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Will post my motives after cjok makes his move and allows me to finish my team. : )

Team Name: Galloping Turkeys (draft slot: 21st)

• round 1 – Dwight Howard. Never used this fellow before and he’s more expensive than I expected to start out with in a $42 mil league, but he seemed too good to pass up. He’s in a very small, elite class of rebounders, an excellent defender, and a very efficient inside scorer. I would have loved to end up with Stockton and would have considered Kidd (and then would have looked for a Nater-esque rebounder in the second round), but figured there was a good chance of getting Nash or Billups on the wraparound pick. I figured Howard was worth the risk and expense as long as I drafted around him intelligently. Passed on: Kidd, Stockton, Duncan.
• round 2 – Chauncey Billups. Arguably a bit high for Billups, but he should be a fabulous counterpoint to Howard. His FG% is low but his efG% is a hair above 50% nonetheless. He’s a good defender, and his famous 04-05 season comes with 42 per%, 31.7 ast%, and a lot of FTs. The fact that he rarely fouls or turns the ball over or fouls helps my team, which doesn’t bring many steals or blocks. Billups is easily a top 5 PG in an up-tempo, $42 mil setting. Passed on: Garnett, Nater, Stojakovic.
• round 3 – Harry Gallatin. I tried to talk myself out of Harry the Horse because of his low offensive efficiency and the surprising availability of some excellent players. I thought hard about one of the >$7 mil, 3 pt.-chucking tweener forwards (Jamison and Marshall). But in the end, I figured that starting out with the Howard selection meant I would need to pinch pennies the rest of the way, and that Gallatin was the most affordable way of filling in the rest of my rebounding need. His rebounding percentages are surprisingly close to Howard’s, and playing alongside Howard is close to the perfect counterbalance to his low eFG%. Selecting Gallatin meant I needed to worry less about boards the rest of the way. Plus, I’ve loved his nickname and legendary toughness since I first read a basketball history book in fifth grade. Passed on: Haywood, Boerwinkle, Pippen, Payton, Moncrief, Jamison, Marshall.
• round 4 – Hedo Turkoglu. I know I surprised some folks with his selection here, but like Billups he seemed like a good fit who might not have been available later on. His usg% is a bit high (25) for this spot, but his 34 per% along with 52 eFG% and 18 ast% should fit nicely between Chauncey and Dwight. And he’s relatively cheap at $5.7 mil, leaving me more financial flexibility with the last three picks than a lot of owners had. Passed on: Moncrief, English…and a couple guys who haven’t been selected yet (one master thief/defender, and one bomber).
• round 5 – Alex English. I was looking for defense and additional 3s here, but in the end went in a completely different direction. English isn’t much use in either of those categories, but gives me a potential 25 ppg on 55 eFG%. His mid-range game gives me nice offensive balance (possibly making it harder for opponents to utilize defensive positional settings), and his efficiency is a help in a starting lineup that includes Gallatin and Billups. His 14.3 ast% is an important part of the package, too. Passed on: Quite a few options, but all still undrafted.
• round 6 – Tom Owens. My big bench expenditure, desired mostly for his 10.2 orb% and 22 drb%. With 49 ast% and 66 def, he doesn’t have any gaping flaws.
• round 7 – Jon Sundvold. Whatever. I had to pick someone. Passed on: A wing player I REALLY wanted but couldn’t afford, and a point guard who torched my younger brother in high school games. Neither have been selected yet.
Overall: Nice scoring balance, decent efficiency, a little of everything. This squad should hold their own on the boards against most teams, but may struggle against teams with big-time wing scorers. It’ll be fun to see what happens!

Team Name: Orbital Burn (draft slot: 16th)

• round 1 – Shaquille O'Neal. Haven't used Shaq in a long time. He was my first proxy choice with Magic second and D-Wade third. He will be the leading scorer and rebounder on this team. 29 ppg, 13 rpg. efg just under 60% and usage rolls in at 29. Wanted to use the 10 mil season but too expensive, would've needed to cut someone else's salary.

• round 2 – Troy Murphy. Maybe a 2nd round pick is too high for this guy but look what he gives: 47% perimeter, 161 3's at a 45% clip, 96 D, low turnovers, and a 30% dreb%. Knew he wasn't gonna make it back to me for round 3 so I had to snatch him up.

