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Post by Sarawak on Oct 31, 2015 1:41:04 GMT
Simple concept 36 of us have just had our first off season and are looking forward to the upcoming year. So post in THIS thread about your team, using the template below to earn 100 quick and easy PP. Note that posting elsewhere will lead to the awarding of no points and asking god to have mercy on your soul. You have until TC on Monday to get this done.
Off Season Review: Team Name
Key Players:
Notable Changes:
Rookies to Watch:
Biggest Strength:
Biggest Weakness:
What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason:
We will make the Playoffs if:
We will miss the Playoffs if:
Visual that Sums up your off season:
Mines is posted below as an example
List of Teams Completing this So far Beijing Boston Buenos Aires Cairo Chicago Guangdong Harlem KK Cibona Madrid Milan Minnesota Moscow New Orleans New York Perth Pira. Rio de Janeiro San Antonio Seattle Taipei Tel Aviv Toronto Vancouver Washington
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Post by Sarawak on Oct 31, 2015 1:41:16 GMT
Off Season Review: Cairo Zamalek Key Players: John Stockton and Sam Jones. We have the ideal backcourt for what we want to do and Stockton is the best PG in the league and Jones arguably the best young SG in the league. They should be a menance on both ends of the floor. Without Ewing, look for Stockton's scoring to go up. Notable Changes: As mentioned above we moved franchise center Patrick Ewing. A headscratcher to some, the move gives the team additional assets to move, allows the team to have more cap space to make additional moves and gives them the type of backcourt the team loves in Rookies to Watch: Sam Jones and David Lee. Jones because an elite player was traded for him and he looks studly. Lee because he scarily might be the best post player on the roster. Lee has quite a bit of upside but the team will need to get production from him to get into the playoff race this year. Biggest Strength: Backcourt. Stockton (21.3 ppg, 11 apg, 3.1 spg) and Jones(28.4 ppg in college) are a powerful duo and the bench isn't bad with Rudy Fernandez, Nelson Bobb, Gene Stump, Lawerence Moten, Bobbie Wilson and rookie Ron Sobie. Biggest Weakness: The post where the team has no proven players and is going young with rookie David Lee and young vets Clifford Rozier, Brandan Wright, and Don Reid. THis might be the worse group of bigs in the league especially in terms of rebounding so the team will need to have a big training camp or make a trade. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Three things. 1)Will the depth matter without an anchor post? My guess is it will help but without a stud in the paint this team will struggle. 2) How good will this backcourt be year one? Jones was a favorite of the Zamalek GM and looks like a stud. The faster him and Stockton mesh the better this season will go. 3) Does the team have enough down low to compete. As mentioned above, it is really dicey with the team looking like it will get killed inside. We will make the Playoffs if: We upgrade in the post. I like our perimeter and overall depth but without the addition of at least one quality big man the team may be on the fast track to a 30 win season. We will miss the Playoffs if: Stockton gets injured or the team doesn't find a post. As currently constructed this team looks poised to take a big step back coming off a 49 win season and first round exit. At least they own their own pick? Visual that sums up your offseason:
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Post by New York on Oct 31, 2015 2:12:33 GMT
Off Season Review: New York Knicks Key Players: Mel Daniels, Greg Oden, and to a slightly lesser extent Marques Haynes. Last year these guys were responsible for 58.2 PPG | 12.5 APG | 24.6 RPG | 3.1 SPG | 3.0 BPG for a team that averaged 108 PPG | 25.5 APG | 44.0 RPG | 7.0 SPG | 4.9 BPG so you can see they were all a big part of what I did. As long as TC goes right, Oden should be the one that we see improve the most statistically. Notable Changes: Sadly there were no notable changes from a player standpoint. If we consider coaches a major change then I guess we can mention that because my entire coaching staff is new. I still hope to add at least another interesting piece before the regular season but the trade market has been pretty terrible so can't say for certain if something will happen. Rookies to Watch: Not a rookie in sight on my roster. Existing Needs: Wings and depth. I have been in search of this all off-season but as I mentioned i've had little to no luck acquiring any of that despite throwing first and pretty much every piece on my roster out there. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: For Training Camp the obvious thing to watch is the development of Greg Oden and to a lesser extent Wilson Chandler. Pre-Season i'm not sure since my top 3 will be sitting more than likely but maybe we'll have some TC surprises to test out. I'll be trying to get the early setup for my game plan right as I saw a lot of flaws in my setup last season that I hope to correct. We will make the Playoffs if: Greg Oden survives in Training Camp and I find some help on the wings We will miss the Playoffs if: Greg Oden doesn't survive in Training Camp or if one of my big 3 go down for too long due to injury. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Taipei on Oct 31, 2015 12:01:09 GMT
