Season Preview Round Table [GRADED]
Jan 11, 2017 14:55:27 GMT
Beijing, Newcastle, and 1 more like this
Post by Sarawak on Jan 11, 2017 14:55:27 GMT
You will get 150 for Participating and then prizes
First place 100
Second place 75
Third Place 50
Best answer = 50 PP bonus
The Grader will make 150 and not be a participant (New York)
Participants
Brazil
Moscow
New Orleans
Sarawak
Seattle
Tel Aviv
Vancouver
Questions
1. Who had the best offseason among teams you consider a contender in each conference? You can mention up to 3 teams for each conference, but do not have to mention more than 1.
Brazil:
Mikawa just keeps doing stuff well. This is a team that is really in a good place year in and year out, and by avoiding the big mistake and making solid moves will probably stay that way.
Moscow:
I'm a big fan of what Vancouver did in the Americas- re-signing Mitch was big- and getting Lou Hudson and Drummond were 2 huge additions, in my opinion. And I swear I'm not biased whatsoever, even though I've had Drummond before and Lou Hudson has his jersey retired by the Hawks. No bias, I swear! :-) Also, Brazil is finally cleaning up the mess I put them in- getting Gasol was a massive step for this team. I like what they're building down there.
In terms of the International divison- Milan made a number of moves in the offseason, notably getting Oden from the Knicks. He's helped lead that team to a fantastic start. Getting Wallace was also a nice pick-up for them as well. I also like what Sarawak did in getting Kenny Anderson. He's the perfect fit at PG for that team (and it shows with the start they've had so far).
New Orleans:
In America, you have to love what the Grizzlies did to get Drummond and Hudson to add to Kristaps and Richmond. Those four are as strong as any four we’ve seen in a while. Adding in a couple PGs like MCW and Foots gives them options at the PG position depending on what they need. The Supersonics were also able to add Heinsohn and Hondo as two vets to try and make a run with Saric while holding onto Jo Jo and all of his own firsts plus Portland’s.
Over in Europe, Piraeus chose to extend his window a bit and add some depth by dealing Hondo and grabbed a few good pieces including the 26 year old rookie Manuel Raga who will be cost controlled cheaply through his prime. Tel Aviv were able to jump right back into winning with getting Pete in the draft and signing McGinnis in Free Agency. Firehorse BC was finally able to get a point guard to run the show with Wade and MKG as well.
Sarawak:
Love what Vancouver did, I am not the biggest Drummond fan due to him being a liability on the court late in games with his DeAndre like FT ability and his hands are iffy but he can board, rebound and score so he is a quality add. Hudson is a nice piece and fits nicely next to their other wing, Richmond. They still have some questions, especially at PG as MCW is a solid role player but is better served as a rotational player than a starter imo. Still that is a fearsome foursome the Grizz have put together. Other teams that stood out for me, Cleveland using minimums and a pick this year to get Pradd back was a nice and late first round pick Larry Siegfried seems better than advertised so far. Seattle did a nice job adding without compromising its core pieces which should benefit them moving forward.
In Eurasia, I think I had a good off season, Adding Kenny Anderson, bringing back Chandler and Granger who turned into trade pieces as expirings and were utilized, signing Jeff Ruhland and trading for Swen Nater to plug the gaping hole I had at center, which after the pre-season was filled with Marc Gasol. So I think my pieces are starting to fit together well after a lot of wheeling and dealing and we managed to improve the bad chemistry and cohesion that haunted us last year getting it all the way up to average all ready, which sadly is quite the improvement over last year. Other teams that stood out for me were MIlan (Adding Oden) and Piraeus shuffled a lot of pieces and ended up deeper than before while retaining its elite talent level.
Seattle:
American: Vancouver (even though they are Canadian)
Vancouver did an amazing job of rebuilding his team around Porzingis and Ritchmond. With the addition of Hudson and Drummond, this team a passing point guard needs now has all the firepower new additions MCW and Stoudamire could ask for. Look for these point guards to focus on defense and passing. This team is a title contender.
Eurasian: Piraeus
Sometimes dealing away a stud is not always bad. With so much scoring in the starting lineup, having Havlicek was just overkill. The Piraeus bench went from mediocre at best to very strong while also getting younger. Billy Paultz and LJ should provide plenty of rest for the Dikembe, McHale and dichinger. I wonder how Raga fits into the starting lineup or if Bogan gets the nod as the 3 and D 5th starter while raga plays the 3rd guard role
Tel Aviv:
I would say the Vancover Grizzlies had the best offseason for a contending team, in the American conference. They had two early trades which I liked for them. Picking up Andre Drummond from the Lakers and then Lou Hudson from the Raptors. Both players bring a lot to the table and on both sides of the floor, Drummond is a great all round big in particular his rebounding and inside presence. Hudson who is one of the best stealers in the league and has great shooting ability. Then in free agency they resigned Mitch Richmond and brought in some good bench help in Wayne Estes and Damon Stoudamire.
For the Eurasian conference the team I think had the best offseason was Sarawak. They have struggled a little in recent seasons despite having talent on their roster but I think the addition of Kenny Anderson will be a great one for them. Pairing him alongside Wade and Kidd-Gilchrist gives them a great trio and it should lead them to their best season since 2002 where they picked up 58 wins. They also picked up Swen Nater to shore up the frontline via trade and resigned forward Wilson Chandler back in free agency.
Seattle had a good offseason for a contending team. The Tommy Heinsohn deal I liked in particular and they also added John Havlicek. I think this gives them one of the better rosters in the league this season. Pair them alongside Dario Saric and Jo Jo White and that is a dangerous team with decent depth although they could do with another guard. They did have the chance to draft and keep rookie Manuel Raga though, who they traded to Piraeus for Havlicek, who they might of been better off keeping for the long term.
Vancouver: In the Americas, there actually are three teams who had really nice off-seasons all reside in the America-West division and they are the Grizzlies (Tooting my own horn), Supersonics (see I’m not biased) and the Lakers. The Grizzlies brought back Richmond, traded Brody & Spreewell for essentially Drummond & Hudson and then added some very good depth pieces via FA and trades in Stoudamire, MCW and Estes. The Supersonics made a flurry of trades as well and seem to be going all in by obtaining Hondo & Heinsohn to pair with Saric. The cost to obtain those 2 players was not very high and while he fields an older team, he still has a great young player to build around in JoJo. The Lakers pretty much revamped their entire team and should be a team that goes from Lotto to Playoffs. They acquired MVP Larry Nance for #6, Brody & Sprewell for Drummond and some much needed depth in Pietrus + for Heinsohn. Not sure who plays PF for him but he definitely should be trying to contend instead of bottom of the barrel this season.
In Eurasia, not many teams made major changes to constitute having a great offseason but 2 moves I like pertained to Milan & Sarawak. After trading his firsts for Turner, Milan expedited his clock to contend and made the most of it by acquiring Greg Oden for his pick. Sarawak also made a nice pickup by grabbing Kenny Anderson from the rebuilding Knicks at a decent cost. Both teams still have holes that need to be addressed but definitely took a step forward with these 2 moves, respectively.
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 1
Moscow:: 3
New Orleans: 5
Sarawak: 6
Seattle: 2
Tel Aviv: 4
Vancouver: 7
2. Who had the best offseason among teams you consider to be rebuilding in each conference? You can mention up to 3 teams for each conference, but do not have to mention more than 1.
Brazil:
REAL and Chicago both had high draft picks and didn't disappoint their fan bases by getting Lanier and Yao. Elite Bigs aren't exactly growing on trees, and they each got a very strong post presence. Milan getting Greg Oden was a great move for them as well.
Moscow:
In the Americas- has to be the Knicks. They seriously balled out with the moves they made- they got a first for Mo Harkless (from me), they traded Nance and ended up with Gola and Bellamy from the Lakers, and they got another first and Shue from Sarawak for Kenny Anderson. And they also got Amare, though his TC wasn't great, as we well know. Still, he has time to turn it around. Very fantastic all-around offseason for them- and they might not really be "rebuilding"- they're more "re-tooling" honestly. I know that phrase gets thrown around a lot- but the Nance move in particular, to me, accelerated their timeline at LEAST one season. They'll be back contending for a title shortly.
International- I think the Eagles win this by default with the Davis trade- I'm a HUGE fan of Stokes and Mack Calvin- and they also got a first of mine (that seems to be a theme here actually). It was a pretty decent-sized haul for them. I'm not really seeing a true other winner in the international conference for anyone rebuilding- but Maccabi did get Pistol Pete in the draft. So that's a start.
New Orleans:
The Bulls had patience in America with the drafting of Yao. He could have turned the bevy of picks he has into a winning squad but as usual, he’s gonna wait it out and it could payoff big time this go around. New York is looking for a quick turnaround but acquired a ton of young pieces that could be dangerous.
Eurasia didn’t have many rebuilding teams making big moves but REAL showed some patience despite a tough TC. He should be rewarded with a high pick. Also, Newcastle finally moved on from Anthony Davis and grabbed a few pieces that young teams were after for a while. Stokes, Calvin, and picks should be a good base to a quick turnaround.
Sarawak:
In the Americas I think the obvious choice is the Knicks. They may not have gotten quite peak value for all of their pieces, but if you look at what they did they have positioned themselves really well moving forward. After this year as currently constructed they will have 10+ plus players on their roster making roughly 16-20 million combined. So conservatively they are looking at 40 million in capspace, a top lotto pick and growth from their existing core of Winters, Hornacek, Shue and some of their other rookie contract players. So they went from an elite team to a well positioned rebuild in one off season and will have the opportunity to be back to contending by next year with a little luck. Well done.
In Eurasia I think it’s Tel Aviv who after a massive run at the start of the lead had to rebuild and has positioned themselves very nicely. They figured out that McGinnis wasn’t able to sign a max with the Spurs and came swooping in to grab him, they drafted Pistol Pete Maravich who should be a stud on the perimeter for them. They also made some value based gambles trading for young guys like Jack Twyman who may never turn into a starter but could be a valuable scorer off the bench for a team. It helps that they possess all their own firsts moving forward so even tho they have the talent to compete for the playoffs now, they can easily make some moves (Amir Johnson anyone) and be well under the cap next off season with another lotto pick and some capspace to play with.
Seattle:
American: New York Knicks
Seeig as his team had probably peaked unless he moved some pieces around, the commish went into prospect acquisition mode and picked up a lot of players that have pretty high potential in this league. He used 2 high first rounders to select athletic bigs Amare Stoudamire and Walt Bellamy. The latter of which looks to be a legit player for years to come. On the perimeter he has a stud SG in Brian Wonters at the wonderful age of 23 to go with some other prospects with high potential. His only flaw is not having his 2011 first, which by that time NY should already be back in the playoff hunt so not a big deal.
Eurasian: Newcastle Eagles
After moving franchise centerpiece Anthony Davis, Newcastle has an extremely young trio (Stokes, Scott, and Calvin) of players hat should be key contributors for many years. On top of those 3 players, he has all his picks and 2 additional first rounders that could easily be lotto picks. As long as this GM is active and drafts well, this team should be one on everyone's radar in the next few seasons.
