Post by the original michael on Jan 12, 2021 9:49:30 GMT -8
1. It's been a wild off-season already. We saw Manas leave BBS. Then we saw Brian "peace" out of BBS shortly after with no real explanation. Let's get real. What are your thoughts on these guys leaving? It appears both are on the WL now. Do you think they should be so high up on the WL after walking away?
Andrew : Manas has an extremely valid personal reason for stepping away from BBS, which is all I care to say about his departure. Brian’s situation I know less about and don’t really want to speculate about either. BBS, like all hobbies, should be an enjoyable and stress free way to spend your free time. If that isn’t happening or if something else requires more of your time, you should step away. I know some people are saying it's coincidental that Brian is stepping away before his CY and that some of his trades were suspect, but I’m not so sure. Seeing as how he had sex 28 times over the course of a weekend, he doesn’t seem the type to back down from a challenge. I don’t know where they are in terms of the WL, but they should go to the back of the line.
Skillz : People should definitely leave if they don't have the time or aren't having fun -- why do anything like this that isn't bringing you happiness? I have no problem with either leaving. I had a major problem with the *way* Brian left. He essentially was a negative/apathetic force for over a month, signaled that he was going to leave at *some point,* made moves that were clearly in the wrong interest of his team (and in retrospect, clearly for shits and giggles), and then peaces out right before his Contract Year while his team has a fairly real trade-back situation. I don't think he could have handled it any worse. For that reason, Brian should be last on the waitlist. Certainly behind Vivek.
greeme : I don't know why manas left so it is hard to say but brian was in a horrendous situation and entering cy so imo he should just be considered cyd. He should definitely wait awhile for a team. Manas probably had a good reason to leave so once he works that out he should be high up on the wl.
Stevie B : Didn’t care about Brian and really didn’t care all that much about Manas either. With Brian, his greatest asset to the league was to PP whenever needed. He never really seemed to care about his team...and I think if there’s one ugly thing about this league is that he actually had a team win a championship...which tells you how fluky this game can really be. He’s not really a good fit here anyway. With Manas, I didn’t mind him, but he also didn’t seem invested in his team either. We would often have to wait on him for FA bids and in the draft at times. I don’t particularly think they are big losses to the league given those things. I think Manas should be, but Brian absolutely shouldn’t be. Pretty cowardly move to quit with him entering his CY. Peace.
JR : Well they are both cool and were nice to me. Brian was super active for the first idk 6 months? He kept saying he was gonna quit i didnt believe him but his actvity was way down. Still not sure why he quit tbh. Manas I felt hasnt been active since he lost those guys in FA. Was weird they made a couple "Friend Trades" then say "peace" at almost the same time. I think Manas should be first whenever he wants to come back, no point having him on there now if he isnt coming back anytime soon. Diego the homie so he should get a team too.
2. What do you guys think of the drama with Royal and Manas? What do you think happened during this mysterious Zoom call?
Andrew : It’s impossible for me to articulate how little I care about this zoom call. Their business, not mine.
Skillz : I read some of that thread yesterday but am not fully caught up. That is...uh...not my business. Don't think it's worth commenting on it.
greeme : Weird. I don't really understand what happened. Maybe I missed a post or 50 on the subject. Knowing very little about either of them I am still confident in saying that Royal was in the wrong and Manas in the right.
Stevie B : I didn’t really care about it. That was between them. Not a great look by Royal, but just weird shit, lol. Bottom line.
JR - LOL at getting mad at royal. Manas felt slighted because royal said BBS got better, but Manas hasnt gave this much effort lately so I do agree with that assessment. Manas giving money to somebody he doesnt know is very nice, but I dont see why he would ask for it back. As far as the zoom call go i dont think I want to know. Somebody called Manas racist so idk what happened but he never came off like that to me.
3. Two GMs out means two new GMs in. Break took over for the Celtics and Lums took over for the Warriors. Were these the right hires?