• round 3 – Fat Lever. Another guy that brings too much to the table for me to pass on. 95 D, 17.9% dreb, 18.9 ppg, and 22% ast. More than carries his weight for a round 3 pick.

• round 4 – Gary Payton. Seriously needed another 20 pt scorer at this point to help out Shaq. He was one of the best guys available that did more than just shoot.

• round 5 – Larry Johnson. One more 20 point scorer to take the pressure off Shaq. 10 rebs per game is a good bonus. Not much D but he will switch on/off at the 3 and 4 with Murphy depending on who the competition is. I also like the 4.3 ast per game and 53 efg%.

• round 6 – Pat Garrity. Minute eater. 955 minutes. Wanted Henry James but he was taken.

• round 7 – John Egan. Minute eater. 437 minutes. My bench sucks and I hope it doesn't hurt me in the long run. Wanted Matt Bullard but he was taken.

Overall: The team will lean on the Diesel big time. A lot of uncertainty still at this point in time over which versions of players to use. May still downgrade Payton to a cheaper version so Shaq has more chances to shoot. D ratings come in at 67, 96, 95, 90, 30, 13, 31. Backcourt D of 95 and 90 hopefully will disrupt other teams guards enough. Turnovers less than 1200. Rebounds could be more, fouls could be less.

1. Kevin Willis some say he was a reach in round 1. With the 24th pick I don't really think so because there is no way he would have been there when I picked again. I usually read the play by play of my games when I can. This gives me a feel sometimes for guys that seem to be hot in the SIM and Willis seems to be one of those guys. 15+ rpg, 48% shooting, 90 Def, relatively low TO's and fouls. What's not to like? I chose Willis over Ben Wallace because for around the same price, Willis gives you about 12 more ppg with similar numbers in other areas.

2. Steve Nash a compliment for Willis. Nash took care of the assists & 3pts I don't get from Willis. He shoots 53% from the field which I thought was important because Willis's 48% is OK but not great. I didn't want a 42% shooting point guard and start to fall into that hole.

3. Chris Mullin the weakness of the team was becoming FTA's. So I searched for a guard that shot over 500 had a few assists and rebounds while not killing me in other areas. Mullin also scores at a 25ppg clip which helps because Nash & Willis are less than 20 and I think you need 2 guys over 20.

4. Chris Bosh another guy I've never used. When selecting a sf, one always asks themselves, do I go for rebounds, assists, 3pts or a combination? Was this close to picking an old staple in Pippen, but decided I liked Bosh's FTA's, rebounds and 23 ppg a little better than Pippen. Pluse it's kinda fun using new guys.

5. Tyson Chandler ok I've got my two 20pt + scorers, pretty solid rebounds, could use more assists but that's hard to get from a center. Lets looks for some defense, low usage, and fg %. Up pops and old favorite in Chandler. Seems like I never get Olajuwon, Mutombo, Gilmore, D-Rob, Shaq or one of those guys, so Chandler just seems to always be there and fit my team.

6. Joe Dumars I like a couple of 3-4 mil big time contributers off the bench. Dumars gives me 140 3pts. Low TO's & fouls. I wish he had a few more assists and a little better D, but he's Ok.

7. Jayson Williams flat out one of the best back-up pf-c's in the sim. I could go on and on about this guy and his offensive rebounds, defense and low turnovers, but he's a stud. Nough said.

My first NBA Draft. I set a salary limit and minutes minimum for each position and picked the best player available as my turn came. 3000 min minimum for each starter. $8M for C and $6M for the others. I wanted a strong bench with $5M for a C/PF/SF and $4M for a PG/SG. 2000 minutes each. My first pick was the most dominant C available (Unseld). I wanted the best ball handler I could get at PG (Jackson) and the best 3PT shooter at SG (Bell). I wanted the two best scorers I could get at PF and SF (King and Chanbers). So, I got what I got. I have two fair to good defenders, but D was not a priority. In every open league I've been in, I've had one of the 2 or 3 best defenses and always wound up around .500 or right around the playoff cut line. It was time for a change.

