Post by malice on Apr 15, 2014 2:39:22 GMT
Well... here it is.
The individual members involved in this were the two finalists from last season (rookieoftheyear / daedalus), getbeard (who beat his CY), thecommish, BoshtrichBurger and shorty (randomly chosen participants).
To the questions!
1. Start off with the inevitable, "did the best team win the title last season" question. Answer away!
Lakers: I believe they did. The inside grit-and-balls style team the Bulls assembled is meant for playoff success. Despite the "chuck" trend in the league today it was proved that is not the only way to win games. Was also perhaps the perfect year for this type of team because of the shift to outside oriented ball throughout the league, so many teams were not build to last against a team with the opposite nature.
Bulls: "Best" depends on a lot of factors. The Bulls were the healthiest no doubt. In addition I'd put them top 3 in the league talent-wise. That combo would lead me to say "Yes" to the original question.
Seattle: Yes I believe the best team won. When you have a monster frontcourt of Dwight Howard and Amar'e, it really does put you in a good position to win it all. The acquisition of Deng was a masterstroke and his perimeter defense alongside J-Smoove was golden as well for that team. It really was a beautiful balance that the Bulls possessed.
Timberwolves: It's hard to say but I'll say yes the best team won the championship. The Bulls were stacked from 1-5 and didn't have any holes on their team. They were consistent all season long while most teams went through huge ups & downs. I would've liked to say we had the best team but it's hard to argue with the overall body of work of the Chicago Bulls.
Magic: Yep. Bulls have always had one of the most talented lineups in the league, and their defense and rebounding have always led the league. They won the most games, and they won the whole thing. Safe to say, the best team won.
Bucks: I thought the Bulls matched up really well with the other top-flight teams. The addition of Luol Deng's top tier two-way play really put them over the top, so I can't say I'm even slightly surprised. Dae put together a hell of a team.
2. Looking forwards to this season, pick one team that will climb the ladder this season, and one that will drop significantly (tell us why too!).
Lakers: The Sonics are bound to make a big leap forward this year. They have a great young core, and with really and sort of addition in the offseason to go along with what would think would be a nice TC for Durant and Co. should spring forward the Sonics and make them more relevant this season. A team that may fall off is the Jazz. After a first round exit the GM has let it known that he is looking to sell. If his words turn to be true then there may be a different look in Utah next season.
Bulls: Rising: Seattle Sonics. Zero chance of a Durant/Bosh combo finishing near the bottom again. Way too much talent to linger at the bottom.
Falling: Tough time deciding between two teams so I'll name both. Pistons in the East and Jazz in the West. Both GMs are looking for a youth movement and IMHO overachieved at times during last season.
Seattle: I'm sure as hell hoping that my team goes up this season, but from a non-bias point of view, I reckon Philadelphia will move up dramatically this season going forward with the likes of Brook Lopez and Stephen Curry alongside Arron Afflalo leading that young team forward. A team that I expect to drop off is the Houston Rockets. They already sort of did this season as they were bundled out of the playoffs in the first round after winning it all the season before.
Timberwolves: There are plenty of up & coming teams but if I have to choose one, I'd say the Portland Trailblazers. The star power needed to win is their as they'll be featuring the reigning MVP Chris Paul. With all the cap space free agency should bring in some impact players as well. In my opinion you should be able to surround Chris Paul with any other 11 players and be able to win games. The team who I think wi have a drop off is the Detroit Pistons. I didn't think they were as good as the record suggested this previous season and it'll be hard for them to keep it up next year.
Magic: Pacers will climb the ladder this season if they resign Artest, and if they can stay healthy. I also think the Clippers can climb the rankings this season if they can sign a good FA and if their young players keep improving. I think the Kings last season won more games than what most people thought. I'd be surprised if they stayed up where they are as well. If the Magic have a bad TC or if they (we) don't resign Marion and Francis, the Magic won't have 53 wins either next year.
