Post by kn88 on Dec 1, 2014 22:25:31 GMT -6
Welcome, folks. Most of these answers were sent before FA. Hope you enjoy.
1. Another season in the books. How do you feel about your team's performance this year? Talk about some of the moves you made and what you had in mind when you did them.
Good, I was hoping to finish in the bottom 3. I knew being the worst is not possible because of Fason's tank game. I held onto Mills thinking his would develop more and actually be good. Should of shipped him off to JHB when I had the chance. Outside of that didn't have talent to move so it was just tank and sem.
My team lost and wasn't all that good but I think I have acquired some nice young talent and hopefully with the addition of another Lottery pick I can continue to build my core which I think is heading in the right direction. I acquired both Gary Payton and Luke Jackson which I'm happy about because they play the 2 positions I needed someone at the most in PG and SG. Xavier Henry and Patrick Patterson are very nice pieces to add to them. The biggest issue with my team is the defense is lacking and I need a rim protector to go beside Patterson.
Well I was tanking so I didn't really make some moves. Probably gave out a stupid contract to Trevor Booker which will bite me in the ass, my young PG Paul Neumann is probably a bust also. But on the bright side I should have a young stud SG in Clyde Drexler assuming he has a decent sophomore TC. Other than that my roster is pretty meh.
I blew up my team midseason. The goal was, since I didn't have picks for five seasons and my best (and only) player under 30 ditched me, to find as many young, promising players as I could to see if I couldn't rebuild a younger, more promising team. Since I had sold out for a title and come pretty damn close, I knew this was going to happen eventually, the timeline just accelerated with Boogie departing to an inferior GM and franchise. With this team though, the best case scenario is guys like Jeff Malone, Lenny Wilkens, Rudy LaRusso, Zach Bird, and Delonte West develop into solid players and I keep filling out the roster with solid vets like Shelton and Greenwood. And when time comes to decide if I want to tank when I have my picks, I think this team has more trade value at that point than the one with Williamson and Adams huge contracts and other aging veteran pieces. I don't care if my draft picks end up being good for another GM in the meantime, this is just a better move for the future since my title window slammed shut after last free agency.
I moved Mo Lucas for Ricky Sobers before the season, acquired James Donaldson, and traded for Alexis Gardner during the season to balance out my roster. I thought we were on the right track, then we turned into the real life Bullets and choked against the Ward-less Raptors in round 1. They better redeem themselves this season or else :ohhh:.
2. Which team exceeded your expectations? Which team (if any) did you expect to have a better season?
Fason, I knew his team was bad but goodness... that might be the worst team ever. On the flip side I thought Trofie would dominate the East. Didn't win the division. I love Trofie but he has the worst luck at getting the most out of his teams.
I wouldn't say exceed but 2 GM's who are seemingly underrated but are thought highly of in Druce and Trofie. They seem to get lost sometimes in discussions but those 2 always produce really good teams that are contenders.
Cavs definitely exceeded my expectations for sure. But mainly because they just fly so under the radar I just don't expect them to do anything. This offseason will be huge for them since both Jefferson and Kidd could be headed to FA. The obvious answer to the second question is the Charlotte Hornets especially after their dump tier FA in the offseason, but this season is about what I expect of a RV led team that has talent on it.
Even after trading Williamson to the Grizzlies, I didn't think they would win the title. I definitely told him that in our negotiations about Williamson, but I thought his team still lacked the hyper-efficient perimeter scoring at SG and SF that guys like George Gervin and Rick Barry have to great teams in the past. Marques Johnson is a great and efficient player, but he's not taking 7 threes a game at 45%. I know it's not fair to the Rockets since they got a tough matchup and lost to the Grizz in the first round, but I thought that team was a lot better than a first round exit. After the acquisition of Khalid Reeves, I pretty much closed the door on my team competing for titles because I thought they would be THAT good for a long time.
Cavs had a much better run than I thought they would. I knew the Sixers were bad, but good lord. They'll probably go 0-82 this year, too. Fason is Tank God.
3. The GM rankings recently came out. Give me your thoughts on your score, and tell me what stood out to you about some of the other scores.
I thought my grade was low. Not shocking.. Figured I get a bunch of 5's and 6's based on my 4.0 run. I thought some grades were questionable... Trofie, Druce both got some low head scratching grades.. lots of GM's took personal feelings into account vs just GM work. But that is to be expected I guess.
The rankings have been posted all over the Trailblazer Facility, the league is on notice.
My score is pretty accurate. I'm a pretty mediocre GM, and overall human being. Nothing really spectacular about me. I'm never gonna have a contending team unless the software hands it to me. I'm pretty surprised that Druce didn't have a higher score. IMO in 4.0, he has proven that he can build a great team with the best of them including Soup/Trofie/Buster. Plus he is a fantastic drafter, and he has won a title.
I thought there were some guys ahead of me at the time who should have been lower at me. I thought there were some guys behind me that could have been ahead of me. At the time I thought it was a little low, but looking at how that team flamed out, people may have overestimated my GMing abilities based on a good run of 2.5 years.