Andrew : I think these are great hires in terms of activity. The amount of shit Break got during his first go around is in the neighborhood of 10X the shit Martinez gets now. I think he learned a lot and will make his CY this time around. Lums is a sim legend and should always be at least BBS adjacent. It just so happened now was the time for him to become a GM! Plus if anything untowards goes on Spencer can just fire them. No downside!
Skillz : Yeah, I guess. Both clearly care about this thing more than others so that is a start. I think both are good hires in a vacuum, but I am a little worried about having both at the same time. That is a lot of drama for 5% of the league's members, and 100% of its new GM's, to bring at one time.
greeme : I would have let Game back in but they are definitely both solid hires if they have time to put into it. Celtics are in a much worse situation so Break has a harder job.
Stevie B : They were the next in line. Totally fine. Break has been waiting for a super long time and Lums never seemed to have a proper crack. Both were fine, and I have no issues with it.
JR : I mean right hires? IDK Lumley probably deserved a team the most lmao. Hes been on the waiting list since Vietnam. A very patient guy happy for him. Hopefully he doesnt trade Klay 2 times though. Break deserves a second chance and was fired before Diego so I guess. Its spencers world and Im just happy to be apart of it. IDC who I gm against as long as I have Galo and Steve as punching bags im cool with it.
4. Enough of the BBS drama. Let's get to the shit that matters! The draft has come and gone pretty much and Karl Anthony Towns went 1st overall. If you were in possession of the first pick, who would you have selected and why?
Andrew : I would’ve taken KAT because Porzingis has a long way to go development wise, which isn’t to say that KAT doesn’t. However, at a B his rebounding is high enough that with his potential it should get to A- and you can spend camps elsewhere, like on D and maybe handles depending on how bad they are.
Skillz : KAT. I love Kristaps, but his ratings are poor and he'd have to transcend (I said it again) BBS positional norms in order to be better than KAT. Towns may have turnover issues, but he is going to be a 30-10 big. That's hard to find at that position.
greeme : I kept going back and forth between kat and kp. Based off notes I like kp more but on the other hand Spence said Kat goes 1. If I had 1 I probably would have tried to trade down to 3/4. I'm happy how things worked out because I ended up not having to deal with the decision and drafted the guy I liked.
Stevie B : I don’t know. I’m slightly torn, but I would’ve leaned KAT. His strength and rebounding are such huge advantages and I don’t think KP will ever touch that. Yes, KAT might have some TO issues, but you can always address that by using yours RC/ACs on them. I think Galo made the right pick here.
JR : KAT is probably the choice with upside and his inside and rebounding abilities, but KP just makes me hard. HIGH Blocks and was a Knick. I dont feel like most Knick fans. The culture was bad at the time, he wanted out. He might be soft and a pussy but he can hoop.
5. Continuing with the draft, give me your top 3 value picks in the draft.
Andrew : Stanley Johnson immediately jumps out to me. Probably should have gone in the 1st round. Awesome pickup for jr. I also really like Wood at 6 despite it being somewhat of an obvious choice. He had really good notes and jr knows exactly what needs to be camped. I also liked Rozier at 20 for Ashes. His notes were minimal but good. Since he already handles well camps can be used in other areas.
Skillz : Richaun Holmes @ 19 -- Stocks and boards? Good value at 19. Stanley Johnson at 35 seemed like a steal. I thought JOsh Richardson was a good pick in the middle of the 1st round too.
greeme : Oddly enough, they were all drafted very close to each other.
20- Sacramento Kings- TERRY ROZIER
22- Washington Wizards - KEVON LOONEY
23- Dallas Mavericks (from Sonics via Nets) - TYUS JONES
Ty jones starts with B outside and has amazing handles. That should get you in the lottery. Looney is a 19 yr old showing very high pot as well as a good defense/rebounding base. Rozier will at worst be a good 6th man and maybe better than that.
Stevie B : Won’t include myself or really the top 6 picks! I liked Eli getting Trez Harrell at pick 8. I didn’t think he would be there, and since I was projected to pick at 8...I was hoping I’d get to pick him if he was there or else I would’ve taken a guy like Nance who seems risky to me. I liked the Richaun Holmes pick as I liked his notes and thought that was nice value at 19. I liked Rozier at pick 20, too.
