Post by JR on Jun 15, 2020 10:59:11 GMT -8
Welcome to the 4th annual JR’s Roundtable. Today we have some first time guests on the show and we are very excited to hear their opinions on the state of the league.
1. Alright lets jump right into it, The 2003 Draft was definitely the most hyped draft so far, what was the biggest surprise to you about the draft? Why?
Jeb - For me it was ultimately how far TJ Ford fell and how many PG's were taken ahead of him. from the notes, at least I read it, he's the second best PG in this class after Kirk and of course after the fact that Lebron and Wade can play PG. I was trying to move up in to about 7/8/9 range because that was where I assumed he'd go. Curious to see TC play out to know if I was right or wrong there.
DB - All the trades! I can't believe Pig traded his number projected first for AH, Brand and PP, but I love the value he received. He didn't even end up with LeBron so I think it was worth it. Though it would be fun to build around LBJ or Wade. Habes making moves too. There were a lot of exciting deals and mostly everyone didn't have their original pick except for the Jazz who ended up with the prize of the draft. I am actually shocked the Jazz ended up with him. Wade and James are going to be a nuisance in the West for many years but knowing Habes I am sure he will be trade eventually.
Galo - Two things stuck out to me – the Bucks falling to #5 and Josh Howard dropping to #8. Milwaukee has had some really rough luck the last 2 seasons honestly – last year he fell out of the top 2 where Yao/Amare were the 2 studs and ended up with Boozer. Arvydas was a nice rebound pick at #12 last year but it’s been tough sledding for them honestly. Josh Howard I think was really good value at #8 especially for a Raptors team that is just loading up on talent. Parker-J-Rich-Howard-Wagner is a nice young core along with Nene and Foyle.
Pig - I thought Darko falling to 12 was huge. I didn't really see any potential big home run prospects after 4 and to see guys taken with pretty lukewarm notes before Darko I immediately went into overdrive to move up and grab that pick starting with Galo at 10 and 13rock at 11. Darko could be a huge bust at the end of the day but I would make the same move any day of the week. Risk is worth the reward at that point.
2. Going along with the draft, everybody had their eyes on the big 4, LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Melo, but who outside of the big 4 will have the best career in BBS? Why?
Jeb - I'll go with Josh Howard, he can do a bit of everything and i think he'll at worst be the first guy off the bench on a title team. Otherwise if one of the PG's has a nice TC i could see someone turning one of those scoring guards into a little J-craw or something.
DB - Kirk Hinrich iMO. PGs are hard to come by and he will be a really good PG in this league. I think he will end up shooting high percentages, low TO's, with high assists. He is going to be a welcome addition to any team and the Warriors made a good choice.
Galo - I would say David West or Josh Howard. West could easily be a 17/10 guy in this league at PF as a non-option and the right camps. Howard also looks to be a nice balanced scorer and could be a really good defender too. It comes down to actual potential for both of these guys and how they develop out on their respective clubs.
Pig - People seemed to be pretty sour on Hinrich in the commentary in the draft and were high on Barbosa for whatever reason. I did not get that vibe at all from the notes. I think Barbosa is going to be a super high TO guy. I hope Darko is the best guy outside the big 4 but I think Hinrich is going to be a solid 15 PPG 7APG 2.0 TPG type guy which means he will start on most teams in the league. I’ll give it to Hinrich for the time being.
3. Free Agency has some big names in it, think any of the players change teams? Or do most stay home?
Jeb - I'd guess Crawford or Lewis trade teams... people will offer huge money on the big guys but their teams giving the full max will keep those dudes home.
DB - I think most stay home but you will see some names leave for some BIG MONEY. Like some ridiculous deals just to change teams and understandable. You have to overpay to get people. The Grizzlies are going to lose some people, which sucks for Jeff but I don't think he can overpay all of these guys. I just hope ZO returns to Portland. PLEASE!!
Galo - They’ll be some movement but not a ton like people are expecting. I think some power will shift more to the East if I had to guess just because there’s only 3 teams right now with little to no cap space. I think the West had loaded up with LeBron, Wade, Bosh and Melo there now so I think the West will emerge as the much stronger conference even more than last year next season.
