Off-now-kinda-early-pre-season Round Table Article...
Mar 29, 2014 4:03:42 GMT
BoshtrichBurger likes this
Post by malice on Mar 29, 2014 4:03:42 GMT
We've now 30 days into the new season, so I'm not sure of the timing of this, but better late than never, right? It was taking a helluva long time - so I thought: hey, just post the sucker already. I think next season I (as AG) - will appoint someone to do this gig (if that's cool with everyone).
Participants were apokolypz, entrapy, Flip, malice, tyfreak and getbeard.
1. Your thoughts on your team, are you building to win now or later, what are your strengths and weaknesses and how do you plan on improving those weaknesses.
Clippers: The Clippers organization has accepted the fact that we're not going to win right now. Our obvious strengths are our PG play, with incoming rookie Ty Lawson manning the point, with guards like Nate Robinson and Royal Ivy. Our weaknesses are probably shooting most significantly, and rebounding.
Cavaliers: This team has flexibility to compete now and in the future. The addition of ZBo will be a huge boost for us this year and the youth of James, Lowry and Noah will guarantee that the team remains good for a long time. Our biggest strength is inside scoring. I have no doubt that James and Randolph will terrorize other teams inside. As for our weakness, I think it's the overall depth of this team. No other way to address this other than making smart trades.
Raptors: We are building to win later. Currently we weren't strong enough to compete against the top teams in the East or the league in general, and it is pointless to get to the 7th-8th seed to get eliminated. Our weaknesses are post defense, and guard depth. We think Greg Oden can develop into a lockdown post defender.
Pacers: Win now. During this off-season, I tried to go with getting a little depth, but honestly the Pacers will be looking towards a relatively short rotation. With the team we have, there's no reason why we can't do at least as well as we did last year. We have amongst the best players in the league at each starting position... it will come down to DCs.
Lakers: The Lakers are looking too, and needing to, win now. Facing CY this year I will be looking to improve drastically across the board. Bringing in Agent 0 and Kirk Hinrich definitely will hopefully changed help change my offense from a weakness to a strength. The Defense was a strength last year and hopefully that will continue this season even with some different faces in the lineup. Now that I am over the cap I will likely be looking to hit on the waiver wire for a last piece to the puzzle and get me into the playoffs and out of CY in the rugged east.
Rockets: FA sucked, because apparently I was too late to accept VC and Jameer's resignings. I had to offer them max deals, which was not too bad. TC sucked. All of our players regressed somewhere. Ray Allen took the biggest hit. Although he may not seem to, he'll still have an impact. I am always trying to win-now, but I have accepted the fact that I might have to take the rebuilding route, if anything. I am shopping players around to various teams, seeing what I can get while my players are still of value. Our weakness is age. I need to build a young team once again. We'll see what route i take in the coming days.
2. Who were you surprised by last year (for good or worse)? Who do you think will surprise people this season (for good or worse)?
Clippers: I was surprised a lot by the Sonics. Honestly didn't expect them to do anything and be stuck in mediocrity per usual. Surprisingly they had a late surge, made the playoffs, and managed to be one game away from the Western Conference Finals. This year, I could see the Cavs being a surprise team. I could see them potentially upsetting a higher seed and even making it to the Conference Finals barring any injuries.
Cavaliers: The Lewis-less Heat surprised me in the playoffs last year. I never expected them to make the conference finals without their leading scorer yet they pushed Indiana to six or seven games. You have to respect the chuck. Watch out for the Wizards this year. They have a pretty good core and they could be a contender with the right DC. Also keep your eyes on Houston as they might lose their contender status after their lazy FA and bad TC.
Raptors: I was surprised by Bobcats last year. They were struggling last sim, than all the sudden they hit their stride and took the Pacers to seven games. I think the Hawks will surprise some teams this year if they fill their void at PG. Shard is doing a good job filling his team.
Pacers: The team that surprised me the most last year was the Hornets Bobcats, and to a lesser extent, the Raptors. In a situation where they were facing CY, they came through - and nearly made it to the second round. Remains to be seen whether both/either team can follow through on the promise shown last season, but impressive steps have been made.
Lakers: I'd say the Bobcats. Before the season began I would have guessed they might not make it through CY, but a few nice moves kept them in the playoff race long enough to pull it out in the end.
