Post by SPL on Nov 5, 2015 14:11:34 GMT -6
(Druce) what is your social situation, family, sig. other, etc.? what do you do for a living?
N/A
I see you took over the Knicks after my departure, talk a little bit about what brought you into the sim league?
Mark Cuban and I are veterans of an online text-based MUD. (Like an MMORPG without the massive part.) We are also both members of the unofficial forums for the game. I made a lot of stat-heavy NBA posts on that site, a common criticism of which was that basketball isn't all about numbers. Imagine my delight when I heard about a basketball sim that was, in fact, entirely about numbers! And so here I am.
What was your biggest challenge in taking over my mess in New York?
That was a pretty good squad as I remember it. Butch McRae was a second tier point guard, Jameer Nelson was elite for a backup, Lance Stephenson was All-Defense and would go on to be All-NBA, Bobby Jones was a very solid guy, Jordan Monroe and Aaron Gray looked like legit prospects. The biggest challenge was what it was for every new GM, not knowing what was worth what. I overpaid Butch, didn't overpay Lance enough, didn't have a backup plan when Monroe and Gray busted hard, and didn't have a feel for what I could get with my firsts and cap space.
(HandsomePete) Were you intentionally making bad moves at the start of your tenure? (i.e. accepting the Butch McRae resigning after others had advised against it)
Butch's stats suffered after the team imploded, but this is a guy who put up 13 Win Shares in 3012 and 10 in 3013 (for a 40 win team). For a 27 year old with B potential I still think that wasn't that bad a contract. 6 yrs $72m isn't that different from the 6 yrs $66m I gave Quincy (who had C potential at the time) and nobody batted an eye at that.
(SugarShaun) Do you have the ability to love?
Does not compute.
I love reading your articles and takes on numbers within the game. Can you walk me through how you come up with some of your numbers with win shares and importance of one attribute over another?
Win Shares is an old Bill James concept that was adopted to basketball by Justin Kubatko (also taking inspiration from Dean Oliver). The arithmetic of it is all pretty straightforward and is posted here. It's a lot of steps but it's all add subtract multiply and divide so I really believe anyone can follow it if they're patient enough. From there it's just a matter of using Ankly's macros to pull the box score data from the site and running it all through. As far as why each operation is done in each way, the best walkthrough for my money is the source.
I used Win Shares to see which attribute was best for awhile but scrapped that approach. What I do is run thousands of seasons in the software and just record which attribute causes the most wins. I've gotten a lot faster at this over the months I've been doing it and can knock out 250 seasons a day on a good day. autohotkey has been absolutely indispensable, I recommend it for anyone who does a lot of work with computers.
What are your takes on this past draft class and how it is turning out? Can you take me behind the scenes to your input and how you became involved in the process?
When I researched how attributes grow over time it was a natural step to try and design the perfect prospect, and at that point I started to get interested in how Mark Aguirre's Potential was building prospects. I offered him the use of a spreadsheet I'd made to speed up the process, he offered to let me just build the prospects myself, and here we are. Like anything I think I'll get better as I go, so I think it's lucky that I started with a relatively unanticipated draft class.
You are Dr. Frankenstein, can you take attributes of several different players and make the perfect player in the file for me?
Start with Aaron Harrison: can get you 35 points on above average (but not elite) efficiency. Solid steal man. 95+ Will to Win.
Give me Frank Johnson's handles: 7.3 career ast:tov ratio, 8.3 in his first year as a starter.
You can throw in anyone for elite scoring efficiency. I like Andrew Harrison because he's on my team and super twin powers activate.
Give me Shareef Abdur-Rahim's defense and rebounding: 4.5 blocks 13 rebounds at his peak. (Can substitute Emeka Okafor.)
Mix in Champ Godbolt's body (7'3" SF and Jesuit alum) and simmer in a 100 Loyalty 0 Greed marinade.
Alternatively, Magic Johnson.
Since you joined the league, can you give me your all time starting 5 and a little bit on why they are on your list?
PG Oscar Robertson
SG Aaron Harrison
SF Magic Johnson
PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim
C_ Greg Monroe
I want Oscar at point because Aaron turns it over too much, and otherwise I picked guys based on WS/48 while completely ignoring fit and chemistry
What is your drink of choice and give me a top 5 list of your all time drinks (or beers).
Vodka (preferably plastic bottle Wolfschmidt because I can't tell the difference between any vodkas in the world) and Sobe Lifewater 0 Calorie because vodka is disgusting. If out, any scotch will do: chilled, no ice. If I'm feeling really fancy I'll make a tacotini: the same as the first drink but with one third of one pinch of taco seasoning stirred in. Works best with pink Sobe. I went through a Long Island iced tea phase and then bourbon but I prefer what I have now. If I have to drink beer I prefer Sam Adams.
What is with your hate on anything Chicago related? Is it to get under Banks skin?
I don't think of myself as a Chicago hater, but a fact lover.
(Banks) Bankz considers you a trick, do you feel Kina Grannis is your pimp?
Kina Grannis is and continues to become a first rate version of herself. She is the one we have been waiting for. Not a messiah but a good human. Not a role model but an aspiration. She bares all of her fear to us, and we see the bravest person in the world. Now is the time for us to march alongside, or behind, or above or below. We have the tune wherever we are. Do you hear the people sing? To sing is to soar, but even crawling we can hum, and know that we have made it this far. I will break out of the gate, and I WILL SCREAM
(Fason) where is the clitoris?
N/A
Any final words, shout outs, words of wisdom?
Be gentle with yourself. Shout out to Kranar for running the other forum that eventually got me here. Shout out to Soup for running this shindig and all the people who do work here. Shout out to Jim (he knows why). /hugs Gabrielle. Shout out to Al Gore for inventing Internet. Shout out to SPL for some sweet questions.