JR : Devin Booker at 3 for sure. Bigs are at a premium but ELITE wings are hard to come by. I think Devin might be elite if he doesnt have too bad of handles. Christian Wood at 6 for sure. Maybe Im being a homer but after 2 RCs my man went to B inside. Bigs either die or explode so we will see. (ex. Jonas, Vuc for dying, ex. Cousins, Capela for exploding). The third has to be Norman Powell. Loved his notes and Skillz will camp him and put him in a system that fits.
6. Now give me your top 3 reaches in the draft.
Andrew : I’m very interested in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. On the surface this looks like quite a reach given that the draft order more or less follows the order of the draft notes. However, this was a Spence pick on behalf of Break. Was Spence trying to punish Break or is RHJ a diamond in the rough? Time will tell! For now looks like maybe a reach. I also didn’t like the Harrison pick at 16 despite the stipulation. Much better ideas there than using a mid first to get +10 potential. I didn’t care for the Lyles pick either. I wouldn’t want to use a lotto on someone that is best suited for a backup role.
Skillz : I have a weird feeling that Kelly Oubre is going to bust. Spence watches the Warriors regularly and was making the file during the beginning of the season. Just being honest! He wasn't a reach (universally thought to be a top-4 pick), but i would have traded down from D'Angelo Russell at # 5. I would rather have Wood, Nance or Harrell. Hate the combination of high TOs and poor defense at Point Guard, especially given the league's landscape. Andrew Harrison was a reach in a vacuum.
greeme : 16- Denver Nuggets (from Blazers via SA, IND)- ANDREW HARRISON – I thought somebody with a couple late 20s would take a chance on the twins. 16 seems to be a major reach.
12- Boston Celtics- RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a pretty solid defender and inside scorer. Decent handles. Will get some steals.
That sounds to me like a second rounder not a lotto pick/
14- Los Angeles Lakers (from Suns)- WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN
Willie Cauley-Stein has some room for growth in most of the important areas. Not great at anything currently though. Will need to be camped well
Maybe it is just me but the need to camp them is a major turnoff
Stevie B : Nance over Trez Harrell is a reach to me. RHJ seemed like a reach to me, but didn’t Spence make that pick for Break? Maybe he’ll be solid then. Wasn’t really a fan of the Trey Lyles pick either. I liked guys like Holmes and Willie Cauley Stein there.
JR : RHJ is the biggest imo. Richaun Holmes probably too. People high on Holmes but says he might get 1 bpg. Not the greatest notes IMO. Oh also Trey Lyles. He was late 1st for me not lotto.
7. We've already seen some blockbuster trades. Which trade made so far this off-season will impact the league the most?
Andrew : John’s trade was the most impactful by far both because there haven’t been many large trades and because I think it secures his CY. Russ and Blake are both flawed players, but also just won a championship. Russ/Blake/Durant/Dedmond and some depth pieces should be fine in a weak western conference.
Skillz : The Russell Westbrook/Blake Griffin deal. It's the only trade John will make for the next 10 seasons and ensures that it will be the only trade he makes over the next 10 seasons because he will now make it thru his Contract Year.
greeme : San Antonio Spurs Trade
Zach Lavine
2015 Spurs 1st (pick will stay on san Antonio for salary purposes)
2015 Blazers 1st (pick will stay on San Antonio for salary purposes)
Expiring fillers to be named
Indiana Pacers Trade
Russell Westbrook
Blake Griffin
Not sure why the Pacers threw in the towel so soon. I really like Turner but that wasn't a need and I feel that he looks much better than his notes so maybe his pot sucks. I like lavine but he will be a good player at best and not a unicorn like Westbrook. I love it for the spurs. Kd at sg? They should make their cy easy especially out west.