Pig – You’re always going to have to overpay in this league to get guys. It should be interesting because there are some guys out there who are on the max cusp line that will probably need a max if you want them. Big discussion about Big Z and if he is deserving of the max or not this morning and my opinion is if you want Big Z you’re going to have to max him. Camby is another big who I think will need a max as well who may be on the cusp. I think Camby is better than Z though.
More or less you will see a couple big guys switch teams but for the most part a lot of these guys will stay put.
4. Now that we are 3 seasons in who do you think has done the best job GMing their team thus far? Why?
Jeb - there's a few for me. I love how bullheaded erbes is with his big heavy guy team, and find that amusing. Skillz and his Knicks ever changing roster is fun to watch, and swirving with his big scoring wings+KG roster is the most consistent.
DB - Habes, Skillz and JR. These guys have transitioned well and have done a really good job year to year. JR won a championship, got out when the time was right and landed LBJ. Now he is set for however long he wants to hold onto LBJ. Just build a team around him and let him do his thing. Habes and Skillz trade constantly but Skillz just won a ship so it was all worth it. Habes keeps building contenders and was 2 points away from going back to the WCF. Fun, active gms that make the league better.
Galo - I think the easy answer is Skillz. He’s done a tremendous job reshaping his roster time and time again every season. It’s pretty remarkable how he does it all in all honesty. He had the best team arguably on paper in year 1 then lost in the ECF to the Nets. He didn’t make it past round 2 in 01 but comes back with MJ in 02 and wins the chip. That’s perseverance and not giving up on the model. I think Greeme and Jr would be runners up after him thus far.
Pig – Skillz and Habes ability to constantly be dealing always puts them at an advantage to be two or three steps ahead of other teams while trying to construct a winning team. Habes recently came at me with a deal I rejected for number #1 before we finally had the deal with covid and then I saw what he was trying to flip with Atlanta due to talks with him. It was a situation where if I knew what the talks with the Hawks were and I could of flipped it that way with that info I would have been more intrigued by the offer. I won’t every have an activity level which will let me provide that in a high volume capacity so you have to give credit to those guys.
JR has done a nice job with Prince and Lebron now, I expect him to have a very solid team again in the next couple years. I say it all the time but I think SARGO is very underrated. Nanz made some chicken soup out of chicken shit and was in some tough spots there for a moment as well.
5. There have been a lot of questionable moves this offseason. Which move baffled you the most? Why?
Jeb - Sonics not doing Jack shit to try and help Shaq. like you have the2nd most dominet interior player in the league and you cant build anything around him? HOW
DB - None have really baffled me that much. Again, I would have to say that these CY teams need to do more. They need to capitalize on the draft which some did and the off-season. They can't rely on FA because usually that doesn't work out at all. The biggest shocker was Hornets-Denver. Pig receiving those 3 players for the number 1 projected and Denver ending up with Melo is insane. PP is very similar to Melo. Gotta respect the balls on Pig passing up on the shot of LBJ and just adding 3 good pieces. I like it!
Galo - Probably the Nuggets-Hornets trade where Pierce, Brand and Houston were given up for the projected #1 then flipping it again for Manu and the Hawks pick is most questionable especially if you don’t have your 04 or your 05 1sts. I get why Royal does it for a chance at the King/DWade but just seems like a hefty price to pay for a chance at him and the lotto is such a crap shoot. Long and behold, it slipped to #4 and he ended up with Melo after the Wolves past on him and took Bosh. A close second would be the Rockets-Knicks deal where Marion plus #7 this year and 2 future 1sts for Vince Carter. That’s a boat load to include for VC (who is great) but especially when Marion put up exceptional numbers last year and was all-league 3rd team.
Pig - I think COVID said it best with Styro in his power rankings, “You tanked 3 years to get Ray Allen at the end.” Doesn’t seem like that’s the best way to structure a competitive franchise. I didn’t hate the Sixers/Pistons trade as much as everyone else did. I understood COVID’s deals even though they didn’t pan out as expected. So yeah, not much craziness I hated in the last couple of days to be honest.
6. Everybody has a different opinion on who the best player is on the file, and that’s fair, but who do you think is the player with the most value around the league? Why?
Jeb - Its still Duncan until proven otherwise, I always though FBB favored guards but this go round Spencer has done a hell of a job balancing the need for great bigs.
