Post by Taipei on Nov 15, 2015 10:00:55 GMT
With a little more than a quarter of the season in the books, lets take a look around the league.
Top Eleven Teams
Honorable Mention: Cairo Zamalek (16-12)
I am definitely overrating them, but they are the type of team that could have pulled off a first round upset. The backcourt of Stockton/Jones is scary. Before Jones went down, he was the definite ROY. Now, they can tank and have a top ten pick to trade or use to add another piece. I wouldn't be surprised if they consider shopping Stockton. At 27 he probably won't ever have more value, and Jones appears to be the kind of player a team can build around.
11. Brazil Franca BC (16 - 11)
Eh. Pretty good record, but nothing special here. Monroe is a great player at his peak, but not enough talent around him. They are one of the best defenses in the league, and should get a nice boost when DeBusschere comes back. In order to be a legit playoff team, they need that boost from DeBus. Schmidt has been a nice surprise, but he's not a very efficient shooter at only 43%. The Warriors probably deserve to be here, but they don't have a coach so fuck them.
10. Harlem Globetrotters (18-11)
Julius Erving is fun. 25/8/4 on 52% FG. I like the three-headed front court of Curry/Noah/Henderson. Curry is a great offensive player, and is shooting an insane 58% FG. The backcourt is pretty meh, don't see them getting out of the first round. Might be time to make a move, either trade Erving or try to add another piece by moving one of the bigs. Right now they are a pretty good offensive team, top ten in PPG, FG%, 3FG% but not great at anything.
9. Bamberg Brose Baskets (16 - 11)
I like the addition of Nichols a lot, and they could quickly jump up the rankings. I'd run the line up as McDyess/Nichols/Heinsohn/Robertson/Kirkland. Right now they are one of the best offensive teams in the league, but one of the worst defensively. They need some defense and that's where Nichols comes in. I really like the line up 1-5, and the have a lot of depth. I wouldn't be surprised if they made another move. Might be time to pool some of those assets for an elite player.
8. Boca Juniors (17-9)
Kevin Durant is my favorite player in the league. He needs to shoot more, his % are incredible (56/75/48). I was expecting Horford to be better, but I'm not sure he's an all-star yet. The numbers for the backcourt are down. Wouldn't be surprised to see them shopping Nurkic when he gets healthy. Ideally they could use a better SG. Not sure what tactics they are running, but should aim to be top 8-10 in the league in scoring. Capitalize on their best player's (Durant) strengths.
7. Mikawa Aisin Seahorses (17-13)
Sherman White and Xavier McDaniel make up one of the best one-two punches in the league. Averaging 55ppg on about 48% FG and 17 rpg these two are going to be a handful for anyone in the playoffs. They are here because while the White/McDaniel/Maciel threesome is pretty impressive, the backcourt is non-existent. Jack Acuff and Joseph McComas are a train-wreck and without an upgrade at PG (Acuff's defense could be useful), we can expect a first round exit from this bunch.
6. Piraeus Olympiacos BC (18 - 9)
I actually think this team could be MUCH better. The GM needs to capitalize on some of the talent on this roster, especially Malone. His numbers are down from last year and he's only playing around 30mpg. This is a guy that could be a 25ppg scorer, and possibly a top 10 player. I'd try out Mikkelsen and Malone at the 3 and move Drazen to the 2. Bowie deserves more minutes, and Luisetti might be better used as a super sub. There is some serious talent and I expect a second half improvement.
5. Toronto Raptors (19-8)
Might be a little low for this team, but I don't see them being a legit contender. The starting line up is solid from top to bottom, but they lack a true #1 option. They are the most efficient team, 1st in the league in 3FG%, Points Per Shot, and Adjusted FG% difference. That coupled with one of league's best defenses (2nd in PPG, 1st in FG%, 1st in Adjusted FG%) put them in the contender discussion. They remind me a bit of the 2000s Oakland A's, great regular season team but not enough star power to make too much noise in the playoffs. They need to add some offense before they can be considered one of the elite teams.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-10)
As expected, John turned this team around in one year. They have easily one of the best front courts in the league, and probably should stay that way for the next 5 years. Ewing is having an MVP caliber season, while Garnett is living up to his perennial All-Star potential. Wiggins is coming along, but I'm not sure he'll live up to the purple potential. Not sure how serious they are about contending, but I could see Wiggins moving for an older upgrade at the 2/3. Either way this team is set for the future. They need a little more efficiency out of Belov this year, and they would probably move up into the top 3.
3. New York Knicks (17-10)
Probably the best front court in the league. The Daniels/Oden combo is Championship caliber. Oden has probably been the biggest surprise of the season, going from good to great. He is certainly in the MVP discussion, and at 20 years old we should look for him to be there for quite a few more years. The backcourt could use some work, but I have them over Minnesota strictly because I'd take Daniels/Oden over Garnett/Ewing for this year. They need Haynes to step it up offensively if they want to win the title. They have their pick, so they can make a trade for an improvement at the 2/3.