Off Season Review: Taipei Fubon Braves Key Players: C Aaron Gordon, SF Benji Wilson, SG Zach LaVine Gordon is obviously the best of the group, coming off an 18/8 rookie season. He's very athletic, and was able to shoot 56% from the field last year. I expect similar numbers this season. Wilson and LaVine could go either way pre-TC. I expect one of them to turn out pretty good. LaVine has more potential, but Wilson is the more polished player right now. They will be starting 2/3 barring any TC disasters/successes. Notable Changes: Added a bunch of rookies that I'll talk about below, FA was obviously a dud for just about everyone (except of course MIN). Moved Nichols, Hawkins, and Fleming towards the end of the season last season. Rookies to Watch: G Nate Robinson G Raymond Felton G Monta Ellis Took the guys that I thought were the BPA, sadly they were all guards. Felton will be the starter barring any TC disaster. He's the most consistent and I think Nate and Monta will both be super subs. I will probably play around a lot with minutes this year to see what each of these guys look like. I expect they will all get chances to start at some point this seasons. Existing Needs: I really need another big, preferably a good defensive/rebounding center. Not a whole lot out there in the age range of my players. I will probably either hope to get one in the draft or let the young guys develop a year and trade for one when I'm ready to compete. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: In Training Camp, the big question will be the development of LaVine, Wilson, and Gordon. The young guys take a little longer, but as long as they don't get noticeably worse they should all see big minutes this year. With a team so young, I'm trying to be optimistic about the development of the younger players. In Preseason, I'll try out the super-athletic backcourt of Nate, Benji, LaVine and see what they can do. During the regular season I will probably give RJ and Felton more time. We will make the Playoffs if: Can't imagine it would be possible. I'd need to make a big trade for a more developed guy, but I'd rather be patient at this point. We will miss the Playoffs if: the season finishes. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Minnesota on Oct 31, 2015 15:50:49 GMT
Off Season Review: Perth Wildcats Key Players: Bob McAdoo and Benoit Benjamin. The two bigs I took in the first 2 rounds of the creation draft remain my 2 most important players. McAdoo is one of the best power forwards in the league, although not elite, he brings a little bit of everything to the table. Benjamin is more of a one way player, but there aren't many defensive anchors like him in the league. Notable Changes: Similar to New York, not much changed here besides the coaching staff. The team is for the most part the same. Rookies to Watch:The one change was the drafting of Zelmo Beaty at 22. Zelmo will slot in as the third big on the team and given time to develop behind my big two. I need more wing help, but its BPA for me. Existing Needs: SCORING. This team was one of the better defensive teams in the league last year and looks as if that will stay the same this year. Unfortunately, besides McAdoo there is not a reliable scorer on the offense. Guys like Wanzer, Benjamin and Riley showed flashes last year, but could never be consistent. The team desperately needs some sort of second scorer to take the burden off of Bobby Mac. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: 1) Well thankfully Mcadoo just turned 27 so he is safe, but the thing to watch is whether Benjamin and Wilkins and Beaty survive. A lot of my team is in the "safe" zone, but these 3 contributors are still at the mercy of the TC gods. 2) Can Wanzer step up? Wanzer was drafted to be the third key player on this team and be the second option on offense. He did not live up to that billing in his first year, the question becomes is it him or me not putting him in the right position to succeed. 3) Will the GM add anything to the team in order to help? This team was drafted and built to make the playoffs, but clearly there are still shortcomings, with the team sneaking in as the 8 seed last year. A faster start could push us up closer to the 5th or 6th seed, but holes need to be filled to be considered a contender. With McAdoo an expiring the whole future of the franchise can hinge on the 2nd sim. We will make the Playoffs if: We add another scorer to the team without sacrificing the high level defense we showed last year. Also if Benoit doesn't die. We will miss the Playoffs if: Benoit dies in TC and the team fails to add any scoring and the defense slips at all. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Chicago on Oct 31, 2015 15:56:56 GMT
Off Season Review: Chicago Bulls
Key Players: Charles Barkley & Mike Conley. Charles should give us a similar output as last season so he is far and away our most key player. I feel though that it will be the growth of Mike Conley that will determine if we will improve upon last year. He had 19 PER last year and really played well in the playoffs, so with some growth in TC he could a star player.
Notable Changes: No real changes in the off season other then our franchise PG is locked up for the next 5 seasons.
Rookies to Watch: We got Martell Webster late in the first and although he is not quite ready yet with a bit of TC growth he could get some garbage minutes with the team.
Existing Needs: Still looking to make improvements at the shooting guard and Centre position.
What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Really like to see the growth of Mike Conley in training camp and although he is already an all world player if Barkley can refine his skills a bit (serious).
We will make the Playoffs if: I believe barring injuries and any TC deaths we should make a return trip to the playoffs.
We will miss the Playoffs if: Having Charles gives us a huge advantage but if there are once again any TC deaths or prolonged injuries, definitely we could drop out of the playoff picture.
