Post by Heynong Man on Apr 5, 2016 17:59:31 GMT -6
Another TMBSL and NBA Roundtable, this involved Eric, Kn, Pete, and myself.
TMBSL
1. What Player in the league do you most want on your team? It can be based on fit or any other thing you wish.
Eric: Steph Templeton
best two way big in the game. Wouldn't mind Kyrie either though: 50/40/90 club, >7 ast/tov (!!!), average to good defender, not afraid to shoot. Best PG in the game, on a slightly sub max contract until he's 27, really don't know what else you could want. Matthew Lockhart would be my third option, really only lower on the list because of age/contract.
Kn88: Sim Dump. He's the best player in the league and it would be fun to have the two best PGs in the league. They'd alternate between PG and SG every sim. Yeah, you know what, this should be a thing. Let's make it happen. Embiid is a close second.
Pete: Kyrie is the total package as a player. He's led the league in scoring efficiency and assists, he is an amazing defender for a PG, and he even resigns for cheap. Sure, the turnovers are higher than other elite PGs, but they're like Cindy Crawford's mole. An imperfection that just makes him that much more enjoyable.
Duc: Joel Embiid for sure. He is a great young big and it is a piece I really need. He can really do it all and shoots a nice percentage. Matthew Lockhart was a very close 2nd for me however. I’m a big fan of his and think he is one of the top players. Would gladly take him and was close to picking him over Embiid.
2. The 3031 Draft is not a very deep draft and after the top 2 there are some real question marks, who do you like most after the top 2?
Eric: recusing myself from this question for obvious reasons
Kn88: Sim imitates life as Otto goes number 3 again. What's Oscar Wilde have to say about that?
Pete: I really liked Oladipo and Noel. I tried and failed to outbid Heebs to land Dipo at #3, and was hoping when I traded up to 5 to be able to grab Noel. I also really like Gobert. I'm happy with Otto and Steven Adams, but in both cases they were back-up plans.
Duc: I like 3 guys and were hoping they would fall to me at #7, and two of them were able to. I liked Otto Potter, Anthony Bennett, and CJ McCollum. The decision at 7 was very difficult for me but I went with Bennett just to swing for the fences. Obviously there is a lot to fix with his D but I like his scoring grades. McCollum has a chance to be a very good scoring wing and as a Blazer fan I love him.
3. There was discussion about how Lil Penny’s size would affect his game in league, after one season what are your thoughts on his season? What other Rookies impressed you this year?
Eric: Judging from my individual defense ratings he's not good on that end, but he's got 95 FT%, >5 ast/tov, and A potential so I expect great things from him in the future. Muresan's blocks at his height is unbelievable, A potential should get his rebounding to elite levels too, maybe with a little luck his scoring %s will approach average but he shoots so infrequently it's not a killer if they don't. Isaiah Rider looks real interesting too, would love to see him get a starting job so we can evaluate his defense a little.
Kn88: I liked him going into the draft, so I'm glad he's turned into a player. I was surprised he fell to 6 tbh. The top 2 were easy, but there was no clear cut #3. With those grades, I might have had to take him at 3. That's easy to say now, though.
Penny looks like he'll be a triple-double beast in a few years. If he can get that jumper right and get those turnovers down a bit, hot damn.
Pete: Lil Penny had a really strong rookie season, and I think showed promise to overcome his physical deficiencies. However, I'm watching how he develops very closely, because I thought the same thing about Muggsy. Muggsy could never seem to crack a .450 FG% despite some similarly strong grades.
Other rookies that impressed me this season shouldn't be a surprise if people have been following the rookie ladder updates. I thought Big Penny and Muresan were the other top performers. Penny's got some serious TO issues but I think he's going to be almost Magic Johnson-esque with his triple doubles. I don't know if we've seen a quadruple double yet but given his handles I think that's coming too. Muresan does everything a GM wants from a D/R big already, and has size that can't be matched.