This season I'd say watch out for the Cavs. One of these seasons I feel like Lebron is going to go nuts and carry them far.
Rockets: I was surprised with how well the Wolves did. rookieoftheyear has done a great job building a good team for the future. He planned out his rebuild and it's finally paying off.
3. Overpowering teams with offense or keeping the other from scoring, what style do you think produces the most wins and championships in FBB?
Clippers: I always try to get a good balance personally, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the team with the more potent offense wins it probably 7/10 times. The Rockets are very indicative of that idea.
Cavaliers: Outchucking your opponent is always top priority in FBB. But in every championship-caliber chuck team, there is always a defensive presence holding the team together. Shaq for the Lakers in season one, Wallace for Wassabi's Grizz, and, to some degree, Stepania for the two-time champs.
Raptors: I think good scoring usually produces the most wins in FBB. I fully expect a team with Kobe Bryant to win even if Pippen is guarding him all series. I just don't expect Defense to produce championships unless you also have a defined go to scorer.
Pacers: Well... most people will go with *the chuck* at this point in time, but I honestly believe that a balance (if you can) is the best option. I'm aiming for a balanced team, but the question is: can we succeed at the ultimate level? Came close last season - but a single point twice in a Finals series (as well as outscoring the Rockets)... hoping to go one better this season.
Looking at the sim for a few seasons, and comparing it to the GE from other games (like... Buzzerbeater), and I think there are other options that could prove to be effective. Only time will tell if it works or not.
Lakers: Gotta go with the points. Defense needs to be very good spread all across the board to really gaurantee low oPPG numbers, which is harder to do than grabbing a few high caliber scorers that work together in a certain focused offense and rack up lots of point. Plus FBB always seems to love the chuck.
Rockets: Offense >>> defense in FBB. Offensive players will always keep you in the game, but you also need a solid defense to backup the offense when the offense is not performing. Always build a team with an inside game or an outside game and build a strong foundation to backup the inside or outside.
4. Young players you're on the look out for on another team not your own, which young player are you most intrigued by seeing grow in the next 3 years? This can be a player who is not yet in the league, but you can't pick a player beyond the 2010 draft...
Clippers: That was some awful wording SRG, but I think I get what you're saying. Terrence Williams is one guy I'm really intrigued in seeing blossom. He's really solid at everything, but not great at anything yet. Hoping to see him put it all together. Another player I'm hoping to see grow is Westbrook. A lot of speculation hinted that he'd nominate for this year's draft, but he decided to stay and hone his skills for one more year.
Cavaliers: Kevin Durant. I will keep a close watch on this guy's development. Could he be as good as the real life Kevin Durant? Could he lead Seattle to the promise land? The point guard battle between Paul and Williams (and maybe Rose) will also be interesting to watch. Paul has put up monster stats while Deron has been winning the important games. Could Rose do both? In 3 years, we'll get an idea about the answers to these questions.
Raptors: DeMarcus Cousins. The dude has the potential to be one of the best centers to play the game if he can get his head straight. He is already showing he can score, rebound, pass and he has barely started playing basketball. He has a huge window if he can continue to improve and work on his attitude.
Pacers: Russell Westbrook. In the NCEA, he was on my team (Rizing Fukuoka) and was pretty much the sole reason we were in games at all, ever. Guy's a one-man wrecking crew, and whoever manages to get him in the draft will be picking up a guy who's going to have impact right away. A few seasons ago, putting my team into a position where we could draft him was an option I seriously considered.
Lakers: Definitely KD. Will be interesting to see his ratings grow and see if it will become like those of the Lebron's and T-Macs of the league. If so Seattle will be dangerous as they brought him into a situation where there is a lot of talent surround him.
Rockets: I really want Derrick Rose at some point in his career. I made a big move from the last league, trading away my best player in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for Derrick Rose and that ultimately brought me two championships in three seasons.
5. Your finals picks for this coming year.
Clippers: Probably Heat - Rockets. Hard to go against the all commish Finals.
Cavaliers: Bulls will make it out of the East. And...uhm...I'm going with the Nuggets for their Western opponent.
Raptors: Heat and Nuggets. Both are fantastic teams and feature dynamic 'chuckers.' I think this series would be pretty entertaining and would go down to the wire with of course Lewis and Harris taking 40 shots per game.