My score was pretty accurate. My team was shit for the longest. Let's see what I can do with this bunch. The pressure is on.
I thought Druce's score was too low. He's flown under the radar, kind of like the real life Grizzlies. He's had a very nice run in 4.0.
4. If you could swap rosters with someone for the next three years, who would it be? On the flip side, whose team is in worst shape moving forward?
Wouldn't swap my roster. I blew up a good team so I could build my team with hand picked talent. Suffered the last 3 or 4 sim years... At this point I want to actually build a roster. Hopefully Doc has a good TC coming up and whoever I draft isn't a bust. I think the Mavs could be coming to the end of a run. This off-season will be interesting for them. I don't like what RW has done with his roster. Aiming to be .500 lol.
I really like my roster but I would trade with Rv just to have the chance to have my boy Boogie. I'm pretty jealous of that he has John Wall and Boogie to be the cornerstones of his core moving forward. The team I wouldn't really want is the Thunder.
Trofie's Milwaukee Bucks for sure. Just to have Champ and Chuck on my team would be such a honor. Hollins/Wilkes is a good backcourt too, and I love Imhoff. Best team in the league by far for the next three seasons. That is until Trofie gets his hands on Allen Iverson. But also the Celtics fanbase can finally have a good GM for their team. Hopefully Trofie could work his magic for my shitastic roster. Obviously the Boston Celtics are in the worst shape moving forward with no direction whatsoever.
I would trade with the Indiana Pacers just to get Gary Bossert. I have a feeling that dude is going to destroy worlds and fason is going to regret not picking him. If he doesn't work out though, then I'd take the Mavericks roster for another three seasons. I still think that's a team that definitely has at least two more good years of life in it before he needs to start looking at a blowup, and all of the principle players are tied up through that three year window, save DeBernardi who is very replaceable. The roster I would not want to trade with is Fason because tanking is boring, Robinson is not going to be there for however many seasons, and I have no draft picks. In terms of the team in the worst shape moving forward, it's definitely the Hawks. His tank produced one good player in Dick Furry (we'll see on KJ). I think Duhon's stats may have been inflated by playing on that Kings roster but at least the contract is solid. Kimble and Ellis are average at best, Ellis may never be a starter with that handle and defense grade. And now he's planning to use all his cap space on three-year, $5MM deals to MLE-level players according to shout today. What an idiot.
Bucks. They're the favorites to win the title this year, and they'll end up with a ton of picks after they blow it up for AI. I like Charlotte's roster as well. On the flip side, the Pelicans won't be winning games anytime soon.
5. This season is year 10 of 4.0. Give me your all-decade team (5 starters + 3 bench players).
I haven't been in the league for the 10 years... But i'll give it my best try...
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Paul Westphal
SF: Truck Robinson
PF: Bob Lanier
C: Moses Malone
PF/C: Bill Walton
SG: Rick Berry
SF: Doctor J
PG- Magic Johnson
SG- Paul Westphal
SF- Charles Barkley
PF- Larry Kenon
C- Bill Walton
Bench: George Gervin/Swen Nater/Rick Berry
PG: David Thompson
SG: John Drew
SF: Alvan Adams
PF: Bob Lanier
C: Moses Malone
Super Sub: Magic Johnson
SF: George Gervin
Championship Winner: Jerod Kundla
This is completely off the top of my head and I'm not going back to do any research.
C: Logan Edgehill/Theodosius Cathasach
PF: Bob Lanier
SF: Alvan Adams
SG: David Thompson
PG: Magic Johnson
Bench: Paul Westphal, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PG: Skywalker
SG: Barry
SF: Magic
PF: Lanier
C: Walton
bench: Westphal, Gervin, Moses
NBA/College hoops:
6. What are your thoughts on Cleveland's early season struggles? Is it just growing pains, or are there some deeper, potentially long-lasting issues with this team?
It doesn't look good. I know some have pointed to the Heat early struggles but this roster is not as talented when it comes to the Big 3.. IMHO Kyrie is a borderline top 10 PG. Love is struggling and at best equal to Bosh. LeBron is still awesome but older. The team will improve as the season continues. Its going to be a top team for the next few years. But I don't look at the Cavs and feel fear.
They have some big issues defensively just based on the lack of ability that some of them have. However, I think this team will be much better come the end of the season. Everything is completely new to that team and they have only played 11 games together and comfort and style will become much better as they understand how each other plays off the other. That right there along with a brand new coach who has never been the head guy in the NBA are a recipe for growing pains.
I have no idea why they kept Dion Waiters. Dude is a cancer to that team. But I mean its not like LBJ's first season in Miami didnt have its struggles also. Kyrie needs to learn some type of defense. But call me when its March and this Cavs team is still having issues.
I don't worry about it a whole lot. Two of these guys in the starting lineup played together the last two seasons, and those two barely played together because of injuries. I don't understand why Marion is starting over a guy like Delly when he's healthy, as he seems to be the best option for defense and spacing at the 2 spot. I think Waiters needs to know his role. But those things and rotation issues will figure themselves out as the season goes. I think LeBron does need to stop commenting on his team to the media like he's Skip Bayless post-game and save that shit for practice where guys can actually learn from his guidance.
