Post by aar on Jun 25, 2012 10:23:01 GMT -5
1) You traded for Rick Barry, who proceeded to get injured for the rest of the year. You now face potential HC issues like last season. What's your strategy?
Styro: Same as it was last season basically. I'm going to wait it out, i won't be immediately over so I'll have some time to make some deals unlike last season where I had to deal Lanier for cheap. At worst, i'll have to deal Kenon/Money for a rebuilding package to get under. Just going to take the wait and see approach if I can't deal Barry before the deadline. My inability to plan ahead of time for the hc last season is starting to snowball on me.
Aar: You answered this before the McGlocklin trade - which now makes this question outdated, so I'll react as if that traded hadn't happened yet. I think the best bet would have been to re-sign Willoughby (hopefully at re-signings) and trade him for cap and picks. He has value, but the core of Money/Kenon shouldn't be touched unless you're doing a full rebuild.
2) The Bucks have the best record in the league and likely will have home court advantage heading into the postseason. Which teams do you think pose a viable threat to beating them?
Styro: The Celtics probably pose the biggest threat out East, but they just aren't ready yet. Magic isn't in his prime yet. The Bulls could pull it off, but who knows, sometimes fbb can be random and weird so i guess anyone can beat the bucks but if i had to bet on one team I'd probably say the Blazers just cause they seem loaded up front. They probably have the only player that can go tit for tat again Bingo in Kareem and the same can be said vice versa. They get almost 10 bpg from their 3 frontcourt starters alone. I think they can increase their chances if they got one more shotblocking big as a backup.
Aar: I think that statistically, the Celtics pose the biggest threat because there's always the off chance that another Western Conference team takes out the Blazers.
The Celtics have built a really nice team from top to bottom, but the big question remains whether they can beat the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Celtics have the second-best home record in the league, but at the end of the day, it will take a win in Milwaukee for them to advance and that will be tough.
3) Which team do you think is overlooked heading into the playoffs?
Styro: The T'wolves. The only attention they've received lately is the bad trade they made with Broph but they seem to be playing well anyways and from the looks of it, even better. I haven't seen anyone mention the Wolves so i'll go with them. The obvious teams are already talked about like the Celtics, Bucks, Bulls, Blazers. Same with the Cavs, everyone knows they can be dangerous taking into account their run from last season. I don't think they're a contender but they are quietly in the 3rd seed. T'wolves are a good team no one's talking about.
Aar: I'm going to go with the Cavs. They're a few tactical tweaks away from being a really great team. Their biggest hurdle right now is perimeter defense and if they can make a deadline trade to improve on Birdsong, they'll be in good shape. That Jo Jo for Birdsong trade really set them back.
4) Which team needs a deadline blockbuster to make them a real contender?
Styro: The Spurs. They started out hot but have fizzled lately and they are probably one of the few contending teams that can upgrade with a blockbuster. A lot of people like Tyler, so trading him for a legit superstar might go a long ways towars putting themselves in position to beat the Blazers. As currently constructed, I don't see them doing so barring any injuries. I don't see many other teams with raw young valuable talent like Tyler, so it seems like a perfect combination of need and availability. Most people want young studs for their established superstars and Spurs have that.
Aar: The Hornets really need to act now. They've traded their future picks away and they have a 35 year old point guard who's window is closing. They have a great lineup from top to bottom, but something just isn't clicking. They're in desperate need of making something happen.
5) Which team is having the most disappointing season?
Styro: The Lakers. I'll be honest. I have arguably the best Point Guard in the league along with a top five wing man in Kenon and I still can't even get into the playoffs in the shitty West. The rest of the roster isn't garbage, it probably just doesn't fit well together. You'd think they'd be a playoff team off of raw talent alone but that's obviously not the case. I was hoping Rick Barry would put me into the playoffs and possibly make me a dangerous team come playoff time but that's looking dim as I'm stuck with the same team I had before Barry minus Lou Hudson.
Aar: I love the self-criticism and you're probably right, but I'll go with the Knicks. Not having Skillz around very often is killing this team. MRR's value is about 10% of what it was two seasons ago, he's probably not even top-50 value-wise any more. Right now, they're the 8th seed and are stuck with Elvin's contract and he's shooting 42%... Yikes. They are just having a tremendously bad year.