Bucks: Not to be a homer, but after last season's disastrous record, Milwaukee has no choice but to improve greatly. With one of (if not the) youngest teams in the league, there aren't any guys on this roster that won't benefit from another year of experience. The addition of a true starting point guard in Russell Westbrook will also prove to be huge. I have a feeling Indiana won't be quite as dominant next season, but that doesn't mean I don't still like that roster (we'll talk about Indiana again in a bit)…
3. Of the new rookies coming out of this year's draft, which players are *nba-ready* now?
Lakers: Hmm, where to start. Lots of talent this year and I could run down the whole lottery and point out that basically all of them look good ratings wise and could be impacting the league sooner than later. A few standouts though to me are: 1st overall pick, James Harden, and the 4th overall pick, Tyreke Evans. Harden's scoring will be noticed early and often in his career, and looks to have a shot to develop into one of the elite scorers in the league pretty quickly. Evans is a complete package, offense, defense, and ball handling are all nba caliber. It will be interesting to see what areas of his game develop, because he could become an elite player in multiple phases of the game.
Bulls: I'll go with Harden and Curry. Both are extremely talented scorers which always garner the most attention. Curry especially could make several teams regret passing on him with his year one impact.
Seattle: James Harden is one that just stands out. The number one overall pick will do as he pleases at the Clippers with a running mate in Ty Lawson potentially making that backcourt one to look out for in seasons to come. DeMarcus Cousins is another that I reckon is 'NBA ready', as a tandem of Oden/Cousins boasts for some really dominant post play.
Timberwolves: The first thing I'll have to say is this is an ABSOLUTELY loaded draft. Plenty of players look immediately ready to make an impact. Of those, I think Blake Griffin, James Harden, and Tyreke Evans will show the best performance from Day 1. All 3 already show great polish and look for them to be stars sooner rather then later. Look for these guys and a couple more from this draft to be filling spots in the All-Star game in the near future.
Magic: Eh, none of them are NBA Ready imo. They can all use some improvements. Some are more ready to make an impact than others obviously. Reke, Harden, Griffin are the 3 I think will make the biggest differences.
Bucks: Most of this year's top players seem to be point guards, although Blake Griffin may have quite a bit of success early. If I had to pick a projected ROTY, I'd put my money on Tyreke Evans.
(editor: James Harden gets mentioned quite a bit as a 'rookie-to-watch'...)
4. It's a pretty good FA class this year - which of them are you watching with interest?
Lakers: Unfortunately, the most interesting free agent in the class is Gilbert Arenas. He is really who I will be keying the majority of my interest on. There are a couple solid big men available as well who could be big time impacts on the defensive end especially in Tyson Chandler and Ben Wallace. Also will be interesting to see who takes a shot and can land Shaq, who could still be a team changing player.
Bulls: Unfortunately I'll be very near the hard cap. Most interesting though overall will be Gilbert Arenas. He was highly involved in trade talks so I would expect him to receive multiple max contracts. Should be VERY interesting to see where he lands.
Seattle: Agent Zero, aka Hibachi. He's the one to target for multiple teams. I'm hoping like hell that my Sonics can net him. He was the MVP in my eyes last season, and to whoever that gets him, they'll be getting a bona fide superstar.
Timberwolves: To be honest I haven't really invested much time looking at FA. We lost 3 players from our rotation this past season and those are the spots we'd like to fill. We have Michael Beasley to replace Wally Szczerbiak so that cuts our needs down to 2. With the way Jason Williams has played for us the previous 2 seasons we'd be ecstatic to bring him back on board. We'll also be needing a back-up at the power forward position and we'll be evaluating players better when the time comes.
Magic: Our own FA's, Marion and Francis are key for us. Gilbert Arenas, and Ben Wallace are two others we have high interest in.