Pacers: Well... I'd like to think we'll be there. But I'm not sure about the Rockets. Let me go with Indiana vs Denver.
Lakers: Wolves over the Nuggets in Western Conference Finals
Pacers over the Bulls in Eastern Conference Finals
Pacers over Wolves in Championship in 7 games. That Pacers D will be just to good to lose a 7 game series.
Rockets: West: Whoever is the strongest team in the Midwest will go to the Finals and take it all. I don't see a team in the Pacific doing anything. Jazz should be a surprise.
East: The usual guys. Heat, Magic, Bulls, Pacers. Any of those teams will head to the Finals, but lose to the West.
6. How do you see GMA impacting the league going forward?
Clippers: Assuming this refers to the General Managers' Association, I think it'll benefit the league greatly. A vast majority of our GMs are very competent, and very involved. I think post suggestions will be intelligence and likely have the best interest in the long run.
Cavaliers: No doubt that it will only make the league better. The member GMs are very smart and Bundy is very open to new things. It's a match made in heaven. The partnership will guarantee that this league last a loooooooong time.
Raptors: I think the GMA will impact the league in a positive fashion. It will help the league patch up some weaknesses.
Pacers: Positively. I applaud the forward thinking from Bundy to get this going, as giving the managers an actual voice is a very progressive thing to do. Real issues that are bothering people can be resolved (as to whether it's just a solo-GM issue, and therefore not a serious problem ... or a problem that's impacting a number of managers), and taken to the Commish team with a possible solution already in hand. Honestly, it's good sense: as if it's handled properly, it can create an environment that's less stressful, and more conducive to creativity - and less work/fewer problems for the Commish.
Lakers: It is definitely a great addition to the league. I believe as a whole the GM's of this league have a pretty decent understanding of what they believe a sim league is like and what they enjoy about it. The idea that we now as unit have the power to voice our opinion if we have an idea on something that can make an already good league better. I've said before this is probably the best sim league i've been in, and it is a great concept that we only want to constantly have discussion on how to make it better, more convenient and fun for everybody.
Rockets: Well, if it was a lot more active, it will definitely have a huge impact. The commishes have all this power to change this and that, but having the GMA will definitely help GMs get what they want/need.
7. Do you think Boshtrichburger should chuck?
Clippers: I think he's got the tools. Why the fuck not? Just look at the Heat and Rockets' recent success, and they have a pretty clear chucking preference.
Cavaliers: Bosh wants to win a championship. Chuckers win championships. Durant is built for the chuck. The best player in Seattle is Durant (at least he will be someday). Therefore Bosh should chuck.
Raptors: Why not? Has Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh and Caron Butler. Lord knows they all have to get their shots in. All three are great scorers, and they even have the center to play defense and grab boards.
Pacers: No. He has some talent on the roster, and shouldn't opt for the easy option of adopting a somewhat broken approach to the game. I would encourage him to explore (both via DCs and in talking to other GMs) what his team can do, before deciding that a *hey-everyone's-doing-it-so-why-shouldn't-I* methodology is the best one to pursue.
Lakers: No he should not. He should trade his chuckers for a more inside oriented team. (if your reading this and realizing how right I am than you should trade me KD for inspiring you to switch it up, you are welcome
)
Rockets: Yes. The only way to win is to chuck.
8. Who's your final four in the NCAA tourney this season (we're at sweet sixteen) and who out of the four do you think will win the national championship?
Clippers: Michigan State. I didn't make a bracket, but I'm hoping it's Michigan vs. Michigan State. That would be great for the state of Michigan, and then MSU can wipe the floor with Michigan, handing them their second consecutive National Championship game loss.
Cavaliers: I don't watch NCAAB so I'll leave this question alone.
Raptors: Honestly I'd be lying if I said I followed NCAA or March Madness, so not even gonna try and shit any answers lol.
Pacers: Florida, Michigan State, Arizona, Louisville - with Michigan State winning overall.
Lakers: I had Florida, Michigan State, and Arizona all along. I had Duke in the Midwest (LOL) but now I think I'm honestly gonna go with Tennessee. They've been crazy hot the last month or so and I believe have only lost to Florida this month or something like that. Plus this tournament has been so random that some low seeds gotta make the final 4. Thats as far as they'll go though, Florida over Arizona in the final.
