Post by Deleted on May 15, 2020 1:02:12 GMT -8
Roundtable of Gentleman: Help Me!
In trying to learn more about how the game works, there have been a few things that are hard to wrap my head around. I'm hoping in this roundtable we can discuss some of the finer points of the game for the less experienced. Realizing how complicated the game is beyond basic ratings, I decided to ask some of the more tenured players in the league for advice! Hopefully it'll help!
1. In year one, I finished with the second worst record, only beating out the Lakers by two games for the worst record in the league. On top of being brand new, I drew the last pick of the creation draft. What would you have done differently in the draft, or was trading for as many 1sts as possible with some of the picks a good move?
Antoine Walker was taken with the last pick of the 1st round in the Creation Draft
JR: I dont mind rebuilding for you if you don't know what you are doing. You can accumulate assets and then trade for the players from good teams that will rebuild later. Sargo does it all the time, its a sound strategy if you can identify a team that can work well together. A few seasons under your belt and you should be fine, if not you will be CY'd.
Kobe: I wouldn't have drafted Walker but it wasn't the worse pick you could've made. I would just trade him for the best package of youth/firsts I could get. I like what you did with gathering firsts you just have to be patient and keep tanking hard for 2 more years. Just draft smart
Skillz: It wasn’t an awful move. If you are new, I guess it was a good idea to take this as a redshirt year and sit back and watch how the league operates. By conceding a year, you were definitely able to do that. But the last pick in the creation draft is not a death knell. It’s actually nice because you can make two picks in a row during every portion of the draft. Certainly could have done a lot better than Antoine Walker with the 29th pick in the draft.
Svedda: Since you are new to the game, I think you made the right move to tank. With how deep the East ended up being trading your own firsts would have been a bad idea for sure. If you had just drafted developed players and kept your picks you'd be in a similar position to the Celtics. Bottoming out and drafting a top 5 rookie to go with a lot of cap space and a decent player in Antoine Walker was the move.
2. If I was to end up with the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th pick in the draft, how would you order your top 5 players in the draft? Do any of them make sense for the current Magic team more than any others?
Arenas seems to be the most enticing player in this years draft!
JR: My order would be Arenas, Pau, JJ, GWall, Tyson. All of these will help the rebuild in Orlando. I think getting a big to defend and rebound would be great for you to be honest. Tyson if you miss out on the top 3 would be the safest pick in my opinion. arenas could be a huge home run though. You'll be good with any of the top 5 though.
Kobe: My top 5 is Arenas, Pau, Wallace, Johnson and Chandler. Magic need everything. Arenas would be great because he would be a lot of fun but Pau is probably the safer and better pick for them. Wallace and Johnson would be good pick ups to. If you have to settle for Chandler that would be kinda meh
Skillz: There’s always a chance I jump into the draft so I’m not going to do this for you! The top of this draft isn’t great. I would take Arenas # 1. I would think hard about trading out of # 2 if Pau is the consensus pick. He just doesn’t move the needle for me. 5-8 does seem like a sweet spot, though, because you will get a good player.
Svedda: I think the top five in my mock is the order you should pick based off of. Zach Randolph and Gerald Wallace are not great fits since you already have Antoine at SF. Hopefully you do not fall past four and can draft a really good prospect, if not Tyson is not a bad player to end up with. Not sure how much you will be able to camp players so Arenas is definitely the dream as he is already pretty good and does not need camps as much as Pau and Parker do.
3. There has been a lot of debate as to the value Antoine Walker brings to the court in this league so far. Do you think he's a player the Magic can build around, and if so what kind of player should they target next to add to him?
JR: If you build around Toine I think you should go the route with defense around him and rebounding. So a big and PG should be the biggest need unless its a stud scoring SG to pair with Toine. I think he is a good enough player to be the 2nd option on a top team.
Kobe: Eh I guess you could build around him he isn't terrible but he just needs specific guys around him to succeed. If he has a good TC coming up then he could be really nice but I would still just be looking to trade him for the best value I could get. He's gonna be expiring by the time you need to try to win anyway
Skillz: No. He is bad. He turns the ball over too much, doesn’t shoot well from midrange and is the type of player who will always disappoint because his ratings will outstrip his production. If you are intent on building around him, you need to make him a SF in an inside offense and give his jumpshot +8. Then put a lot of efficient players with low turnovers at guard and make plays for some star big men.
