Also, my starting lineups ended up pretty varied. Shaq and Chandler start for every team. But at the other three positions, I think my starting combos will be:

Blaylock/Hayward/Mason
Blaylock/Holiday/Mason
Conley/Blaylock/(Mason or Hayward)
Conley/Holiday/Mason
Blaylock/(Hayward or Conley)/West

Posted by dBKC on 3/22/2021 12:01:00 PM (view original):

Posted by dBKC on 3/21/2021 8:17:00 PM (view original):
Evals part 1 (1-5):

1. cmcafeeky - LeBron James, Larry Nance, Robert Parish, Joakim Noah, Kevin Love, Kemba Walker, Kyle Anderson, Ed Davis, Paul Westphal, George Gervin, Caldwell Jones, Terrance Jones

What went right: obviously getting the best player in the SIM is a huge win. Larry Nance and Joakim Noah provide great front court D and allow you to hide a weak defender at PF since they can both switch and allow the PF to cover a SF or C if needed. Robert Parish and Kevin Love fit this role perfectly since their weak D will be hidden. Joakim Noah and Kevin Love provide an assists boost so that you can run Bron at PG. Kyle Anderson fits nicely in to all of that too. I dig all of that.

What might go wrong: is Kemba Bron’s backup all 5 seasons? I don’t really like that. Kemba doesn’t have 5 strong years and that’s going to cause some issues. Are Gervin and Westphal your SG rotation? I’d feel better about both coming off the bench.

If I could do one repick: I would’ve went with Deron Williams or Jrue Holiday over Robert Parish. That would’ve given you an upgrade at SG plus you could flex them to Bron’s backup, and you’d still have a Nance/Love/Noah frontcourt.

2. jhsukow - Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant, Paul Millsap, Otto Porter, J.R. Smith, Baron Davis, Eddie Jones, Mason Plumlee, Brandon Rush, Marquese Chriss

What went right: Loading up on high usage guards and shooting is a nice way to get the best out of Wilt (and allows you to use his lower usage seasons). Opponents are going to have a hard time figuring out to defend inside or outside with Wilt + shooters. Plumlee and Chriss and Millsap gives you a big rebounding advantage when they’re in.

What might go wrong: Spending a 2nd on Russell (and his low eFG) might put you in too big of a hole. Is Otto Porter playing SF (where you take a hit at rebounding), or SG (where you take a hit on passing)? Are the lower usage Rush and Jones backing up Kobe?

If I could redo one pick: I was tempted to put a Russell repick here but I’m not really sure if there was a better option on the board. I would’ve went with George Gervin over Eddie Jones because he’d be a pretty great Kobe backup.

3. jkaye24 - Steph Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donyell Marshall, Pau Gasol, Paul Pressey, Derrick Favors, Richaun Holmes, Khris Middleton, Toni Kukoc, Jarrett Allen, Ivaka Zubac, Michael Ray Richardson

What went right: You’ve got tons of offense while also alternating string defenders with weak ones. While Steph and KAT aren’t ideal defenders: Donyell and Pressey and Favors and a few others cover nicely for them. Pressey is a great player as long as you have shooting to cover for him and well, you definitely have that covered. Some great late round steals like Zubac and Middleton and Jarrett Allen

What might go wrong: The D might not be strong enough to contend. I know Steph isn’t a horrible defender, but ideally you want him to be the worst defender on your team. Who is backing up Steph?...Michael Ray Richardson?

If I could redo one pick: I just don’t like Pau Gasol for this team. He’s not a strong enough defender to be the 3rd banana on a Steph/KAT team. I would’ve picked Kirilenko instead. He would instantly give you at least an average defense and could’ve helped with the passing too (he and Pressey would give great assists off the wings)

4. tarheel1991 - Shaquille O'Neal, Tyson Chandler, Mookie Blaylock, Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley, Anthony Mason, David West, Yao Ming, Bismack Boyombo, Gordon Hayward, Jonathon Isaac, Will Perdue

What went right: the 4th pick is tough because there’s no real clear cut option but I think you made the right call with Shaq. Looks like you were able to get enough shooting around him to capitalize. Yao is a clever Shaq backup.

What might go wrong: are you starting two PGs (Mookie and/or Jrue and/or Conley)? I don’t think Chandler and Shaq give you enough of a rebounding edge to afford to do that. Not sure if anyone on this squad aside from Shaq is that scary, you might see some double teams.

If I could do one pick over: would’ve went with Kyrie/Drexler at the 3/4 turn instead of Blaylock/Jrue. Still gives you the shooting but with more rebounding.

5. robusk - Dwight Howard, Shawn Marion, Kyle Lowry, Deron Williams, Sidney Moncrief, Chris Andersen, Kyle O'Quinn, Robert Covington, Mitchell Robinson, Chris Gatling, Rudy Gay, Nerlens Noel

What went right: you have lots of guys who need to move around or come of the bench for a season or two, and you’re the perfect owner to pull this puzzle off. Looks like you got enough shooting around Dwight. Between Lowry and Deron, you’ll have 5 great starting seasons at PG. The defense on this team is fantastic. That plus Dwight’s eFG should be a winning formula.

What might go wrong: Can you assemble all of these puzzle pieces in the right order? (Marion can play everywhere from SG to PF, which Marions do you pair with Deron and which ones with Lowry?)

If I could do one pick over: I don’t think I would’ve been able to resist pairing KAT (over Marion) with Dwight for a killer inside-outside combo that would punish teams that went with a weak defender at one of their frontcourt spots.

6. pexetera - Michael Jordan, Andre Drummond, Clint Capela, Andrei Kirilenko, Jose Calderon, Enes Kanter, Arvydas Sabonis, Brandan Wright, George Hill, Jameer Nelson, Amir Johnson, Thomas Bryant

What went right: tons of boards, great paint scoring, plenty of great defenders, should have solid enough eFG to hang with opponents while also out rebounding them. Will always have 2 good big men on the court at all times.

What might go wrong: Well, let me preface this by saying I won’t bet against Pex but: I don’t know if there’s enough shooting here for people to not go -2/-3 on you. Who is MJ’s backup? I don’t see anyone that fits his usage/role off the bench. The PG rotation doesn’t look too solid. Ben tried a similar strategy last season by loading up at other positions and cobbling together a PG rotation and it didn’t work too well for him.

If I could do one pick over: I probably would’ve went with Charlie Ward or Nate McMillan over Enes Kanter in the 6th. Both would’ve looked great next to MJ.

7. dbkc - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shawn Kemp, Ben Simmons, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Andrew Bynum, Bill Bridges, Nick Anderson, Grant Hill, Dan Majerle, Jamario Moon, Brad Daugherty

I’m not going to evaluate myself. Someone else can if they want to. I like my squad quite a bit but I’d probably take back the Bill Bridges pick if I could.

