Post by blue on Sept 11, 2015 16:17:59 GMT
1) What is your teams outlook this season? what are your strengths and weaknesses and how do you plan on improving those weaknesses?
Springs: I'm hoping we can score the rock at a high clip. Respert should be able to abuse bench players. Alot depends on how Joe's offense pans out this season. We should be solid on defense with Bradley and the monster AK in the frontcourt. Our weakness will probably be turnovers, just like the last 20 seasons of Nugget ball. We probably won't improve that weakness, just have to produce in other areas.
Bloop: The Bulls are trying to compete again. We had a nice run in the playoffs last year and think we have a shot to go far in the playoffs this year. Losing Isiah Thomas was huge, but I'm hoping the improvements in the other returning starting 4 will offset the downgrade at PG this season. Our strengths are our frontcourt for sure. Shaq and Camby are both great players for us and I can't ask anything more of them. PG is our biggest weakness. Simpson looks good in the preseason (only could see that he was in the top 10 in assists and not in the top 10 in turnovers so I like that) but I don't know if he will be enough. If we aren't clicking by the halfway point look for us to be aggressive in securing an upgrade at PG.
Bannak: Mediocrity at best. Probably hover around .500. Strengths are Bender and Klym, weaknesses are turnovers, no depth, no shotblocking, no rebounding. Will probably look to move Bender for more depth somewhere down the line and look towards a mini rebuild.
Blue: From official preseason we look pretty good. I want to D-League Jamaal Tinsley and we probably have the weakest PG situation in the league. There's a lot of PGs available out there, definitely planning on acquiring one that can help our team contend and advance further in the playoffs than last season.
Aar: It's championship or bust. I was hoping someone would step up in Training Camp and Shawn Marion answered the call. He looks like he will be a beast this year at power forward.
I was thinking of moving Vince Carter for an elite power forward, but couldn't find the right fit. I think that Carter has massive upside, so I'm certainly not in a hurry to move him, especially while he's on his rookie deal.
I may still pursue a solid power forward and move Marion to small forward. I think that he will be elite at SF.
Shorty: We have the same core from last season and the main players have either stayed the same (Ellis, Earl, role players) or actually improved (Mitch and Tisdale). We were up there with the best teams in the league last season, and we’ll look to be a top 3 seed and contend. Our strength is definitely our inside scoring game. Ellis, Mitch, Earl, Tisdale aren’t just good inside scorers, they are elite. Our weakness would be that we aren’t changing it up much this season so teams know what to expect from us, and that may work against us. Also our defense never seems to be great for some reason. There is very little opportunity for me to improve my team because of our salary situation, and also because we already have our identify on offense (efficient inside team) and defense (top 3 stat defending team. Lots of blocks and steals). I'll monitor for opportunities of course, but if we don't make a move, I'm fine with that.
Ballislife: 42 wins or goodbye. Playoffs or goodbye. In the always competitive east, there’s no real surprise that we are in CY, due to a myriad of things IRL and the lack of movement with this team. We are very strong at the wings. Long, Richardson, Finley, Schmidt and Wimberg all can handle their own. I expect them to put up tons of points and create mismatches from all over. As for weaknesses, we do not have a true pass-first type oriented PG. So we may struggle in the passing category. Also, with the lack of a dominant big man, getting boards and blocks will be scarce. We would need to see improvement down low to stand some type of chance this season.
Itty: I really like what this team is doing right now. I have a good team that I would love to see make the Conference Finals. That would be a great improvement from last season. I think we have a good PG who can shoot the ball and pass the ball pretty well. I have a solid 2nd man in Olsen and Zo is just the man, he has been the leader of this team since he signed on. I think our main weakness is the SF spot who we have Detlef starting but Marshall has been our 6th man so if Detlef is in trouble we have Marshall ready off the bench. We do seem a bit inconsistent at times but we are solid.
2) Do you see Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat evading CY?
Springs: I think we will. We played well in the preseasons without setting a DC and with Respert not even seeing a minute of court time.
The Heat will have to get some rebounding I think. They grabbed 52 a game in preseason but not sure that will hold up in the reg season without having even a B+ rebounder on the squad.
Bloop: I think both do. The Nuggets have definitely improved from last year trading for Bradley and signing Dumars. Houston looks to be taking the next step too. The Heat had a forgettable offseason, but JRich looks very promising and they just claimed Wimberg. I expect the Heat to make a big trade if they fall off early in the season, saving them from CY.
Bannak: Yes but it will be close. Denver has a more balanced squad and the Heat have tonnes of scoring even if their defense is suspect. Will be easier for the Nuggets being in the West but I think both teams should be able to beat it.
Blue: Yeah, I think both will avoid CY. Journeymen GM's (see my Hierarchy of Trades article) but they know how to win when needed.
Aar: I think that the Nuggets will. The Heat are in tough because they just don't have a ton of players with good trade value. They are going to have to get creative. The Nuggets have a lot of pieces, so if they get into panic mode, they can make some moves to improve.