Svedda: Build around? No. He is a solid starter. I think he has potential to be a third option on a good team but no more than that. He definitely needs all of his camps, just the RCs is not enough. A SF who can give you 18-20 ppg with plus rebounding and decent defensive stats has value. I am not too worried about his handling, it should be manageable once you have some more talent and a smaller role for him.
4. Mateen Cleaves is one of those players who seems to have a deceptive handling rating, since he is a B- handles but turns over the ball over 3 times a game. Is he a player worth RCing to fix this issue? Where is your cutoff on determining whether a player is worth putting camps into?
;
Cleaves can't stop coughing up the ball!
JR: If you want to commit to Mateen do it early! That is my suggestion. Jump shot and handles need to be camped early. I don't think hes the guy at PG though. There are better options for sure other than Mateen. If camping a player makes your team better I'm all for camping anybody on the team if it helps you for your plan. So I would say commit or don't waste time on a player you are indecisive about.
Kobe: No currently Cleaves is not worth camping. Maybe if he has a +2 or 3 TC to the right categories then he may be campable since the PGs in this league are so bad. But yea not a fan of him at all, 3.5 tpg in 28 mpg is major no-no.
Skillz: His handles are not salvageable. He’s averaging more than 4 TOPG per 36 minutes and even +8 to his handles wouldn’t do enough. Sorry to be harsh, but he is a worthless player.
Svedda: No. Cleaves is just a bad player. 3.5 turnovers in only 28 mpg can't be saved without top potential that I highly doubt he has. Even then it might be too far gone. Hopefully you can draft a PG and just cut bait with him. His value is really only for frenzy trades, he will never be a good starter. Do not waste camps on him.
5. One of my main ways of gauging players in this league the first year has been only glancing at ratings and making evaluations almost entirely on numbers compared to other players in the league at the position. Is this a horrible way of going about value? What do you look for first?
JR: Ratings are very deceiving for sure. They can be a good outline, but how they sim can also be deceptive. The system they are in can make or break a player for sure. Bobby in a balanced or inside offense would be horrible and I wouldn't have camped him if that was the way I played this game. You have to identify how the player will play in your system in the long run. Stats are the safest way to see who is valuable though.
Kobe: This is a pretty good way of going about it. Just be careful of guys putting up numbers on bad teams and you will have to look harder to find good player on good teams sometimes since they aren't always being maximized necessarily. Efficient scorers, rebounding and shot blocking are what you should be looking for.
Skillz: I think that is right. Ratings are obviously indicative of certain things, but numbers are the much more valuable resource. Rebounding and Outside shot are really the only two “accurate” ratings, so numbers should definitely carry at least 75% of the evaluation.
Svedda: There is no simple way to evaluate players. Every team runs a unique DC and has a different supporting cast compared to what you have. Turnovers is the one stat that matters for every player and can rule some players out immediately. You do not want role players averaging over two per game, option players should not be over three. If it is close obviously you can check their camp situation and see if it can be fixed. Every player is unique so I have no general advice beyond that for evaluating each one. Obviously for big men you should be looking at their rebounding letter grade and shot blocking numbers. But wings are harder to judge.
6. Following up on the last question, I'm noticing my team is extremely bad at blocking. How important is it, and what would you consider a good amount of blocks per game?
JR: Blocking and rebounding are the most important aspects of this game a long with being able to take care of the ball. I think blocking is one of the most important and would rank it 3rd on the most important stat to covet behind rebounding and turnovers. A team that can rebound block and not turn it over is the FBB version of the Warriors if you have a few scorers.
Kobe: Shot blocking is very important but I don't find it quite as important as others. As long as you have at least one good shot blocker on your team, that's all you really need.
Skillz: I think Shot Blocking is important but maybe not as important as the consensus seems to think. In most FBB leagues it seems that GM’s covet shot blocking to a pretty insane extent and put more value on blocks than a lot of other categories. It’s important but not the be-all-end-all. Tough to say with a “good amount” of blocks would be. If Spence keeps the ratings low around the league, I would think 5-7 per game would be sufficient.
Svedda: It is very important. Shot blocking alone will not make you a good team but you should be in the top 10 in the league if you are trying to win. The current top ten teams all won at least 48 games except for the tanking Mavericks. Does that give you a pretty good idea on its importance? The Bulls are just outside the top ten and currently struggling in round one against a team with three starters injured.