Tel Aviv:
Can't really think of too many rebuilding teams who had stand out offseasons personally, guess one for each conference would be Knicks and Eagles. The Knicks did well to pick up a few picks in this season's draft, but they did give up talent to do so, and a few trades to bring in young talent, they are building a solid young group there. The Newcastle Eagles with their recent Davis trade bringing in Stokes and Calvin and also picking up Scott at #8 in the draft who I thought would go earlier than that.
Vancouver:
In America, I’ll mention the Knicks and Bulls. For the Knicks, they moved pretty much every guy not on a rookie deal and came away with multiple top 10 picks and some very promising prospects. Additionally, Knicks also made some decent moves in FA to grab some players they should be able to flip for additional assets in Harkless & Jokic. This is a great blueprint that all GMs can take notes on and learn from. For the Bulls, they hit a homerun and won the lottery to get a franchise piece in Yao. In addition to getting a little lucky, they signed Nater & Pradd in FA and were able to flip them immediately for a 1st & 2nd to help gain additional assets.
In Eurasia, Maccabi is the clear cut winner here as he also hit the homerun and jumped all the way to #2 in the draft and was able to get a franchise player in Pete Maravich. In addition to getting a little lucky, he targeted George McGinnis in FA, who Spurs couldn’t retain at a max deal due to cap restrictions, and was able to steal him to pretty much turn this franchise around overnight. With Eurasia looking pretty weak, this rebuilding team might now be a contender. **I did not include New Castle here even though I like their AD trade, it was done after pre-season, which is no longer the off-season**
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 6
Moscow: 7
New Orleans: 7
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 7
Vancouver: 7
Grader Comments:
3. Playoff Predictions. Predict the playoff teams for each conference, listing them by seeding, indicate which teams will win divisions. Give at least a brief explanation for each team.
Brazil:
Americas
NJ -- AE Winner KAJ + Magic = High seed and more.
Vancouver -- AW Winner Tremendous Balance, 3 20 PPG scorers. Much to like here.
Boston Lewis, Durant, Lamar, and Wiggins is as talented a foursome as you're going to find.
San Antonio Depth could be an issue (8 players showing), but the talent is there in those 8 players. Penny/Ainge can do it all from the guard spots.
Buenos Aires Mark Eaton blocks shots and the defense doesn't rest. May not be able to score with the best teams, but can defend them.
New Orleans AD and Monta can fill it up. May struggle on D, but AD himself can be a game changer most nights.
Seattle Saric, Hondo, JoJo, and Heinshon...that's some awesome frontline talent.
Toronto Another good defensive team, with many of the possible pitfalls of Buenos Aires.
Minnesota Balanced offense...nearly 7 guys in double figures. Not a go-to guy, but a lot of good players.
Europe
Pireaus -- Eurasia East Undefeated out of the gate. 125+ a game, including almost 38 from Kevin McHale. That's a hell of a lot of points.
Sarawak -- Eurasia West Great GM, 7 guys in double figures and 122 points a game. That's solid offense there.
Mikawa See above. 120 ppg, 7 guys in double figures.
Maccabi 120 PPG...again. "Only" 6 guys in double figures, but top 5 in PPS and Adj. FG is strong.
Brose Zo putting up 25 a game. Griffith giving 21. 19 more from Meyers Leonard. This is a competitive unit.
Milan Oden is a gamechanger...which was a great move by them to get from the Knicks.
Perth 6 double figure scorers and a good defense is a recipe for success. But since this conference is loaded, may lead to a short postseason.
KK Partizan Dirk is a stud, and is probably enough to get Partizan into the first round...but that could also be a short playoff run.
Moscow:
Americas:
1. Brooklyn (divison winner)- Magic and KAJ/Lew, along with Elgin and Tkachenko etc. Not really much else to say.
2. Vancouver (division winner)- MCW/Mitch/Hudson/Drummond/Porzingis is as good a starting 5 as any in the league.
3. Jazz- This team is really, really good. Defensively, some settings may need to be tweaked- but Price-Davis is one of my favorite PG/Big combos in the league (along with Parker/Pettit of course
.
4. Seattle- a TON of talent on this team- if they can figure out their defense, they can challenge the top seeds in the POs.
5. Brazil- I believe! Gasol is still a monster, and Harper and Tiny are both great sidekicks for him.
6. Boston- Wiggins/Durant/Lewis is a fun 2/3/4. Not really a fan of Bo Lamar at PG though- turns it over too much for my liking.
7. Timberwolves- the core they have is getting older- but they can still compete. I just don't think they can score enough to match the top teams in the conference.
8. Warriors- Gail is still their PG- and Gervin is FINALLY blossoming into the player we thought he would be (and I almost had him last season dammit
)
International:
1. Olympiacos (division winner)- IMO, they have the best player and the best team in the league. McHale/Deke is as good a low-post combo as any. The offense/defense tandem that they have is amazing. Dischinger, Raga, and Johnson are no slouches either. If McHale stays healthy- they're my pick to win the title.
2. Sarawak (division winner)- Love what they did this offseason, as I mentioned above. They look totally different than they did just a few seasons ago. Anderson/Wade/Winfield/MKG/Gasol all play off each other really well. I think their bench could use a little bit of an upgrade, but it's not terrible by any stretch.
3. Mikawa- everyone will be sleeping on the defending champs- and that's always dangerous. They have RussellWestBook in the starting lineup, and RussellWestBrooks when their bench plays (I could not resist I am so sorry- I apologize to everyone that had to read that horrible pun).
4. KK Partizan- They have as much talent as anyone in the league- I think they'll get back on track here soon- I know the GM's been away for awhile (I think- I may be wrong about that but I work nights so I'm not on during the day)- so if he comes back soon they'll figure it out.
5. Milan- Oden, Guerin, and Wallace is a good foundation. I don't think they'll continue to be QUITE as hot as they have been- but they'll still have homecourt probably in the first round.
6. CSKA- my team is much better than it has played so far- my DC settings are always going to be a work in progress. If I can get that figured out, though, I really think I can compete with anyone in the league with Parker and Pettit.
7. Bamberg- great starting 5, terrific. There's no bench though. That could come back to bite them- especially if they lose any of their starters to injury.
8. Beijing- they're like a poor-man's fake version of the real-life Atlanta Falcons- they can put the ball in the net better than anyone else. The question is- can they stop the other team from doing that?
New Orleans: America:
1) Vancouver Grizzlies – Those four studs mentioned in answer one will be extremely tough for most teams to handle.
2) Brooklyn Nets – Magic and KAJ got better as expected and have a few very good players around them.
3) Seattle Supersonics – That frontcourt will carry them to their best finish yet and likely past the first round.
4) New Orleans Jazz – Anthony Davis is used to finishing high and there should be a good mix of scoring and defense around him.
5) Cleveland Cavaliers – This team will bounce back after a silly start due to a bad line-up. Top four rivals most.
6) Buenos Aires Boca Juniors – Lock down defense across the roster will make them an extremely tough match-up.
7) Minnesota Timberwolves – Same roster, similar results. In the playoffs but not much of a run after this year without a change.
8) Boston Celtics – Kevin Durant and plenty of outside scoring will carry them into the playoffs without an issue.
Eurasia:
1) Piraeus Olympiacos BC – McHale is good enough to get any team a home playoff series but there is ample talent around him as well.
2) Sarawak Firehorse BC – With a starting center and point guard in toe with Wade and MKG, this team will be tough.
3) Mikawa Aisin Seahorses – HR, errrr Mikawa, knows how to win. Nothing changes despite a few role players moving around.
4) Tel Aviv Maccabi – Pistol Pete and McGinnis are in town to lead the way with Majerle. Tough tough team.
5) Milan Olimpia – Greg Oden and Myles Turner is a fantastic duo still but he’s got depth behind them and some defenders on the wing.
6) Belgrade KK Partizan – No real changes for Belgrade and he’s still a threat to get how and win big in playoffs.
7) Taipei Fubon Braves – Isiah Thomas and Draymond Green continue to carry this team into the playoffs where they fizzle out.
8) CSKA Moscow – Betting on Tony Parker to get this team into the playoffs one more time. No big holes.
Sarawak:
Americas:
Brooklyn Nets (Division Champs): This team will be scary good when it puts better talent around it’s dynamic duo of KAJ and Magic. For now even with the meh around them they are the top team in the conference
Vancouver Grizzlies (Division Champs): Loved their off season and if they get a legitimate starting PG they are probably the league wide title favorites. Until then being a division champ and a 2 seed isn’t bad.
Cleveland Cavaliers: This team is too talented to struggle for long and in a conference full of good teams beyond a clear top 2 I think they end up in the 3rd spot at the end.
Buenos Aires Boca Juniors: They have the talent to finish much higher, but the GM sounds like he wants to make more changes. This team defends as well as anybody, has a legit PG and some scoring so they should be alright.
Seattle Supersonics: Have had a great start but can see them coming a bit back to the pack and finishing here. I know this much I wouldn’t want to play them in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics: Boston hasn’t finished a season strong in forever, I am going to guess that trend continues despite their hot start. Nice team, but one injury away from being pretty meh.
MInnesota Timberwolves: Similar to Cleveland, good roster, proven GM they will improve after a slow start.
Brazil Franca BC: With Pau showing he still got it this team is positioned to be an up and coming team that will scare teams come the postseason
Eurasian:
Piraeus (Division Winner): Top team that added depth I think they win 65ish games and cruise to the conference title.
Sarawak (Division Winner): I love my team for the first time in forever, I think I can create matchup problems for a lot of teams, but an injury or two could slow us down as the bench depth has been cut into quite a bit in some key areas.
MIkawa: Still got it and still aren’t finding any good trades for their studs. As long as they have this roster, nobody wants to play them!
KKP: Great roster even if Dirk isn’t quite the uber star he has been in the past but Dirk, Walton, Moncrief and Darko is a pretty formidable start to a roster. Remind me of Vancouver where if they ever go get a legit PG they can really start being a title favorite.
MIlan: Off ot a great start but I think they will fade just a bit as the season goes along. It goes to show you tho if you have a roster of young talent and add one dynamic stud to it (Oden) you can change your fortunes very quickly
Taipei: This is scary, IT in the first round is a nightmare scenario for any top team. A slow start means Taipei will be the team most likely to ruin brackets come playoff time.
Beijing: I think they will hang on to a decent start and finish in the playoffs despite losing Pau in Free Agency. Maybe the best backcourt in the game?
Tel Aviv: As talked about earlier they had a great off season and our going to be a really tough out for whoever draws them.
Seattle:
American:
1. Brooklyn Nets
Not many teams have a player to build a championship team around, this team has 2. KAJ and Magic could carry this team into the playoffs by themselves.
