Format (edited)- three thoughts per team. One criticism at least.
amerk1180 - Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Rajon Rondo, Kobe Bryant, Roy Tarpley, Ed Davis, Muggsy Bogues
1 It’s easy to get comfy with the Dipper and not balance the lineup with added rebounding, passing, etc. You added enough usage, rebounds and passing here to prevent giving up the #13 advantage. Wilt and Bird are two of my favs, so I would like to try this start for myself.
2 Kobe is your only real 3pt shooter after the couple hundred Bird puts up- this is a concern. I don’t like the Kobe pick. Not efficient either. I think you’ll regret it when he is 7 for 27 in a game and Wilt has only 8 FGA- but this will happen often.
3 Defense looks good, I am wondering if you could have done better with that frontcourt partner for Wilt.
vancem - LeBron James, Hakeem Olajuwon, Donyell Marshall, Tree Rollins, Jose Calderon, Rodrigue Beaubois, Dan Gadzuric
1 I can see your conundrum picking in the 2nd- Dream would be hard to pass up there as even a few seasons ago he was a late 1st/early 2nd guy. I was kind of hoping to get him in the 3rd to pair with DAJ and Pippen. The only-decent eFG can be aided with spacing and passing, which you addressed.
2 I think there will be games where Tree and Hakeem foul out in the first half. That’s concerning, but you’ll figure out an appropriate platoon behind them I’m sure.
3 If Calderon is your 3pt help- OK. If he’s your passing help- OK. I would have stuck with the high D theme up until that point and taken a low usage guard and let Lebron run point. He lets you get pretty liberal with his backcourt mate- I think there are PG or SGs out there with decent enough passing and 3PA that have D’s in the 70s.
maglor1 - Stephen Curry, Shawn Marion, Marcus Camby, Bob Lanier, Paul Pressey, David West, John Havlicek
1 Interesting start- I think it was wise to take two clean guys after starting with Curry. Marion is a nice compliment.
2 Lanier, Pressey, Hondo- please explain. Lanier you needed some punch inside, OK. Pressey a 2/3 that could defend and pass a little- OK. Hondo? Are you a fan of the 60s Celtics? If challenged, I think I could pick 20 players that are a better fit before I would take Hondo. Likely more.
3 On second thought, is Hondo a supersub? Multiple positions with 90 D backup? There must be more to the sauce, maglor…I think you’ve got something stewing with undrafteds?
samuelyork93 - Dennis Rodman, Tyson Chandler, Gary Payton, Tracy McGrady, Pau Gasol, Lou Williams, Larry Nance JR
1 Rebounding is nice- Rodman lets you play a Pau Gasol in the 52 without bending over on the glass. Payton and McGrady are both strong rebounders for guards (not elite, but not pushovers).
2 Spotty defense- is Pau eligible to be hidden on defense at SF by Rodman switching? This team will struggle against teams that have either two scoring guards, two scoring bigs, or one of each with a 3rd banana that needs attention- I think. Could be wrong.
3 As I’ve said before, I think quantity of quality minutes is crucial in this league- Rodman at 42+ MPG and Payton at 42+ MPG of 90 D in the playoffs will hide a few warts. My question is can McGrady be efficient enough with Pau to get you there?
jhsukow - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jason Kidd, Robert Parish, Kenneth Faried, Andre Iguodala, Brandan Wright, Blake Griffin
1 This is the season I am most interested in following- the Greek. If he was 100% at SF I think I’d try him 2nd overall, if I had that draft slot. Call me crazy!
2 Is this a younger Kidd season? Older Kidd will put up threes, younger Kidd will have some more usage and help you lean into some more rebounds. I worry there isn’t enough scoring without younger Kidd’s usage, albeit inefficient.
