Post by Lazy Pete on Apr 29, 2015 13:08:25 GMT -6
Imagine with me for a moment a place where barriers to trades not only exist, but are strictly enforced by an overbearing and iron-fisted despot. In this league, teams cannot trade players once they draft them, nor can players leave teams in FA. If that league existed today, what would our teams look like? Who would be best? Who would be worst?
I'm glad you asked all these questions, because I looked over the draft picks of each team through the years, put together hypothetical starting 5s, and ranked them using a very sophisticated algorithm that is 10 times as convoluted as anything Eric posts. I would share it with you, but the sheer density and gravity of all those numbers would cause your minds to explode like a watermelon at a Gallagher show.
I submit for your review, the first ever Homegrown Heroes Power Rankings:
What happened???
29. Portland Trailblazers
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Blue Edwards
SF: Scottie Pippen
PF: Tiago Splitter
C: Bob Pettit
28. Cleveland Cavaliers
PG: Quincy McCall
SG: Ernie Grunfeld
SF: Paul George
PF: Cliff Alexander
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
27. Orlando Magic
PG: Emmanuel Mudiay
SG: Dick Barnett
SF: Patrick Patterson
PF: Chris Mihm
C: Greg Monroe
26. Denver Nuggets
PG: Jesus Abdul-Wahad
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Glenn Robinson
PF: Kenny Sears
C: Jermaine O’Neal
25. New York Knicks
PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Broderick Langhi
SF: Tom Sanders
PF: Tom LaGarde
C: Ralph Sampson
These rosters are all pretty bleak. Portland didn’t draft much until around 3008, but even after that they have struggled to find even rotation-caliber players. Pettit will hopefully be the first step towards turning things around. The rest of the group all have one or two old stars that are over the hill with a few more recent picks that have disappointed.
Too Few to Judge
24. San Antonio Spurs/OKC Thunder
PG: Mateen Cleaves
SG: Kendall Gill
SF: Toni Kukoc
PF: Al Jefferson
C: Boogie Cousins
23. Utah Jazz
PG: Mustafa Shakur
SG: John Wall
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PF: Tom Hammonds
C: Art Spoelstra
22. Dallas Mavericks/OKC Thunder
PG: Muggsy Bogues
SG: Aaron Harrison
SF: Donnell Harvey
PF: Catfish Cathasach
C: Red Karr
For the most part, all three of these teams hate making draft picks, and as a result traded a ton of them away during the history of the league. What’s left has been pretty hit-or-miss. The Spurs would still have Boogie and Al from the old Thunder days, but Cleaves, Gill and Kukoc is horrendous. Utah’s best player was autoed during 2Poor’s visionquest, but Wall Aminu and Spoelstra all look like replacement-level starters, at least. Spoelstra’s development could buoy this team down the road. Dallas really had a limited selection to choose from, even after I fudged Catfish into their lineup. Despite probably the fewest draft picks out of any team in the league, Dallas has two premier players, which is more than a lot of other teams can claim.
Stuck in the Middle with Yawn
21. Seattle Supersonics
PG: Mookie Blaylock
SG: Dorrell Wright
SF: Kristaps Porzingis
PF: Dalibor Bagaric
C: Yi Jianlian
The Seattle Supersonics have spent most of 4.0 as either a late lotto or early playoff exit team. As a result, the Seattle draft picks have been pretty middle of the road. Krispy Pork is clearly the jewel of Seattle, but the rest of the squad is solidly unspectacular.
Trading Places
20. Phoenix Suns
PG: Steve Nash
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Justise Winslow
PF: Jon Pierce
C: Sam Bowie
19. Houston Rockets
PG: Ennis Whatley
SG: Pee Wee Kirkland
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Dwayne Schintzius
C: Wilt Chamberlain
Both of these teams have gone on to be much greater than the sum of their picks thanks to the free market trade system. However, in a world where trade barriers are strict, both are in a world of trouble. Ank struck gold with a couple late picks in Nash and Pierce, but has struggled mightily at the top of drafts. Dil also had some serious misfires at the top of the drafts early, but corrected course in the 3008 draft, nabbing both Pee Wee and Wilt. Ennis Whatley is forced to come out of retirement to run the point.
