Post by Stannis Baratheon on Aug 25, 2010 1:11:55 GMT -5
Featuring Andy, Habes, and Insane
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Statement 1: Amare Stoudemire is the best player in BBS.
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Andy: Fiction.[/b] He's a beast but he's on a mediocre team that happens to have a pretty solid PG. Amare is the scorer of that team. I'd still give it to AI. Hell, I don't even consider him the best big in BBS. Duncan was averaging 30/15 earlier this yr and while his numbers have gone down, so has Amare's.. I'd trust my team more with TD then Amare if I had to win now. TD just gets no real love because of where he's at. He'll never be available for trade and you rarely hear anything about him. Amazingly enough, pretty realistic there.
Habes: Fiction.[/b] Tim Duncan. Allen Iverson. Amare is putting up unfuckwithable numbers, but they've gone down every sim, and they're obviously impacted by the fact that he doesn't play with another above-average scorer at all. Amare is the most valuable player in BBS, sure; what he's doing at 22 is unreal. But if I'm building a great team, right now, I'll probably go with Duncan and Iverson over him. Kobe, Manu, KG, Eddy Curry, etc. are arguable, though, as Amare is really, really awesome. In a couple of years, I don't think this will be much of an argument, unless LeBron or D12 really explode.
Insane: Fiction.[/b] To be honest, I came up with this question when I was looking at the league leaders section and noticed Amare was putting up 34 PPG. Then I clicked onto the Warriors team page and my eyes nearly popped out at his 4 BPG. After some reflection, I'll say that no, Amare is probably not the best player in the league. Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson are superior players at this moment, and would probably help a team go farther in the playoffs. But as for the player with the highest value? Amare is right up there with LeBron James in that regard. A 22 year old putting up 34/11/4 with A potential is pretty amazing, and actually might be more valuable than LeBron in all but name.
Statement 2: With the acquisitions of Jerry Stackhouse and Allen Iverson, the Denver Nuggets became the best team in BBS.
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[/center]Andy: Fiction.[/b] I do believe they could get there but while they have, maybe, the best 1/2/3 in BBS history they are pretty weak besides that. They need some depth. They have no guard depth and everyone else completely sucks at scoring. If they can find a solid big to put next to Elisma, that could solve some things. As is, they are either starting a terrible offensive player or defensive player. They don't need a star, just a solid guy. KMart would've been a solid player IMO. They also need guard depth though that should be easy enough to fill.
Habes: Fiction.[/b] I think the Wolves have them beat, but not by much. They do 11 blocks, 11 steals, 54 rebounds a night, turning it over just 11 times, and allowing an absurdly low 89 points a night. They have amazing defenders, ridiculous efficiency, three awesome scorers, and no weakness to point to right now. I think Denver is the kind of team that can beat anyone. However, they have to do it by outscoring you, and against elite offenses, their interior weaknesses will get exposed. To be clear, this is a top 3 team with one of the most incredible trios I've seen assembled in a long time, and they have an elite shotblocker, but if they don't get a fourth scorer and some nice bench pieces, I don't think they will be able to overcome the Wolves.
Insane: Fact.[/b] Guess I'll be the only one to show some love to Nanz. Mirroring real life, I believe that having three players that can go off in any given game is just too much for other teams to handle. Complementing their absurd firepower is perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Eddie Elisma, anchoring one of the stingiest defenses in the league. As of right now, the Nuggets are the 6th best defensive team and 22nd best offensive team. They are about to skyrocket up every offensive category and I believe they won't suffer much of a defensive drop-off if any. Once Nanz figures out the correct DC and the offensive hierachy of his team, the Nuggets will be a PROBLEM.
Statement 3: Both Washington and LA will fail to make their CY.
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[/center]Andy: Fiction.[/b] I think they all make it. Ashes has plenty of talent and tradeable players. Doesn't look great now but I'd be stunned if he doesn't. With players like Manu, Robinson and trade assets like TP and McCants, he should be able to get the talent he needs. The Clippers and Hornets I believe sneak in. CC has already blatenly tried to tank. No reason to believe that'll stop. Lakers appear to be content with sucking another year. Blazers I don't feel have the talent now to make it. That Stack deal was a bit odd. I can see NO and LA finishing 7th and 8th.