7. What player on my team that I haven't mentioned yet should I keep an eye on as far as possible growth into a good/great player? Are there none?
Dion Glover with the shoutout!
JR: If I had to pick one it would be Dion Glover. With that being said outside of Toine I don't thing you have a player worth a damn. So the pickings are slim. Maybe after the draft we can revisit this?
Kobe: You had a one mean team by choice so nah not really much else to talk about besides Walker and your firsts lol. I like your pick situation though if you make good picks and camp them you can have a good team in few years.
Skillz: There are none.
Svedda: There are none that look like potential starters to me. If they do not have starting potential they are not worth your time. You can keep them around if you want and see if they have a lucky TC but there is nobody else worth anything on your roster. You need to camp out Walker, camp out your top five pick then focus on your other firsts in this draft if you can.
8. Are there any online resources I haven't been privy to besides the game that would help me learn more about the intricacies of FBB? Links please if so!
JR: I think there is a FBB for dummies in one of the leagues I used to be in. I would have to dig that up probably wont so don't ask for it. Ill just say oh yeah I forgot, cus i got high.
Kobe: Not really. Most of the info you need is in all of the rules that Spence posted. Learning players value and not being fooled by ratings can be a little hard at first but just pay attention to stats. And just look at upcoming draftees real life stats, that's usually a pretty good indicator of how he will sim but not always.
Skillz: Hmmm, good question. I’m honestly not sure. While the game is a little bit of a black box, it’s not all that complicated. Get good players. Win by dominating possessions and shooting better than the other team. Get guys who can rebound and don’t turn it over. Try to find a good Point Guard. Outside>Inside if you can get bigs who defend and rebound. Depth is more important than you think. There it is!
Svedda: There may be old guides on old leagues but I have no idea how or where to find them. The game is pretty simple and after paying attention for a few seasons you should understand it. Rebounds good, blocks good, steals good, turnovers bad. Outside offense is best. Do not camp positional defense, passing or jumping. Not a whole lot to it.
9. The Magic have 5 1sts in the next two drafts, should I expect to get anything with them that will help me beyond the obvious early pick this coming draft?
How valuable are mid-late 1sts in FBB?
JR: Depends on the draft class, with how the first one looks I think there will be some solid players in the mid rounds in the next few drafts at the very least. So yeah there will be some value in those picks unless they end up at the end of the round. Most would package them for a good player though. I haven't gauged the value around the league for firsts since I don't have any, and mine were not valuable to other GMs.
Kobe: You should be able to get someone decent with a mid first in this draft but probably not 2002. You can take your chances with this draft on boom/bust guys but next season I would start drafting more win now guys.
Skillz: Not really an FBB question but a Spencer question. I have no idea! I haven’t seen one of his draft classes in like 7-8 years so I don’t remember anything about them. Generally, those 1sts have some value but generally yield role players. Picks are typically more valuable to have as assets in trades than as player procurement devices. Trade picks before you are saddled with too many mediocre players.
Svedda: They can have value. In this draft I do not see many good options later on in the draft but you can find some decent fringe starters there if you keep the picks. I would not keep the pick unless you think you can camp who you draft though! Try to package to move up or something. Quality > quantity always.
10. How much should I trust scouted potential? Are there any telltale signs that a rating is out of wack?
JR: Don't trust it at all unless Spencer says that's their real potential. That is the dumbest rating in the whole entire game in my opinion. I've seen a player with 90 scouted potential have 54 real potential so that tells you everything you need to know.
Kobe: I don't really care about scouted potential at all but a lot of GMs do so I guess you do have to value it somewhat but eh very little if at all. Guys with A scouted potential bust and have low true potential all the time. I think it's more accurate if a guy has C or D scouted then he probably won't have great true potential.
Skillz: Don’t trust it much. I would treat a player’s Real Potential as a product of the following three variables: 1/3 scouted potential (it’s roughly accurate), 1/3 age (younger is better) and 1/3 name value (expect Gilbert Arenas to have more potential than Kendrick Brown).
Svedda: Not sure how accurate Spencer has made scouted potential but I would not blindly trust it. I do think he edits it and does not just make it random. But do not be afraid to draft a guy with B or even C scouted over a guy with A scouted if their other ratings look better.
11. People keep mentioning GMs "value to the league". I feel like I've been as active as anyone here, and I've tried my best to learn from experimenting and observation. What can I do further to become a more valuable member of the league besides more research?
