TEAM RECAPS (SORRY, COULDN'T KEEP UP. HOPEFULLY THOUGH, THE SAMPLE OF RECAPS BELOW REPRESENTS MY BASIC ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ROSTER BUILDING IN THIS FORMAT.
I DID REVIEW EVERY TEAM FOR ROSTER COMPLIANCE, AND THUS, EVEN IF YOUR TEAM DOES NOT HAVE A RECAP, I HAVE CONSIDERED THE QUALITY OF YOUR TEAM IN THE PICKS:
DIVISION PICKS:
ATLANTIC:
1. 53-29 longtallbrad
2. 49-33 dh555 (recap of pick #7 below)
3. 45-37 jkaye24 (recap of pick#4 below)
4. 41-41 maglor1 (recap of pick#22 below)
5. 41-41 jcred5
6. 37-45 benoidal
This is by far the toughest division in randomizer came up with. I don't feel comfortable with any of the picks, its basically like the Western Conf this year - you can fall from 2nd to 6th with one loss. I went with ltb because he landed an otherworldly duo of 89/90 MJ and 09/10 DH. I do love that Billups as a #3 as well. It's possible the team ends up top heavy but I'm rolling with them. DH will be good no matter what. I placed my own team 3rd, and honestly considered going div champs. I'm feeling like a poker player who thinks they have the best hand but not one of those automatics. So you call, instead of going all-in. But maglor, jcred or ben winning the division would not shock me. I went ben 6th only because it seemed like Sanders slightly thru off the Ast thing going on and does it give back too much? We shall see, simply not easy to predict.
CENTRAL:
1. 50-30 eleibowitz
2. 47-35 milest
3. 40-42 jt7king (recap of pick #2 below)
4. 39-43 uptowngbv (recap of pick #5 below)
5. 32-50 samuelyork (recap of pick #24 below)
6. 28-54 krishnaman
eleib gets the benefit of the doubt with a Wilt+MJ combo. It seems like maybe Ben and Wilt have a liittle too much usage paired with MJ, but you can't complain. That is yet another stud Stockton year. Great to see the debut of 14-15 Draymond Green, seems like the perfect team for him. I liked milest's draft a lot. That's a healthy dose of a terrifc DRob and Bird year. This is the 4th round Bird that was really taken in the second. Good team overall, I have them 3rd in the conference. jt7king and uptown are reviewed below and I like both teams. But there are so many potential powers in the atlantic that this is where the .500 line must be drawn. I also reviewed york's draft below and think it could be a sleeper to maybe defy my low projection. But someone had to be in the rear...so many well drafted teams. Krishna has a OK team but I do feel it is just a slight level below what some of the other teams ended up with.
MIDWEST:
1. 55-27 slyminium (recap of pick #23 below)
3. 47-35 jhsukow (recap of pick #6 below)
3. 44-38 rjk781
4. 39-43 scudmissle
5. 29-53 bds9992
6. 20-62 666ace
Covered my top 2 via recaps but honestly the division falls off a little fast. rjk's has an intriguing look to it with 2 100 Def Pillars who happen to be MJ and Dream plus good supporting players in Camby and Leonard. 46.2% Stockton lets offense hum. Was not as big a fan of ace's high usage 50% Wilt and 32 Def/10 CReb/6Ast Glen Rice in the middle of things. My pick for #1 Slot next time.
PACIFIC:
1. 54-28 vancem
2. 51-31 ysw128 (recap of pick #1 below)
3. 45-37 copernicus
4. 43-49 98average (recap of pick #3 below)
5. 40-42 uptowngbv
6. 38-44 jcred5
I went with Vance's Lebron/Dwight duo, well supported all the way down the roster. ysw is working with 66-67 Wilt so gotta be up there. Penny is a good but not spactacular, will be curious to see future 66-67 Wilt teams. 14-15 Lebron was a surprise late add. Honestly, could stack the teams a variety of ways but those two stood out.
|
1.)Ysw128
66-67 Wilt (1,1)
06-07 Timmy (ND, 48)
95-96 Penny (33 ,49)
|
|
Wilt's season is undoubtedly one of the top two choices in the SIM. In the Season Draft League, the added depth of talented scorers definitely pushes him over the top and the $50M cap is easy enough to work with.