3 Similar to maglor- I think you’ve got your eye on a key undrafted player. Remains to be seen, but since he’s drafted as a starter usually in the 52, you could pump up this lineup considerably.
beachhouse - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Dana Barros, Clyde Drexler, Danny Green, Alan Williams, Chris Whitney
1 DH555 has a bullseye on his back on top of the $52m title leaderboard. I think his success may have keyed your Dana Barros pick- he most likely would have been available in the 6th, if not 5th. This could be the sting in your *** that holds the first two back. Reversing the draft, if you take a different guard there and fill out the rest of your lineup as you did, I think you would prefer that to Barros now, am I right? Hindsight rollback
2 Frontcourt minutes to the MAX- I like it. I would hate to carry an inferior frontcourt into a playoff series (not saying you’ll get there) with you, KAJ and Russell nearly 45 MPG or something. Talk about wearing someone down.
3 This team doesn’t strike me as careless- is it pretty clean on paper per 48min?
sappy - Michael Jordan, Elton Brand, Dikembe Mutombo, Mike Conley, Joel Embiid, Patrick Beverly, John Collins
1 Sappy I hope you wrote a thank you note to DH for drafting you Elton Brand and not Elton Brown! Nice start. Conley definitely has a place in this league next to MJ.
2 It’s a little punchy with fouls- right? That could sting. Is Elton a SF or PF…concerned there too.
3 Has MJ won a title in this league? I don’t think so. Nothing against Sappy but I like it that way- can’t stand the guy.
6theluckyone - Shaquille O'Neal, Chauncey Billups, Klay Thompson, Larry Nance, Goran Dragic, Andrew Bogut, John Henson
1 Shaq plus shooters, I’m sweating it already. Nicely done. Bogut is a good running mate to Shaq. Dragic a competent backup to the guards.
2 Rebounds worry me- I think a team that puts out a 40/100 will eat you up. Diesel/Chauncey/Klay better be on fire!
3 Defense here is solid, the game is clean, and the scoring is balanced. I think you knew who you wanted each round until the 4th, when you were thinking BPA and Nance “fell” to an open lineup spot you needed. Am I right?
tarheel1991 - Karl Malone, Andre Drummond, Paul George, Marvin Williams, Maurice Cheeks, Kevon Looney, Jamaal Tinsley
1 Malone with no fear of being board-lite with Drummond next door. George has a VERY interesting sim season. Williams a good complement. The scoring looks supported after the first two.
2 The defense looks balanced- Malone can cover for Drummond. Nice bench forming too.
3 Can this team win a high scoring series? I don’t know- might need to win on differentials rather than horsepower. I think it really depends on how George performs with the new season.
pennsylvania - Rudy Gobert, Bobby Jones, Nate Archibald, Cedric Maxwell, Oscar Robertson, Oliver Miller, Ed Pinckney
1 This team is punctuated by reaches. Oscar’s “steal worthiness” in the 5th was up for some debate, with Clyde being a mid-6th pick. 3PA are non-existent. Even as a Wildcat die-hard, I am not sure Pinckney is worthy of a draft pick.
2 Gobert is going to need to be great. His newest season does look terrific. Will it be enough rebounding?
3 I will give you credit for sticking to your guns. Penn is the only person who will draft Archibald and continue to tinker to build a winner around him.
dh555 - Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Clint Capela, Mookie Blaylock, Gerald Wallace, Jimmy Butler, Chris Andersen
1 The blueprint is complete- efficient big with shooters on the perimeter. Capela a nice support for the frontcourt, will make a fine platoon with Birdman.
2 Talk me through this team scoring enough. I am not sure. It looks efficient enough, on paper enough usage, but I think that may hold you back a smidge.
3 Butler has a nice backup season- clean, 80D, multiple positions, more than 22.1% usg. We will see. Take your eye off the finish line and we’ll be tied at six each!
gerryred - Chris Paul, Ben Wallace, Bob McAdoo, Kyle Lowry, Derrick Favors, Walt Frazier, Terrence Jones
1 I didn’t think Clyde would slip past Gerry in the 6th. Nice backcourt.
2 I like the Paul/Ben/McAdoo start- as the rest of the lineup is filled out, you addressed 3’s, more passing, kept the defense up, etc. It is balanced- and made me look up two seasons to see what I was missing. Nice choice on Favors!