Rockets: SDSU, Michigan, Michigan St., Stanford, with SDSU winning it all (LOL).
And that's that. We can work down who gets the author +s at a later time...
Participants were apokolypz, entrapy, Flip, malice, tyfreak and getbeard.
1. Your thoughts on your team, are you building to win now or later, what are your strengths and weaknesses and how do you plan on improving those weaknesses.
Clippers: The Clippers organization has accepted the fact that we're not going to win right now. Our obvious strengths are our PG play, with incoming rookie Ty Lawson manning the point, with guards like Nate Robinson and Royal Ivy. Our weaknesses are probably shooting most significantly, and rebounding.
Cavaliers: This team has flexibility to compete now and in the future. The addition of ZBo will be a huge boost for us this year and the youth of James, Lowry and Noah will guarantee that the team remains good for a long time. Our biggest strength is inside scoring. I have no doubt that James and Randolph will terrorize other teams inside. As for our weakness, I think it's the overall depth of this team. No other way to address this other than making smart trades.
Raptors: We are building to win later. Currently we weren't strong enough to compete against the top teams in the East or the league in general, and it is pointless to get to the 7th-8th seed to get eliminated. Our weaknesses are post defense, and guard depth. We think Greg Oden can develop into a lockdown post defender.
Pacers: Win now. During this off-season, I tried to go with getting a little depth, but honestly the Pacers will be looking towards a relatively short rotation. With the team we have, there's no reason why we can't do at least as well as we did last year. We have amongst the best players in the league at each starting position... it will come down to DCs.
Lakers: The Lakers are looking too, and needing to, win now. Facing CY this year I will be looking to improve drastically across the board. Bringing in Agent 0 and Kirk Hinrich definitely will hopefully changed help change my offense from a weakness to a strength. The Defense was a strength last year and hopefully that will continue this season even with some different faces in the lineup. Now that I am over the cap I will likely be looking to hit on the waiver wire for a last piece to the puzzle and get me into the playoffs and out of CY in the rugged east.
Rockets: FA sucked, because apparently I was too late to accept VC and Jameer's resignings. I had to offer them max deals, which was not too bad. TC sucked. All of our players regressed somewhere. Ray Allen took the biggest hit. Although he may not seem to, he'll still have an impact. I am always trying to win-now, but I have accepted the fact that I might have to take the rebuilding route, if anything. I am shopping players around to various teams, seeing what I can get while my players are still of value. Our weakness is age. I need to build a young team once again. We'll see what route i take in the coming days.
2. Who were you surprised by last year (for good or worse)? Who do you think will surprise people this season (for good or worse)?
Clippers: I was surprised a lot by the Sonics. Honestly didn't expect them to do anything and be stuck in mediocrity per usual. Surprisingly they had a late surge, made the playoffs, and managed to be one game away from the Western Conference Finals. This year, I could see the Cavs being a surprise team. I could see them potentially upsetting a higher seed and even making it to the Conference Finals barring any injuries.
Cavaliers: The Lewis-less Heat surprised me in the playoffs last year. I never expected them to make the conference finals without their leading scorer yet they pushed Indiana to six or seven games. You have to respect the chuck. Watch out for the Wizards this year. They have a pretty good core and they could be a contender with the right DC. Also keep your eyes on Houston as they might lose their contender status after their lazy FA and bad TC.
Raptors: I was surprised by Bobcats last year. They were struggling last sim, than all the sudden they hit their stride and took the Pacers to seven games. I think the Hawks will surprise some teams this year if they fill their void at PG. Shard is doing a good job filling his team.
Pacers: The team that surprised me the most last year was the Hornets Bobcats, and to a lesser extent, the Raptors. In a situation where they were facing CY, they came through - and nearly made it to the second round. Remains to be seen whether both/either team can follow through on the promise shown last season, but impressive steps have been made.
Lakers: I'd say the Bobcats. Before the season began I would have guessed they might not make it through CY, but a few nice moves kept them in the playoff race long enough to pull it out in the end.
This season I'd say watch out for the Cavs. One of these seasons I feel like Lebron is going to go nuts and carry them far.
Rockets: I was surprised with how well the Wolves did. rookieoftheyear has done a great job building a good team for the future. He planned out his rebuild and it's finally paying off.