They'll get it together offensively, but I'm not sure they're good enough defensively to beat a healthy Chicago. Their interior defense is bad, too. If they end up matching up with Washington in round 2, watch out.
Also, fuck Cleveland.
7. Anthony Davis is destroying fools, to the point where he's widely considered the 3rd best player in the league (and rising). If you had to start a franchise with anyone outside the top 3 of Lebron, KD, and AD, who would it be?
The homer in me would pick Rose. I still think he is a elite PG in this league. Lots of huff and puff about him sitting out but bottom line is I would rather be safe then sorry. As a non homer pick I would go with Westbrook. To me he is a Rose clone maybe including the injuries. He is a dynamic scorer and just a fantastic player to watch.
Damn tough question but I'm going with my heart here and taking Boogie. He is a freak who is the best low post scorer in the NBA and is a very effective defender. I thought about guys like Westbrook and Blake Griffin but Boogie would be my choice.
I'd start a team with the best big man in the league, Demarcus Cousins. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGIE. He is this generation's Shaquille O'Neal. Where Brow beats people with his finesse, Boogie just beats people with his strength and size down low. As we all saw this summer with the USA team and the beginning of this season, he has finally turned that corner and it has been amazing to watch. He has made that clusterfuck of a roster in Sacramento actually a pleasure to watch.
I'd take Russell Westbrook because he's relatively young, he's been extremely healthy other than two freak accidents that have caused him to miss time, and he's exciting as shit to watch. He might not be the best building block left for a championship contender, but he is by far the most exciting and he'd put butts in seats and keep the fans coming.
Boogie. He's easily the most gifted offensive big in the game, but he's also been a monster on the defensive end this year. Westbrook is a close second. He takes crazy shots, but he's aggressive and competitive as hell. There isn't enough of that in today's game. I mean you have Paul George talking about wanting to be mentored by Lebron, and this was after Lebron destroyed him in game 7. That's like asking the guy who's fucking your girl on the side for tips on how to please her. Fuck outta here with that soft shit.
8. How are your pro and college teams looking so far this season? What were your expectations going into the season? What have you seen that excites you? What concerns you?
I don't really follow CBB as much as I once did as a kid. But UNC looks good. Love Marcus Paige and I think Meeks is going to be the key for them. The Bulls look like they should be in the NBA finals. I really like the roster when everyone returns. Hope Thibs doesn't run this team into the ground before the playoffs start.
I don't follow college basketball so I don't have an answer to that part. However with the Blazers i'm very encouraged by how this season has started as the Blazers have a couple consistent contributors off the bench now in Steve Blake and Chris Kaman. They are also figuring things out on the defensive end of the court as they have been one of the better defensive teams to start the year to go a long with a top 3 offense I'm very excited about the possibilities this season. I'm sure since it is the Blazers I will be terribly disappointed in how the seasons ends because that is just what they do.
Pro: Well the Mavericks are off to a hot start with the [HASH]1 offense in the NBA. Jameer Nelson is a breath of fresh air at the PG position alongside Devin Harris. Monta Ellis is Monta Have It All. When he is on, it is one of the greatest things to watch. I love having him on my team. Chandler Parsons so far has been a disappointment. He is far too inefficient, but man he can rain in the 3s. Dirk is Dirk. The best athlete I have ever had the pleasure of watching in an athletic competition, and I will miss him everyday when he finally retires. He has definitely slowed down but his game is still better than most right now. It is so awesome having Tyson Chandler back. He is the perfect 5 for this team. He has been a rebounding monster and he controlled Boogie for almost the entire game and got in his head. At his age, that is very impressive. Also I'm thankful I haven't watched much of Raymond Felton in a Mavericks uniform.
College: Well it is coached by Billy Kennedy so it is going like this:
South Carolina is an embarrassment to basketball but is improving from previous seasons. I'm a little disappointed Sindarious Thornwell hasn't improved more, and in fact seems to be regressing as a shooter, but it's early. We've lost to some bad to average teams, but we did put up a good showing against Baylor. I'm hoping they keep improving through this season and all the key players stick around for one more year until we can add PJ Dozier into the fold as well. Everyone knows about the Thunder's issues. The biggest disappointment with that stretch of basketball where Russ and KD were out (assuming KD is back Tuesday as expected) was that PJ3 showed some promise in a couple of games and then got injured through the remainder. I was hoping that he could show he would be a consistent option off the bench at the 2 since Jeremy Lamb can't seem to get his shit together consistently.
Pro: Wiz look decent so far. We've played a very soft schedule, but we've done most of it without Beal. Otto's been playing well off the bench. Wall has picked up where he left off last season. Nene's already hurt, which isn't surprising. I'm satisfied for now, but I know Randy Wittman and his mid-range heavy offense are gonna drive me crazy as the season moves along.
Miami looks very good. I figured we'd be in the top half of the ACC, but I didn't expect us to be ranked in the top 15 this early. Coach L is one of the best coaches in the country (as opposed to Al Golden, who's the worst coach in the country), so I shouldn't be surprised. I can't wait to see how we do in conference play.
