Post by Haberino on Mar 12, 2011 18:40:24 GMT -5
1. Memphis Grizzlies
A 67 win team whose studs got better. Insane hit the jackpot with this team, as Cousins was instantly great and the pieces fit together perfectly. He'll need to follow Mark's strategy of signing and flipping picks for good depth pieces once Noah and Okafor decline, but this is a great team with a shot to contend for the next five seasons. Barnes' contract gives Insane a lot of flexibility -- he can re-sign both Cousins and Curry to big deals, still have plenty of room to keep the likes of McRae and McKie, and acquire frontcurt depth. Phoenix got better, but the Grizzlies other main competitor, Chicago, just lost their all-world defender and starting PG. I think Memphis is the favorite.
2. Phoenix Suns
Mark is on fire with the offseason moves, and has been for a while. Good depth pieces signed to good contracts are the key to upgrading a team with superstar talents who get paid like superstar talents, and somehow Mark keeps them coming his way. This offseason he cashed in some of those pieces for ex-Sun Al Horford, and he and Favors will make this Phoenix's best front court yet. Mark absolutely played Lumley in the Rose-Deron deal, and it made Phoenix's future much brighter. Phoenix's bench isn't great, but their starting lineup is as strong as ever, and Udoh will give them nice shotblocking in relief of Horford and Favors. If they can somehow neutralize Barnes, I think they're better than Memphis in a lot of important ways. Big if, though.
3. Chicago Bulls
A great team with a great system. The addition of Howard pushed Chicago over the top last season, and their shotblocking, rebounding, and overall defense are scary good. The offense hasn't been elite, but it should continue to get by behind Perry's dominance and Leslie's insane inside scoring. The Jordan and Pippen of the 21st century!
But can this team survive the loss of ace defender Jrue Holiday? Holiday was never an incredible distributor, but he was solid offensively and one of the best defenders at his position. The dropoff from him to the likes of Taft, Halperin and Cooper could be sever, and could cost Chicago a ring.
4. Houston Rockets
Pretty sad this is the fourth best team, but oh well. Shved/Burks/Young/Ibaka/Oden isn't bad. Nothing special, but this team should get plenty of scoring from the 1-2-3, and good shotblocking and rebounding from the frontcourt. I really don't get what Jordan's doing, because he's sat on a lot of youth while he's had good vets in their primes. He has, and seems to be squandering, a chance to cash in on his youth and make a contender. Holman and Mathews have already lost their value, and it doesn't really look like they were pieces he was ever planning to build around, so why are they still in Houston? Keeping them for another TC was a needless risk, and it showed. So what's the call with Dawson and Laroche?
This year's team has solid depth, good scoring, a true superstar, and a very solid defensive frontcourt. Jordan should know he's onto something and try to win given how weak the league is. However, he doesn't have the salary filler to add studs, so he may need to get creative.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
I think their only chance at contending is if Gerald Wallace is still the best simmer in the league. But I think he dropped off significantly, and I think they're only just pretty damn good right now. That's not a bad thing. Jefferson and Singleton are really, really good players, and they have their studs in O'Mara and Deron. If they're gonna get the Gerald Wallace from last season, I'd say they're the best team in the league, because they have everything else. However, if he's fallen off, I'm not sure there's enough here to warrant calling Philly a contender.
6. Indiana Pacers
Does this seem crazy to you? It seems crazy to me. Kemba's amazing, Barton can really score, both their big produce on both ends, their bench is superb, and they have the pieces to get better. Guys like Monroe, Henson, Calderon, Davis, Beal and even Harris are viable trade assets, and there are good players who can be had. Mostly, I just can't find another good team to put here, and of the remaining teams, Indiana has by far the best chance to improve.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
Is this a homer pick? I really don't even know, because after TC I thought my team was totally mediocre, but the more I go through the league, the more convinced I am there is such a dearth of good teams that my team is still a top ten team. Thompkins sims extremely well and just had a nice ratings boost. The offense and depth are there, and Varnado should help keep the shotblocking in tact with Bynum gone. I think there should be a rule that if a team has a better core, a better offer (same years, more money
), won more games the previous season, took the finals to 6 games, and really wants Andrew Bynum back, they should be given Bynum back. FBB is a joke. Fuck. This was like my favorite team I've ever had.
