Post by manasrai on Jul 20, 2020 22:11:19 GMT -8
Wowzers...this took way longer than I anticipated!
My first time hosting one of these, so thank you to my home boys for participating! I think there's a lotta fun content here :-)
Starting at the macro level, given a few different league member’s situations, have you/family/friends had COVID impact you?
Andrew:
Absolutely. Fortunately, myself and immediate family and friends have been lucky and haven’t tested positive but the pandemic goes far beyond that. My parents and grandparents (64 and 85 respectively) have seen friends die or be hospitalized. My dad was set to retire on July 25th but has been asked to stay on until at least 2021, despite giving six months notice. My parents are doing all of the grocery shopping and other errands for my grandparents who haven’t left the house since March other than a walk around the neighborhood. My sister in Manhattan has been stuck in her small apartment with no place to go as well. The mental toll on all of them has been enormous, especially given New York was the early hotspot for the outbreak in the U.S. Being in Virginia myself, I feel guilty that I’m not able to help my parents out who should be enjoying retired life together. It’s just the shittiest situation all the way around.
Skillz:
I think it’s impacted each and every one of us on some level. I am extremely lucky that I haven’t had any close family or friends come down with an especially serious case, but this is such a crazy time. Few of my buddies and a couple of family members have had it, but have had mild symptoms. It’s obviously impacted all of our daily lives. I haven’t been in the office since March 12th and don’t think I will be until next January at the earliest.
Play:
I had a very close family friend pass away from COVID. Had no symptoms or anything. Woke up one morning and told her mom she was having a shortness of breath. Her mom goes outside to get the car ready to take her to the hospital, a few minutes later she goes back in and her daughter is gone . I also had an aunt who is in her 60s that got covid but luckily she survived it. Besides that everything is fine on my end of things.
Habes:
We’ve been lucky. Most of my immediate family lives in Brooklyn and no one’s been affected. Closest I’ve come is my one of my closest friends is an ER doc and had a rough, lingering case, but he’s fine.
2) What’s your favorite BBS memory to date? (including previous iterations)
Andrew:
There’s no real specific memory (although watching DeJuan Blair develop comes to mind). More so it's the feeling of thinking back on the older versions of BBS and remembering what was going on in my life at that time - specifically living with Aaron and being in undergrad without a care in the world. Staying up until 4 in the morning playing Tiger Woods golf and then sleeping through 11 AM classes we had no intention of going to (Math in Action!). Ordering calzones and drinking Keystones (gross) BBS was an awesome supplement to so many good things in life and it's hard to believe that it's one of the only bright spots in 2020
Skillz:
Winning my first title in BBS 4. I looked back and I won 50+ games 21 (!) different times and 60+ games 6 (!) different times before winning the first title, and was the biggest choke known to man. It was nice getting the monkey off the back – especially because it came after a ballsy trade where I dealt a superduperstar for some dude named Deveroux St Cloud and it worked out.
Play:
Having Beef with all the BBS regulars when I finally joined BBS.
Habes:
I just have a few memories that make me laugh—nothing major. (1) We used to have to apply to join, and I remember Mark and me filling out Dan’s application in 11th grade. It was like 500 words on why he should be allowed into a sim league. (2) Leaving class in college to head to the library when I was in the finals vs. Martinez. I lost in six.
3) How do you feel about the pace of the league, and do you think it’ll change when things eventually *hopefully* return to normal?
Andrew:
I think trade activity will dwindle a little bit once GM’s are more active with other parts of their lives. But, if Spence continues to sim his current pace that will ensure that there will never be a lull in activity. Between the egos and different factions of the league it's impossible for activity to stay low for any extended period of time. I hope BBS stays around for a few years.
Skillz:
Hmmm – how do I feel about drugs and alcohol? Feels awesome when it’s happening! I don’t know how sustainable the pace is, and I probably should cutdown my activity by a little bit for mental health, but it is such a perfect quarantine activity. I’m in front of a computer almost everyday of the week and this is such a fun hobby. When things go back to normal? I don’t think any of us will have the free time, but I am sure we’ll all adjust accordingly.
Play:
Love the pace right now. Spencer does an amazing job atm. Even when things change BBS will still be a fast pace league. It has always been that way and I don't see it stopping.