3. Overpowering teams with offense or keeping the other from scoring, what style do you think produces the most wins and championships in FBB?
Clippers: I always try to get a good balance personally, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the team with the more potent offense wins it probably 7/10 times. The Rockets are very indicative of that idea.
Cavaliers: Outchucking your opponent is always top priority in FBB. But in every championship-caliber chuck team, there is always a defensive presence holding the team together. Shaq for the Lakers in season one, Wallace for Wassabi's Grizz, and, to some degree, Stepania for the two-time champs.
Raptors: I think good scoring usually produces the most wins in FBB. I fully expect a team with Kobe Bryant to win even if Pippen is guarding him all series. I just don't expect Defense to produce championships unless you also have a defined go to scorer.
Pacers: Well... most people will go with *the chuck* at this point in time, but I honestly believe that a balance (if you can) is the best option. I'm aiming for a balanced team, but the question is: can we succeed at the ultimate level? Came close last season - but a single point twice in a Finals series (as well as outscoring the Rockets)... hoping to go one better this season.
Looking at the sim for a few seasons, and comparing it to the GE from other games (like... Buzzerbeater), and I think there are other options that could prove to be effective. Only time will tell if it works or not.
Lakers: Gotta go with the points. Defense needs to be very good spread all across the board to really gaurantee low oPPG numbers, which is harder to do than grabbing a few high caliber scorers that work together in a certain focused offense and rack up lots of point. Plus FBB always seems to love the chuck.
Rockets: Offense >>> defense in FBB. Offensive players will always keep you in the game, but you also need a solid defense to backup the offense when the offense is not performing. Always build a team with an inside game or an outside game and build a strong foundation to backup the inside or outside.
4. Young players you're on the look out for on another team not your own, which young player are you most intrigued by seeing grow in the next 3 years? This can be a player who is not yet in the league, but you can't pick a player beyond the 2010 draft...
Clippers: That was some awful wording SRG, but I think I get what you're saying. Terrence Williams is one guy I'm really intrigued in seeing blossom. He's really solid at everything, but not great at anything yet. Hoping to see him put it all together. Another player I'm hoping to see grow is Westbrook. A lot of speculation hinted that he'd nominate for this year's draft, but he decided to stay and hone his skills for one more year.
Cavaliers: Kevin Durant. I will keep a close watch on this guy's development. Could he be as good as the real life Kevin Durant? Could he lead Seattle to the promise land? The point guard battle between Paul and Williams (and maybe Rose) will also be interesting to watch. Paul has put up monster stats while Deron has been winning the important games. Could Rose do both? In 3 years, we'll get an idea about the answers to these questions.
Raptors: DeMarcus Cousins. The dude has the potential to be one of the best centers to play the game if he can get his head straight. He is already showing he can score, rebound, pass and he has barely started playing basketball. He has a huge window if he can continue to improve and work on his attitude.
Pacers: Russell Westbrook. In the NCEA, he was on my team (Rizing Fukuoka) and was pretty much the sole reason we were in games at all, ever. Guy's a one-man wrecking crew, and whoever manages to get him in the draft will be picking up a guy who's going to have impact right away. A few seasons ago, putting my team into a position where we could draft him was an option I seriously considered.
Lakers: Definitely KD. Will be interesting to see his ratings grow and see if it will become like those of the Lebron's and T-Macs of the league. If so Seattle will be dangerous as they brought him into a situation where there is a lot of talent surround him.
Rockets: I really want Derrick Rose at some point in his career. I made a big move from the last league, trading away my best player in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for Derrick Rose and that ultimately brought me two championships in three seasons.
5. Your finals picks for this coming year.
Clippers: Probably Heat - Rockets. Hard to go against the all commish Finals.
Cavaliers: Bulls will make it out of the East. And...uhm...I'm going with the Nuggets for their Western opponent.
Raptors: Heat and Nuggets. Both are fantastic teams and feature dynamic 'chuckers.' I think this series would be pretty entertaining and would go down to the wire with of course Lewis and Harris taking 40 shots per game.
Pacers: Well... I'd like to think we'll be there. But I'm not sure about the Rockets. Let me go with Indiana vs Denver.