Vasquez is good off the bench, Durant and McCallum are both top option scorers, the rebounding should remain above average, the turnovers are low, blah blah blah. 45 wins and a first round exit! I welcome your ridicule.
8. New Jersey Nets
Very good offensive team thanks to a crazy good perimeter scoring. Harrow really put this team over the top with his surprisingly great performance at SG. Hayward's obviously a beast, and Calathes' shooting and low turnovers make the Nets a nightmare to defend. But the key piece is Allen Avery. Without him, the Nets just wouldn't have enough capable scorers to make their system so potent. Now, they still lack any semblance of inside scoring, will get no offense from their power forward spot, and got a bad TC out of Martynas, so as much fun as they'll be in the regular season, I don't think NJ can make much noise in the playoffs.
[Bucks Inserted because I overlooked them]
Milwaukee's pretty good. I doubt they'll block shots or defend particularly well, but they have good scoring depth and good rebounders. Most of their scorers are ideal second options, but overall there are enough pieces here for a playoff team. Nothing special, but solid at every position with a lot of good backups.
9. Portland Trail Blazers
I guess Paul, Gordon, Bron and whoever else Dan has deserve to be taken seriously. Their defense, shotblocking and rebounding should really suck, but the offense could be insane. Their trio could combine for nearly 80 points a game, and that's pretty unmatched. I don't think this team has any chance to do anything in the playoffs, but they should have some fun boxes and averages. It's an experiment, and Dan didn't have any better options, so good for him.
10. Charlotte Bobcats
They took a big step back last year, but I think it was a bit of an aberration, and I expect they'll return to form. Helps that teams like Atlanta and Toronto got significantly worse, and that Randolph had a nice TC. I think George can really help their offense, and more so than last year. Rubio could also probably afford to be leaned on a bit more for scoring. Obviously there aren't many fitting pieces here offensively, but their defense is still among the league's best. I'm not expecting a 50- win seasons, but last year's 41 seems a bit low to me, and I just can't find another team that looks top ten.
11. San Antonio Spurs
The addition of Terrence Ross, and his stellar TC, mean JAH can no longer tank. Rejoice! Lulz. The Spurs have a great scoring duo, a lot of depth, and a very good PG duo in Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison. I think some tinkering is needed in the form of trades, and I don't think JAH has enough interest or vision to get those deals done, but I think the Spurs have enough talent and depth to win in the range of 46 games. Mostly I just think Dickerson is a top big already, and he'll carry them to the playoffs.
12. Los Angeles Lakers
I just don't know! The Lakers have four very good players, but they literally don't have a bench player or a power forward! How am I supposed to rank them! I guess they're probably better than San Antonio or Portland, but I'm not going to move them ahead because it looks like Nanz has to fill out his roster with scrub/rookie FA types, and that includes a starting big man. Jennings/Rivers/Gilchrist is a core to be really excited about (and two of them are potential superstars if Nanz ACs them; the third is already one of the best players in the league) and I think Nanz will have a lot of flexibility once Amar'e's deal expires, but for now, I can't really put my finger on how good the Lakers can be.
13. Boston Celtics
Brook and Eddy are still a good frontcourt and holy shit is this team really boring with a really bad future. I'm guessing the frontcourt still carries them to the playoffs.
14. Washington Wizards
They cashed in on Styro's firesale, and they have a chance to be mediocre because of it! Only in America! I think this team is really bad. Price is a TO whore. Evans probably is an even bigger TO whore at PG. Bogut's old. Hall and Bullock don't look like they sim as well as their ratings might suggest. But the Wiz have enough talent to win like 38 games. Guys I just don't know. Are there any good teams? Am I missing like ten good teams or is it true that the league has three good teams? I'm sad
.
I think Spence should just make some really good drafts. Ratings outside of PGs aren't inflated at alllllll, and as LeBron, Melo, GWall, Curry and those guys age, I don't think there are very many studs outside of the PG position, and I think it's encouraging a lot of teams to overvalue youth, and so teams who need another piece to contend find themselves rebuilding instead. It's not like the top of the league is hogging the talents. I just don't think they're out there. Maybe it's just that too many teams are rebuilding and in a few years a lot of teams will be better, but the league is always at its best when there are more 50 win teams and more exciting, competitive playoff series. Meh.