8. albiband0 - Chris Paul, Dikembe Mutombo, Carlos Boozer, Alvin Robertson, John Henson, Dan Roundfield, Mike Miller, Cedric Ceballos, Elvin Hayes, Alex English, Jeff Ruland, Myles Turner

What went right: Chris Paul is a great building block for this league since PG is so important. Lots of good defenders. Should be able to cobble together average 3s between Miller and Myles and Paul.

What might go wrong: Who is backing up Paul? I really don’t see his backup here. Not sure if you’ll have even 50 AST% when he’s off the floor. I don’t like Boozer in the 3rd, especially because Dikembe isn’t really the right match for him since he can’t switch on to PFs. I think Alvin and Henson went too high as well. Not sure if there’s enough firepower here.

If I could do one pick over: Kevin Johnson instead of Roundfield. Then you’d have 48 minutes of great PG play on all 5 teams.

9. gerryred - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Buck Williams, Mark Price, Rajon Rondo, Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Korver, Clarence Weatherspoon, Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, Buddy Hield, Ron Artest, Patty Mills

What went right: Kareem at 9 is fantastic value. Tatum and Hield were great steals late in the draft. Looks like you’ll have plenty of 3s around KAJ. Siakam in the 8th is a good value too. Jonas as a flex player next to KAJ and also backing him up is nice.

What might go wrong: Kareem is only a great value at 9 IF you capitalize on your 2nd and 3rd rounders and I’m not sure that happened with Buck and Price. Especially with Buck seemingly playing PF and not SF. Looks like you’ll only have one capable passer on the floor at one time. Not sure if the rebounding OR assists will be up to snuff most times - lots of guys like Korver who provide neither.

If I could do one pick over: would’ve gone with Shawn Kemp over Buck in the 2nd to shore up the boards and take advantage of anyone trying to hide a weak defender in the frontcourt

10. jpevans31 - David Robinson, Nikola Jokic, Manu Ginobili, Emeka Okafor, Andre Iguodala, A.C. Green, Joe Ingles, Michael Cooper, Larry Smith, Danny Granger, Oliver Miller, Derrick Rose

What went right: The Admiral is a great building block, and it looks like your strategy was to go heavy on the boards by selecting two passers who can rebound in the 2nd and 3rd. Jokic, who allows you to play a SG at PG and still have decent assists, and Manu, who fills that role perfectly. Iggy and Ingles help complete that strategy of bigger wings who can pass. Oliver Miller is a clever Jokic backup since he can contribute some of the assists.

What might go wrong: your strategy is smart, but you had to reach several times in the draft to pull it off. Will your lack of value/ADP/firepower hurt you?

If I could do one pick over: I would’ve grabbed Penny over Okafor in the 4th since he fits your big PG strategy. His low AST% would be helped a lot by Jokic.

11. ysw128 - Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside, Alonzo Mourning, Derek Harper, Bradley Beal, Kevin Johnson, Swen Nater, Don Buse, Joel Przybilla, Cole Aldrich, Jeremy Lin, Michael Redd

What went right: of all the owners who tried to cobble together a PG rotation without using one of their first 3 picks on one, you might’ve done the best job. Harper/KJ/Buse/Lin with maybe some Beal sprinkled in is solid. Kevin Johnson works because KD, Beal, and others space the floor for him. Whiteside and Mourning is filthy up front and help cover KD’s weak ORB. Nater and Przybilla and Aldrich are solid backup bigs.

What might go wrong: lots of decisions to make (use high minute KDs or the more efficient low minute ones? Which PGs to put on which teams? Etc) and it’ll be hard to make all the right decisions. Will this team have enough firepower when KD and Whiteside are sitting?

If I could do one pick over: not a huge fan of the Buse pick. Getting a great one hit wonder like Christian Wood would’ve added a lot of firepower to one team and your PG rotation would’ve still been fine.

12. beloud - Karl Malone, Oscar Robertson, Serge Ibaka, Jerry Lucas, Danny Green, Charlie Ward, Luca Doncic, Ron Harper, James Johnson, Dana Barros, Jusuf Nurkic, Norm Nixon

What went right: Lots. Impressive debut draft. This frontline of Ibaka at SF with Malone and Lucas up front is nasty. Oscar solidifies the boards as a strength and gives you a solid defensive/rebounding team all around. Doncic and Ron Harper can each boost one team big time.

What could go wrong: Not sure if you can get enough 3s and assists on the court at the same time on some teams. Oscar is just a meh passer and it looks like you’ll be playing some non-passers around him. Maybe too many one hit wonders? Can you make it work? We’ll see.

If I could do one pick over: I like the Ibaka pick in the 3rd, but I think Manu would’ve solved a lot of problems for you.

13. 24kpyrite - Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Amare Stoudemire, Bob Lanier, Paul Silas, Josh Smith, Larry Sanders, Jason Terry, Joe Dumars, Maurice Lucas, John Wall

What went right: Holy offense, Batman. Two paint monsters in Barkley and Amare, and two great PGs in Kidd and Billups. Looks like you’ll always have good minutes at SF even though Barkley can’t play there all 5 years (Josh Smith, Silas, Sanders is a good rotation).

What might go wrong: Barkley AND Amare = suspect D. Haven’t ran the numbers but are the TOs too high with Barkley and the supporting cast?

If I could do one pick over: I think Manu over Kidd would’ve been the way to go IMO.

14. ashamael - James Harden, Ben Wallace, Horace Grant, Bob McAdoo, Dale Davis, Vince Carter, Victor Oladipo, Patrick Beverley, Fat Lever, Larry Nance Jr., Roy Tarpley, Hot Rod Williams

What went right: Harden plus low usage defenders is a great strategy, and Big Ben and Horace fit the mold perfectly. For a couple of teams, you’re going to exploit backcourts that have a weak defender when you trot out Harden/Dipo or Harden/Vince. I like Hot Rod as a great Harden compliment in the 12th.

What could go wrong: are you going to be able to get enough non-Harden 3s on all 5 teams? I had some trouble in S1 when teams went -2 on me since Harden’s 3pt% isn’t as great as you’d think. Is McAdoo a good enough secondary scorer to hold your own against the teams who loaded up on offense?

If I could do one pick over: I think Mourning over Horace in the 3rd would’ve been solid. He’d still give you great D but would also give you another scoring threat on the court to prevent possible double teams.

15. 20ks - Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash, Elton Brand, Gerald Wallace, Mo Cheeks, Chris Mullin, Samuel Dalembert, Rasheed Wallace, Anderson Varejao, Darren Collison, Boban Marjanovic, Peja Stojakovic

What went right: Well, the only way to make a Nash team work is to surround him with defense and rebounding and...KG/Brand/Crash: mission accomplished. Great job getting guys who are fantastic everywhere aside from eFG, knowing that Nash will bump them there and make them great all around.

What might go wrong: do you have enough 3s? Will Brand and KG and Crash shoot you out of games? Can the offense survive when Nash sits?

If I could do one pick over: Not sure how Cheeks fits in. I would’ve grabbed Calderon and always had one of Nash/Calderon on the court.