Bucks: It's going to be an interesting free agency. With 15 guys under contract in Milwaukee already, we're shopping some assets to see if we can create space for an MLE signing (probably at the SF position). That said, there's nobody I'm specifically looking at apart from the stars of the class. Hopefully the top players sign in new places and we get a new level of competition in this league, especially in the East.
(editor's note: Gilbert Arenas seems to be the central figure. From my own perspective, I'm a little surprised Ron Artest didn't get mentioned...)
5. Your team: what's the prognosis? What needs to happen for you this coming season?
Lakers: As of now we are the same team as last season minus are best player, which means things still need to get done. It is tough to tell at this point what next season holds, because a lot lies in the hands of Arenas at this point. We do have other solid player in Jermaine O'neal and Joe Johnson, but Arenas will decide whether we are to be contenders this year or a fringe team.
Bulls: Excellent prognosis. We're extremely young and talented. Very excited for TC and the upcoming season. As far as needs perhaps a backup wing with high efficiency would really help offset times when Smith/Deng are off the court.
Seattle: We need to bring in some veteran leadership through Free Agency. We need to sure up our backcourt with the departures of Allen Iverson and Baron Davis. We need to work on defense. People say the chuck is oen of the most influential systems in the league, but I reckon defense is just as, if not more, important than chucking.
Timberwolves: Our team needs to show improved perimeter play. Brandon Roy, Michael Beasley, and Rudy Gay need to work on their game in the off-season and give us an added boost. We think next year will be Brandon Roy's breakout season where he shows he's a true superstar in this league. A lot will also hinge on the development of Derrick Rose. We expect him to take his game to another level as well and will have a much larger role next season.
Magic: We NEED to stay healthy. Our team was playing quite well when we were healthy. We were 3-0 against the Bulls when Francis and McGrady were both healthy, and got throttled when Francis was out. That's just an example of our team's potential when healthy. We hope to bring back a similar core for next season.
Bucks: The only way we can go is up. I've got my realistic expectation of making the playoffs this season, but I truly think we're one deal away from being a deadly team come playoff time. We'll see how things go, but I don't think it's unrealistic to project us as a second round playoff team, with a damn good chance at the title a year from this upcoming season.
6. Pick the ECF/WCF participants for this coming season, then the Finalists... and the overall champion.
Lakers:
WCF: Lakers/Timberwolves
ECF: Bulls/Pacers
Finals: Timberwolves over Bulls in 6
Bit of a homer prediction on my end reaching the WCF, but if Agent 0 resigns this is what i would expect of my team at the least. Have a repeat finals matchup, because I think both their teams are just that good at this point. Though I do believe there will be lots of competition near the top of both conferences next season.
Bulls:
WCF: Grizzlies/Timberwolves
ECF: Bulls/Magic
Finals: Bulls over Timberwolves in 7.
Seattle: Hmm... For the East I'll say Chicago and Cleveland. For the West I'll say Minnesota and Seattle... jokes! It'll be Minny and Memphis I reckon. For the Finals it'll be Cleveland and Minnesota, and the winner of it all will be Cleveland.
Timberwolves: Bulls/Cavaliers & Timberwolves/Jazz. Cavaliers/Timberwolves in the Finals with the Wolves winning their 1st championship.
Magic: In the East, it's going to be the Bulls Vs Magic, and in the West it'll be Wolves vs the Grizzlies. Magic over the Grizzlies in the Finals. A little homer maybe, but eh.
Bucks: Let's go with Houston/Portland and Chicago/Indiana in the conference finals. I think the likeliest match up for the finals includes Chicago and Houston. I like Chicago's defensive ability. I see Dae winning in 5 or 6 games.
(editor: Bulls/Timberwolves seem to be the favourites, with Minnesota the consensus winner...)