2. Vancouver Grizzlies
This team has always been a guard away from the finals. With the additions of MCW amd Stoudamire, they have 2 guys that bring different things to the table at PG. The only question is are those 2 enough to hold their own while Kristaps and Ritchmomd go to work.
3. Seattle Supersonics
Just know I have a high opinion of this team. No further questions on this subject please.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Now that their starting five have returned to the team after suspension for unknown reasons, this team should start climbing the playoff seeding board.
5. Boston Celtics
This team has been together forever it seems. If chemistry matters then Boston should perform to at least this standard.
6. Minn Timberwolves
read reasoning for Boston Celtics
7. San Francisco Warriors
Gail Goodrich and George Gervin are gonna carry this team to the playoffs
8. Brazil
Stellar team defense and "GIVE IT TO PAU" offense should be just enough to sneak into the playoffs
Eurasian
1. Piraeus
Even with the departure of Hondo, this team led my elite post scorer McHale is a force to be reckoned with.
2. Sarawak
The guard trio of Anderson, Wade, and Kerr will lead this team to a high seed in the playoffs with the help of MKG and Marc Gasol anchoring the posts.
3. Mikawa
With the core 3 of Russell, Booker, and Rodgers still there, the defending champs are still a team to watch out for.
4. Milano
This team is anchored by Oden and Myles Turner in the post, with a young backcourt to feed them the ball. This team's weakness is the SF spot as G Wallace is getting up there.
5. Beijing
With their high octane perimeter offense built around Max Z, Dave Bing, and Mark aguirre, this team should be a dangerous team to whoever they play.
6. KK Partizan
Dirk might have fallen a little bit, but he is still a dangerous scorer and has a solid cast of supporting players around him. Is Jason Kidd still enough at PG to get them out of the first round though?
7. Maccabi
With a very small but highly athletic team, Pistol Pete and Dan Majerle look to score their way into the playoffs. Biggest issue for this team will be elite tall centers.
8. Bamberg
With Darrell Griffith, Meyers Leonard, and Alonzo Mourning producing most of this team scoring output, Bamberg sneaks into the last spot of the playoffs. Mike Conley at PG is an issue this team needs to solve if they want to have a chance of getting out of the first round.
Tel Aviv: * = Division winners
America
1. Brooklyn Nets* - The duo of Lew Alcindor and Magic Johnson are about as good as it gets through the league and with a strong supporting cast the Nets have a chance to beat their franchise high for wins of 58 from last season.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavaliers made the finals last season and have a very talented roster. D'Angelo Russell has developed into one of the best guards in the league, Shaq and Gobert are an imposing front line, the team doesn't have any real weaknesses and will be hoping to go one better this time around.
3. Vancover Grizzlies* - The Grizzlies normally find themselves towards the top of the standings and this season shouldn't be any different. As I said earlier they have had a good offseason bringing in some talent, point guard may be a slight problem for them though.
4. Seattle Supersonics - I think they have one of the best rosters on paper in the league and should end up slightly higher than this but the team has under performed slightly in previous years with the talent they have had. Dario Saric is a legit MVP candidate, alongside rising point guard Jo Jo White and veterans Havlicek and Heinsohn they are a very dangerous team.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves roster has stayed the same for quite a while even with a new general manager but they have a talented roster, Cauley-Stein, Garnett, Cunningham and Smart is a very good group and they have a good mix of youth and veterans on the bench. They made the conference finals last season and are a threat in the American conference.
6. Boca Juniors - Boca have one of my favourite rosters in the league, with great depth and strong players are every position. They found themselves in the playoffs again last year after 5 years missing out and I see them easily doing it again.
7. Utah Jazz - The recent trade for two time MVP Anthony Davis to play alongside the likes of Mark Price, Marc Gasol and Monta Ellis should be enough to get the Jazz into the bottom half of the playoff standings.
8. LA Lakers - The additions of Larry Nance, Tal Brody and Latrell Spreewell should be enough to get the Lakers into the playoffs. The depth around them isn't ideal but they should have enough.
Eurasia
1. KK Partizan* - They won the conference last season and I think they have a good chance to repeat that this time around. With a great young core who are still getting better, they are the team to beat in the Eurasia conference.
2. Sarawak Fire Horse BC* - Sarawak have the best set of players they have had for a long time and although they have slightly under-performed in recent years they have the chance to make a big impact on the Eurasian conference this time around. As I said before Wade, Kidd-Gilchrist and Anderson is a great trio and have they have decent depth.
3. Piraeus Olympiacos - Kevin McHale still leads the dangerous Piraeus squad who will be fighting all the way with Partizan and Sarawak for the top spot. They have added the exciting rookie Manuel Riga to their impressive core and have a strong team at all positions.
4. Mikawa Aisin Seahorses - Mikawa always find themselves towards the top of the standings and should be there again this time around. Depth is a bit of a problem for last seasons champions but they always find a way to get the best of the players they have.
5. Milano Olimpia - Milano are looking to make the playoffs for only the 4th time in league history and with the addition of Greg Oden in particuarly they have made step in that direction. Pair him alongside Turner, Wallace, McMillian and impressive 2nd year player Richie Guerin and they have a great chance to get back into the playoff picture.
6. Shanghai Sharks - Led by one of the best centers in the league Karl-Anthony Towns they young Sharks squad should have enough to find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Eurasian conference. LaMarcus Aldridge looks set to be a great partner for him in the front court for years to come. They do have some holes in their roster though that will limit them through the season.
7. CSKA Moscow - CSKA finished last season with 45 wins, I see them improving slightly on that this time around, 2nd year man Bob Pettit leads the team that has a well rounded starting unit, depth is troublesome though.
8. Maccabi Tel Aviv - They will be a few teams with similar records towards the back of the conference with Aoshen and Fubon Braves right in the picture but the offseason additions of George McGinnis and Pete Maravich alongside the improvement of Dan Majerle could be enough to see Tel Aviv sneak back into the playoffs. Center is a problem though as is their depth.
Vancouver: America
1. Cleveland Cavaliers* – Coming off a championship loss, they retained their entire roster which saw great development from Howard, Shaq & Russell in TC.
2. Vancouver Grizzlies* - The reigning division champs from last season, they look stronger & deeper on paper this year.
3. Brooklyn Nets – Magic & Lew need some help as the cast around them is OLD. They have holes but I think this GM stops being cheap and finally makes a move at some point.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves – they brought back their entire roster headlined by Smart & Cunningham. They can easily win the division as well.
5. New Orleans Jazz – Team has some talent but not sure the pieces fit accordingly. I think he figures it out and grabs the 5 seed, if not better.
6. Seattle Supersonics – Elder crew but very star studded. Would probably have them higher if I trusted the GM game planning skills
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Another star studded team, Nance should carry them to the playoffs.
8. Buenos Aires Boca Juniors – I think they over achieved last season and will be fighting the Celtics for this last and final spot
Eurasia
1. Piraeus Olympiacos BC*- McHale is still in his prime and all other teams have taken a step back.
2. KK Partizan – I flip flopped them and Piraeus at the last minute – a very talented front court, Kidd will dictate how far they go if he fights off father time
3. Mikawa Aisin Seahorses*- The reigning champs, until dethroned, will remain the division champs. Has to make moves though as he’s getting old quickly.
4. Sarawak Fire Horse BC – My sleeper pick, I think they may end up the division winner but a lot depends on their C/SF play.
5. Tel Aviv Maccabi – In a weak conference, Maccabi has a pretty talented squad now with Pete/McGinniss
6. CSKA Moscow – Parker & Pettit with Kaman allows this team to compete but the ceiling isn’t very high
7. Milan Olimpia – ODEN! Add him with Nate Mac, Guerin & Wallace and this team can defend. Plus, in a conf where a lot of teams will tank, he must compete without his pick.
8. Taipei Fubon Braves – Honestly, Isiah / Green should lead to the 8 spot at the bare minimum.
*DESIGNATE DIVISION WINNER
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 4
Moscow: 6
New Orleans: 6
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 5
Vancouver: 6
4. Player Predictions. Who is the MVP? The ROY? The DPOY? Also list your 2 deep All League Team (2 players at each position) Players must be listed at the position you name them i.e. you cannot take a PF and list him as one of your two Centers.
Brazil:
MVP -- Kevin McHale
ROY -- Tiny Archibald (Homer Report)
DPOY -- Mark Eaton
AL1
Lew Alcindor
Kevin McHale
Magic Johnson
DWade
Chris Paul
AL2
KA Towns
Alonzo Mourning
Mark Aguirre
Penny Hardaway
Isiah Thomas
Moscow:
MVP- Gotta be Kevin McHale for me. Best player on the best team. Reminds me a lot of the stats Barkley was putting up during his reign.
ROY- It's close- but I think Pistol will win it over Yao- but I'm biased towards PGs and Hawks that will have their jersey retired soon. ^_^
DPOY- Meh, this is a throwaway award, I'll give it to Russell because he's still the best all-around defensively, IMO.
All-League Team:
C- Bill Russell and Shaquille O'Neal- Bill Russell is still the best defender in the game, and Shaq is still Shaq.
PF- Kevin McHale and Lew Alcindor/KAJ- McHale is the MVP and Alcindor/KAJ is one of the best young bigs in the league.
SF- LeBron James and Magic Johnson- Magic playing the SF is not fair for any of his opponents with his size and skillset- and LeBron finally has a GM! Yay!
SG- Mitch Richmond and Dwyane Wade- To me, SG is clearly the weakest of the 5 positions in the league- but these 2 are the 2 best, IMO. Mitch is on a great team in Vancouver as the lynchpin, and Wade was All-League last season.
PG- Isiah Thomas and Jo-Jo White- Isiah is still the best PG in the league, and I kinda regret passing on Jo-Jo in the draft. He's a beast.
New Orleans:
MVP – Kevin McHale (just too good still)
Rookie of the Year – Pete Maravich (Pistol will put up big numbers and win)
Defensive Player of the Year – Dikembe Mutumbo (will repeat from last year)
All League Team:
C – Karl Anthony-Towns, Greg Oden
PF – Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul-Jabar
SF – Magic Johnson, Lebron James
SG – Dwayne Wade, Mitch Richmond
PG – Isiah Thomas, Dave Bing
Sarawak:
MVP: McHale
DPOY: Bill Russell (watch out for MKG tho could finish in the top 20 in blocks and steals!)