Shorty: I think both will beat it, but barely. The Heat are in a very tough division and conference obviously, and they need more shakeups to their underwhelming core in order to get into the top 8. The Nuggets made a great move to get Shawn Bradley who finally gives them a rim defender and rebounder which they’ve been lacking. Even still, they will probably only sneak in as a lower seed unless they make one more add.
Ballislife: I can see both making it, but I can also see both not making it. The Nuggets do have a talented squad and in the lackluster West, anything is possible. But their lack of depth could hurt them as one bad injury kiss their season goodbye. As for the Heat (my team), without strong play from our bigs, I just can’t see us making it to 42 wins. We get bullied in the paint by teams with capable bigs, and rightfully so people are so stingy with trading them. So if we can’t get our hands on a big man, this could be the end to blooper as we know it.
Itty: I think that the Nuggets and the Heat both have squads that can come out of CY this season. The Nuggets have all the right pieces in Bradley (Shot Blocker/ Rebounder), Kirilenko (Defensive juggernaut), Joe (Wing scorer and boarder), Williams (shooting wing), Joe D(the star PG), and Finally the Main man in Allan who has been lights out. Then we have the Heat who have a solid
squad as well but the only big weakness he has is that their only PG is Darrell Armstrong who is not a great PG what so ever. That is the Heats main weakness. Other than that it looks like Shaun is making huge steps and is now a solid post man and rebounder with a 16/14. Bob a 14 point player, Wimberg with 14, Oscar with 14, and Long 14 as well. This heat team shares the ball but it looks tough and seem to be a team that might just barley get in the 8th seed.
3) Who is your favorite prospect on your team? In the league?
Springs: Definitely AK. He's an established player at this point, made the All Star in only his second season, but still, the dude is fun to have. He's my favourite player in the league.
Bloop: By default, it is Lamar Odom. I like Odom a lot but I wish he wasn't my star prospect at the moment. I'm still torn on how I want to mentor him, SF or PF. My favorite prospect in the league is between Hughes and Wade. Hughes finally had a calm TC, but the past ones more than make up for the hiccup this offseason. He's just a complete player and still so young. Wade has a lot of hype and looks good so far. If I had to pick, though, probably Hughes. His skill set is just so versatile. (I considered a prospect meaning anyone still on a rookie contract).
Bannak: Okur, pretty solid numbers for a 2nd year big. Even though he doesn't play a lick of defense, hoping that comes later in his career. Favourite prospect in the league is D.Wade because he's my all-time favourite player. Always try to get him when hes available in leagues, just sucks he declared the year after I had two top-4 picks.
Blue: Elton Brand. Elton Brand. Is an explanation really needed?
Aar: Answer to both questions is Theo Papaloukas and it's fairly obvious why. He has won us a championship and has won MVP while on his rookie contract. He is already elite and he has gone +13 since being drafted, which is incredible. Few guys go +13 over their entire career.
Shorty: The only “prospect” on my team is Keyon Dooling, unless I count Cris Crawford. Cris Crawford is interesting because he’s been simultaneously useful and useless. He hasn’t played a minute for us in 5 seasons (and he never will hopefully), but because he resigns with me for dirt cheap every season, we use him as a warm body to fulfill the 12 man roster requirements. My favorite prospect right now is Yao Ming. My favorite developed prospect is Tracy McGrady.
Ballislife: JRich is my only prospect worth mentioning. With 96 pot, JRich would make any team a success when he hits his prime. With a +3 bump in TC, and if we make CY, he will be on the Heat for a long time. As for the league, DWade was nasty when I first ventured here, so if they used the same DWade, prepare your sphincters everyone.
Itty: My favorite Prospect on my team is Olsen who really isn't a prospect but being young and one of our options is great to see. I really like him seems like a legit young wing. In the League it would probably go to the obvious players like Kobe, T-Mac, and Theo Papaloukas seem to be great or close to becoming great.
4) Who had the best offseason? - How was yours?
Springs: I liked what the Celts did. Mine was pretty good since I added Joe Dumars. He's a bit over the hill at 33 but still showing nice ratings, and most importantly we don't have to start Respert. Shawn is good but takes too many of Houston's shots and turns it over quite a bit.
Bloop: I think the Celtics had the best offseason. Getbeard had a ton of quality signings in FA and wisely chose to not blow his team up at the end of last season. He looks primed to contend this year and could very likely make a deep run in the playoffs. I think it all comes down to Len Bias and if he can finally reach his potential.
Bannak: I like the Knicks. Rebuilt pretty quickly, losing Payton sucked but they got some nice pieces and should be pretty competitive in the East. Yao looks like he is going to be a beast.
My offseason was like a 5am burrito/kebab after a long night out. You get your expectations up thinking it would be amazing but when it comes to the first bite you know you were living in a fantasy, and then you spend the next 3 days shitting your pants nonstop. Zero free agents and the 3rd and 4th picks didn't improve whatsoever
Blue: Celtics. New formed Knicks were pretty close cause their young guys had good TCs but not a fan of the oldies they signed. Celtics got Gary, Len, and resigned Kobe, while acquiring Dalembert to sure up the post next to Dale. My old franchise continues to cause problems in the Atlantic.