9. Both of Satan's teams, Kentucky and Duke, have looked mighty impressive thus far. Which teams have the best shot of joining that top tier and potentially knocking them off? Please tell me someone is gonna knock them off.
lol at the overreaction to such a small sample size. Kentucky and Duke will both lose and multiple times. Wisconsin is always a tough play, UNC looks very talented, Louisville is playing well. And lets not forget about Wichita State who will be a problem in March.
With my severe lack of knowledge about College I will say that Kentucky looks fucking loaded especially with their ability to throw so many good players at teams that it will be hard to overcome for a lot of teams. I will say that I would root for Gonzaga if the time comes simply because they have the GOAT Blazer son playing on their team.
Well I don't know much about CBB outside of my own team tbqh. I've heard Arizona is a very good team this season. As a SEC fan, Florida should be good if they get Chris Walker back and are healthy, plus Billy Donovan is their coach. Gonzaga has seemed impressive by their box scores so far this season. And you can never count out North Carolina and Roy Williams especially when it comes to Duke.
I've only seen Kentucky play once against Kansas, but I've followed their boxes a little bit, and holy shit. This team might not lose a game if they stay healthy and have performances like that Kansas game consistently against quality opponents. That team is oozing with freshman talent, and there are a lot of quality upperclassmen. I think the key for this team later in the season will be taking a less is more approach with Aaron Harrison, unless he can begin to score a little more efficiently. I don't think that'll be a problem though because he was better last season.
Kentucky looks tough as hell. They'll have a couple of tough games in the next couple of weeks against Texas and Carolina, so we'll see how much better they are than everyone else. Duke looks strong as well. The ACC is going to be vicious this year. Duke, UVA, Louisville, and Carolina are top 10 teams. Miami looks to be a top 20 team. Syracuse should be back in the top 25 pretty soon. I can easily see four of those teams winning the title this year.
10. You have $20 to spend on an NBA starting 5. Since it's hard to pick just one guy to assign a specific $ value to, I'm giving you options. Keep fit in mind, and explain why you chose who you did.
PG: $5: Curry/Paul/Westbrook
$4: Parker/Lillard/Rondo/Lowry
$3: Wall/Dragic/Conley/Irving
$2: Lawson/Deron/Teague
$1: Jennings/Kemba/Holiday
SG: $5: Harden
$4: Thompson
$3: Kobe/Monta
$2: Derozan/Butler/Ginobili/Wade (should probably be $3)
$1: Johnson/Beal/Lance
SF: $5: Lebron/KD
$4: Melo/Kawhi
$3: Hayward/Gay
$2: Parsons/Iguodala
$1: Deng/Pierce
PF: $5: Davis
$4: Aldridge/Love/Blake
$3: Dirk (should be $4, but fuck it)
$2: Z-bo/Millsap
$1: Monroe/Smith
C: $5: Boogie/Dwight
$4: Gasol/Noah/Bosh/Duncan
$3: Bogut/Jefferson
$2: Hibbert/Chandler
$1: Gortat/Lopez
PG: Wall (2)
SG: Butler (3)
SF: LeBron (5)
PF: Davis (5)
C: Dwight (5)
PG: Lillard $4
SG: Thompson $4
SF: Iguodala $2
PF: Davis $5
C: Boogie $5
I really don't see how you can top that starting 5 it has every single thing you need on a team. Tons of shooting, freak athletes that can get out in the open court and run. 2 Rim protectors to back up the PG who struggles at times on the ball defensively along with 2 really good wing defenders to allow Lillard to shift off tough covers at PG. The biggest key to this group is Iggy I think and his ability to handle the ball allowing both Thompson and Lillard to be spot up shooters which opens the paint for Boogie and Davis. I picked guys I love watch playing and they are all so versatile and dynamic that they would be awesome to watch play together.
PG: Mike Conley - IMO one of the most efficient PGs in the game, and one who hardly gets the respect he deserves. He is the true definition of a point guard. He can defend really well and he is a very good passer. I mean look how well his team is doing so far this season.
SG: Monta Ellis - Homer pick. Always good to have another ball handler in the backcourt. Really underrated defender. I like him because he is a change of pace from Conley. Plus he is your shooter.
SF: Kawhi Leonard - The best SF in the game not named Lebron James, Paul George, or Kevin Durant. He does everything well. Another great defender.
PF: Anthony "Brow" Davis - Obviously best PF in the game. Very balanced game as well. Obviously a great defender.
C: Demarcus "Boogie" Cousins - Fits in well with Brow IMO. Good defender. Will manage the inside for us.
PG: $5 Russ
SG: $5 Harden
SF: $5 KD
PF: $5 AD
C: $0 Ibaka
Seriously though:
$3 Wall
$2 Butler
$5 KD
$5 AD
$5 Boogie
PG: Curry (5)
SG: Beal (1)
SF: Lebron (5)
PF: Davis (5)
C: Gasol (4)
I went with shooting in the backcourt and defense up front. Lebron does everything well. Gasol is arguably the best passer at his position and one of the best defenders. Beal is probably undervalued at $1 but whatever, this team is winning it all.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to post your $20 teams in the thread.
