Post by TimPig on Mar 16, 2020 4:34:36 GMT
Questions
Eric
JHB
BK
Majic
Druce
Pointyegg
TimPig
1. Pick a player who is not on your team and not named LeBron James, Magic Johnson, or Kevin Durant that you would choose to build a new team around. Take everything into account - age, contract, etc. Why that player?
Eric: Doctor of the Finest Arts, Julius Erving. there's a lotta good players and a lotta good players on rookie deals, but there's nobody who can give you 12 rebs per game at the shooting guard position. no threes is a serious concern for his long term efficiency ceiling, but as SF he can probably get a full +25 inside and it should be at least good. the defense isn't elite but some guys carry the piano and some guys PLAY the piano. second choice Alex English, he IS a two way guy and as a three point shooter has a higher scoring ceiling but a lot depends on TC. third choice Joel Embiid, there are a lot of good young bigs so it's generally easier to find, but it's still a very useful archetype and i think he's the best of the bunch
JHB: If I was just picking a player with no context I’d probably go with Bill Cartwright. Doesn’t have any major holes, his offense is above average, his rebounding is elite. But his contract is expiring so a little too much risk for me. My next two picks are Rik Smits or John Lucas. Both in year 1 of deals with 3 remaining seasons. Neither deal is cost prohibitive. I don’t have total confidence in Smits yet with some of the variability in his performances and he’s a bit older so I’ll take Lucas if you hold my feet to the fire.
BK: Pick a player who is not on your team and not named LeBron James, Magic Johnson, or Kevin Durant that you would choose to build a new team around. Take everything into account - age, contract, etc. Why that player?
Honestly I wouldn't pick any player's not on my team to build a team around. All of the player's on everyone else's teams suck that are on young deals. I guess Spencer haywood seems alright, but the defense isn't there yet. John Lucas seems like he could be good but you'd really like to see more defense and less turnovers. Kyrie didn't win many rings. My answer to this question is just Adrian Dantley. Take that... question! He's young, he's sexy, and he is OTB.
Majic:Honorable Mention: Bill Cartwright and Julius Irving. Both are good-great players, Cartwright is a bit older but we have yet to see him carry a team. Irving looks like a stud very early in his career.
Dominique Wilkens is my answer. Can play him at SG or SF and puts up impressive efficiency at still a young age. Can continue to get better and is locked up long term on a deal that is below Max level. He is putting up 24 ppg and 8 rpg, shooting over 50% and doing so as the 2nd option in an offense. He currently plays with ball dominant Lebron James and his PG is getting 24 ppg too. Make him the focal point of an offense with complimentary pieces and his stats could go even higher.
Druce: At this point I'd take Bill Cartwright or John Lucas. They're both really young and really good. Neither has any obvious flaws and at least this year are super cheap. Lucas has a couple more years on his rookie deal so thats very nice as well. I'm not particularly fond of building around bigs but thats probably just because I'm more used to them being not great. Due to position scarcity I'd probably take Lucas #1 but it's very close. There are a couple other players I considered including Dominique and Joel Embiid but ultimately Lucas and Cartwright are the cream of the crop in regards to young players currently.
Pointyegg: I’d have to say Joel Embiid. Great potential, young, rookie contract, and has better attributes than anyone on my team already. Considering this league revolves around big-men and inside scoring, he’d be the person I’d want to start a team with.
TimPig: My favorite thing to do in sim league is acquire high draft picks and develop them, so I’m going to go with Julius Erving because he looks like one of the more unique players we’ve seen come through the league in some time. He’ll be a fine scorer with upgrades (please upgrade him Mike (inside)) and his rebounding is unheard of from a wing. After Erving, I’m probably going with Pistol Pete, though I’m a much bigger fan of small forwards than shooting guards due to our upgrade caps.
2. If you could change one thing about TMBSL (other than a full 29 teams), what would you choose and why?
Eric: it's perfect
JHB:Less BK, more mafia
BK: If you could change one thing about TMBSL (other than a full 29 teams), what would you choose and why?
I would literally change nothing about TMBSL. Only that it would happen more often, or maybe that I could sleep in between all the sims.
Except I would probably change us to some type of promotion/relegation system because that's fun right.
Rookie FA
Also maybe put a moratorium on expansion teams getting top 5 picks in already revealed draft years.
Majic: Eliminate Wheel. Listen, this will always be my least favorite part of the current iteration of the league for many reasons. I am fine with draft classes mirroring real life and including classes that are better/worse than others and players that bust or don't turn into anything. Where my problem lies is when those types of classes are combined with the wheel and draft slots are all fixed. If you miss on a pick, end up with subpar class or the softwares randomness kills your player it can really limit your ability to build your team. If any of those situations happen you are left taking your chances in free agency or looking to the trade market, which then requires you to give up additional assets. All of the above is not even taking into consideration the unfairness of the actual wheel slots and inequitable distribution of picks. Putting everything I said above together I think wheel creates an unfair scenario across the league.
Druce: Trying to remember what all I said on the drunk pod, but my biggest thing is the wheel. I'm just not a fan personally. Not really going to expand on that here. Outside of that, I've always been a proponent of expanded scouting. I think current scouting is pretty expensive and could have a few more options to compare particular players. I talked about a "private workout" on the pod including picking a few guys and comparing different aspects of their game/ratings. That would help if someone is hung up on a few different players. The league is very well run at this point so there isn't a ton I'd change, I've enjoyed being back quite a bit.