Aar: Our offseason was more quiet than usual. I often make a big splash in the offseason, but with the retirement of Isiah Thomas from the Bulls, who ultimately won the championship, I didn't feel like we needed a big move. I tried to make something happen, but didn't find any takers. In terms of TC, I am thrilled with how my young guys are progressing, although I would've liked to see Carter make a bigger stride.
Shorty: Celtics had the best offseason by grabbing Payton and Bias while keeping their core together. Knicks are a close second by signing away the Rocket’s two best vets: Dillard and Qi. Now that they have a PG, they will probably make some noise. Our offseason went well. We resigned Wayman Tisdale (who used that as motivation to improve his inside game by +1 in TC), resigned Benoit, resigned Maximo, got needed depth at C/PF, and came out of TC looking in good shape. We have 12 players AND stayed under the HC. Not the sexiest offseason, but a very successful one.
Ballislife: I agree with everyone else, the Boston kid has signed some quality players. Bias and Payton could be a combo for the ages along with “swingman” Kittles. If he could round up some quality bigs, his team could arise to the top of the East in no time. As for mine, we didn’t get any of the dozens of bids we put in. With only 10 mil in cap space and a surprise 6am sim by bundy, we were left in the dust with no bids in day 1 and 2.
Itty: The Best offseason has to go to the Celtics who bought so many players in Paras, Payton, Davis who helped the Celtics make a quick Retool. My Offseason was mainly me asking the whole league who want Divac and I traded for Marshall and Detlef so I can stay relative and I can get some cap for some resignings and to be a bit further away from cap trouble. Which looked to be a solid pick-up for the team.
5) Pick the ECF/WCF participants for this coming season, then the Finalists... and the overall champion.
Springs: I'll say the ECF is Bulls and Bucks, the two East teams that dominated in the preseason. WCF I'll say Griz and Kings. Feel like some change is coming. Bucks over Kings in the finals.
Bloop: ECF- Wiz/Magic WCF- Grizz/Warriors Finalists- Wiz/Warriors Winner: Wiz. Wizards are too deep and had another good TC. Warriors get heartbroken two years in a row.
Bannk: Wiz/Bulls and Warriors/Grizz -- Finalists Wiz/Warriors. Champs Wiz. Lucked out with their young players hitting their prime in year 2/3 of their careers, can't beat that depth.
Blue: Bulls vs Wizards and Warriors vs Grizzlies --- Bulls vs Grizzlies --- Bulls
Aar: ECF: Magic vs. Wizards
WCF: Lakers vs. Clippers
Champion: Wizards
Shorty: I’m gonna show some CONFIDENCE:
ECF: MAGIC vs Wizards
WCF: Grizzlies vs Warriors
Finals: Magic vs Warriors… and Magic win! So I can finally tear this team down.
Ballislife: Wiz/Bulls and Warriors/Griz. Finals are Bulls/Griz with the so accomplished Bulls taking it all. Such a balanced team. Even a shitty pg who passes well can do the trick. Can we congratulate this man for being so damn good? Anyone think he won’t tell his kids about the accomplishments he made here? A true legend.
Itty: ECF: Bulls-Wizards 4-3 with Bulls losing to the Wizards
WCF: Wolves- Clippers with the Wolves squeaking in with a 4-3 series win
Finals Wolves-Wizards and the Wizards win it all going 4-3.
6) Some teams we see peak at a couple years and fall back into mediocrity, what team is building the best dynasty in the league?
Springs: I'll go with my own Nugs, assuming we survive CY. Just because AK is going to put up 3 steals 4 blocks in his prime while Houston and Joe rain down buckets on fools.
Bloop: Wizards easily. The Grizz and Warriors both have nice young pieces, but the Wiz are winning big now with what they have and have their cap situation laid out perfectly. Bad luck in FA (and maybe over trading) is the only thing that can stop the Wiz from contending for the next 5+ years with the core they have now.
Bannak: I like what the Grizzlies are doing. Might run into HC problems soon but that core is damn scary at every position except maybe C, but can easily flip one of their more loaded positions for a dominant big (aka D.Wade for Bender)
Blue: Bulls, easy. Have Shaq, Camby, Bess, and Jeter locked up for 3 seasons. Bloop knows how to win without a PG.
Aar: I think that the Magic are peaking right now. With LaPhonso, Manigault and Mitch as their key components, that window is closing very fast. It's go big or go home for them this year.
The Bucks have a ton of prospects, but I'm not sure how many of them are sure things.
I'd say that with Papa, Hughes, Carter and Marion all on their rookie deals that we have the best prospect combo in the league. The big question is whether or not we can keep them all.
Shorty: The Wizards or Grizzlies. Grizzlies have big name prospects on the burner, and the Wizards already have great young players who have 10 or so great seasons ahead of them. The question will be more of: who they keep and who they trade.
Ballislife: The Griz have some really nice young pieces and when they flourish, shit they’ll be scary to face. Dirk, Artest, Wade, Crawford, Stoudamire? If he gets a true big, prepare ladies, as this team will run this league for a long time.
Itty: The team that has the best chance to build a dynasty is the Wizard the reason I say they can possibly build one is that their team is built on players on their rookie contracts is going to take a lot of penny pinching as they will be big targets for teams with cap in the offseason. And the other who has built a great team are the Bulls who have a great back court in Shaq and Camby which is all you can ask for really.