7. There's been a waning in activity of late. Any suggestions as to how we can lift participation in the sim?
Lakers: Though I realize it is tough with time zones since there are people operating on different times throughout the league, a more set schedule may help. Sim times could possibly be announced either a) all at once pre-season or b) assigned for each week upcoming week over the weekend. That way people will know when to expect a sim and if they are able to be their they will get there. I think sometimes the "let’s wait till we have numbers" idea ends up hurting GM's who have been hanging around for a few hours waiting for the sim then have to go right as people are coming on. Maybe take a vote before the season and narrow it down to time-frames that sims should be, and alternate through those time windows over the week. Also I think(and it already is like this usually which is good) people should still be able to claim a reward for sim participation even if they can't make the sim, so long as they get a couple posts of discussion in, within say 24 hours or whenever the next sim is. That way people aren't penalized by time zones, and also can't take advantage and go back to a sim 4 days ago they missed and throw some comments in and claim the reward. The league has lots of good, active GM's – so we should be able to keep this league alive through the down times and flourish when we are through them.
Bulls: Consistency. Losing the old forum, commishes, and sim schedule really cut into the activity. We are working our way back into the groove which should really help.
Seattle: We just need some continuity with the simmage not just in the on season, but the off-season too. The site has been clearly lacking ever since the old system of SRG/Bundy/Flip broke up. Dae's doing an admirable job, whilst Bundy is still reliable, but we need a third wheel. Perhaps wassabi could be one to step up? I dunno...
Timberwolves: The problem lies in the simming consistency. Before we had those problems, activity in the league was at an All-Time high with every GM being active. To get it back to that point we'll need to get a consistent sim schedule at a time that a good amount of GM's can be on. We'll also need to do some recruiting as multiple teams have inactive General Managers now.
Magic: Allow article points to be used on players over the age of 28. This would encourage articles to be written, and it's fair to those who have players over 28 who still have camps available. I'm sitting on nearly 4k cash and like 15+ points with no one to spend it on.
Bucks: Let's get some regular sim times back. If that requires more simmers, then so be it. If we need to power through the offseason a bit quicker, so be it. Maybe we just need some fresh GM faces.
(editor: consensus seems to be having a semblance of a schedule... some other great ideas there too)
8. Real-world NBA question now: pick the champion this season.
Lakers: The safe answer is obviously the Heat, but I really don't see them getting it this year. I think they'll blow through the East, I don't think the Pacers are good enough as a team yet to beat them in a series, though I think a series between the Heat-Nets could be interesting just based off how well the Nets have played against them for some reason this year. I think this is the year the Thunder breakthrough in the West, and then shock the Heat in the Finals.
Bulls: Going to go against the grain: Thunder!
Seattle: San Antonio for me. The romanticism of Tim Duncan winning a 5th ring is just too good to pass up.
Timberwolves: San Antonio Spurs. I think they came into this season with a bad taste in their mouth and it shows. It's ridiculous the continuity they play with on offense. The whole team plays in synch and it's hard to see anybody topping them right now. If not them whoever comes out the West will win as I don't think the Heat or Pacers are playing well enough to get it done.
Magic: OKC. Durant is on a mission. Spurs look good, but the Thunder swept them this season, and I just don't think Spurs can get past the younger and athletic Thunder.
Bucks: I'm hoping anyone not named the Heat wins it this year, but I think they have to be the favorites until proven otherwise. I really like Indiana but they've hit a rough patch, and out West the NBA is a real dog. The Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, and even Blazers all have a legitimate shot. Hell, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Suns would be deadly in the East and one of those teams won't even be in the top eight for the Western Conference. If I'm picking who I want to win that has a legitimate chance, I'd like to see the Thunder cap off a good season against LeBron and the boys of South Beach.
(editor: looks like the Thunder are the pick this year!!)
Ok... that's that. All participants may claim their +2...
Now, the +3 award for "best response". Normally that would be me. And if I am involved (I am), it's GMA Pres... but shorty's involved. So it's dae - but he's involved too! So going to turn it over to another GM who's pretty active. HyperYellow - would you mind picking the best responder to the Q&A (the GM chosen can have an extra +1).