Habes:
Well, I think Spence is the driving force behind the pace of the league, and he’s already back at work. I’ll have a lot less ability to check sim when I’m back in my office, but that’s not happening anytime soon. My telework was extended until June 2021! I think we’ll carry on at 80+% our current pace and activity level, which is plenty.
4) Tell me a little about your team and direction? Any untouchables? Any position you want to upgrade?
Andrew:
My team is a useless pile of garbage that is due for another 45 win season complete with a first round exit. Spencer must hate Pau Gasol. Some (read: most) would say I reached on Gasol at 1 given Gil (and everyone else!) was on the board, but he was consensus top 2. Instead, he turned out to be ? (read:completely average). At this point I’ve held onto him for too long and my cognitive biases are too strong to let him go. I enjoy trying to make the playoffs, even if I don’t have a championship caliber team, so I will continue to do that until I am no longer able. A good tank is probably needed sooner rather than later. No one is untouchable - I’ve been a fairly conservative GM in the past and want to shake that a bit and make some more moves, even if they don’t pan out.
Skillz:
Untouchables? PFFFFT! My team and direction are always malleable. Every season the ultimate goal is to win the championship, even if we take a circuitous route to get there. And IDK – people seem lukewarm on our team and some of my off-season moves, but I think any team with Billups as the engine, shooters around him and a deep bench will have both a high floor and a high ceiling. Don’t see any reason why we won’t win 50+ again and compete for a title, barring injuries. That’s all you can ask for. And fun!
Play:
My direction atm is to try to compete for a title. I still feel we are a year away but I love our potential. This is probably the best offseason in my history in BBS. I'm just glad that I always stay patient and never go away from my initial rebuilding plans. I hate fucking losing, so sometimes it becomes a chore to get on and look over things.
Habes sent a compelling offer this morning that included Tony Parker and I thought it was pretty good. But after discussing things with insane, I decided that Tony Parker is untouchable. I won't entertain any offers involving Parker. Lou Williams is available at the moment but that's likely to change as the season goes along. Our frontcourt is very iffy, I would love to add a 3rd big to rotate with Amare and Eddie Griffin. Matt Barnes will probably be made available again to grab another rotation big.
Habes:
I think we’re the favorites or a close second to the Kings. There are two guys I have no interest in dealing: Gil, because he’s 23, locked up, and the best PG in the league, and Kris Humphries, because he came in unheralded, sims well, and has gone up a full letter grade in rebounding—it’s hard to gauge that kind of player’s value, so I’m very likely to wait out his development. I think I have great depth at SF, PF, and C, but I don’t have stars at any of those positions, so I’m open to upgrading there.
5) Regarding the upcoming drafts, how do you rank 06/07/08 and why?
Andrew:
1 - 2007. Whoever gets Durant will be set for 15 years. His skillset translates perfectly into FBB
2- 2008. Probably the deepest of the three, but could come with some high risk/high reward players. I’ll forever have a soft spot in my heart for Derrick Rose.
3- 2006. When your best option after a year of tanking is LaMarcus Aldridge you aren’t going to be very happy with yourself
Skiliz:
1. 2008 – Star power, depth – really good if you are picking anywhere in the lotto
2. 2007 – KD is the prize
3. 2006 – It’s deep, don’t buy the hate. Fun draft no matter where you draft.
I don’t think we should be beholden to the NBA. I think all drafts should be fun for different reasons. I kinda hate when people just choose years to tank because there were studs drafted there in real life. BORING.
Play:
I hope Spencer starts to switch drafts up. I hate having these drafts compared to real life for the most part. Sim leagues are suppose to be random and fun. But when you constantly hear guys talk about how shitty a draft was in real life and expect it to be the same here, is pretty annoying. I can't wait until we get to fake players. I love the randomness about them and GMs can't really value them based on their names.
08 - Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo nuff said.
07 - Oden, Horford and Noah should give the league a much needed boost in big men.
Spencer better make Noah an ultra utility guy. He was a great all around player in his prime.
06 - Never really cared for this draft that much. Brandon Roy was one of my fav players, so hopefully Spencer does him justice. I would also like to see Rudy Gay become a superstar.