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Madrid
Assistant GM
Posts: 845
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Post by Madrid on Oct 31, 2015 16:01:59 GMT
Off Season Review: Madrid Real/Real Madrid Key Players: Joe Dumars, Jerry Lucas, Marcus Smart, and Noah Vonleh. Dumars is the engine of the team, averaging 21/6/6 last season. He's only 25, but is the 2nd oldest player on the roster and by far the team's leader and best player. Marcus Smart only played 34 games last season due to injury, but showed flashes of why we took him in the 2nd round. Jerry Lucas is quite the intriguing piece moving forward. His skillset could have him as the #1 option of the team, but his lack of athleticism at the professional level could make him a third option behind Smart and Dumars. Notable Changes: Like many teams, we lost some scrubs in the off season who, quite frankly, we didn't want back. We lost 6th man Don Buse in essentially a salary dump that failed to reap any rewards, but drafted possibly the most polished player in the draft in Jerry Lucas. Rookies to Watch: As mentioned above, Lucas will be interesting to watch because of his high skill level and lack of athleticism. Which one plays out more greatly at the pro level? Lucas certainly won't be lacking for touches. Jarrett Jack's not going to play at all. Scrub. Existing Needs: We need a shot blocking Center to pair with the finesse games of Lucas, Vonleh, and Martin. Also, we definitely need a Small Forward on the roster better than Corey Brewer. Brewer had a nice season last year, but shot only 26% from 3 and 67% from the free throw line, and 3 rebounds per game for a SF doesn't cut it even with his great defense. Also, uhm, talent. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: We have a ton of young players who could boom or bust during TC. Joe Dumars should be relatively safe, but Marcus Smart needs to add a lot of polish to his game and Jerry Lucas needs to do some agility and jumping drills. We're also looking for Noah Vonleh to take that next step. He's similar to Smart in that a step forward could have him at all-star caliber, while a step back could kill his career. We will make the Playoffs if: Jerry Lucas averages 30/15 this year or if we make some kind of short-sighted move for a 30-year-old vet. Neither is very likely. Hello, lotto. We will miss the Playoffs if: Things stay the same or only marginally improve. 90% chance we miss the playoffs. Visual that Sums up your off season: Free Agency in Madrid =
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Post by Brazil on Oct 31, 2015 17:20:06 GMT
Off Season Review: Zagreb KK Cibona Key Players: C Ed Macauley, PG Jason Kidd Macauley was the best player on the team last year and the unquestioned #1 option on offense, pumping in 23.3 points a game on solid percentage numbers. He was the only Cibona player to receive a Player of the Week award this past season. Jason Kidd did a little of everything last year, and some of it really well. Kidd averaged almost 15 points per game, along with over 6 boards and nearly 9 assists a night. Kidd is the engine of this team, and he's what makes it go on offense. Red Rocha is an integral part of the defense as well. Notable Changes: none Rookies to Watch: SF Chet Walker. Walker will get a chance to win a job out of the gates as we try to figure out who's decent and who is depth at this point. Existing Needs: someone to step up at the 2 guard spot between Matthews, Colter, and Walker. Depth is a big issue except at the 5 slot, so that could come into play too. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Can someone be the 2 guard? Will Macauley get any help on offense at all? We will make the Playoffs if: a second scoring option emerges and the team plays the same type of defense it played last season. We will miss the Playoffs if: Macauley cracks from being the only option on offense and the 2 guard situation isn't settled at all. Also, if this team relies on perimeter shooting, it'll be a "pass the antacid" moment. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Minnesota on Oct 31, 2015 17:34:21 GMT
Off Season Review: Minnesota Timberwolves Key Players: Patrick Ewing, Kevin Garnett, Andrew Wiggins, Paul Westphal Notable Changes: Where to start.. well, we were terrible last year. 2nd worst record in the league which landed us the 5th overall pick. For seemingly weeks there were discussions with Cairo about Ewing but I wasn't sure I'd be ready to contend. Spoke with Beijing about Mikan and was really only interested in that in order to make an All-MN team but once I drafted Sam Jones, David Lee, Guy Rodgers, and others, I was set on the future. Signing Paul Westphal in FA changed that. There was now a chance to compete and he also made Sam a little more expendable for such an established talent. KG and Wiggins are still there but the whole crew around them is different. Rookies to Watch: Guy Rodgers - he is our starting Point Guard. The team around him should put him in a place to succeed but he will need to learn that game. Ideally there would be pressure taken off of him through acquirring a veteran but for now he will log heavy minutes. Biggest Strength: The front court - Ewing and KG is a versitile pairing. They should be able to match up with any other duo in the league and probably have an advantage every night (I'm looking at you Mikawa/New York). Biggest Weakness: Point Guard - a real contender wouldn't have an unproven rookie starting. I will be looking for another guy who could take some of the burder from Rodgers - someone older. Don't need him to be dynamic - just capable. I could also put depth here but the whole league (save Bamberg) is weak on depth. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: I hope hoping that my youth doesn't implode. Mexico seems to think Wiggins is primed for a TC explosion. I'd be thrilled but I don't expect it. I'd love to see one of the deep bench guys step up into a solid rotational guy. That would go a long way towards helping us make the post season. We will make the Playoffs if: We stay healthy and get decent Point Guard play. I have total faith in the rest of my roster. If it were any other position I might not be as concerned but Point Guard is the focal point of the offense. Can't be getting killed there and expect to be among the league's best. We will miss the Playoffs if: Ewing gets injured for more than a month. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Piraeus on Oct 31, 2015 22:13:25 GMT