Stevie B : It’s clearly either Royal and Jr’s trade or yours and John’s. I think with yours, it’s a huge blockbuster and one that John hopes will get him through CY. I don’t see why it won’t, but he’s the most active guy either. With Royal’s, he got through CY and gave away two extremely valuable pieces for control of his picks back. Highway robbery type value for Jr. and why I need to keep Royal picks going forward.
JR : Spurs Pacers for sure. It saves John and we get the one week active one week nowhere to be found for a little longer now. KD Westbrrok and Blake seem to be OP.
8. I believe that John and the Spurs are the only team entering CY. After his blockbuster deal, does he make CY? Why/why not.
Andrew : Outlawz is also in his CY. I think John makes it fairly easily with Outlawz needing to make a few changes on his roster. The Clips probably have the best shot blocking team in the league, but the turnovers are really killing them. Outlawz probably needs to move one of his bigs for a volume scoring wing. Myself and Ahsan will not be in the playoff picture, which opens up two spots for the CY teams but I expect Dallas to make enough moves to make the playoffs themselves. Should be interesting!
Skillz : Yes. He has KD! Now he has two really good players around him. The West sucks. Kinda a bummer - John is an awesome dude, I just feel like he'd be best as an AGM until his schedule gets easier.
greeme : I'm a little worried about his bigs but with westbrook/kd and blake he should be fine. I really don't see him having a problem barring a serious injury. He does need depth though so hopefully he gets a sold mle
Stevie B : For a second I thought Outlawz was in his CY, but he might be entering it next season. Anyway, I think he should, but he still has more work to do. Things change here quickly, and maybe the West becomes competitive this season...so who knows. But I feel like it would be tough for John to not make his CY.
JR : Yes he makes it easily too. The west is ass. Do I need more reasons?
9. Free Agency is right around the corner (as long as you idiots start to send in your fucking bids now). Give me your top 5 players in Free Agency, along with projected contracts you believe they will receive.
Andrew : Jimmy - max
Klay - max
Lou - max (for everyone’s sake I hope he stays in Chicago otherwise we will never hear the end of it)
Bogut - 4 years 12 per 0%
Tobias - 3 years 10 per 0% (I am still a believer!!)
Skillz : Jimmy Butler - Max
Klay Thompson - Max
Lou Williams - Max
Taj Gibson -- 12x6, no increases
Andrew Bogut - 12x5, no increases
JR is sitting pretty as the only GM with real cap space.
greeme : 1- Butler – max
2 – Klay – max
3 – lou will – max
4- Ersan Ilyasova 4 yrs, 9 mil, 10%
5 - Luol Deng4 yrs, 9 mil, 10%
A lot of solid wings. Maybe they all get overpaid but Gordon, thabo, bertans, Nicola, yi, gay, iguadala etc all get 5-10 imo
Stevie B : Jimmy Butler: Absolute max will be given by Andy and he’ll stay.
Klay: Ditto Jimmy.
Lou: Will be maxed as well, but this is that 3rd contract so maybe Play does slightly below the max over a lot of years.
Deng: Interesting contract to give here since it’s his 3rd. Jah will prob keep it slightly under the max and hope to bring him back.
Bogut: 31 years old like Deng. I’d max him over 3 years and then deal him if I’m Break since I have a fresh window and Brian gave him shit to start out with.
JR : Jimmy Butler Max, Klay Thomason Max, Lou Will Max, Luol Deng Max, Kevin Garnett 2 yr max. KG might die but somebody will overpay IMO. I dont want to full max Lou will but he definitely will get it.
10. Is this the year that Eli and the Orlando Magic make history and finally reach the playoffs?
Andrew : No it is not. His roster can be charitably describe as average and he isn’t activity enough nor have any of the teams that finished with better records decided to change direction
Skillz : No. He's not proactive enough and the East has better, more proactive teams
greeme : Barring trades I don't see how. Beal and jrue are legitimate starters and Harrell might be a solid backup as a rook but I don't like the rest of their roster at all. They lack blocks rebounds and depth. That isn't going to get it done.
