Post by fason on Jul 3, 2018 2:00:09 GMT
This is a simple round table of superlatives for players within the league. It's a pet peeve of mine when people in these answer with themselves or players on their team, so the rules (that some chose not to read or follow) were you could not talk about any player on your team and you could not use a player twice.
1. Who is the best overall player in the league?
Odin - Brain. 100 handling, 3s, and jumper. And the gap between him and the next best pg is massive, but blame heebs for that.
Tim - Firsto Picko. It was down to him and Brain Winter, and I almost picked Brain because he plays at a position with far less talent across the league. But Firsto’s 35/10/3.5 bleals averages and excellent efficiency can’t be beat.
Eric - Neon Boudeaux - best ws/48
Skrouse - Firsto Picko - All things considered, ability, age, contract, I would take Firsto over anyone else.
kn - Firsto Picko. Efficient scoring, assists, good defense, etc. No weaknesses.
Heebs - Brain Winter - PG is a weak position and he is a beast.
Majic - Dolph Schayes - just across the board is an elite player. gives you everything you would want in all statistical categories
JHB - Brain Winter. Best all-around player at the game’s most important position
Firsto - Brain Winter, by far the best player at the most important position.
2. Who is the most valuable trade asset?
Odin - Hakeem. Best young player at a very important position.
Tim - Hakeem Olajuwon. Once again, I almost went with Brain, but Hakeem is younger, incredibly efficient, and has above average scoring and bleals, which it’s proving hard to find out of guys who weren’t in creation.
Eric - Hakeem Olajuwon - already elite, on two more years of a rookie deal. honorable mention to Gary Bossert, elite player on a flat $12.5m deal for another year
Skrouse - Daniel Taurasi - In his prime, is completely beasting it and carrying a mostly mediocre Pacers squad.
kn - I'll go with Firsto Picko. He's the best player in the league and locked up for six years. Winter and Hakeem are close.
Heebs - Cam Reddish - cost controlled max. Only 22 and already a beast.
Majic - Daniel Taurasi - I picked him because he has been floated as an option on the trade market. Those stats are just nuts.
JHB - Hakeem Olajuwon. Best player on a rookie deal with at least 2 years left.
Fason - Firsto Picko, only 26 (just 3 years older than Hakeem), probably 1b as far as best players in the league and he's locked up for the next six seasons. Also Firsto....Firsto..
Firsto!
3. Who is the most overrated?
Odin - Miles Bridges. Good player but his percentages aren't elite and his volume is due to being on a bad team.
Tim - Jock Landale. I’m with Ward on this one. While his current contract is a fantastic value, I don’t think he’s a max-worthy player. Good offensive efficiency and volume, but he has never averaged 10 rebounds and his defense is pretty average if not slightly below.
Eric - Chris Chiozza - slightly above average player on a massive overpay who has repeatedly been sent out for assets. makes Max "Slats" Zaslofsky look like Max "MAX" Zaslofsky
Skrouse - Kevin Knox - On a max deal and putting up numbers would almost half of that.
kn - Wendell Carter. I don't think anyone actually overrates him, but his deal sucks.
Heebs - Probably Aljami Durham. People were so excited about him coming out of G league. He's the crystal ball of De'Athony Melton's future.
Majic - Neon - big stats guy, reminds me of Marvin Williams from 4.0, puts up the numbers but never helps push the team he is on to title contention. That could change obviously.
JHB - Brandon Griner. Rebounding is fucking gross and I wouldn’t want it.
Fason - I'll say Brandon Griner, because I don't like his low rebounding and Skrouse turned down Templeton for him twice.
4. Who is the most underrated?
Odin - I plead the fif
Tim - Stan Haynes. Haynes re-signed with the Knicks for an AAV of $7.9 million and is averaging nearly 30/10 while living in Firsto’s shadow. If Kok and McGhee weren’t taking his minutes and shots, his numbers would surely look even better. He’d be a great #1 big man on most teams but I think most don’t even notice him because of how good Firsto is.
Eric - George Mikan - traded WITH a first for a scrub
Skrouse - Yante Maten* - May have been the most overlooked FA signing 2 season ago. At the time I thought he was a borderline max player at best but now he seems like he's playing at a discount. He is crushing it for the surprisingly great Jazz, most thought they'd be good but not this good. And he's got his full +25 remaining, he could turn into the best player in the league
kn - Deng Adel
Heebs - DeAndre Ayton - top 5 big in a big heavy league. On a great contract. Still young. Still has lab points.
Majic - Zion Williamson - feel like he gets lost since he plays for the heat. Just a monster though.