16. jcred5 - Larry Bird, Gary Payton, Bill Walton, Tree Rollins, Willis Reed, Nate McMillan, Nicolas Batum, Blake Griffin, Darrell Walker, Marcin Gortat, Lonzo Ball, Mark Eaton

What went right: Great balance here, passing from multiple positions, defenders who can cover every position, some good bench players, good minutes from your first two picks to help you get through Walton’s low minutes.

What could go wrong: eFG might be a problem. I don’t think you have enough 3s. Combine the two and it might be hard to stay competitive.

If I could do one pick over: not a big Batum fan. He’s pretty meh. I would’ve grabbed Luka or Oladipo to give a big boost to one team.

If I could do one pick over: I think Mourning over Horace in the 3rd would’ve been solid. He’d still give you great D but would also give you another scoring threat on the court to prevent possible double teams.

Yeah, I really regret not taking another scorer here. Kobe, Kyrie, and Zo were my favorites at the time. I agree with pretty much everything you said.

	Yr	Pos	Min	MPG	PPG	FG%	3Pt%	FT%	Oreb	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF		eFG%	Def	Usg
David Robinson	93-94	C	3241	40.5	29.8	50.7	34.5	74.9	3	10.7	4.8	3.2	1.7	3.3	2.8		51	90	32
Nikola Jokic	16-17	C	2038	27.9	16.7	57.8	32.4	82.5	2.9	9.8	4.9	2.3	0.8	0.8	2.9		60.5	35	23.5
AC Green	92-93	PF	2819	34.4	12.8	53.7	34.8	73.9	3.5	8.7	1.4	1.4	1.1	0.5	1.8		54.8	60	15
Andre Iguodala	15-16	SF	1732	26.6	7	47.8	35.1	61.4	0.8	4	3.4	1.2	1.1	0.3	1.6		55.2	70	12.1
Manu Ginobili	10-11	SG	2426	30.3	17.4	43.3	34.9	87.1	0.5	3.7	4.9	2.2	1.5	0.3	2		50.9	65	26.2
Emeka Okafor	07-08	C	2723	33.2	13.8	53.5	0	57	3.1	10.7	0.9	2	0.8	1.7	2.9		53.5	51	20.7
Oliver Miller	94-95	PF	1558	24.3	8.5	55.5	25	63.4	2.5	7.4	1.5	1.8	0.9	1.8	3.4		55.9	90	16.9
Larry Smith	81-82	PF	2213	29.9	7.1	53.4	0	55.3	3.8	11	1.1	1.4	0.9	0.7	3.9		53.4	43	10.7
Danny Granger	06-07	SF	2789	34	13.9	45.9	38.2	80.3	1.4	4.6	1.4	1.6	0.8	0.7	3		52.2	51	18.5
Joe Ingles	15-16	SF	1241	15.3	4.2	42.6	38.6	72.2	0.2	1.9	1.2	0.8	0.7	0	1.2		56.5	41	13.5
Michael Cooper	83-84	SG	2387	29.1	9	49.7	31.4	83.8	0.6	3.2	5.9	1.8	1.4	0.8	3.3		53.2	90	13.1
Derrick Rose	19-20	PG	1613	26	18.1	49	30.6	87.1	0.5	2.4	5.6	2.5	0.8	0.3	1		52	53	31.6

I think this is my 2nd or 3rd strongest team. The only one I'm using Rose in, as Manu's BU. Rose, Coop, Granger, Big O and Emeka make up the bench rotation.

7. dbkc - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shawn Kemp, Ben Simmons, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Andrew Bynum, Bill Bridges, Nick Anderson, Grant Hill, Dan Majerle, Jamario Moon, Brad Daugherty

What went right: Giannis will be joining Bron/Wilt/Curry to create a true Savage Rushmore sooner than later. Having him is a big head start. Pretty much at every opportunity found a great fit, best player available, or both. It is comical to even be writing an eval about this team, I just wanted to attempt to show some appreciation for the great evals you've been writing.

What might go wrong: Get the notecards out, it might be a bumpy ride. I think most people look at this team and see a "top 3" team approach. When it comes to Savage, dbKC is not most people. I'd expect that you attempt to get all five in the playoffs and possibly another ring. Anderson/Majerle/Moon will help, but did you get enough 3s?


If I could do one pick over: I suppose I would have gone Siakam over Bill Bridges. Maybe Amar'e over Drexler? (I kid, I kid)

Posted by jhsukow on 3/22/2021 9:02:00 PM (view original):
7. dbkc - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shawn Kemp, Ben Simmons, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Andrew Bynum, Bill Bridges, Nick Anderson, Grant Hill, Dan Majerle, Jamario Moon, Brad Daugherty

What went right: Giannis will be joining Bron/Wilt/Curry to create a true Savage Rushmore sooner than later. Having him is a big head start. Pretty much at every opportunity found a great fit, best player available, or both. It is comical to even be writing an eval about this team, I just wanted to attempt to show some appreciation for the great evals you've been writing.

What might go wrong: Get the notecards out, it might be a bumpy ride. I think most people look at this team and see a "top 3" team approach. When it comes to Savage, dbKC is not most people. I'd expect that you attempt to get all five in the playoffs and possibly another ring. Anderson/Majerle/Moon will help, but did you get enough 3s?


If I could do one pick over: I suppose I would have gone Siakam over Bill Bridges. Maybe Amar'e over Drexler? (I kid, I kid)

It's definitely an interesting team, probably a really good team. To nitpick, I'm seeing some issues when Giannis is at SF, specifically the big-men.

SF-Giannis
PF-Kemp/Bridges
C-Bynum/Brad

I haven't looked at Bynum's years, does he have enough to get you quality (with decent minutes) in all 5 leagues? I like Daugherty, his stats were good for me in SAVAGE2, had him help in Zo/Rodman/Johnny Green/Sam Lacey, but my records sucked. After checking a small sample size, he was a defensive sieve on the court. He's got different teammates, coach, and opponents now, but if Brad has to play big minutes, some teams will feast.
On another note, 3pts were addressed some, but maybe not enough for all 5 leagues. Maybe better to condense all of your good 3pt shooting seasons into 3 of the leagues. (I had thoughts on drafting 3-D in the 11th/12th. Overall, he's worse than Nick, but just as a low-TO, 3pt-machine who gets a couple dimes, I like him more. His 95-96 is a great Reggie/Ray/Klay impression).
Still, it's a great-looking team, (that I'll be playing -2 in most leagues).

Why I did it:

(first off, disclaimer: go ahead and criticize the things you think will be objectively bad. if you want, leave it to dB. if you don't want to get into a whole back and forth, go ahead and abstain. the more disrespectful you seem to be, the more likely I am to react. the most measured and even-handed response will yield the most measured and even-handed responses. i'm open, but not to foolishness. just treat others the way you would want to be treated. if you want to be treated with disdain, you can indicate that to me and I'll go there if I have to. but I don't want to. I like peace)

anyway, here goes:

1. DeAndre Jordan - it is a nice thing to have a monster rebounder with a low turnover rate, defense, and monster eFG% on the your squad. He plays more minutes than Rudy, which makes him a late 1st as opposed to an early 2nd in my mind. suffice it to say if you give him enough to work with, he's as good a foundation to build on than any. I've debated Moses vs. DJ, and DJ comes out ahead 17 times out of 20 in my mind.