Please remember to vote!
The individual members involved in this were the two finalists from last season (rookieoftheyear / daedalus), getbeard (who beat his CY), thecommish, BoshtrichBurger and shorty (randomly chosen participants).
To the questions!
1. Start off with the inevitable, "did the best team win the title last season" question. Answer away!
Lakers: I believe they did. The inside grit-and-balls style team the Bulls assembled is meant for playoff success. Despite the "chuck" trend in the league today it was proved that is not the only way to win games. Was also perhaps the perfect year for this type of team because of the shift to outside oriented ball throughout the league, so many teams were not build to last against a team with the opposite nature.
Bulls: "Best" depends on a lot of factors. The Bulls were the healthiest no doubt. In addition I'd put them top 3 in the league talent-wise. That combo would lead me to say "Yes" to the original question.
Seattle: Yes I believe the best team won. When you have a monster frontcourt of Dwight Howard and Amar'e, it really does put you in a good position to win it all. The acquisition of Deng was a masterstroke and his perimeter defense alongside J-Smoove was golden as well for that team. It really was a beautiful balance that the Bulls possessed.
Timberwolves: It's hard to say but I'll say yes the best team won the championship. The Bulls were stacked from 1-5 and didn't have any holes on their team. They were consistent all season long while most teams went through huge ups & downs. I would've liked to say we had the best team but it's hard to argue with the overall body of work of the Chicago Bulls.
Magic: Yep. Bulls have always had one of the most talented lineups in the league, and their defense and rebounding have always led the league. They won the most games, and they won the whole thing. Safe to say, the best team won.
Bucks: I thought the Bulls matched up really well with the other top-flight teams. The addition of Luol Deng's top tier two-way play really put them over the top, so I can't say I'm even slightly surprised. Dae put together a hell of a team.
2. Looking forwards to this season, pick one team that will climb the ladder this season, and one that will drop significantly (tell us why too!).
Lakers: The Sonics are bound to make a big leap forward this year. They have a great young core, and with really and sort of addition in the offseason to go along with what would think would be a nice TC for Durant and Co. should spring forward the Sonics and make them more relevant this season. A team that may fall off is the Jazz. After a first round exit the GM has let it known that he is looking to sell. If his words turn to be true then there may be a different look in Utah next season.
Bulls: Rising: Seattle Sonics. Zero chance of a Durant/Bosh combo finishing near the bottom again. Way too much talent to linger at the bottom.
Falling: Tough time deciding between two teams so I'll name both. Pistons in the East and Jazz in the West. Both GMs are looking for a youth movement and IMHO overachieved at times during last season.
Seattle: I'm sure as hell hoping that my team goes up this season, but from a non-bias point of view, I reckon Philadelphia will move up dramatically this season going forward with the likes of Brook Lopez and Stephen Curry alongside Arron Afflalo leading that young team forward. A team that I expect to drop off is the Houston Rockets. They already sort of did this season as they were bundled out of the playoffs in the first round after winning it all the season before.
Timberwolves: There are plenty of up & coming teams but if I have to choose one, I'd say the Portland Trailblazers. The star power needed to win is their as they'll be featuring the reigning MVP Chris Paul. With all the cap space free agency should bring in some impact players as well. In my opinion you should be able to surround Chris Paul with any other 11 players and be able to win games. The team who I think wi have a drop off is the Detroit Pistons. I didn't think they were as good as the record suggested this previous season and it'll be hard for them to keep it up next year.
Magic: Pacers will climb the ladder this season if they resign Artest, and if they can stay healthy. I also think the Clippers can climb the rankings this season if they can sign a good FA and if their young players keep improving. I think the Kings last season won more games than what most people thought. I'd be surprised if they stayed up where they are as well. If the Magic have a bad TC or if they (we) don't resign Marion and Francis, the Magic won't have 53 wins either next year.