Pointyegg: I’m sure there’s no such program to help us with this but I wish you could complete transactions and any other league-related moves with the press of a button instead of having to post in a thread. On that note, I gotta commend Eric fro all of the work he does. It takes some grit to dedicate that much time and effort to keep the league flowing like it does.
TimPig: I think I’d modify the inside caps for shooting guards and point guards and raise them. Our flexibility is pretty limited at those two positions where it isn’t with the other three. We know from Eric’s research that inside is far and away the most important attribute, and putting that cap significantly lower for those two positions really limits the impact they can have. When it comes to point guards and shooting guards, it seems we either have Hall of Fame caliber players or placeholders with not much in between. I think raising the inside cap would give us some more creativity with those positions.
3. Name the minor leaguer who you think has the best chance to become a high-level starter eventually. Why them?
Eric: i'll go with Bob Lanier as one of the good young bigs i was talking about before. he probably isn't in the minors if mr. moneybags up in Harlem didn't have cap trouble but what can i say, that's a New York state of mind
JHB: Bob Lanier I think is the obvious choice here but that one is a little easy so I’ll give you Tyler Ennis. He isn’t likely ever going to be elite but he could be a borderline good starter and get 10+ WS per season.
I also like Earl Tatum, Larry Wright and Randy Smith on my team, and Bayard Forrest on the Cavs.
BK: This is a good year for minor leaguers. Earl Tatum, Tyler Ennis, Wayman BRitt, Julius Erving, and Bob Lanier. What a talented group of youngsters! Oh oops, the Pistons aren't a minor league team. I guess picking from the rest, I'd probably take Ennis.
Majic: Bob Lanier - I know it has only been 11 games and I know his has over 3 TO's per game, but I just love what he looks like already. The volume is there, he gets solid rebounds and his defensive stats are impressive. He still has 20 Lab Points that can be used on him plus a Skill Camp and there is alot to like. By the time his rookie contract is up I can see him being one of the premier bigs in the leage.
Druce:The obvious choice here is Bob Lanier on the Squires. He's already a beast and would be a key player on the Globetrotters if they weren't already set with a 3 man big rotation. He scores, he rebounds, he blocks shots, he gets steals. Nothing to not like here. I also like Randy Smith on the Spirits and wish I had trusted my gut and taken him instead of Henry fuckin Bibby and that other piece of trash I picked in the 2nd round. Lanier is a lock to be a high level starter, Smith is more of a coin flip, but I definitely like both of those players moving forward.
Pointyegg: Bob Lanier no doubt. Just like Embiid, he has extreme potential along with already above average attributes, not to mention he’s only 22. He’s definitely someone I hope to acquire in the future.
TimPig: Bob Lanier is the obvious choice, but he would probably be in the bigs if the Globes weren’t stacked and had the cap space. I think Artis Gilmore is a player who could be excellent for an outside focused team due to his low volume and great rebounding and defense. I think there are quite a few players who could have a role in the bigs - Paul Westphal and Larry Wright come to mind - but Tyler Ennis could probably be a starting point guard in this league. So if we look past Lanier, I think I’m the biggest fan of Ennis because he’s already playing pretty well and he still has +25 left.
4. Look three years ahead. Which teams do you think are primed for the greatest success in 2037? Think of current roster and contracts, re-signings, cap space, upcoming draft picks, and anything else you find important.
Eric: in three years the Bulls will have LeBron and Dominique for sure if they want to. i like those odds especially compared to the rest of the big four: Cummings and Ellis? Bosh and 36 year old Lucas?
Manning Richmond and the Pistol is a typically solid globes core, and if they bring back Magic the Bulls will have serious work to do, but there's no guarantee of that and i don't think any of those three is a #1 alpha top guy
JHB: Hawks, Bulls, Globetrotters, and Magic based on having GMs that have consistently been the best since I’ve come back. Also, shout out to the Pelicans as newguy seems to be pretty savvy.
BK: Bulls
Lebron
Majic: 3 teams jump out to me that should be in great position in 3037:
The Bulls - will be at the top for as long as Tim has Lebron and Dominique. Tim will need to put together a succession plan at PG with Robertson being 32, but he should be able to make that work with the 2 guys I already mentioned being so young.
The Grizzlies - Druces core are all entering, or firmly in their prime and I can see his team competing well into the future. The 2 biggest questions that will determine whether he wins a title are not; 1) Can he find a servicable PG and 2) can Holland develop into a strong #2 on this team.
The Globetrotters - Wards core 2 of Manning and Richmond are only 27 and he looks to have a young stud in Maravich. Think about that without even discussing the fact he has Magic Johnson and he is only 23. He is in the last year of his rookie deal but its expected that ward will be able to retain him. Thats an impressively strong 4 that are all young, with plenty of prime years ahead.
Druce: The Globetrotters are pretty set moving forward, a lot of their impact players are currently young. If a couple guys develop the Blazers could be pretty good. The Bulls may have to find a PG is Oscar has fallen off by then, but their other pieces are young. I like where I'm at as my core won't be too old by that time. The Hawks are also pretty young. Really most of the teams contending now I don't think will have really fallen off by then. It'll be interesting to see how the rebuilding teams go about acquiring talent moving forward and who sells off assets.