ROY: Pete Maravich
All League Team
First Team/Second Team
C: Saric/Oden
PF: McHale/Shaq (the top 4 scorers in the league are all PFs at the moment)
SF: Magic Johnson/LeBron James (Aguirre is right there)
SG: Dwayne Wade/Darrell Griffith
PG: Isiah Thomas/Dave Bing
Seattle:
MVP- Lew Alcindor
DPOTY- Bill Russell
ROTY- Pistol Pete
Most Improved- Jojo White
ALL LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
C- Shaquille O'Neal
PF- Lew Alcindor
SF- Lebron James
SG- Dwayne Wade
PG- Max Zaslofsky
ALL LEAGUE SECOND TEAM
C- Dario Saric
PF- Kevin Mchale
SF- Magic
SG- Dave Bing
PG- Isaiah Thomas
Tel Aviv: MVP: Kevin McHale
ROY: Pete Maravich
DPOY: Dikembe Mutombo
C: Karl-Anthony Towns | Anthony Davis
PF: Kevin McHale | Lew Alcindor
SF: LeBron James | Magic Johnson
SG: Dwyane Wade | Mitch Richmond
PG: D'Angelo Russell | Isiah Thomas
Vancouver: MVP – Kevin McHale grabs his 2nd MVP this year
ROY – Pete Maravich – Too offensively gifted not to win
DPOY – Larry Nance – All the blocks for Nance now that Oden isn’t his running mate
All League
C – Larry Nance
C – Shaquille O’Neal
PF – Kevin McHale
PF – Lew Alcindor
SF – LeBron James
SF – Dirk Nowitzki
SG – Mitch Richmond
SG – Dwayne Wade
PG – D’Angelo Russell
PG – Isiah Thomas
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 2
Moscow: 5
New Orleans: 6
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 4
Vancouver: 3
5. Does Team Chemistry Matter?
Brazil: I think it does in terms of how "crisply" your offense and defense works. With low chemistry, the players tend to underperform because they don't "fit" well with their teammates. A low chemistry with high motion would almost surely be a backfire because of the fact the players don't want to play together.
Moscow: I honestly don't think so- but I'm probably wrong. I've seen teams win with it, I've seen teams win without it. I remember the season that I went on like a 14 game winning streak at the end of the season to make the last seed of the playoffs- my chemistry the entire time was POOR. So from that point on- I figured that it probably doesn't really matter. I'm probably completely wrong on that, though.
New Orleans: There is some impact but I’m leaning on the side of marginal over huge impact. Surely it must help in situations in game or on big road stretches or at least you’d like to say so. I’ve not done any testing but perception is reality and the perception says that numerous successful GMs have made moves to move the chemistry needle in the past when it may not be best for talent. Personally, I pay little attention to it unless I can’t explain my struggles elsewhere.
Sarawak: I think it absolutely matters. I think it heavily impacts how teams play on the road and in close games. Last year I had a talented team with abysmal chemistry/cohesion and we struggled to finish .500 and were absolutely horrid on the road until the very end of the year. So I think it plays a pretty important role if it is really bad and it really helps come the playoffs if you are really good.
Seattle: To an extent. If 2 teams of equal talent go AI at each other, I see it as the tie breaker between the 2. But the advantage only goes so far. The great team wins against a good team with great chemistry.
Tel Aviv:
Personally I believe it matters, I haven't tested it but from what I have noticed from playing the game, I think having a better team chemistry helps your overall team performance and helps you win more games over the course of the season.
Vancouver: Yes but to what extent is unknown. I think it matters most for road games but also impacts offensive/defensive efficiencies and tight games. The impact though is impossible to quantify, so it’s hard to really know how much it is factored in.
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 7
Moscow: 6
New Orleans: 7
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 7
Vancouver: 7
First place 100
Second place 75
Third Place 50
Best answer = 50 PP bonus
The Grader will make 150 and not be a participant (New York)
Participants
Brazil
Moscow
New Orleans
Sarawak
Seattle
Tel Aviv
Vancouver
Questions
1. Who had the best offseason among teams you consider a contender in each conference? You can mention up to 3 teams for each conference, but do not have to mention more than 1.
Brazil:
Mikawa just keeps doing stuff well. This is a team that is really in a good place year in and year out, and by avoiding the big mistake and making solid moves will probably stay that way.
Moscow:
I'm a big fan of what Vancouver did in the Americas- re-signing Mitch was big- and getting Lou Hudson and Drummond were 2 huge additions, in my opinion. And I swear I'm not biased whatsoever, even though I've had Drummond before and Lou Hudson has his jersey retired by the Hawks. No bias, I swear! :-) Also, Brazil is finally cleaning up the mess I put them in- getting Gasol was a massive step for this team. I like what they're building down there.
In terms of the International divison- Milan made a number of moves in the offseason, notably getting Oden from the Knicks. He's helped lead that team to a fantastic start. Getting Wallace was also a nice pick-up for them as well. I also like what Sarawak did in getting Kenny Anderson. He's the perfect fit at PG for that team (and it shows with the start they've had so far).
New Orleans:
In America, you have to love what the Grizzlies did to get Drummond and Hudson to add to Kristaps and Richmond. Those four are as strong as any four we’ve seen in a while. Adding in a couple PGs like MCW and Foots gives them options at the PG position depending on what they need. The Supersonics were also able to add Heinsohn and Hondo as two vets to try and make a run with Saric while holding onto Jo Jo and all of his own firsts plus Portland’s.
Over in Europe, Piraeus chose to extend his window a bit and add some depth by dealing Hondo and grabbed a few good pieces including the 26 year old rookie Manuel Raga who will be cost controlled cheaply through his prime. Tel Aviv were able to jump right back into winning with getting Pete in the draft and signing McGinnis in Free Agency. Firehorse BC was finally able to get a point guard to run the show with Wade and MKG as well.
Sarawak:
Love what Vancouver did, I am not the biggest Drummond fan due to him being a liability on the court late in games with his DeAndre like FT ability and his hands are iffy but he can board, rebound and score so he is a quality add. Hudson is a nice piece and fits nicely next to their other wing, Richmond. They still have some questions, especially at PG as MCW is a solid role player but is better served as a rotational player than a starter imo. Still that is a fearsome foursome the Grizz have put together. Other teams that stood out for me, Cleveland using minimums and a pick this year to get Pradd back was a nice and late first round pick Larry Siegfried seems better than advertised so far. Seattle did a nice job adding without compromising its core pieces which should benefit them moving forward.
In Eurasia, I think I had a good off season, Adding Kenny Anderson, bringing back Chandler and Granger who turned into trade pieces as expirings and were utilized, signing Jeff Ruhland and trading for Swen Nater to plug the gaping hole I had at center, which after the pre-season was filled with Marc Gasol. So I think my pieces are starting to fit together well after a lot of wheeling and dealing and we managed to improve the bad chemistry and cohesion that haunted us last year getting it all the way up to average all ready, which sadly is quite the improvement over last year. Other teams that stood out for me were MIlan (Adding Oden) and Piraeus shuffled a lot of pieces and ended up deeper than before while retaining its elite talent level.
Seattle:
American: Vancouver (even though they are Canadian)
Vancouver did an amazing job of rebuilding his team around Porzingis and Ritchmond. With the addition of Hudson and Drummond, this team a passing point guard needs now has all the firepower new additions MCW and Stoudamire could ask for. Look for these point guards to focus on defense and passing. This team is a title contender.
Eurasian: Piraeus
Sometimes dealing away a stud is not always bad. With so much scoring in the starting lineup, having Havlicek was just overkill. The Piraeus bench went from mediocre at best to very strong while also getting younger. Billy Paultz and LJ should provide plenty of rest for the Dikembe, McHale and dichinger. I wonder how Raga fits into the starting lineup or if Bogan gets the nod as the 3 and D 5th starter while raga plays the 3rd guard role
Tel Aviv:
I would say the Vancover Grizzlies had the best offseason for a contending team, in the American conference. They had two early trades which I liked for them. Picking up Andre Drummond from the Lakers and then Lou Hudson from the Raptors. Both players bring a lot to the table and on both sides of the floor, Drummond is a great all round big in particular his rebounding and inside presence. Hudson who is one of the best stealers in the league and has great shooting ability. Then in free agency they resigned Mitch Richmond and brought in some good bench help in Wayne Estes and Damon Stoudamire.
For the Eurasian conference the team I think had the best offseason was Sarawak. They have struggled a little in recent seasons despite having talent on their roster but I think the addition of Kenny Anderson will be a great one for them. Pairing him alongside Wade and Kidd-Gilchrist gives them a great trio and it should lead them to their best season since 2002 where they picked up 58 wins. They also picked up Swen Nater to shore up the frontline via trade and resigned forward Wilson Chandler back in free agency.
Seattle had a good offseason for a contending team. The Tommy Heinsohn deal I liked in particular and they also added John Havlicek. I think this gives them one of the better rosters in the league this season. Pair them alongside Dario Saric and Jo Jo White and that is a dangerous team with decent depth although they could do with another guard. They did have the chance to draft and keep rookie Manuel Raga though, who they traded to Piraeus for Havlicek, who they might of been better off keeping for the long term.
Vancouver: In the Americas, there actually are three teams who had really nice off-seasons all reside in the America-West division and they are the Grizzlies (Tooting my own horn), Supersonics (see I’m not biased) and the Lakers. The Grizzlies brought back Richmond, traded Brody & Spreewell for essentially Drummond & Hudson and then added some very good depth pieces via FA and trades in Stoudamire, MCW and Estes. The Supersonics made a flurry of trades as well and seem to be going all in by obtaining Hondo & Heinsohn to pair with Saric. The cost to obtain those 2 players was not very high and while he fields an older team, he still has a great young player to build around in JoJo. The Lakers pretty much revamped their entire team and should be a team that goes from Lotto to Playoffs. They acquired MVP Larry Nance for #6, Brody & Sprewell for Drummond and some much needed depth in Pietrus + for Heinsohn. Not sure who plays PF for him but he definitely should be trying to contend instead of bottom of the barrel this season.
In Eurasia, not many teams made major changes to constitute having a great offseason but 2 moves I like pertained to Milan & Sarawak. After trading his firsts for Turner, Milan expedited his clock to contend and made the most of it by acquiring Greg Oden for his pick. Sarawak also made a nice pickup by grabbing Kenny Anderson from the rebuilding Knicks at a decent cost. Both teams still have holes that need to be addressed but definitely took a step forward with these 2 moves, respectively.
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 1
Moscow:: 3
New Orleans: 5
Sarawak: 6
Seattle: 2
Tel Aviv: 4
Vancouver: 7
Grader Comments:
#7 - While I agree with Brazil that Mikawa had a great off-season by avoiding the trap of giving valuable veterans away for nothing, he didn't answer the question in full so he comes in at 7 here.
#6 - So let me preface this by saying I don't disagree that Piraeus had a good off-season, I don't think he stood out as having the best off-season in Eurasia. I think they added pieces like LJ, Paultz, and Raga that will help their depth but when compared to some of the impact players brought in by other Eurasian teams it's hard to put them on that level. Again not a knock on Piraeus because I thought they made smart moves but I was more impressed with a few other teams. So with that said, Seattle comes in at 6 here.