Duc: I’m a big fan of Lil Penny but he had a very good season and didn’t turn the ball over near as much as I was expecting. Need to get his percentages up but that will come in time hopefully. I’m very excited about him as a player though
As for the rest of the draft I really like Penny and really wanted to land him in the draft, his turnovers need to come down but that will happen over time. I also like Jamal Mashburn and hope he can find more shots because he seems like he could be good in a bigger role as well as Vin Baker he can block some shots and score but he needs to improve his shooting by a lot.
4. If you could trade rosters with one GM which roster would you choose?
Eric: Probably the Bullets. Blair's still getting it done, Kyrie and Jesus are the backcourt of the league for the foreseeable future, and he's still got all his picks. Bringing back Nauls is important and there's not a ton of depth on the bench, but it's the roster I like the most for sure.
Kn88: Easily 20s. That 1-3 is as good as it gets, and they're all under 30.
Pete: I could say the Bullets in keeping w/ my answer from question #1, but I'll go with the Nuggets. He's got a dynamic guard duo in Brandon and Butler who are both in their prime, plus a great defensive big in Whiteside and presumptively will resign the Mystic Stone and his rock solid defense as well. This team should be a title contender for the next 5-6 seasons on top of the success he's had in the past few.
Duc: 20s, I love his back court as well as everything else on his team. Kevin Brooks is one of the best players in the league and then you add Larry Johnson and Brandon Knight it is just a deadly trio to go along with a pair of good shot blockers. Just a very well rounded team.
NBA
1. PG Top 5’s are always fun and everyone’s favorite. So, who are your top 5 PG’s and then one PG not in the top 5 you may like more than most seem to.
Eric:
1. Steph Curry
2. Chris Paul
3. John Wall
4. Damian Lillard
5. Kyle Lowry
Wildcard: Ricky Rubio
Curry is by far the best player in the league, Paul is clearly the number two PG and well below Curry. After that it falls off a lot, but I think John Wall is a clear number three: the only other guy who can compete with him defensively is Rubio, and Rubio's jumper makes John Wall look like Steve Nash.
Kn88: My top 5 is Curry, Westbrook, Paul, Wall, and Lillard. As far as a guy I like outside the top 5, I really enjoy watching Isaiah Thomas play.
Pete:
1. Steph - He's reinventing the way people will play basketball in the future. Absolutely insane production and the most fun player in the league to watch.
2. Westbrook - One of the best things in the NBA is Russ jetting through the lane and trying to tear the rim off when he dunks. I don't know how well his game will age once he starts to lose athleticism, but for now he is amazing to watch.
3. Chris Paul - I wish I could start to bump him down the list, because his dickish behavior in games is annoying, but he's undoubtably still a great two way player and facilitates better than anyone else on this list.
4. Damian Lillard - Really impressed at how well he's played now as the main option in Portland's offense. I may overrate him a tad because I don't get to watch him play as much as others, so I don't see his allegedly bad defense on display.
5. John Wall - Homer shield engage. Wall is the only thing that keeps the Wizards offense from being complete shit. His efficiency isn't great and I'd like to see him cut down on the long twos, but if I were kicking it out to Garrett Temple and Ramon Sessions every night, I'd want to take matters into my own hands too.
Obviously the most glaring omission is Kyrie, who is a fuckboy that is lucky LeBron is there to soak up all the criticism when things don't go well. He's a fun player to watch 1-on-1 but he doesn't run a team well or defend well.
Some others I like watching on a random night: Rubio (he's a lot more fun now that he's got people to pass to), Isaiah Thomas (incredibly difficult to guard and thriving under Brad Stevens), and Kemba (if he's on, he's capable of some incredible stuff). The league is obviously stacked at PG these days, so I could go on and on.
Duc: The league is crowded with really good PGs and it always make for a fun discussion to rank them so here it goes:
1 Steph Curry - Just on a whole other level right now offensively and how he is playing. A complete freak who is the best shooter ever.
2 Russel Westbrook - A very good passer and rebounder to go along with his ability to score. Has his moments still where he is out of control and crazy but overall just an extremely talented player who is awesome to watch.