JHB - Yante Maten. He’s still pretty highly rated but outside of Hakeem he’d probably be the second best deal in the league for my money
Fason - Len Bias, this guy is an amazing two-way wing. And Fecta is the only person I've ever heard or seen talk about how good he is.
5. Who has the best contract?
Odin - Hassani Gravett. Really fucking solid pg for about the price of an LLE.
Tim - Mustapha Heron. I actually had Haynes in this section first, then I looked at the Jazz’s roster and Heron is locked up for 5 years at just $5 million AAV. He’s shooting with great efficiency and rebounding surprisingly well while playing out of position.
Eric - Jock Landale - key contributer on the inaugural world champion New York Knicks, cap casualty in the wild wild inaugural FA period, moved across the river(?) to Harlem on an absurd 3yr $6.4m flat deal and was easily the best player on another metro area champion not named after an historically reviled dictator
Skrouse - Cameron Reddish - One of the best scorers in the league locked up for 7 years. Doesn't get much better than that. With guys like Jim Halpert and Kevin Knox getting max deals, to have arguably the most elite scorer at the age of 22 on the longest deal in the league is a big win.
kn - Miles Bridges.
Heebs - Hassani Gravvett - top 15 production for basically an LLE over the next 5 years. Runner-up goes to Tyler Blevins.
Majic - Hakeem - this might be cheating but getting this guy for 2 more years on a rookie scale is golden
JHB - Hassani Gravett. Seriously fuck this guy.
Fason - Mustapha Heron, yes Hassani Gravett is a pretty good PG on basically an LLE, but Heron is max level wing on just 5 mil a year for the 5 years.
6. Who has the worst contract?
Odin - Jon Pierce. Dude died fast as fuck.
Tim - Karim Shabazz. Heebs has defended this deal since it happened and was, at least at first, saying he was very happy with it, but Shabazz is obviously terrible offensively but his defense isn’t that great either. Less than 10 rebounds per game and 2.5 bleals and he’s getting paid $12.5 million into his age 34 season.
Eric - Kevin Knox reminds me a lot of Malik Newman. he's also owed four times as much money.
Skrouse - Neon Boudeaux - (Can't use Knox twice) Though he continues to light up the stat sheet, he'll be owed 21MM and and 22.5MM after his 35th and 36th birthdays which will eat up Delap's cap as Reddish will be owed 18MM+ and 19.5MM+ those same years.
kn - Jon Pierce.
Heebs - Romeo Langford I guess. There are probably a lot of options here, but I'll say Romeo.
Majic - Chalky - I thought Romeo had a good year, so sticking with Chalky. Having to pay that massive salary to an aging player with diminishing numbers will not be fun.
JHB - Chris Chiozza. Know I’m not supposed to pick my own guy but this isn’t a good one so I’m doing it. 10+ mil for a backup PG...hopefully he’s worth it in the latter years of the deal.
Fason - Chalky Studebaker, he's not very good, 31 years old and owed over 70 mil for the next 4 seasons.
7. Which player in the league has the most upside?
Odin - I'm sorry I don't understand the question.
Tim - Andre Turner. Point guards have proven difficult to find but Majic found himself a good one in the second round of the draft/G-League. Turner still has +17 and is already one of the league’s better PGs at just 24 years old. Turner doesn’t have any major holes so Majic can safely invest in his inside grade and watch him get even better.
Eric - Vince Carter. probably the worst rookie of all time, so by definition he has the most space to improve
Skrouse - Antawn Jamison* - Putting up just a tick under 23 PPG in his rookie year, I really like what TimPig's got going on with Antawn. His defense may remain a liability but he's clearly got a lot of potential to be a great scorer long term.
kn - Hakeem.
Heebs - I really like Antwawn Jamison. Elite combo forward with no real hole and all of his upgrades left.
Majic - Luka Doncic - still has +25 left for upgrades and you have to like the size. Has the volume so that you could just get efficiency up.
JHB - DeAndre Ayton. The idea of him getting better from here is absurd. My favorite big since 2.0 Bynum.
Fason - RJ Cole, RJ Cole, RJ Cole, RJ Cole, 22 year old PG with sexy grades, averaged 21.6 PPG on 48% shooting and he has +25 left.
8. Which player needs a change of scenery the most?
Odin - Daniel Taurasi. So he can finally play pg.
Tim - Benji Hammon. An excellent player for the Hawks for sure, but Hammon is 33. The rest of this team’s core - Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, LiAngelo Ball, and Deng Adel - are between 22-25 years old. The recently-acquired Chiozza looks to fit in better long term, but I think Hammon should’ve ended up on the Mavericks or Bucks in exchange for assets.