6) Take a look at Jay's survey. What do you think was the biggest misconception early in this season?
Styro: Ehh, everything in that article seems to be on point. The only thing i can point out that i feel is wrong, is the "biggest acquisition" topic. Yea, Julius Erving was huge and is probably the best player on the Celtics but i just feel like Magic Johnson was the franchise saver. He will singlehandedly make the Celtics a good to great team for the next 10-15 seasons and is perceived to be the Most Valuable player in BBS at the moment. Anytime you can get the most valuable player in BBS without giving up anything, i don't know how you can top that to be honest. Magic will probably go down as the most valuable Point Guard to ever come through BBS, doesn't get any bigger than that.
Aar: I think that if you re-asked the MVP question right now that Eric Money would get less votes due to the Lakers' record. To me, value is predicated on wins and Money, while he's putting up great numbers, is not getting wins.
7) Do you like the rule Implemented on interview articles?
Styro: Yea, i love it. I don't have a problem with people milking the article thing if there's no rule against it but the interviews were getting diluted and the same questions kept getting asked. Greeme was getting fives for shitty questions and it got to the point where i really stopped reading them cause everything was recycled it seemed. Plus, these work better when the interviewee is opinionated and thoughtful. It seems like a lot of the answers were half ass and really added no insight. Too many short answers and too many gm's no one cares about were doing interviews. No offense, but no one cares about biggie's opinion on AC strategies when he's rc'ing billie mckinnie's passing. Just questions like that, that no one can take seriously. I mean if you're asking broph or repole, that would make sense, but a lot of the questions/answers you know you should just skim over and ignore. It's like asking me a question about playoff dc's.
Aar: I think it should be loosened up a bit. I really enjoy reading the interviews and while it was over saturated for sure, I think that the rule should be participating in two interviews AND writing two interviews, which is good for 4 ACs per year. I think that Greeme and his awful questions were the reason for this rule.
8) If you could take over any team right now, which would it be?
Styro: The Celtics. Magic Johnson is my favorite player. I don't care if he was surrounded by scrubs and bad contracts, i'd want whichever team he'd be on. Deebs has some nice pieces around him too, so that doesn't hurt. I'd be fun to see what kind of youth i could get for Dr. J. Magic would be the funnest player to build around, regardless of my effectiveness in doing so lol. Another team i wouldn't mind taking over is the magic just cause they have so many picks and assets to play around with, it's crazy. It'd be hard not to be able to build a sick team w/ those.
Aar: I'd take Bird and the Suns. I'd tank for two more seasons and just build a young core around Bird. I also really like what Foots Walker brings to the table and I don't think that Sikma is beyond repair at this point.
9) I stated in the 81-90 thread that I could take over any team right now and make them great. Is there a team right now that you think wouldn't apply?
Styro: Idk, i think you can say that with just about any gm. Repole, Broph, Skillz, Play all probably feel the same way. I guess it just depends on the timeframe you put on it. I feel like any team currently can be turned around within a cy frame. Those teams in trouble, have freebies so nah, I don't really see a team that doesn't apply to. The Grizzlies would probably be the toughest, but it looks like they'll have their picks in time to work under a full CY.
Aar: I think that the Raptors is a bit of a tough task. They have a nice pick this year, but no cap and the market for Austin Carr has either died down or the price is too high. I still think that I could turn that team into a winner though. The Knicks are also in pretty bad shape, but at least they have somewhat tradeable assets. The Hornets would be a nightmare because they have no picks going forward and their assets are all aging. That's probably the team that would be hardest to take over right now.
10) Who is your pick for MVP this season?
Styro: I'd probably pick Kareem. He just has the full package you want in a big. Scoring is so hard to find in a big, especially with efficiency and Broph has two of them, but KAJ is just on his own level. He blocks, rebounds, scores, does it all. Bingo would be a close second and I'm sure his TS% and all these other advanced stats could probably prove he's the more valuable player, i just feel like his rebounding from the big spot is the deciding factor for me. If you're playing him at SF, my apologies, ignore everything i just said. A Point Guard will probably win though just cause it's fbb.
Aar: Kareem's an interesting pick. He didn't get any votes in Jay's survey. I'm going to go homer and side with Bingo. 34/10/3/1.4/3.4 with low TOs and high percentages. This is probably the last year that he can win it, but then again, Walt Hazzard won it last year.