Habes:
’07 is the best. A generational talent, three excellent bigs (Noah, Gasol, Horford) with a possible fourth (Oden), and a stud PG (Conley). But it’s not particularly deep. ’08 comes next, mostly for its depth: Westbrook, Rose, Love, Gordon, Brook, Gallo, Ibaka, Hibbert, DeAndre, Dragic, etc. It should be really good through 18 or so. ’06 is the weakest, but it’s deep too, and a top five of Millsap, Lowry, Rondo, LMA, and Roy is solid.
6) Who do you think will be the next team to be CY’d? Why?
Andrew:
I think we have gotten to a good point in the league now with four GM’s that have gotten the ax. It will probably be quite a while until we see a CY firing. Boston might be a popular answer here, but Bynum looks awesome and I think they will be OK. I have genuinely no idea what Royal is doing in Denver. He always finds a way though. Beating around the bush here. I think it’s too early to tell.
Skillz:
Erbes? I don’t think anyone is in too much danger. Most of the CY teams are smart and I think it was an anomaly that 4 teams have been CY’d. They were all uniquely bad. The only reason I say Erbes is because it seems like he gets indecisive with his direction and I could see him trying to get too cute. Inside offenses are hard! Also, Deron looks bad.
Play:
Potentially Erbes(sorry buddy). He does really weird random shit at times. I hated how he mostly came away empty handed when he decided to rebuild. He needs to relax and stay on course. His free agency was terrible. I told him earlier I didn't like how he utilized his cap during this free agency period. On the bright side I love Dwight, Deron and Joey Graham. He has picks to go out and grab some older vets next year. Hopefully he doesn't pull a chipper this year and try to compete. The West is fucking loaded and its a good time for him to tank one last season and then go from there. Having another high lotto right before his contract year should net him a stud via trade to pair with Deron, Dwight and a resigned Z. Erbes should also have enough for a max contract next off season.
Habes:
It’s hard to project beyond even a season given the amount of dealing that occurs here, so I’ll use this to talk about two teams. First, yours. I think you could survive, but you’re a move away. You should score and rebound well, but you’re only average at center and point guard. Martin and Granger should have a ton of value, and I think you can get a star basing a package around one of them. That would save you.
Second, Royal’s. Royal is a smart and creative guy and one of the best presences here, but he routinely underestimates the rest of the league. He jumps at big deals at the expense of his direction or his core and assumes he can clean up the mess. Maybe he can, but he has an uphill battle right now, having assembled Milwaukee West. I’m worried he’ll get chopped by the CY!
7) Who are your Top 3 underrated players in the league (can’t be on your team) and why?
Andrew:
Pacce Man- A lot of divergent opinions on him, but he allows you to have weaknesses at other positions that you normally couldn’t given how low his TO’s are and how high his blocks and rebounding are for a PG. I love him and think it would be fairly easy to build a team around him
Allan Houston- I don’t think he’s underrated per se, but the way he’s been traded around for Sundays leftovers would indicate that he is. His splits are absolutely amazing and he rarely has off nights given his A+ outside.
Ben Wallace - Once again, not underrated in the traditional sense, but more so because Ashes doesn’t talk his players up as much as most GM’s. For someone who is a total offensive liability he more than makes up for it with his D/blocks/rebounding.
Skillz:
1. Paccelis Morlende – He’s no longer on my team so I can say this. The best 4th starter in BBS. If you can’t figure out why he’s valuable, you aren’t very good at this thing.
2. Zach Randolph – Ugly ratings, doesn’t shoot 3’s, doesn’t block, but he’s perfect at everything else and is a pretty awesome player
3. Udonis Haslem – Perfect at everything besides blocks.
Play:
Devin Harris has instantly become one of my fav players. He had a great rookie year and should be even better this season.
Don Reid doesn't get talked about but hes an amazing shotblocker for the Kings.
Caron Butler is very good even with Jeb sabotaging his career.
Habes:
Trying not to go with role players who are surprisingly good, since that’s largely just a matter of flying under the radar rather than being misvalued. Here goes nothing.
1. Dimitris Diamantidis. Got dealt with Moiso for Dirk and half the league thought the Dirk side won. Insane.
2. Carmelo Anthony. There’s talk that he’s dead or needs to be saved. Borderline superstar with his scoring and rebounding at SF.
3. Elton Brand. Strange trajectory. He’s blocks and handles have both calmed down, and now he looks like a solid shotblocker and rebounder with above average offense for a big. I don’t love him, but a value correction’s in store.