#5 - Love the Sarawak & Milan picks in Eurasia which pushes them a bit ahead of Seattle in my judging. However while I do applaud them for not going with the obvious pick in America by naming Brazil, I'm not sure I can agree that they had a great off-season. I get them wanting to pick up some wins rather than sitting through another losing season but what is the end game here would be my question? They've added some extra wins but after adding a 31 year old Gasol on a 4 year contract, they are kind of sitting in the middle of the pack with no guarantee at the playoffs. Obviously I love Gasol but that contract is a risk and is it really a good move if they make the playoffs but bow out in the 1st or 2nd round? How do they add to their core of Harper & Archibald then? I don't want to take away from what Brazil is doing because I like to see GMs give effort and try to win but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't iffy on some of the moves and I do wish that if they were going this route they would've done a bit more to separate themselves from the middle of the pack.
#4 - These final four all had a lot in common when it came to their answers. Like the previous 3 they all listed Vancouver as the top American off-season, they all listed Seattle as another impressive American off-season, and they all listed Sarawak as one of the best Eurasian off-seasons. I tried really hard to find some way to rank Tel Aviv above the others that had the same answers as him but also added more, but I couldn't. There was a lot of sameness in the responses for the three teams I mentioned so I had to put Tel Aviv here.
#3 - So I already talked about Piraeus' off-season before so I won't rehash that here. However when looking at these final three, the key thing that stood out in NOLA's answers was the mention of Maccabi over Milan in Eurasia (since all of his American picks were on the other list). I did like the McGinnis signing and lucking into the #2 pick with a lotto jump did add a lot to Maccabi's off-season but if I'm comparing Maccabi to Milan, I have to say I like what Milan did more as a contending team which is what pushes the other two guys above NOLA here.
Top 2 - This kind of came down to the Lakers vs. Cleveland selections for these final two teams and while the Lakers haven't actually done what they're supposed to to get wins in the season, I loved the addition of Larry Nance for such a respectable price. Say what you will about whether he deserved it or not but Larry Nance is the current MVP of the league and LA added him for two good but not amazing pieces. So I have to give Vancouver the top spot.
#7 - While I agree with Brazil that Mikawa had a great off-season by avoiding the trap of giving valuable veterans away for nothing, he didn't answer the question in full so he comes in at 7 here.
#6 - So let me preface this by saying I don't disagree that Piraeus had a good off-season, I don't think he stood out as having the best off-season in Eurasia. I think they added pieces like LJ, Paultz, and Raga that will help their depth but when compared to some of the impact players brought in by other Eurasian teams it's hard to put them on that level. Again not a knock on Piraeus because I thought they made smart moves but I was more impressed with a few other teams. So with that said, Seattle comes in at 6 here.
#5 - Love the Sarawak & Milan picks in Eurasia which pushes them a bit ahead of Seattle in my judging. However while I do applaud them for not going with the obvious pick in America by naming Brazil, I'm not sure I can agree that they had a great off-season. I get them wanting to pick up some wins rather than sitting through another losing season but what is the end game here would be my question? They've added some extra wins but after adding a 31 year old Gasol on a 4 year contract, they are kind of sitting in the middle of the pack with no guarantee at the playoffs. Obviously I love Gasol but that contract is a risk and is it really a good move if they make the playoffs but bow out in the 1st or 2nd round? How do they add to their core of Harper & Archibald then? I don't want to take away from what Brazil is doing because I like to see GMs give effort and try to win but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't iffy on some of the moves and I do wish that if they were going this route they would've done a bit more to separate themselves from the middle of the pack.
#4 - These final four all had a lot in common when it came to their answers. Like the previous 3 they all listed Vancouver as the top American off-season, they all listed Seattle as another impressive American off-season, and they all listed Sarawak as one of the best Eurasian off-seasons. I tried really hard to find some way to rank Tel Aviv above the others that had the same answers as him but also added more, but I couldn't. There was a lot of sameness in the responses for the three teams I mentioned so I had to put Tel Aviv here.
#3 - So I already talked about Piraeus' off-season before so I won't rehash that here. However when looking at these final three, the key thing that stood out in NOLA's answers was the mention of Maccabi over Milan in Eurasia (since all of his American picks were on the other list). I did like the McGinnis signing and lucking into the #2 pick with a lotto jump did add a lot to Maccabi's off-season but if I'm comparing Maccabi to Milan, I have to say I like what Milan did more as a contending team which is what pushes the other two guys above NOLA here.
Top 2 - This kind of came down to the Lakers vs. Cleveland selections for these final two teams and while the Lakers haven't actually done what they're supposed to to get wins in the season, I loved the addition of Larry Nance for such a respectable price. Say what you will about whether he deserved it or not but Larry Nance is the current MVP of the league and LA added him for two good but not amazing pieces. So I have to give Vancouver the top spot.
2. Who had the best offseason among teams you consider to be rebuilding in each conference? You can mention up to 3 teams for each conference, but do not have to mention more than 1.
Brazil:
REAL and Chicago both had high draft picks and didn't disappoint their fan bases by getting Lanier and Yao. Elite Bigs aren't exactly growing on trees, and they each got a very strong post presence. Milan getting Greg Oden was a great move for them as well.
Moscow:
In the Americas- has to be the Knicks. They seriously balled out with the moves they made- they got a first for Mo Harkless (from me), they traded Nance and ended up with Gola and Bellamy from the Lakers, and they got another first and Shue from Sarawak for Kenny Anderson. And they also got Amare, though his TC wasn't great, as we well know. Still, he has time to turn it around. Very fantastic all-around offseason for them- and they might not really be "rebuilding"- they're more "re-tooling" honestly. I know that phrase gets thrown around a lot- but the Nance move in particular, to me, accelerated their timeline at LEAST one season. They'll be back contending for a title shortly.
International- I think the Eagles win this by default with the Davis trade- I'm a HUGE fan of Stokes and Mack Calvin- and they also got a first of mine (that seems to be a theme here actually). It was a pretty decent-sized haul for them. I'm not really seeing a true other winner in the international conference for anyone rebuilding- but Maccabi did get Pistol Pete in the draft. So that's a start.
New Orleans:
The Bulls had patience in America with the drafting of Yao. He could have turned the bevy of picks he has into a winning squad but as usual, he’s gonna wait it out and it could payoff big time this go around. New York is looking for a quick turnaround but acquired a ton of young pieces that could be dangerous.
Eurasia didn’t have many rebuilding teams making big moves but REAL showed some patience despite a tough TC. He should be rewarded with a high pick. Also, Newcastle finally moved on from Anthony Davis and grabbed a few pieces that young teams were after for a while. Stokes, Calvin, and picks should be a good base to a quick turnaround.
Sarawak:
In the Americas I think the obvious choice is the Knicks. They may not have gotten quite peak value for all of their pieces, but if you look at what they did they have positioned themselves really well moving forward. After this year as currently constructed they will have 10+ plus players on their roster making roughly 16-20 million combined. So conservatively they are looking at 40 million in capspace, a top lotto pick and growth from their existing core of Winters, Hornacek, Shue and some of their other rookie contract players. So they went from an elite team to a well positioned rebuild in one off season and will have the opportunity to be back to contending by next year with a little luck. Well done.
In Eurasia I think it’s Tel Aviv who after a massive run at the start of the lead had to rebuild and has positioned themselves very nicely. They figured out that McGinnis wasn’t able to sign a max with the Spurs and came swooping in to grab him, they drafted Pistol Pete Maravich who should be a stud on the perimeter for them. They also made some value based gambles trading for young guys like Jack Twyman who may never turn into a starter but could be a valuable scorer off the bench for a team. It helps that they possess all their own firsts moving forward so even tho they have the talent to compete for the playoffs now, they can easily make some moves (Amir Johnson anyone) and be well under the cap next off season with another lotto pick and some capspace to play with.
Seattle:
American: New York Knicks
Seeig as his team had probably peaked unless he moved some pieces around, the commish went into prospect acquisition mode and picked up a lot of players that have pretty high potential in this league. He used 2 high first rounders to select athletic bigs Amare Stoudamire and Walt Bellamy. The latter of which looks to be a legit player for years to come. On the perimeter he has a stud SG in Brian Wonters at the wonderful age of 23 to go with some other prospects with high potential. His only flaw is not having his 2011 first, which by that time NY should already be back in the playoff hunt so not a big deal.
Eurasian: Newcastle Eagles
After moving franchise centerpiece Anthony Davis, Newcastle has an extremely young trio (Stokes, Scott, and Calvin) of players hat should be key contributors for many years. On top of those 3 players, he has all his picks and 2 additional first rounders that could easily be lotto picks. As long as this GM is active and drafts well, this team should be one on everyone's radar in the next few seasons.
Tel Aviv:
Can't really think of too many rebuilding teams who had stand out offseasons personally, guess one for each conference would be Knicks and Eagles. The Knicks did well to pick up a few picks in this season's draft, but they did give up talent to do so, and a few trades to bring in young talent, they are building a solid young group there. The Newcastle Eagles with their recent Davis trade bringing in Stokes and Calvin and also picking up Scott at #8 in the draft who I thought would go earlier than that.
Vancouver:
In America, I’ll mention the Knicks and Bulls. For the Knicks, they moved pretty much every guy not on a rookie deal and came away with multiple top 10 picks and some very promising prospects. Additionally, Knicks also made some decent moves in FA to grab some players they should be able to flip for additional assets in Harkless & Jokic. This is a great blueprint that all GMs can take notes on and learn from. For the Bulls, they hit a homerun and won the lottery to get a franchise piece in Yao. In addition to getting a little lucky, they signed Nater & Pradd in FA and were able to flip them immediately for a 1st & 2nd to help gain additional assets.
In Eurasia, Maccabi is the clear cut winner here as he also hit the homerun and jumped all the way to #2 in the draft and was able to get a franchise player in Pete Maravich. In addition to getting a little lucky, he targeted George McGinnis in FA, who Spurs couldn’t retain at a max deal due to cap restrictions, and was able to steal him to pretty much turn this franchise around overnight. With Eurasia looking pretty weak, this rebuilding team might now be a contender. **I did not include New Castle here even though I like their AD trade, it was done after pre-season, which is no longer the off-season**
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 6
Moscow: 7
New Orleans: 7
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 7
Vancouver: 7
Grader Comments:
#7 - I have to say, I don't really look at Milan as a rebuilding team if I'm being honest as he kind of went the contending route. REAL I don't personally feel had that great of an off-season as their off-season was pretty much 1) Draft Lanier (which wasn't a bad move) 2) Have a pretty rough TC overall with a lot of key guys taking hits causing them to re-adjust a bit. Not a knock on REAL obviously because they've still got a ton of talent and will add a top 5 pick in the next draft more than likely but when looking at their off-season in a vacuum it was a bit of a rough one overall, which I think even they'd agree with.
Top 6 - For the top 6, it honestly came down to me looking at the Newcastle Off-Season vs. the Tel Aviv Off-Season and I couldn't choose so all 6 guys get equal points. I know Vancouver kind of suggested that Newcastle didn't count for this question but I looked at anything that happened before the season really got underway as acceptable for this answer so it was fine for me. As mentioned by most Chicago & New York also had strong off-seasons so I can't disagree with either of those mentions. So yeah, equal points for the top 6 here.