Lots of Tanking, Lacking Results
18. Golden State Warriors
PG: Delonte West
SG: Sean Elliot
SF: Josh Smith
PF: Kenyon Martin
C: Jahlil Okafor
17. Atlanta Hawks
PG: Kevin Johnson
SG: Dale Ellis
SF: Dennis Scott
PF: Duke Kaminsky
C: Dick Furry
16. Minnesota Timberwolves
PG: Alvin Robertson
SG: Stanley Johnson
SF: Peja Stojakovic
PF: Marcus Fizer
C: Stacey King
The Warriors were stuck in the Devine quagmire for a while, which had them picking in the back half of the lotto most years, yielding only 2 players worth starting. Ocho had a ton of great draft picks in the past few seasons, but the end result was a little underwhelming and hasn’t yielded a true star yet. The Hawks have a great trio with Dale, Dick and Duke, but Dennis is one D too many and KJ is best suited to a dunk contest, not a starting spot. The Timberwolves briefly dipped their toe in the tanking pool to grab Alvin, who is the cornerstone of this team. Stanley and Stacey are good enough role players to put them over the others, but Fizer and Peja were big misses.
Biggie Smalls
15. Los Angeles Lakers
PG: Haywoode Workman
SG: Grant Hill
SF: Al Horford
PF: Shareef Abdur-Rahim
C: Priest Lauderdale
14. Los Angeles Clippers
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Jerry West
SF: Bo Kimble
PF: Terry Mills
C: Zack Bird
13. Miami Heat
PG: Khalid Reeves
SG: Frank Selvy
SF: Glen Rice
PF: Chris Obekpa
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
The Lakers have a terrific front-court of Horford, Abdur-Rahim and Lauderdale, complete with scoring, defense and rebounding. The problem is they are counting on an unproven PG and a washed up vet to hold down their back court. Meanwhile, the Clippers have an older but still formidable back court of Magic, Logo, and Bo. Bird isn’t terrible but probably shouldn’t be a starter, and Terry Mills is terrible and definitely shouldn’t be. The Heat have had a lot of top picks recently, but very few in the front court, leaving them a great trio of scorers on the outside and a shaky frontcourt, although better than the Clippers duo.
Solidly Solidified
12. Charlotte Hornets
PG: Scoonie Murray
SG: Nick Anderson
SF: Michael Smith
PF: Derrick Coleman
C: Tex Silverman
11. Milwaukee Bucks
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Quentin Richardson
SF: Nick Fazekas
PF: Champ Godbolt
C: Vlade Divac
10. Brooklyn Nets
PG: Acie Law
SG: DJ Strawberry
SF: Georges Niang
PF: Josh McRoberts
C: Dwight Howard
When I look at all of these teams, I see a set of balanced teams, but ones that lack the star power necessary to climb the rankings. The Hornets have done really well recently in picking talent, as Murray, Smith and Silverman all look very promising. The problem is I don’t see any of those taking the next leap into #1 option territory. The Bucks have a great combo with Godbolt and Fazekas, but the rest of the lineup leaves something to be desired. The Nets get the bump into the top 10 thanks to the superstar status of Niang. The rest of the players surrounding him are worse than the 2-5 for the Bucks, but Niang alone puts them over.
With a Little Patience…
9. Toronto Raptors/Kentucky Colonels
PG: Gary Payton
SG: Andrew Harrison
SF: JR Smith
PF: Walter McCarty
C: Julian Wright
8. Memphis Bobcats/Detroit Pistons
PG: Irv Bemoras
SG: Lance Stephenson
SF: Thurl Bailey
PF: Americas John-Lewis
C: Myles Turner
7. Indiana Pacers/New Orleans Pelicans
PG: Rodney Stuckey
SG: Gary Bossert
SF: Jackie Moon
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Montrezl Harrell
Each of these teams has a serious hole in their starting 5, but the other 4 are solid to spectacular. The Raptors have a great looking outside-focused lineup from 1-4, and Wright is undersized but capable at C. The Pistons/Bobcats moved a little too quickly when Odin took over to ship Bailey and Americas out of town. Add Stephenson back into the mix, and this team is also only a PG away from contention. The Pacers controversially broke up the Durant-Bossert tandem, but a move that goes less commented was the inclusion of Montrezl Harrell in the trade. Stuckey is the weak link on this squad.
