Post by 👨🏼⚕️delapandemic🚑 on Mar 10, 2020 16:41:21 GMT
State of the Midwest ™
2034 Prediction: 68-14, 1st in Division, League Champions
2034 Prediction: 53-29, 2nd in Division, 1st Round Playoff Exit
2034 Prediction: 42-40, 3rd in Division, 9th Overall, Misses the Playoffs
2034 Prediction: 25-57, 4th in Division, 15th Overall, Misses the Playoffs
For a few scant days, there was a promise in the air of the Midwest being organized, instead of a relic of the past, so I decided to write about it. Now I come to find out that a young German man has sabotaged us all and the division remains an unknowable, mysterious heirloom. Oh well, here is what I wrote.
Chicago Bulls
Last Season: 66-16, Semi-Final loss to the Orlando Magic in 7 games
Key Departures: Harrison Barnes, Allen Iverson
Key Arrivals: Dan Issel (R), Artis Gilmore (R)
Outlook: This team is easily in the favorite in the division and should be a top contender (along with Harlem) for the 2034 TMBSL Crown. Issel falling to #6 will likely look silly in the future, as his write-up/grades combination (along with attributes information Tim has hinted at) should be that of a future HOFer. Additionally, he’ll get some heavyreign ™ love in the TCs/re-sign areas and make us all hate Tim just a wee bit more. Their rotation will once again feature the league’s top player, Mr. LeBron James. Could this be the year he slides back to SF to cover the hole left by Harrison Barnes’ departure? I wouldn’t be shocked to see a frontline of Imhoff/O’Neal/Parker with James at SF. That doesn’t even account for getting Issel some needed minutes (if he isn’t shipped off to the Chicago Coliseum to play for the Zephyrs). There are really only 2 knocks on this team from where we stand today: 1. Backup PG. Iverson was a steady backup, but not fantastic. Charlie Yelverton projects to be somewhat worse than that. Given the team’s current cap situation, they will be searching for what is left on the market post-FA. 2. Brad Holland’s contract. I know owner Timothy Pigothy has indicated he will have no problem in paying to amnesty the deal if it doesn’t work out, but that contract is a drastic overpay for a player that honestly may never desire to shoot the ball.
I would anticipate that Gilmore spends the year in the minors… and maybe Issel, too. The core of this team is just too good for rookies to have any expectation of PT. I anticipate LeBron winning the MVP (for the final time in his career, due to the media’s bias toward PGs and the rise of Magic) and the Bulls to easily win the division. If Oscar can bounce back slightly from what was a down year in 2033, I expect the Bulls to raise their 7th banner in the United Center rafters.
Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Last Season: 47-35, 1st Round loss to the Orlando Magic in 4 games
Key Departures: Kirk Hinrich, Carmelo Anthony
Key Arrivals: Jerry West, Marc Gasol, John Havlicek, Andre Drummond
Outlook: The departures are not anything to really worry about and the 1 year addition of Jerry West should be a boon to the Molinites. Marc Gasol brings a winning tradition down I-88 from Chi-Town and should be a veteran leader for younger centers on the team. He is a good player who was just squeezed out by the amount of talent for the Bulls at this time. Havlicek rounds out the trio of professional arrivals who should absolutely raise the floor for this team. They should really help the development of Adrian Dantley and provide for competent play for a short-time period. I would expect to see Kidd/West/Dantley/Laimbeer/Gasol as the starters, with Havlicek, Yinka, and Fat Lever being the key backups for the Blackhawks this year. For the future, the cap is open for years to come, so flexibility wasn’t sacrificed at all this off-season. The floor is high, but the ceiling could be quite low for 2034, unless Dantley makes a prolific leap in year 2. They are easily a playoff team, but it is hard to see them cracking the Top 4 or winning a playoff series.
Dallas Mavericks
Last Season: 44-38, 1st Round loss to the Harlem Globetrotters in 5 games
Key Departures: Bob Cousy, Elgin Baylor, Bernard King, Clark Kellogg
Key Arrivals: Bob Pettit, Grant Hill, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dave Cowens (R)
Outlook: In what is clearly the final year of a slow tear-down in anticipation of Larry Legend coming to Big D, the Mavericks have added solid contributors on 1-year deals (Hill, Pettit) and taken a chance on a potential contributor in the 4th Antetokounmpo brother, who has some intriguing numbers (and alarming TOs.) Dallas owner/GM/coach Delap Throws is clearly trying to balance maintaining a shred of credibility while Kyrie Irving is still on the roster, but not foreclosing on future cap space to do so. The team itself should be able to replicate its performance from last season, with Hill replacing Baylor/King and Smits (hopefully) staying healthy. Insiders expect Cowens to remain with the big league squad all season, as there is no reason to stash him in Pittsburgh. Smits/Pettit/Parish should be an intriguing big rotation, especially if Cowens supplants Pettit for more minutes as the season continues. Marcus Smart might slide into the Bob Cousy-SG role to allow for more shots for Smits/Irving/Hill. Barring a major trade, I anticipate a tight race for the 8th spot in the league between Portland, Vancouver, and Dallas… with Dallas on the outside looking in. However, with 8 1sts in the next 3 years (4 of which are Top 6 picks) and loads of cap space (2 MAX slots in the 2035 off-season), I would anticipate Dallas being one of the most intriguing teams for the next 5 seasons after 2034.
San Antonio Spurs
Last Season: 11-71, did not make the playoffs
Key Departures: ALL
Key Arrivals: Jusuf Nurkic, Clark Kellogg, Calvin Natt, Carmelo Anthony, Sleepy Floyd, Tiny Archibald (R)
Outlook: A newer, pointier egg is headed to the grocery shelves and we just don’t know what to do with it. Clearly the expansion Spurs will be better than whatever they were last year… but they should still be basement dwellers for a bit. Who is their best player? Natt? Kellogg? Yikes. Tiny Archibald could actually have a chance to unseat Maravich/Erving for ROTY due to the fact that he’ll be a full-time starter and he’s a PG. That counts for something? I’d have him as my dark-horse pick for the award, at least. Wisely, he has also left cap space open for the future, so hopefully Mr. Egg can learn quickly and remake this roster to his likely in the next few years. I would anticipate seeing Tiny/Natt/Melo/Kellogg/Nurkic as a starting 5 with very little behind them except a very tired Floyd. It will be a learning year for sure.