3 Chris Paul - Still great and the best passer in the league and tough defensively.
4 Damian Lillard – great scorer and a much better PG who can get other players involved but still pretty bad at times on D. He has become a better off ball defender but can’t guard on ball at all which is bad.
5 Kyle Lowry – Spot almost went to John Wall but right now I’d go with Lowry. I understand if you disagree but Lowry has been awesome this year, although he has dipped as of late.
Others I like are John Wall obviously as well as Kemba Walker, Isiah Thomas, and Mike Conley.
2. With the end of the season almost here list the award winners for the following awards
Eric:
MVP: Steph Curry, should be but won't be unanimous
DPOY: Kawhi Leonard
COY: Steve Kerr
ROY: Karl-Anthony Towns
Most Improved: Draymond Green
6th Man: Enes Kanter
I would put Tristan Thompson as 6th Man but I'm confident the voters won't appreciate Cleveland. Most Improved is always a crapshoot, but Draymond wasn't even an All-Star last year and he's gonna be All-NBA this year, I feel like people will convince themselves he's the thinking man's choice as opposed to McCollum (guy who just scores a lot more year over year). The top three player awards I would be very surprised if anything else happens. Kawhi was DPOY last year and the Spurs' defense is even better this year, plus he's going to play in the low 70s games instead of only 64.
All-NBA 1st Team:
Steph Curry
Russell Westbrook
LeBron James
Kawhi Leonard
DeAndre Jordan
The only one I don't think is an absolute lock is DeAndre but the Gasols are gone, Boogie is Boogieing it up, and DJ is shooting friggin' 70% from the field, come on now. The only one I think could have challenged him (in voters' minds) is Davis, and he's missed too much time plus the Pelicans were terrible with and without him.
Kn88:
MVP: Curry - should be unanimous.
DPOY: Kawhi
COY: Terry Stotts - that team was supposed to be trash, but instead they're solid and one of the more entertaining teams in the league. Props to them.
ROY: Towns - this one should also be unanimous, but I'm sure Frank Isola or whoever will mess it up.
Most Improved: CJ McCollum
6th Man: Will Barton
All-NBA 1st Team: Curry, Westbrook, Kawhi, Lebron, Davis*
*I know he's missed a bunch of games and his team is bad, but I still give him the nod over Boogie and his 4 turnovers per.
Pete:
MVP: Steph. He's owned this season from start to finish, even if they don't get to 73 wins.
DPOY: Kawhi won it last year and I think he repeats again this year. The Spurs are the best defensive team in the league and he's the best defender on the Spurs. It's surprising to think that we'd go two years without a center winning the award, but there aren't any that really stand out to me.
COY: I think it's got to come down to the Warriors or Spurs. Since Kerr missed half the season, I think it's gonna be Poppovich
ROY: It was a back and forth race for a little while but I think Karl-Anthony Towns has separated himself from Porzingis. This rookie class has been great, and I really like how Devin Booker, Porzingis, Justice Winslow, and Myles Turner have played, to name a few.
Most Improved: CJ McCollum should probably run away with this. He's thrived with the extra minutes this year.
6th Man: Enes Kanter has been really good for the Thunder. I laughed at that contract when it was signed, but when you consider how well he's played off the bench and how much the cap will raise, it might not be so bad after all.
All-NBA 1st Team:
G: Curry
G: Westbrook
F: LeBron
F: Durant
C: DeAndre
Duc:
MVP: Steph no brainer.
DPOY: Kawhi Leonard
COY: Terry Stotts – Homer Pick
ROY: Karl-Anthony Towns, another no brainer.
Most Improved: CJ McCollum
6th Man: Jamal Crawford
All-NBA 1st Team:
G: Steph Curry, Russel Westbrook
F: Kawhi Leonard, Lebron James
C: Deandre Jordan
3. Is there anyone in the east who can challenge Cleveland at any point come the playoffs?
Eric: It doesn't take a lot of luck to win a seven game series. The 2014 Spurs were the most dominant champion ever and bringing everyone back and they lost in the first round the next year. It happens. I would pick Cleveland as ECF winners over the field, but I wouldn't be shocked if they got pushed by Toronto Atlanta or Boston.