2. Kevin McHale - this was and still is tricky. I was set on Kawhi and was surprised to find he wouldn't fall one more pick. McHale has continually held me back on boards as a four, even with DJ. I know I'm one of the only squads that can afford to roster him, yet I also know that one of you would have tried it, even if you didn't have the rebounding to make it work. The combination of TS%, Def, low TOs and low fouls obviously sets him apart. There's always the possibility of having a high foul SF if your PF is that clean. It's not like I was intent on going that route but McHale/DJ is a fierce frontline, and I'll get as many boards as I need to make that work. I put the high D DJs with the lower D McHales and vice versa.

I do question this pick, even though I know it's my strongest asset. As many questions as I have about drafting a rebounder like McHale, I can't afford to. It's the most efficient duo I could find, and it hopefully helps drag a few subpar efficiency usage seasons to a playoff spot.

3. Paul George - And now I'd like to thank you all for this tremendous gift. PG is a tremendous defensive rebounder at the 2, a tremendous defender and a high volume shooter. I'd like to especially thank DH for not taking him, as I know he wouldn't give a s#1t about efficiency after Wade/Hakeem.

I actually left 15-16 and 16-17 behind in favor of 11-12 and 12-13. 15-16 turns the ball over too much and 16-17 doesn't play enough. 18-19 is a little annoying in terms of how much usage is devoted to simply shooting the basketball. Ah well.

4. Penny Hardaway - At this point I was ecstatic. Defense was firing on all cylinders. 95-96 could lead a team. Even with the 4th and 5th best seasons of DeAndre and McHale with 95-96? Phew, that's a lot of firepower and D. Good luck defending that squad.

Ultimately this was a necessity pick. I needed the firepower and perimeter D, and Penny was the one. I definitely had a Terry Porter/Paul Millsap plan ready to go, but Terry couldn't give me that third strong team even if I gave it 90-91, which I couldn't really afford to. Penny ended up being the better fit & I don't regret this at all.

5. Paul Pierce - I really wanted The Truth after I got George and Penny. Not the best defender, but a very good shooter, rebounder and passer. That 10-11 season is a thing of beauty. It turns out PP and PG are among the best defensive rebounders at the 2. The idea of PG backing up Pierce and vice versa was pretty appealing. I certainly gave myself all the threes I needed with the perimeter, as well as a stout five man two way lineup. I'm really looking forward to using this 01-02 season with 3302 minutes, which I've wanted to do for some time.

6. Connie Hawkins - I got hit hard here. Terry Porter falls in my lap? Nope. Millsap? Nah. Pressey? Negative. Anthony Mason? No sir. Dan Roundfield? Nyet. Kevin Johnson? Nay.

Hawk is pretty cool because he's an excellent rebounder at the 2. There's one squad where I just didn't want to start 96-97 Penny. He's just not convincing enough as a rebounder, passer or scorer. Too much usage devoted to meh efficiency and D. Feels like a backup.

73-74 Connie, the unicorn. Why is his defense so high? I don't know, but he's a very good fit with some of the less efficient Paul George seasons. Molto bene. 67-68 is pretty wonderful for obvious reasons, especially off the bench. I didn't realize none of you wanted him for two seasons, but in Savage you never know. If nothing else, he gives me peace of mind on minutes, rebounding at the 2, scoring and passing. I feel like he'll get drafted more often.

7. John Collins - Hello, recent buddy. Don't you just love those hyper efficient seasons? Found a nice little spot for 17-18. Was initially butthurt over Domantas Sabonis, but 17-18 Collins ended up being a better fit. We'll see how that all works out. Starting to think the Collins teams might be my best.

8. Jeff Teague - Hello, other Hawk & new Savage buddy! Always wanted to try that 14-15 season somehow. The Pacers season and 11-12 ain't too shabby, either.

9. Walt Bellamy - Ugh. Nothing really worked here. Bells seems to have been the closest - wait a minute, y'all seriously didn't want Zelmo's world? TF?

Anyway, it was between Bells and Zelmo. Bellamy comes with more usage and rebounding, and also more turnovers. Ehh.

10. Ervin Johnson - fantastic 96-97 season. Just needed him to plug a few holes.

11. Shawn Bradley - F&!# Mark Eaton. F!$# him. That non-scoring no-good good-for-nothing galoot killed me. Shawn is really good for this league though. I really wish I could have squeezed Mitch Robinson in here, or one of those other low minute studs. But trying to balance rebounding across all positions is a juggling act, and it's harder to pull off in Savage. Bradley gives me three 80-something D seasons with surprisingly low TO's, and that's a beautiful thing. Really wish I could've squeezed in Michael Porter or Amir Johnson. You know, the sexy backups. Shrug.

12. Curtis Perry - I'm a big Curt fan recently. Needed one big rebounder at the 3, and Curt is about as good as it gets at this point.


Conclusion: I'll be lucky if I crack the top 10. More likely, 12-20. I have two teams who could win a division, two that should make the playoffs, and one that probably won't do anything. I really blame McHale for the relentless focus on rebounding. If I had Kawhi or a similarly efficient player with better rebounding for their position, this might have been easier. Honestly, I could've taken Kemp there instead. Or Oscar. Or Towns? Rodman?!?!? I don't know. Elton Brand would've been nice. Horace would've been nice. Mason would've been fantastic.....oh well. We'll see.

Are we having an add/drop period for soup-throwing, topless gentleman drafted in the 7th round?

Posted by jhsukow on 3/22/2021 11:42:00 PM (view original):
Are we having an add/drop period for soup-throwing, topless gentleman drafted in the 7th round?

I feel like you're better off with Damon Jones anyway. And egg drop or Wonton.

Posted by dBKC on 3/22/2021 5:17:00 PM (view original):

Posted by dBKC on 3/22/2021 12:01:00 PM (view original):

Posted by dBKC on 3/21/2021 8:17:00 PM (view original):
Evals part 1 (1-5):

1. cmcafeeky - LeBron James, Larry Nance, Robert Parish, Joakim Noah, Kevin Love, Kemba Walker, Kyle Anderson, Ed Davis, Paul Westphal, George Gervin, Caldwell Jones, Terrance Jones

What went right: obviously getting the best player in the SIM is a huge win. Larry Nance and Joakim Noah provide great front court D and allow you to hide a weak defender at PF since they can both switch and allow the PF to cover a SF or C if needed. Robert Parish and Kevin Love fit this role perfectly since their weak D will be hidden. Joakim Noah and Kevin Love provide an assists boost so that you can run Bron at PG. Kyle Anderson fits nicely in to all of that too. I dig all of that.