A 67 win team whose studs got better. Insane hit the jackpot with this team, as Cousins was instantly great and the pieces fit together perfectly. He'll need to follow Mark's strategy of signing and flipping picks for good depth pieces once Noah and Okafor decline, but this is a great team with a shot to contend for the next five seasons. Barnes' contract gives Insane a lot of flexibility -- he can re-sign both Cousins and Curry to big deals, still have plenty of room to keep the likes of McRae and McKie, and acquire frontcurt depth. Phoenix got better, but the Grizzlies other main competitor, Chicago, just lost their all-world defender and starting PG. I think Memphis is the favorite.
2. Phoenix Suns
Mark is on fire with the offseason moves, and has been for a while. Good depth pieces signed to good contracts are the key to upgrading a team with superstar talents who get paid like superstar talents, and somehow Mark keeps them coming his way. This offseason he cashed in some of those pieces for ex-Sun Al Horford, and he and Favors will make this Phoenix's best front court yet. Mark absolutely played Lumley in the Rose-Deron deal, and it made Phoenix's future much brighter. Phoenix's bench isn't great, but their starting lineup is as strong as ever, and Udoh will give them nice shotblocking in relief of Horford and Favors. If they can somehow neutralize Barnes, I think they're better than Memphis in a lot of important ways. Big if, though.
3. Chicago Bulls
A great team with a great system. The addition of Howard pushed Chicago over the top last season, and their shotblocking, rebounding, and overall defense are scary good. The offense hasn't been elite, but it should continue to get by behind Perry's dominance and Leslie's insane inside scoring. The Jordan and Pippen of the 21st century!
But can this team survive the loss of ace defender Jrue Holiday? Holiday was never an incredible distributor, but he was solid offensively and one of the best defenders at his position. The dropoff from him to the likes of Taft, Halperin and Cooper could be sever, and could cost Chicago a ring.
4. Houston Rockets
Pretty sad this is the fourth best team, but oh well. Shved/Burks/Young/Ibaka/Oden isn't bad. Nothing special, but this team should get plenty of scoring from the 1-2-3, and good shotblocking and rebounding from the frontcourt. I really don't get what Jordan's doing, because he's sat on a lot of youth while he's had good vets in their primes. He has, and seems to be squandering, a chance to cash in on his youth and make a contender. Holman and Mathews have already lost their value, and it doesn't really look like they were pieces he was ever planning to build around, so why are they still in Houston? Keeping them for another TC was a needless risk, and it showed. So what's the call with Dawson and Laroche?
This year's team has solid depth, good scoring, a true superstar, and a very solid defensive frontcourt. Jordan should know he's onto something and try to win given how weak the league is. However, he doesn't have the salary filler to add studs, so he may need to get creative.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
I think their only chance at contending is if Gerald Wallace is still the best simmer in the league. But I think he dropped off significantly, and I think they're only just pretty damn good right now. That's not a bad thing. Jefferson and Singleton are really, really good players, and they have their studs in O'Mara and Deron. If they're gonna get the Gerald Wallace from last season, I'd say they're the best team in the league, because they have everything else. However, if he's fallen off, I'm not sure there's enough here to warrant calling Philly a contender.
6. Indiana Pacers
Does this seem crazy to you? It seems crazy to me. Kemba's amazing, Barton can really score, both their big produce on both ends, their bench is superb, and they have the pieces to get better. Guys like Monroe, Henson, Calderon, Davis, Beal and even Harris are viable trade assets, and there are good players who can be had. Mostly, I just can't find another good team to put here, and of the remaining teams, Indiana has by far the best chance to improve.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
Is this a homer pick? I really don't even know, because after TC I thought my team was totally mediocre, but the more I go through the league, the more convinced I am there is such a dearth of good teams that my team is still a top ten team. Thompkins sims extremely well and just had a nice ratings boost. The offense and depth are there, and Varnado should help keep the shotblocking in tact with Bynum gone. I think there should be a rule that if a team has a better core, a better offer (same years, more money
![:(](http://storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png)
Vasquez is good off the bench, Durant and McCallum are both top option scorers, the rebounding should remain above average, the turnovers are low, blah blah blah. 45 wins and a first round exit! I welcome your ridicule.