Kn88: I don't think so. Toronto and Atlanta are pretenders. A healthy Miami would've had the best chance imo. Detroit could make it interesting if they match up in the first round. It could be a fun 5 or 6 game series.
Pete: Probably not. I think the Raptors could make some noise, but Cleveland has been on cruise control for the whole season and are still comfortably going to be the top seed. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I think their path is just as easy this year as it was last year.
Duc: No I don’t think there is. Toronto would have the best shot but Kyle Lowry needs to get back to where he was in January and February. Other than that I don’t think any of the teams are ready to challenge the Cavs in the Playoffs. The Finals is a different story however.
4. What team this season was the most Disappointing? Who was the most Surprising?
Eric: By far and away the most disappointing team was New Orleans. This was supposed to be Anthony Davis' Year, MVP and DPOY, a deep playoff run. He's been mediocre, everyone else on the team has been terrible, the coaching change has backfired enormously. The Rockets aren't that big a disappointment to me because they were kind of a smoke and mirrors team last year, 1 game either way and they would have been a 5th seed instead of a 2nd and then who knows how the playoffs go. Everything else has gone pretty much to script. Warriors winning 70+ will be a surprise, but they were really great last year so to me the Pelicans are the bigger surprise too.
Kn88: Most people say it's the Rockets, but it's the Generals for me. They were supposed to build off of last year, challenge for an eastern conference finals berth, and show KD they were close. Instead they fell on their faces, KD won't consider them, and now they're just counting the days until they can give Never Heal Beal $120M. Yup, not good
Pete: It's a tie between the Houston Rockets and the Wizards. The Rockets should've been a title contender this year, but their defense completely fell apart. I made a cardinal sin as a Wizards fan: I had high expectations going into this season. I was hopeful for a top 3 seed in the conference and instead I got an ass-full of Beal Injuries, Kris Humphries shooting threes, and the impending death of #KD2DC. The one silver lining would be the end of the Wittman/Grunfeld era, but this season has taught me not to hope for anything from this franchise.
Duc: The most disappointing team is either Houston or Chicago. Most thought both of these teams were ready and able to compete in their conferences and in Houston’s case for the NBA Title. They both are now possibly going to miss the playoffs, it was a big fall. The most surprising are the Blazers. I was expecting a mid-lotto pick after a 30 win season however they are now in a position to get the 5 seed, the same as last year. The loss of 4 starters was tough but they were replaced by a collection of players and the Blazers became much deeper. Dame has been amazing this year and really took the team over, CJ stepping up was big and he seems to be a nice match with Lillard although they can be a rough pair on D.
5. The top prospect in this year’s draft has taken some lumps, would you still want to take Ben Simmons #1? And if not who would you take instead?
Eric: I don't watch college so I really have no idea, I leave that to the rest of the panel.
Kn88: I'd still take Simmons #1. I can't pass on that ball handling and playmaking ability. Sure, he needs to be more aggressive, especially on the offensive end, but he was also playing with selfish teammates for a shitty coach.
This isn't an Oden/KD situation where everyone believes you're getting a superstar either way. Ingram has some question marks of his own. If this draft wasn't so bad at the top, he probably wouldn't be in the running for #2 anyway. Look at past drafts. He wouldn't have gone #2 last year. Or in 2014. Or in 2012. Or in 2011. Or in 2010. Or in 2009. Or in 2008. Or in 2007. Or in 2006. You get the picture. Simmons is the easy #1 for me.
Pete: It comes down to Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram. There are a lot of weaknesses to Simmons game, and I think if he ends up on a crappy roster like the Sixers, he's going to be in trouble. He needs to go somewhere that is going to build up good habits and undo some of the damage done in LSU. I think I still take Simmons, but it's a pick that could cost someone their job.
Duc: I would still take Simmons #1 in this draft. He is a really good all-around player would hurt himself by playing for an absolutely terrible coach. He needs to become a better shooter but that can be learned and he has everything else. I do like Ingram but I really like Buddy Hield and love his ability to score.