7) What's your preferred method of building a team? - What is the most important position in the league?
Springs: PG will always be the most important. If you don't have a good PG you will have a tough time getting through multiple series' in the postseason. My preferred method is tanking since my teams usually suck, so it comes natural.
Bloop: Get a superstar and then find pieces that compliment him. I'm a big Balanced guy too. I really prefer players who are versatile and not one dimensional. Old Lamar Odom, Charlie Scott, VJ King, New Lamar Odom, Chris Webber etc. I usually like to punt one position too. It was the Center position when I had Mudiay, Newman, King, and Turner. Then I started to punt the PG position with Drob and Co. and Shaq and Co. Bigs were a dime a dozen back then and PGs are a dime a dozen now. I think drafting BPA is always the best strategy, too.
Bannak: Take advantage of draft scouting and scout the best player available regardless of position. You can get good players even if you are in the mid first round if you spend 500 to scout players out. I also like taking advantage of CY teams to get trades that work in my favour (like getting the 4th pick last season).
It used to be you couldn't win a championship without a PG, but the league is saturated with them right now. Most important position right now would be a dominant big man who can rebound and shotblock. If you don't have one you have no chance of winning anything.
Blue: I prefer outside focused teams, and to run those successfully I realize you need a good rebounding PF with good midrange. At least B/B- rebounding and solid range. But I feel the key to successful team is dominant PG or C. But bloop has proven you don't need an allstar PG or even an average PG to win championships, I think he won 3-4 with shitty, random PGs.
Aar: Usually I like to commit to either inside or outside, but right now we are too balanced to go that way. I think that the most important position is center. I love having an elite big man.
I also just like to have assets. I think that there's no such thing as too many good assets, even if they don't click, you can always think 2-3 moves ahead.
Shorty: If you look at the “recent” trend (past 10+ seasons from what I’ve see), it’s teams that have a dominant big man who defends, scorers, rebounds that are going the distance in the playoffs. You must have someone who can foul out the other team’s star centers if you want to make it to the Finals. Especially in the East, and championships go through the Eastern conference. My preferred method of building a team would be to build it around Tracy McGrady in his prime. But on a more general level, I really enjoy building around 2 very good star players (one wing and one big) and surrounding them with top tier defense, rebounding, and high efficiency role players. I enjoy featuring stars and putting them in the best position to win. My favorite and best teams feature at least one role player in the starting lineup who barely scores, but they fulfill a niche (defense, rebounding, or passing usually) and complements the stars on the team.
Ballislife: Most important position – Center or PF. I attribute my winning seasons to having a big who can dominate the glass and blocks. It’s so important to have. As for method of rebuilding…It has to be through the draft. People don’t trade in this league unless its heavily in their favor. It’s rare to see trades that are laterally beneficial. Look at trades, people just complain about how one sided it is. It is what it is.
Itty: I like to have an outside shooting team but right now I took a different route getting a great big in Zo who can score inside and out with shooters surrounding him. Running balanced right now helps everyone get involved as I have 5 players scoring in double figures even though we have Zo scoring 26 PPG. In a sense we sort of built a Hakeem Rockets team with Zo being the man who would throw it back out to the wing players in Mobley and Olsen who are good shooters, we also have those rebounding bigs in Marshall and Kurt Thomas. Seems like Balanced has really worked with this great mix of players. As for the most important position in the league... Well it is cyclical it was the PG but now I think it is the Big man either at Center or PF all he needs to be is dominate.
8) Award winners:
MVP
DPOTY
6MOTY
ROTY
Springs:
MVP: KG
DPOTY: Kirilenko
6MOTY: Respert
ROTY: Yao
Bloop:
MVP- Jason Kidd
DPOTY- Camby
6MOTY- Terrell
ROTY- Wade
Bannak:
MVP: Shaq
DPOTY: Kirilenko
6MOTY: Terrell
ROTY: Wade
Blue:
MVP: Penny Hardaway
DPOTY: Shaquille O'Neal
6MOTY: Elton Brand
ROTY: Dwayne Wade
Aar:
MVP: Papaloukas
DPOTY: Shaq
6MOTY: Terrell
ROTY: Ming
Shorty:
MVP: Penny Hardaway
DPOTY: Shaq
6MOTY: Wayman Tisdale!
ROTY: Yao Ming
Ballislife:
MVP: Klym
DPOY: Shaq
6man: a random fuck, lets go with Oscar Schmidt
ROTY: Wade
Itty:
MVP: Papa going for it again
DPOTY: Camby
6MOTY: Marshall I can be Biased
ROTY: Richard Jeefferson
9) Any other comments?
Springs: RIP MJ
Bloop: Good luck to the CY teams. And Grizz still suck
Bannak: Bender available
Blue: Everyone can officially stop asking for Elton after that +5 TC
Aar: Good luck everyone.
Shorty: I just want to be the GM of Tracy McGrady or Yao Ming man. In that order of preference. If I get both, it’s over.
Ballislife: If I do not make CY, it has been a good run and I had fun playing and trolling with you all. Someone remember to dislike bloop’s posts, especially the fuck boy ones
Itty: Injuries coming?