JR: This can be interpreted a number of ways. It seems posts, wins, articles determine your value in this league. Maybe get your posts up and try to win some games if you wanna be valued here is what I can say. I value GMs different. Having a direction is the most important for me and not to ruin your franchise in the long run for the short term profit is also a way i have a valuing GMs. You have a direction it seems to rebuild and I don't mind that. I feel you have gotten a lot of hate how so far, but the way you drafted was pretty bad.
Kobe: I just didn't like that you missed the first two DCs of the season but since then you have been fine. Just keep tanking hard for 2 more years and learning the game
Skillz: Write articles, don’t spam, engage on topics that cover the league, make counter offers. Making counter offers is a big one! Trade negotiations should be like a good relationship. If it’s too one-sided, it is bound to fail.
Svedda: You won't have many fans here no matter what you do. Just ignore it if it is bothering you. Not every GM has to be a FBB guru or posting 300 times a day. You were tanking and there was not a whole lot you could have done this season outside of camping Antoine. Just keep moving forward and build a good team to shut them up!
12. Stealing this from Brian because I like the socializing aspect of it: Ask me a question and I'll answer, whether it's about me or my impressions of the league.
JR: I do have a question for you, What is a calzone? Nah just kidding, how do you like FBB so far and what would you change about the league if you could?
A: Well, a calzone is usually a normally rolled and stretched ball of dough, but instead of spreading sauce and cheese over it, you spread ricotta on it, fill half with cheese and toppings, and then fold it over, making sure to crimp the edges that meet at the edge of the pan with your fingertips. Crimping is how you get that beautiful seal so the cheese bakes into a gooey goodness. Don't forget to slice the top a couple times to give it air to breathe and toss some cheese on top! Then you throw it in the pizza oven. Usually served with sauce like marinara or bleu cheese/ranch depending on the style! My all time favorite calzone is buffalo chicken, bacon, and feta cheese with bleu cheese to dunk it in. Fat guy choice! But seriously, I enjoyed my first season even if there wasn't much to enjoy about my team. This is the era that I got into basketball as a kid watching IA take on the Lakers, so I'm getting a lot of nostalgia out of it! The only thing I'd change about the league is I'd like to see the numbers behind the ratings once in a while, maybe as a bonus you could do a deep dive into your player to get a better grasp on him.
Kobe: Who would you draft with the 1st pick?
A: I have been torn between Arenas and Gasol since the notes and ratings were first revealed, and I haven't found myself leaning in either direction any more than when I started thinking about it. They both seem like great additions and someone I could use to build a real winner. I'm hoping that I at least land the 2nd pick where my slot is before lottery so I don't have to miss out on both!
Skillz: Give me your story, Break! I don’t know anything about you. Why do people give you shit? Do you know everyone from the baseball leagues? Who were the best GM’s in the baseball leagues?
A: My story is I'm 29, engaged, and have a 9 month old son that I'm finding joy in watching him learn and grow every day lately. Before my life got more family oriented, I would work 80 hours a week most weeks doing pizza delivery and security work. Baseball is my #1 sport, but I like all of the big 4 to an extent. Playoff Hockey is my favorite sport to watch out of all sports, unless the Red Sox are in the ALCS/World Series. People give me shit because I was (and self-admittedly probably still am) kind of annoying at times because I don't have much of a filter. I also had a history of being extremely susceptible to trolls, something that has gotten better with age but once in a while you'll still see someone get under my skin. I used to be well known for blowing a thread up 10-15 pages more than it should have been with rants. I'm sure some people think I'm the exact same now, but knowing otherwise to myself helps me stay out of a lot of the trouble I used to end up in, and I take it way less to heart unless I'm in a really bad mood over something else already. I probably know more than half this league from OOTP sims, and some of them I haven't seen in a few years, so it's been a fun ride to be here with them again. Out of the people here, I think the best ones at OOTP were Ashes, Play, Spencer, and Darell. Jah would be on the list if he traded with more than 3 teams
My little dude went through a lot his first 3 months. He was in the ICU with a bad case of SVT and ended up needing two surgeries in his heart to fix the extra pathway that was causing the issue. We're so grateful that we live near Boston Children's Hospital, where the doctor who invented the surgery was the one who performed it.
Svedda: Big mac or whopper?
Can I say both? I don't eat either too often anymore, but I used to destroy triple whoppers during lunch in high school and then hit the gym 2 hours later before lacrosse practice. Recently though I've been a Big Mac guy. I love that sauce!