What might go wrong: is Kemba Bron’s backup all 5 seasons? I don’t really like that. Kemba doesn’t have 5 strong years and that’s going to cause some issues. Are Gervin and Westphal your SG rotation? I’d feel better about both coming off the bench.

If I could do one repick: I would’ve went with Deron Williams or Jrue Holiday over Robert Parish. That would’ve given you an upgrade at SG plus you could flex them to Bron’s backup, and you’d still have a Nance/Love/Noah frontcourt.

2. jhsukow - Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant, Paul Millsap, Otto Porter, J.R. Smith, Baron Davis, Eddie Jones, Mason Plumlee, Brandon Rush, Marquese Chriss

What went right: Loading up on high usage guards and shooting is a nice way to get the best out of Wilt (and allows you to use his lower usage seasons). Opponents are going to have a hard time figuring out to defend inside or outside with Wilt + shooters. Plumlee and Chriss and Millsap gives you a big rebounding advantage when they’re in.

What might go wrong: Spending a 2nd on Russell (and his low eFG) might put you in too big of a hole. Is Otto Porter playing SF (where you take a hit at rebounding), or SG (where you take a hit on passing)? Are the lower usage Rush and Jones backing up Kobe?

If I could redo one pick: I was tempted to put a Russell repick here but I’m not really sure if there was a better option on the board. I would’ve went with George Gervin over Eddie Jones because he’d be a pretty great Kobe backup.

3. jkaye24 - Steph Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donyell Marshall, Pau Gasol, Paul Pressey, Derrick Favors, Richaun Holmes, Khris Middleton, Toni Kukoc, Jarrett Allen, Ivaka Zubac, Michael Ray Richardson

What went right: You’ve got tons of offense while also alternating string defenders with weak ones. While Steph and KAT aren’t ideal defenders: Donyell and Pressey and Favors and a few others cover nicely for them. Pressey is a great player as long as you have shooting to cover for him and well, you definitely have that covered. Some great late round steals like Zubac and Middleton and Jarrett Allen

What might go wrong: The D might not be strong enough to contend. I know Steph isn’t a horrible defender, but ideally you want him to be the worst defender on your team. Who is backing up Steph?...Michael Ray Richardson?

If I could redo one pick: I just don’t like Pau Gasol for this team. He’s not a strong enough defender to be the 3rd banana on a Steph/KAT team. I would’ve picked Kirilenko instead. He would instantly give you at least an average defense and could’ve helped with the passing too (he and Pressey would give great assists off the wings)

4. tarheel1991 - Shaquille O'Neal, Tyson Chandler, Mookie Blaylock, Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley, Anthony Mason, David West, Yao Ming, Bismack Boyombo, Gordon Hayward, Jonathon Isaac, Will Perdue

What went right: the 4th pick is tough because there’s no real clear cut option but I think you made the right call with Shaq. Looks like you were able to get enough shooting around him to capitalize. Yao is a clever Shaq backup.

What might go wrong: are you starting two PGs (Mookie and/or Jrue and/or Conley)? I don’t think Chandler and Shaq give you enough of a rebounding edge to afford to do that. Not sure if anyone on this squad aside from Shaq is that scary, you might see some double teams.

If I could do one pick over: would’ve went with Kyrie/Drexler at the 3/4 turn instead of Blaylock/Jrue. Still gives you the shooting but with more rebounding.

5. robusk - Dwight Howard, Shawn Marion, Kyle Lowry, Deron Williams, Sidney Moncrief, Chris Andersen, Kyle O'Quinn, Robert Covington, Mitchell Robinson, Chris Gatling, Rudy Gay, Nerlens Noel

What went right: you have lots of guys who need to move around or come of the bench for a season or two, and you’re the perfect owner to pull this puzzle off. Looks like you got enough shooting around Dwight. Between Lowry and Deron, you’ll have 5 great starting seasons at PG. The defense on this team is fantastic. That plus Dwight’s eFG should be a winning formula.

What might go wrong: Can you assemble all of these puzzle pieces in the right order? (Marion can play everywhere from SG to PF, which Marions do you pair with Deron and which ones with Lowry?)

If I could do one pick over: I don’t think I would’ve been able to resist pairing KAT (over Marion) with Dwight for a killer inside-outside combo that would punish teams that went with a weak defender at one of their frontcourt spots.

6. pexetera - Michael Jordan, Andre Drummond, Clint Capela, Andrei Kirilenko, Jose Calderon, Enes Kanter, Arvydas Sabonis, Brandan Wright, George Hill, Jameer Nelson, Amir Johnson, Thomas Bryant

What went right: tons of boards, great paint scoring, plenty of great defenders, should have solid enough eFG to hang with opponents while also out rebounding them. Will always have 2 good big men on the court at all times.

What might go wrong: Well, let me preface this by saying I won’t bet against Pex but: I don’t know if there’s enough shooting here for people to not go -2/-3 on you. Who is MJ’s backup? I don’t see anyone that fits his usage/role off the bench. The PG rotation doesn’t look too solid. Ben tried a similar strategy last season by loading up at other positions and cobbling together a PG rotation and it didn’t work too well for him.

If I could do one pick over: I probably would’ve went with Charlie Ward or Nate McMillan over Enes Kanter in the 6th. Both would’ve looked great next to MJ.

7. dbkc - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shawn Kemp, Ben Simmons, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Andrew Bynum, Bill Bridges, Nick Anderson, Grant Hill, Dan Majerle, Jamario Moon, Brad Daugherty

I’m not going to evaluate myself. Someone else can if they want to. I like my squad quite a bit but I’d probably take back the Bill Bridges pick if I could.

8. albiband0 - Chris Paul, Dikembe Mutombo, Carlos Boozer, Alvin Robertson, John Henson, Dan Roundfield, Mike Miller, Cedric Ceballos, Elvin Hayes, Alex English, Jeff Ruland, Myles Turner

What went right: Chris Paul is a great building block for this league since PG is so important. Lots of good defenders. Should be able to cobble together average 3s between Miller and Myles and Paul.

What might go wrong: Who is backing up Paul? I really don’t see his backup here. Not sure if you’ll have even 50 AST% when he’s off the floor. I don’t like Boozer in the 3rd, especially because Dikembe isn’t really the right match for him since he can’t switch on to PFs. I think Alvin and Henson went too high as well. Not sure if there’s enough firepower here.

If I could do one pick over: Kevin Johnson instead of Roundfield. Then you’d have 48 minutes of great PG play on all 5 teams.

9. gerryred - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Buck Williams, Mark Price, Rajon Rondo, Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Korver, Clarence Weatherspoon, Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, Buddy Hield, Ron Artest, Patty Mills

What went right: Kareem at 9 is fantastic value. Tatum and Hield were great steals late in the draft. Looks like you’ll have plenty of 3s around KAJ. Siakam in the 8th is a good value too. Jonas as a flex player next to KAJ and also backing him up is nice.

