13) dontburnearl – David Robinson, Dwyane Wade, Manu Ginobili, Victor Oladipo, Derrick Favors, Larry Sanders, Cole Aldrich
Robinson and Wade: a pair of two-way monsters reminiscent of my Giannis-Wade duo of last season. I’m perplexed by the next two picks. Wade, Ginobili, and Oladipo make for a backcourt rotation that is way high on quality but heavy on usage and light on assists. Favors is fine. I like Sanders in this league, especially at SF. Aldrich brings a sparkling 800 minutes but is pretty low-usage to be backing up the Admiral. I don’t want to sell low on this team…I love the start, but this isn’t rounding out to be a conventional approach to roster-building. A wheel falls off in my estimation with the Oladipo pick. Still, earl always seems to have a plan. I think this bunch earns its way to the postseason dance, and some Missing Piece that isn’t visible yet maybe results in enough cohesion to result in making some real noise.
14) riftonapple – Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Bob McAdoo, Walt Frazier, Khris Middleton, David West, Desmond Bane
I’ll be curious to see what version of Bird rift decides to use. Better shooting and some 3s or better defense. Russell’s bump to the long-demanded 100 D rating seems to be good for elevation to the second round, at least for now. He’s now an Energizer Bunny edition of Camby. McAdoo slots in decently to round out the frontcourt. I love Frazier in this league. I always think of Clyde as a SG and use him accordingly, with a preference for the better efg% of his 71-72 season, but I don’t see a real PG here so my guess is that rift is opting for 69-70. Middleton is okay…the only season of his I would draft has killer efficiency but poor defense and not much more than 2000 minutes. I’ve never paid attention to David West at this cap level, but his out-of-nowhere, short-minutes 17-18 season could slot in behind Bird (notwithstanding the drop in usage). Zooming out, I like the first four picks and I’d run them with an undrafted PG with killer D and reliable hands, then bring the other three draftees off the bench for spot duty. Fighting for a playoff spot as things stand.
15) berkelon – Anthony Davis, Donyell Marshall, Jonas Valanciunas, Robert Parish, Danny Green, Mark Price
AD is a challenging centerpiece for me at this cap level. There’s everything to like about his 17-18 season, except that his lackluster 31.2 creb% obliges the ambitious owner to seek out rebounding help elsewhere in the lineup. berkelon doesn’t appear to have done so, but maybe said assistance will materialize within the undrafted souls making up the rest of the roster. Marshall still belongs somewhere near the hinge between the second and third rounds as a clean-playing SF with a valuable combo of boards, 3s, and D. Valanciunas has several very nice seasons with monster boards and awesome efficiency, but in none of them is he anything but a Swiss cheese defender. Paris appears to round out an interesting and probably effective rotation of big men. Green is a classic 3 and D role player but he doesn’t pass much, and neither does any draftee other than Price. This is a thoughtfully assembled lineup but my gut instinct is that they are an undrafted impact player away from making any real showing in the playoffs. I have a particular player in mind that ashamael sometimes likes to surprise the world by drafting.
16) copernicus – Kevin Durant, John Stockton, Alonzo Mourning, Jerry Lucas, Jarred Vanderbilt, Domantas Sabonis, Jaylen Brown
This is a groovy start and one I haven’t seen before. Durant went about where he should and Stockton usually goes late in the first. Then we’ve got two later round staples, Mourning and Lucas. Vanderbilt is a half-time, poor man’s Dennis Rodman. Brown doesn’t pass much for a guard, but then of course Stockton. Domantas presumably backs up Alonzo and Jerry. Sabonis, Jr. does everything important well expect defend, which he basically doesn’t do at all. Not clear yet whether Durant is playing more 2 or 3…maybe both? This is not copernicus’ first rodeo; he’ll find a basket of useful undrafted wings to cherry-pick from. Stockton was a steal and I dig the rotation of bigs. I think this is a nice way to build around Durant. Playoffs, maybe a deep run this time.