Eric - kNick King. it's right there in his name, come on
Skrouse - Michael Jordan - A player who's name alone will inflate his value a bit. He's scoring 17.5 PPG as the 3rd scoring option on a mediocre Nuggets squad but he's had 0 points pumped into him. He clearly will need to improve his jumper to be a serious player long term. That alone IMO should have his agent shouting from the rooftops for a trade. Without upgrades he's going to end up being a waste of potential.
kn - Simi Shittu deserves better.
Heebs - Tyler Blevins - great guard with an elite contract. Won't win anything in the Couv after Odin's tear down.
Majic - Elle Okobo - not sure what Taco has been doing in 5.0, but Okobo looks really good and might be wasting away on a non-playoff team
JHB - Cam Reddish. Get this guy somewhere he can win a title.
Fason - Elle Okobo so he can play for a team that isn't tanking with a unweighted lottery.
9. Which young player is looking surprisingly busty?
Odin - Michael Jordan. Disappointing year but I hear mike's dc setting skills might not be the best.
Tim - Dirk Nowitzki. Almost went with Paul Pierce here, but Dirk went 1.1 and is averaging just 14 points and 8.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. His bleals are non-existent and he’s almost capped on upgrades. Right now he doesn’t look like he’s starter-worthy and will need some lucky training camps to justify going first overall.
Eric - Michael Jordan. he wasn't a superstar or anything in 4.0 but he did finish his career with 26 ppg on 47/87/40. meanwhile 5.0 mike currently sitting at 19 on 44/86/25
Skrouse - Charles Barkley - He just isn't doing that great. Scoring less than 12 PPG, had mediocre grades everywhere but Inside and Rebound and his scouted potential has dropped to a D. Despite getting a few point pumped into him, I see Chuck at best as a rotation player long term.
kn - Barkley. I had high hopes for him after 4.0. Mike Bobby is least surprising.
Heebs - Michael Jordan. He won't be a liability, but he also won't ever be a great player.
Majic - Michael Jordan - wont come close to IRL Jordan, hell probably wont even be in the league in 3 years
JHB - Paul Pierce. Thought his A defense would transfer to more production on that end and his scoring volume is disappointing.
Fason - Charles Barkley, this hurts my soul because Chuck was my favorite player in 4.0. Other than rebounding, he looks to be below average at everything. Does score with volume, FT% is below 80%, FG% is only 44%, only attempted 18 threes, and his defense is nonexistent.
10. Who is the best defensive player
in the league?
Odin - Catfish or Griner. Elite stocks
Tim - Brandon Griner. He’s shown he can consistently average 3.5-4 bleals per game and has an A rating.
Eric - With such low block totals it's impossible to know. I'll guess 4.0 Knicks legend Butch McRae - 3 bleals and A+ grade
Skrouse - Theodosios Cathasach - 4 Bleals per game and he's also grabbing 11+ RPG, a true D/R big with the nice addition of quick hands to pick off passes and poke the ball away in the lane. This guys is a big reason the Jazz may win their 1st title this year.
kn - Catfish.
Heebs - Catfish. The bleals, the shown defensive grade. Runner-up is DJ Rony.
Majic - Dante Hall - reigning defensive player of the year and plays a position that is lacking in strong defense.
JHB - Catfish. He’s my center that I covet.
Fason - Catfish
(*Editor's note, in retrospect this was a softball question because I was trying to get to 15)
11. Which player would you most like to build a team around?
Odin - Firsto. Best overall big.
Tim - Zion Williamson. I almost picked Ayton here (since I can’t pick Firsto per this RT’s rules), but Zion plays better defense. He’s just 21, still has A potential, keeps getting better, and has shown that even with the addition of Benji Wilson, he’s still putting up numbers. His turnovers aren’t great but he’s so good everywhere else that I’d look past it.
Eric - Dolph Schayes - there's a bunch of elite bigs kicking around, you really can't go wrong with any of them, I went with him just because he's 28 and the fascists in charge of this won't let me say creation 1.9
Skrouse - DeAndre Ayton - I like em big... ahem I mean I like bigs, and he may be the best young big in the game today. He does it all, has no real weakness. He can score, rebound, pass, block shots, pick passes, takes care of the ball and can hit his FTs. Oh and he can pop the occasional 3 if you give him 2 or 3 looks a game.
kn - Firsto Picko.
Heebs - Cam Reddish I guess. There are a lot of options, but I like his youth and all around ability.
Majic - Firsto - been an elite player in the league for a fews year and still only 26.
JHB - Collin Sexton. I’d want to start with a pretty elite PG and I’ve already mentioned Brain.