TMBSL
1. What Player in the league do you most want on your team? It can be based on fit or any other thing you wish.
Eric: Steph Templeton
best two way big in the game. Wouldn't mind Kyrie either though: 50/40/90 club, >7 ast/tov (!!!), average to good defender, not afraid to shoot. Best PG in the game, on a slightly sub max contract until he's 27, really don't know what else you could want. Matthew Lockhart would be my third option, really only lower on the list because of age/contract.Kn88: Sim Dump. He's the best player in the league and it would be fun to have the two best PGs in the league. They'd alternate between PG and SG every sim. Yeah, you know what, this should be a thing. Let's make it happen.
Embiid is a close second. Pete: Kyrie is the total package as a player. He's led the league in scoring efficiency and assists, he is an amazing defender for a PG, and he even resigns for cheap. Sure, the turnovers are higher than other elite PGs, but they're like Cindy Crawford's mole. An imperfection that just makes him that much more enjoyable.
Duc: Joel Embiid for sure. He is a great young big and it is a piece I really need. He can really do it all and shoots a nice percentage. Matthew Lockhart was a very close 2nd for me however. I’m a big fan of his and think he is one of the top players. Would gladly take him and was close to picking him over Embiid.
2. The 3031 Draft is not a very deep draft and after the top 2 there are some real question marks, who do you like most after the top 2?
Eric: recusing myself from this question for obvious reasons
Kn88: Sim imitates life as Otto goes number 3 again. What's Oscar Wilde have to say about that?
Pete: I really liked Oladipo and Noel. I tried and failed to outbid Heebs to land Dipo at #3, and was hoping when I traded up to 5 to be able to grab Noel. I also really like Gobert. I'm happy with Otto and Steven Adams, but in both cases they were back-up plans.
Duc: I like 3 guys and were hoping they would fall to me at #7, and two of them were able to. I liked Otto Potter, Anthony Bennett, and CJ McCollum. The decision at 7 was very difficult for me but I went with Bennett just to swing for the fences. Obviously there is a lot to fix with his D but I like his scoring grades. McCollum has a chance to be a very good scoring wing and as a Blazer fan I love him.
3. There was discussion about how Lil Penny’s size would affect his game in league, after one season what are your thoughts on his season? What other Rookies impressed you this year?
Eric: Judging from my individual defense ratings he's not good on that end, but he's got 95 FT%, >5 ast/tov, and A potential so I expect great things from him in the future. Muresan's blocks at his height is unbelievable, A potential should get his rebounding to elite levels too, maybe with a little luck his scoring %s will approach average but he shoots so infrequently it's not a killer if they don't. Isaiah Rider looks real interesting too, would love to see him get a starting job so we can evaluate his defense a little.
Kn88: I liked him going into the draft, so I'm glad he's turned into a player. I was surprised he fell to 6 tbh. The top 2 were easy, but there was no clear cut #3. With those grades, I might have had to take him at 3. That's easy to say now, though.
Penny looks like he'll be a triple-double beast in a few years. If he can get that jumper right and get those turnovers down a bit, hot damn.
Pete: Lil Penny had a really strong rookie season, and I think showed promise to overcome his physical deficiencies. However, I'm watching how he develops very closely, because I thought the same thing about Muggsy. Muggsy could never seem to crack a .450 FG% despite some similarly strong grades.
Other rookies that impressed me this season shouldn't be a surprise if people have been following the rookie ladder updates. I thought Big Penny and Muresan were the other top performers. Penny's got some serious TO issues but I think he's going to be almost Magic Johnson-esque with his triple doubles. I don't know if we've seen a quadruple double yet but given his handles I think that's coming too. Muresan does everything a GM wants from a D/R big already, and has size that can't be matched.