8) Who will be the next MVP after Tim Duncan?
Andrew:
Allen Iverson. He probably should have at least one MVP to his name at this point, but FBB values big men over wings. He’s led the league in PPG and SPG several times and can account for nearly 40 wins on his own.
Skillz:
Kobe Bryant. His ratings are just so dominant. It would normally be a Point Guard, but none of the best point guards in BBS have enough assists to satisfy FBB. Steve Nash might win a BS-award.
Play:
I feel like Lebron can make a serious run at multiple MVPs if he ever starts at PG full time. I also feel like Chris Paul will win at least 2 MVPs during his BBS career. Out of the vets, I could see Kobe snatching one soon.
Habes:
Tough to say because FBB favors bigs and we’re so thin on them. I’ll be bold and say Kobe steals one from him. Kobe is far ahead of Duncan, so here’s hoping. After that I’ll stick with wings and say LeBron.
9) Of the other Round Table participants…Love? Hate? Bored of?
Andrew:
I have mixed feelings about roundtables because the reward structure seems to be a bit inequitable to use a harold term. It does seem like the participants spend as much time as the question asker on the article, but receive less for doing so. However, a lot of the roundtables here are very entertaining and it hasn’t gotten to the point where Spence has banned them, so keep them coming!
(I personally think he should try doing one of these and reconsider his response)
Skillz:
I love everyone!
Do I have to pick? Let’s all love one another. I love Habes because he traded me ANDY V, the big who is going to benefit from this Roundtable RC. I the that Andrew calls me out for hyping my players in public. Let me do my work! I’m bored whenever I talk trade with play because it’s like negotiating against a voicemail machine.
Play:
Love Habes. Its funny though, when I first joined BBS we had beef lol.
Hate how Skillz tires to shit on the job I have done here. It's not really a fair assessment. I take my time building teams and I feel no need to rush. Once I find a combination of players that I like, I start to make moves and compete.
Bored of Andrew never going all out for a title, he had a great chance last year. That Manu move fucked him over and now he's back to treadmill status. Western Conference version of Jah. They can build teams but never truly go for it. Giving RIP that contract was a terrible idea as well.
Habes:
Love these guys. No shit talk from me!
10) Let’s end it with some love – what’s something you’re looking forward to?
Andrew:
As much as this is idiotic to say - grad school to be over. Given the current environment, my second year won’t be nearly as much fun as the first year and quite frankly I want to get back to making money again. Watching my savings dwindle away over the past year has not been fun. I’m also looking forward to the summer being over! It was 100 in Virginia today! Gross! I love the fall, which in New York was September, but in Virginia is late September early November, so I have to wait longer than I would like. It’s such a nice and relaxing time of year.
Fall beers are delicious. Crisp air is rejuvenating. Fall is the best season of the year after pre-summer.
Skillz:
Playing some golf this wknd! I suck. But drinking beers and being outside is nice.
Play:
Looking forward to beating the shit out of the Knicks. I owe Skillz for coming back on my team a few seasons ago in the playoffs.
Habes:
A bunch of things. Ordered chronologically: I have a mediation this week that could (probably won’t) resolve a case I’ve been worked on nearly full-time for more than four years. We’re going hiking in the Shenandoah valley next Wed.-Sun. We might move somewhere fun for a year since I’ll be working remotely until next June. And the biggie: got a second kid coming in January!
11) AMA
Andrew:
Living in the new center of the pandemic what has life been like for you? Biggest adjustments? What have you been doing to occupy your time other than napping?
I went from traveling every week with literally an unlimited budget to show people a good time in order to get business done to literally being "grounded." Given NoCal restrictions I have not even had a chance to get a haircut since February! But I'm embracing it :-)
Skillz:
What is the worst CY-related trade you were offered.
Maybe that stock trade Andrew suggested?
Otherwise, I'm not talking down on my peers :-)
Play:
Why did you flake on us a few weeks ago in Cali?
YOU NEVER CALLED MEEEEEEEEE
Dude I would have LOVED to see you and Galo !
My guys were ready to host! Smoked duck for the win on my end!
All that said, how CRAZY were the fireworks!
Habes:
What’s the best offer you passed on this offseason?
I think the offseason offerings weren't great. Missing out on MIA offering some 1sts (won't even name them, it's that bad) for theirs back was a real bad move on my part.