Pointyegg: Can’t say Im too experienced in the league so my answer on this question will probably be far off. Logistically judging on what I know, I put together the best team I could yet the Charlotte Hornets have 2 less losses than I do and $12M more in cap space. I see a lot of young players with good potential on that team.
TimPig: I still think BK is in a really strong position for the next couple of seasons. I’m not sure the Fat Lever signing was the best use of his salary and could prevent him from having some desirable flexibility in the coming years, but he still has his draft picks, which include two 1.1s, a 1.2, and two 1.6s. He should be able to snag at least two all-stars with those early picks and combine them with Adrian Dantley and max cap space this offseason. The upcoming free agency period will be a big one for the Tri-Cities.
5. Which team do you think is in the worst position for the foreseeable future?
Eric: supersonics
JHB: Hornets and Bullets with GMs that aren’t fully committed. Grizz have middle aged players and have leveraged all their assets to get there. Not sure if it’s enough to truly compete as is though. Spurs have an uphill battle to collect more talent.
BK: Bullets
They are the only team that I can guarantee you will be terrible 3 years from now. Everyone else has hope because they might start trying.
Majic: My Trail Blazers - I am probably being too pessimistic but I dont like the future for my team. This upcoming offseason I have Cartwright, Moncrief and Donaldson coming due for contracts. Then next offseason I have to decide on paying Exum, and then after that it will be time for English. My hopes rested on English and Exum developing into Goo-to-Great players and it looks like both will be average at best. Moncrief turns the ball over way too much and seems to have taken a big drop off in year 4. Cartwright is a bona-fide star and deserved a big contract. Finding a way to navigate all of those contracts and find space to improve will be a challenge. Add in the fact I wont have a top pick for a few years and my situation doesn't look good.
Druce: Gun to my head I don't love the spot the Pistons are in. No cap room, just picked first so they don't have particularly high picks coming up. Very few if any avenues to add talent to a roster that really isn't that talented to begin with. The Bullets don't have max space coming up and desperately need to get rid of Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade for assets. Do I think they'll do that? No not particularly, but they should.
Pointyegg: The Spurs for obvious reasons.
TimPig: The Hornets don’t have a great pick in the coming seasons - one 1.2 which likely turns into Reggie Theus - and no really great assets outside of him. Calvin Murphy might be able to start on a decent team if he progresses a bit more and he’s surrounded by other talent, but I don’t see how the Hornets add that other talent. I don’t blame him for the Murphy pick, but I don’t think it was the right move to draft two point guards in the first round last year.
6. Name one team as constructed today that you feel should be a buyer this year and one that you think should be a seller.
Eric: Bulls and Hawks look neck and neck and the clock is audibly ticking on Lucas, i could see Atlanta turning up the kerosene on the hot stove. Oaks aren't going anywhere, maybe they could move Okafor for a little something? i have never ever been a seller so idk man
JHB: I think Skrouse needs to stop being a fool and letting Noah get more run than LaPhonso. Druce needs to promote Ennis and let him take over. I could see the Pellies benefitting from adding another big to pair with Shaq that can block some shots and letting Haywood come off the bench. If I were the Mavericks I would sell everything not bolted down (Smits being the one bolted down piece) and go full on into pick seeking mode.
BK: Not a lot of people I think should buy in the current climate. Harlem might be an upgrade at SF from being able to win again. (Jerry West > MKG)
Majic: Buyer: Dallas Mavericks - There didnt seem to be an obvious team for this pick so I chose the Mavericks.This seems to be the last hurrah for this iteration of the Mavs and I think Delap should look to make a move. I dont know if its worth mortgaging and major future pieces but you never know what could help. I dont know that any team is good enough to knock off one of the top group but someone will likely try.
Seller: Bullets and Pistons - both teams are sitting in a spot where neither GM has alot of interest in improving the team. Both seem to be stuck with older, yet still productive talent and are not making a push for a title. Each has a couple players that I am sure would fetch some assets for and both teams could benefit from a restart.
Druce: The sellers need to be the Bullets, Magic, and Blackhawks. The B-Hawks have a lot of expirings that I'm not sure they plan on bringing back, should use those to get some assets. The Magic's window I think has closed and would be best off getting whatever they can for their pieces who are getting older and will be considerably expensive to keep together. The Bullets window never opened and they're cap strapped with those two huge deals moving forward. Need to get rid of those two contracts as quickly as possible if someone is willing to take them on.
TimPig: I don’t think the Grizz have any choice but to be a buyer. They’re in second place this year and with Durant thriving, they might be able to do some damage in the playoffs. Brad Holland was an upgrade at shooting guard and allowed Dion Waiters to shift into a backup role at both wing positions which should help the depth. Steve Kerr is performing well and might just be able to keep it up, but even if he can’t Ennis is waiting in the wings and could hold it down. I think the Grizz are a team that could use some bigs who play good defense (Artis Gilmore, anyone?). As for a seller, I said it for the Magic last year and they were able to add some mid-20s talent in LaPhonso Ellis and Dan Majerle, but both are underperforming this year. You have to sell before you’re comfortable selling so I think he has to test the market to see if he can kickstart his rebuild by dealing Conley for a massive haul.