Habes: Fiction.[/b] They'll both make it. Spence will do what it takes for the Clippers to make it this season, which is a shame. You don't get to have someone else handle your team in your CY. If you get to your CY and you can't do what it takes to get your team to the playoffs, then you're fired and someone else takes over. I think it's a joke that somehow this is considered Marty's CY when he isn't running his team. Plain and simple, that means it's someone else's turn. And even if next year is a second CY for him, it means he had extra years for Melo/West to improve, and that he gets to use the pieces Spence acquired for him. Marty is a horrendous GM, by far the worst in BBS, and he doesn't deserve to get the slack that a top GM might get.
Ashes, meanwhile, is way fine. He has Manu, TP, GRob, Big Ben, and can dangle McCants if he gets desperate. That's a 50 win situation when his team is healthy. Also, I LOLd at that Facebook status link he put up today, so I think he'll make it.
Insane: Fiction.[/b] Yeah, all three Contract Year teams will probably make it. I will say this though, it's pretty much complete bullshit that Spencer is doing so much for the Clippers. Spencer said he would be helping with free agency and laying off the trades, yet he goes and trades for Mike Bibby who as of right now, is absolutely killing it. This is the second complete CY cycle in a row that Marty's been through, I don't understand why he's given so many chances. I'm pretty sure if someone else had Marty's predicament, Marty would be talking shit and saying the GM in question is shitty as fuck.
In a weakened Eastern conference, Ashes should be able to nab a 5-6 seed with the team he has now. If he can get a really good PF for Tony Parker, that would free up Manu to run at point guard full time, which would make the Wizards into a really scary team.
Statement 4: Play made a huge mistake in choosing to rebuild.
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[/center]Andy: Fact.[/b] Though I can't totally blame him. When he decided to rebuild, we were in similar positions. He had talent but his team was playing extremely sub par and he decided to tear it down. I did find it weird that he agreed to deals during the season. As far as I know, the only deal he agreed to was the KG trade. I think he had a decent amount of leverage in trade talks so I don't think he really needed to rush things. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. This would all be irrelevant if it wasn't for him winning a title.
Habes: Fact.[/b] No reason why Play wouldn't have been the clear favorite to get that repeat this year. KG's in his prime and has a lot of years left. Manu just keeps getting better. He had amazing defense from Big Ben and Funky Bob Simmons. I think Play would admit this much. He came out OK, getting a lot of good youth, a franchise piece in Monta, and his picks back, but he could've gotten that kind of value two years from now, and likely sacrificed a couple of 55+ win seasons as a contender. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Play, because I love Bobby Simmons!
Insane: Fiction.[/b] I guess being a man of his word only applies to trades and not sending shoes to Andy. I agree that it was a mistake, but it's not a huge mistake because Play has proven that he can turn his team quickly from contender -> rebuild -> contender again. Although this time around, I don't think he got as much for his best players as he did last time. For example, none of the players he got for his studs are as good as Pau Gasol, who he got for Shaq. Kirk Hinrich being the best player you get for Kevin Garnett isn't too hot, because as Play once told me, you never take a defensive point guard top 5 in the draft, they always bust. You already know Monta Ellis will be a monster in BBS, though, so that Manu trade will pay off in the long run.
Statement 5: Nova is a top 5 GM in BBS.
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[/center]Andy: Fact.[/b] Honestly, I don't see why he wouldn't be up here. He's taken over Skillz trading in circles routine and it's worked solidly for him. He'll usually have a direction and when he tries to win, he usually does. Rarely is a move of his looked at as a terrible one. I'd go as far as saying that he's one of the more consistent GM's in the league when it comes to winning. If he didn't keep choking during the finals, he'd have more then one title. Then again, I have none so I should STFU. Meh. As is, I really see no reason to keep him out of the top 5.