My first time hosting one of these, so thank you to my home boys for participating! I think there's a lotta fun content here :-)
Starting at the macro level, given a few different league member’s situations, have you/family/friends had COVID impact you?
Andrew:
Absolutely. Fortunately, myself and immediate family and friends have been lucky and haven’t tested positive but the pandemic goes far beyond that. My parents and grandparents (64 and 85 respectively) have seen friends die or be hospitalized. My dad was set to retire on July 25th but has been asked to stay on until at least 2021, despite giving six months notice. My parents are doing all of the grocery shopping and other errands for my grandparents who haven’t left the house since March other than a walk around the neighborhood. My sister in Manhattan has been stuck in her small apartment with no place to go as well. The mental toll on all of them has been enormous, especially given New York was the early hotspot for the outbreak in the U.S. Being in Virginia myself, I feel guilty that I’m not able to help my parents out who should be enjoying retired life together. It’s just the shittiest situation all the way around.
Skillz:
I think it’s impacted each and every one of us on some level. I am extremely lucky that I haven’t had any close family or friends come down with an especially serious case, but this is such a crazy time. Few of my buddies and a couple of family members have had it, but have had mild symptoms. It’s obviously impacted all of our daily lives. I haven’t been in the office since March 12th and don’t think I will be until next January at the earliest.
Play:
I had a very close family friend pass away from COVID. Had no symptoms or anything. Woke up one morning and told her mom she was having a shortness of breath. Her mom goes outside to get the car ready to take her to the hospital, a few minutes later she goes back in and her daughter is gone . I also had an aunt who is in her 60s that got covid but luckily she survived it. Besides that everything is fine on my end of things.
Habes:
We’ve been lucky. Most of my immediate family lives in Brooklyn and no one’s been affected. Closest I’ve come is my one of my closest friends is an ER doc and had a rough, lingering case, but he’s fine.
2) What’s your favorite BBS memory to date? (including previous iterations)
Andrew:
There’s no real specific memory (although watching DeJuan Blair develop comes to mind). More so it's the feeling of thinking back on the older versions of BBS and remembering what was going on in my life at that time - specifically living with Aaron and being in undergrad without a care in the world. Staying up until 4 in the morning playing Tiger Woods golf and then sleeping through 11 AM classes we had no intention of going to (Math in Action!). Ordering calzones and drinking Keystones (gross) BBS was an awesome supplement to so many good things in life and it's hard to believe that it's one of the only bright spots in 2020
Skillz:
Winning my first title in BBS 4. I looked back and I won 50+ games 21 (!) different times and 60+ games 6 (!) different times before winning the first title, and was the biggest choke known to man. It was nice getting the monkey off the back – especially because it came after a ballsy trade where I dealt a superduperstar for some dude named Deveroux St Cloud and it worked out.
Play:
Having Beef with all the BBS regulars when I finally joined BBS.
Habes:
I just have a few memories that make me laugh—nothing major. (1) We used to have to apply to join, and I remember Mark and me filling out Dan’s application in 11th grade. It was like 500 words on why he should be allowed into a sim league. (2) Leaving class in college to head to the library when I was in the finals vs. Martinez. I lost in six.
3) How do you feel about the pace of the league, and do you think it’ll change when things eventually *hopefully* return to normal?
Andrew:
I think trade activity will dwindle a little bit once GM’s are more active with other parts of their lives. But, if Spence continues to sim his current pace that will ensure that there will never be a lull in activity. Between the egos and different factions of the league it's impossible for activity to stay low for any extended period of time. I hope BBS stays around for a few years.
Skillz:
Hmmm – how do I feel about drugs and alcohol? Feels awesome when it’s happening! I don’t know how sustainable the pace is, and I probably should cutdown my activity by a little bit for mental health, but it is such a perfect quarantine activity. I’m in front of a computer almost everyday of the week and this is such a fun hobby. When things go back to normal? I don’t think any of us will have the free time, but I am sure we’ll all adjust accordingly.
Play:
Love the pace right now. Spencer does an amazing job atm. Even when things change BBS will still be a fast pace league. It has always been that way and I don't see it stopping.