7. Take a look at the current members of the Hall of Fame. Who is the most undeserving current inductee?
Eric: six players don't crack the top 100 in ws/48. of those three don't crack the top 60 in ws
Donta Hall - if not for Bill Russell would be the greatest defender ever, had a ton of shot block records, this is fine. not great, but fine
Shamorie Ponds - survived contraction but couldn't hack it in the premiership league championship A1. no titles. 1 all-nba first and an all-star mvp, retired as the career leader in assists and steals. this is bad but excusable
Elvis Delle Donne - career cut short by contraction but wasn't that good even before it. distant third best player on one title team. 0 all-nba firsts. this is bad and, by process of elimination, the worst
BONUS: biggest hof SNUB
top 40 career WS/48 are hof, active, or currently have profiles with enough yes votes with three exceptions
#20 is Harry "The Horse" Gallatin, but he only played six years
#26 is Willis "The Former Bull" Reed, but fecta ruined his career
#40 is #21 on your programs and #1 in your heart
four time champion, arguably the best player on the 2016 title winning globetrotters
two all-league teams (both thirds)
STILL the only player to shoot 60% from the field for a full season
STILL the only player to shoot 61% from the field for a full season
STILL the only player to shoot 62% from the field for a full season
VLADE DIVAC
and he didn't even get a profile
JHB: I don’t think there are any undeserving members. I think the major gatekeeping of a pretend HOF meant to commemorate people’s favorite players is silly.
BK:Dave Lattin
Had a few good years with the Hornets, but the rest of his career was mired on some truly terrible teams.
Majic: I am not sure if there is anyone that doesnt deserve it, all were voted in by the league but I think this question seems to be aimed at one guy: Nick Van Exel.
In the grand scheme of things I dont think that NVE should be in the HOF. He had a solid but unspectacular career with only 1-2 years that could be considered elite. On the flip side he is the unquestioned best PG when factoring in his ability to get his teammates involved. Anytime a player ends his career as the #1 producer in any stat category I think they deserve to be included in the HOF.
Druce: How the hell did Shamorie Ponds or Jock Landale get in? Ponds shot a career 46%. I get that he had a couple good years from the field but all things considered he's an above average point guard who played some defense. Just don't understand this guy in the hall of fame. Additionally Jock Landale has no business being in the hall. The guy didn't even average a double double for a season as a big. He didn't block shots. He's a nice piece but hall of fame is ridiculous for this guy. I'm not sure what you guys were on when voting for these two, but it's the hall of fame, not the hall of MLE.
TimPig: AJ Guyton. I tried to make the case against him but I just really hate that a guy who only made three all-star teams and didn’t really put up impressive stats. He made four all-league first teams which is the biggest thing working in his favor but it was in a time when the league lacked many great point guards. He just seems a class below the Brain Winters, Nick Van Exels, and Max Zaslofsky’s of the world.
8. Looking at the past 3-5 drafts, which pick do you think was the worst at the time? That is, a player that went way higher than you would've taken them?
Eric: all of them #neverdraft
JHB: I thought Aaron Gordon was an awful pick. I thought Jabari was clearly a better prospect, Wiggins was more intriguing as an upside play with the dearth of wings, and personally I would have even taken Smart, Exum, or Jokic over him at the time as well.
BK: Alex English
I literally told Majic in shout that Dantley was a stud and he picked english with 0 scouting on name recognition alone. It's like he didn't learn from Dirk or any other pick he's ever made.
Majic: This is probably a boring answer but there doesn't really seem to be a player that jumps out as a huge reach. Looking back over the last 5 drafts there didnt seem to be any major reaches or players overdrafted.
If I was forced to pick 1 player I would probably say Robert Parish, and even that might be aided by the help of hindsight. I didn't love the pick when it was made as I didnt think his grades looked all that great, even though his write-up wasn't bad. I think you might have found better value with some other guys.
Druce:The two that stand out to me are Robert Parrish and Dennis Johnson. I'm biased to the outside grade, but I'm not taking a D+ outside big in the top 3 if they only have B inside. To me thats going to be a guy who potentially takes too many shots on lowish efficiency. The B defense and rebounding aren't bad and given the other options skrouse could have done much worse here but I'm just not in love with that player. If he was scouted thats one thing and I have no way of knowing if that was the case, but I'd probably be looking for a guard or wing if thats the best big available. As far as Dennis Johnson goes, B- C scoring grades for a guard are as good as a kiss of death. You know he's going to most likely have at least some 3 point shooting so that C outside probably means his jumper is shit. B- is indicating that nothing stands out about strength, inside, or jumping. I could be wrong here but I think those scoring grades are very indicative of a guard being dog shit on offense. Maybe an example to the contrary exists and I'm wrong, but I'm not making that pick. John Lucas being the very next pick is a guy punch for fecta.
TimPig: Looking at the old draft classes, I’m not sure there’s anyone that stands out as particularly bad. I think there’s generally been a consensus top one or two picks and those have mostly gone as planned. There could have been some argument made against Aaron Gordon, but based on the grades, I may have gone that way as well. I did a lot of scouting that offseason though, which in hindsight was the right decision I think based on who I was considering and who I actually took. Gordon looks like the wrong player to have taken at this point and it could’ve potentially turned into another player who could’ve been a big part in Tri-Cities’ rebuild.