Habes: Fact.[/b] FUCK. Why the fuck is this true! What kind of league is this? We all suck
. In the last BBS, I'm not sure Noves ever won 40 games in a season! Now, all of a sudden, he can't miss! Get this. Noves dealt AI and then the guy EXPLODED. He had Manu when Manu wasn't great, dealt him, and he became amazing. And somehow, he always had made the right move. He built a great team of superstar vets, managed the HC well, and rebuilt at the right time. Made great trades and draft choices and had a contender in no time. Now he has an awesome young core that I can only hope busts overnight! Good job Noves . Enjoy your fucking wings and your goddamn TV shows dickhead Insane: Fact.[/b] In terms of track record, Nova is neck and neck with Mark in the running for best GM in the West. I might be wrong, but Mark has more rings while Nova probably has the better winning percentage and consistently good teams. Nova's had some bad luck as he's put together some nice lineups but only managed to seal the deal once. It seems like most years, the Jazz are going quite deep in the playoffs, and that's a credit to nova's GMing. This season, the Jazz once again find themselves near the top of the West with a nasty defensive squad coupled with a pair of elite scorers in Lopez and Redd.
Statement 6: Drafting Dwight Howard over Melo was a horrible move by insane.
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[/center]Andy: Fact.[/b] D12 is such a piece of shit. It's fucking amazing. Sure, I can bring up how he only averages 9 ppg. Sure, I can bring up the fact that he does it on 30% FG shooting. Sure, I can bring up the fact that he's a mediocre at best shot blocker. Sure, I can bring up the fact that he averages more turnovers then assists. I can bring all that up. I won't. Instead, I'll say this. Emeka Okafor, a guy that many have shit on, looks like a better player then Dwight. Dwight fucking sucks. I dunno what the hell the question was but I'll repeat it. Dwight fucking sucks.
Habes: Fiction.[/b] Big time. This isn't Oden over Durant, which the Haberdinger said was the wrong move at the time, but who's asking. Anyway, the fact is, Dwight Howard sucks. He's fucking terrible. He shoots below 31%! He doesn't block a lot of shots, and his A:TO ratio is sub-1. Yikes. Shithole city. And his FT% is putrid. Carmelo is doing 27 PPG and has amazing ratings. He still has A potential, to boot. So why is Dwight still the right pick? He may not be, but he wasn't the wrong pick. He's 19 with B+/A-/A- ratings and A potential. He's already a really great rebounder. He looks like he has a fouling problem, a way low inside scoring rating, and underdeveloped shotblocking. But it's already pretty clear he has massive potential, and that pick will pay dividends down the line. BBS isn't loaded with big men by any stretch of the imagination. Outside of Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal, there aren't many dominant two-way players. I say this because I see 24/14/4 in Dwight's future. A 19 year-old big man with his ratings and potential is still can't-miss, even if he sims like the inside of Nanz's asshole. Shitty! Zing! He's still gonna be awesome, and Melo will be an awesome perimeter player a la Pierce or Stack, but ten times out of ten, you take a great two-way big man.
Insane: Fact.[/b] First of all, fuck you Andy. Secondly, for the short term, taking Dwight over Carmelo was horrible. In hindsight, I should've taken Carmelo for the sole purpose of getting Marty CY'ed, as the Clippers definitely wouldn't be sniffing the playoffs at all if they swapped Melo's 27 PPG for Dwight's 30% field goal percentage. In the long term, I really believe that Dwight can be a 24/12/3 force at the very least. That alone would be worth it, as elite big men are hard to find and elite wing scorers are not. I'm just really frustrated with his play right now, so I might not be able to wait it out for that long. Rest assured though, Dwight Howard will get buckets.
Statement 7: Trading for Arenas was a good move by Dan.
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[/center]Andy: Fiction.[/b] I just don't like the move overall. While it's good to see that he has limited his turnovers, he has apparently forgotten how to shoot. I really didn't get the move for the Blazers. I don't see Arenas as a can't miss prospect nor do I see him as a prospect worthy of being the main pieces of a Stackhouse deal. I think it was a rushed move. Considering the other trade (Josh Smith for Artest) it was pretty odd overall. While I don't know what kind of offers were out there for Stack, I feel the Blazers could've done better.
Habes: Fact.[/b] Of course it was a good move. What the hell was Dan going to do with Stackhouse? If I had a team with a stud young PG, a stud young big, a 25-year old wing who is one of the best two-way players guys out there, and a projected lotto, do you know what else I'd want? More good young pieces. People are really sleeping on just how awesome a young piece Gil is. His turnovers are down, he can play the 1 and the 2, he shot 44% from beyond the arc last year on 284 attempts, and he shot 85% from the line. Gil is going to be an elite guard pretty soon. I don't know if he'll be as good as Stack is, but the tradeoff is that he's seven years younger and pretty damn good himself. Dan stole Stack in FA and turned him into another young piece to build around, and people are complaining that it's a bad move? When Stack's 35 and making 25 mil, and Dan's young core enters their prime, will it be a bad move? The reaction to that deal was pretty absurd in my opinion.