Mutombo - reach in the first round? maybe, but I like to have my defensive anchor and he's a big who can hang with Wilt and Moses (you try finding a player that delivers this combination of defense, blocks and boards without being a foul magnet)and he costs a lot less than most
TMac - there is a certain purity to TMac - 35usg, 50%efg - 700 ftas, 400 3pas - no fouls or turnovers to speak of - 13drb; 18as% - in a 42m league I think he is to the SG position what Moses is to the C position
Hill - this guy was just sitting there at the *** end of the 3rd round - definite 2nd rd value - 96 D, 21 drb, 28usg, 50 efg, 26 as%; 2.2 stl% - no fouls
Penny probably a little too much usage for this squad but brings alot to the table offensively (and has a very interesting attempts from per/mid/paint profile) - he's the guy who will make you pay for doubling TMac and Hill
Cage - blue collar compliment to Mutombo down low - a little more offensive rebounding - nice FTA/PF ratio
Bullard/Atkins - mostly about minutes - perimeter scoring a plus

I wish my third scorer was a paint guy which is why I had 2nd thoughts about Penny (might have been better off with a defensive minded low usage perimeter scorer type PG - kind of wanted Mookie for the role but then it all went to sh!t)

LeBron James - Nuff said.
Larry Nance - Complement to LBJ. Value pick, efficient scorer, low TOs, good boards, great blocks at SF.
Dana Barros - 57 eFG% with 197 - 3s. Modest assists offset by LBJ.
A.C. Green - 80 Def at 4/5, decent boards, few mistakes, celibate
Zelmo Beaty - 26 pp48, 573 FTA at 4/5, decent boards

John Lucas - Completes backcourt with scoring (27 pp48 at 49.5%) and passing (24.4%)
Bill Laimbeer - Not enough FTAs to make my starting rotation, so he becomes an average 7th man

Back court of LeBron, Barros and Lucas: lots of firepower but TOs may be a problem.
Starting front court of Nance, Green, and Beaty: pretty bland, low TOs but low assists too.

Team Name: Horseshoes and Handgranades

1. David Robinson - Mostly took him because I saw he went 4th in the last ODL and he was still around at # 13 this time. He will cost me almost $ 10 MM but gives 55.2 % efg, 12 % oreb, 22% dreb, 7.7 % assist and 94 D. Seems like a good guy to build around. Also considered The Dream.

2. Julius Erving - I will admit I am a big fan and that might inflate his value to me. Although I got to see him play live in the early 80's I will use his season with the unforgetable Virginia Squires. Not sure what the downside is to his 25.6 % usage, 49.9 % efg, 10.1 % oreb, 23.6 % dreb, and 9.9 % assist. I never considered anyone else with the # 36 pick.

3. Mike Miller - With almost $ 20MM invested in my first two, I needed a value pick. Really wanted Mookie but he went a few picks earlier. Miller brought me low usage, a lot of 3's, 55.9 % efg, 20 % dreb, and 18.4 % assist. Seemed like a low usage version of Scottie Pippen to me so took a chance. His light minutes means my bench will have to play a significant role. I also considered a yet to be drafted player, Shane Battier, and Chris Mullin with pick # 61.

4. Shane battier - Almost took this guy in the 3rd round so I couldn't pass him up in the 4th. Low usage, 53.8 % efg, 9 % assist, and a lot of 3's for this low cost, weak rebounding SF. With the # 84 pick I also considered Brent Barry, Bill Laimbeer, and John Lucas.

5. Nate McMillan - I held my breath the ten picks before I nabbed him. Again I may be missing something but my assessment was that this team desparately needed a high assist, strong rebounding guard that would leave me with enough money to invest in my bench. I will use the season where he gives 48.3 % efg, 5 % oreb, 10 % dreb, and 32 % assist. Briefly considered some not-yet-drafted guards but only briefly.

Got both of my sentimental picks and I think they can both help my team

6. Bimbo Coles - Gives me 2600 minutes at the point so I have flexibility to move Nate around depending on match-ups. 2 usage points and 46 % efg are okay for a backup. I wish his assist % was higher than 21.7 but I like his 9 % dreb and his 3's. 55 DEF means he will not be a liability.