Top 6 - For the top 6, it honestly came down to me looking at the Newcastle Off-Season vs. the Tel Aviv Off-Season and I couldn't choose so all 6 guys get equal points. I know Vancouver kind of suggested that Newcastle didn't count for this question but I looked at anything that happened before the season really got underway as acceptable for this answer so it was fine for me. As mentioned by most Chicago & New York also had strong off-seasons so I can't disagree with either of those mentions. So yeah, equal points for the top 6 here.
3. Playoff Predictions. Predict the playoff teams for each conference, listing them by seeding, indicate which teams will win divisions. Give at least a brief explanation for each team.
Brazil:
Americas
NJ -- AE Winner KAJ + Magic = High seed and more.
Vancouver -- AW Winner Tremendous Balance, 3 20 PPG scorers. Much to like here.
Boston Lewis, Durant, Lamar, and Wiggins is as talented a foursome as you're going to find.
San Antonio Depth could be an issue (8 players showing), but the talent is there in those 8 players. Penny/Ainge can do it all from the guard spots.
Buenos Aires Mark Eaton blocks shots and the defense doesn't rest. May not be able to score with the best teams, but can defend them.
New Orleans AD and Monta can fill it up. May struggle on D, but AD himself can be a game changer most nights.
Seattle Saric, Hondo, JoJo, and Heinshon...that's some awesome frontline talent.
Toronto Another good defensive team, with many of the possible pitfalls of Buenos Aires.
Minnesota Balanced offense...nearly 7 guys in double figures. Not a go-to guy, but a lot of good players.
Europe
Pireaus -- Eurasia East Undefeated out of the gate. 125+ a game, including almost 38 from Kevin McHale. That's a hell of a lot of points.
Sarawak -- Eurasia West Great GM, 7 guys in double figures and 122 points a game. That's solid offense there.
Mikawa See above. 120 ppg, 7 guys in double figures.
Maccabi 120 PPG...again. "Only" 6 guys in double figures, but top 5 in PPS and Adj. FG is strong.
Brose Zo putting up 25 a game. Griffith giving 21. 19 more from Meyers Leonard. This is a competitive unit.
Milan Oden is a gamechanger...which was a great move by them to get from the Knicks.
Perth 6 double figure scorers and a good defense is a recipe for success. But since this conference is loaded, may lead to a short postseason.
KK Partizan Dirk is a stud, and is probably enough to get Partizan into the first round...but that could also be a short playoff run.
Moscow:
Americas:
1. Brooklyn (divison winner)- Magic and KAJ/Lew, along with Elgin and Tkachenko etc. Not really much else to say.
2. Vancouver (division winner)- MCW/Mitch/Hudson/Drummond/Porzingis is as good a starting 5 as any in the league.
3. Jazz- This team is really, really good. Defensively, some settings may need to be tweaked- but Price-Davis is one of my favorite PG/Big combos in the league (along with Parker/Pettit of course
.4. Seattle- a TON of talent on this team- if they can figure out their defense, they can challenge the top seeds in the POs.
5. Brazil- I believe! Gasol is still a monster, and Harper and Tiny are both great sidekicks for him.
6. Boston- Wiggins/Durant/Lewis is a fun 2/3/4. Not really a fan of Bo Lamar at PG though- turns it over too much for my liking.
7. Timberwolves- the core they have is getting older- but they can still compete. I just don't think they can score enough to match the top teams in the conference.
8. Warriors- Gail is still their PG- and Gervin is FINALLY blossoming into the player we thought he would be (and I almost had him last season dammit
)International:
1. Olympiacos (division winner)- IMO, they have the best player and the best team in the league. McHale/Deke is as good a low-post combo as any. The offense/defense tandem that they have is amazing. Dischinger, Raga, and Johnson are no slouches either. If McHale stays healthy- they're my pick to win the title.
2. Sarawak (division winner)- Love what they did this offseason, as I mentioned above. They look totally different than they did just a few seasons ago. Anderson/Wade/Winfield/MKG/Gasol all play off each other really well. I think their bench could use a little bit of an upgrade, but it's not terrible by any stretch.
3. Mikawa- everyone will be sleeping on the defending champs- and that's always dangerous. They have RussellWestBook in the starting lineup, and RussellWestBrooks when their bench plays (I could not resist I am so sorry- I apologize to everyone that had to read that horrible pun).
4. KK Partizan- They have as much talent as anyone in the league- I think they'll get back on track here soon- I know the GM's been away for awhile (I think- I may be wrong about that but I work nights so I'm not on during the day)- so if he comes back soon they'll figure it out.
5. Milan- Oden, Guerin, and Wallace is a good foundation. I don't think they'll continue to be QUITE as hot as they have been- but they'll still have homecourt probably in the first round.
6. CSKA- my team is much better than it has played so far- my DC settings are always going to be a work in progress. If I can get that figured out, though, I really think I can compete with anyone in the league with Parker and Pettit.
7. Bamberg- great starting 5, terrific. There's no bench though. That could come back to bite them- especially if they lose any of their starters to injury.
8. Beijing- they're like a poor-man's fake version of the real-life Atlanta Falcons- they can put the ball in the net better than anyone else. The question is- can they stop the other team from doing that?
New Orleans: America:
1) Vancouver Grizzlies – Those four studs mentioned in answer one will be extremely tough for most teams to handle.
2) Brooklyn Nets – Magic and KAJ got better as expected and have a few very good players around them.
3) Seattle Supersonics – That frontcourt will carry them to their best finish yet and likely past the first round.
4) New Orleans Jazz – Anthony Davis is used to finishing high and there should be a good mix of scoring and defense around him.
5) Cleveland Cavaliers – This team will bounce back after a silly start due to a bad line-up. Top four rivals most.
6) Buenos Aires Boca Juniors – Lock down defense across the roster will make them an extremely tough match-up.
7) Minnesota Timberwolves – Same roster, similar results. In the playoffs but not much of a run after this year without a change.
8) Boston Celtics – Kevin Durant and plenty of outside scoring will carry them into the playoffs without an issue.
Eurasia:
1) Piraeus Olympiacos BC – McHale is good enough to get any team a home playoff series but there is ample talent around him as well.
2) Sarawak Firehorse BC – With a starting center and point guard in toe with Wade and MKG, this team will be tough.
3) Mikawa Aisin Seahorses – HR, errrr Mikawa, knows how to win. Nothing changes despite a few role players moving around.
4) Tel Aviv Maccabi – Pistol Pete and McGinnis are in town to lead the way with Majerle. Tough tough team.
5) Milan Olimpia – Greg Oden and Myles Turner is a fantastic duo still but he’s got depth behind them and some defenders on the wing.
6) Belgrade KK Partizan – No real changes for Belgrade and he’s still a threat to get how and win big in playoffs.
7) Taipei Fubon Braves – Isiah Thomas and Draymond Green continue to carry this team into the playoffs where they fizzle out.
8) CSKA Moscow – Betting on Tony Parker to get this team into the playoffs one more time. No big holes.
Sarawak:
Americas:
Brooklyn Nets (Division Champs): This team will be scary good when it puts better talent around it’s dynamic duo of KAJ and Magic. For now even with the meh around them they are the top team in the conference
Vancouver Grizzlies (Division Champs): Loved their off season and if they get a legitimate starting PG they are probably the league wide title favorites. Until then being a division champ and a 2 seed isn’t bad.
Cleveland Cavaliers: This team is too talented to struggle for long and in a conference full of good teams beyond a clear top 2 I think they end up in the 3rd spot at the end.
Buenos Aires Boca Juniors: They have the talent to finish much higher, but the GM sounds like he wants to make more changes. This team defends as well as anybody, has a legit PG and some scoring so they should be alright.
Seattle Supersonics: Have had a great start but can see them coming a bit back to the pack and finishing here. I know this much I wouldn’t want to play them in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics: Boston hasn’t finished a season strong in forever, I am going to guess that trend continues despite their hot start. Nice team, but one injury away from being pretty meh.
MInnesota Timberwolves: Similar to Cleveland, good roster, proven GM they will improve after a slow start.
Brazil Franca BC: With Pau showing he still got it this team is positioned to be an up and coming team that will scare teams come the postseason
Eurasian:
Piraeus (Division Winner): Top team that added depth I think they win 65ish games and cruise to the conference title.
Sarawak (Division Winner): I love my team for the first time in forever, I think I can create matchup problems for a lot of teams, but an injury or two could slow us down as the bench depth has been cut into quite a bit in some key areas.
MIkawa: Still got it and still aren’t finding any good trades for their studs. As long as they have this roster, nobody wants to play them!
KKP: Great roster even if Dirk isn’t quite the uber star he has been in the past but Dirk, Walton, Moncrief and Darko is a pretty formidable start to a roster. Remind me of Vancouver where if they ever go get a legit PG they can really start being a title favorite.
MIlan: Off ot a great start but I think they will fade just a bit as the season goes along. It goes to show you tho if you have a roster of young talent and add one dynamic stud to it (Oden) you can change your fortunes very quickly
Taipei: This is scary, IT in the first round is a nightmare scenario for any top team. A slow start means Taipei will be the team most likely to ruin brackets come playoff time.
Beijing: I think they will hang on to a decent start and finish in the playoffs despite losing Pau in Free Agency. Maybe the best backcourt in the game?
Tel Aviv: As talked about earlier they had a great off season and our going to be a really tough out for whoever draws them.
Seattle:
American:
1. Brooklyn Nets
Not many teams have a player to build a championship team around, this team has 2. KAJ and Magic could carry this team into the playoffs by themselves.
2. Vancouver Grizzlies
This team has always been a guard away from the finals. With the additions of MCW amd Stoudamire, they have 2 guys that bring different things to the table at PG. The only question is are those 2 enough to hold their own while Kristaps and Ritchmomd go to work.
3. Seattle Supersonics
Just know I have a high opinion of this team. No further questions on this subject please.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Now that their starting five have returned to the team after suspension for unknown reasons, this team should start climbing the playoff seeding board.
5. Boston Celtics
This team has been together forever it seems. If chemistry matters then Boston should perform to at least this standard.
6. Minn Timberwolves
read reasoning for Boston Celtics
7. San Francisco Warriors
Gail Goodrich and George Gervin are gonna carry this team to the playoffs
8. Brazil
Stellar team defense and "GIVE IT TO PAU" offense should be just enough to sneak into the playoffs
Eurasian
1. Piraeus
Even with the departure of Hondo, this team led my elite post scorer McHale is a force to be reckoned with.
2. Sarawak
The guard trio of Anderson, Wade, and Kerr will lead this team to a high seed in the playoffs with the help of MKG and Marc Gasol anchoring the posts.
3. Mikawa
With the core 3 of Russell, Booker, and Rodgers still there, the defending champs are still a team to watch out for.
4. Milano
This team is anchored by Oden and Myles Turner in the post, with a young backcourt to feed them the ball. This team's weakness is the SF spot as G Wallace is getting up there.