In trying to learn more about how the game works, there have been a few things that are hard to wrap my head around. I'm hoping in this roundtable we can discuss some of the finer points of the game for the less experienced. Realizing how complicated the game is beyond basic ratings, I decided to ask some of the more tenured players in the league for advice! Hopefully it'll help!
1. In year one, I finished with the second worst record, only beating out the Lakers by two games for the worst record in the league. On top of being brand new, I drew the last pick of the creation draft. What would you have done differently in the draft, or was trading for as many 1sts as possible with some of the picks a good move?
Antoine Walker was taken with the last pick of the 1st round in the Creation Draft
JR: I dont mind rebuilding for you if you don't know what you are doing. You can accumulate assets and then trade for the players from good teams that will rebuild later. Sargo does it all the time, its a sound strategy if you can identify a team that can work well together. A few seasons under your belt and you should be fine, if not you will be CY'd.
Kobe: I wouldn't have drafted Walker but it wasn't the worse pick you could've made. I would just trade him for the best package of youth/firsts I could get. I like what you did with gathering firsts you just have to be patient and keep tanking hard for 2 more years. Just draft smart
Skillz: It wasn’t an awful move. If you are new, I guess it was a good idea to take this as a redshirt year and sit back and watch how the league operates. By conceding a year, you were definitely able to do that. But the last pick in the creation draft is not a death knell. It’s actually nice because you can make two picks in a row during every portion of the draft. Certainly could have done a lot better than Antoine Walker with the 29th pick in the draft.
Svedda: Since you are new to the game, I think you made the right move to tank. With how deep the East ended up being trading your own firsts would have been a bad idea for sure. If you had just drafted developed players and kept your picks you'd be in a similar position to the Celtics. Bottoming out and drafting a top 5 rookie to go with a lot of cap space and a decent player in Antoine Walker was the move.
2. If I was to end up with the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th pick in the draft, how would you order your top 5 players in the draft? Do any of them make sense for the current Magic team more than any others?
Arenas seems to be the most enticing player in this years draft!
JR: My order would be Arenas, Pau, JJ, GWall, Tyson. All of these will help the rebuild in Orlando. I think getting a big to defend and rebound would be great for you to be honest. Tyson if you miss out on the top 3 would be the safest pick in my opinion. arenas could be a huge home run though. You'll be good with any of the top 5 though.
Kobe: My top 5 is Arenas, Pau, Wallace, Johnson and Chandler. Magic need everything. Arenas would be great because he would be a lot of fun but Pau is probably the safer and better pick for them. Wallace and Johnson would be good pick ups to. If you have to settle for Chandler that would be kinda meh
Skillz: There’s always a chance I jump into the draft so I’m not going to do this for you! The top of this draft isn’t great. I would take Arenas # 1. I would think hard about trading out of # 2 if Pau is the consensus pick. He just doesn’t move the needle for me. 5-8 does seem like a sweet spot, though, because you will get a good player.
Svedda: I think the top five in my mock is the order you should pick based off of. Zach Randolph and Gerald Wallace are not great fits since you already have Antoine at SF. Hopefully you do not fall past four and can draft a really good prospect, if not Tyson is not a bad player to end up with. Not sure how much you will be able to camp players so Arenas is definitely the dream as he is already pretty good and does not need camps as much as Pau and Parker do.
3. There has been a lot of debate as to the value Antoine Walker brings to the court in this league so far. Do you think he's a player the Magic can build around, and if so what kind of player should they target next to add to him?
JR: If you build around Toine I think you should go the route with defense around him and rebounding. So a big and PG should be the biggest need unless its a stud scoring SG to pair with Toine. I think he is a good enough player to be the 2nd option on a top team.
Kobe: Eh I guess you could build around him he isn't terrible but he just needs specific guys around him to succeed. If he has a good TC coming up then he could be really nice but I would still just be looking to trade him for the best value I could get. He's gonna be expiring by the time you need to try to win anyway
Skillz: No. He is bad. He turns the ball over too much, doesn’t shoot well from midrange and is the type of player who will always disappoint because his ratings will outstrip his production. If you are intent on building around him, you need to make him a SF in an inside offense and give his jumpshot +8. Then put a lot of efficient players with low turnovers at guard and make plays for some star big men.