3 I am not sure there’s enough scoring. I guess it depends on Paul? You will probably use a higher usage season since that would be the logical construction with Frazier and backed up by Kyle.
uptowngbv - James Harden, Shawn Kemp, Horace Grant, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Jon Barry, Andrew Bynum
1 Peaks and valleys was my first though. SO many turnovers with Harden. SO many fouls with Kemp. Needed some clean play and you were able to grab Grant and Horford. I think the SF Horford season is terrific, the only downside is light offensive rebounding—but you didn’t take Horford for that season, did you?
2 How many threes are drafted here? Estimating is making me dizzy. They’re certainly efficient too. Good spacing on your offense.
3 Rebounding, and cleanliness are my concerns. There is not a ton of support to catch misses, and if Kemp is in quick foul trouble…game over.
jcred5 - David Robinson, Anfernee Hardaway, Joakim Noah, Serge Ibaka, Brent Barry, Greg Monroe, Nate McMillan
1 I like this start, especially after I took it to the ODL playoffs, but what I found is I didn’t have enough in the tank to score. In the 52 you’ll be able to afford the real Noah, which I couldn’t at 47m.
2 That being said, is Ibaka/Barry your 3rd scorer-by-committee? I am not sure that will be a success. I suppose Monroe will need to carry a bit himself.
3 The defense looks strong other than Barry, but he will hide behind Serge and Penny.
mikee1 - DeAndre Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Nikola Jokic, Jrue Holiday, Ray Allen, Chris Webber, Kevin Love
1 what’s not to love about 40/100 with 80 ast%, 56 efg%, 800 made threes and a team defense of over 70 for 18500 minutes? Oh- the offensive glass will be horrific once DAJ sits.
2 Jokic is my point forward- he will lead the team in passing despite being short on minutes. The team requires Pippen to keep it moving for 42 MPG. If he can’t adequately swiss-army, the Ray Allen/Kevin Love backup idea won’t work.
3 Would love to get an assessment of this team from someone else- I feel confident it’s a playoff team but not sure if it’s enough to make DH sweat a little.
redbooda - Kevin Durant, Artis Gilmore, Dirk Nowitzki, Grant Hill, Joe Harris, Paul Westphal, Deandre Ayton
1 Is Grant Hill your PG? A unique idea after taking Durant and Dirk- both hopeless on the offensive glass. If that’s the case, I think you’ll be OK passing between Hill and Durant. It won’t be a ton of ast% but should eclipse the bare minimum.
2 After Artis, the rebounding is scary. Ayton is just one guy, and he’s not terribly impressive either. Hill will help at a guard spot, but I don’t think there’s enough drafted rebounding. Undrafted could bail you out though.
3 I’d like to see Dirk succeed in the 52, but I don’t see this lineup being the right fit.
cjok1051 – Manu Ginobili, Bill Walton, Amare Stoudemire, Nikola Vucevic, Eric Bledsoe, Kyle Korver, Otto Porter
1 The Day Trader- filling out the picks for each owner and going back to cjok each time he came up I was thinking “jesus another pick?!” I think you had seven players drafted before I had 4 (maybe 5, oh well you get the point). I think the scoring is there. Tough to say how you’ll look with minutes without building it in the draft center myself, but this looks light on minutes.
2 Eric Bledsoe. As I said in the commentary thread, RIP to you as a bench stalwart. Congrats on the promotion. Nice later round season of defense, passing and threes. Will the usage fit amongst the rest of the back court?
3 There will be threes, there will be efficient interior scoring- will it win shootouts? It could- defense is iffy so it will need to rev up pretty quickly.
bds9992 - Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Andrei Kirilenko, Terry Porter, Larry Sanders, Kevin Johnson, Ryan Anderson
1 I am not a fan of Dr J in the second, but it looks like you wanted to start strong defense, took a breath with Porter, and then doubled down on Sanders. KJ and Anderson for bench scoring. Mixed identity is what draws my attention.
2 I don’t know BDS- usually I see where you want to go and follow the choices, but this is like the Tale of Two Drafts. Defense at first, followed by compromise.
3 Moses is a fun follow in the SIM, obviously. Double digit offensive rebounds is pretty entertaining- the rest of the lineup will feed him with misses. KJ could really carry a scoring load himself, which I look forward to seeing- he’s an underrated sim player. If his D was higher, he’d be picked earlier for sure.
midge - John Stockton, Karl Anthony Towns, Alonzo Mourning, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle O’Quinn, Brandon Rush, Jameer Nelson
1 The Big Complement- nicely done matching KAT with Zo- they support their counterpart’s deficiency, but both are efficient scorers. Stockton will make it run.