5. Beijing
With their high octane perimeter offense built around Max Z, Dave Bing, and Mark aguirre, this team should be a dangerous team to whoever they play.
6. KK Partizan
Dirk might have fallen a little bit, but he is still a dangerous scorer and has a solid cast of supporting players around him. Is Jason Kidd still enough at PG to get them out of the first round though?
7. Maccabi
With a very small but highly athletic team, Pistol Pete and Dan Majerle look to score their way into the playoffs. Biggest issue for this team will be elite tall centers.
8. Bamberg
With Darrell Griffith, Meyers Leonard, and Alonzo Mourning producing most of this team scoring output, Bamberg sneaks into the last spot of the playoffs. Mike Conley at PG is an issue this team needs to solve if they want to have a chance of getting out of the first round.
Tel Aviv: * = Division winners
America
1. Brooklyn Nets* - The duo of Lew Alcindor and Magic Johnson are about as good as it gets through the league and with a strong supporting cast the Nets have a chance to beat their franchise high for wins of 58 from last season.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavaliers made the finals last season and have a very talented roster. D'Angelo Russell has developed into one of the best guards in the league, Shaq and Gobert are an imposing front line, the team doesn't have any real weaknesses and will be hoping to go one better this time around.
3. Vancover Grizzlies* - The Grizzlies normally find themselves towards the top of the standings and this season shouldn't be any different. As I said earlier they have had a good offseason bringing in some talent, point guard may be a slight problem for them though.
4. Seattle Supersonics - I think they have one of the best rosters on paper in the league and should end up slightly higher than this but the team has under performed slightly in previous years with the talent they have had. Dario Saric is a legit MVP candidate, alongside rising point guard Jo Jo White and veterans Havlicek and Heinsohn they are a very dangerous team.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves roster has stayed the same for quite a while even with a new general manager but they have a talented roster, Cauley-Stein, Garnett, Cunningham and Smart is a very good group and they have a good mix of youth and veterans on the bench. They made the conference finals last season and are a threat in the American conference.
6. Boca Juniors - Boca have one of my favourite rosters in the league, with great depth and strong players are every position. They found themselves in the playoffs again last year after 5 years missing out and I see them easily doing it again.
7. Utah Jazz - The recent trade for two time MVP Anthony Davis to play alongside the likes of Mark Price, Marc Gasol and Monta Ellis should be enough to get the Jazz into the bottom half of the playoff standings.
8. LA Lakers - The additions of Larry Nance, Tal Brody and Latrell Spreewell should be enough to get the Lakers into the playoffs. The depth around them isn't ideal but they should have enough.
Eurasia
1. KK Partizan* - They won the conference last season and I think they have a good chance to repeat that this time around. With a great young core who are still getting better, they are the team to beat in the Eurasia conference.
2. Sarawak Fire Horse BC* - Sarawak have the best set of players they have had for a long time and although they have slightly under-performed in recent years they have the chance to make a big impact on the Eurasian conference this time around. As I said before Wade, Kidd-Gilchrist and Anderson is a great trio and have they have decent depth.
3. Piraeus Olympiacos - Kevin McHale still leads the dangerous Piraeus squad who will be fighting all the way with Partizan and Sarawak for the top spot. They have added the exciting rookie Manuel Riga to their impressive core and have a strong team at all positions.
4. Mikawa Aisin Seahorses - Mikawa always find themselves towards the top of the standings and should be there again this time around. Depth is a bit of a problem for last seasons champions but they always find a way to get the best of the players they have.
5. Milano Olimpia - Milano are looking to make the playoffs for only the 4th time in league history and with the addition of Greg Oden in particuarly they have made step in that direction. Pair him alongside Turner, Wallace, McMillian and impressive 2nd year player Richie Guerin and they have a great chance to get back into the playoff picture.
6. Shanghai Sharks - Led by one of the best centers in the league Karl-Anthony Towns they young Sharks squad should have enough to find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Eurasian conference. LaMarcus Aldridge looks set to be a great partner for him in the front court for years to come. They do have some holes in their roster though that will limit them through the season.
7. CSKA Moscow - CSKA finished last season with 45 wins, I see them improving slightly on that this time around, 2nd year man Bob Pettit leads the team that has a well rounded starting unit, depth is troublesome though.
8. Maccabi Tel Aviv - They will be a few teams with similar records towards the back of the conference with Aoshen and Fubon Braves right in the picture but the offseason additions of George McGinnis and Pete Maravich alongside the improvement of Dan Majerle could be enough to see Tel Aviv sneak back into the playoffs. Center is a problem though as is their depth.
Vancouver: America
1. Cleveland Cavaliers* – Coming off a championship loss, they retained their entire roster which saw great development from Howard, Shaq & Russell in TC.
2. Vancouver Grizzlies* - The reigning division champs from last season, they look stronger & deeper on paper this year.
3. Brooklyn Nets – Magic & Lew need some help as the cast around them is OLD. They have holes but I think this GM stops being cheap and finally makes a move at some point.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves – they brought back their entire roster headlined by Smart & Cunningham. They can easily win the division as well.
5. New Orleans Jazz – Team has some talent but not sure the pieces fit accordingly. I think he figures it out and grabs the 5 seed, if not better.
6. Seattle Supersonics – Elder crew but very star studded. Would probably have them higher if I trusted the GM game planning skills
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Another star studded team, Nance should carry them to the playoffs.
8. Buenos Aires Boca Juniors – I think they over achieved last season and will be fighting the Celtics for this last and final spot
Eurasia
1. Piraeus Olympiacos BC*- McHale is still in his prime and all other teams have taken a step back.
2. KK Partizan – I flip flopped them and Piraeus at the last minute – a very talented front court, Kidd will dictate how far they go if he fights off father time
3. Mikawa Aisin Seahorses*- The reigning champs, until dethroned, will remain the division champs. Has to make moves though as he’s getting old quickly.
4. Sarawak Fire Horse BC – My sleeper pick, I think they may end up the division winner but a lot depends on their C/SF play.
5. Tel Aviv Maccabi – In a weak conference, Maccabi has a pretty talented squad now with Pete/McGinniss
6. CSKA Moscow – Parker & Pettit with Kaman allows this team to compete but the ceiling isn’t very high
7. Milan Olimpia – ODEN! Add him with Nate Mac, Guerin & Wallace and this team can defend. Plus, in a conf where a lot of teams will tank, he must compete without his pick.
8. Taipei Fubon Braves – Honestly, Isiah / Green should lead to the 8 spot at the bare minimum.
*DESIGNATE DIVISION WINNER
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 4
Moscow: 6
New Orleans: 6
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 5
Vancouver: 6
Grader Comments: So I'm actually writing the comments before the grades for this question because it's a tricky one to just look at and grade without giving some real thought first. So first off, not having Cleveland in your American Playoff picture was an immediate ding for me so that bumped a few teams back. I think some haven't seen how they've been playing since actually setting a lineup and forgot about them. Also in Eurasia, it seems the popular top 3 in that conference is Piraeus, Sarawak, and Mikawa and I can't disagree there. I saw some Belgrade mention but this was a team that struggled even before Walton went down this year and only barely beat out an injured Piraeus last season so I find it hard to list them at the top of Eurasia (or even the top 2). Back to America though, no team has 8 teams that I completely agree on but I think a lot of those last few spots are a toss up. Personally I think in the end we see the same 3 top teams from last season w/ Brooklyn, Vancouver, and Cleveland in some order and then teams like Seattle, Boca, and Minnesota being pretty likely. Boston has been extremely mediocre at 6-6 since their hot first sim so I wouldn't say they are super likely but they can make it as a lower seed I'd guess. Then after that it's a toss up between quite a few teams.
Right now though the two teams that I saw listed that were probably most unlikely to make it though were the GM'less San Antonio & Toronto, so because of that I currently have Brazil sadly once again at 7th (also Perth in the playoffs didn't help either).
For 6th I'm going to have to go with Tel Aviv due to their selection of Belgrade as the #1 as well as predicting the Sharks who look like a team that is more likely to be mid-lotto than mid-playoffs.
For the rest of the answers I don't think we got anything too outlandish but I'm just going to say that as it stands, I don't personally think the Jazz will be walking away with homecourt. I do think they'll get in without a question but more as the lower seed that no one wants to face so because of that (and also New Orleans's prediction of Maccabi at 4, but this wasn't a huge factor), I'm going to put New Orleans at 5. But also joining them for the same amount of points is Moscow with a pretty good Eurasia prediction but a few American Predictions that we are apart on & Vancouver who I think made some interesting picks, and I actually agree with his top 8 American teams (just not the order which hurt him), but I think those picks such as Beglrade at 2, Cleveland at 1 after their slow start, and again Tel Aviv at 5 since I am personally predicting mid-late lotto for them are a bit too unlikely at this point.
For the top 2, Sarawak & Seattle both had a team I don't agree with in their Eurasian playoffs with Tel Aviv but both had him late and basically a toss up for the spot so I can see where they are coming from. Their biggest difference in Eurasia is one has Taipei & one has Brose and while I personally think Taipei is more likely to make it, Brose has shown more evidence he'll be there so I'll give that one to Seattle. In America, Seattle left off a big name that I think has a 95% chance of making the playoffs and that's the #1 defensive team in the league, Buenos Aires. Them being slotted above Cleveland is also something I don't see happening personally but I get where they are coming from with it. So with that said, I'll call this one a wash since I don't disagree a ton with either of their predictions.
Right now though the two teams that I saw listed that were probably most unlikely to make it though were the GM'less San Antonio & Toronto, so because of that I currently have Brazil sadly once again at 7th (also Perth in the playoffs didn't help either).
For 6th I'm going to have to go with Tel Aviv due to their selection of Belgrade as the #1 as well as predicting the Sharks who look like a team that is more likely to be mid-lotto than mid-playoffs.
For the rest of the answers I don't think we got anything too outlandish but I'm just going to say that as it stands, I don't personally think the Jazz will be walking away with homecourt. I do think they'll get in without a question but more as the lower seed that no one wants to face so because of that (and also New Orleans's prediction of Maccabi at 4, but this wasn't a huge factor), I'm going to put New Orleans at 5. But also joining them for the same amount of points is Moscow with a pretty good Eurasia prediction but a few American Predictions that we are apart on & Vancouver who I think made some interesting picks, and I actually agree with his top 8 American teams (just not the order which hurt him), but I think those picks such as Beglrade at 2, Cleveland at 1 after their slow start, and again Tel Aviv at 5 since I am personally predicting mid-late lotto for them are a bit too unlikely at this point.
For the top 2, Sarawak & Seattle both had a team I don't agree with in their Eurasian playoffs with Tel Aviv but both had him late and basically a toss up for the spot so I can see where they are coming from. Their biggest difference in Eurasia is one has Taipei & one has Brose and while I personally think Taipei is more likely to make it, Brose has shown more evidence he'll be there so I'll give that one to Seattle. In America, Seattle left off a big name that I think has a 95% chance of making the playoffs and that's the #1 defensive team in the league, Buenos Aires. Them being slotted above Cleveland is also something I don't see happening personally but I get where they are coming from with it. So with that said, I'll call this one a wash since I don't disagree a ton with either of their predictions.