Bucks: Not to be a homer, but after last season's disastrous record, Milwaukee has no choice but to improve greatly. With one of (if not the) youngest teams in the league, there aren't any guys on this roster that won't benefit from another year of experience. The addition of a true starting point guard in Russell Westbrook will also prove to be huge. I have a feeling Indiana won't be quite as dominant next season, but that doesn't mean I don't still like that roster (we'll talk about Indiana again in a bit)…
3. Of the new rookies coming out of this year's draft, which players are *nba-ready* now?
Lakers: Hmm, where to start. Lots of talent this year and I could run down the whole lottery and point out that basically all of them look good ratings wise and could be impacting the league sooner than later. A few standouts though to me are: 1st overall pick, James Harden, and the 4th overall pick, Tyreke Evans. Harden's scoring will be noticed early and often in his career, and looks to have a shot to develop into one of the elite scorers in the league pretty quickly. Evans is a complete package, offense, defense, and ball handling are all nba caliber. It will be interesting to see what areas of his game develop, because he could become an elite player in multiple phases of the game.
Bulls: I'll go with Harden and Curry. Both are extremely talented scorers which always garner the most attention. Curry especially could make several teams regret passing on him with his year one impact.
Seattle: James Harden is one that just stands out. The number one overall pick will do as he pleases at the Clippers with a running mate in Ty Lawson potentially making that backcourt one to look out for in seasons to come. DeMarcus Cousins is another that I reckon is 'NBA ready', as a tandem of Oden/Cousins boasts for some really dominant post play.
Timberwolves: The first thing I'll have to say is this is an ABSOLUTELY loaded draft. Plenty of players look immediately ready to make an impact. Of those, I think Blake Griffin, James Harden, and Tyreke Evans will show the best performance from Day 1. All 3 already show great polish and look for them to be stars sooner rather then later. Look for these guys and a couple more from this draft to be filling spots in the All-Star game in the near future.
Magic: Eh, none of them are NBA Ready imo. They can all use some improvements. Some are more ready to make an impact than others obviously. Reke, Harden, Griffin are the 3 I think will make the biggest differences.
Bucks: Most of this year's top players seem to be point guards, although Blake Griffin may have quite a bit of success early. If I had to pick a projected ROTY, I'd put my money on Tyreke Evans.
(editor: James Harden gets mentioned quite a bit as a 'rookie-to-watch'...)
4. It's a pretty good FA class this year - which of them are you watching with interest?
Lakers: Unfortunately, the most interesting free agent in the class is Gilbert Arenas. He is really who I will be keying the majority of my interest on. There are a couple solid big men available as well who could be big time impacts on the defensive end especially in Tyson Chandler and Ben Wallace. Also will be interesting to see who takes a shot and can land Shaq, who could still be a team changing player.
Bulls: Unfortunately I'll be very near the hard cap. Most interesting though overall will be Gilbert Arenas. He was highly involved in trade talks so I would expect him to receive multiple max contracts. Should be VERY interesting to see where he lands.
Seattle: Agent Zero, aka Hibachi. He's the one to target for multiple teams. I'm hoping like hell that my Sonics can net him. He was the MVP in my eyes last season, and to whoever that gets him, they'll be getting a bona fide superstar.
Timberwolves: To be honest I haven't really invested much time looking at FA. We lost 3 players from our rotation this past season and those are the spots we'd like to fill. We have Michael Beasley to replace Wally Szczerbiak so that cuts our needs down to 2. With the way Jason Williams has played for us the previous 2 seasons we'd be ecstatic to bring him back on board. We'll also be needing a back-up at the power forward position and we'll be evaluating players better when the time comes.
Magic: Our own FA's, Marion and Francis are key for us. Gilbert Arenas, and Ben Wallace are two others we have high interest in.