Duncan went unpicked in the first season draft but ysw elected to use him at the 4 with the 06-07 season. His rebounding pairs well with Wilt, and 13.3% Ast pushes the 4/5 spots over 30% Ast. 90 Def, 54%+ FG. It’s really a hard package to knock. Such a solid player; definitely falls short of elite 6-pt scorer but really, he’s not far off. The 64% FT is minimized in the SIM so like Shaq he should come closer to his real life points per touch. That is an ugly FT shooting front line, but the least bad flaw to have probably.
The frontcourt assists are crucial to this team, because now Penny can be a true 1. His 23.9% Ast is low for that spot but not on Wilt teams. Penny’s poor Reb make him ideal for the 1, so this is a good fit.
A good, and creative, start; I do wonder if a slightly more dominant top scorer would fit better here, but maybe that’s just lack of a “feel” for what combo is truly needed to win this league… but of all the Duncan seasons, this high eFG version might be underrated.
|
|
2.) jt7king
|
|
12-13 Lebron (3,2)
09-10 Kidd (51,47)
02-03 Big Ben (53,50)
12-13 KD (30,95)
Great start for jt7king in my view. From the 4-spot, I used an identical Lebron/Kidd pairing (but jt7 got the better version of both). Lebron is a beast and the 12/13 is clearly going to go down as his all-time season.
Kidd is a lab-made running mate for Lebron. You love Lebron at the 1 because you go “big”, which in the SIM means rebounds. But Lebron is really best suited for the 2 because his 24% Ast (like Penny) just aren’t quite robust on a traditionally set up team. Kidd lets you keep the DReb% edge with Lebron but slides him down to really feel good about Ast% in the backcourt. The Def, 3’s, low fouls and most importantly, LOW USAGE, show why Kidd’s best contribution to a champion was those Dallas years.
He opted for what is probably the best Wallace season, with exceptional CReb and dominant defense. There’s still two reliable scorers needed, but this is a rock-solid start.
KD is a lethal scorer and I agree that 12-13 is the best one by a hair by my view. Weak at OReb, but the team will hit a lot of shots, and the DReb across the positions is as good as any. Just like my Kidd/Lebron team, we both need strong low usg, high reb PF to close out the starting 5 so he'll probably steal mine
PS - (this is where sim ball departs real ball as you would clearly run a stretch 4 design with KD and Lebron and Ben down low with JKidd and a corner spot up shooter).
3.)98average
|
|
67-68 Wilt (2,3)
08-09 Howard (36,46)
12-13 Ibaka (86,51)
14-15 Whiteside (ND, 94)
Probably the #2 Wilt Season in my view thanks to the assist freedom it gives you, although the hilarious 38% FT can bite you. That said, its mitigated somewhat in the SIM (I don't understand people who say it doesn't matter AT ALL - clearly a 38% FT is still 38%. But no doubt, the SIM will accentuate the 59.5% efg (although it also accentuates the 19% TOV).
Dwight is Dwight and clearly was the breakout star of the Season Draft both times, slotting right in with Stockton, Lebron, Rodman and Wilt as your All-Season Draft Team based on # of selections.
Ibaka is a bit of a shakier pick as he just doesn't have the rebounding to truly be an edge, but maybe I'm hard on him. You do need role players at this cap for sure - I am on fence with him, curious what other people think.
Whiteside in 4th is a major reach; we'll see if the league's depth let 98 finish what he wants to do here in the backcourt with his endgame picks.
4.) jkaye24
|
|
13-14 Lebron (4,4)
00-01 Shaq (16,45)
08-09 Kidd (61,52)
03-04 Marshall (55,76)
Won’t overanalyze my own team here; similar logic to jt7 with Lebron/Kidd, and couldn’t resist the #2 Shaq season to pair with Lebron. It’s role players from here. I probably have the #2 season for all three players – which tells me this team probably isn’t winning it all. So many talented players taken that it’s hard to get any read on what success entails. That’s one of the best things going forward – letting this league develop a draft and results history. A “Season Index” power ranking will emerge, with avg. draft pos, and total winning% and rings.