Styro: Same as it was last season basically. I'm going to wait it out, i won't be immediately over so I'll have some time to make some deals unlike last season where I had to deal Lanier for cheap. At worst, i'll have to deal Kenon/Money for a rebuilding package to get under. Just going to take the wait and see approach if I can't deal Barry before the deadline. My inability to plan ahead of time for the hc last season is starting to snowball on me.
Aar: You answered this before the McGlocklin trade - which now makes this question outdated, so I'll react as if that traded hadn't happened yet. I think the best bet would have been to re-sign Willoughby (hopefully at re-signings) and trade him for cap and picks. He has value, but the core of Money/Kenon shouldn't be touched unless you're doing a full rebuild.
2) The Bucks have the best record in the league and likely will have home court advantage heading into the postseason. Which teams do you think pose a viable threat to beating them?
Styro: The Celtics probably pose the biggest threat out East, but they just aren't ready yet. Magic isn't in his prime yet. The Bulls could pull it off, but who knows, sometimes fbb can be random and weird so i guess anyone can beat the bucks but if i had to bet on one team I'd probably say the Blazers just cause they seem loaded up front. They probably have the only player that can go tit for tat again Bingo in Kareem and the same can be said vice versa. They get almost 10 bpg from their 3 frontcourt starters alone. I think they can increase their chances if they got one more shotblocking big as a backup.
Aar: I think that statistically, the Celtics pose the biggest threat because there's always the off chance that another Western Conference team takes out the Blazers.
The Celtics have built a really nice team from top to bottom, but the big question remains whether they can beat the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Celtics have the second-best home record in the league, but at the end of the day, it will take a win in Milwaukee for them to advance and that will be tough.
3) Which team do you think is overlooked heading into the playoffs?
Styro: The T'wolves. The only attention they've received lately is the bad trade they made with Broph but they seem to be playing well anyways and from the looks of it, even better. I haven't seen anyone mention the Wolves so i'll go with them. The obvious teams are already talked about like the Celtics, Bucks, Bulls, Blazers. Same with the Cavs, everyone knows they can be dangerous taking into account their run from last season. I don't think they're a contender but they are quietly in the 3rd seed. T'wolves are a good team no one's talking about.
Aar: I'm going to go with the Cavs. They're a few tactical tweaks away from being a really great team. Their biggest hurdle right now is perimeter defense and if they can make a deadline trade to improve on Birdsong, they'll be in good shape. That Jo Jo for Birdsong trade really set them back.
4) Which team needs a deadline blockbuster to make them a real contender?
Styro: The Spurs. They started out hot but have fizzled lately and they are probably one of the few contending teams that can upgrade with a blockbuster. A lot of people like Tyler, so trading him for a legit superstar might go a long ways towars putting themselves in position to beat the Blazers. As currently constructed, I don't see them doing so barring any injuries. I don't see many other teams with raw young valuable talent like Tyler, so it seems like a perfect combination of need and availability. Most people want young studs for their established superstars and Spurs have that.
Aar: The Hornets really need to act now. They've traded their future picks away and they have a 35 year old point guard who's window is closing. They have a great lineup from top to bottom, but something just isn't clicking. They're in desperate need of making something happen.
5) Which team is having the most disappointing season?
Styro: The Lakers. I'll be honest. I have arguably the best Point Guard in the league along with a top five wing man in Kenon and I still can't even get into the playoffs in the shitty West. The rest of the roster isn't garbage, it probably just doesn't fit well together. You'd think they'd be a playoff team off of raw talent alone but that's obviously not the case. I was hoping Rick Barry would put me into the playoffs and possibly make me a dangerous team come playoff time but that's looking dim as I'm stuck with the same team I had before Barry minus Lou Hudson.
Aar: I love the self-criticism and you're probably right, but I'll go with the Knicks. Not having Skillz around very often is killing this team. MRR's value is about 10% of what it was two seasons ago, he's probably not even top-50 value-wise any more. Right now, they're the 8th seed and are stuck with Elvin's contract and he's shooting 42%... Yikes. They are just having a tremendously bad year.
6) Take a look at Jay's survey. What do you think was the biggest misconception early in this season?