DB - I would of probably said MJ if he didn't retired and I may be a bit biased with ZO. I had him fir 20 games and he was absolutely filthy and carried me to a postseason berth. The numbers he was putting up was insane and still has two ACs left. But, in the end, I have to say Kobe. 25 and going to be A A B+ A+ is absolutely nuts lol. LBJ will overtake him but Kobe has to have the most value right now. Just insane player. Obviously LBJ and Wade have tons of value on a rookie deal. Those guys shouldn't be moved for awhile though. We shall see.
Galo - I would still say it’s the same player – value and production has to go to Tim Duncan. The guy has no weaknesses, only 27 and just entering his prime years now. Not to mention he still has 1 AC left! He would get a major Godfather offer from someone in the league I would imagine if he was out there. Also, he’s the biggest potential free agent next year that no one is talking about yet…
Pig - Tim Duncan, Lebron or Wade. Because they are superstars.
7. A few teams are in CY, Magic, Hawks, Sonics. Who makes it and who doesn’t? Why?
Jeb - If one of them hits in FA they might make it. but all three rosters are really rough... how do you have a really rough roster with Kobe or Shaq? No clue but they do.
DB - I think the Sonics are going to have a lot of trouble with the CY. The West is tougher than the East. Magic have Kobe, Sonics have Shaq. Right now honestly it doesn't look good for any one of them lol. I guess I will have to give the Magic and Sonics some hope because they have two guys on their squads that could carry them to 42 wins with some decent players around them if they made the right moves. The Hawks might be in trouble. They really need to start being more active and making deals if they want to stay in the league. Someone is going to definitely get CYd. I think it will be 1 of the 3 but I wouldn't be shocked if all 3 tbh.
Galo - I think the Magic should make it as long as they sign some good free agents to surround Kobe and doesn’t get cute with the remaining assets he has (Nuggets 04, his own picks). If he can get Manu or BPA with the Nuggets 1st, he’ll be fine as long as they stay healthy. I don’t have a ton of confidence in the Hawks at this moment but Ray Allen is really good and Sarunas is a pretty good point guard so as long as they get some good pieces around them – they could sneak in to the playoffs or get 42 – 50/50 for them I think. As for the Sonics, they fell 3 wins short of 42 last year but the West got a whole lot stronger this year with the draft too. Again, another team that will be need an average to above average free agency to be in good position – I think it’s 50/50 for them as well, unfortunately as it stands now. Worst case scenario – he can trade Shaq for more help but he needs some good signings.
Pig - Here’s the problem. I think the Sonics will make it, I don’t think they are in a position to ever be that good though. In the West I think you will have teams this year who need to have and identity check (SAS, LAC, MEM) and either retool if they think they have the assets to do so or rebuild. I don’t think SAS or MEM have any realistic chance winning a championship with their squads (especially if they lose key FA’s). One of those three teams will start a rebuild this year. I think that’s going to be key for SEA.
Someone will overpay for Kobe with Orlando that should give them the assets to make the CY. They have to be wiling to do that to win.
Hawks are screwed.
8. Lets talk about your teams for a few, what are your plans this season? Expecting any big moves?
Jeb - See how Bosh, Ford and the rest of the young fellas progress, If the right offer comes along I'd listen to just about anything.
DB - I need to sign ZO. After that, I play to try to upgrade at the 3. Otherwise, I am always open to making deals. I want to compete and win now and I think I can with this roster. If I can come across some deals that make me better and upgrade somewhere I will pursue them. My team has the depth and talent to win 50 plus games. Can I compete with some of the top teams? Not sure, but If I can upgrade in certain areas I think we could have a better shot at a run with a better seeding. ZO is too talented and Rose is one of the most underrated players in the league.
Galo - It’s year one of rebuilding in 03’ – so it’s going to be rough but we’ve got a decent foundation to start. I’ve got 4 1sts next year including my own in what’ not a star studded pool but definitely a deep draft. We’ve got some young rookies with some promise and some cap room as well so we’re definitely building for the future.
Pig - I am super excited for this team this year, I think we have a solid crew and a plethora of assets to move forward for big name players. I am probably going to wait until after TC to try and figure it out but I am putting some nibbles out in the water to see what’s available.