2 Is that shooting guard by committee? I am thinking there isn’t enough rebounding here after KAT. I expect this team to be at a rebounding deficit but be ahead in turnovers unless Zo gets too handsy- he is both careless and punchy.
3 Efficiency will be good, and the team will be clean-ish (I think). Hard to predict. Midge puts together good teams, so I suspect the bench will fit well.
dbkc - Charles Barkley, Draymond Green, Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, Domantas Sabonis, Mitchell Robinson, Clifford Ray
1 DBKC starts with the troika that got him a chip, right? I see it and say “I’m not sure” but that team was very good, so WTF do I know?
2 Beal is a nice player, as is Ray in the 6th. Sabonis had a great season. I think Robinson fouls enough he may pick up a few from the bench! 7.7 per 48 wow!
3 I need to choose a negative here right? OK the defense isn’t across the board outstanding.
ysw128 - Kevin Garnett, Kevin McHale, Marques Johnson, Tom Boerwinkle, Terrell Brandon, Derek Harper, Charlie Ward
1 the Kevins are good for each other- the gallery may hiss and moan that Garnett is not playing SF but I think you did enough with the rest of the team to be a strong rebounder. Four straight bigs in a draft- I envy your cajones.
2 Brandon fell, then Derek, then Ward…you are an opportunist and it paid off!
3 Only a few 3pm, which isn’t the worse thing. The guards can prob get you to 400 and a decent enough clip. This team will go as far as the defense carries them, since the scoring isn’t terribly efficient. Boerwinkle will get spun around and hack his man maybe too often. I need to see the depth chart.
longtallbrad - Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams, Jerry Lucas, Kermit Washington, Jonas Valanciunas, JR Smith
1 The potential for two 100s eligible at 5 positions across their assignments is nice- Williams is a good third banana. Lucas does NO harm to that mix next to Duncan.
2 Valanciunas and Smith are nice backups- I suspect you need to start Kermit and he’s not the worst, fits defensively.
3 I think there’s enough here for this team to compete on the glass, win on defense, get to the line and win the possession battle. Not many threes until you get to JR, but Deron makes enough at a nice percentage to keep ‘em honest. I am supposed to pick a negative in my self-assigned format, but the only thing I see is that this team doesn’t make me say WOW it makes me think “solid”---solid gets into the playoffs and defense makes it a tough out.
24kpyrite - Anthony Davis, Hassan Whiteside, Buck Williams, Ben Simmons, Mark Price, Carlos Boozer, Kemba Walker
1 Frontcourt is cool- I like the combo. Wait, is Buck a SF or Davis your SF? Getting murkier…Buck has a reach whiff to him.
2 Simmons has a few nice characteristics, but threes and ball control are not among them- you needed threes, and addressed that with Price and Kemba. Nice adjustment.
3 This team is handsy- foul trouble could be real. The lineup looks much different if Buck isn’t in it and a cleaner player is there, I think. Scoring should be good though.
hoopsdude - Magic Johnson, Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Ewing, Pascal Siakam, Anthony Mason, Mason Plumlee, Elfrid Payton
1 Magic and Kawhi is a cool start to a back court. Ewing is my guy and Mase is a good complement at the three…OH! He’s your 4. Here’s the criticism- Siakam is too light on the glass I think for the rest of this lineup. Ewing is not strong on the glass, Mason is outmatched rebounding at the four, and the backcourt rebounding while strong is not enough to make up for the front court.
2 Ewing and Leonard are an interesting top scoring duo- I like it. I wish we’d get to see what Kawhi would do with big minutes for a full season, because these 2019 NBA Finals are absolutely his so far.
3 Magic is falling. I don’t know if it’s long before he’s a second round staple. These guards coming up and forwards that have guard abilities (looking at you Giannis) are pushing the classics further down. Unless the sim engine changes, might not be long before Magic is not a first round pick again.
6/8/2019 2:06 PM (edited)