Key Players:
Karl Malone and Hank Luisetti. Both had PER's over 22 last season. Getting Hank in the 3rd round is what made our team competitive in the playoffs in year 1. We're hoping Malone can take the next step in year 2 as he ended the season on a high note. If he can improve his midrange efficiency, that'll benefit us greatly. Notable Changes:
We made 1 notable change, today, trading Emiliano Rodriguez and depth for Vern Mikkelsen. After a strong preseason, Emiliano struggled the entire season on offense with a TS hovering around 45% before finishing at 49%. His game was a little too one-sided and his defensive impact was less than I was hoping. Vern is someone we tried and failed to acquire all of last season for Emiliano while he was on the Sonics, so I'm interested to see how he does with us this year. Rookies to Watch: No rookies in Greece this year. Biggest Strength: Beyond our top two, it has to be our depth. We're not super deep in terms of number of bodies, but any time you can use Vern Mikkelsen as your 6th man, it's a good thing. We're hoping Ray Lumpp can continue to be a strong guard off the bench. If you were to measure 1-7 across the league, I'd say we are as good as any. Biggest Weakness: Our offense has been inconsistent over the season. We need to figure out a more stable offensive gameplan that is capable of consistent production night to night. Our 3pt shooting improved tremendously over the season, so if we can keep that and add more free throw attempts per game, we'll improve. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason:
Three things. 1) How much will Karl Malone improve, 2) How will TC hurt 30+ guys like Phillip, Lump, Dalipagic, and Mikkelsen. 3) Can anyone else step up and earn minutes for the bench? Nothing beyond the top 7 is locked in stone. We will make the Playoffs if:
We stay healthy and our older players (4 of our top 7 are over 30) have good TCs. We will miss the Playoffs if:
We're unable to find a consistent offensive rythym, our older guys come out of shape and each lose a step, KK Cibona or Cairo make big trades and overtake us in the division. Visual that sums up your offseason:
I shopped Emiliano all offseason, so this:
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Post by San Antonio on Oct 31, 2015 22:29:09 GMT
Key Players: Connie Hawkins - Hoping for big things from Connie Hawkins this season. He has the athleticism to take advantage of opposing power forwards on offense. We are hoping he has a strong TC and is able to carry some of the scoring load. Emelio Rodriguez - A jack of all trades, Emelio will be key in plugging any holes we have in the lineup. We feel like our system will be more friendly to his stats than his old team's. Only time can tell. Henry Bibby - Ownership has stood behind Henry through a lot of negative press and public criticism. The word in the off season is that Henry is working extremely hard on his game with the team's new coaching staff and he is looking to take on more of a leadership role. This team will only go as far as Henry takes us. Notable Changes: There's always changes but the front office is excited about the additions of Dante Exum, Tommy Heinsohn and Aaron Brooks. Three key young guys who will be tracked closely in training camp, and the hope is that they are ready to contribue in some form or fashion once the games start. Rookies to Watch: Tommy Heinsohn. One of the most veratille players in the draft, should be able to score right away coming in. He is an interesting matchup on a nightly basis and hopefully he continues his development. Biggest Strength: Depth. Coaching staff will have to get creative with a bunch of versatille guys on the roster. Should be a fun challenge. Biggest Weakness: Post presence. We desperately need a center who is above 7'0 and can block some shots. Have some decent trade bait pieces, just have to remain patience and find good value. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: 1) Development of Dante Exum 2) Development of Tommy Heinshohn 3) Whether Connie Hawkins can carry this team or not- on the offensive end. We will make the Playoffs if: Exum & Heinsohn have monster training camps. We will miss the Playoffs if: Team doesn't gel as I expect them to. I know no one will believe me but the trading should slow down very soon. Visual that sums up your offseason:
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2015 6:21:38 GMT