9. Do you believe in not taking offers for players, or is everybody always available for the right price?
Jeb - Everyone can move for a price, no one really likes my prices though
DB - I believe everyone is always available for the right place. There is always a deal to be had. It just really depends and really depends on what you like! If you want to build around a certain player or philosophy. But you can't get stuck with certain guys that don't work after a couple years, it won't change enough IMO. You need to switch them out and find guys that fit better together. But for me, everyone is usually available at the right price. It also depends on what direction I want to go in. I'm tired of losing, time to win.
Galo - There’s probably 3-4 players that probably you don’t take offers on (Duncan, Nash, Dimitris, maybe AI) but otherwise everyone should be available for the right price. It’s just depends on every team’s competitive situation and how they value those players though.
Pig - I will take an offer for any player. I think you hinder your team if you are reluctant to do so.
10. Lets not forget about Michael Jordan and David Robinson retiring. Was this surprising to you? MJ supposedly had 75 potential coming into the league.
Jeb - I was pretty sure that the Admiral was going to bring his ship to into harbor but Jordan i was a little surprised about being around so long I half expected his ass to stick around another year just for kicks.
DB - This was not surprising to me at all. I told people that MJ having this amount of potential doesn't matter. You rarely see players hit 40 years of age in FBB, RARELY. It doesn't happen and these two going out on top made all the sense in the world. I am happy Skillz came to me with the offer for LJ, I would of lost out big time with MJ losing and I honestly don't think I would of made my CY. I would be in a worst position than I am right now. So I am thankful I traded MJ, and happy LJ got hurt actually. It all worked out. But I really did believe MJ would retire. Skillz was prepared for it and got a title out of it.
Galo - It was about time for MJ – he had a hell of a run. Two finals and two chips in 3 seasons is great work for anyone but light work for the GOAT. Once word got out about MJ’s potential, skillz rightfully swooped in and plucked MJ for his first chip this year. I think DRob will go down as one of the best defensive centers when it’s all said and done – maybe retired a bit too early but left on top with a chip. He’ll always be remembered as the defensive anchor for 2 championship teams in 00’ and 02’.
Pig - Not surprising to me at all. With that said I am not informed to comment on this as I don’t know how age interacts with potential on that level in FBB.
11. You go out with your boys you are at a bar it’s your turn to buy a round, what are you ordering?
Jeb - A shot of malort? they'd proly cry so some hamms? if yall are in we're gonna go to pub royal for some dressed hamms, they are amazing
DB - If I am out with my boys it depends on the point of the night. Could be a round of beers if it's later or the first sip we will be drinking. It could be casa migos blanco on the rocks for everyone or a round of shots. Just depends on where we are at and what we're doing. Id say it's casa migos and we're about to have a fucking night ahead of us. Miss those days, need them back ASAP.
Galo - It really depends where we are. If we in LA, can’t go wrong with Don Julio or Patron shots especially if the night’s just getting started. It gets everyone loose and pumped for what’s ahead in the night. Typically, it helps the approach with the ladies too if you’ve got the tequila flowing.
Pig - Michelob Ultras for me at this point. The occasional whiskey drink once in a while and jello shots for the boys since they are all a bunch of whimps.
12. Want to thank all of you for the quick responses, and leave it open for any questions for me?
Jeb - Whats your drink of choice and why?
JR – I prefer tequila, Don Julio Anejo, Patron is ok. Don Julio 1942 is great but not spending that much to get drunk lol.
DB - Will you tank again this year? Do you think you can? Do you think you will ever trade LBJ?
JR – I will try to tank, LBJ can play any position so I will try him at every position this season. This draft is a little deeper, but not as top heavy, so a lotto will be nice either way. Unless I land 2 MAX players I will be tanking. As far as LBJ, Ive been known to get the best player and “sit” on him so probably not anytime soon.
Galo - What was your reaction in getting LeBron? Was it bittersweet since everyone knew you wanted Melo but got the King instead? Did you ever consider trading the pick or moving down to #3 or #4?
JR – I was surprised I jumped to be honest. 2 jumped last season I won the lotto in my other league so I expected to drop. As far as Melo yes I would’ve loved him my favorite player and all, but we have a job here and its to win the most ships before this league ends and Bron helps me accomplish that more then Melo does.
Pig - When are you trading Lebron?
JR – Very good question. I will trade him when I fail to win a championship with him after 5-7 seasons, or after I have won a couple with him and get bored.
Galo ,Von ,Orlando Magic Johnson , Jeb
Galo ,Von ,Orlando Magic Johnson , Jeb
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