Stevie B : No. East is too tough I think. Ok.
JR : No. He likes tanking. Doesnt have to be active and can just talk nonsense. I love Eli but he aint built for winning.
Andrew : Manas has an extremely valid personal reason for stepping away from BBS, which is all I care to say about his departure. Brian’s situation I know less about and don’t really want to speculate about either. BBS, like all hobbies, should be an enjoyable and stress free way to spend your free time. If that isn’t happening or if something else requires more of your time, you should step away. I know some people are saying it's coincidental that Brian is stepping away before his CY and that some of his trades were suspect, but I’m not so sure. Seeing as how he had sex 28 times over the course of a weekend, he doesn’t seem the type to back down from a challenge. I don’t know where they are in terms of the WL, but they should go to the back of the line.
Skillz : People should definitely leave if they don't have the time or aren't having fun -- why do anything like this that isn't bringing you happiness? I have no problem with either leaving. I had a major problem with the *way* Brian left. He essentially was a negative/apathetic force for over a month, signaled that he was going to leave at *some point,* made moves that were clearly in the wrong interest of his team (and in retrospect, clearly for shits and giggles), and then peaces out right before his Contract Year while his team has a fairly real trade-back situation. I don't think he could have handled it any worse. For that reason, Brian should be last on the waitlist. Certainly behind Vivek.
greeme : I don't know why manas left so it is hard to say but brian was in a horrendous situation and entering cy so imo he should just be considered cyd. He should definitely wait awhile for a team. Manas probably had a good reason to leave so once he works that out he should be high up on the wl.
Stevie B : Didn’t care about Brian and really didn’t care all that much about Manas either. With Brian, his greatest asset to the league was to PP whenever needed. He never really seemed to care about his team...and I think if there’s one ugly thing about this league is that he actually had a team win a championship...which tells you how fluky this game can really be. He’s not really a good fit here anyway. With Manas, I didn’t mind him, but he also didn’t seem invested in his team either. We would often have to wait on him for FA bids and in the draft at times. I don’t particularly think they are big losses to the league given those things. I think Manas should be, but Brian absolutely shouldn’t be. Pretty cowardly move to quit with him entering his CY. Peace.
JR : Well they are both cool and were nice to me. Brian was super active for the first idk 6 months? He kept saying he was gonna quit i didnt believe him but his actvity was way down. Still not sure why he quit tbh. Manas I felt hasnt been active since he lost those guys in FA. Was weird they made a couple "Friend Trades" then say "peace" at almost the same time. I think Manas should be first whenever he wants to come back, no point having him on there now if he isnt coming back anytime soon. Diego the homie so he should get a team too.
2. What do you guys think of the drama with Royal and Manas? What do you think happened during this mysterious Zoom call?
Andrew : It’s impossible for me to articulate how little I care about this zoom call. Their business, not mine.
Skillz : I read some of that thread yesterday but am not fully caught up. That is...uh...not my business. Don't think it's worth commenting on it.
greeme : Weird. I don't really understand what happened. Maybe I missed a post or 50 on the subject. Knowing very little about either of them I am still confident in saying that Royal was in the wrong and Manas in the right.
Stevie B : I didn’t really care about it. That was between them. Not a great look by Royal, but just weird shit, lol. Bottom line.
JR - LOL at getting mad at royal. Manas felt slighted because royal said BBS got better, but Manas hasnt gave this much effort lately so I do agree with that assessment. Manas giving money to somebody he doesnt know is very nice, but I dont see why he would ask for it back. As far as the zoom call go i dont think I want to know. Somebody called Manas racist so idk what happened but he never came off like that to me.
3. Two GMs out means two new GMs in. Break took over for the Celtics and Lums took over for the Warriors. Were these the right hires?
Andrew : I think these are great hires in terms of activity. The amount of shit Break got during his first go around is in the neighborhood of 10X the shit Martinez gets now. I think he learned a lot and will make his CY this time around. Lums is a sim legend and should always be at least BBS adjacent. It just so happened now was the time for him to become a GM! Plus if anything untowards goes on Spencer can just fire them. No downside!