8. New Jersey Nets
Very good offensive team thanks to a crazy good perimeter scoring. Harrow really put this team over the top with his surprisingly great performance at SG. Hayward's obviously a beast, and Calathes' shooting and low turnovers make the Nets a nightmare to defend. But the key piece is Allen Avery. Without him, the Nets just wouldn't have enough capable scorers to make their system so potent. Now, they still lack any semblance of inside scoring, will get no offense from their power forward spot, and got a bad TC out of Martynas, so as much fun as they'll be in the regular season, I don't think NJ can make much noise in the playoffs.
[Bucks Inserted because I overlooked them]
Milwaukee's pretty good. I doubt they'll block shots or defend particularly well, but they have good scoring depth and good rebounders. Most of their scorers are ideal second options, but overall there are enough pieces here for a playoff team. Nothing special, but solid at every position with a lot of good backups.
9. Portland Trail Blazers
I guess Paul, Gordon, Bron and whoever else Dan has deserve to be taken seriously. Their defense, shotblocking and rebounding should really suck, but the offense could be insane. Their trio could combine for nearly 80 points a game, and that's pretty unmatched. I don't think this team has any chance to do anything in the playoffs, but they should have some fun boxes and averages. It's an experiment, and Dan didn't have any better options, so good for him.
10. Charlotte Bobcats
They took a big step back last year, but I think it was a bit of an aberration, and I expect they'll return to form. Helps that teams like Atlanta and Toronto got significantly worse, and that Randolph had a nice TC. I think George can really help their offense, and more so than last year. Rubio could also probably afford to be leaned on a bit more for scoring. Obviously there aren't many fitting pieces here offensively, but their defense is still among the league's best. I'm not expecting a 50- win seasons, but last year's 41 seems a bit low to me, and I just can't find another team that looks top ten.
11. San Antonio Spurs
The addition of Terrence Ross, and his stellar TC, mean JAH can no longer tank. Rejoice! Lulz. The Spurs have a great scoring duo, a lot of depth, and a very good PG duo in Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison. I think some tinkering is needed in the form of trades, and I don't think JAH has enough interest or vision to get those deals done, but I think the Spurs have enough talent and depth to win in the range of 46 games. Mostly I just think Dickerson is a top big already, and he'll carry them to the playoffs.
12. Los Angeles Lakers
I just don't know! The Lakers have four very good players, but they literally don't have a bench player or a power forward! How am I supposed to rank them! I guess they're probably better than San Antonio or Portland, but I'm not going to move them ahead because it looks like Nanz has to fill out his roster with scrub/rookie FA types, and that includes a starting big man. Jennings/Rivers/Gilchrist is a core to be really excited about (and two of them are potential superstars if Nanz ACs them; the third is already one of the best players in the league) and I think Nanz will have a lot of flexibility once Amar'e's deal expires, but for now, I can't really put my finger on how good the Lakers can be.
13. Boston Celtics
Brook and Eddy are still a good frontcourt and holy shit is this team really boring with a really bad future. I'm guessing the frontcourt still carries them to the playoffs.
14. Washington Wizards
They cashed in on Styro's firesale, and they have a chance to be mediocre because of it! Only in America! I think this team is really bad. Price is a TO whore. Evans probably is an even bigger TO whore at PG. Bogut's old. Hall and Bullock don't look like they sim as well as their ratings might suggest. But the Wiz have enough talent to win like 38 games. Guys I just don't know. Are there any good teams? Am I missing like ten good teams or is it true that the league has three good teams? I'm sad
![:(](http://storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png)
I think Spence should just make some really good drafts. Ratings outside of PGs aren't inflated at alllllll, and as LeBron, Melo, GWall, Curry and those guys age, I don't think there are very many studs outside of the PG position, and I think it's encouraging a lot of teams to overvalue youth, and so teams who need another piece to contend find themselves rebuilding instead. It's not like the top of the league is hogging the talents. I just don't think they're out there. Maybe it's just that too many teams are rebuilding and in a few years a lot of teams will be better, but the league is always at its best when there are more 50 win teams and more exciting, competitive playoff series. Meh.