Eric
JHB
BK
Majic
Druce
Pointyegg
TimPig
1. Pick a player who is not on your team and not named LeBron James, Magic Johnson, or Kevin Durant that you would choose to build a new team around. Take everything into account - age, contract, etc. Why that player?
Eric: Doctor of the Finest Arts, Julius Erving. there's a lotta good players and a lotta good players on rookie deals, but there's nobody who can give you 12 rebs per game at the shooting guard position. no threes is a serious concern for his long term efficiency ceiling, but as SF he can probably get a full +25 inside and it should be at least good. the defense isn't elite but some guys carry the piano and some guys PLAY the piano. second choice Alex English, he IS a two way guy and as a three point shooter has a higher scoring ceiling but a lot depends on TC. third choice Joel Embiid, there are a lot of good young bigs so it's generally easier to find, but it's still a very useful archetype and i think he's the best of the bunch
JHB: If I was just picking a player with no context I’d probably go with Bill Cartwright. Doesn’t have any major holes, his offense is above average, his rebounding is elite. But his contract is expiring so a little too much risk for me. My next two picks are Rik Smits or John Lucas. Both in year 1 of deals with 3 remaining seasons. Neither deal is cost prohibitive. I don’t have total confidence in Smits yet with some of the variability in his performances and he’s a bit older so I’ll take Lucas if you hold my feet to the fire.
BK: Pick a player who is not on your team and not named LeBron James, Magic Johnson, or Kevin Durant that you would choose to build a new team around. Take everything into account - age, contract, etc. Why that player?
Honestly I wouldn't pick any player's not on my team to build a team around. All of the player's on everyone else's teams suck that are on young deals. I guess Spencer haywood seems alright, but the defense isn't there yet. John Lucas seems like he could be good but you'd really like to see more defense and less turnovers. Kyrie didn't win many rings. My answer to this question is just Adrian Dantley. Take that... question! He's young, he's sexy, and he is OTB.
Majic:Honorable Mention: Bill Cartwright and Julius Irving. Both are good-great players, Cartwright is a bit older but we have yet to see him carry a team. Irving looks like a stud very early in his career.
Dominique Wilkens is my answer. Can play him at SG or SF and puts up impressive efficiency at still a young age. Can continue to get better and is locked up long term on a deal that is below Max level. He is putting up 24 ppg and 8 rpg, shooting over 50% and doing so as the 2nd option in an offense. He currently plays with ball dominant Lebron James and his PG is getting 24 ppg too. Make him the focal point of an offense with complimentary pieces and his stats could go even higher.
Druce: At this point I'd take Bill Cartwright or John Lucas. They're both really young and really good. Neither has any obvious flaws and at least this year are super cheap. Lucas has a couple more years on his rookie deal so thats very nice as well. I'm not particularly fond of building around bigs but thats probably just because I'm more used to them being not great. Due to position scarcity I'd probably take Lucas #1 but it's very close. There are a couple other players I considered including Dominique and Joel Embiid but ultimately Lucas and Cartwright are the cream of the crop in regards to young players currently.
Pointyegg: I’d have to say Joel Embiid. Great potential, young, rookie contract, and has better attributes than anyone on my team already. Considering this league revolves around big-men and inside scoring, he’d be the person I’d want to start a team with.
TimPig: My favorite thing to do in sim league is acquire high draft picks and develop them, so I’m going to go with Julius Erving because he looks like one of the more unique players we’ve seen come through the league in some time. He’ll be a fine scorer with upgrades (please upgrade him Mike (inside)) and his rebounding is unheard of from a wing. After Erving, I’m probably going with Pistol Pete, though I’m a much bigger fan of small forwards than shooting guards due to our upgrade caps.
2. If you could change one thing about TMBSL (other than a full 29 teams), what would you choose and why?
Eric: it's perfect
JHB:Less BK, more mafia
BK: If you could change one thing about TMBSL (other than a full 29 teams), what would you choose and why?
I would literally change nothing about TMBSL. Only that it would happen more often, or maybe that I could sleep in between all the sims.
Except I would probably change us to some type of promotion/relegation system because that's fun right.
Rookie FA
Also maybe put a moratorium on expansion teams getting top 5 picks in already revealed draft years.
Majic: Eliminate Wheel. Listen, this will always be my least favorite part of the current iteration of the league for many reasons. I am fine with draft classes mirroring real life and including classes that are better/worse than others and players that bust or don't turn into anything. Where my problem lies is when those types of classes are combined with the wheel and draft slots are all fixed. If you miss on a pick, end up with subpar class or the softwares randomness kills your player it can really limit your ability to build your team. If any of those situations happen you are left taking your chances in free agency or looking to the trade market, which then requires you to give up additional assets. All of the above is not even taking into consideration the unfairness of the actual wheel slots and inequitable distribution of picks. Putting everything I said above together I think wheel creates an unfair scenario across the league.
Druce: Trying to remember what all I said on the drunk pod, but my biggest thing is the wheel. I'm just not a fan personally. Not really going to expand on that here. Outside of that, I've always been a proponent of expanded scouting. I think current scouting is pretty expensive and could have a few more options to compare particular players. I talked about a "private workout" on the pod including picking a few guys and comparing different aspects of their game/ratings. That would help if someone is hung up on a few different players. The league is very well run at this point so there isn't a ton I'd change, I've enjoyed being back quite a bit.