Skillz : Yeah, I guess. Both clearly care about this thing more than others so that is a start. I think both are good hires in a vacuum, but I am a little worried about having both at the same time. That is a lot of drama for 5% of the league's members, and 100% of its new GM's, to bring at one time.
greeme : I would have let Game back in but they are definitely both solid hires if they have time to put into it. Celtics are in a much worse situation so Break has a harder job.
Stevie B : They were the next in line. Totally fine. Break has been waiting for a super long time and Lums never seemed to have a proper crack. Both were fine, and I have no issues with it.
JR : I mean right hires? IDK Lumley probably deserved a team the most lmao. Hes been on the waiting list since Vietnam. A very patient guy happy for him. Hopefully he doesnt trade Klay 2 times though. Break deserves a second chance and was fired before Diego so I guess. Its spencers world and Im just happy to be apart of it. IDC who I gm against as long as I have Galo and Steve as punching bags im cool with it.
4. Enough of the BBS drama. Let's get to the shit that matters! The draft has come and gone pretty much and Karl Anthony Towns went 1st overall. If you were in possession of the first pick, who would you have selected and why?
Andrew : I would’ve taken KAT because Porzingis has a long way to go development wise, which isn’t to say that KAT doesn’t. However, at a B his rebounding is high enough that with his potential it should get to A- and you can spend camps elsewhere, like on D and maybe handles depending on how bad they are.
Skillz : KAT. I love Kristaps, but his ratings are poor and he'd have to transcend (I said it again) BBS positional norms in order to be better than KAT. Towns may have turnover issues, but he is going to be a 30-10 big. That's hard to find at that position.
greeme : I kept going back and forth between kat and kp. Based off notes I like kp more but on the other hand Spence said Kat goes 1. If I had 1 I probably would have tried to trade down to 3/4. I'm happy how things worked out because I ended up not having to deal with the decision and drafted the guy I liked.
Stevie B : I don’t know. I’m slightly torn, but I would’ve leaned KAT. His strength and rebounding are such huge advantages and I don’t think KP will ever touch that. Yes, KAT might have some TO issues, but you can always address that by using yours RC/ACs on them. I think Galo made the right pick here.
JR : KAT is probably the choice with upside and his inside and rebounding abilities, but KP just makes me hard. HIGH Blocks and was a Knick. I dont feel like most Knick fans. The culture was bad at the time, he wanted out. He might be soft and a pussy but he can hoop.
5. Continuing with the draft, give me your top 3 value picks in the draft.
Andrew : Stanley Johnson immediately jumps out to me. Probably should have gone in the 1st round. Awesome pickup for jr. I also really like Wood at 6 despite it being somewhat of an obvious choice. He had really good notes and jr knows exactly what needs to be camped. I also liked Rozier at 20 for Ashes. His notes were minimal but good. Since he already handles well camps can be used in other areas.
Skillz : Richaun Holmes @ 19 -- Stocks and boards? Good value at 19. Stanley Johnson at 35 seemed like a steal. I thought JOsh Richardson was a good pick in the middle of the 1st round too.
greeme : Oddly enough, they were all drafted very close to each other.
20- Sacramento Kings- TERRY ROZIER
22- Washington Wizards - KEVON LOONEY
23- Dallas Mavericks (from Sonics via Nets) - TYUS JONES
Ty jones starts with B outside and has amazing handles. That should get you in the lottery. Looney is a 19 yr old showing very high pot as well as a good defense/rebounding base. Rozier will at worst be a good 6th man and maybe better than that.
Stevie B : Won’t include myself or really the top 6 picks! I liked Eli getting Trez Harrell at pick 8. I didn’t think he would be there, and since I was projected to pick at 8...I was hoping I’d get to pick him if he was there or else I would’ve taken a guy like Nance who seems risky to me. I liked the Richaun Holmes pick as I liked his notes and thought that was nice value at 19. I liked Rozier at pick 20, too.