Bucks: It's going to be an interesting free agency. With 15 guys under contract in Milwaukee already, we're shopping some assets to see if we can create space for an MLE signing (probably at the SF position). That said, there's nobody I'm specifically looking at apart from the stars of the class. Hopefully the top players sign in new places and we get a new level of competition in this league, especially in the East.
(editor's note: Gilbert Arenas seems to be the central figure. From my own perspective, I'm a little surprised Ron Artest didn't get mentioned...)
5. Your team: what's the prognosis? What needs to happen for you this coming season?
Lakers: As of now we are the same team as last season minus are best player, which means things still need to get done. It is tough to tell at this point what next season holds, because a lot lies in the hands of Arenas at this point. We do have other solid player in Jermaine O'neal and Joe Johnson, but Arenas will decide whether we are to be contenders this year or a fringe team.
Bulls: Excellent prognosis. We're extremely young and talented. Very excited for TC and the upcoming season. As far as needs perhaps a backup wing with high efficiency would really help offset times when Smith/Deng are off the court.
Seattle: We need to bring in some veteran leadership through Free Agency. We need to sure up our backcourt with the departures of Allen Iverson and Baron Davis. We need to work on defense. People say the chuck is oen of the most influential systems in the league, but I reckon defense is just as, if not more, important than chucking.
Timberwolves: Our team needs to show improved perimeter play. Brandon Roy, Michael Beasley, and Rudy Gay need to work on their game in the off-season and give us an added boost. We think next year will be Brandon Roy's breakout season where he shows he's a true superstar in this league. A lot will also hinge on the development of Derrick Rose. We expect him to take his game to another level as well and will have a much larger role next season.
Magic: We NEED to stay healthy. Our team was playing quite well when we were healthy. We were 3-0 against the Bulls when Francis and McGrady were both healthy, and got throttled when Francis was out. That's just an example of our team's potential when healthy. We hope to bring back a similar core for next season.
Bucks: The only way we can go is up. I've got my realistic expectation of making the playoffs this season, but I truly think we're one deal away from being a deadly team come playoff time. We'll see how things go, but I don't think it's unrealistic to project us as a second round playoff team, with a damn good chance at the title a year from this upcoming season.
6. Pick the ECF/WCF participants for this coming season, then the Finalists... and the overall champion.
Lakers:
WCF: Lakers/Timberwolves
ECF: Bulls/Pacers
Finals: Timberwolves over Bulls in 6
Bit of a homer prediction on my end reaching the WCF, but if Agent 0 resigns this is what i would expect of my team at the least. Have a repeat finals matchup, because I think both their teams are just that good at this point. Though I do believe there will be lots of competition near the top of both conferences next season.
Bulls:
WCF: Grizzlies/Timberwolves
ECF: Bulls/Magic
Finals: Bulls over Timberwolves in 7.
Seattle: Hmm... For the East I'll say Chicago and Cleveland. For the West I'll say Minnesota and Seattle... jokes! It'll be Minny and Memphis I reckon. For the Finals it'll be Cleveland and Minnesota, and the winner of it all will be Cleveland.
Timberwolves: Bulls/Cavaliers & Timberwolves/Jazz. Cavaliers/Timberwolves in the Finals with the Wolves winning their 1st championship.
Magic: In the East, it's going to be the Bulls Vs Magic, and in the West it'll be Wolves vs the Grizzlies. Magic over the Grizzlies in the Finals. A little homer maybe, but eh.
Bucks: Let's go with Houston/Portland and Chicago/Indiana in the conference finals. I think the likeliest match up for the finals includes Chicago and Houston. I like Chicago's defensive ability. I see Dae winning in 5 or 6 games.
(editor: Bulls/Timberwolves seem to be the favourites, with Minnesota the consensus winner...)