Fason - Daniel Taurasi, I finally get to use him for an answer after considering him for questions 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10.
12. Which player is about to have a breakout season next year?
Odin - Rui Hachimura. Whether he's on the clippers or not he needs to finally be starting at sf.
Tim - Rui Hachimura. He killed it in preseason but is still pretty low on the Clippers totem pole despite getting over 30 minutes per game. He’s essentially a fourth or fifth option right now but I bet he’s either starting in L.A. next year or is the centerpiece of another team next season. He’s an efficient scorer, good rebounder, and good defender.
Eric - Jason Williams - i'm assuming MJ won't send in a DC so druce will make him start
Skrouse - Jim Halpert - TimPig stole this cat from Odin IMO and he's already paying dividends with 2 40+ point games in his first sim as a Bull. I am a little upset I didn't pull the trigger with BK earlier in the year.
kn - Troy Brown if he gets PT.
Heebs - Whichever player Ank has been hiding on his bench. I'll go with Troy brown.
Majic - Antawn Jamison - looks to be the best rookie and with another TC could have a huge year
JHB - Troy Brown. Someone will pay him what he deserves and let his talent loose.
Fason - Sekou Doumbouya will turn into an elite scoring wing after getting points from Tim's friend or from his new GM after FA.
13. Which upcoming FA deserves the most max offers?
Odin - Rui Hachimura. Yeah...
Tim - Sekou Doumbouya. He’ll almost assuredly hit free agency this offseason since his GM has inexplicably disappeared, but at just 21 and already averaging 25/8, he’s a player you can build a team around. He’s gotten better every year and still has 5 upgrade points, though Jeezy wasted 5 on his handling grade for some reason.
Eric - Brandon Griner - secretly a terrible rebounder but still the best available FA by a pretty wide margin, plus the Magic don't have any bird advantage
Skrouse - Sekou Doumbouya - He's young, can score in bunches and looks to still have a lot of room to grow with A potential and 5 points left to pump into him.
kn - Miles Bridges.
Heebs - Zaslofski or Mitchell Robinson
Majic - Max Zaslofsky - plays a major position that is lacking league depth.
JHB - Halpert. Best all-around wing on the market at quick glance and he’s still got some upside.
Fason - Since I already used RJ Cole, I'll say Andre Turner, he's only 24, already very good and Odin has said he's the second best player he's made behind Hakeem.
14. Which upcoming FA is about to be overpaid?
Odin - Brandon Griner. Max starts pretty big
Tim - R.J. Barrett. At least one person thinks he’s a max-worthy player, but I wouldn’t pay him anywhere near that. He’s capped on upgrades and shoots only 45% from the field. His points per game are down this year now that the Hornets have added some players who can score in Brad Daugherty and Vince Carter, so his career 19ppg is pretty misleading IMO since he’s never had any talent around him.
Eric - Jim Halpert - he's not that far off from being a max production guy. his problem is that he's famous and he's used all +25 already. meanwhile Rui Hachimura is probably gonna be on the Clippers for the min next year.
Skrouse - Mitchell Robinson - Not an amazing FA class and Robinson is young with A potential. He looks like a solid post scorer and defender, he also still has 15 upgrade points left. So I'm sure he will field a few max offers, and maybe rightfully so based on the current supply and demand of overall talent in the league.
kn - DJ Hogg.
Heebs - This is against the rules, but because I'm short on time to look for someone better - certainly Donta Hall. At least Odin will max him for the Bama Blocks.
Majic - Jim Halpert - abort abort abort abort
JHB - DeAnthony Melton. Think he gets a max but probably doesn’t deserve it yet.
Fason - RJ Barrett has become a good wing, but he's maxed out on upgrades and will likely never become an elite on either end because of the low blocks and only decent scoring volume. With all that said, I'm expecting Fecta to give him a max or close to it.
15. Which upcoming rookie do you expect Druce to beast?
Odin - Jamal Crawford for pg depth
Tim - Mateen Cleaves. Druce is a Michigan State guy and if my nine year old memory serves correctly, he was a hero at that school.
Eric - Stromile Swift - easiest question in here, trailblazers get 1.1 in the lotto and draft him so Druce can say he built two portland title cores around him
Skrouse - Hedo Turkoglu - Because irl Hedo was the man and I'm asking Druce to beast him, right now, with this message.
kn - Ed Cota aka Ed GOATa.
Heebs - Mateen Cleaves, duh.
Majic - Any UNC players could be beasted. I might be breaking the rule on this but I honestly havent looked too hard at the upcoming classes to know.
JHB - Steven Adams. Do it, he’s so awesome and you know you want to Drucey.