17) milest – Dennis Rodman, Kevin McHale, Eric Bledsoe, Terry Porter, Kyle Lowry, Andrew Bynum, Charlie Ward
Rodman may finally be settling into an appropriate draft range. There’s not a better rebounder in the sim, and he’s tenacious on D and gives you a few assists and even 3s. To my mind he brings greater flexibility than DeAndre because of his ability to start at the 3. He’s an utter cipher on offense, though. McHale is a classic pairing with Worm, although it basically removes the ability to plan for a rebounding advantage. I like the Bledsoe/Porter backcourt, and can see Lowry backing up both of them. Ward slots in as truly the perfect player to sub for Porter. This team desperately needs a center who puts points on the board. Enter Bynum with a nice combo of usage and efficiency. He boards okay, is kinda lackluster but not a total slouch on defense, and plays a ridiculously clean game for a scoring big. I don’t love this squad but I do like it. Playoffs, maybe a second round exit.
18) beloud – DeAndre Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Oscar Robertson, Chris Boucher, Chris Webber, Brandon Clarke, Daniel Gafford
DeAndre, to my surprise, has proven more than once to be a player you can build a contender around. Pippen is a second round staple. The Big O probably would have been available a round later and at least once has (appallingly) gone undrafted. Boucher, Clarke, and Gafford give you more actually more minutes than you need to establish a marvelously efficient and competent platoon at SF. Webber deserves love in this league and his usage is sorely needed, but I would play him at SF (97% effectiveness) due to his being a bit timid on the boards. There’s an undrafted guy or two I probably would have taken over him in the fifth round, sacrificing defense at one starting position in exchange for stronger rebounding. Overall I just don’t see this outfit as having enough offensive firepower or dreb% to take up a lot of space in the standings. Maybe one brilliant undrafted player away from the playoffs. As it is they strike me as a team that could beat anyone and lose to anyone depending on what Oscar has for breakfast.
19) jcred5 – Kevin Garnett, Hassan Whiteside, Klay Thompson, Dejounte Murray, Willis Reed, JaVale McGee, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I’m intrigued by this starting five, assuming that KG’s 02-03 season is being rolled out at SF. Add Reed’s 69-70 outing, newly reminted with 100 D rating, and Whiteside’s stellar half-time season, and you have one heck of a front line. JaVale is okay as first big off the bench and jcred shouldn’t have trouble finding a flawed but useful board lord from the shores of the Island of Misfit Toys. Klay is a high-usage 3 and D guy; Garnett’s passing makes up for his own lack thereof. I was wondering who would give Dejounte a try. My only hesitation with this team is that Murray and KG together bring a lot of usage at a risky level of efficiency. That aside, jcred’s squad is the frontrunner to dominate the glass and it brings several scoring options. I wouldn’t want to see these guys in my playoff bracket (assuming, of course, that I’m in a playoff bracket myself). I’ll go out on a limb and tag this bunch with possible contender status.
20) reeldeal01 – Moses Malone, Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups, Tyrese Haliburton, Serge Ibaka, Al Horford, Robert Covington
I can’t recall ever seeing a Moses/Duncan duo. A very nice start on everything I look for in a frontcourt. Duncan, like Wade, brings an uncomfortable amount of usage for middling efficiency. Billups is a terrific addition. Yeah, his efg% is borderline woeful but he spaces the floor for Moses, is a legit floor general, defends well, takes a lot of FTs at great efficiency, and he makes very few mistakes. I’m not surprised someone grabbed Hamilton’s fine sophomore season at this point in the draft. Nothing not to like so far. I do have a little trouble getting excited about Ibaka, only cuz you can’t get all the things to like about him in one season. The main reason I always seem to end up shying away from him is his mediocre rebounding, which leaves the apparent starting 5 a tad weak in that department despite the presence of the mighty Malone. Horford can back up the entire frontcourt and Covington slides into the starting lineup as a classic 3 and D SF. Overall, a bit high on usage, a bit low on boards, a bit middling on pizzazz. I’ll say playoffs.