Off Season Review: Guangdong Southern Tigers Key Players: Gilbert Arenas and Jabari Parker Notable Changes: Minor bench move of Aaron Brooks for Rashad McCants, really just to better balance the backcourt depth and eliminate one FA question mark for next offseason Rookies to Watch: I shouldn't care about my 24th pick but after messing around with TC a little I can't help but be a little hopeful that Charlie V will actually turn into a rotation player, he looks promising. Biggest Strength: Athleticism and versatility - last season we outplayed our talent level and finished above .500 by using our speed and jumping along with a roster of players that play multiple positions. This will again be key if we're to improve this season. Biggest Weakness: Raw undeveloped talent - this team is mostly potential and upside with little to no "ready now" pieces outside of maybe Arenas. The rest of the roster, especially Parker, GRob, Zidek and Wrenn will need a great TC to help make a playoff push. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: For TC - literally everything. This entire roster is built around pieces that need impactful TCs to be effective. Even incremental increases will be helpful when paired with this team's athleticism and depth. Worst case, if TC doesn't go our way we have our pick to fall back on - but we're not looking that way, this team is pushing for the playoffs after a solid debut campaign. We will make the Playoffs if: If the young key players (Arenas, Parker, GRob, Zidek and Wrenn) have a successful TC and our strategy of playing a deep, versatile, fast game plan continues to pay dividends. We will miss the Playoffs if: If we see little or no improvement in TC or sustain any TC "deaths". Even then it will be tough to produce another +500 season with this raw team as the competition level increases. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Brooklyn on Nov 1, 2015 12:39:45 GMT
Off Season Review: Washington Generals Key Players: John Havlicek, Andrew Bogut Notable Changes: Added 3 players via the 1st round of the draft (#4 SG John Havlicek, #10 C Andrew Bogut, #23 PF Leroy Ellis). Also picked up 3 players on 1-year terms via free agency to get us through the season (PG Zachary Salter, SG Dick O-Keefe, SF Dominic Moore) Rookies to Watch: I'm going to watch all three rookies for different reasons. Havlicek immediately becomes our best player, so I'll be looking at what type of scoring numbers he puts up. He'll most likely play this season at SG, but I would eventually like to see him play SF in future years. I'm also interested to see what type of scoring numbers Bogut puts up, but he was really drafted for his defensive presence and rebounding. As for Ellis, the plan is to have him grow into our future backup PF. I want to see how he does defensively, as well as rebounding and blocking. Biggest Strength: Can't say we have any strengths as roster. As an organization, I like where we're headed having drafted 3 players in the first round, with 6 more first round selections in the next 2 years. Biggest Weakness: We have major holes in our roster again this year, and where we don't they are filled with raw youth. It'll be another long season, but hopefully a constructive one. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Focus will definitely be on the 3 rookies. Hopefully they have constructive TCs to build on in years to come. We will make the Playoffs if: Not Applicable We will miss the Playoffs if: 100% Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by dave on Nov 1, 2015 18:18:42 GMT
Off Season Review: Boston Celtics Key Players: Chris Paul, Jeff Green, Thad Young Notable Changes: Drafted Chris Paul #1, added bench pieces in Fran Vazquez and Kevin Loughery. Also dealt Dante Exum for a Spurs 04 1st round pick. Rookies to Watch: Chris Paul. He was drafted to begin building this team and he will be relied on heavily to get others involved and play lockdown defense. He looks to have a good jump shot and will need a good training camp to jump to an elite shooter from midrange where he will do most of his work shooting and passing. Biggest Strength: We aren't going to kid ourselves. There are not a lot of strengths to boast about here. Chris Paul may be every strength that we have to offer with his aggressive defense and passing. The passing will hopefully help raises shooting percentages this season for Jeff Green and Thad Young. Biggest Weakness: Scoring and defense. This team somehow rallied at the end of last season to win 24 games but what is more crazy is that they won any games. They had no player with any visible scoring ability but did get a good outing from Green with 22 a game last season which should increase with a playmaker at the point. Defense is still a big problem however unless the Celtics get some crazy good training camps. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Chris Paul needs to come out without dying, preferably with an improved jumper and defense. This team isn't expecting great things from all the rest of the young squad. They need Green to come out same or better. They have high hopes for Thad Young to develop into a stretch 4 that can shoot an even better % then last season. Couple others that we have hopes for big TCs are David Wesley improving to be the go to shooter off the bench. Fran Vazquez could also see some significant minutes with a good TC to back up Eddie Lee Wilkins and Thad Young. We will make the Playoffs if: Injuries to every other player in the league, or Chris Paul turns into the new Alex English of the league overnight. We will miss the Playoffs if: lolololololol There is 0 percent chance we can make the playoffs. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by ankstotle on Nov 1, 2015 21:25:40 GMT