2. Aukland Breakers (22-6)
The best rebounding team in the league, Korac might be the MVP if Barkley wasn't around. They can score (#3 in the league) and defend (#4 in the league) which provides them with the #1 points margin (a ridiculous (14.4ppg). Not a ton of moves they can really make, this is a championship team and I expect them to ride it out. Probably the best overall team, but they don't have much more potential.
1. Chicago Bulls (21-7)
Barkley is the best player in the league and is the undisputed MVP right now. 35 and 9 combined with his defensive numbers make him scary for any team. Luckily for them, Conley is living up to his contract. His numbers so far of 16/5/8 with 2.5 steals a game is pretty impressive at 21. The Stackhouse trade was a great move, with Fleming's injury they needed a replacement. Fleming will back up the 1/2 spots when he comes back and Stack adds some more firepower to the best offensive team in the league. The defense is a bit of a problem, but they are still second in the league in points margin at 9.1 so even a little improvement could be a championship.
All-NBA Teams
1st Team
C Greg Oden
PF Charles Barkley
SF Julius Erving
SG Michael Jordan
PG Tony Parker
2nd Team
C Radivoj Korac
PF Mel Daniels
SF Xavier McDaniel
SG Earl Monroe
PG John Stockton
MVP Charles Barkley
DPOY Radivoj Korac
ROY Bill Russell
Bottom 5 Teams (Or the #1 pick teams)
5. Los Angeles Lakers (9-17)
Russell has been great his rookie year and Okur could prove to be a useful player with his size and shooting. Don't think they have a GM, so it would be a shame to see them get the #1 pick again. They will probably hover around the projected 5-8 range all year.
4. Guangdong Southern Tigers (8-18)
They have a pretty good shot at the #1 pick (4th worst record). Not a whole lot going on with this team. Wrenn has been shopped, and trading away Zidek to truly tank might not be a bad plan.
3. Washington Generals (8-21)
While Havlicek is having a nice scoring season, he's only shooting 39% from he field. Bogut has to be a nice surprise for them, good percentages. The rest of the roster is shit, don't see them making too many moves this year.
2. Taipei Fubon Braves (6-22)
We might actually be better than this. I gave Earl Watson the start at PG and we tanked pretty bad. I have a lot of backcourt options to play with, hopefully we can get out of the top 3. Would like a shot at the #1 pick.
1. Boston Celtics (3-24)
I think they'd be content with any top 5 pick. Last year's #1 pick Chris Paul is having a nice start. I expect him to be at the elite level in the next two seasons. Don't see much chance of them getting out of the top 3, an overall bad shooting team.
Top Eleven Teams
Honorable Mention: Cairo Zamalek (16-12)
I am definitely overrating them, but they are the type of team that could have pulled off a first round upset. The backcourt of Stockton/Jones is scary. Before Jones went down, he was the definite ROY. Now, they can tank and have a top ten pick to trade or use to add another piece. I wouldn't be surprised if they consider shopping Stockton. At 27 he probably won't ever have more value, and Jones appears to be the kind of player a team can build around.
11. Brazil Franca BC (16 - 11)
Eh. Pretty good record, but nothing special here. Monroe is a great player at his peak, but not enough talent around him. They are one of the best defenses in the league, and should get a nice boost when DeBusschere comes back. In order to be a legit playoff team, they need that boost from DeBus. Schmidt has been a nice surprise, but he's not a very efficient shooter at only 43%. The Warriors probably deserve to be here, but they don't have a coach so fuck them.
10. Harlem Globetrotters (18-11)
Julius Erving is fun. 25/8/4 on 52% FG. I like the three-headed front court of Curry/Noah/Henderson. Curry is a great offensive player, and is shooting an insane 58% FG. The backcourt is pretty meh, don't see them getting out of the first round. Might be time to make a move, either trade Erving or try to add another piece by moving one of the bigs. Right now they are a pretty good offensive team, top ten in PPG, FG%, 3FG% but not great at anything.
9. Bamberg Brose Baskets (16 - 11)
I like the addition of Nichols a lot, and they could quickly jump up the rankings. I'd run the line up as McDyess/Nichols/Heinsohn/Robertson/Kirkland. Right now they are one of the best offensive teams in the league, but one of the worst defensively. They need some defense and that's where Nichols comes in. I really like the line up 1-5, and the have a lot of depth. I wouldn't be surprised if they made another move. Might be time to pool some of those assets for an elite player.
8. Boca Juniors (17-9)
Kevin Durant is my favorite player in the league. He needs to shoot more, his % are incredible (56/75/48). I was expecting Horford to be better, but I'm not sure he's an all-star yet. The numbers for the backcourt are down. Wouldn't be surprised to see them shopping Nurkic when he gets healthy. Ideally they could use a better SG. Not sure what tactics they are running, but should aim to be top 8-10 in the league in scoring. Capitalize on their best player's (Durant) strengths.