Fason - Ed Cota, he seems to be in most UNC fans top 5 favs, I don't think Druce is any different.
1. Who is the best overall player in the league?
Odin - Brain. 100 handling, 3s, and jumper. And the gap between him and the next best pg is massive, but blame heebs for that.
Tim - Firsto Picko. It was down to him and Brain Winter, and I almost picked Brain because he plays at a position with far less talent across the league. But Firsto’s 35/10/3.5 bleals averages and excellent efficiency can’t be beat.
Eric - Neon Boudeaux - best ws/48
Skrouse - Firsto Picko - All things considered, ability, age, contract, I would take Firsto over anyone else.
kn - Firsto Picko. Efficient scoring, assists, good defense, etc. No weaknesses.
Heebs - Brain Winter - PG is a weak position and he is a beast.
Majic - Dolph Schayes - just across the board is an elite player. gives you everything you would want in all statistical categories
JHB - Brain Winter. Best all-around player at the game’s most important position
Firsto - Brain Winter, by far the best player at the most important position.
2. Who is the most valuable trade asset?
Odin - Hakeem. Best young player at a very important position.
Tim - Hakeem Olajuwon. Once again, I almost went with Brain, but Hakeem is younger, incredibly efficient, and has above average scoring and bleals, which it’s proving hard to find out of guys who weren’t in creation.
Eric - Hakeem Olajuwon - already elite, on two more years of a rookie deal. honorable mention to Gary Bossert, elite player on a flat $12.5m deal for another year
Skrouse - Daniel Taurasi - In his prime, is completely beasting it and carrying a mostly mediocre Pacers squad.
kn - I'll go with Firsto Picko. He's the best player in the league and locked up for six years. Winter and Hakeem are close.
Heebs - Cam Reddish - cost controlled max. Only 22 and already a beast.
Majic - Daniel Taurasi - I picked him because he has been floated as an option on the trade market. Those stats are just nuts.
JHB - Hakeem Olajuwon. Best player on a rookie deal with at least 2 years left.
Fason - Firsto Picko, only 26 (just 3 years older than Hakeem), probably 1b as far as best players in the league and he's locked up for the next six seasons. Also Firsto....Firsto..
Firsto!
3. Who is the most overrated?
Odin - Miles Bridges. Good player but his percentages aren't elite and his volume is due to being on a bad team.
Tim - Jock Landale. I’m with Ward on this one. While his current contract is a fantastic value, I don’t think he’s a max-worthy player. Good offensive efficiency and volume, but he has never averaged 10 rebounds and his defense is pretty average if not slightly below.
Eric - Chris Chiozza - slightly above average player on a massive overpay who has repeatedly been sent out for assets. makes Max "Slats" Zaslofsky look like Max "MAX" Zaslofsky
Skrouse - Kevin Knox - On a max deal and putting up numbers would almost half of that.
kn - Wendell Carter. I don't think anyone actually overrates him, but his deal sucks.
Heebs - Probably Aljami Durham. People were so excited about him coming out of G league. He's the crystal ball of De'Athony Melton's future.
Majic - Neon - big stats guy, reminds me of Marvin Williams from 4.0, puts up the numbers but never helps push the team he is on to title contention. That could change obviously.
JHB - Brandon Griner. Rebounding is fucking gross and I wouldn’t want it.
Fason - I'll say Brandon Griner, because I don't like his low rebounding and Skrouse turned down Templeton for him twice.
4. Who is the most underrated?
Odin - I plead the fif
Tim - Stan Haynes. Haynes re-signed with the Knicks for an AAV of $7.9 million and is averaging nearly 30/10 while living in Firsto’s shadow. If Kok and McGhee weren’t taking his minutes and shots, his numbers would surely look even better. He’d be a great #1 big man on most teams but I think most don’t even notice him because of how good Firsto is.
Eric - George Mikan - traded WITH a first for a scrub
Skrouse - Yante Maten* - May have been the most overlooked FA signing 2 season ago. At the time I thought he was a borderline max player at best but now he seems like he's playing at a discount. He is crushing it for the surprisingly great Jazz, most thought they'd be good but not this good. And he's got his full +25 remaining, he could turn into the best player in the league
kn - Deng Adel
Heebs - DeAndre Ayton - top 5 big in a big heavy league. On a great contract. Still young. Still has lab points.
Majic - Zion Williamson - feel like he gets lost since he plays for the heat. Just a monster though.
JHB - Yante Maten. He’s still pretty highly rated but outside of Hakeem he’d probably be the second best deal in the league for my money
Fason - Len Bias, this guy is an amazing two-way wing. And Fecta is the only person I've ever heard or seen talk about how good he is.