Pointyegg: I’m sure there’s no such program to help us with this but I wish you could complete transactions and any other league-related moves with the press of a button instead of having to post in a thread. On that note, I gotta commend Eric fro all of the work he does. It takes some grit to dedicate that much time and effort to keep the league flowing like it does.
TimPig: I think I’d modify the inside caps for shooting guards and point guards and raise them. Our flexibility is pretty limited at those two positions where it isn’t with the other three. We know from Eric’s research that inside is far and away the most important attribute, and putting that cap significantly lower for those two positions really limits the impact they can have. When it comes to point guards and shooting guards, it seems we either have Hall of Fame caliber players or placeholders with not much in between. I think raising the inside cap would give us some more creativity with those positions.
3. Name the minor leaguer who you think has the best chance to become a high-level starter eventually. Why them?
Eric: i'll go with Bob Lanier as one of the good young bigs i was talking about before. he probably isn't in the minors if mr. moneybags up in Harlem didn't have cap trouble but what can i say, that's a New York state of mind
JHB: Bob Lanier I think is the obvious choice here but that one is a little easy so I’ll give you Tyler Ennis. He isn’t likely ever going to be elite but he could be a borderline good starter and get 10+ WS per season.
I also like Earl Tatum, Larry Wright and Randy Smith on my team, and Bayard Forrest on the Cavs.
BK: This is a good year for minor leaguers. Earl Tatum, Tyler Ennis, Wayman BRitt, Julius Erving, and Bob Lanier. What a talented group of youngsters! Oh oops, the Pistons aren't a minor league team. I guess picking from the rest, I'd probably take Ennis.
Majic: Bob Lanier - I know it has only been 11 games and I know his has over 3 TO's per game, but I just love what he looks like already. The volume is there, he gets solid rebounds and his defensive stats are impressive. He still has 20 Lab Points that can be used on him plus a Skill Camp and there is alot to like. By the time his rookie contract is up I can see him being one of the premier bigs in the leage.
Druce:The obvious choice here is Bob Lanier on the Squires. He's already a beast and would be a key player on the Globetrotters if they weren't already set with a 3 man big rotation. He scores, he rebounds, he blocks shots, he gets steals. Nothing to not like here. I also like Randy Smith on the Spirits and wish I had trusted my gut and taken him instead of Henry fuckin Bibby and that other piece of trash I picked in the 2nd round. Lanier is a lock to be a high level starter, Smith is more of a coin flip, but I definitely like both of those players moving forward.
Pointyegg: Bob Lanier no doubt. Just like Embiid, he has extreme potential along with already above average attributes, not to mention he’s only 22. He’s definitely someone I hope to acquire in the future.
TimPig: Bob Lanier is the obvious choice, but he would probably be in the bigs if the Globes weren’t stacked and had the cap space. I think Artis Gilmore is a player who could be excellent for an outside focused team due to his low volume and great rebounding and defense. I think there are quite a few players who could have a role in the bigs - Paul Westphal and Larry Wright come to mind - but Tyler Ennis could probably be a starting point guard in this league. So if we look past Lanier, I think I’m the biggest fan of Ennis because he’s already playing pretty well and he still has +25 left.
4. Look three years ahead. Which teams do you think are primed for the greatest success in 2037? Think of current roster and contracts, re-signings, cap space, upcoming draft picks, and anything else you find important.
Eric: in three years the Bulls will have LeBron and Dominique for sure if they want to. i like those odds especially compared to the rest of the big four: Cummings and Ellis? Bosh and 36 year old Lucas?
Manning Richmond and the Pistol is a typically solid globes core, and if they bring back Magic the Bulls will have serious work to do, but there's no guarantee of that and i don't think any of those three is a #1 alpha top guyJHB: Hawks, Bulls, Globetrotters, and Magic based on having GMs that have consistently been the best since I’ve come back. Also, shout out to the Pelicans as newguy seems to be pretty savvy.
BK: Bulls
Lebron
Majic: 3 teams jump out to me that should be in great position in 3037:
The Bulls - will be at the top for as long as Tim has Lebron and Dominique. Tim will need to put together a succession plan at PG with Robertson being 32, but he should be able to make that work with the 2 guys I already mentioned being so young.
The Grizzlies - Druces core are all entering, or firmly in their prime and I can see his team competing well into the future. The 2 biggest questions that will determine whether he wins a title are not; 1) Can he find a servicable PG and 2) can Holland develop into a strong #2 on this team.
The Globetrotters - Wards core 2 of Manning and Richmond are only 27 and he looks to have a young stud in Maravich. Think about that without even discussing the fact he has Magic Johnson and he is only 23. He is in the last year of his rookie deal but its expected that ward will be able to retain him. Thats an impressively strong 4 that are all young, with plenty of prime years ahead.
Druce: The Globetrotters are pretty set moving forward, a lot of their impact players are currently young. If a couple guys develop the Blazers could be pretty good. The Bulls may have to find a PG is Oscar has fallen off by then, but their other pieces are young. I like where I'm at as my core won't be too old by that time. The Hawks are also pretty young. Really most of the teams contending now I don't think will have really fallen off by then. It'll be interesting to see how the rebuilding teams go about acquiring talent moving forward and who sells off assets.