Svedda: Build around? No. He is a solid starter. I think he has potential to be a third option on a good team but no more than that. He definitely needs all of his camps, just the RCs is not enough. A SF who can give you 18-20 ppg with plus rebounding and decent defensive stats has value. I am not too worried about his handling, it should be manageable once you have some more talent and a smaller role for him.
4. Mateen Cleaves is one of those players who seems to have a deceptive handling rating, since he is a B- handles but turns over the ball over 3 times a game. Is he a player worth RCing to fix this issue? Where is your cutoff on determining whether a player is worth putting camps into?
;Cleaves can't stop coughing up the ball!
JR: If you want to commit to Mateen do it early! That is my suggestion. Jump shot and handles need to be camped early. I don't think hes the guy at PG though. There are better options for sure other than Mateen. If camping a player makes your team better I'm all for camping anybody on the team if it helps you for your plan. So I would say commit or don't waste time on a player you are indecisive about.
Kobe: No currently Cleaves is not worth camping. Maybe if he has a +2 or 3 TC to the right categories then he may be campable since the PGs in this league are so bad. But yea not a fan of him at all, 3.5 tpg in 28 mpg is major no-no.
Skillz: His handles are not salvageable. He’s averaging more than 4 TOPG per 36 minutes and even +8 to his handles wouldn’t do enough. Sorry to be harsh, but he is a worthless player.
Svedda: No. Cleaves is just a bad player. 3.5 turnovers in only 28 mpg can't be saved without top potential that I highly doubt he has. Even then it might be too far gone. Hopefully you can draft a PG and just cut bait with him. His value is really only for frenzy trades, he will never be a good starter. Do not waste camps on him.
5. One of my main ways of gauging players in this league the first year has been only glancing at ratings and making evaluations almost entirely on numbers compared to other players in the league at the position. Is this a horrible way of going about value? What do you look for first?
JR: Ratings are very deceiving for sure. They can be a good outline, but how they sim can also be deceptive. The system they are in can make or break a player for sure. Bobby in a balanced or inside offense would be horrible and I wouldn't have camped him if that was the way I played this game. You have to identify how the player will play in your system in the long run. Stats are the safest way to see who is valuable though.
Kobe: This is a pretty good way of going about it. Just be careful of guys putting up numbers on bad teams and you will have to look harder to find good player on good teams sometimes since they aren't always being maximized necessarily. Efficient scorers, rebounding and shot blocking are what you should be looking for.
Skillz: I think that is right. Ratings are obviously indicative of certain things, but numbers are the much more valuable resource. Rebounding and Outside shot are really the only two “accurate” ratings, so numbers should definitely carry at least 75% of the evaluation.
Svedda: There is no simple way to evaluate players. Every team runs a unique DC and has a different supporting cast compared to what you have. Turnovers is the one stat that matters for every player and can rule some players out immediately. You do not want role players averaging over two per game, option players should not be over three. If it is close obviously you can check their camp situation and see if it can be fixed. Every player is unique so I have no general advice beyond that for evaluating each one. Obviously for big men you should be looking at their rebounding letter grade and shot blocking numbers. But wings are harder to judge.
6. Following up on the last question, I'm noticing my team is extremely bad at blocking. How important is it, and what would you consider a good amount of blocks per game?
JR: Blocking and rebounding are the most important aspects of this game a long with being able to take care of the ball. I think blocking is one of the most important and would rank it 3rd on the most important stat to covet behind rebounding and turnovers. A team that can rebound block and not turn it over is the FBB version of the Warriors if you have a few scorers.
Kobe: Shot blocking is very important but I don't find it quite as important as others. As long as you have at least one good shot blocker on your team, that's all you really need.
Skillz: I think Shot Blocking is important but maybe not as important as the consensus seems to think. In most FBB leagues it seems that GM’s covet shot blocking to a pretty insane extent and put more value on blocks than a lot of other categories. It’s important but not the be-all-end-all. Tough to say with a “good amount” of blocks would be. If Spence keeps the ratings low around the league, I would think 5-7 per game would be sufficient.
Svedda: It is very important. Shot blocking alone will not make you a good team but you should be in the top 10 in the league if you are trying to win. The current top ten teams all won at least 48 games except for the tanking Mavericks. Does that give you a pretty good idea on its importance? The Bulls are just outside the top ten and currently struggling in round one against a team with three starters injured.
7. What player on my team that I haven't mentioned yet should I keep an eye on as far as possible growth into a good/great player? Are there none?