5. Who has the best contract?
Odin - Hassani Gravett. Really fucking solid pg for about the price of an LLE.
Tim - Mustapha Heron. I actually had Haynes in this section first, then I looked at the Jazz’s roster and Heron is locked up for 5 years at just $5 million AAV. He’s shooting with great efficiency and rebounding surprisingly well while playing out of position.
Eric - Jock Landale - key contributer on the inaugural world champion New York Knicks, cap casualty in the wild wild inaugural FA period, moved across the river(?) to Harlem on an absurd 3yr $6.4m flat deal and was easily the best player on another metro area champion not named after an historically reviled dictator
Skrouse - Cameron Reddish - One of the best scorers in the league locked up for 7 years. Doesn't get much better than that. With guys like Jim Halpert and Kevin Knox getting max deals, to have arguably the most elite scorer at the age of 22 on the longest deal in the league is a big win.
kn - Miles Bridges.
Heebs - Hassani Gravvett - top 15 production for basically an LLE over the next 5 years. Runner-up goes to Tyler Blevins.
Majic - Hakeem - this might be cheating but getting this guy for 2 more years on a rookie scale is golden
JHB - Hassani Gravett. Seriously fuck this guy.
Fason - Mustapha Heron, yes Hassani Gravett is a pretty good PG on basically an LLE, but Heron is max level wing on just 5 mil a year for the 5 years.
6. Who has the worst contract?
Odin - Jon Pierce. Dude died fast as fuck.
Tim - Karim Shabazz. Heebs has defended this deal since it happened and was, at least at first, saying he was very happy with it, but Shabazz is obviously terrible offensively but his defense isn’t that great either. Less than 10 rebounds per game and 2.5 bleals and he’s getting paid $12.5 million into his age 34 season.
Eric - Kevin Knox reminds me a lot of Malik Newman. he's also owed four times as much money.
Skrouse - Neon Boudeaux - (Can't use Knox twice) Though he continues to light up the stat sheet, he'll be owed 21MM and and 22.5MM after his 35th and 36th birthdays which will eat up Delap's cap as Reddish will be owed 18MM+ and 19.5MM+ those same years.
kn - Jon Pierce.
Heebs - Romeo Langford I guess. There are probably a lot of options here, but I'll say Romeo.
Majic - Chalky - I thought Romeo had a good year, so sticking with Chalky. Having to pay that massive salary to an aging player with diminishing numbers will not be fun.
JHB - Chris Chiozza. Know I’m not supposed to pick my own guy but this isn’t a good one so I’m doing it. 10+ mil for a backup PG...hopefully he’s worth it in the latter years of the deal.
Fason - Chalky Studebaker, he's not very good, 31 years old and owed over 70 mil for the next 4 seasons.
7. Which player in the league has the most upside?
Odin - I'm sorry I don't understand the question.
Tim - Andre Turner. Point guards have proven difficult to find but Majic found himself a good one in the second round of the draft/G-League. Turner still has +17 and is already one of the league’s better PGs at just 24 years old. Turner doesn’t have any major holes so Majic can safely invest in his inside grade and watch him get even better.
Eric - Vince Carter. probably the worst rookie of all time, so by definition he has the most space to improve
Skrouse - Antawn Jamison* - Putting up just a tick under 23 PPG in his rookie year, I really like what TimPig's got going on with Antawn. His defense may remain a liability but he's clearly got a lot of potential to be a great scorer long term.
kn - Hakeem.
Heebs - I really like Antwawn Jamison. Elite combo forward with no real hole and all of his upgrades left.
Majic - Luka Doncic - still has +25 left for upgrades and you have to like the size. Has the volume so that you could just get efficiency up.
JHB - DeAndre Ayton. The idea of him getting better from here is absurd. My favorite big since 2.0 Bynum.
Fason - RJ Cole, RJ Cole, RJ Cole, RJ Cole, 22 year old PG with sexy grades, averaged 21.6 PPG on 48% shooting and he has +25 left.
8. Which player needs a change of scenery the most?
Odin - Daniel Taurasi. So he can finally play pg.
Tim - Benji Hammon. An excellent player for the Hawks for sure, but Hammon is 33. The rest of this team’s core - Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, LiAngelo Ball, and Deng Adel - are between 22-25 years old. The recently-acquired Chiozza looks to fit in better long term, but I think Hammon should’ve ended up on the Mavericks or Bucks in exchange for assets.