What might go wrong: Kareem is only a great value at 9 IF you capitalize on your 2nd and 3rd rounders and I’m not sure that happened with Buck and Price. Especially with Buck seemingly playing PF and not SF. Looks like you’ll only have one capable passer on the floor at one time. Not sure if the rebounding OR assists will be up to snuff most times - lots of guys like Korver who provide neither.

If I could do one pick over: would’ve gone with Shawn Kemp over Buck in the 2nd to shore up the boards and take advantage of anyone trying to hide a weak defender in the frontcourt

10. jpevans31 - David Robinson, Nikola Jokic, Manu Ginobili, Emeka Okafor, Andre Iguodala, A.C. Green, Joe Ingles, Michael Cooper, Larry Smith, Danny Granger, Oliver Miller, Derrick Rose

What went right: The Admiral is a great building block, and it looks like your strategy was to go heavy on the boards by selecting two passers who can rebound in the 2nd and 3rd. Jokic, who allows you to play a SG at PG and still have decent assists, and Manu, who fills that role perfectly. Iggy and Ingles help complete that strategy of bigger wings who can pass. Oliver Miller is a clever Jokic backup since he can contribute some of the assists.

What might go wrong: your strategy is smart, but you had to reach several times in the draft to pull it off. Will your lack of value/ADP/firepower hurt you?

If I could do one pick over: I would’ve grabbed Penny over Okafor in the 4th since he fits your big PG strategy. His low AST% would be helped a lot by Jokic.

11. ysw128 - Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside, Alonzo Mourning, Derek Harper, Bradley Beal, Kevin Johnson, Swen Nater, Don Buse, Joel Przybilla, Cole Aldrich, Jeremy Lin, Michael Redd

What went right: of all the owners who tried to cobble together a PG rotation without using one of their first 3 picks on one, you might’ve done the best job. Harper/KJ/Buse/Lin with maybe some Beal sprinkled in is solid. Kevin Johnson works because KD, Beal, and others space the floor for him. Whiteside and Mourning is filthy up front and help cover KD’s weak ORB. Nater and Przybilla and Aldrich are solid backup bigs.

What might go wrong: lots of decisions to make (use high minute KDs or the more efficient low minute ones? Which PGs to put on which teams? Etc) and it’ll be hard to make all the right decisions. Will this team have enough firepower when KD and Whiteside are sitting?

If I could do one pick over: not a huge fan of the Buse pick. Getting a great one hit wonder like Christian Wood would’ve added a lot of firepower to one team and your PG rotation would’ve still been fine.

12. beloud - Karl Malone, Oscar Robertson, Serge Ibaka, Jerry Lucas, Danny Green, Charlie Ward, Luca Doncic, Ron Harper, James Johnson, Dana Barros, Jusuf Nurkic, Norm Nixon

What went right: Lots. Impressive debut draft. This frontline of Ibaka at SF with Malone and Lucas up front is nasty. Oscar solidifies the boards as a strength and gives you a solid defensive/rebounding team all around. Doncic and Ron Harper can each boost one team big time.

What could go wrong: Not sure if you can get enough 3s and assists on the court at the same time on some teams. Oscar is just a meh passer and it looks like you’ll be playing some non-passers around him. Maybe too many one hit wonders? Can you make it work? We’ll see.

If I could do one pick over: I like the Ibaka pick in the 3rd, but I think Manu would’ve solved a lot of problems for you.

13. 24kpyrite - Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Amare Stoudemire, Bob Lanier, Paul Silas, Josh Smith, Larry Sanders, Jason Terry, Joe Dumars, Maurice Lucas, John Wall

What went right: Holy offense, Batman. Two paint monsters in Barkley and Amare, and two great PGs in Kidd and Billups. Looks like you’ll always have good minutes at SF even though Barkley can’t play there all 5 years (Josh Smith, Silas, Sanders is a good rotation).

What might go wrong: Barkley AND Amare = suspect D. Haven’t ran the numbers but are the TOs too high with Barkley and the supporting cast?

If I could do one pick over: I think Manu over Kidd would’ve been the way to go IMO.

14. ashamael - James Harden, Ben Wallace, Horace Grant, Bob McAdoo, Dale Davis, Vince Carter, Victor Oladipo, Patrick Beverley, Fat Lever, Larry Nance Jr., Roy Tarpley, Hot Rod Williams

What went right: Harden plus low usage defenders is a great strategy, and Big Ben and Horace fit the mold perfectly. For a couple of teams, you’re going to exploit backcourts that have a weak defender when you trot out Harden/Dipo or Harden/Vince. I like Hot Rod as a great Harden compliment in the 12th.

What could go wrong: are you going to be able to get enough non-Harden 3s on all 5 teams? I had some trouble in S1 when teams went -2 on me since Harden’s 3pt% isn’t as great as you’d think. Is McAdoo a good enough secondary scorer to hold your own against the teams who loaded up on offense?

If I could do one pick over: I think Mourning over Horace in the 3rd would’ve been solid. He’d still give you great D but would also give you another scoring threat on the court to prevent possible double teams.

15. 20ks - Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash, Elton Brand, Gerald Wallace, Mo Cheeks, Chris Mullin, Samuel Dalembert, Rasheed Wallace, Anderson Varejao, Darren Collison, Boban Marjanovic, Peja Stojakovic

What went right: Well, the only way to make a Nash team work is to surround him with defense and rebounding and...KG/Brand/Crash: mission accomplished. Great job getting guys who are fantastic everywhere aside from eFG, knowing that Nash will bump them there and make them great all around.

What might go wrong: do you have enough 3s? Will Brand and KG and Crash shoot you out of games? Can the offense survive when Nash sits?

If I could do one pick over: Not sure how Cheeks fits in. I would’ve grabbed Calderon and always had one of Nash/Calderon on the court.

16. jcred5 - Larry Bird, Gary Payton, Bill Walton, Tree Rollins, Willis Reed, Nate McMillan, Nicolas Batum, Blake Griffin, Darrell Walker, Marcin Gortat, Lonzo Ball, Mark Eaton

What went right: Great balance here, passing from multiple positions, defenders who can cover every position, some good bench players, good minutes from your first two picks to help you get through Walton’s low minutes.

What could go wrong: eFG might be a problem. I don’t think you have enough 3s. Combine the two and it might be hard to stay competitive.

If I could do one pick over: not a big Batum fan. He’s pretty meh. I would’ve grabbed Luka or Oladipo to give a big boost to one team.

17. mikee1 - Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Walt Frazier, Marques Johnson, Joel Embiid, Charles Oakley, Chris Webber, Mel Daniels, Darrell Armstrong, David Lee, C.J. McCollum, Jamaal Tinsley

What went right: AD is a very clean player, and you drafted a lot of other clean players around him (Embiid aside) to make that your strength. You have talent at all 5 positions. Armstrong and Tinsley are great values at the rounds you got them at, especially since PG is at a premium and you found two guys who can give you solid minutes towards the end of the draft.