7. Tom Gugliotta - One of my favorite all-time players and I will use a season of his I have never tried before. 1582 minutes off the bench is exactly what I need to give drob and the doc a breather. His usage is 23.6 % so I will not get a possession penalty when he is in. Over 50 % efg, over 7 % oreb, over 15 % dreb, and over 13 % assist plus 50 DEF rating. Not great numbers but enough to keep me in the game when the studs are on the bench.

Overall my starting five has exactly 10 usage points, over 50 % efg, over 30 % oreb, about 90 % dreb, and 77 % asst. They also play D with ratings of 94, 93, 89, 84 and 80.

This is my first draft league and I expect it to be a learning experience. Do I have enough boards ? Will I pay for having just enough usage with nothing to spare ? Will my DEF matter ? Are my 3 point shooters too low usage to be a factor ? Will Nate and Bimbo both foul out every game ?

Hoping someone will let me know so I don't have to wait until the season starts for the let down. No matter what though, this is a team I would pay to go see.

Team Name - Okc Storm

1. Oscar Robertson - The thought process here was always to grab a true PG later in the draft and use Oscar as a 2 guard. The big reason I went with Oscar is the simple fact that he fills up the stat lines. Pts, reb, and asst.

2. Robert Parrish - Here we went with the Chief because, hey who doesn't want a scoring big man with great rebounds and defense.

3. Tim Hardaway - Went with Tim here to allow Oscar to play the two guard. Hard to go wrong a PG with big time asst on this team. Plus I needed a good three point shooter and this version of Hardaway is over 42% from the arc putting up over 500 attempts.

4. Jerry Sloan - Here I must explain. Sloan is a good scorer with amazing defense and solid rebounding. Plus he can be our player coach! I was also looking at my usage points here.

5. Bill Bridges - Usage here. Bottom line. Bridges gives us nice defense, decent scoring, and a bunch of rebounds.

6. Sam Cassell - Back up PG with great scoring and asst.

7. Ira Harge - Back up C with fantastic Rebounding, nice scoring and good defense.

Team Name: Emp's Two Stars

Round 1: Dwayne Wade - Drafting Wade was my first move in an attempt to recreate an exhibition team that went 8-2 and was lockdown on defense and let Wade go nuts scoring. Things didn't quite end up that way. . . A thing to note about Wade is that he has 25% ast

Round 2: Swen Nater - Nater was one of a 3-pronged rebounding attack on that team, and I wasn't going to turn down his 90 defense, 32/13 oreb/dreb %, and 54 percent efg

Round 3: Paul Pierce - This was out of field for me, and had no relation to the team I was modelling after, but I had to see what would happen with two nearly 30ppg scorers/defenders/kitchen sinkers. No clue where I was going after this.

Round 4: Scottie Pippen - This is my pick of regret. I had Donyell Marshall slinging 3's and rebounding on the prior team, but after looking at minutes, cost, etc, decided to go with Pippen to provide what scud described a '3 headed monster that can defend and spot up for the 3' if remember correctly. Kind of wishing I had picked Donyell here for his rebounds and 3's instead of Pip for his assists. I'm open to trades, in fact.

Round 5: Scott Skiles - He's been a staple for me from time to time due to his 3's and nearly 30% ast, along with cost. I figured his terrible defense wasn't much of a problem with these other guys. This also gives me a tremendous amount of assists, a theme for this team.

Round 6: Pau Gasol - I notice he wasn't drafted in the last ODL, and in a way I can understand - you want more than 18/9 reb % from your starting PF. However, he gives me 18 points on 56 percent shooting, 11 ast %, and almost exactly 2 to and 2 fls per game. An efficient choice.

Toni Kukoc - Completes the concept this team ended up turning into - efg, assists, a little bit of rebounding.

A little bit of rebounding. . . will this come back to haunt me? We'll see. I'm used to being in the top 6 in rebounding in an open league, but I've also never surrounded two prime scorers with this level of help. There are several players that are still on the table that could have given this team a different look, and I've spent the last 3 days agonizing over it. Only time will tell. Again, I'm willing to trade Pippen . . . . .

Team Name: Unknown at this time

Round 1: Larry Bird - Wasn't sure who I was gonna build around but when Bird fell to me I didn't have much of a choice.