Dion Glover with the shoutout!
JR: If I had to pick one it would be Dion Glover. With that being said outside of Toine I don't thing you have a player worth a damn. So the pickings are slim. Maybe after the draft we can revisit this?
Kobe: You had a one mean team by choice so nah not really much else to talk about besides Walker and your firsts lol. I like your pick situation though if you make good picks and camp them you can have a good team in few years.
Skillz: There are none.
Svedda: There are none that look like potential starters to me. If they do not have starting potential they are not worth your time. You can keep them around if you want and see if they have a lucky TC but there is nobody else worth anything on your roster. You need to camp out Walker, camp out your top five pick then focus on your other firsts in this draft if you can.
8. Are there any online resources I haven't been privy to besides the game that would help me learn more about the intricacies of FBB? Links please if so!
JR: I think there is a FBB for dummies in one of the leagues I used to be in. I would have to dig that up probably wont so don't ask for it. Ill just say oh yeah I forgot, cus i got high.
Kobe: Not really. Most of the info you need is in all of the rules that Spence posted. Learning players value and not being fooled by ratings can be a little hard at first but just pay attention to stats. And just look at upcoming draftees real life stats, that's usually a pretty good indicator of how he will sim but not always.
Skillz: Hmmm, good question. I’m honestly not sure. While the game is a little bit of a black box, it’s not all that complicated. Get good players. Win by dominating possessions and shooting better than the other team. Get guys who can rebound and don’t turn it over. Try to find a good Point Guard. Outside>Inside if you can get bigs who defend and rebound. Depth is more important than you think. There it is!
Svedda: There may be old guides on old leagues but I have no idea how or where to find them. The game is pretty simple and after paying attention for a few seasons you should understand it. Rebounds good, blocks good, steals good, turnovers bad. Outside offense is best. Do not camp positional defense, passing or jumping. Not a whole lot to it.
9. The Magic have 5 1sts in the next two drafts, should I expect to get anything with them that will help me beyond the obvious early pick this coming draft?
How valuable are mid-late 1sts in FBB?
JR: Depends on the draft class, with how the first one looks I think there will be some solid players in the mid rounds in the next few drafts at the very least. So yeah there will be some value in those picks unless they end up at the end of the round. Most would package them for a good player though. I haven't gauged the value around the league for firsts since I don't have any, and mine were not valuable to other GMs.
Kobe: You should be able to get someone decent with a mid first in this draft but probably not 2002. You can take your chances with this draft on boom/bust guys but next season I would start drafting more win now guys.
Skillz: Not really an FBB question but a Spencer question. I have no idea! I haven’t seen one of his draft classes in like 7-8 years so I don’t remember anything about them. Generally, those 1sts have some value but generally yield role players. Picks are typically more valuable to have as assets in trades than as player procurement devices. Trade picks before you are saddled with too many mediocre players.
Svedda: They can have value. In this draft I do not see many good options later on in the draft but you can find some decent fringe starters there if you keep the picks. I would not keep the pick unless you think you can camp who you draft though! Try to package to move up or something. Quality > quantity always.
10. How much should I trust scouted potential? Are there any telltale signs that a rating is out of wack?
JR: Don't trust it at all unless Spencer says that's their real potential. That is the dumbest rating in the whole entire game in my opinion. I've seen a player with 90 scouted potential have 54 real potential so that tells you everything you need to know.
Kobe: I don't really care about scouted potential at all but a lot of GMs do so I guess you do have to value it somewhat but eh very little if at all. Guys with A scouted potential bust and have low true potential all the time. I think it's more accurate if a guy has C or D scouted then he probably won't have great true potential.
Skillz: Don’t trust it much. I would treat a player’s Real Potential as a product of the following three variables: 1/3 scouted potential (it’s roughly accurate), 1/3 age (younger is better) and 1/3 name value (expect Gilbert Arenas to have more potential than Kendrick Brown).
Svedda: Not sure how accurate Spencer has made scouted potential but I would not blindly trust it. I do think he edits it and does not just make it random. But do not be afraid to draft a guy with B or even C scouted over a guy with A scouted if their other ratings look better.
11. People keep mentioning GMs "value to the league". I feel like I've been as active as anyone here, and I've tried my best to learn from experimenting and observation. What can I do further to become a more valuable member of the league besides more research?