Off Season Review: Harlem Globetrotters Key Players: Doc J, Joakim Noah Notable Changes: Made some changes to the starting lineup. Felt that the PG position was weak and there was a lack of consistency from that position. Gave up my 1st to land Chick Reiser. He should add stability to the starting lineup. Also, added Eddy Curry to the frontcourt. Alan Henderson had a great year but we feel that his ceiling is limited. Curry and Henderson are fighting for the starting PF/C spot next to Noah. Also, got rid of Jalen Rose, he did not fit my system very well. Rookies to Watch: NONE Biggest Strength: Inside Scoring. We feel that we have the weapons to apply a lot of pressure on opposing team's big men. Whether it be doc posting up, or Henderson/Curry in the low post. Our goal is to continue to pound the paint. Then, we have Noah to clean up the glass using his athletics and outside shooting in Reiser to keep the defenses honest. On defense, we have an anchor on defense who provides great offensive help. Biggest Weakness: Guard play. While Starks is a solid player all around, he lacks the scoring punch to be an effective shooting guard. Chick is still one of the better point guards in the league but he needs some backcourt help. After Starks, there isn't much to boast about. Opposing team guards usually feast on starks due to his size. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Although Starks is still developing, we believe in his skills and have committed to him as our starting shooting guard. Hopefully, Starks can work on his game in the offseason and complement the frontcourt with his playmaking and defense. We will make the Playoffs if: Everyone does their job. The roles and expectations from the players are very clear and Larry Brown is the perfect well rounded coach that this franchise needs. With better coaching and more veteran players, we hope to win some more road games. The conference is strong and many teams have gotten better but a few teams have gotten worse as well. We hope to start strong and secure a top 6 seed this season. We will miss the Playoffs if: Injuries. There is not much depth or scoring punch in this team outside Doctor J and Henderson. If one of these guys were to get hurt, it would be very difficult to replace this scoring. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Corey V. on Nov 1, 2015 22:43:38 GMT
Off Season Review: THE NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA JAZZERCIZERS Key Players: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, and a madcap collection of scallawags. Notable Changes: Drafted Paul Hogue and Gerald Green Rookies to Watch: People like Paul Hogue. He's better than he should be at that pick. And Gerald Green is the most athletic All-Ds guy you've ever seen, I'm sure. Biggest Strength: The backcourt is solid, and we (weirdly) can shoot the ball better than any of the other Vilhauer teams ever could. Biggest Weakness: Who needs Real Starters in the frontcourt ANYWAY, right? What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Parker's one step away from becoming an elite PG. We will make the Playoffs if: The GM wants to have a shitty pick. We will miss the Playoffs if: The GM is smart. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by shawncro on Nov 2, 2015 0:59:50 GMT
Off Season Review: Buenos Aires Boca Juniors Key Players: Lou Dampier/ Kevin Durant/ Al Horford The trio of our key players operate on the PG/SF/C position. Lou is our most dangerous outside shooter, and one of our best defenders, and hes responsible to get the ball to KD and Al in their sweet spots. KD is supposed to take another step this season, along with Al, and the progression of this team is based upon their tc progress. Notable Changes: Not much here, we lost Andy Kostecka, our 4th big...Other then that there were no major additions/subtractions. Rookies to Watch: Our only rookie is Ryan Gomes who wont get any playing time. Biggest Strength: We have a good offensive team, guys like Kicanovic, KD, Horford and Nurkic who are an inside/outside presence, and shoot a high percentage. Biggest Weakness: Defense...With all the offensive firewpower, we dont have the defensive foundation to advance far in the playoffs atm. We could also use some more depth and firepower off the bench, as besides Otis Thorpe, we dont have a legit bench presence. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: The progression of KD Horford and Nurkic. We need KD to exercise the bulk of his talent, and Horford and Nurkic to keep improving so they could become legit number 2 or 3 options. We will make the Playoffs if: If our team keeps progressing as it should, But u never know with these young guys. We need to stay healthy too. We will miss the Playoffs if: If we suffer major injuries to our starters, and if TC kills us while other teams keep progressing. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Toronto on Nov 2, 2015 2:19:53 GMT
Off Season Review: Toronto Raptors Key Players: Tyson Chandler, Andrew Gaze, Gerald Wallace Notable Changes: Eddy Curry got shown the door, Gaze and Charles Oakley enter the lineup. Dave Twardzik will be competing with Elf for a starting spot. Rookies to Watch: Rony Turiaf, he'll struggle for minutes but has a shot at being decent eventually. Biggest Strength: With Chandler, Oak, and Rogers we are definitely a premier team when it comes to defending the paint. This should come in handy in our division. Biggest Weakness: Gaze and Crash can score a little bit, but we'll struggle to find buckets when they get locked down. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Hopefully my young guys continue their development as Chandler, Crash and Payton all have good potential for improvement. The battle for the point guard position will headline the preseason. We will make the Playoffs if: I can manage to swing a trade to upgrade some scoring, and get a solid gameplan put together. We will miss the Playoffs if: I don't pull the trigger to get another marquee player. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Tel Aviv on Nov 2, 2015 13:54:41 GMT
