking and in a one-on-one tourney there would be nobody to play make for. Jokic has the rebounding edge, but he would have no hope of defending DLo’s pull-up threes on the perimeter. Russell edges him out in a close one.
Final score: 21-17
5) Williamson over 12) LeVert
ZION FEVER IS HERE. The Duke product is setting the NBA on fire and would power right through poor Caris back home at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Arena. Neither player is a prolific scorer from deep, and Zion would control the paint on both ends of the floor. This tourney is made for someone with Zion’s unique skill set and he is too much of a fan favorite to lose in the first round here in his hometown.
Final score: 21-14
6) Donovan Mitchell over 11) Kristaps Porzingis
The Don was made for a one-on-one tourney where he can showcase his driving ability, hustle, and overall coolness. Kristaps makes life difficult on him as a nimble and athletic big man, but Mitchell is just too fast for him to overcome. Porzingis isn’t quite quick enough to keep up with him on drives to the rack, and if he plays off him Don can pull up from deep and make it rain.
Final score: 21-16
7) Russell Westbrook over 10) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Interesting matchup here, between an All-Star mainstay and one of the best of the next crop of point guards in the league. Shai is an awesome all-around talent, but Westbrook is an overwhelming scorer, rebounder, and physical freak. This is closer than some may think, but Westbrook powers his way to the dub.
Final score: 21-18
8) Chris Paul over 9) Blake Griffin
As a Clippers fan, this is a matchup I would love to see. CP3 was the leader of the Lob City Clips, but they would not have been the same without Blake’s high-flying athleticism. Aside from a shared history of falling oh-so-painfully-short time after time in the playoffs, these two guys don’t have much in common. CP3 is a better isolation scorer and deep shooter, but Blake would have the rebounding and inside scoring advantage. I’m frankly not sure either guy could stop each other, but I’m relying on Chris to make more shots from 3-point land to propel him to victory.
Final score: 21-19
What do you think about these results? Were there any major upsets you disagreed with? Let us know in the comments section, and stay tuned for the Round of 32 coming your way this week.