Habes:
Well, I think Spence is the driving force behind the pace of the league, and he’s already back at work. I’ll have a lot less ability to check sim when I’m back in my office, but that’s not happening anytime soon. My telework was extended until June 2021! I think we’ll carry on at 80+% our current pace and activity level, which is plenty.
4) Tell me a little about your team and direction? Any untouchables? Any position you want to upgrade?
Andrew:
My team is a useless pile of garbage that is due for another 45 win season complete with a first round exit. Spencer must hate Pau Gasol. Some (read: most) would say I reached on Gasol at 1 given Gil (and everyone else!) was on the board, but he was consensus top 2. Instead, he turned out to be ? (read:completely average). At this point I’ve held onto him for too long and my cognitive biases are too strong to let him go. I enjoy trying to make the playoffs, even if I don’t have a championship caliber team, so I will continue to do that until I am no longer able. A good tank is probably needed sooner rather than later. No one is untouchable - I’ve been a fairly conservative GM in the past and want to shake that a bit and make some more moves, even if they don’t pan out.
Skillz:
Untouchables? PFFFFT! My team and direction are always malleable. Every season the ultimate goal is to win the championship, even if we take a circuitous route to get there. And IDK – people seem lukewarm on our team and some of my off-season moves, but I think any team with Billups as the engine, shooters around him and a deep bench will have both a high floor and a high ceiling. Don’t see any reason why we won’t win 50+ again and compete for a title, barring injuries. That’s all you can ask for. And fun!
Play:
My direction atm is to try to compete for a title. I still feel we are a year away but I love our potential. This is probably the best offseason in my history in BBS. I'm just glad that I always stay patient and never go away from my initial rebuilding plans. I hate fucking losing, so sometimes it becomes a chore to get on and look over things.
Habes sent a compelling offer this morning that included Tony Parker and I thought it was pretty good. But after discussing things with insane, I decided that Tony Parker is untouchable. I won't entertain any offers involving Parker. Lou Williams is available at the moment but that's likely to change as the season goes along. Our frontcourt is very iffy, I would love to add a 3rd big to rotate with Amare and Eddie Griffin. Matt Barnes will probably be made available again to grab another rotation big.
Habes:
I think we’re the favorites or a close second to the Kings. There are two guys I have no interest in dealing: Gil, because he’s 23, locked up, and the best PG in the league, and Kris Humphries, because he came in unheralded, sims well, and has gone up a full letter grade in rebounding—it’s hard to gauge that kind of player’s value, so I’m very likely to wait out his development. I think I have great depth at SF, PF, and C, but I don’t have stars at any of those positions, so I’m open to upgrading there.
5) Regarding the upcoming drafts, how do you rank 06/07/08 and why?
Andrew:
1 - 2007. Whoever gets Durant will be set for 15 years. His skillset translates perfectly into FBB
2- 2008. Probably the deepest of the three, but could come with some high risk/high reward players. I’ll forever have a soft spot in my heart for Derrick Rose.
3- 2006. When your best option after a year of tanking is LaMarcus Aldridge you aren’t going to be very happy with yourself
Skiliz:
1. 2008 – Star power, depth – really good if you are picking anywhere in the lotto
2. 2007 – KD is the prize
3. 2006 – It’s deep, don’t buy the hate. Fun draft no matter where you draft.
I don’t think we should be beholden to the NBA. I think all drafts should be fun for different reasons. I kinda hate when people just choose years to tank because there were studs drafted there in real life. BORING.
Play:
I hope Spencer starts to switch drafts up. I hate having these drafts compared to real life for the most part. Sim leagues are suppose to be random and fun. But when you constantly hear guys talk about how shitty a draft was in real life and expect it to be the same here, is pretty annoying. I can't wait until we get to fake players. I love the randomness about them and GMs can't really value them based on their names.
08 - Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo nuff said.
07 - Oden, Horford and Noah should give the league a much needed boost in big men.
Spencer better make Noah an ultra utility guy. He was a great all around player in his prime.
06 - Never really cared for this draft that much. Brandon Roy was one of my fav players, so hopefully Spencer does him justice. I would also like to see Rudy Gay become a superstar.