1. Another season in the books. How do you feel about your team's performance this year? Talk about some of the moves you made and what you had in mind when you did them.
Good, I was hoping to finish in the bottom 3. I knew being the worst is not possible because of Fason's tank game. I held onto Mills thinking his would develop more and actually be good. Should of shipped him off to JHB when I had the chance. Outside of that didn't have talent to move so it was just tank and sem. My team lost and wasn't all that good but I think I have acquired some nice young talent and hopefully with the addition of another Lottery pick I can continue to build my core which I think is heading in the right direction. I acquired both Gary Payton and Luke Jackson which I'm happy about because they play the 2 positions I needed someone at the most in PG and SG. Xavier Henry and Patrick Patterson are very nice pieces to add to them. The biggest issue with my team is the defense is lacking and I need a rim protector to go beside Patterson. Well I was tanking so I didn't really make some moves. Probably gave out a stupid contract to Trevor Booker which will bite me in the ass, my young PG Paul Neumann is probably a bust also. But on the bright side I should have a young stud SG in Clyde Drexler assuming he has a decent sophomore TC. Other than that my roster is pretty meh. I blew up my team midseason. The goal was, since I didn't have picks for five seasons and my best (and only) player under 30 ditched me, to find as many young, promising players as I could to see if I couldn't rebuild a younger, more promising team. Since I had sold out for a title and come pretty damn close, I knew this was going to happen eventually, the timeline just accelerated with Boogie departing to an inferior GM and franchise. With this team though, the best case scenario is guys like Jeff Malone, Lenny Wilkens, Rudy LaRusso, Zach Bird, and Delonte West develop into solid players and I keep filling out the roster with solid vets like Shelton and Greenwood. And when time comes to decide if I want to tank when I have my picks, I think this team has more trade value at that point than the one with Williamson and Adams huge contracts and other aging veteran pieces. I don't care if my draft picks end up being good for another GM in the meantime, this is just a better move for the future since my title window slammed shut after last free agency.
I moved Mo Lucas for Ricky Sobers before the season, acquired James Donaldson, and traded for Alexis Gardner during the season to balance out my roster. I thought we were on the right track, then we turned into the real life Bullets and choked against the Ward-less Raptors in round 1. They better redeem themselves this season or else :ohhh:.2. Which team exceeded your expectations? Which team (if any) did you expect to have a better season?
Fason, I knew his team was bad but goodness... that might be the worst team ever. On the flip side I thought Trofie would dominate the East. Didn't win the division. I love Trofie but he has the worst luck at getting the most out of his teams. I wouldn't say exceed but 2 GM's who are seemingly underrated but are thought highly of in Druce and Trofie. They seem to get lost sometimes in discussions but those 2 always produce really good teams that are contenders.Cavs definitely exceeded my expectations for sure. But mainly because they just fly so under the radar I just don't expect them to do anything. This offseason will be huge for them since both Jefferson and Kidd could be headed to FA. The obvious answer to the second question is the Charlotte Hornets especially after their dump tier FA in the offseason, but this season is about what I expect of a RV led team that has talent on it. Even after trading Williamson to the Grizzlies, I didn't think they would win the title. I definitely told him that in our negotiations about Williamson, but I thought his team still lacked the hyper-efficient perimeter scoring at SG and SF that guys like George Gervin and Rick Barry have to great teams in the past. Marques Johnson is a great and efficient player, but he's not taking 7 threes a game at 45%. I know it's not fair to the Rockets since they got a tough matchup and lost to the Grizz in the first round, but I thought that team was a lot better than a first round exit. After the acquisition of Khalid Reeves, I pretty much closed the door on my team competing for titles because I thought they would be THAT good for a long time.Cavs had a much better run than I thought they would. I knew the Sixers were bad, but good lord. They'll probably go 0-82 this year, too. Fason is Tank God.3. The GM rankings recently came out. Give me your thoughts on your score, and tell me what stood out to you about some of the other scores.
I thought my grade was low. Not shocking.. Figured I get a bunch of 5's and 6's based on my 4.0 run. I thought some grades were questionable... Trofie, Druce both got some low head scratching grades.. lots of GM's took personal feelings into account vs just GM work. But that is to be expected I guess.The rankings have been posted all over the Trailblazer Facility, the league is on notice. My score is pretty accurate. I'm a pretty mediocre GM, and overall human being. Nothing really spectacular about me. I'm never gonna have a contending team unless the software hands it to me. I'm pretty surprised that Druce didn't have a higher score. IMO in 4.0, he has proven that he can build a great team with the best of them including Soup/Trofie/Buster. Plus he is a fantastic drafter, and he has won a title. I thought there were some guys ahead of me at the time who should have been lower at me. I thought there were some guys behind me that could have been ahead of me. At the time I thought it was a little low, but looking at how that team flamed out, people may have overestimated my GMing abilities based on a good run of 2.5 years.My score was pretty accurate. My team was shit for the longest. Let's see what I can do with this bunch. The pressure is on. I thought Druce's score was too low. He's flown under the radar, kind of like the real life Grizzlies. He's had a very nice run in 4.0.