Eric - kNick King. it's right there in his name, come on
Skrouse - Michael Jordan - A player who's name alone will inflate his value a bit. He's scoring 17.5 PPG as the 3rd scoring option on a mediocre Nuggets squad but he's had 0 points pumped into him. He clearly will need to improve his jumper to be a serious player long term. That alone IMO should have his agent shouting from the rooftops for a trade. Without upgrades he's going to end up being a waste of potential.
kn - Simi Shittu deserves better.
Heebs - Tyler Blevins - great guard with an elite contract. Won't win anything in the Couv after Odin's tear down.
Majic - Elle Okobo - not sure what Taco has been doing in 5.0, but Okobo looks really good and might be wasting away on a non-playoff team
JHB - Cam Reddish. Get this guy somewhere he can win a title.
Fason - Elle Okobo so he can play for a team that isn't tanking with a unweighted lottery.
9. Which young player is looking surprisingly busty?
Odin - Michael Jordan. Disappointing year but I hear mike's dc setting skills might not be the best.
Tim - Dirk Nowitzki. Almost went with Paul Pierce here, but Dirk went 1.1 and is averaging just 14 points and 8.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. His bleals are non-existent and he’s almost capped on upgrades. Right now he doesn’t look like he’s starter-worthy and will need some lucky training camps to justify going first overall.
Eric - Michael Jordan. he wasn't a superstar or anything in 4.0 but he did finish his career with 26 ppg on 47/87/40. meanwhile 5.0 mike currently sitting at 19 on 44/86/25
Skrouse - Charles Barkley - He just isn't doing that great. Scoring less than 12 PPG, had mediocre grades everywhere but Inside and Rebound and his scouted potential has dropped to a D. Despite getting a few point pumped into him, I see Chuck at best as a rotation player long term.
kn - Barkley. I had high hopes for him after 4.0. Mike Bobby is least surprising.
Heebs - Michael Jordan. He won't be a liability, but he also won't ever be a great player.
Majic - Michael Jordan - wont come close to IRL Jordan, hell probably wont even be in the league in 3 years
JHB - Paul Pierce. Thought his A defense would transfer to more production on that end and his scoring volume is disappointing.
Fason - Charles Barkley, this hurts my soul because Chuck was my favorite player in 4.0. Other than rebounding, he looks to be below average at everything. Does score with volume, FT% is below 80%, FG% is only 44%, only attempted 18 threes, and his defense is nonexistent.
10. Who is the best defensive player
in the league?
Odin - Catfish or Griner. Elite stocks
Tim - Brandon Griner. He’s shown he can consistently average 3.5-4 bleals per game and has an A rating.
Eric - With such low block totals it's impossible to know. I'll guess 4.0 Knicks legend Butch McRae - 3 bleals and A+ grade
Skrouse - Theodosios Cathasach - 4 Bleals per game and he's also grabbing 11+ RPG, a true D/R big with the nice addition of quick hands to pick off passes and poke the ball away in the lane. This guys is a big reason the Jazz may win their 1st title this year.
kn - Catfish.
Heebs - Catfish. The bleals, the shown defensive grade. Runner-up is DJ Rony.
Majic - Dante Hall - reigning defensive player of the year and plays a position that is lacking in strong defense.
JHB - Catfish. He’s my center that I covet.
Fason - Catfish
(*Editor's note, in retrospect this was a softball question because I was trying to get to 15)
11. Which player would you most like to build a team around?
Odin - Firsto. Best overall big.
Tim - Zion Williamson. I almost picked Ayton here (since I can’t pick Firsto per this RT’s rules), but Zion plays better defense. He’s just 21, still has A potential, keeps getting better, and has shown that even with the addition of Benji Wilson, he’s still putting up numbers. His turnovers aren’t great but he’s so good everywhere else that I’d look past it.
Eric - Dolph Schayes - there's a bunch of elite bigs kicking around, you really can't go wrong with any of them, I went with him just because he's 28 and the fascists in charge of this won't let me say creation 1.9
Skrouse - DeAndre Ayton - I like em big... ahem I mean I like bigs, and he may be the best young big in the game today. He does it all, has no real weakness. He can score, rebound, pass, block shots, pick passes, takes care of the ball and can hit his FTs. Oh and he can pop the occasional 3 if you give him 2 or 3 looks a game.
kn - Firsto Picko.
Heebs - Cam Reddish I guess. There are a lot of options, but I like his youth and all around ability.
Majic - Firsto - been an elite player in the league for a fews year and still only 26.
JHB - Collin Sexton. I’d want to start with a pretty elite PG and I’ve already mentioned Brain.
Fason - Daniel Taurasi, I finally get to use him for an answer after considering him for questions 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10.