Styro: Ehh, everything in that article seems to be on point. The only thing i can point out that i feel is wrong, is the "biggest acquisition" topic. Yea, Julius Erving was huge and is probably the best player on the Celtics but i just feel like Magic Johnson was the franchise saver. He will singlehandedly make the Celtics a good to great team for the next 10-15 seasons and is perceived to be the Most Valuable player in BBS at the moment. Anytime you can get the most valuable player in BBS without giving up anything, i don't know how you can top that to be honest. Magic will probably go down as the most valuable Point Guard to ever come through BBS, doesn't get any bigger than that.
Aar: I think that if you re-asked the MVP question right now that Eric Money would get less votes due to the Lakers' record. To me, value is predicated on wins and Money, while he's putting up great numbers, is not getting wins.
7) Do you like the rule Implemented on interview articles?
Styro: Yea, i love it. I don't have a problem with people milking the article thing if there's no rule against it but the interviews were getting diluted and the same questions kept getting asked. Greeme was getting fives for shitty questions and it got to the point where i really stopped reading them cause everything was recycled it seemed. Plus, these work better when the interviewee is opinionated and thoughtful. It seems like a lot of the answers were half ass and really added no insight. Too many short answers and too many gm's no one cares about were doing interviews. No offense, but no one cares about biggie's opinion on AC strategies when he's rc'ing billie mckinnie's passing. Just questions like that, that no one can take seriously. I mean if you're asking broph or repole, that would make sense, but a lot of the questions/answers you know you should just skim over and ignore. It's like asking me a question about playoff dc's.
Aar: I think it should be loosened up a bit. I really enjoy reading the interviews and while it was over saturated for sure, I think that the rule should be participating in two interviews AND writing two interviews, which is good for 4 ACs per year. I think that Greeme and his awful questions were the reason for this rule.
8) If you could take over any team right now, which would it be?
Styro: The Celtics. Magic Johnson is my favorite player. I don't care if he was surrounded by scrubs and bad contracts, i'd want whichever team he'd be on. Deebs has some nice pieces around him too, so that doesn't hurt. I'd be fun to see what kind of youth i could get for Dr. J. Magic would be the funnest player to build around, regardless of my effectiveness in doing so lol. Another team i wouldn't mind taking over is the magic just cause they have so many picks and assets to play around with, it's crazy. It'd be hard not to be able to build a sick team w/ those.
Aar: I'd take Bird and the Suns. I'd tank for two more seasons and just build a young core around Bird. I also really like what Foots Walker brings to the table and I don't think that Sikma is beyond repair at this point.
9) I stated in the 81-90 thread that I could take over any team right now and make them great. Is there a team right now that you think wouldn't apply?
Styro: Idk, i think you can say that with just about any gm. Repole, Broph, Skillz, Play all probably feel the same way. I guess it just depends on the timeframe you put on it. I feel like any team currently can be turned around within a cy frame. Those teams in trouble, have freebies so nah, I don't really see a team that doesn't apply to. The Grizzlies would probably be the toughest, but it looks like they'll have their picks in time to work under a full CY.
Aar: I think that the Raptors is a bit of a tough task. They have a nice pick this year, but no cap and the market for Austin Carr has either died down or the price is too high. I still think that I could turn that team into a winner though. The Knicks are also in pretty bad shape, but at least they have somewhat tradeable assets. The Hornets would be a nightmare because they have no picks going forward and their assets are all aging. That's probably the team that would be hardest to take over right now.
10) Who is your pick for MVP this season?
Styro: I'd probably pick Kareem. He just has the full package you want in a big. Scoring is so hard to find in a big, especially with efficiency and Broph has two of them, but KAJ is just on his own level. He blocks, rebounds, scores, does it all. Bingo would be a close second and I'm sure his TS% and all these other advanced stats could probably prove he's the more valuable player, i just feel like his rebounding from the big spot is the deciding factor for me. If you're playing him at SF, my apologies, ignore everything i just said. A Point Guard will probably win though just cause it's fbb.
Aar: Kareem's an interesting pick. He didn't get any votes in Jay's survey. I'm going to go homer and side with Bingo. 34/10/3/1.4/3.4 with low TOs and high percentages. This is probably the last year that he can win it, but then again, Walt Hazzard won it last year.