JR: This can be interpreted a number of ways. It seems posts, wins, articles determine your value in this league. Maybe get your posts up and try to win some games if you wanna be valued here is what I can say. I value GMs different. Having a direction is the most important for me and not to ruin your franchise in the long run for the short term profit is also a way i have a valuing GMs. You have a direction it seems to rebuild and I don't mind that. I feel you have gotten a lot of hate how so far, but the way you drafted was pretty bad.
Kobe: I just didn't like that you missed the first two DCs of the season but since then you have been fine. Just keep tanking hard for 2 more years and learning the game
Skillz: Write articles, don’t spam, engage on topics that cover the league, make counter offers. Making counter offers is a big one! Trade negotiations should be like a good relationship. If it’s too one-sided, it is bound to fail.
Svedda: You won't have many fans here no matter what you do. Just ignore it if it is bothering you. Not every GM has to be a FBB guru or posting 300 times a day. You were tanking and there was not a whole lot you could have done this season outside of camping Antoine. Just keep moving forward and build a good team to shut them up!
12. Stealing this from Brian because I like the socializing aspect of it: Ask me a question and I'll answer, whether it's about me or my impressions of the league.
JR: I do have a question for you, What is a calzone? Nah just kidding, how do you like FBB so far and what would you change about the league if you could?
A: Well, a calzone is usually a normally rolled and stretched ball of dough, but instead of spreading sauce and cheese over it, you spread ricotta on it, fill half with cheese and toppings, and then fold it over, making sure to crimp the edges that meet at the edge of the pan with your fingertips. Crimping is how you get that beautiful seal so the cheese bakes into a gooey goodness. Don't forget to slice the top a couple times to give it air to breathe and toss some cheese on top! Then you throw it in the pizza oven. Usually served with sauce like marinara or bleu cheese/ranch depending on the style! My all time favorite calzone is buffalo chicken, bacon, and feta cheese with bleu cheese to dunk it in. Fat guy choice! But seriously, I enjoyed my first season even if there wasn't much to enjoy about my team. This is the era that I got into basketball as a kid watching IA take on the Lakers, so I'm getting a lot of nostalgia out of it! The only thing I'd change about the league is I'd like to see the numbers behind the ratings once in a while, maybe as a bonus you could do a deep dive into your player to get a better grasp on him.
Kobe: Who would you draft with the 1st pick?
A: I have been torn between Arenas and Gasol since the notes and ratings were first revealed, and I haven't found myself leaning in either direction any more than when I started thinking about it. They both seem like great additions and someone I could use to build a real winner. I'm hoping that I at least land the 2nd pick where my slot is before lottery so I don't have to miss out on both!
Skillz: Give me your story, Break! I don’t know anything about you. Why do people give you shit? Do you know everyone from the baseball leagues? Who were the best GM’s in the baseball leagues?
A: My story is I'm 29, engaged, and have a 9 month old son that I'm finding joy in watching him learn and grow every day lately. Before my life got more family oriented, I would work 80 hours a week most weeks doing pizza delivery and security work. Baseball is my #1 sport, but I like all of the big 4 to an extent. Playoff Hockey is my favorite sport to watch out of all sports, unless the Red Sox are in the ALCS/World Series. People give me shit because I was (and self-admittedly probably still am) kind of annoying at times because I don't have much of a filter. I also had a history of being extremely susceptible to trolls, something that has gotten better with age but once in a while you'll still see someone get under my skin. I used to be well known for blowing a thread up 10-15 pages more than it should have been with rants. I'm sure some people think I'm the exact same now, but knowing otherwise to myself helps me stay out of a lot of the trouble I used to end up in, and I take it way less to heart unless I'm in a really bad mood over something else already. I probably know more than half this league from OOTP sims, and some of them I haven't seen in a few years, so it's been a fun ride to be here with them again. Out of the people here, I think the best ones at OOTP were Ashes, Play, Spencer, and Darell. Jah would be on the list if he traded with more than 3 teams
My little dude went through a lot his first 3 months. He was in the ICU with a bad case of SVT and ended up needing two surgeries in his heart to fix the extra pathway that was causing the issue. We're so grateful that we live near Boston Children's Hospital, where the doctor who invented the surgery was the one who performed it.
Svedda: Big mac or whopper?
Can I say both? I don't eat either too often anymore, but I used to destroy triple whoppers during lunch in high school and then hit the gym 2 hours later before lacrosse practice. Recently though I've been a Big Mac guy. I love that sauce!