Pointyegg: Can’t say Im too experienced in the league so my answer on this question will probably be far off. Logistically judging on what I know, I put together the best team I could yet the Charlotte Hornets have 2 less losses than I do and $12M more in cap space. I see a lot of young players with good potential on that team.
TimPig: I still think BK is in a really strong position for the next couple of seasons. I’m not sure the Fat Lever signing was the best use of his salary and could prevent him from having some desirable flexibility in the coming years, but he still has his draft picks, which include two 1.1s, a 1.2, and two 1.6s. He should be able to snag at least two all-stars with those early picks and combine them with Adrian Dantley and max cap space this offseason. The upcoming free agency period will be a big one for the Tri-Cities.
5. Which team do you think is in the worst position for the foreseeable future?
Eric: supersonics
JHB: Hornets and Bullets with GMs that aren’t fully committed. Grizz have middle aged players and have leveraged all their assets to get there. Not sure if it’s enough to truly compete as is though. Spurs have an uphill battle to collect more talent.
BK: Bullets
They are the only team that I can guarantee you will be terrible 3 years from now. Everyone else has hope because they might start trying.
Majic: My Trail Blazers - I am probably being too pessimistic but I dont like the future for my team. This upcoming offseason I have Cartwright, Moncrief and Donaldson coming due for contracts. Then next offseason I have to decide on paying Exum, and then after that it will be time for English. My hopes rested on English and Exum developing into Goo-to-Great players and it looks like both will be average at best. Moncrief turns the ball over way too much and seems to have taken a big drop off in year 4. Cartwright is a bona-fide star and deserved a big contract. Finding a way to navigate all of those contracts and find space to improve will be a challenge. Add in the fact I wont have a top pick for a few years and my situation doesn't look good.
Druce: Gun to my head I don't love the spot the Pistons are in. No cap room, just picked first so they don't have particularly high picks coming up. Very few if any avenues to add talent to a roster that really isn't that talented to begin with. The Bullets don't have max space coming up and desperately need to get rid of Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade for assets. Do I think they'll do that? No not particularly, but they should.
Pointyegg: The Spurs for obvious reasons.
TimPig: The Hornets don’t have a great pick in the coming seasons - one 1.2 which likely turns into Reggie Theus - and no really great assets outside of him. Calvin Murphy might be able to start on a decent team if he progresses a bit more and he’s surrounded by other talent, but I don’t see how the Hornets add that other talent. I don’t blame him for the Murphy pick, but I don’t think it was the right move to draft two point guards in the first round last year.
6. Name one team as constructed today that you feel should be a buyer this year and one that you think should be a seller.
Eric: Bulls and Hawks look neck and neck and the clock is audibly ticking on Lucas, i could see Atlanta turning up the kerosene on the hot stove. Oaks aren't going anywhere, maybe they could move Okafor for a little something? i have never ever been a seller so idk man
JHB: I think Skrouse needs to stop being a fool and letting Noah get more run than LaPhonso. Druce needs to promote Ennis and let him take over. I could see the Pellies benefitting from adding another big to pair with Shaq that can block some shots and letting Haywood come off the bench. If I were the Mavericks I would sell everything not bolted down (Smits being the one bolted down piece) and go full on into pick seeking mode.
BK: Not a lot of people I think should buy in the current climate. Harlem might be an upgrade at SF from being able to win again. (Jerry West > MKG)
Majic: Buyer: Dallas Mavericks - There didnt seem to be an obvious team for this pick so I chose the Mavericks.This seems to be the last hurrah for this iteration of the Mavs and I think Delap should look to make a move. I dont know if its worth mortgaging and major future pieces but you never know what could help. I dont know that any team is good enough to knock off one of the top group but someone will likely try.
Seller: Bullets and Pistons - both teams are sitting in a spot where neither GM has alot of interest in improving the team. Both seem to be stuck with older, yet still productive talent and are not making a push for a title. Each has a couple players that I am sure would fetch some assets for and both teams could benefit from a restart.
Druce: The sellers need to be the Bullets, Magic, and Blackhawks. The B-Hawks have a lot of expirings that I'm not sure they plan on bringing back, should use those to get some assets. The Magic's window I think has closed and would be best off getting whatever they can for their pieces who are getting older and will be considerably expensive to keep together. The Bullets window never opened and they're cap strapped with those two huge deals moving forward. Need to get rid of those two contracts as quickly as possible if someone is willing to take them on.
TimPig: I don’t think the Grizz have any choice but to be a buyer. They’re in second place this year and with Durant thriving, they might be able to do some damage in the playoffs. Brad Holland was an upgrade at shooting guard and allowed Dion Waiters to shift into a backup role at both wing positions which should help the depth. Steve Kerr is performing well and might just be able to keep it up, but even if he can’t Ennis is waiting in the wings and could hold it down. I think the Grizz are a team that could use some bigs who play good defense (Artis Gilmore, anyone?). As for a seller, I said it for the Magic last year and they were able to add some mid-20s talent in LaPhonso Ellis and Dan Majerle, but both are underperforming this year. You have to sell before you’re comfortable selling so I think he has to test the market to see if he can kickstart his rebuild by dealing Conley for a massive haul.