4. If you could swap rosters with someone for the next three years, who would it be? On the flip side, whose team is in worst shape moving forward?
Wouldn't swap my roster. I blew up a good team so I could build my team with hand picked talent. Suffered the last 3 or 4 sim years... At this point I want to actually build a roster. Hopefully Doc has a good TC coming up and whoever I draft isn't a bust. I think the Mavs could be coming to the end of a run. This off-season will be interesting for them. I don't like what RW has done with his roster. Aiming to be .500 lol. I really like my roster but I would trade with Rv just to have the chance to have my boy Boogie. I'm pretty jealous of that he has John Wall and Boogie to be the cornerstones of his core moving forward. The team I wouldn't really want is the Thunder.Trofie's Milwaukee Bucks for sure. Just to have Champ and Chuck on my team would be such a honor. Hollins/Wilkes is a good backcourt too, and I love Imhoff. Best team in the league by far for the next three seasons. That is until Trofie gets his hands on Allen Iverson. But also the Celtics fanbase can finally have a good GM for their team. Hopefully Trofie could work his magic for my shitastic roster. Obviously the Boston Celtics are in the worst shape moving forward with no direction whatsoever. I would trade with the Indiana Pacers just to get Gary Bossert. I have a feeling that dude is going to destroy worlds and fason is going to regret not picking him. If he doesn't work out though, then I'd take the Mavericks roster for another three seasons. I still think that's a team that definitely has at least two more good years of life in it before he needs to start looking at a blowup, and all of the principle players are tied up through that three year window, save DeBernardi who is very replaceable. The roster I would not want to trade with is Fason because tanking is boring, Robinson is not going to be there for however many seasons, and I have no draft picks. In terms of the team in the worst shape moving forward, it's definitely the Hawks. His tank produced one good player in Dick Furry (we'll see on KJ). I think Duhon's stats may have been inflated by playing on that Kings roster but at least the contract is solid. Kimble and Ellis are average at best, Ellis may never be a starter with that handle and defense grade. And now he's planning to use all his cap space on three-year, $5MM deals to MLE-level players according to shout today. What an idiot. Bucks. They're the favorites to win the title this year, and they'll end up with a ton of picks after they blow it up for AI. I like Charlotte's roster as well. On the flip side, the Pelicans won't be winning games anytime soon.5. This season is year 10 of 4.0. Give me your all-decade team (5 starters + 3 bench players).
I haven't been in the league for the 10 years... But i'll give it my best try... PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Paul Westphal
SF: Truck Robinson
PF: Bob Lanier
C: Moses Malone
PF/C: Bill Walton
SG: Rick Berry
SF: Doctor J
PG- Magic Johnson
SG- Paul Westphal
SF- Charles Barkley
PF- Larry Kenon
C- Bill Walton
Bench: George Gervin/Swen Nater/Rick Berry
PG: David Thompson
SG: John Drew
SF: Alvan Adams
PF: Bob Lanier
C: Moses Malone
Super Sub: Magic Johnson
SF: George Gervin
Championship Winner: Jerod Kundla
This is completely off the top of my head and I'm not going back to do any research.
C: Logan Edgehill/Theodosius Cathasach
PF: Bob Lanier
SF: Alvan Adams
SG: David Thompson
PG: Magic Johnson
Bench: Paul Westphal, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PG: Skywalker
SG: Barry
SF: Magic
PF: Lanier
C: Walton
bench: Westphal, Gervin, Moses
NBA/College hoops:
6. What are your thoughts on Cleveland's early season struggles? Is it just growing pains, or are there some deeper, potentially long-lasting issues with this team?
It doesn't look good. I know some have pointed to the Heat early struggles but this roster is not as talented when it comes to the Big 3.. IMHO Kyrie is a borderline top 10 PG. Love is struggling and at best equal to Bosh. LeBron is still awesome but older. The team will improve as the season continues. Its going to be a top team for the next few years. But I don't look at the Cavs and feel fear. They have some big issues defensively just based on the lack of ability that some of them have. However, I think this team will be much better come the end of the season. Everything is completely new to that team and they have only played 11 games together and comfort and style will become much better as they understand how each other plays off the other. That right there along with a brand new coach who has never been the head guy in the NBA are a recipe for growing pains. I have no idea why they kept Dion Waiters. Dude is a cancer to that team. But I mean its not like LBJ's first season in Miami didnt have its struggles also. Kyrie needs to learn some type of defense. But call me when its March and this Cavs team is still having issues. I don't worry about it a whole lot. Two of these guys in the starting lineup played together the last two seasons, and those two barely played together because of injuries. I don't understand why Marion is starting over a guy like Delly when he's healthy, as he seems to be the best option for defense and spacing at the 2 spot. I think Waiters needs to know his role. But those things and rotation issues will figure themselves out as the season goes. I think LeBron does need to stop commenting on his team to the media like he's Skip Bayless post-game and save that shit for practice where guys can actually learn from his guidance.They'll get it together offensively, but I'm not sure they're good enough defensively to beat a healthy Chicago. Their interior defense is bad, too. If they end up matching up with Washington in round 2, watch out. Also, fuck Cleveland.