Habes:
’07 is the best. A generational talent, three excellent bigs (Noah, Gasol, Horford) with a possible fourth (Oden), and a stud PG (Conley). But it’s not particularly deep. ’08 comes next, mostly for its depth: Westbrook, Rose, Love, Gordon, Brook, Gallo, Ibaka, Hibbert, DeAndre, Dragic, etc. It should be really good through 18 or so. ’06 is the weakest, but it’s deep too, and a top five of Millsap, Lowry, Rondo, LMA, and Roy is solid.
6) Who do you think will be the next team to be CY’d? Why?
Andrew:
I think we have gotten to a good point in the league now with four GM’s that have gotten the ax. It will probably be quite a while until we see a CY firing. Boston might be a popular answer here, but Bynum looks awesome and I think they will be OK. I have genuinely no idea what Royal is doing in Denver. He always finds a way though. Beating around the bush here. I think it’s too early to tell.
Skillz:
Erbes? I don’t think anyone is in too much danger. Most of the CY teams are smart and I think it was an anomaly that 4 teams have been CY’d. They were all uniquely bad. The only reason I say Erbes is because it seems like he gets indecisive with his direction and I could see him trying to get too cute. Inside offenses are hard! Also, Deron looks bad.
Play:
Potentially Erbes(sorry buddy). He does really weird random shit at times. I hated how he mostly came away empty handed when he decided to rebuild. He needs to relax and stay on course. His free agency was terrible. I told him earlier I didn't like how he utilized his cap during this free agency period. On the bright side I love Dwight, Deron and Joey Graham. He has picks to go out and grab some older vets next year. Hopefully he doesn't pull a chipper this year and try to compete. The West is fucking loaded and its a good time for him to tank one last season and then go from there. Having another high lotto right before his contract year should net him a stud via trade to pair with Deron, Dwight and a resigned Z. Erbes should also have enough for a max contract next off season.
Habes:
It’s hard to project beyond even a season given the amount of dealing that occurs here, so I’ll use this to talk about two teams. First, yours. I think you could survive, but you’re a move away. You should score and rebound well, but you’re only average at center and point guard. Martin and Granger should have a ton of value, and I think you can get a star basing a package around one of them. That would save you.
Second, Royal’s. Royal is a smart and creative guy and one of the best presences here, but he routinely underestimates the rest of the league. He jumps at big deals at the expense of his direction or his core and assumes he can clean up the mess. Maybe he can, but he has an uphill battle right now, having assembled Milwaukee West. I’m worried he’ll get chopped by the CY!
7) Who are your Top 3 underrated players in the league (can’t be on your team) and why?
Andrew:
Pacce Man- A lot of divergent opinions on him, but he allows you to have weaknesses at other positions that you normally couldn’t given how low his TO’s are and how high his blocks and rebounding are for a PG. I love him and think it would be fairly easy to build a team around him
Allan Houston- I don’t think he’s underrated per se, but the way he’s been traded around for Sundays leftovers would indicate that he is. His splits are absolutely amazing and he rarely has off nights given his A+ outside.
Ben Wallace - Once again, not underrated in the traditional sense, but more so because Ashes doesn’t talk his players up as much as most GM’s. For someone who is a total offensive liability he more than makes up for it with his D/blocks/rebounding.
Skillz:
1. Paccelis Morlende – He’s no longer on my team so I can say this. The best 4th starter in BBS. If you can’t figure out why he’s valuable, you aren’t very good at this thing.
2. Zach Randolph – Ugly ratings, doesn’t shoot 3’s, doesn’t block, but he’s perfect at everything else and is a pretty awesome player
3. Udonis Haslem – Perfect at everything besides blocks.
Play:
Devin Harris has instantly become one of my fav players. He had a great rookie year and should be even better this season.
Don Reid doesn't get talked about but hes an amazing shotblocker for the Kings.
Caron Butler is very good even with Jeb sabotaging his career.
Habes:
Trying not to go with role players who are surprisingly good, since that’s largely just a matter of flying under the radar rather than being misvalued. Here goes nothing.
1. Dimitris Diamantidis. Got dealt with Moiso for Dirk and half the league thought the Dirk side won. Insane.
2. Carmelo Anthony. There’s talk that he’s dead or needs to be saved. Borderline superstar with his scoring and rebounding at SF.
3. Elton Brand. Strange trajectory. He’s blocks and handles have both calmed down, and now he looks like a solid shotblocker and rebounder with above average offense for a big. I don’t love him, but a value correction’s in store.
8) Who will be the next MVP after Tim Duncan?