Duc: I’m a big fan of Lil Penny but he had a very good season and didn’t turn the ball over near as much as I was expecting. Need to get his percentages up but that will come in time hopefully. I’m very excited about him as a player though
As for the rest of the draft I really like Penny and really wanted to land him in the draft, his turnovers need to come down but that will happen over time. I also like Jamal Mashburn and hope he can find more shots because he seems like he could be good in a bigger role as well as Vin Baker he can block some shots and score but he needs to improve his shooting by a lot.
4. If you could trade rosters with one GM which roster would you choose?
Eric: Probably the Bullets. Blair's still getting it done, Kyrie and Jesus are the backcourt of the league for the foreseeable future, and he's still got all his picks. Bringing back Nauls is important and there's not a ton of depth on the bench, but it's the roster I like the most for sure.
Kn88: Easily 20s. That 1-3 is as good as it gets, and they're all under 30.
Pete: I could say the Bullets in keeping w/ my answer from question #1, but I'll go with the Nuggets. He's got a dynamic guard duo in Brandon and Butler who are both in their prime, plus a great defensive big in Whiteside and presumptively will resign the Mystic Stone and his rock solid defense as well. This team should be a title contender for the next 5-6 seasons on top of the success he's had in the past few.
Duc: 20s, I love his back court as well as everything else on his team. Kevin Brooks is one of the best players in the league and then you add Larry Johnson and Brandon Knight it is just a deadly trio to go along with a pair of good shot blockers. Just a very well rounded team.
NBA
1. PG Top 5’s are always fun and everyone’s favorite. So, who are your top 5 PG’s and then one PG not in the top 5 you may like more than most seem to.
Eric:
1. Steph Curry
2. Chris Paul
3. John Wall
4. Damian Lillard
5. Kyle Lowry
Wildcard: Ricky Rubio
Curry is by far the best player in the league, Paul is clearly the number two PG and well below Curry. After that it falls off a lot, but I think John Wall is a clear number three: the only other guy who can compete with him defensively is Rubio, and Rubio's jumper makes John Wall look like Steve Nash.
Kn88: My top 5 is Curry, Westbrook, Paul, Wall, and Lillard. As far as a guy I like outside the top 5, I really enjoy watching Isaiah Thomas play.
Pete:
1. Steph - He's reinventing the way people will play basketball in the future. Absolutely insane production and the most fun player in the league to watch.
2. Westbrook - One of the best things in the NBA is Russ jetting through the lane and trying to tear the rim off when he dunks. I don't know how well his game will age once he starts to lose athleticism, but for now he is amazing to watch.
3. Chris Paul - I wish I could start to bump him down the list, because his dickish behavior in games is annoying, but he's undoubtably still a great two way player and facilitates better than anyone else on this list.
4. Damian Lillard - Really impressed at how well he's played now as the main option in Portland's offense. I may overrate him a tad because I don't get to watch him play as much as others, so I don't see his allegedly bad defense on display.
5. John Wall - Homer shield engage. Wall is the only thing that keeps the Wizards offense from being complete shit. His efficiency isn't great and I'd like to see him cut down on the long twos, but if I were kicking it out to Garrett Temple and Ramon Sessions every night, I'd want to take matters into my own hands too.
Obviously the most glaring omission is Kyrie, who is a fuckboy that is lucky LeBron is there to soak up all the criticism when things don't go well. He's a fun player to watch 1-on-1 but he doesn't run a team well or defend well.
Some others I like watching on a random night: Rubio (he's a lot more fun now that he's got people to pass to), Isaiah Thomas (incredibly difficult to guard and thriving under Brad Stevens), and Kemba (if he's on, he's capable of some incredible stuff). The league is obviously stacked at PG these days, so I could go on and on.
Duc: The league is crowded with really good PGs and it always make for a fun discussion to rank them so here it goes:
1 Steph Curry - Just on a whole other level right now offensively and how he is playing. A complete freak who is the best shooter ever.
2 Russel Westbrook - A very good passer and rebounder to go along with his ability to score. Has his moments still where he is out of control and crazy but overall just an extremely talented player who is awesome to watch.
3 Chris Paul - Still great and the best passer in the league and tough defensively.
4 Damian Lillard – great scorer and a much better PG who can get other players involved but still pretty bad at times on D. He has become a better off ball defender but can’t guard on ball at all which is bad.