What could go wrong: This team is built more like a cap-cautious salary draft team. I’m not sure if there’s enough “stuff” from your top guys. Klay really only good at one thing, not sure if you can get enough assists when Walt is PG and Klay is SG since Walt is just an okay passer and you don’t really have any passing from your bigs.

If I could do one pick over: definitely would pick someone aside from Klay with your early 2nd. Lots of good choices, I probably would’ve went with Kidd or Big Ben.

18. notoriousj - Artis Gilmore, Dennis Rodman, Damian Lillard, Nikola Vucevic, Kenneth Faried, Russell Westbrook, Jon Barry, DeMarcus Cousins, T.J. McConnell, Deandre Ayton, Charles Dudley, Gheorghe Muresan

What went right: Getting two of the best rebounders in the SIM is a great start. Both Gilmore and Rodman are a little offensively challenged, and you added lots of good scorers later in the draft to help offset that. Vuc/Ayton/Cousins make a nice offensive trio that can play nicely between Rodman and Gilmore.

What could go wrong: Westbrook AND Cousins?...not sure if that’s a good idea. Lots of weak defenders after Rodman/Gilmore were picked. Maybe too many. Is anyone drafted in the 3rd+ even an above average defender?

If I could do one pick over: I think Willis Reed in the 5th instead of Faried would’ve been nice. Reed and Vuc could have Voltroned to give you 5 seasons of solid PF play and Faried might’ve still been there later.

19. bds9992 - DeAndre Jordan, Kevin McHale, Paul George, Anfernee Hardaway, Paul Pierce, Connie Hawkins, John Collins, Jeff Teague, Walt Bellamy, Ervin Johnson, Shawn Bradley, Curtis Perry

What went right: I really like the idea of grabbing 4 do-it-all wings in a row (rounds 3-6). Penny is fantastic BUT he can’t quite carry assists by himself, so being able to play with Pierce/PG/Connie will help that, I dig it. DAJ and McHale are a match made in heaven. Bellamy was a great value in the 9th.

What could go wrong: I don’t think you have enough rebounds. McHale is a below average rebounder for his position, and I think you’re playing George at SF, where he’s below average there as well.

If I could do one pick over: I like Hawkins but he would’ve been there later. I would’ve grabbed TMac in the 6th because he’d make a great Pierce/George backup.

20. kinoa1 - Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Bobby Jones, Jerry West, Brent Barry, JaVale McGee, Kermit Washington, Cedric Maxwell, George T. Johnson, Goran Dragic, Antonio McDyess, JaMychal Green

What went right: THE KING IS BACK. Okay, this is a very CLEAN squad. You won’t be turning it over often, and you won’t foul often either. Great D as well. Good talent at all 5 spots.

What could go wrong: is this team TOO clean? As in: is there enough firepower? I think you might’ve played it too safe. Not sure if you’ll even crack 60 AST%, West and Kawhi and Barry are all pretty light on assists. Then again, I’d never bet against Kinoa.

If I could do one pick over: I think Bledsoe over West in the 4th would’ve solved a few problems, but even that’s debatable. Not much to criticize on this draft.

21. benhoidal - John Stockton, Julius Erving, Draymond Green, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrew Bogut, Tom Boerwinkle, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Nikola Mirotic, Greg Monroe, Michael Porter, Salah Mejri

What went right: This could be Ben’s year. The passing will be INSANE with Stockton/Draymond/Bogut/Boerwinkle/Mark Jackson. And the D looks great too. 3s shouldn’t be a problem with Dirk and Miller. Porter was a great value in the 11th.

What could go wrong: your two highest usage players aren’t super efficient (Erving and Dirk), I know they’ll get a boost from passing, but it might lose you a few games when they don’t. Will your strong defenders be able to cover for all of your weak defenders? (Dirk, Mark Jackson, Boerwinkle, Reggie).

If I could do one pick over: I love Dirk in this format but I don’t think he’s a 4th rounder. I might’ve grabbed Montrezl hoping that Stockton and Draymond pushed him to 70+ eFG%

22. amerk1180 - Moses Malone, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, Eric Bledsoe, Al Horford, Tracy McGrady, Clifford Ray, Christian Wood, Kirk Hinrich, Kris Humphries, D'Angelo Russell

What went right: Lots of good players on your team, but it sounds like Peggy is da real MVP. It looks like rebounding will be a big strength for you, anchored by Moses plus lots of guys who are plus rebounders when shifted down a position (Pippen, Horford, Ewing, etc). Christian Wood was a nice pickup late.

What could go wrong: lots of guys who can shoot you out of a game, not many 3s, not sure if you’ll get enough out of your PG rotation.

If I could do one pick over: I think Bo Outlaw in the 6th over TMac would’ve solved a lot of problems. You could definitely afford to plug in a low usage player with all of your high usage guys, and he’d help your D, eFG, and even passing since he’s decent for a SF.

23. midge - Magic Johnson, Rudy Gobert, Ray Allen, Montrezl Harrell, Dave Cowens, Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis, Troy Murphy, Rodney McCray, Jeff Hornacek, Brandon Clarke

What went right: Magic and Gobert is a fantastic duo that does pretty much everything except for shooting 3s, and you covered that in the 3rd with Shuttlesworth. Nice trip that has good synergy. Bam and Sabonis can combine to give you a guy who would’ve been a 3rd rounder if he was combined.

What could go wrong: who plays PG when Magic sits? Can you survive defensively with Magic/Allen as your backcourt?

If I could do one pick over: I really don’t think Cowens is worthy of being picked at the top of the 5th. Horford is who I would have went with probably.

24. dh555 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwyane Wade, Marcus Camby, Jimmy Butler, Terrell Brandon, Bo Outlaw, Wes Unseld, Terry Tyler, John Havlicek, Marvin Williams, Marc Gasol

What went right: well, you invented my favorite league format ever on this site, so thanks! You also have by far the best D in the league. Lots of stops plus lots of boards = lots of second chances for you, and not many for your opponents. Some clever passing from non PG spots (Wade, Unseld, Outlaw)

What might go wrong: your eFG is really low and you don’t have too much passing to offset that. Will your D be able to make up for it?

If I could do one pick over: I think getting a guy with some oomph like Domantas over Unseld would’ve made this squad a lil more scary. Unseld is nice but you had enough 5-season guys to gamble with some 2-3 season guys at that point IMO

Is anyone drafted in the 3rd+ even an above average defender? No

Thanks for taking the time! A couple of my teams will be case studies in terms of how low your defense can go when you are solid in most other places.

I am not too worried about the Westbrook / Cousins thing due to the limited minutes Westbrook will play and the guys I got to play in Boogie's worse seasons.