Andrew:
Allen Iverson. He probably should have at least one MVP to his name at this point, but FBB values big men over wings. He’s led the league in PPG and SPG several times and can account for nearly 40 wins on his own.
Skillz:
Kobe Bryant. His ratings are just so dominant. It would normally be a Point Guard, but none of the best point guards in BBS have enough assists to satisfy FBB. Steve Nash might win a BS-award.
Play:
I feel like Lebron can make a serious run at multiple MVPs if he ever starts at PG full time. I also feel like Chris Paul will win at least 2 MVPs during his BBS career. Out of the vets, I could see Kobe snatching one soon.
Habes:
Tough to say because FBB favors bigs and we’re so thin on them. I’ll be bold and say Kobe steals one from him. Kobe is far ahead of Duncan, so here’s hoping. After that I’ll stick with wings and say LeBron.
9) Of the other Round Table participants…Love? Hate? Bored of?
Andrew:
I have mixed feelings about roundtables because the reward structure seems to be a bit inequitable to use a harold term. It does seem like the participants spend as much time as the question asker on the article, but receive less for doing so. However, a lot of the roundtables here are very entertaining and it hasn’t gotten to the point where Spence has banned them, so keep them coming!
(I personally think he should try doing one of these and reconsider his response)
Skillz:
I love everyone!
Do I have to pick? Let’s all love one another. I love Habes because he traded me ANDY V, the big who is going to benefit from this Roundtable RC. I the that Andrew calls me out for hyping my players in public. Let me do my work! I’m bored whenever I talk trade with play because it’s like negotiating against a voicemail machine.
Play:
Love Habes. Its funny though, when I first joined BBS we had beef lol.
Hate how Skillz tires to shit on the job I have done here. It's not really a fair assessment. I take my time building teams and I feel no need to rush. Once I find a combination of players that I like, I start to make moves and compete.
Bored of Andrew never going all out for a title, he had a great chance last year. That Manu move fucked him over and now he's back to treadmill status. Western Conference version of Jah. They can build teams but never truly go for it. Giving RIP that contract was a terrible idea as well.
Habes:
Love these guys. No shit talk from me!
10) Let’s end it with some love – what’s something you’re looking forward to?
Andrew:
As much as this is idiotic to say - grad school to be over. Given the current environment, my second year won’t be nearly as much fun as the first year and quite frankly I want to get back to making money again. Watching my savings dwindle away over the past year has not been fun. I’m also looking forward to the summer being over! It was 100 in Virginia today! Gross! I love the fall, which in New York was September, but in Virginia is late September early November, so I have to wait longer than I would like. It’s such a nice and relaxing time of year.
Fall beers are delicious. Crisp air is rejuvenating. Fall is the best season of the year after pre-summer.
Skillz:
Playing some golf this wknd! I suck. But drinking beers and being outside is nice.
Play:
Looking forward to beating the shit out of the Knicks. I owe Skillz for coming back on my team a few seasons ago in the playoffs.
Habes:
A bunch of things. Ordered chronologically: I have a mediation this week that could (probably won’t) resolve a case I’ve been worked on nearly full-time for more than four years. We’re going hiking in the Shenandoah valley next Wed.-Sun. We might move somewhere fun for a year since I’ll be working remotely until next June. And the biggie: got a second kid coming in January!
11) AMA
Andrew:
Living in the new center of the pandemic what has life been like for you? Biggest adjustments? What have you been doing to occupy your time other than napping?
I went from traveling every week with literally an unlimited budget to show people a good time in order to get business done to literally being "grounded." Given NoCal restrictions I have not even had a chance to get a haircut since February! But I'm embracing it :-)
Skillz:
What is the worst CY-related trade you were offered.
Maybe that stock trade Andrew suggested?
Otherwise, I'm not talking down on my peers :-)
Play:
Why did you flake on us a few weeks ago in Cali?
YOU NEVER CALLED MEEEEEEEEE
Dude I would have LOVED to see you and Galo !
My guys were ready to host! Smoked duck for the win on my end!
All that said, how CRAZY were the fireworks!
Habes:
What’s the best offer you passed on this offseason?
I think the offseason offerings weren't great. Missing out on MIA offering some 1sts (won't even name them, it's that bad) for theirs back was a real bad move on my part.