Lakers: Wolves over the Nuggets in Western Conference Finals
Pacers over the Bulls in Eastern Conference Finals
Pacers over Wolves in Championship in 7 games. That Pacers D will be just to good to lose a 7 game series.
Rockets: West: Whoever is the strongest team in the Midwest will go to the Finals and take it all. I don't see a team in the Pacific doing anything. Jazz should be a surprise.
East: The usual guys. Heat, Magic, Bulls, Pacers. Any of those teams will head to the Finals, but lose to the West.
6. How do you see GMA impacting the league going forward?
Clippers: Assuming this refers to the General Managers' Association, I think it'll benefit the league greatly. A vast majority of our GMs are very competent, and very involved. I think post suggestions will be intelligence and likely have the best interest in the long run.
Cavaliers: No doubt that it will only make the league better. The member GMs are very smart and Bundy is very open to new things. It's a match made in heaven. The partnership will guarantee that this league last a loooooooong time.
Raptors: I think the GMA will impact the league in a positive fashion. It will help the league patch up some weaknesses.
Pacers: Positively. I applaud the forward thinking from Bundy to get this going, as giving the managers an actual voice is a very progressive thing to do. Real issues that are bothering people can be resolved (as to whether it's just a solo-GM issue, and therefore not a serious problem ... or a problem that's impacting a number of managers), and taken to the Commish team with a possible solution already in hand. Honestly, it's good sense: as if it's handled properly, it can create an environment that's less stressful, and more conducive to creativity - and less work/fewer problems for the Commish.
Lakers: It is definitely a great addition to the league. I believe as a whole the GM's of this league have a pretty decent understanding of what they believe a sim league is like and what they enjoy about it. The idea that we now as unit have the power to voice our opinion if we have an idea on something that can make an already good league better. I've said before this is probably the best sim league i've been in, and it is a great concept that we only want to constantly have discussion on how to make it better, more convenient and fun for everybody.
Rockets: Well, if it was a lot more active, it will definitely have a huge impact. The commishes have all this power to change this and that, but having the GMA will definitely help GMs get what they want/need.
7. Do you think Boshtrichburger should chuck?
Clippers: I think he's got the tools. Why the fuck not? Just look at the Heat and Rockets' recent success, and they have a pretty clear chucking preference.
Cavaliers: Bosh wants to win a championship. Chuckers win championships. Durant is built for the chuck. The best player in Seattle is Durant (at least he will be someday). Therefore Bosh should chuck.
Raptors: Why not? Has Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh and Caron Butler. Lord knows they all have to get their shots in. All three are great scorers, and they even have the center to play defense and grab boards.
Pacers: No. He has some talent on the roster, and shouldn't opt for the easy option of adopting a somewhat broken approach to the game. I would encourage him to explore (both via DCs and in talking to other GMs) what his team can do, before deciding that a *hey-everyone's-doing-it-so-why-shouldn't-I* methodology is the best one to pursue.
Lakers: No he should not. He should trade his chuckers for a more inside oriented team. (if your reading this and realizing how right I am than you should trade me KD for inspiring you to switch it up, you are welcome
)Rockets: Yes. The only way to win is to chuck.
8. Who's your final four in the NCAA tourney this season (we're at sweet sixteen) and who out of the four do you think will win the national championship?
Clippers: Michigan State. I didn't make a bracket, but I'm hoping it's Michigan vs. Michigan State. That would be great for the state of Michigan, and then MSU can wipe the floor with Michigan, handing them their second consecutive National Championship game loss.
Cavaliers: I don't watch NCAAB so I'll leave this question alone.
Raptors: Honestly I'd be lying if I said I followed NCAA or March Madness, so not even gonna try and shit any answers lol.
Pacers: Florida, Michigan State, Arizona, Louisville - with Michigan State winning overall.
Lakers: I had Florida, Michigan State, and Arizona all along. I had Duke in the Midwest (LOL) but now I think I'm honestly gonna go with Tennessee. They've been crazy hot the last month or so and I believe have only lost to Florida this month or something like that. Plus this tournament has been so random that some low seeds gotta make the final 4. Thats as far as they'll go though, Florida over Arizona in the final.
Rockets: SDSU, Michigan, Michigan St., Stanford, with SDSU winning it all (LOL).
And that's that. We can work down who gets the author +s at a later time...