7. Anthony Davis is destroying fools, to the point where he's widely considered the 3rd best player in the league (and rising). If you had to start a franchise with anyone outside the top 3 of Lebron, KD, and AD, who would it be?
The homer in me would pick Rose. I still think he is a elite PG in this league. Lots of huff and puff about him sitting out but bottom line is I would rather be safe then sorry. As a non homer pick I would go with Westbrook. To me he is a Rose clone maybe including the injuries. He is a dynamic scorer and just a fantastic player to watch. Damn tough question but I'm going with my heart here and taking Boogie. He is a freak who is the best low post scorer in the NBA and is a very effective defender. I thought about guys like Westbrook and Blake Griffin but Boogie would be my choice. I'd start a team with the best big man in the league, Demarcus Cousins. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGIE. He is this generation's Shaquille O'Neal. Where Brow beats people with his finesse, Boogie just beats people with his strength and size down low. As we all saw this summer with the USA team and the beginning of this season, he has finally turned that corner and it has been amazing to watch. He has made that clusterfuck of a roster in Sacramento actually a pleasure to watch. I'd take Russell Westbrook because he's relatively young, he's been extremely healthy other than two freak accidents that have caused him to miss time, and he's exciting as shit to watch. He might not be the best building block left for a championship contender, but he is by far the most exciting and he'd put butts in seats and keep the fans coming.Boogie. He's easily the most gifted offensive big in the game, but he's also been a monster on the defensive end this year. Westbrook is a close second. He takes crazy shots, but he's aggressive and competitive as hell. There isn't enough of that in today's game. I mean you have Paul George talking about wanting to be mentored by Lebron, and this was after Lebron destroyed him in game 7. That's like asking the guy who's fucking your girl on the side for tips on how to please her. Fuck outta here with that soft shit. 8. How are your pro and college teams looking so far this season? What were your expectations going into the season? What have you seen that excites you? What concerns you?
I don't really follow CBB as much as I once did as a kid. But UNC looks good. Love Marcus Paige and I think Meeks is going to be the key for them. The Bulls look like they should be in the NBA finals. I really like the roster when everyone returns. Hope Thibs doesn't run this team into the ground before the playoffs start. I don't follow college basketball so I don't have an answer to that part. However with the Blazers i'm very encouraged by how this season has started as the Blazers have a couple consistent contributors off the bench now in Steve Blake and Chris Kaman. They are also figuring things out on the defensive end of the court as they have been one of the better defensive teams to start the year to go a long with a top 3 offense I'm very excited about the possibilities this season. I'm sure since it is the Blazers I will be terribly disappointed in how the seasons ends because that is just what they do. Pro: Well the Mavericks are off to a hot start with the [HASH]1 offense in the NBA. Jameer Nelson is a breath of fresh air at the PG position alongside Devin Harris. Monta Ellis is Monta Have It All. When he is on, it is one of the greatest things to watch. I love having him on my team. Chandler Parsons so far has been a disappointment. He is far too inefficient, but man he can rain in the 3s. Dirk is Dirk. The best athlete I have ever had the pleasure of watching in an athletic competition, and I will miss him everyday when he finally retires. He has definitely slowed down but his game is still better than most right now. It is so awesome having Tyson Chandler back. He is the perfect 5 for this team. He has been a rebounding monster and he controlled Boogie for almost the entire game and got in his head. At his age, that is very impressive. Also I'm thankful I haven't watched much of Raymond Felton in a Mavericks uniform. College: Well it is coached by Billy Kennedy so it is going like this:
South Carolina is an embarrassment to basketball but is improving from previous seasons. I'm a little disappointed Sindarious Thornwell hasn't improved more, and in fact seems to be regressing as a shooter, but it's early. We've lost to some bad to average teams, but we did put up a good showing against Baylor. I'm hoping they keep improving through this season and all the key players stick around for one more year until we can add PJ Dozier into the fold as well. Everyone knows about the Thunder's issues. The biggest disappointment with that stretch of basketball where Russ and KD were out (assuming KD is back Tuesday as expected) was that PJ3 showed some promise in a couple of games and then got injured through the remainder. I was hoping that he could show he would be a consistent option off the bench at the 2 since Jeremy Lamb can't seem to get his shit together consistently.Pro: Wiz look decent so far. We've played a very soft schedule, but we've done most of it without Beal. Otto's been playing well off the bench. Wall has picked up where he left off last season. Nene's already hurt, which isn't surprising. I'm satisfied for now, but I know Randy Wittman and his mid-range heavy offense are gonna drive me crazy as the season moves along. Miami looks very good. I figured we'd be in the top half of the ACC, but I didn't expect us to be ranked in the top 15 this early. Coach L is one of the best coaches in the country (as opposed to Al Golden, who's the worst coach in the country), so I shouldn't be surprised. I can't wait to see how we do in conference play.