Springs: I'm hoping we can score the rock at a high clip. Respert should be able to abuse bench players. Alot depends on how Joe's offense pans out this season. We should be solid on defense with Bradley and the monster AK in the frontcourt. Our weakness will probably be turnovers, just like the last 20 seasons of Nugget ball. We probably won't improve that weakness, just have to produce in other areas.
Bloop: The Bulls are trying to compete again. We had a nice run in the playoffs last year and think we have a shot to go far in the playoffs this year. Losing Isiah Thomas was huge, but I'm hoping the improvements in the other returning starting 4 will offset the downgrade at PG this season. Our strengths are our frontcourt for sure. Shaq and Camby are both great players for us and I can't ask anything more of them. PG is our biggest weakness. Simpson looks good in the preseason (only could see that he was in the top 10 in assists and not in the top 10 in turnovers so I like that) but I don't know if he will be enough. If we aren't clicking by the halfway point look for us to be aggressive in securing an upgrade at PG.
Bannak: Mediocrity at best. Probably hover around .500. Strengths are Bender and Klym, weaknesses are turnovers, no depth, no shotblocking, no rebounding. Will probably look to move Bender for more depth somewhere down the line and look towards a mini rebuild.
Blue: From official preseason we look pretty good. I want to D-League Jamaal Tinsley and we probably have the weakest PG situation in the league. There's a lot of PGs available out there, definitely planning on acquiring one that can help our team contend and advance further in the playoffs than last season.
Aar: It's championship or bust. I was hoping someone would step up in Training Camp and Shawn Marion answered the call. He looks like he will be a beast this year at power forward.
I was thinking of moving Vince Carter for an elite power forward, but couldn't find the right fit. I think that Carter has massive upside, so I'm certainly not in a hurry to move him, especially while he's on his rookie deal.
I may still pursue a solid power forward and move Marion to small forward. I think that he will be elite at SF.
Shorty: We have the same core from last season and the main players have either stayed the same (Ellis, Earl, role players) or actually improved (Mitch and Tisdale). We were up there with the best teams in the league last season, and we’ll look to be a top 3 seed and contend. Our strength is definitely our inside scoring game. Ellis, Mitch, Earl, Tisdale aren’t just good inside scorers, they are elite. Our weakness would be that we aren’t changing it up much this season so teams know what to expect from us, and that may work against us. Also our defense never seems to be great for some reason. There is very little opportunity for me to improve my team because of our salary situation, and also because we already have our identify on offense (efficient inside team) and defense (top 3 stat defending team. Lots of blocks and steals). I'll monitor for opportunities of course, but if we don't make a move, I'm fine with that.
Ballislife: 42 wins or goodbye. Playoffs or goodbye. In the always competitive east, there’s no real surprise that we are in CY, due to a myriad of things IRL and the lack of movement with this team. We are very strong at the wings. Long, Richardson, Finley, Schmidt and Wimberg all can handle their own. I expect them to put up tons of points and create mismatches from all over. As for weaknesses, we do not have a true pass-first type oriented PG. So we may struggle in the passing category. Also, with the lack of a dominant big man, getting boards and blocks will be scarce. We would need to see improvement down low to stand some type of chance this season.
Itty: I really like what this team is doing right now. I have a good team that I would love to see make the Conference Finals. That would be a great improvement from last season. I think we have a good PG who can shoot the ball and pass the ball pretty well. I have a solid 2nd man in Olsen and Zo is just the man, he has been the leader of this team since he signed on. I think our main weakness is the SF spot who we have Detlef starting but Marshall has been our 6th man so if Detlef is in trouble we have Marshall ready off the bench. We do seem a bit inconsistent at times but we are solid.
2) Do you see Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat evading CY?
Springs: I think we will. We played well in the preseasons without setting a DC and with Respert not even seeing a minute of court time.
The Heat will have to get some rebounding I think. They grabbed 52 a game in preseason but not sure that will hold up in the reg season without having even a B+ rebounder on the squad.
Bloop: I think both do. The Nuggets have definitely improved from last year trading for Bradley and signing Dumars. Houston looks to be taking the next step too. The Heat had a forgettable offseason, but JRich looks very promising and they just claimed Wimberg. I expect the Heat to make a big trade if they fall off early in the season, saving them from CY.
Bannak: Yes but it will be close. Denver has a more balanced squad and the Heat have tonnes of scoring even if their defense is suspect. Will be easier for the Nuggets being in the West but I think both teams should be able to beat it.
Blue: Yeah, I think both will avoid CY. Journeymen GM's (see my Hierarchy of Trades article) but they know how to win when needed.
Aar: I think that the Nuggets will. The Heat are in tough because they just don't have a ton of players with good trade value. They are going to have to get creative. The Nuggets have a lot of pieces, so if they get into panic mode, they can make some moves to improve.
Shorty: I think both will beat it, but barely. The Heat are in a very tough division and conference obviously, and they need more shakeups to their underwhelming core in order to get into the top 8. The Nuggets made a great move to get Shawn Bradley who finally gives them a rim defender and rebounder which they’ve been lacking. Even still, they will probably only sneak in as a lower seed unless they make one more add.