21) HDS1 – Clint Capela, Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Andrei Kirilenko, Derek Harper, Patrick Ewing, Lonzo Ball
Just…astonishing. HDS reaches for Capela (I’m sure Clint would be pleasantly surprised to learn that in sim terms he is one of the 24 best players to play the game) in the first and trades the farm – and I mean all of the farm, down to the last rusty nail in the last rotting fencepost – for the opportunity to draft a second nifty but half-time and decidedly not spectacularly big man. I mean, nice pieces both, but between them you’ve basically filled one position and no one is scared yet. Then what happens? The Round Mound, who once was a lock for the top 10 in this league, slides to the top of the second round. Kirilenko and Harper, both of whom have been sliding in perceived value for many a season, materialize as quality role players. Ewing, whom I still maintain I would pick (and have picked) over Stoudemire and Mourning, shows up with efficient scoring and quality D. And Lonzo – even though he’s a half-timer in his best season – is a fine, understated addition to the backcourt. He and Harper make for a no frills, no fuss tandem. So help me, I kind of like this crew. The Little Engine that Could. The Zen of Draft Gaffes. Really hoping for playoffs here. If HDS’s squad edges either of my teams out for a final seed, I won’t mind at all.
22) Midge (B) – Kawhi Leonard, Hakeem Olajuwon, Zach LaVine, John Collins, Bobby Portis, Bogdan Bodganovich, Jon Barry
Holy potatoes, that’s a lot of usage in the first three rounds. Hakeem has gotten more popular in this league recently, which makes me happy in that he’s my favorite RL player of all time and has been since his first couple years in the league. He aspires to Kempishness with his fouls and turnovers, and you have to decide between slightly better efg% or better rebounding in picking a season. I haven’t seen J. Barry drafted in a long time. Either the real PG hasn’t been drafted yet or one of Kawhi’s lower-minutes / higher-passing seasons is coming our way. Collins and Portis make for a near-fearsome platoon at SF. (I’d go for actual fearsomeness if they shot more or played better defense.) I don’t see a PF on the squad yet, unless that’s meant to be Collins and/or Portis in which case I’d say I foresee losing the battle on the boards. Some marvelous talent out of the starting gate but too many missing pieces for me to be able to predict with confidence. On the fringes of the playoff hunt.
23) samuelyork93 – Ben Wallace, Jason Kidd, Jimmy Butler, Amare Stoudemire, Marques Johnson, Terrell Brandon, DeMarcus Cousins
Always a gamble when you get zippo usage out of the first two rounds. I don’t know how to use Butler in this league…maybe that’s why I don’t get how he fits in here. His 20-21 season is his strongest, in which case he’s a guard who boards well but takes 3s without making them. Amare is a sensible addition with his efficient high usage, but you have to compensate for his poor performance on the glass. Boogie is a really nice backup for Stoudemire. Brandon used to drafted regularly at this cap level but largely has given way to more recent guys with more efficient shooting. I really like Marques’ 77-78 season at SF…and now I’m back to figuring out what Jimmy is doing on the roster. I guess I’d give Jason the Ball, make Terrell and Marques the wings, and bring Jimmy off the bench to back up all three of them. Methinks not playoffs.
24) longtallbrad (A) – James Harden, Ben Simmons, Larry Nance, Buck Williams, Andrew Bogut, Kris Humphries, Ja Morant
I’ve long wanted to try pairing Simmons and Harden. The tandem gives me flexibility on the glass later, and Harden shoots enough 3s and FTs to make up for Simmons’ weaknesses in those areas. Neither is a slouch defensively, for which James’ mother thanks WIS staff. Nance is nearly a Simmons clone at SF without the assists and with even better D. Buck can’t keep his hands to himself but is decent to very good in all other categories of interest. Humphries and Bogut make for a solid big man rotation along with Buck – nothing amazing but really decent boards and efficiency to go with passable D. Ja backs up both Harden and Simmons. This team goes as far as the backcourt takes it. If the results are disappointing then I will have had fun with the experiment. At least a couple owners, including me, have won with Harden-led teams here but I obviously don’t have a strong second scorer except for the few minutes Morant and the Beard are on the court together. Pretty much nothing would surprise me.