Off Season Review: Maccabi Tel Aviv Key Players:Ben Wallace and Elgin Baylor. Ben Wallace was the first player drafted to the team during the creation draft and has been a key player from the start. Big Ben anchors the team's defense and is a great rebounder. Just drafted from the #2 overall pick in the last draft Elgin Baylor is already looked at as a key player for the team as he looks to bring scoring to a team that struggled to score last season. Notable Changes:Elgin Baylor is the only notable change to the roster from the team last season. The team has a whole new improved coaching staff to help develop the younger players. Rookies to Watch:The theme continues, Elgin Baylor is the rookie to watch. Baylor is ready to contribute right away and on a team that struggled to score last season he will have plenty of shooting opportunities so get fans excited in Tel Aviv. Biggest Strength:The team's biggest strength is it's defense. Led by Ben Wallace who was voted into the All-Defense Second Team, Tel Aviv held their opponents to a league low 90.6ppg, only giving up over 100 points 18 times last season. Biggest Weakness:Scoring. Only Washington averaged less points per game that Tel Aviv last season which is the reason for the poor position in the standings. With Elgin Baylor on board it should improve this year but how much remains to be seen. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason:Firstly will be the development of Elgin Baylor but also the rest of the starting lineup has the chance to improve during training camp to help the team. Will role players like Bruce Bowen and Pierluigi Marzorati improve, can Ben Wallace improve? We will make the Playoffs if:Will be too early with the team to make the playoffs but with a good training camp should be a good position soon. We will miss the Playoffs if:There is a very good chance this team misses the playoffs. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Sarawak on Nov 2, 2015 14:30:36 GMT
List of Teams Completing this So far Boston Buenos Aires Cairo Chicago Guangdong Harlem KK Cibona Madrid Minnesota New Orleans New York Perth Pira. San Antonio Taipei Tel Aviv Toronto Washington
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Post by New Orleans on Nov 2, 2015 14:31:52 GMT
Off Season Review: CSKA Moscow Key Players: Julius Randle, Antonio McDyess. The inside duo should get plenty of opportunities to prove themselves as scoring options. Notable Changes: Chick, Gaze, Mirza, Dolph, Bulbs were 5 of the top 6 and have all been shipped out. McDyess is the lone hold over and Randle, Granger, Duffy have been added as young pieces with the addition of 2 2002 1sts. A youth movement has begun. Rookies to Watch: Danny Granger, Bob Duffy. Taken 17th and 18th overall. The duo will both be in the starting line-up with a chance to play a big role. Biggest Strength: Youth. There are only 3 players over 24 on the roster and that means plenty of room for growth. Also have 3 1sts in each of the next 2 drafts making for a bigger youth infusion on the way. Biggest Weakness: Youth. The youth isn't developed yet and there isn't a legit veteran starter or two to help guide the team. Lot's of growing pains this season. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Across the roster there is talent that could blossom but the groth of Randle, McDyess or falling if that were to occur is the biggest story line. Hawes, Granger, Duffy among others have potential too. We will make the Playoffs if: Youth blossoms and we make a few deals to go in that direction. We will miss the Playoffs if: Youth blossoms and we decide to continue in that direction. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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Post by Swoosh on Nov 2, 2015 14:51:57 GMT
Off Season Review: Bamberg Brose Baskets
Key Players: Bob Kurland and Pee Wee Kirkland will once again be asked to lead the team, after Kurland briefly tested FA but decided to pass up the chance to head to Chicago. Kurland, who scored 21.1 ppg and was second in the league in blocks last season, will hope to continue his dominance as one of the top centers in the league, while Kirkland will hope for another All-Star season at PG.
Notable Changes: Vern Mikkelsen’s brief tenure with the team ended, as he was traded to San Antonio for Jerry Stackhouse, Wayman Tisdale and Nikola Jokic. Neither Tisdale nor Jokic will be able to provide the immediate impact than Mikkelsen did, but the team hopes that Tisdale can be a solid option to start while Jokic and Stackhouse will be great long-term additions to the team.
Rookies to Watch: The only rookie on the roster was second round pick Phil Jordan, who hardly seems worth watching.
Biggest Strength: The biggest strength in Bamberg continues to be the bench depth. Crossin and Gabor, though over 30 years old, were two of the most asked about pieces in trade talks for Bamberg this offseason. That’s because people recognize the value they can offer a team trying to win it all. Throw in Jokic, Smith and Stackhouse, and this team once again has one of the strongest benches in the entire league.
Biggest Weakness: The team’s biggest weakness yet again seems to be the lack of a true answer at SF. No move was made to replace Detlef Schrempf in the starting lineup, as early rumors of a starting job for Jerry Stackhouse seem highly overblown. Until a move is made to solidify the small forward position in Bamberg, there will always be a hole in the starting lineup.
What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: In TC, it’s impossible to predict what you might see. Throw a dart at a dartboard blindfolded and you’ll have better luck predicting what might happen…but at least Kurland, Kirkland and Robertson are past the “TC death” age. In the preseason, most of the roster is set, but there are some key backup battles to watch for. Stackhouse will be pushing Gabor for minutes, and there is the question of how many minutes Jokic will get from Joe Smith (and if it will be at PF or C).
We will make the Playoffs if: Wayman Tisdale takes over the power forward job and fits in with Kurland and Kirkland as a third scorer, opening up Alvin Robertson to focus on defense like he prefers.
We will miss the Playoffs if: The new players don’t mesh with last year’s lineup, and Detlef once again plays 42 minutes a game for the entire season.
Visual that Sums up your off season: Upon hearing Kurland tried to head to Chicago before they ran out of money in FA...