JR : Devin Booker at 3 for sure. Bigs are at a premium but ELITE wings are hard to come by. I think Devin might be elite if he doesnt have too bad of handles. Christian Wood at 6 for sure. Maybe Im being a homer but after 2 RCs my man went to B inside. Bigs either die or explode so we will see. (ex. Jonas, Vuc for dying, ex. Cousins, Capela for exploding). The third has to be Norman Powell. Loved his notes and Skillz will camp him and put him in a system that fits.
6. Now give me your top 3 reaches in the draft.
Andrew : I’m very interested in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. On the surface this looks like quite a reach given that the draft order more or less follows the order of the draft notes. However, this was a Spence pick on behalf of Break. Was Spence trying to punish Break or is RHJ a diamond in the rough? Time will tell! For now looks like maybe a reach. I also didn’t like the Harrison pick at 16 despite the stipulation. Much better ideas there than using a mid first to get +10 potential. I didn’t care for the Lyles pick either. I wouldn’t want to use a lotto on someone that is best suited for a backup role.
Skillz : I have a weird feeling that Kelly Oubre is going to bust. Spence watches the Warriors regularly and was making the file during the beginning of the season. Just being honest! He wasn't a reach (universally thought to be a top-4 pick), but i would have traded down from D'Angelo Russell at # 5. I would rather have Wood, Nance or Harrell. Hate the combination of high TOs and poor defense at Point Guard, especially given the league's landscape. Andrew Harrison was a reach in a vacuum.
greeme : 16- Denver Nuggets (from Blazers via SA, IND)- ANDREW HARRISON – I thought somebody with a couple late 20s would take a chance on the twins. 16 seems to be a major reach.
12- Boston Celtics- RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a pretty solid defender and inside scorer. Decent handles. Will get some steals.
That sounds to me like a second rounder not a lotto pick/
14- Los Angeles Lakers (from Suns)- WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN
Willie Cauley-Stein has some room for growth in most of the important areas. Not great at anything currently though. Will need to be camped well
Maybe it is just me but the need to camp them is a major turnoff
Stevie B : Nance over Trez Harrell is a reach to me. RHJ seemed like a reach to me, but didn’t Spence make that pick for Break? Maybe he’ll be solid then. Wasn’t really a fan of the Trey Lyles pick either. I liked guys like Holmes and Willie Cauley Stein there.
JR : RHJ is the biggest imo. Richaun Holmes probably too. People high on Holmes but says he might get 1 bpg. Not the greatest notes IMO. Oh also Trey Lyles. He was late 1st for me not lotto.
7. We've already seen some blockbuster trades. Which trade made so far this off-season will impact the league the most?
Andrew : John’s trade was the most impactful by far both because there haven’t been many large trades and because I think it secures his CY. Russ and Blake are both flawed players, but also just won a championship. Russ/Blake/Durant/Dedmond and some depth pieces should be fine in a weak western conference.
Skillz : The Russell Westbrook/Blake Griffin deal. It's the only trade John will make for the next 10 seasons and ensures that it will be the only trade he makes over the next 10 seasons because he will now make it thru his Contract Year.
greeme : San Antonio Spurs Trade
Zach Lavine
2015 Spurs 1st (pick will stay on san Antonio for salary purposes)
2015 Blazers 1st (pick will stay on San Antonio for salary purposes)
Expiring fillers to be named
Indiana Pacers Trade
Russell Westbrook
Blake Griffin
Not sure why the Pacers threw in the towel so soon. I really like Turner but that wasn't a need and I feel that he looks much better than his notes so maybe his pot sucks. I like lavine but he will be a good player at best and not a unicorn like Westbrook. I love it for the spurs. Kd at sg? They should make their cy easy especially out west.
Stevie B : It’s clearly either Royal and Jr’s trade or yours and John’s. I think with yours, it’s a huge blockbuster and one that John hopes will get him through CY. I don’t see why it won’t, but he’s the most active guy either. With Royal’s, he got through CY and gave away two extremely valuable pieces for control of his picks back. Highway robbery type value for Jr. and why I need to keep Royal picks going forward.