Insane: Meh. Fact[/b] I won't sit here and pretend to know the offers Dan got for Stackhouse. I know that Gilbert Arenas isn't the best or most elite prospect out there, but I also know that most teams with said elite prospects would balk at trading for a 30 year old Stackhouse on a massive contract. That being said, I could be mistaken but I believe that Gil's ratings have topped out, and he is what he is. He might improve that defense rating to A- or shooting to A, but that's about it. In short, he'll be nowhere near Stackhouse's prime level, but he's still a good young player to have that complements the other members of his core nicely.
Statement 8: The Celtics made a mistake by trading for Jamison.
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[/center]Andy: Fact.[/b] While I know it's a move that Jeff wanted to make, I really didn't get it, especially after what happened with my team and NY. AJ isn't good when he has to share the ball. I may be recalling wrong but AJ was the man in Houston. When he came to DET, he had to share the ball with Pierce. It obviously didn't work out. When both men got moved to NYK, they had a much better PG and it still didn't work out great. Now, he has to share with Randolph. I just don't like the fit overall. Plus, JRich was on a great contract and was still young and improving. I'm pretty surprised Jeff decided to do the deal.
Habes: Fact.[/b] Big mistake. J-Rich was the perfect guy to have long-term alongside Randolph, and Leon Smith would've anchored their front court defensively. Not only is J-Rich already superior to Jamison, but he's also younger and signed to possibly the best contract in the league. If the Celtics are forced to rebuild and trade ZBo long before he declines, this will be the mistake they can point to. Total miscalculation. They didn't have a contender after the deal, and they seriously undervalued the importance of youth, financial flexibility, and shotblocking. Yeah, J-Rich improved in TC, but that kind of improvement is inevitable. Boston is 6-11 right now, and I actually think they'd be the best team in the East if they had J-Rich and Leon Smith.
Insane: Fact.[/b] Jeff really had no need to make that move. Jamison is in his prime, but Zach Randolph isn't yet, so having someone closer to his age to grow with would've been better for the long term. Now it's looking like it would've been better for the short term as well, as JRich's numbers and percentages have eclipsed Jamison's. Not only that, but with the loss of Leon Smith, Boston no longer has any type of serviceable post defense or shot blocking.
Statement 9: Lebron James' career will be wasted in New Orleans.
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[/center]Andy: Fact.[/b] LeBron is surrounded by youngish players but he really doesn't have that 2nd star needed and I don't see how NO is going to get it. LeBron was in the same type of situation Kobe was in. Difference being, the Nuggets had young, tradeable pieces with Kobe. As the years go by, it's going to get harder for the Hornets to tank with LeBron. They'll either need lotto luck or draft luck. That's, of course, if NO wants to tank. If they don't then I don't see how they can acquire the talent needed to beat the top teams in the now harder West.
Habes: Fiction.[/b] Granted, as presently constructed, this team will never be elite, even if LeBron becomes a top 3 player. And yeah, Aar is impossible to deal with. However, that doesn't mean he sits on his teams. Yes, his activity has been subpar in this version of BBS. Yes, right now, his team's ceiling with LBJ is pretty low. But I think eventually he'll acknowledge that and turn Baron, TMac, Ford, Dally into rebuilding pieces. There's zero urgency right now as long as Aar avoids the Contract Year. LeBron is 20 and very far from a top player in BBS. Aar can easily acquire picks and youth and spend a couple years rebuilding around LeBron. The important thing is that we can all agree that LeBron is one of the most unlikable dudes ever.
Insane: Fiction.[/b] I can't hate on aar like that. He's not active by any stretch of the imagination, but I know he has the skill to pull things together when he needs to. As they are now, no, the Hornets will not go far with LeBron James. However, as Habes said, the Hornets have pieces like Baron and McGrady that would fetch some nice picks and rebuilding pieces that would enable him to surround LeBron with one or two more blue chip running mates. As soon as his contract year passes, aar will probably blow up everything but LeBron and get on the road to becoming a true contender.