Traded up to get Marshall here, and I think it was generally sound given his uniqueness. I have a feeling he'll move up boards and become a staple as early as round 3, maybe as a 1/48/49 turn. He is a great fit and puts myself in position to be much stronger this year. The 4 should be a relatively easy fill, as I don't need much. My defense won't be top tier but could be OK with 82-80-85-?-80 since the rebounding is there, and the offense has 2 top studs.
|
5.) uptowngbv
91-92 Worm (9,5)
13-14 Curry (57,44)
14-15 K Thompson (ND,53)
06-07 Manu (ND, 92)
With the depth of extra high usage scorers, 91-92 Rodman may have higher value in this league than others. Still, there could be years I could see him falling outside the top 10 just because there are so many other enticing years. The Rodman @SF effect is large, and yet I tend not to see championship teams built around him. Not sure if that's just my perception, or because the better owners drafting later don't get their hands on him...
Steph's 13-14 is a fun one but his high TOV% and low Def make me wonder if he's worth a 2nd round pick. The 14-15 version corrects both those issues in the right direction and it's no shock that was the first Steph off the board.
I get that its fun to run a splash brothers backcourt but not sure the fit is as good in this league versus the current NBA...I mean, you're giving up a ton of rebounding and you probably don't need that much usage in the backcourt. Still, will be fun box scores to track so I get it.
Manu doesn't feel like a fit on this team to be honest. He's yet another 6 pt usage guy, so perhaps there is a 3 man rotation plan here. Cause if you start all 3 the team looks very small with redundant scoring abilities. But those 3PM totals....
6.) jhsukow
68-69 Wilt (11,6)
93-94 Worm (52,43)
06-07 DWade (41,54)
14-15 Korver (ND,91)
It's hard to knock Wilt - this version has a particularly horrible FT% and high TOV% but you are still getting a rebounding beast who plays a strong supporting role (18.8% usg) in the scoring department while also bringing D and Assists.
This is your 2nd highest minutes Rodman, and he truly is off the grid on offense with just 7% usg. That's good though because his 29% TOV is the highest in the SIM with the exception of two very low minute seasons of Rodman.
DWade is a great fit with the first 2 picks, its just that this version plays only 24 MPG. Yet this is the version of Wade that has gone first off the board in both seasons of this league so far.
Korver is an assasin and I like this season. Incredible eFG, and his Reb/Ast are very much acceptable for the 2 guard. With Wade by his side, you don't worry about the 50 Def as much.
7.) dh555
71-72 Kareem (6,7)
96-97 Stockton (69,42)
87-88 Barkley (ND, 55)
89-90 Magic (ND, 90)
96-97 Worm (ND, 103)
Hard to argue with the top Kareem season, an absolute monster that can go up with just about every other sim season. I could take him #1 and not have a problem. 66-67 Wilt is always going to be a nice build in a 50M league but Kareem gives you the usage Wilt doesn't. 12-13 Lebron has the usage, but for only 36 MPG. Kareem is a 45 MPG guy so you are basically never sitting him come playoff time.
Another great Stockton season, slightly lower Ast% than the top Stockton years but you're getting top notch eFG, that 80 Def and some 3's. Compliments Kareem well.
Barkley gives dh another elite scorer, and comes with a SF CReb package to envy. Defensively you take a hit but its hard to imagine a better top 3 offensively than this.
Interesting direction with Magic. You get a 2nd assist guy but do you want a 24.8 usage guy taking shots from Kareem and Barkley? Now you've also got 2 players below 70 defense in a league like this where the top contenders probably line up 5 80+ guys and aren't sacrificing much else. Obviously the team is a terror on offense but its a lot of TOV's in the backcourt and the wing defense is suspect.
This Rodman season is a terrific value, the same price as 94-95 but with an extra 5 MPG. Does what you need him to do....although to split hairs, at only 70 Def, the starting 5 is 80-69-56-70-73.....very medicore for this league. I think this is a fascinating case study to see just how much offense vs defense matters with very talented rosters. My sense is this team is a 48-50 game winner, the type that averages 124 but gives up 120.
22.) maglor1
01-02 Big Ben (58,22)
12-13 Paul (48,27)
12-13 Duncan (ND, 70)
86-87 Bird (25,75) |
Ben is a great 1st round pick in the ODL and DH52, but its questionable if you want to go there with so much other big man depth oozing into the late 1st rd. Plus, this isn't even the Ben season I'd grab. The 44% CReb 02-03 version that went past pick 50 is where I always lean.