Titans of the Teardown
6. Vancouver Grizzlies
PG: Delon Wright
SG: Marques Johnson
SF: Desmond Mason
PF: Darrall Imhoff
C: Emeka Okafor
5. Boston Celtics
PG: Moochie Norris
SG: butt sex Drexler
SF: Armen Gilliam
PF: Chris Welp
C: Cliff T. Robinson
4. Chicago Bulls
PG: Pickles Kennedy
SG: Sarunas Marciulonas
SF: Oscar Robertson
PF: Felton Spencer
C: Manute Bol
Each of these teams have enjoyed a large amount of success in drafting, and while they each have some small holes, for the most part these are complete teams of starter-caliber players or better.
Druce has earned a strong reputation as a drafter, and it shines through when looking at his theoretical starting 5. Only one player in that starting five was actually drafted in the top 5. A couple seasons ago, Druce’s team is a little more intimidating, but some of these guys are getting old. Boston has a few all-stars in their lineup, with butt sex Drexler and Gilliam carrying the scoring load and Cliff T. manning the middle of the defense. A better PG is all that is missing. Bruns just misses the top 3, as he’s got one spectacular player and then a lot of above average ones. I cheated a little moving Oscar to SF, but who cares.
Started from the Bottom, Now We’re Here
3. Washington Bullets
PG: Eric Bledsoe
SG: George McCloud
SF: Sam Perkins
PF: Stromile Swift
C: James Edwards
2. Kansas City Kings/New Orleans Pelicans
PG: Stephon Marbury
SG: Kittenfish Cathasach
SF: Charles Barkley
PF: Ben Wallace
C: Greg Oden
1. Philadelphia 76ers
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Stanley Robinson
PF: Brian Grant
C: David Robinson
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the three top teams are all teams with multiple successful tanks. While each team has a strong starting lineup, I think the Kings and Sixers have a clear edge over the Bullets in terms of the players I had to leave off.
The Bullets reaped James Edwards, Sam Perkins, and Eric Bledsoe from an early tank, and then scooped up Swift and McCloud on a second effort. The Kings didn’t get as much early, but Charles Barkley is still a premier wing, and a second tank in the adolescence of the league netted a star-studded group of Marbury and Oden plus key glue guys in Kittenfish and Wallace. The Sixers, kings of the tanking world in real life and TMBSL, also score all-star caliber players from two separate tanks. Another reminder for Fason of what might have been if he had only extended Stanley Robinson’s second rounder contract.
I'm glad you asked all these questions, because I looked over the draft picks of each team through the years, put together hypothetical starting 5s, and ranked them using a very sophisticated algorithm that is 10 times as convoluted as anything Eric posts. I would share it with you, but the sheer density and gravity of all those numbers would cause your minds to explode like a watermelon at a Gallagher show.
I submit for your review, the first ever Homegrown Heroes Power Rankings:
What happened???
29. Portland Trailblazers
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Blue Edwards
SF: Scottie Pippen
PF: Tiago Splitter
C: Bob Pettit
28. Cleveland Cavaliers
PG: Quincy McCall
SG: Ernie Grunfeld
SF: Paul George
PF: Cliff Alexander
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
27. Orlando Magic
PG: Emmanuel Mudiay
SG: Dick Barnett
SF: Patrick Patterson
PF: Chris Mihm
C: Greg Monroe
26. Denver Nuggets
PG: Jesus Abdul-Wahad
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Glenn Robinson
PF: Kenny Sears
C: Jermaine O’Neal
25. New York Knicks
PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Broderick Langhi
SF: Tom Sanders
PF: Tom LaGarde
C: Ralph Sampson
These rosters are all pretty bleak. Portland didn’t draft much until around 3008, but even after that they have struggled to find even rotation-caliber players. Pettit will hopefully be the first step towards turning things around. The rest of the group all have one or two old stars that are over the hill with a few more recent picks that have disappointed.