12. Which player is about to have a breakout season next year?
Odin - Rui Hachimura. Whether he's on the clippers or not he needs to finally be starting at sf.
Tim - Rui Hachimura. He killed it in preseason but is still pretty low on the Clippers totem pole despite getting over 30 minutes per game. He’s essentially a fourth or fifth option right now but I bet he’s either starting in L.A. next year or is the centerpiece of another team next season. He’s an efficient scorer, good rebounder, and good defender.
Eric - Jason Williams - i'm assuming MJ won't send in a DC so druce will make him start
Skrouse - Jim Halpert - TimPig stole this cat from Odin IMO and he's already paying dividends with 2 40+ point games in his first sim as a Bull. I am a little upset I didn't pull the trigger with BK earlier in the year.
kn - Troy Brown if he gets PT.
Heebs - Whichever player Ank has been hiding on his bench. I'll go with Troy brown.
Majic - Antawn Jamison - looks to be the best rookie and with another TC could have a huge year
JHB - Troy Brown. Someone will pay him what he deserves and let his talent loose.
Fason - Sekou Doumbouya will turn into an elite scoring wing after getting points from Tim's friend or from his new GM after FA.
13. Which upcoming FA deserves the most max offers?
Odin - Rui Hachimura. Yeah...
Tim - Sekou Doumbouya. He’ll almost assuredly hit free agency this offseason since his GM has inexplicably disappeared, but at just 21 and already averaging 25/8, he’s a player you can build a team around. He’s gotten better every year and still has 5 upgrade points, though Jeezy wasted 5 on his handling grade for some reason.
Eric - Brandon Griner - secretly a terrible rebounder but still the best available FA by a pretty wide margin, plus the Magic don't have any bird advantage
Skrouse - Sekou Doumbouya - He's young, can score in bunches and looks to still have a lot of room to grow with A potential and 5 points left to pump into him.
kn - Miles Bridges.
Heebs - Zaslofski or Mitchell Robinson
Majic - Max Zaslofsky - plays a major position that is lacking league depth.
JHB - Halpert. Best all-around wing on the market at quick glance and he’s still got some upside.
Fason - Since I already used RJ Cole, I'll say Andre Turner, he's only 24, already very good and Odin has said he's the second best player he's made behind Hakeem.
14. Which upcoming FA is about to be overpaid?
Odin - Brandon Griner. Max starts pretty big
Tim - R.J. Barrett. At least one person thinks he’s a max-worthy player, but I wouldn’t pay him anywhere near that. He’s capped on upgrades and shoots only 45% from the field. His points per game are down this year now that the Hornets have added some players who can score in Brad Daugherty and Vince Carter, so his career 19ppg is pretty misleading IMO since he’s never had any talent around him.
Eric - Jim Halpert - he's not that far off from being a max production guy. his problem is that he's famous and he's used all +25 already. meanwhile Rui Hachimura is probably gonna be on the Clippers for the min next year.
Skrouse - Mitchell Robinson - Not an amazing FA class and Robinson is young with A potential. He looks like a solid post scorer and defender, he also still has 15 upgrade points left. So I'm sure he will field a few max offers, and maybe rightfully so based on the current supply and demand of overall talent in the league.
kn - DJ Hogg.
Heebs - This is against the rules, but because I'm short on time to look for someone better - certainly Donta Hall. At least Odin will max him for the Bama Blocks.
Majic - Jim Halpert - abort abort abort abort
JHB - DeAnthony Melton. Think he gets a max but probably doesn’t deserve it yet.
Fason - RJ Barrett has become a good wing, but he's maxed out on upgrades and will likely never become an elite on either end because of the low blocks and only decent scoring volume. With all that said, I'm expecting Fecta to give him a max or close to it.
15. Which upcoming rookie do you expect Druce to beast?
Odin - Jamal Crawford for pg depth
Tim - Mateen Cleaves. Druce is a Michigan State guy and if my nine year old memory serves correctly, he was a hero at that school.
Eric - Stromile Swift - easiest question in here, trailblazers get 1.1 in the lotto and draft him so Druce can say he built two portland title cores around him
Skrouse - Hedo Turkoglu - Because irl Hedo was the man and I'm asking Druce to beast him, right now, with this message.
kn - Ed Cota aka Ed GOATa.
Heebs - Mateen Cleaves, duh.
Majic - Any UNC players could be beasted. I might be breaking the rule on this but I honestly havent looked too hard at the upcoming classes to know.
JHB - Steven Adams. Do it, he’s so awesome and you know you want to Drucey.
Fason - Ed Cota, he seems to be in most UNC fans top 5 favs, I don't think Druce is any different.