Interesting first Chris Paul off the board too, the 12-13 is very clean and comes with a nice lower usg% package so he lets another high Usg, slightly better eFG guy be the #1 option. But its less than 30MPG, and by taking Wallace, you are actually in a good spot economically to get more min out of a 2nd rd pick.
Yet another budget version with 12-13 Duncan. Perfectly fine player, the 100 Def, low foul, good Reb are great, but the high usg% and just 50.3 eFG is not terrific plus its 26 MPG. I get the league is deep, so plenty of chances to build depth, but why not just go higher Salary Paul (since he ends up being a better shooter than TD anyway, so you take the higher usg% for the extra minutes of supreme play).
The Bird is a great pick, but now you have 2 high Usg guys PLUS Paul at 22%. Big Ben is a great anchor to what this team can be, and now the 5th round calls for another supporting piece, at the 2/3.
23.) slymonium
92-93 Worm (35, 23)
91-92 Admiral (ND, 26)
07-08 CP3 (62, 71)
11-12 Dwight (49,74)
Can't knock a 50 CReb% SF monster anywhere in the draft even at only 30 MPG. Rodman's influence is so strong and with 40% of the league featuring him, it is good to get on the board. The only counter would be there are countless other Rodman's who give you close to this level CReb% and MPG but later on. But if you feel the true studs are gone and a lot of the other higher usg% guys later will do just as well, then the Rodman pick is valuable.
Admiral's cheaper Ace season is a great one, and the tier 4 usage leaves open a few options for how to spread the scoring. 55% eFG is very good but short of the most dominant big men, the 57%+ crowd.
The Paul season is good for #71 (he went 62 in year 1), but you do end up with a higher usg% player than DRob, and guards might play further down their efficiency scoring then bigs in the SIM. Anyhow, that's splitting hairs. Near 40% ast, 80 Def, 3's, low TOV make him a potential championship PG.
Move over Admiral, Dwight is now the highest USG%, highest EFG% member of the frontline, and Rodman is the reason how. Best Foul per 48 season for Howard too which is key because the other two front line mates aren't exactly soft.
Just a terror on the glass upfront; should be a couple other teams who can potentially match it with guys available but not more than 3 I wouldn't think.
24.) samuelyork93
62-63 Wilt (ND, 24)
14-15 Davis (ND, 25)
68-69 Frazier (ND, 72)
85-86 Cheeks (ND, 73)
Should this Wilt season fall so far? He went UNDRAFTED in Season 1. Seems shocking. I honestly wondered if I had any typos. Someone tell me I recorded a year wrong in S1.... I mean, It's a hard build with the salary, but I think you can do it with 50M, especially since he covers all the usage you need. Initially, I was in the "66-67" or bust camp, but this Wilt holds up to every kind of scrutiny. I might take this Wilt in the top 5-8, hoping you can pair him with two elite 20-22 usg scorers to let you really take advantage of all the other gifts this Wilt brings once the High Ast% Wilts are off the board
He plays literally the entire game (and into Overtime if you need it). For any other player, his 7.4% Ast, 42.1% CReb would be lauded. The ridiculous 1.7 Foul per 48, a 11% TOV% and 52.8% eFG with 33.9% usg. 1141 FTA - you hate the misses but that is a net plus when you draw that many fouls.
Unfortunately, I don't love where this draft headed after that. Davis has WAY too high usage for what you need there. Missed opportunity at the turn to lock in a lower usg % running man with Wilt. ****, for the EXACT same price you get 02-03 Ben Wallace with an extra 400 minutes!
The backcourt is hard to gauge. Frazier is solid; Cheeks is ok from a salary perspective but you wonder if you can't go cheaper at PG and go with shorter seasons with even better $ efficiency. Hon estly don't have a sense of if this can work cap-wise or maybe I overrate the Wilt impact, and that could ulttmately sink it, but a fun team to me nonetheless. Would have loved it with Ben and maybe another Frazier like scorer in the backcourt over Cheeks.
I do give credit to samuel for going with all 4 guys who weren't taken last time.