Too Few to Judge
24. San Antonio Spurs/OKC Thunder
PG: Mateen Cleaves
SG: Kendall Gill
SF: Toni Kukoc
PF: Al Jefferson
C: Boogie Cousins
23. Utah Jazz
PG: Mustafa Shakur
SG: John Wall
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PF: Tom Hammonds
C: Art Spoelstra
22. Dallas Mavericks/OKC Thunder
PG: Muggsy Bogues
SG: Aaron Harrison
SF: Donnell Harvey
PF: Catfish Cathasach
C: Red Karr
For the most part, all three of these teams hate making draft picks, and as a result traded a ton of them away during the history of the league. What’s left has been pretty hit-or-miss. The Spurs would still have Boogie and Al from the old Thunder days, but Cleaves, Gill and Kukoc is horrendous. Utah’s best player was autoed during 2Poor’s visionquest, but Wall Aminu and Spoelstra all look like replacement-level starters, at least. Spoelstra’s development could buoy this team down the road. Dallas really had a limited selection to choose from, even after I fudged Catfish into their lineup. Despite probably the fewest draft picks out of any team in the league, Dallas has two premier players, which is more than a lot of other teams can claim.
Stuck in the Middle with Yawn
21. Seattle Supersonics
PG: Mookie Blaylock
SG: Dorrell Wright
SF: Kristaps Porzingis
PF: Dalibor Bagaric
C: Yi Jianlian
The Seattle Supersonics have spent most of 4.0 as either a late lotto or early playoff exit team. As a result, the Seattle draft picks have been pretty middle of the road. Krispy Pork is clearly the jewel of Seattle, but the rest of the squad is solidly unspectacular.
Trading Places
20. Phoenix Suns
PG: Steve Nash
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Justise Winslow
PF: Jon Pierce
C: Sam Bowie
19. Houston Rockets
PG: Ennis Whatley
SG: Pee Wee Kirkland
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Dwayne Schintzius
C: Wilt Chamberlain
Both of these teams have gone on to be much greater than the sum of their picks thanks to the free market trade system. However, in a world where trade barriers are strict, both are in a world of trouble. Ank struck gold with a couple late picks in Nash and Pierce, but has struggled mightily at the top of drafts. Dil also had some serious misfires at the top of the drafts early, but corrected course in the 3008 draft, nabbing both Pee Wee and Wilt. Ennis Whatley is forced to come out of retirement to run the point.
Lots of Tanking, Lacking Results
18. Golden State Warriors
PG: Delonte West
SG: Sean Elliot
SF: Josh Smith
PF: Kenyon Martin
C: Jahlil Okafor
17. Atlanta Hawks
PG: Kevin Johnson
SG: Dale Ellis
SF: Dennis Scott
PF: Duke Kaminsky
C: Dick Furry
16. Minnesota Timberwolves
PG: Alvin Robertson
SG: Stanley Johnson
SF: Peja Stojakovic
PF: Marcus Fizer
C: Stacey King
The Warriors were stuck in the Devine quagmire for a while, which had them picking in the back half of the lotto most years, yielding only 2 players worth starting. Ocho had a ton of great draft picks in the past few seasons, but the end result was a little underwhelming and hasn’t yielded a true star yet. The Hawks have a great trio with Dale, Dick and Duke, but Dennis is one D too many and KJ is best suited to a dunk contest, not a starting spot. The Timberwolves briefly dipped their toe in the tanking pool to grab Alvin, who is the cornerstone of this team. Stanley and Stacey are good enough role players to put them over the others, but Fizer and Peja were big misses.
Biggie Smalls
15. Los Angeles Lakers
PG: Haywoode Workman
SG: Grant Hill
SF: Al Horford
PF: Shareef Abdur-Rahim
C: Priest Lauderdale
14. Los Angeles Clippers
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Jerry West
SF: Bo Kimble
PF: Terry Mills
C: Zack Bird
13. Miami Heat
PG: Khalid Reeves
SG: Frank Selvy
SF: Glen Rice
PF: Chris Obekpa
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
The Lakers have a terrific front-court of Horford, Abdur-Rahim and Lauderdale, complete with scoring, defense and rebounding. The problem is they are counting on an unproven PG and a washed up vet to hold down their back court. Meanwhile, the Clippers have an older but still formidable back court of Magic, Logo, and Bo. Bird isn’t terrible but probably shouldn’t be a starter, and Terry Mills is terrible and definitely shouldn’t be. The Heat have had a lot of top picks recently, but very few in the front court, leaving them a great trio of scorers on the outside and a shaky frontcourt, although better than the Clippers duo.