5 Kyle Lowry – Spot almost went to John Wall but right now I’d go with Lowry. I understand if you disagree but Lowry has been awesome this year, although he has dipped as of late.
Others I like are John Wall obviously as well as Kemba Walker, Isiah Thomas, and Mike Conley.
2. With the end of the season almost here list the award winners for the following awards
Eric:
MVP: Steph Curry, should be but won't be unanimous
DPOY: Kawhi Leonard
COY: Steve Kerr
ROY: Karl-Anthony Towns
Most Improved: Draymond Green
6th Man: Enes Kanter
I would put Tristan Thompson as 6th Man but I'm confident the voters won't appreciate Cleveland. Most Improved is always a crapshoot, but Draymond wasn't even an All-Star last year and he's gonna be All-NBA this year, I feel like people will convince themselves he's the thinking man's choice as opposed to McCollum (guy who just scores a lot more year over year). The top three player awards I would be very surprised if anything else happens. Kawhi was DPOY last year and the Spurs' defense is even better this year, plus he's going to play in the low 70s games instead of only 64.
All-NBA 1st Team:
Steph Curry
Russell Westbrook
LeBron James
Kawhi Leonard
DeAndre Jordan
The only one I don't think is an absolute lock is DeAndre but the Gasols are gone, Boogie is Boogieing it up, and DJ is shooting friggin' 70% from the field, come on now. The only one I think could have challenged him (in voters' minds) is Davis, and he's missed too much time plus the Pelicans were terrible with and without him.
Kn88:
MVP: Curry - should be unanimous.
DPOY: Kawhi
COY: Terry Stotts - that team was supposed to be trash, but instead they're solid and one of the more entertaining teams in the league. Props to them.
ROY: Towns - this one should also be unanimous, but I'm sure Frank Isola or whoever will mess it up.
Most Improved: CJ McCollum
6th Man: Will Barton
All-NBA 1st Team: Curry, Westbrook, Kawhi, Lebron, Davis*
*I know he's missed a bunch of games and his team is bad, but I still give him the nod over Boogie and his 4 turnovers per.
Pete:
MVP: Steph. He's owned this season from start to finish, even if they don't get to 73 wins.
DPOY: Kawhi won it last year and I think he repeats again this year. The Spurs are the best defensive team in the league and he's the best defender on the Spurs. It's surprising to think that we'd go two years without a center winning the award, but there aren't any that really stand out to me.
COY: I think it's got to come down to the Warriors or Spurs. Since Kerr missed half the season, I think it's gonna be Poppovich
ROY: It was a back and forth race for a little while but I think Karl-Anthony Towns has separated himself from Porzingis. This rookie class has been great, and I really like how Devin Booker, Porzingis, Justice Winslow, and Myles Turner have played, to name a few.
Most Improved: CJ McCollum should probably run away with this. He's thrived with the extra minutes this year.
6th Man: Enes Kanter has been really good for the Thunder. I laughed at that contract when it was signed, but when you consider how well he's played off the bench and how much the cap will raise, it might not be so bad after all.
All-NBA 1st Team:
G: Curry
G: Westbrook
F: LeBron
F: Durant
C: DeAndre
Duc:
MVP: Steph no brainer.
DPOY: Kawhi Leonard
COY: Terry Stotts – Homer Pick
ROY: Karl-Anthony Towns, another no brainer.
Most Improved: CJ McCollum
6th Man: Jamal Crawford
All-NBA 1st Team:
G: Steph Curry, Russel Westbrook
F: Kawhi Leonard, Lebron James
C: Deandre Jordan
3. Is there anyone in the east who can challenge Cleveland at any point come the playoffs?
Eric: It doesn't take a lot of luck to win a seven game series. The 2014 Spurs were the most dominant champion ever and bringing everyone back and they lost in the first round the next year. It happens. I would pick Cleveland as ECF winners over the field, but I wouldn't be shocked if they got pushed by Toronto Atlanta or Boston.