7. There's been a waning in activity of late. Any suggestions as to how we can lift participation in the sim?
Lakers: Though I realize it is tough with time zones since there are people operating on different times throughout the league, a more set schedule may help. Sim times could possibly be announced either a) all at once pre-season or b) assigned for each week upcoming week over the weekend. That way people will know when to expect a sim and if they are able to be their they will get there. I think sometimes the "let’s wait till we have numbers" idea ends up hurting GM's who have been hanging around for a few hours waiting for the sim then have to go right as people are coming on. Maybe take a vote before the season and narrow it down to time-frames that sims should be, and alternate through those time windows over the week. Also I think(and it already is like this usually which is good) people should still be able to claim a reward for sim participation even if they can't make the sim, so long as they get a couple posts of discussion in, within say 24 hours or whenever the next sim is. That way people aren't penalized by time zones, and also can't take advantage and go back to a sim 4 days ago they missed and throw some comments in and claim the reward. The league has lots of good, active GM's – so we should be able to keep this league alive through the down times and flourish when we are through them.
Bulls: Consistency. Losing the old forum, commishes, and sim schedule really cut into the activity. We are working our way back into the groove which should really help.
Seattle: We just need some continuity with the simmage not just in the on season, but the off-season too. The site has been clearly lacking ever since the old system of SRG/Bundy/Flip broke up. Dae's doing an admirable job, whilst Bundy is still reliable, but we need a third wheel. Perhaps wassabi could be one to step up? I dunno...
Timberwolves: The problem lies in the simming consistency. Before we had those problems, activity in the league was at an All-Time high with every GM being active. To get it back to that point we'll need to get a consistent sim schedule at a time that a good amount of GM's can be on. We'll also need to do some recruiting as multiple teams have inactive General Managers now.
Magic: Allow article points to be used on players over the age of 28. This would encourage articles to be written, and it's fair to those who have players over 28 who still have camps available. I'm sitting on nearly 4k cash and like 15+ points with no one to spend it on.
Bucks: Let's get some regular sim times back. If that requires more simmers, then so be it. If we need to power through the offseason a bit quicker, so be it. Maybe we just need some fresh GM faces.
(editor: consensus seems to be having a semblance of a schedule... some other great ideas there too)
8. Real-world NBA question now: pick the champion this season.
Lakers: The safe answer is obviously the Heat, but I really don't see them getting it this year. I think they'll blow through the East, I don't think the Pacers are good enough as a team yet to beat them in a series, though I think a series between the Heat-Nets could be interesting just based off how well the Nets have played against them for some reason this year. I think this is the year the Thunder breakthrough in the West, and then shock the Heat in the Finals.
Bulls: Going to go against the grain: Thunder!
Seattle: San Antonio for me. The romanticism of Tim Duncan winning a 5th ring is just too good to pass up.
Timberwolves: San Antonio Spurs. I think they came into this season with a bad taste in their mouth and it shows. It's ridiculous the continuity they play with on offense. The whole team plays in synch and it's hard to see anybody topping them right now. If not them whoever comes out the West will win as I don't think the Heat or Pacers are playing well enough to get it done.
Magic: OKC. Durant is on a mission. Spurs look good, but the Thunder swept them this season, and I just don't think Spurs can get past the younger and athletic Thunder.
Bucks: I'm hoping anyone not named the Heat wins it this year, but I think they have to be the favorites until proven otherwise. I really like Indiana but they've hit a rough patch, and out West the NBA is a real dog. The Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, and even Blazers all have a legitimate shot. Hell, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Suns would be deadly in the East and one of those teams won't even be in the top eight for the Western Conference. If I'm picking who I want to win that has a legitimate chance, I'd like to see the Thunder cap off a good season against LeBron and the boys of South Beach.
(editor: looks like the Thunder are the pick this year!!)
Ok... that's that. All participants may claim their +2...
Now, the +3 award for "best response". Normally that would be me. And if I am involved (I am), it's GMA Pres... but shorty's involved. So it's dae - but he's involved too! So going to turn it over to another GM who's pretty active. HyperYellow - would you mind picking the best responder to the Q&A (the GM chosen can have an extra +1).
Please remember to vote!