Solidly Solidified
12. Charlotte Hornets
PG: Scoonie Murray
SG: Nick Anderson
SF: Michael Smith
PF: Derrick Coleman
C: Tex Silverman
11. Milwaukee Bucks
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Quentin Richardson
SF: Nick Fazekas
PF: Champ Godbolt
C: Vlade Divac
10. Brooklyn Nets
PG: Acie Law
SG: DJ Strawberry
SF: Georges Niang
PF: Josh McRoberts
C: Dwight Howard
When I look at all of these teams, I see a set of balanced teams, but ones that lack the star power necessary to climb the rankings. The Hornets have done really well recently in picking talent, as Murray, Smith and Silverman all look very promising. The problem is I don’t see any of those taking the next leap into #1 option territory. The Bucks have a great combo with Godbolt and Fazekas, but the rest of the lineup leaves something to be desired. The Nets get the bump into the top 10 thanks to the superstar status of Niang. The rest of the players surrounding him are worse than the 2-5 for the Bucks, but Niang alone puts them over.
With a Little Patience…
9. Toronto Raptors/Kentucky Colonels
PG: Gary Payton
SG: Andrew Harrison
SF: JR Smith
PF: Walter McCarty
C: Julian Wright
8. Memphis Bobcats/Detroit Pistons
PG: Irv Bemoras
SG: Lance Stephenson
SF: Thurl Bailey
PF: Americas John-Lewis
C: Myles Turner
7. Indiana Pacers/New Orleans Pelicans
PG: Rodney Stuckey
SG: Gary Bossert
SF: Jackie Moon
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Montrezl Harrell
Each of these teams has a serious hole in their starting 5, but the other 4 are solid to spectacular. The Raptors have a great looking outside-focused lineup from 1-4, and Wright is undersized but capable at C. The Pistons/Bobcats moved a little too quickly when Odin took over to ship Bailey and Americas out of town. Add Stephenson back into the mix, and this team is also only a PG away from contention. The Pacers controversially broke up the Durant-Bossert tandem, but a move that goes less commented was the inclusion of Montrezl Harrell in the trade. Stuckey is the weak link on this squad.
Titans of the Teardown
6. Vancouver Grizzlies
PG: Delon Wright
SG: Marques Johnson
SF: Desmond Mason
PF: Darrall Imhoff
C: Emeka Okafor
5. Boston Celtics
PG: Moochie Norris
SG: butt sex Drexler
SF: Armen Gilliam
PF: Chris Welp
C: Cliff T. Robinson
4. Chicago Bulls
PG: Pickles Kennedy
SG: Sarunas Marciulonas
SF: Oscar Robertson
PF: Felton Spencer
C: Manute Bol
Each of these teams have enjoyed a large amount of success in drafting, and while they each have some small holes, for the most part these are complete teams of starter-caliber players or better.
Druce has earned a strong reputation as a drafter, and it shines through when looking at his theoretical starting 5. Only one player in that starting five was actually drafted in the top 5. A couple seasons ago, Druce’s team is a little more intimidating, but some of these guys are getting old. Boston has a few all-stars in their lineup, with butt sex Drexler and Gilliam carrying the scoring load and Cliff T. manning the middle of the defense. A better PG is all that is missing. Bruns just misses the top 3, as he’s got one spectacular player and then a lot of above average ones. I cheated a little moving Oscar to SF, but who cares.
Started from the Bottom, Now We’re Here
3. Washington Bullets
PG: Eric Bledsoe
SG: George McCloud
SF: Sam Perkins
PF: Stromile Swift
C: James Edwards
2. Kansas City Kings/New Orleans Pelicans
PG: Stephon Marbury
SG: Kittenfish Cathasach
SF: Charles Barkley
PF: Ben Wallace
C: Greg Oden
1. Philadelphia 76ers
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Stanley Robinson
PF: Brian Grant
C: David Robinson
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the three top teams are all teams with multiple successful tanks. While each team has a strong starting lineup, I think the Kings and Sixers have a clear edge over the Bullets in terms of the players I had to leave off.
The Bullets reaped James Edwards, Sam Perkins, and Eric Bledsoe from an early tank, and then scooped up Swift and McCloud on a second effort. The Kings didn’t get as much early, but Charles Barkley is still a premier wing, and a second tank in the adolescence of the league netted a star-studded group of Marbury and Oden plus key glue guys in Kittenfish and Wallace. The Sixers, kings of the tanking world in real life and TMBSL, also score all-star caliber players from two separate tanks. Another reminder for Fason of what might have been if he had only extended Stanley Robinson’s second rounder contract.