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Post by Vancouver on Nov 2, 2015 14:54:46 GMT
Off Season Review: Vancouver Grizzlies Key Players: Arvydas Sabonis and Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier. We have an elite big man down low who has an extremely unique skillset paired with an elite guard that can play either positions. Their passing stands out in addition to being great scorers who are also great defenders. Neither player has a weakness and there pairing together leads to matchup problems for all teams trying to gameplan against them. Notable Changes: Outgoes Leroy Edwards and in comes Sam Perkins and some depth. Perkins will help stretch the floor as a 4 who can hit the 3, which is completely opposite of Leroy, who was a SF masquerading as a hybrid PF. Grizz will miss the athleticism that Leroy brought but will should greatly benefit from having an actual big man play next to elite center Sabonis. Rookies to Watch: What are these and where do they come from? Biggest Strength: Star power mixed with good depth and role players that compliment the big duo of Sabonis and Frazier. This team’s 1-5 will also be able to shoot the 3 ball and pass the rock with the best of them, which should lead to one of the more efficient offenses in the league. The defense was top 5 last year and with the addition of Perkins and growth from their younger players, should only improve. Biggest Weakness: No major weakness to speak of except not playing a prototypical PG. This is offset by having a great passing SG and Center to help facilitate an offense. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason: Nothing, the defending champs will be resting all key players and hope to just play the scrubs. We will make the Playoffs if: We stay healthy. We will miss the Playoffs if: We incur multiple injuries to key players for significant time frames. Visual that sums up your offseason:
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Post by Beijing on Nov 2, 2015 15:02:17 GMT
Offseason Review: Beijing Aoshen Key Players: George Mikan and Dolph Schayes. I think these two are set to carry us back to the playoffs. As one of the strongest frontcourt duos in the league, I finally have a true second option in Dolph. Notable Changes: Let the list begin... Dolph Schayes, Leroy Edwards, Don Buse, Eddie Lee Wilkins, Doug McDermott, and 4 rookie 2nd rounders who could become future role guys or fall flat on their faces. The additions of Dolph and Leroy should significantly improve my rebounding from last year as well as scoring. Rookies to Watch: Woody Sauldsberry and Fran Vazquez. I paid a lot to get these two with other depth and while they won't be major contributors right away, they could see some contributing minutes off of the bench like Jarron Collins did last year. Biggest Strength: Defense. Our defense was top notch last season and has improved this offseason with the additions of Dolph and Leroy. Also really like the versatility of this team. In case of injuries, every starter can shift one spot (aside from Dick, he will stay at PG 4ev3R) Dolph can be PF and C, Leroy can be SF and PF, Chuck can be SG and SF, and then Arnie can come in at both PG and SG. YAY DEPTH!!!! Biggest Weakness: Bench scoring. Outside of Arnie, I'm not entirely sure how well ELW, Buse, McBuckets will score. I think it'll be enough but I'm not sure yet. Preseason may be able to shed some light on that issue. What to Watch for in Training Camp and Preseason: 1) Mikan. He can either become all-around elite or.... die. 2) My old dudes (Dolph, Leroy, Chuck, Dick, Arnie) all over 30, all facing TC. 3) We can see if this depth I just traded away 3 1sts for is worth a damn. We Will Make the Playoffs if: We will make the playoffs. There is no argument there. We Will Miss the Playoffs if: If the TC gods decide to smite my entire team, then I will quietly go into obscurity and trade away everyone for my firsts back. Or if I'm hit with multiple long term injuries. Visual that sums up your offseason:
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Post by Newcastle on Nov 2, 2015 15:35:26 GMT
Off Season Review: Rio de Janeiro Flamengo Key Players: Viktor Zubkov & Terry Porter. Zubkov averaged 20.5PPG, 7RPG, 4APG last season in 31.5MPG while Terry Porter lead us in PPG (21PPG) and APG (7.2APG). The play of both men will decide how far we can go this season. Jimmy Walker is also a big part of the team coming off the bench. Notable Changes:None, the same lineup as last season but as most teams have a brand new coaching setup lead by new head coach Byron Scott. Rookies to Watch:No rookies on this team. Biggest Strength:Biggest strength is the team's passing ability and shooting. Last season five players averaged 3.7APG or higher which is a big part of the teams gameplan. On top of that the teams three main scorers in Terry Porter, Viktor Zubkov and Rimas Kurtinaitis can shoot the three well. Biggest Weakness:Weakness would be defense in particular post defense. The development of Dino Meneghin and Theo Ratliff will be key to improving this but if TC isn't kind then the trade market will be explored. Foul trouble has been a bit of a problem as well, mainly for Viktor Zubkov which is limiting his minutes. What to watch for in Training Camp and the Preseason:Hopefully a decent training camp, our main guys are around 27-30 so looking to avoid any famous TC death's. As I mentioned above Dino Meneghin and Theo Ratliff will be players I'm hoping can have some sort of improvement. As for preseason, wouldn't expect much, the key 6 guys won't see the floor. We will make the Playoffs if:Training camp is kind, feel we should be able to build on last season's second round exit with the right depth chart. We have a decent 6/7 man rotation but a trade or two my be in order as well to improve the depth. We will miss the Playoffs if:Training camp isn't kind and teams around us last season show big signs of improvement. Like I said above though I expect us to make the playoffs this season. Visual that Sums up your off season:
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