7. Mikawa Aisin Seahorses (17-13)
Sherman White and Xavier McDaniel make up one of the best one-two punches in the league. Averaging 55ppg on about 48% FG and 17 rpg these two are going to be a handful for anyone in the playoffs. They are here because while the White/McDaniel/Maciel threesome is pretty impressive, the backcourt is non-existent. Jack Acuff and Joseph McComas are a train-wreck and without an upgrade at PG (Acuff's defense could be useful), we can expect a first round exit from this bunch.
6. Piraeus Olympiacos BC (18 - 9)
I actually think this team could be MUCH better. The GM needs to capitalize on some of the talent on this roster, especially Malone. His numbers are down from last year and he's only playing around 30mpg. This is a guy that could be a 25ppg scorer, and possibly a top 10 player. I'd try out Mikkelsen and Malone at the 3 and move Drazen to the 2. Bowie deserves more minutes, and Luisetti might be better used as a super sub. There is some serious talent and I expect a second half improvement.
5. Toronto Raptors (19-8)
Might be a little low for this team, but I don't see them being a legit contender. The starting line up is solid from top to bottom, but they lack a true #1 option. They are the most efficient team, 1st in the league in 3FG%, Points Per Shot, and Adjusted FG% difference. That coupled with one of league's best defenses (2nd in PPG, 1st in FG%, 1st in Adjusted FG%) put them in the contender discussion. They remind me a bit of the 2000s Oakland A's, great regular season team but not enough star power to make too much noise in the playoffs. They need to add some offense before they can be considered one of the elite teams.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-10)
As expected, John turned this team around in one year. They have easily one of the best front courts in the league, and probably should stay that way for the next 5 years. Ewing is having an MVP caliber season, while Garnett is living up to his perennial All-Star potential. Wiggins is coming along, but I'm not sure he'll live up to the purple potential. Not sure how serious they are about contending, but I could see Wiggins moving for an older upgrade at the 2/3. Either way this team is set for the future. They need a little more efficiency out of Belov this year, and they would probably move up into the top 3.
3. New York Knicks (17-10)
Probably the best front court in the league. The Daniels/Oden combo is Championship caliber. Oden has probably been the biggest surprise of the season, going from good to great. He is certainly in the MVP discussion, and at 20 years old we should look for him to be there for quite a few more years. The backcourt could use some work, but I have them over Minnesota strictly because I'd take Daniels/Oden over Garnett/Ewing for this year. They need Haynes to step it up offensively if they want to win the title. They have their pick, so they can make a trade for an improvement at the 2/3.
2. Aukland Breakers (22-6)
The best rebounding team in the league, Korac might be the MVP if Barkley wasn't around. They can score (#3 in the league) and defend (#4 in the league) which provides them with the #1 points margin (a ridiculous (14.4ppg). Not a ton of moves they can really make, this is a championship team and I expect them to ride it out. Probably the best overall team, but they don't have much more potential.
1. Chicago Bulls (21-7)
Barkley is the best player in the league and is the undisputed MVP right now. 35 and 9 combined with his defensive numbers make him scary for any team. Luckily for them, Conley is living up to his contract. His numbers so far of 16/5/8 with 2.5 steals a game is pretty impressive at 21. The Stackhouse trade was a great move, with Fleming's injury they needed a replacement. Fleming will back up the 1/2 spots when he comes back and Stack adds some more firepower to the best offensive team in the league. The defense is a bit of a problem, but they are still second in the league in points margin at 9.1 so even a little improvement could be a championship.
All-NBA Teams
1st Team
C Greg Oden
PF Charles Barkley
SF Julius Erving
SG Michael Jordan
PG Tony Parker
2nd Team
C Radivoj Korac
PF Mel Daniels
SF Xavier McDaniel
SG Earl Monroe
PG John Stockton
MVP Charles Barkley
DPOY Radivoj Korac
ROY Bill Russell
Bottom 5 Teams (Or the #1 pick teams)
5. Los Angeles Lakers (9-17)
Russell has been great his rookie year and Okur could prove to be a useful player with his size and shooting. Don't think they have a GM, so it would be a shame to see them get the #1 pick again. They will probably hover around the projected 5-8 range all year.
4. Guangdong Southern Tigers (8-18)
They have a pretty good shot at the #1 pick (4th worst record). Not a whole lot going on with this team. Wrenn has been shopped, and trading away Zidek to truly tank might not be a bad plan.
3. Washington Generals (8-21)
While Havlicek is having a nice scoring season, he's only shooting 39% from he field. Bogut has to be a nice surprise for them, good percentages. The rest of the roster is shit, don't see them making too many moves this year.
2. Taipei Fubon Braves (6-22)
We might actually be better than this. I gave Earl Watson the start at PG and we tanked pretty bad. I have a lot of backcourt options to play with, hopefully we can get out of the top 3. Would like a shot at the #1 pick.
1. Boston Celtics (3-24)
I think they'd be content with any top 5 pick. Last year's #1 pick Chris Paul is having a nice start. I expect him to be at the elite level in the next two seasons. Don't see much chance of them getting out of the top 3, an overall bad shooting team.