7. Take a look at the current members of the Hall of Fame. Who is the most undeserving current inductee?
Eric: six players don't crack the top 100 in ws/48. of those three don't crack the top 60 in ws
Donta Hall - if not for Bill Russell would be the greatest defender ever, had a ton of shot block records, this is fine. not great, but fine
Shamorie Ponds - survived contraction but couldn't hack it in the premiership league championship A1. no titles. 1 all-nba first and an all-star mvp, retired as the career leader in assists and steals. this is bad but excusable
Elvis Delle Donne - career cut short by contraction but wasn't that good even before it. distant third best player on one title team. 0 all-nba firsts. this is bad and, by process of elimination, the worst
BONUS: biggest hof SNUB
top 40 career WS/48 are hof, active, or currently have profiles with enough yes votes with three exceptions
#20 is Harry "The Horse" Gallatin, but he only played six years
#26 is Willis "The Former Bull" Reed, but fecta ruined his career
#40 is #21 on your programs and #1 in your heart
four time champion, arguably the best player on the 2016 title winning globetrotters
two all-league teams (both thirds)
STILL the only player to shoot 60% from the field for a full season
STILL the only player to shoot 61% from the field for a full season
STILL the only player to shoot 62% from the field for a full season
VLADE DIVAC
and he didn't even get a profile
JHB: I don’t think there are any undeserving members. I think the major gatekeeping of a pretend HOF meant to commemorate people’s favorite players is silly.
BK:Dave Lattin
Had a few good years with the Hornets, but the rest of his career was mired on some truly terrible teams.
Majic: I am not sure if there is anyone that doesnt deserve it, all were voted in by the league but I think this question seems to be aimed at one guy: Nick Van Exel.
In the grand scheme of things I dont think that NVE should be in the HOF. He had a solid but unspectacular career with only 1-2 years that could be considered elite. On the flip side he is the unquestioned best PG when factoring in his ability to get his teammates involved. Anytime a player ends his career as the #1 producer in any stat category I think they deserve to be included in the HOF.
Druce: How the hell did Shamorie Ponds or Jock Landale get in? Ponds shot a career 46%. I get that he had a couple good years from the field but all things considered he's an above average point guard who played some defense. Just don't understand this guy in the hall of fame. Additionally Jock Landale has no business being in the hall. The guy didn't even average a double double for a season as a big. He didn't block shots. He's a nice piece but hall of fame is ridiculous for this guy. I'm not sure what you guys were on when voting for these two, but it's the hall of fame, not the hall of MLE.
TimPig: AJ Guyton. I tried to make the case against him but I just really hate that a guy who only made three all-star teams and didn’t really put up impressive stats. He made four all-league first teams which is the biggest thing working in his favor but it was in a time when the league lacked many great point guards. He just seems a class below the Brain Winters, Nick Van Exels, and Max Zaslofsky’s of the world.
8. Looking at the past 3-5 drafts, which pick do you think was the worst at the time? That is, a player that went way higher than you would've taken them?
Eric: all of them #neverdraft
JHB: I thought Aaron Gordon was an awful pick. I thought Jabari was clearly a better prospect, Wiggins was more intriguing as an upside play with the dearth of wings, and personally I would have even taken Smart, Exum, or Jokic over him at the time as well.
BK: Alex English
I literally told Majic in shout that Dantley was a stud and he picked english with 0 scouting on name recognition alone. It's like he didn't learn from Dirk or any other pick he's ever made.
Majic: This is probably a boring answer but there doesn't really seem to be a player that jumps out as a huge reach. Looking back over the last 5 drafts there didnt seem to be any major reaches or players overdrafted.
If I was forced to pick 1 player I would probably say Robert Parish, and even that might be aided by the help of hindsight. I didn't love the pick when it was made as I didnt think his grades looked all that great, even though his write-up wasn't bad. I think you might have found better value with some other guys.
Druce:The two that stand out to me are Robert Parrish and Dennis Johnson. I'm biased to the outside grade, but I'm not taking a D+ outside big in the top 3 if they only have B inside. To me thats going to be a guy who potentially takes too many shots on lowish efficiency. The B defense and rebounding aren't bad and given the other options skrouse could have done much worse here but I'm just not in love with that player. If he was scouted thats one thing and I have no way of knowing if that was the case, but I'd probably be looking for a guard or wing if thats the best big available. As far as Dennis Johnson goes, B- C scoring grades for a guard are as good as a kiss of death. You know he's going to most likely have at least some 3 point shooting so that C outside probably means his jumper is shit. B- is indicating that nothing stands out about strength, inside, or jumping. I could be wrong here but I think those scoring grades are very indicative of a guard being dog shit on offense. Maybe an example to the contrary exists and I'm wrong, but I'm not making that pick. John Lucas being the very next pick is a guy punch for fecta.
TimPig: Looking at the old draft classes, I’m not sure there’s anyone that stands out as particularly bad. I think there’s generally been a consensus top one or two picks and those have mostly gone as planned. There could have been some argument made against Aaron Gordon, but based on the grades, I may have gone that way as well. I did a lot of scouting that offseason though, which in hindsight was the right decision I think based on who I was considering and who I actually took. Gordon looks like the wrong player to have taken at this point and it could’ve potentially turned into another player who could’ve been a big part in Tri-Cities’ rebuild.
I do agree though that the options aren't great down low. Bellamy fell off a cliff too soon, Phonso has been under performing and had a bad TC. Cummings is a nice compliment piece but not the guy IMO. 