4. Player Predictions. Who is the MVP? The ROY? The DPOY? Also list your 2 deep All League Team (2 players at each position) Players must be listed at the position you name them i.e. you cannot take a PF and list him as one of your two Centers.
Brazil:
MVP -- Kevin McHale
ROY -- Tiny Archibald (Homer Report)
DPOY -- Mark Eaton
AL1
Lew Alcindor
Kevin McHale
Magic Johnson
DWade
Chris Paul
AL2
KA Towns
Alonzo Mourning
Mark Aguirre
Penny Hardaway
Isiah Thomas
Moscow:
MVP- Gotta be Kevin McHale for me. Best player on the best team. Reminds me a lot of the stats Barkley was putting up during his reign.
ROY- It's close- but I think Pistol will win it over Yao- but I'm biased towards PGs and Hawks that will have their jersey retired soon. ^_^
DPOY- Meh, this is a throwaway award, I'll give it to Russell because he's still the best all-around defensively, IMO.
All-League Team:
C- Bill Russell and Shaquille O'Neal- Bill Russell is still the best defender in the game, and Shaq is still Shaq.
PF- Kevin McHale and Lew Alcindor/KAJ- McHale is the MVP and Alcindor/KAJ is one of the best young bigs in the league.
SF- LeBron James and Magic Johnson- Magic playing the SF is not fair for any of his opponents with his size and skillset- and LeBron finally has a GM! Yay!
SG- Mitch Richmond and Dwyane Wade- To me, SG is clearly the weakest of the 5 positions in the league- but these 2 are the 2 best, IMO. Mitch is on a great team in Vancouver as the lynchpin, and Wade was All-League last season.
PG- Isiah Thomas and Jo-Jo White- Isiah is still the best PG in the league, and I kinda regret passing on Jo-Jo in the draft. He's a beast.
New Orleans:
MVP – Kevin McHale (just too good still)
Rookie of the Year – Pete Maravich (Pistol will put up big numbers and win)
Defensive Player of the Year – Dikembe Mutumbo (will repeat from last year)
All League Team:
C – Karl Anthony-Towns, Greg Oden
PF – Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul-Jabar
SF – Magic Johnson, Lebron James
SG – Dwayne Wade, Mitch Richmond
PG – Isiah Thomas, Dave Bing
Sarawak:
MVP: McHale
DPOY: Bill Russell (watch out for MKG tho could finish in the top 20 in blocks and steals!)
ROY: Pete Maravich
All League Team
First Team/Second Team
C: Saric/Oden
PF: McHale/Shaq (the top 4 scorers in the league are all PFs at the moment)
SF: Magic Johnson/LeBron James (Aguirre is right there)
SG: Dwayne Wade/Darrell Griffith
PG: Isiah Thomas/Dave Bing
Seattle:
MVP- Lew Alcindor
DPOTY- Bill Russell
ROTY- Pistol Pete
Most Improved- Jojo White
ALL LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
C- Shaquille O'Neal
PF- Lew Alcindor
SF- Lebron James
SG- Dwayne Wade
PG- Max Zaslofsky
ALL LEAGUE SECOND TEAM
C- Dario Saric
PF- Kevin Mchale
SF- Magic
SG- Dave Bing
PG- Isaiah Thomas
Tel Aviv: MVP: Kevin McHale
ROY: Pete Maravich
DPOY: Dikembe Mutombo
C: Karl-Anthony Towns | Anthony Davis
PF: Kevin McHale | Lew Alcindor
SF: LeBron James | Magic Johnson
SG: Dwyane Wade | Mitch Richmond
PG: D'Angelo Russell | Isiah Thomas
Vancouver: MVP – Kevin McHale grabs his 2nd MVP this year
ROY – Pete Maravich – Too offensively gifted not to win
DPOY – Larry Nance – All the blocks for Nance now that Oden isn’t his running mate
All League
C – Larry Nance
C – Shaquille O’Neal
PF – Kevin McHale
PF – Lew Alcindor
SF – LeBron James
SF – Dirk Nowitzki
SG – Mitch Richmond
SG – Dwayne Wade
PG – D’Angelo Russell
PG – Isiah Thomas
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 2
Moscow: 5
New Orleans: 6
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 4
Vancouver: 3
Grader Comments:
So my picks for all of these things would've been:
MVP: Kevin McHale (he's on a tear but I also won't be shocked to see Lew wins this)
DPOTY: Bill Russell (this is his award, Mutumbo won last season because Russell was injured)
ROTY: Yao Ming (I'm stunned no one picked him, he's 7'6 with skill. There was no way he wasn't going to be the favorite regardless of the talent Pistol Pete has)
* You all were instructed to pick one SF + one PF & one SG + one PG but for All-League teams it's two forwards & two guards but I won't ding you for that.
ALL-League 1st C: Greg Oden (but I think he and Saric are a toss up and then there's a gap)
All-League 1st F: Kevin McHale
All-League 1st F: Lebron James (this will be Lew Alcindor in the real game but following the roundtable rules)
All-League 1st G: Dwyane Wade (large gap between him and other SGs)
All-League 1st G: Magic Johnson
All-League 2nd C: Dario Saric (or Oden)
All-League 2nd F: Lew Alcindor (really Lebron)
All-League 2nd F: Mark Aguirre (will really be Shaq more than likely)
All-League 2nd G: Dave Bing
All-League 2nd G: Isiah Thomas
So I say all of that to compare what I'm thinking to the answers given. For awards Moscow, Sarawak, and Seattle (to a lesser extent) all see eye to eye with me outside of the ROTY. For the All-League teams, it's a bit trickier I guess because everyone kind of screwed up on positions so lets just see who has the most names I agree with. If I counted correctly, New Orleans, Sarawak, and Seattle all have 8 of the same names as I do. So with that said we'll score this one (from worst to best): Brazil, Vancouver, Tel Aviv, Moscow, New Orleans, and then a tie for Sarawak & Seattle.
So my picks for all of these things would've been:
MVP: Kevin McHale (he's on a tear but I also won't be shocked to see Lew wins this)
DPOTY: Bill Russell (this is his award, Mutumbo won last season because Russell was injured)
ROTY: Yao Ming (I'm stunned no one picked him, he's 7'6 with skill. There was no way he wasn't going to be the favorite regardless of the talent Pistol Pete has)
* You all were instructed to pick one SF + one PF & one SG + one PG but for All-League teams it's two forwards & two guards but I won't ding you for that.
ALL-League 1st C: Greg Oden (but I think he and Saric are a toss up and then there's a gap)
All-League 1st F: Kevin McHale
All-League 1st F: Lebron James (this will be Lew Alcindor in the real game but following the roundtable rules)
All-League 1st G: Dwyane Wade (large gap between him and other SGs)
All-League 1st G: Magic Johnson
All-League 2nd C: Dario Saric (or Oden)
All-League 2nd F: Lew Alcindor (really Lebron)
All-League 2nd F: Mark Aguirre (will really be Shaq more than likely)
All-League 2nd G: Dave Bing
All-League 2nd G: Isiah Thomas
So I say all of that to compare what I'm thinking to the answers given. For awards Moscow, Sarawak, and Seattle (to a lesser extent) all see eye to eye with me outside of the ROTY. For the All-League teams, it's a bit trickier I guess because everyone kind of screwed up on positions so lets just see who has the most names I agree with. If I counted correctly, New Orleans, Sarawak, and Seattle all have 8 of the same names as I do. So with that said we'll score this one (from worst to best): Brazil, Vancouver, Tel Aviv, Moscow, New Orleans, and then a tie for Sarawak & Seattle.
5. Does Team Chemistry Matter?
Brazil: I think it does in terms of how "crisply" your offense and defense works. With low chemistry, the players tend to underperform because they don't "fit" well with their teammates. A low chemistry with high motion would almost surely be a backfire because of the fact the players don't want to play together.
Moscow: I honestly don't think so- but I'm probably wrong. I've seen teams win with it, I've seen teams win without it. I remember the season that I went on like a 14 game winning streak at the end of the season to make the last seed of the playoffs- my chemistry the entire time was POOR. So from that point on- I figured that it probably doesn't really matter. I'm probably completely wrong on that, though.
New Orleans: There is some impact but I’m leaning on the side of marginal over huge impact. Surely it must help in situations in game or on big road stretches or at least you’d like to say so. I’ve not done any testing but perception is reality and the perception says that numerous successful GMs have made moves to move the chemistry needle in the past when it may not be best for talent. Personally, I pay little attention to it unless I can’t explain my struggles elsewhere.
Sarawak: I think it absolutely matters. I think it heavily impacts how teams play on the road and in close games. Last year I had a talented team with abysmal chemistry/cohesion and we struggled to finish .500 and were absolutely horrid on the road until the very end of the year. So I think it plays a pretty important role if it is really bad and it really helps come the playoffs if you are really good.
Seattle: To an extent. If 2 teams of equal talent go AI at each other, I see it as the tie breaker between the 2. But the advantage only goes so far. The great team wins against a good team with great chemistry.
Tel Aviv:
Personally I believe it matters, I haven't tested it but from what I have noticed from playing the game, I think having a better team chemistry helps your overall team performance and helps you win more games over the course of the season.
Vancouver: Yes but to what extent is unknown. I think it matters most for road games but also impacts offensive/defensive efficiencies and tight games. The impact though is impossible to quantify, so it’s hard to really know how much it is factored in.
Grades (1-5 Points):
Brazil: 7
Moscow: 6
New Orleans: 7
Sarawak: 7
Seattle: 7
Tel Aviv: 7
Vancouver: 7
Grader Comments: I think everyone (besides Moscow) is on the right track here. Chemistry (or cohesion) without question matters in this game. Can you ignore it and still have success? Absolutely. However it plays a big part in getting a team from good to great from what I've seen. As Vancouver talked about, it's big in the 50/50 games and the road games and those are the games that decide if you are a 50 win team or a 60 win team. I'll give 6 of you a tie for #1 here and Moscow gets the bottom spot even though I understood where he was coming from.
Final Standings:
First Place: Sarawak Fire Horses (34 Points)
Second Place: New Orleans Jazz (31 Points)
Third Place (tie): Vancouver Grizzlies & Seattle Supersonics (30 Points)
Fifth Place (tie): Tel Aviv Maccabi & Moscow CSKA (27 Points)
Seventh Place: Brazil Franca BC (20 Points)
First Place: Sarawak Fire Horses (34 Points)
Second Place: New Orleans Jazz (31 Points)
Third Place (tie): Vancouver Grizzlies & Seattle Supersonics (30 Points)
Fifth Place (tie): Tel Aviv Maccabi & Moscow CSKA (27 Points)
Seventh Place: Brazil Franca BC (20 Points)