Round 2: Nate Thurmond - For a big man has a terrible fg% but makes up for it in other areas. Was a little early for Thurmond but wasn't sure if he would fall further.

Round 3: Anthony Mason - I see this guy on many teams and I honestly don't know if I have used him before. Love his stat line and his high fg% helps make up for Thurmond's ****** fg%.

Round 4: Darrell Walker - Another player I have used very sparingly, but when I was looking for a SG I stumbled across Walker and thought he would work well with my PG. The rebounds help make up for the lack of 3s.

Round 5: Bruce Bowen - I love using Bowen as my player to spell the SF/SG. He doesn't take away production from the stars of the team and gives you good DEF without turning the ball over. The 3 pointer a game is just a bonus.

Round 6: Damon Stoudamire & Steve Novak - The one glaring weakness before this round was the ability to shoot 3s. Problem solved! Stoudamire is a staple of my teams as most of you know and in typical fashion I grab him in the last round and slide him into the starting lineup!

I honestly have no idea how this team will turn out. My SIM playing over the last year has just been UPL so I am not sure how the engine will react to any team. Hopefully I can figure it out before BOWIS! I think I will go pour myself a drink on this Friday night and watch the Celts/Raps game....cheers all!

Well...I really don't know about this team. It's undoubtedly the strangest one from my several seasons in the ODL, and has the potential to easily be my worst one. I'm really worried about the fact that the usage on this squad is sky-high, almost certainly too high. I planned from the 3rd round on for this to be an uptempo squad, but I still think the usage will be too excessive. But I've begun to wonder in recent seasons if defense isn't maybe a little bit overvalued, so we'll put that theory to the test with a relatively weak defensive squad. So here it is:


PG John Stockton 91-92 - 8.0
52.7% efg, 44% ast. 3.5% stl, 80 def

Never used him, always wanted to. What can you say? The biggest assist guy around...should have a good shot at leading the league in uptempo system. Also kicks in great steals, some threes. Unfortunately only 97% at SG, though.

SG Jason Richardson 07-08 - 5.9
52.4% efg, 243 3pm, 21.8 ppg, 59 def

A three point monster and the main perimeter threat to keep people from doubling down on the big boys. He's here to pour it in from outside, but also contributes some assists and rebounds and doesn't turn it over or foul too much. This guy could be key for the squad.

SF Dolph Schayes 53-54 - 5.6
9.5% orb, 23.9% drb, 556/672 ft, 13.7% ast, 53 def

This guy is interesting - he does a lot of things that most guys at his price can't, like play a lot of minutes, rebound well, and get to the line a ton (while making most of them). He doesn't turn it over too much, and isn't too fouly for an old-school big guy. Even throws in some steals, assists, and blocks for good measure. But will his 38% shooting kill me? We'll just hope his 102 fg%+ actually means something. In uptempo (and with other guys taking defensive attention) I think he'll shoot at least 40% - but if he shoots 45% or so (which I optimistically think is possible) this could be a killer pick.

PF Dan Issel 70-71 - 6.9
29.5 ppg, 2.0 bpg, 9.0% orb, 20.1% drb, 51 def

Has this guy ever been used in the ODL? I don't think he has recently...should be interesting. The good first: he's a scoring monster (a lot of it from midrange too), chips in steals and blocks, and gets to the line over 700 times, making 80% of them. All that for just under 7 million. But the bad? He doesn't play great defense, is a poor rebounder %-wise, and commits a pretty high amount of fouls. Which side of him will influence this team more? I really have no idea, but it'll be fun to find out.

C Tim Duncan 02-03 - 9.6
51.5% fg, 9.5% orb, 25.4% drb. 4.4% block, 94 def

What can I say? Timmy does it all. Efficient, defensive stud, solid rebounder, gets to the line, few assists for good measure...total package. Not great to have this guy as my best rebounder, but hopefully the four frountcourt guys all over 20% will work alright. My only worry is that his efficiency becomes overshadowed by the usage of Issel, Richardson, and Dolph...in that case the 9.6 is wasted. But hopefully he'll lead these guys well.

PG/SG John Kuester 77-78 - 1.7

Not much here besides some filler minutes with solid efficiency and some assists. Couldve used some more defense with this pick, maybe, but oh well.