Posted by bds9992 on 3/22/2021 11:15:00 PM (view original):
Why I did it:

(first off, disclaimer: go ahead and criticize the things you think will be objectively bad. if you want, leave it to dB. if you don't want to get into a whole back and forth, go ahead and abstain. the more disrespectful you seem to be, the more likely I am to react. the most measured and even-handed response will yield the most measured and even-handed responses. i'm open, but not to foolishness. just treat others the way you would want to be treated. if you want to be treated with disdain, you can indicate that to me and I'll go there if I have to. but I don't want to. I like peace)

anyway, here goes:

1. DeAndre Jordan - it is a nice thing to have a monster rebounder with a low turnover rate, defense, and monster eFG% on the your squad. He plays more minutes than Rudy, which makes him a late 1st as opposed to an early 2nd in my mind. suffice it to say if you give him enough to work with, he's as good a foundation to build on than any. I've debated Moses vs. DJ, and DJ comes out ahead 17 times out of 20 in my mind.

2. Kevin McHale - this was and still is tricky. I was set on Kawhi and was surprised to find he wouldn't fall one more pick. McHale has continually held me back on boards as a four, even with DJ. I know I'm one of the only squads that can afford to roster him, yet I also know that one of you would have tried it, even if you didn't have the rebounding to make it work. The combination of TS%, Def, low TOs and low fouls obviously sets him apart. There's always the possibility of having a high foul SF if your PF is that clean. It's not like I was intent on going that route but McHale/DJ is a fierce frontline, and I'll get as many boards as I need to make that work. I put the high D DJs with the lower D McHales and vice versa.

I do question this pick, even though I know it's my strongest asset. As many questions as I have about drafting a rebounder like McHale, I can't afford to. It's the most efficient duo I could find, and it hopefully helps drag a few subpar efficiency usage seasons to a playoff spot.

3. Paul George - And now I'd like to thank you all for this tremendous gift. PG is a tremendous defensive rebounder at the 2, a tremendous defender and a high volume shooter. I'd like to especially thank DH for not taking him, as I know he wouldn't give a s#1t about efficiency after Wade/Hakeem.

I actually left 15-16 and 16-17 behind in favor of 11-12 and 12-13. 15-16 turns the ball over too much and 16-17 doesn't play enough. 18-19 is a little annoying in terms of how much usage is devoted to simply shooting the basketball. Ah well.

4. Penny Hardaway - At this point I was ecstatic. Defense was firing on all cylinders. 95-96 could lead a team. Even with the 4th and 5th best seasons of DeAndre and McHale with 95-96? Phew, that's a lot of firepower and D. Good luck defending that squad.

Ultimately this was a necessity pick. I needed the firepower and perimeter D, and Penny was the one. I definitely had a Terry Porter/Paul Millsap plan ready to go, but Terry couldn't give me that third strong team even if I gave it 90-91, which I couldn't really afford to. Penny ended up being the better fit & I don't regret this at all.

5. Paul Pierce - I really wanted The Truth after I got George and Penny. Not the best defender, but a very good shooter, rebounder and passer. That 10-11 season is a thing of beauty. It turns out PP and PG are among the best defensive rebounders at the 2. The idea of PG backing up Pierce and vice versa was pretty appealing. I certainly gave myself all the threes I needed with the perimeter, as well as a stout five man two way lineup. I'm really looking forward to using this 01-02 season with 3302 minutes, which I've wanted to do for some time.

6. Connie Hawkins - I got hit hard here. Terry Porter falls in my lap? Nope. Millsap? Nah. Pressey? Negative. Anthony Mason? No sir. Dan Roundfield? Nyet. Kevin Johnson? Nay.

Hawk is pretty cool because he's an excellent rebounder at the 2. There's one squad where I just didn't want to start 96-97 Penny. He's just not convincing enough as a rebounder, passer or scorer. Too much usage devoted to meh efficiency and D. Feels like a backup.

73-74 Connie, the unicorn. Why is his defense so high? I don't know, but he's a very good fit with some of the less efficient Paul George seasons. Molto bene. 67-68 is pretty wonderful for obvious reasons, especially off the bench. I didn't realize none of you wanted him for two seasons, but in Savage you never know. If nothing else, he gives me peace of mind on minutes, rebounding at the 2, scoring and passing. I feel like he'll get drafted more often.

7. John Collins - Hello, recent buddy. Don't you just love those hyper efficient seasons? Found a nice little spot for 17-18. Was initially butthurt over Domantas Sabonis, but 17-18 Collins ended up being a better fit. We'll see how that all works out. Starting to think the Collins teams might be my best.

8. Jeff Teague - Hello, other Hawk & new Savage buddy! Always wanted to try that 14-15 season somehow. The Pacers season and 11-12 ain't too shabby, either.

9. Walt Bellamy - Ugh. Nothing really worked here. Bells seems to have been the closest - wait a minute, y'all seriously didn't want Zelmo's world? TF?

Anyway, it was between Bells and Zelmo. Bellamy comes with more usage and rebounding, and also more turnovers. Ehh.

10. Ervin Johnson - fantastic 96-97 season. Just needed him to plug a few holes.

11. Shawn Bradley - F&!# Mark Eaton. F!$# him. That non-scoring no-good good-for-nothing galoot killed me. Shawn is really good for this league though. I really wish I could have squeezed Mitch Robinson in here, or one of those other low minute studs. But trying to balance rebounding across all positions is a juggling act, and it's harder to pull off in Savage. Bradley gives me three 80-something D seasons with surprisingly low TO's, and that's a beautiful thing. Really wish I could've squeezed in Michael Porter or Amir Johnson. You know, the sexy backups. Shrug.

12. Curtis Perry - I'm a big Curt fan recently. Needed one big rebounder at the 3, and Curt is about as good as it gets at this point.


Conclusion: I'll be lucky if I crack the top 10. More likely, 12-20. I have two teams who could win a division, two that should make the playoffs, and one that probably won't do anything. I really blame McHale for the relentless focus on rebounding. If I had Kawhi or a similarly efficient player with better rebounding for their position, this might have been easier. Honestly, I could've taken Kemp there instead. Or Oscar. Or Towns? Rodman?!?!? I don't know. Elton Brand would've been nice. Horace would've been nice. Mason would've been fantastic.....oh well. We'll see.

Good explanation. I really liked picks 1-5 and 7. Collins was a major steal, IMO. Makes up for taking Connie too high, and I do think that was a reach. Not a terrible rotation piece, though, I've used that 73-74 season in draft leagues before.

Not a big fan of the last few picks, other than maybe Ervin Johnson; good backup for some Deandre seasons. Not a huge fan of Teague. Not sure I get the choices of George seasons, but I'll always defer to the guy actually building the rosters on that one.

I think the teams with the two good Penny seasons could be really good, but the other three teams will struggle. But if the two good Penny seasons are elite and the others can stay above water, you could make some noise.

This team is really just the result of missing out on Kawhi and Mason. I didn’t have a good enough answer for that one. Teague and Bradley shore up my defense without killing my offense, but I don’t think I have enough. I think your assessment is spot on, tar. I needed Penny to lead one team and I needed Connie to pass in the breaks when I don’t have good enough Penny. I think I’m set for the middle, all things considered

Silas would’ve been nice, if I realized I needed a small forward that wasn’t Mason.