JR : Spurs Pacers for sure. It saves John and we get the one week active one week nowhere to be found for a little longer now. KD Westbrrok and Blake seem to be OP.
8. I believe that John and the Spurs are the only team entering CY. After his blockbuster deal, does he make CY? Why/why not.
Andrew : Outlawz is also in his CY. I think John makes it fairly easily with Outlawz needing to make a few changes on his roster. The Clips probably have the best shot blocking team in the league, but the turnovers are really killing them. Outlawz probably needs to move one of his bigs for a volume scoring wing. Myself and Ahsan will not be in the playoff picture, which opens up two spots for the CY teams but I expect Dallas to make enough moves to make the playoffs themselves. Should be interesting!
Skillz : Yes. He has KD! Now he has two really good players around him. The West sucks. Kinda a bummer - John is an awesome dude, I just feel like he'd be best as an AGM until his schedule gets easier.
greeme : I'm a little worried about his bigs but with westbrook/kd and blake he should be fine. I really don't see him having a problem barring a serious injury. He does need depth though so hopefully he gets a sold mle
Stevie B : For a second I thought Outlawz was in his CY, but he might be entering it next season. Anyway, I think he should, but he still has more work to do. Things change here quickly, and maybe the West becomes competitive this season...so who knows. But I feel like it would be tough for John to not make his CY.
JR : Yes he makes it easily too. The west is ass. Do I need more reasons?
9. Free Agency is right around the corner (as long as you idiots start to send in your fucking bids now). Give me your top 5 players in Free Agency, along with projected contracts you believe they will receive.
Andrew : Jimmy - max
Klay - max
Lou - max (for everyone’s sake I hope he stays in Chicago otherwise we will never hear the end of it)
Bogut - 4 years 12 per 0%
Tobias - 3 years 10 per 0% (I am still a believer!!)
Skillz : Jimmy Butler - Max
Klay Thompson - Max
Lou Williams - Max
Taj Gibson -- 12x6, no increases
Andrew Bogut - 12x5, no increases
JR is sitting pretty as the only GM with real cap space.
greeme : 1- Butler – max
2 – Klay – max
3 – lou will – max
4- Ersan Ilyasova 4 yrs, 9 mil, 10%
5 - Luol Deng4 yrs, 9 mil, 10%
A lot of solid wings. Maybe they all get overpaid but Gordon, thabo, bertans, Nicola, yi, gay, iguadala etc all get 5-10 imo
Stevie B : Jimmy Butler: Absolute max will be given by Andy and he’ll stay.
Klay: Ditto Jimmy.
Lou: Will be maxed as well, but this is that 3rd contract so maybe Play does slightly below the max over a lot of years.
Deng: Interesting contract to give here since it’s his 3rd. Jah will prob keep it slightly under the max and hope to bring him back.
Bogut: 31 years old like Deng. I’d max him over 3 years and then deal him if I’m Break since I have a fresh window and Brian gave him shit to start out with.
JR : Jimmy Butler Max, Klay Thomason Max, Lou Will Max, Luol Deng Max, Kevin Garnett 2 yr max. KG might die but somebody will overpay IMO. I dont want to full max Lou will but he definitely will get it.
10. Is this the year that Eli and the Orlando Magic make history and finally reach the playoffs?
Andrew : No it is not. His roster can be charitably describe as average and he isn’t activity enough nor have any of the teams that finished with better records decided to change direction
Skillz : No. He's not proactive enough and the East has better, more proactive teams
greeme : Barring trades I don't see how. Beal and jrue are legitimate starters and Harrell might be a solid backup as a rook but I don't like the rest of their roster at all. They lack blocks rebounds and depth. That isn't going to get it done.
Stevie B : No. East is too tough I think. Ok.
JR : No. He likes tanking. Doesnt have to be active and can just talk nonsense. I love Eli but he aint built for winning.