9. Both of Satan's teams, Kentucky and Duke, have looked mighty impressive thus far. Which teams have the best shot of joining that top tier and potentially knocking them off? Please tell me someone is gonna knock them off.
lol at the overreaction to such a small sample size. Kentucky and Duke will both lose and multiple times. Wisconsin is always a tough play, UNC looks very talented, Louisville is playing well. And lets not forget about Wichita State who will be a problem in March. With my severe lack of knowledge about College I will say that Kentucky looks fucking loaded especially with their ability to throw so many good players at teams that it will be hard to overcome for a lot of teams. I will say that I would root for Gonzaga if the time comes simply because they have the GOAT Blazer son playing on their team.Well I don't know much about CBB outside of my own team tbqh. I've heard Arizona is a very good team this season. As a SEC fan, Florida should be good if they get Chris Walker back and are healthy, plus Billy Donovan is their coach. Gonzaga has seemed impressive by their box scores so far this season. And you can never count out North Carolina and Roy Williams especially when it comes to Duke. I've only seen Kentucky play once against Kansas, but I've followed their boxes a little bit, and holy shit. This team might not lose a game if they stay healthy and have performances like that Kansas game consistently against quality opponents. That team is oozing with freshman talent, and there are a lot of quality upperclassmen. I think the key for this team later in the season will be taking a less is more approach with Aaron Harrison, unless he can begin to score a little more efficiently. I don't think that'll be a problem though because he was better last season.Kentucky looks tough as hell. They'll have a couple of tough games in the next couple of weeks against Texas and Carolina, so we'll see how much better they are than everyone else. Duke looks strong as well. The ACC is going to be vicious this year. Duke, UVA, Louisville, and Carolina are top 10 teams. Miami looks to be a top 20 team. Syracuse should be back in the top 25 pretty soon. I can easily see four of those teams winning the title this year. 10. You have $20 to spend on an NBA starting 5. Since it's hard to pick just one guy to assign a specific $ value to, I'm giving you options. Keep fit in mind, and explain why you chose who you did.
PG: $5: Curry/Paul/Westbrook
$4: Parker/Lillard/Rondo/Lowry
$3: Wall/Dragic/Conley/Irving
$2: Lawson/Deron/Teague
$1: Jennings/Kemba/Holiday
SG: $5: Harden
$4: Thompson
$3: Kobe/Monta
$2: Derozan/Butler/Ginobili/Wade (should probably be $3)
$1: Johnson/Beal/Lance
SF: $5: Lebron/KD
$4: Melo/Kawhi
$3: Hayward/Gay
$2: Parsons/Iguodala
$1: Deng/Pierce
PF: $5: Davis
$4: Aldridge/Love/Blake
$3: Dirk (should be $4, but fuck it)
$2: Z-bo/Millsap
$1: Monroe/Smith
C: $5: Boogie/Dwight
$4: Gasol/Noah/Bosh/Duncan
$3: Bogut/Jefferson
$2: Hibbert/Chandler
$1: Gortat/Lopez
PG: Wall (2)
SG: Butler (3)
SF: LeBron (5)
PF: Davis (5)
C: Dwight (5)
PG: Lillard $4
SG: Thompson $4
SF: Iguodala $2
PF: Davis $5
C: Boogie $5
I really don't see how you can top that starting 5 it has every single thing you need on a team. Tons of shooting, freak athletes that can get out in the open court and run. 2 Rim protectors to back up the PG who struggles at times on the ball defensively along with 2 really good wing defenders to allow Lillard to shift off tough covers at PG. The biggest key to this group is Iggy I think and his ability to handle the ball allowing both Thompson and Lillard to be spot up shooters which opens the paint for Boogie and Davis. I picked guys I love watch playing and they are all so versatile and dynamic that they would be awesome to watch play together.
PG: Mike Conley - IMO one of the most efficient PGs in the game, and one who hardly gets the respect he deserves. He is the true definition of a point guard. He can defend really well and he is a very good passer. I mean look how well his team is doing so far this season.SG: Monta Ellis - Homer pick. Always good to have another ball handler in the backcourt. Really underrated defender. I like him because he is a change of pace from Conley. Plus he is your shooter.
SF: Kawhi Leonard - The best SF in the game not named Lebron James, Paul George, or Kevin Durant. He does everything well. Another great defender.
PF: Anthony "Brow" Davis - Obviously best PF in the game. Very balanced game as well. Obviously a great defender.
C: Demarcus "Boogie" Cousins - Fits in well with Brow IMO. Good defender. Will manage the inside for us.
PG: $5 Russ
SG: $5 Harden
SF: $5 KD
PF: $5 AD
C: $0 Ibaka
Seriously though:
$3 Wall
$2 Butler
$5 KD
$5 AD
$5 Boogie
PG: Curry (5)
SG: Beal (1)
SF: Lebron (5)
PF: Davis (5)
C: Gasol (4)
I went with shooting in the backcourt and defense up front. Lebron does everything well. Gasol is arguably the best passer at his position and one of the best defenders. Beal is probably undervalued at $1 but whatever, this team is winning it all.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to post your $20 teams in the thread.
![[Account Deleted] Avatar](http://storage.proboards.com/5589790/avatar/ZhaFVHTxVPwmyuOiOKEd.png)