Ballislife: I can see both making it, but I can also see both not making it. The Nuggets do have a talented squad and in the lackluster West, anything is possible. But their lack of depth could hurt them as one bad injury kiss their season goodbye. As for the Heat (my team), without strong play from our bigs, I just can’t see us making it to 42 wins. We get bullied in the paint by teams with capable bigs, and rightfully so people are so stingy with trading them. So if we can’t get our hands on a big man, this could be the end to blooper as we know it.
Itty: I think that the Nuggets and the Heat both have squads that can come out of CY this season. The Nuggets have all the right pieces in Bradley (Shot Blocker/ Rebounder), Kirilenko (Defensive juggernaut), Joe (Wing scorer and boarder), Williams (shooting wing), Joe D(the star PG), and Finally the Main man in Allan who has been lights out. Then we have the Heat who have a solid
squad as well but the only big weakness he has is that their only PG is Darrell Armstrong who is not a great PG what so ever. That is the Heats main weakness. Other than that it looks like Shaun is making huge steps and is now a solid post man and rebounder with a 16/14. Bob a 14 point player, Wimberg with 14, Oscar with 14, and Long 14 as well. This heat team shares the ball but it looks tough and seem to be a team that might just barley get in the 8th seed.
3) Who is your favorite prospect on your team? In the league?
Springs: Definitely AK. He's an established player at this point, made the All Star in only his second season, but still, the dude is fun to have. He's my favourite player in the league.
Bloop: By default, it is Lamar Odom. I like Odom a lot but I wish he wasn't my star prospect at the moment. I'm still torn on how I want to mentor him, SF or PF. My favorite prospect in the league is between Hughes and Wade. Hughes finally had a calm TC, but the past ones more than make up for the hiccup this offseason. He's just a complete player and still so young. Wade has a lot of hype and looks good so far. If I had to pick, though, probably Hughes. His skill set is just so versatile. (I considered a prospect meaning anyone still on a rookie contract).
Bannak: Okur, pretty solid numbers for a 2nd year big. Even though he doesn't play a lick of defense, hoping that comes later in his career. Favourite prospect in the league is D.Wade because he's my all-time favourite player. Always try to get him when hes available in leagues, just sucks he declared the year after I had two top-4 picks.
Blue: Elton Brand. Elton Brand. Is an explanation really needed?
Aar: Answer to both questions is Theo Papaloukas and it's fairly obvious why. He has won us a championship and has won MVP while on his rookie contract. He is already elite and he has gone +13 since being drafted, which is incredible. Few guys go +13 over their entire career.
Shorty: The only “prospect” on my team is Keyon Dooling, unless I count Cris Crawford. Cris Crawford is interesting because he’s been simultaneously useful and useless. He hasn’t played a minute for us in 5 seasons (and he never will hopefully), but because he resigns with me for dirt cheap every season, we use him as a warm body to fulfill the 12 man roster requirements. My favorite prospect right now is Yao Ming. My favorite developed prospect is Tracy McGrady.
Ballislife: JRich is my only prospect worth mentioning. With 96 pot, JRich would make any team a success when he hits his prime. With a +3 bump in TC, and if we make CY, he will be on the Heat for a long time. As for the league, DWade was nasty when I first ventured here, so if they used the same DWade, prepare your sphincters everyone.
Itty: My favorite Prospect on my team is Olsen who really isn't a prospect but being young and one of our options is great to see. I really like him seems like a legit young wing. In the League it would probably go to the obvious players like Kobe, T-Mac, and Theo Papaloukas seem to be great or close to becoming great.
4) Who had the best offseason? - How was yours?
Springs: I liked what the Celts did. Mine was pretty good since I added Joe Dumars. He's a bit over the hill at 33 but still showing nice ratings, and most importantly we don't have to start Respert. Shawn is good but takes too many of Houston's shots and turns it over quite a bit.
Bloop: I think the Celtics had the best offseason. Getbeard had a ton of quality signings in FA and wisely chose to not blow his team up at the end of last season. He looks primed to contend this year and could very likely make a deep run in the playoffs. I think it all comes down to Len Bias and if he can finally reach his potential.
Bannak: I like the Knicks. Rebuilt pretty quickly, losing Payton sucked but they got some nice pieces and should be pretty competitive in the East. Yao looks like he is going to be a beast.
My offseason was like a 5am burrito/kebab after a long night out. You get your expectations up thinking it would be amazing but when it comes to the first bite you know you were living in a fantasy, and then you spend the next 3 days shitting your pants nonstop. Zero free agents and the 3rd and 4th picks didn't improve whatsoever
Blue: Celtics. New formed Knicks were pretty close cause their young guys had good TCs but not a fan of the oldies they signed. Celtics got Gary, Len, and resigned Kobe, while acquiring Dalembert to sure up the post next to Dale. My old franchise continues to cause problems in the Atlantic.
Aar: Our offseason was more quiet than usual. I often make a big splash in the offseason, but with the retirement of Isiah Thomas from the Bulls, who ultimately won the championship, I didn't feel like we needed a big move. I tried to make something happen, but didn't find any takers. In terms of TC, I am thrilled with how my young guys are progressing, although I would've liked to see Carter make a bigger stride.