Kn88: I don't think so. Toronto and Atlanta are pretenders. A healthy Miami would've had the best chance imo. Detroit could make it interesting if they match up in the first round. It could be a fun 5 or 6 game series.
Pete: Probably not. I think the Raptors could make some noise, but Cleveland has been on cruise control for the whole season and are still comfortably going to be the top seed. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I think their path is just as easy this year as it was last year.
Duc: No I don’t think there is. Toronto would have the best shot but Kyle Lowry needs to get back to where he was in January and February. Other than that I don’t think any of the teams are ready to challenge the Cavs in the Playoffs. The Finals is a different story however.
4. What team this season was the most Disappointing? Who was the most Surprising?
Eric: By far and away the most disappointing team was New Orleans. This was supposed to be Anthony Davis' Year, MVP and DPOY, a deep playoff run. He's been mediocre, everyone else on the team has been terrible, the coaching change has backfired enormously. The Rockets aren't that big a disappointment to me because they were kind of a smoke and mirrors team last year, 1 game either way and they would have been a 5th seed instead of a 2nd and then who knows how the playoffs go. Everything else has gone pretty much to script. Warriors winning 70+ will be a surprise, but they were really great last year so to me the Pelicans are the bigger surprise too.
Kn88: Most people say it's the Rockets, but it's the Generals for me. They were supposed to build off of last year, challenge for an eastern conference finals berth, and show KD they were close. Instead they fell on their faces, KD won't consider them, and now they're just counting the days until they can give Never Heal Beal $120M. Yup, not good
Pete: It's a tie between the Houston Rockets and the Wizards. The Rockets should've been a title contender this year, but their defense completely fell apart. I made a cardinal sin as a Wizards fan: I had high expectations going into this season. I was hopeful for a top 3 seed in the conference and instead I got an ass-full of Beal Injuries, Kris Humphries shooting threes, and the impending death of #KD2DC. The one silver lining would be the end of the Wittman/Grunfeld era, but this season has taught me not to hope for anything from this franchise.
Duc: The most disappointing team is either Houston or Chicago. Most thought both of these teams were ready and able to compete in their conferences and in Houston’s case for the NBA Title. They both are now possibly going to miss the playoffs, it was a big fall. The most surprising are the Blazers. I was expecting a mid-lotto pick after a 30 win season however they are now in a position to get the 5 seed, the same as last year. The loss of 4 starters was tough but they were replaced by a collection of players and the Blazers became much deeper. Dame has been amazing this year and really took the team over, CJ stepping up was big and he seems to be a nice match with Lillard although they can be a rough pair on D.
5. The top prospect in this year’s draft has taken some lumps, would you still want to take Ben Simmons #1? And if not who would you take instead?
Eric: I don't watch college so I really have no idea, I leave that to the rest of the panel.
Kn88: I'd still take Simmons #1. I can't pass on that ball handling and playmaking ability. Sure, he needs to be more aggressive, especially on the offensive end, but he was also playing with selfish teammates for a shitty coach.
This isn't an Oden/KD situation where everyone believes you're getting a superstar either way. Ingram has some question marks of his own. If this draft wasn't so bad at the top, he probably wouldn't be in the running for #2 anyway. Look at past drafts. He wouldn't have gone #2 last year. Or in 2014. Or in 2012. Or in 2011. Or in 2010. Or in 2009. Or in 2008. Or in 2007. Or in 2006. You get the picture. Simmons is the easy #1 for me.
Pete: It comes down to Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram. There are a lot of weaknesses to Simmons game, and I think if he ends up on a crappy roster like the Sixers, he's going to be in trouble. He needs to go somewhere that is going to build up good habits and undo some of the damage done in LSU. I think I still take Simmons, but it's a pick that could cost someone their job.
Duc: I would still take Simmons #1 in this draft. He is a really good all-around player would hurt himself by playing for an absolutely terrible coach. He needs to become a better shooter but that can be learned and he has everything else. I do like Ingram but I really like Buddy Hield and love his ability to score.