PF/C Reggie Evans 05-06 - 2.7

Defense and rebounding, a great bench guy who won't get in the way of the scorers. My team might be better when he's in instead of Issel, TD or Dolph.


I'm a mad scientist for sure on this one, but am I a mad genius? I somewhat doubt it, but one thing I like about my ODL teams is that they seem to take on a somewhat different personality every season. Here's hoping for the best!

DBTSIML!

round1-hakeem olajuwon.......strategy was pretty simple....i was just going to take the best player available and build around them...would have taken shaq or bird over hakeem but just missed on those guys...decided it was between him and dwight and went with hakeem....not much he cant do...really wanted his 92-93 season but needed to chop off a mil to help with mins....the 89-90 season that im using may be the best defensive season from anyone in the sim...96 def 27% dreb and a ridiculous 2.3/6.5 stl/blk

round2-kevin garnett......after the hakeem pick i wanted this to be a defensive minded team.....if hakeem isnt the best defender then ben wallace might be...i really wanted to pair those two down low and when i sent my proxy out i thought id get him for sure....didnt work out that way and ended up with kg....due to his salary i wish i would have thought about a better backup but i really thought id get ben....im using kgs monster 02-03 season and decided to go big and make him my sf....besides 3s he literally does everything...kind of a steal i think in the second round but i guess his salary scared people off

round3-dale ellis......i was looking for cheap perimeter scoring so teams cant load up inside against me...there was alot other good options but i couldnt afford them....however i was going to break the bank for pierce and almost got him....i had glen rice targeted from the start but was happy to take a guy similar to him...ellis plays almost 40 mins a game scoring 27 on 26.6 usage...he shoots 50% from the field and 48% on his 339 3s...also throws in some fts at 81% and doesnt kill you on fls or tos...i had him in two leagues already and he rarely scores under 20 and can hit for 35+ on any night....it might have been early for ellis but i was thrilled with the pick...passed on richardson mullin and richmond(who didnt even get drafted...shocked by that)

round4-don buse.......this was the pick that was going to define my team...point guards were running thin and i had two i really liked...buse and kj....with kj i would scrap the defensive plan, run uptempo, move kg to the 4, and take a 3pt shooter in the 5th....kj is a beast but the turnovers are a bit much and i still wanted this to be a defensive team so i went with buse....didnt mind paying 6.8 mil for him since he plays 40 mins a game...80 def and that 4.0 stl% with only 2.8 fls/per 48 fit the defensive plan perfectly and his low usage and turnovers fit with my 3 scorers....could use more assists from him though

round5-joel przybilla.....the only full time center i could afford that rebounded the way i wanted was walt bellamy and i didnt want him.....so i knew this was going to be a platoon....right away boerwinkle stood out since he could help with assists...i was shocked when i didnt get him...looked at cage alot too...but he also went.....im happy with the joel pick tho...he fits the defensive team plan....96 def 30.6% dreb 3.1% bl...doesnt murder me with fouls...and he wont turn the ball over and even shoots at 62.5% the few times his low usgae allows him to

round6-henry james.....minutes eater....plays 12 mins a game...17% usgae and 60% of his shots are 3pts that he shoots at 42%...low turnovers but doesnt do anything else at all

round 7-manute bol/brad miller......with salary and minutes...he fit the platoon with pryz...was gonna use his 80 def 8.8% bl....but after messing around with my bench decided to use his cheapest season to open up more mins....not a bad 10 mins a game from him tho....63 def 17.9% dreb 7.3%bl low tos and fls and even adds 3s.....i originally bumped down bols salary to make room for landsberger...but after comparing him to miller, oreb was the only thing he did better...miller plays 17 mins a game with 18%usage 50%efg(with some 3s) 22%dreb 14.6%assists 53def and good on tos and fls




overall i wasnt thrilled about the final result but pretty happy considering this was my first odl....i think this team should be good for 35-45 wins and maybe the playoffs....i dont have enough scoring/assists and lack of depth will keep me from contending....but i should be a tough team due to my defense(good ratings and lots of blocks and steals)....and if garnett ups his game to mvp level(which may be possible) this could be a sleeper team