Shorty: Celtics had the best offseason by grabbing Payton and Bias while keeping their core together. Knicks are a close second by signing away the Rocket’s two best vets: Dillard and Qi. Now that they have a PG, they will probably make some noise. Our offseason went well. We resigned Wayman Tisdale (who used that as motivation to improve his inside game by +1 in TC), resigned Benoit, resigned Maximo, got needed depth at C/PF, and came out of TC looking in good shape. We have 12 players AND stayed under the HC. Not the sexiest offseason, but a very successful one.
Ballislife: I agree with everyone else, the Boston kid has signed some quality players. Bias and Payton could be a combo for the ages along with “swingman” Kittles. If he could round up some quality bigs, his team could arise to the top of the East in no time. As for mine, we didn’t get any of the dozens of bids we put in. With only 10 mil in cap space and a surprise 6am sim by bundy, we were left in the dust with no bids in day 1 and 2.
Itty: The Best offseason has to go to the Celtics who bought so many players in Paras, Payton, Davis who helped the Celtics make a quick Retool. My Offseason was mainly me asking the whole league who want Divac and I traded for Marshall and Detlef so I can stay relative and I can get some cap for some resignings and to be a bit further away from cap trouble. Which looked to be a solid pick-up for the team.
5) Pick the ECF/WCF participants for this coming season, then the Finalists... and the overall champion.
Springs: I'll say the ECF is Bulls and Bucks, the two East teams that dominated in the preseason. WCF I'll say Griz and Kings. Feel like some change is coming. Bucks over Kings in the finals.
Bloop: ECF- Wiz/Magic WCF- Grizz/Warriors Finalists- Wiz/Warriors Winner: Wiz. Wizards are too deep and had another good TC. Warriors get heartbroken two years in a row.
Bannk: Wiz/Bulls and Warriors/Grizz -- Finalists Wiz/Warriors. Champs Wiz. Lucked out with their young players hitting their prime in year 2/3 of their careers, can't beat that depth.
Blue: Bulls vs Wizards and Warriors vs Grizzlies --- Bulls vs Grizzlies --- Bulls
Aar: ECF: Magic vs. Wizards
WCF: Lakers vs. Clippers
Champion: Wizards
Shorty: I’m gonna show some CONFIDENCE:
ECF: MAGIC vs Wizards
WCF: Grizzlies vs Warriors
Finals: Magic vs Warriors… and Magic win! So I can finally tear this team down.
Ballislife: Wiz/Bulls and Warriors/Griz. Finals are Bulls/Griz with the so accomplished Bulls taking it all. Such a balanced team. Even a shitty pg who passes well can do the trick. Can we congratulate this man for being so damn good? Anyone think he won’t tell his kids about the accomplishments he made here? A true legend.
Itty: ECF: Bulls-Wizards 4-3 with Bulls losing to the Wizards
WCF: Wolves- Clippers with the Wolves squeaking in with a 4-3 series win
Finals Wolves-Wizards and the Wizards win it all going 4-3.
6) Some teams we see peak at a couple years and fall back into mediocrity, what team is building the best dynasty in the league?
Springs: I'll go with my own Nugs, assuming we survive CY. Just because AK is going to put up 3 steals 4 blocks in his prime while Houston and Joe rain down buckets on fools.
Bloop: Wizards easily. The Grizz and Warriors both have nice young pieces, but the Wiz are winning big now with what they have and have their cap situation laid out perfectly. Bad luck in FA (and maybe over trading) is the only thing that can stop the Wiz from contending for the next 5+ years with the core they have now.
Bannak: I like what the Grizzlies are doing. Might run into HC problems soon but that core is damn scary at every position except maybe C, but can easily flip one of their more loaded positions for a dominant big (aka D.Wade for Bender)
Blue: Bulls, easy. Have Shaq, Camby, Bess, and Jeter locked up for 3 seasons. Bloop knows how to win without a PG.
Aar: I think that the Magic are peaking right now. With LaPhonso, Manigault and Mitch as their key components, that window is closing very fast. It's go big or go home for them this year.
The Bucks have a ton of prospects, but I'm not sure how many of them are sure things.
I'd say that with Papa, Hughes, Carter and Marion all on their rookie deals that we have the best prospect combo in the league. The big question is whether or not we can keep them all.
Shorty: The Wizards or Grizzlies. Grizzlies have big name prospects on the burner, and the Wizards already have great young players who have 10 or so great seasons ahead of them. The question will be more of: who they keep and who they trade.
Ballislife: The Griz have some really nice young pieces and when they flourish, shit they’ll be scary to face. Dirk, Artest, Wade, Crawford, Stoudamire? If he gets a true big, prepare ladies, as this team will run this league for a long time.
Itty: The team that has the best chance to build a dynasty is the Wizard the reason I say they can possibly build one is that their team is built on players on their rookie contracts is going to take a lot of penny pinching as they will be big targets for teams with cap in the offseason. And the other who has built a great team are the Bulls who have a great back court in Shaq and Camby which is all you can ask for really.
7) What's your preferred method of building a team? - What is the most important position in the league?
Springs: PG will always be the most important. If you don't have a good PG you will have a tough time getting through multiple series' in the postseason. My preferred method is tanking since my teams usually suck, so it comes natural.
Bloop: Get a superstar and then find pieces that compliment him. I'm a big Balanced guy too. I really prefer players who are versatile and not one dimensional. Old Lamar Odom, Charlie Scott, VJ King, New Lamar Odom, Chris Webber etc. I usually like to punt one position too. It was the Center position when I had Mudiay, Newman, King, and Turner. Then I started to punt the PG position with Drob and Co. and Shaq and Co. Bigs were a dime a dozen back then and PGs are a dime a dozen now. I think drafting BPA is always the best strategy, too.
Bannak: Take advantage of draft scouting and scout the best player available regardless of position. You can get good players even if you are in the mid first round if you spend 500 to scout players out. I also like taking advantage of CY teams to get trades that work in my favour (like getting the 4th pick last season).
It used to be you couldn't win a championship without a PG, but the league is saturated with them right now. Most important position right now would be a dominant big man who can rebound and shotblock. If you don't have one you have no chance of winning anything.
Blue: I prefer outside focused teams, and to run those successfully I realize you need a good rebounding PF with good midrange. At least B/B- rebounding and solid range. But I feel the key to successful team is dominant PG or C. But bloop has proven you don't need an allstar PG or even an average PG to win championships, I think he won 3-4 with shitty, random PGs.
Aar: Usually I like to commit to either inside or outside, but right now we are too balanced to go that way. I think that the most important position is center. I love having an elite big man.
I also just like to have assets. I think that there's no such thing as too many good assets, even if they don't click, you can always think 2-3 moves ahead.
Shorty: If you look at the “recent” trend (past 10+ seasons from what I’ve see), it’s teams that have a dominant big man who defends, scorers, rebounds that are going the distance in the playoffs. You must have someone who can foul out the other team’s star centers if you want to make it to the Finals. Especially in the East, and championships go through the Eastern conference. My preferred method of building a team would be to build it around Tracy McGrady in his prime. But on a more general level, I really enjoy building around 2 very good star players (one wing and one big) and surrounding them with top tier defense, rebounding, and high efficiency role players. I enjoy featuring stars and putting them in the best position to win. My favorite and best teams feature at least one role player in the starting lineup who barely scores, but they fulfill a niche (defense, rebounding, or passing usually) and complements the stars on the team.
Ballislife: Most important position – Center or PF. I attribute my winning seasons to having a big who can dominate the glass and blocks. It’s so important to have. As for method of rebuilding…It has to be through the draft. People don’t trade in this league unless its heavily in their favor. It’s rare to see trades that are laterally beneficial. Look at trades, people just complain about how one sided it is. It is what it is.
Itty: I like to have an outside shooting team but right now I took a different route getting a great big in Zo who can score inside and out with shooters surrounding him. Running balanced right now helps everyone get involved as I have 5 players scoring in double figures even though we have Zo scoring 26 PPG. In a sense we sort of built a Hakeem Rockets team with Zo being the man who would throw it back out to the wing players in Mobley and Olsen who are good shooters, we also have those rebounding bigs in Marshall and Kurt Thomas. Seems like Balanced has really worked with this great mix of players. As for the most important position in the league... Well it is cyclical it was the PG but now I think it is the Big man either at Center or PF all he needs to be is dominate.
8) Award winners:
MVP
DPOTY
6MOTY
ROTY
Springs:
MVP: KG
DPOTY: Kirilenko
6MOTY: Respert
ROTY: Yao
Bloop:
MVP- Jason Kidd
DPOTY- Camby
6MOTY- Terrell
ROTY- Wade
Bannak:
MVP: Shaq
DPOTY: Kirilenko
6MOTY: Terrell
ROTY: Wade
Blue:
MVP: Penny Hardaway
DPOTY: Shaquille O'Neal
6MOTY: Elton Brand
ROTY: Dwayne Wade
Aar:
MVP: Papaloukas
DPOTY: Shaq
6MOTY: Terrell
ROTY: Ming
Shorty:
MVP: Penny Hardaway
DPOTY: Shaq
6MOTY: Wayman Tisdale!
ROTY: Yao Ming
Ballislife:
MVP: Klym
DPOY: Shaq
6man: a random fuck, lets go with Oscar Schmidt
ROTY: Wade
Itty:
MVP: Papa going for it again
DPOTY: Camby
6MOTY: Marshall I can be Biased
ROTY: Richard Jeefferson
9) Any other comments?
Springs: RIP MJ
Bloop: Good luck to the CY teams. And Grizz still suck
Bannak: Bender available
Blue: Everyone can officially stop asking for Elton after that +5 TC
Aar: Good luck everyone.
Shorty: I just want to be the GM of Tracy McGrady or Yao Ming man. In that order of preference. If I get both, it’s over.
Ballislife: If I do not make CY, it has been a good run and I had fun playing and trolling with you all. Someone remember to dislike bloop’s posts, especially the fuck boy ones
Itty: Injuries coming?
