Good morning everyone. It is another beautiful day here in Boston. I have supplied the Dunkin' again today to show my appreciation for this town, especially compared to Oklahoma City.
The team even appreciated being here. Last season I would say was a huge success that was honestly an over achievement. AB now officially stand for A Baller. Because that's all he did last season. He took that step into the next tier last season. We would have for sure been a top ten pick team if it was not for him. To go along with AB we had Deing, one of the newer pieces on the roster, play very well in a secondary role too. His scoring was crucial next to our point god. Overall, it was a great case of a great player surrounded by really good complimentary pieces. We unfortunately did not have the firepower to compete against the Pacers and their roster of stronger starters to compete.
Going into this off-season, we were very happy with our standings. We had cap space for pretty much any max we wanted to shell out there, while having the best record of any team with decent cap space that was hunting the FA wire. We decided to sit back in RFA, because I wanted to focus more on win now players, seeing that there was a clear window for us to compete now.
In comes UFA! We decided to take a few controlled big swings. We bid all our cap on Folse. We also threw som above wanted offers at Thybulle and Sims. We liked both, but felt that neither were the type of player we were looking for. We got Folse, and then in a surprising twist Maker came home (displaced) to play for the team that moved up to draft him all that time ago. Then we signed some players as trade chips to get one more guy for our full court press of a championship.
There were three players we were eyeing to complete the turnaround of assets between two seasons ago and now. We got the ok on two and were waiting on the third. Finally we decided, screw it lets do it, and collapsed to Quails pressures. Cunningham get over here! Honestly, it was the better of the two yes deals from a prospect perspective, and the third deal I may still be potentially waiting on depending on the day.
Moving on to TC, it went better than expected. I knew some of the hits were going to come. With the older players it is only natural. But the bump from Hackney was outstanding, and the team overall did very well completing as a top tier team in the game produced power rankings for the pre season. So no complaints on my end there.
I did pump points into Hackney, but I am still unsure of how the post will look next to false. I have a few ideas I will tinker with through the season, but that may be the only other move I make this season. I am really excited for this teams potential over the next 2-3 years and think we have a very good chance at a championship.
Starters:
Cunningham
Dieng
AB
Folse
Hackney, Maker, Robinson
Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Antonio Blakeney was a revelation last year, powering your team to a much better than projected record. With Cunningham and Folse now on the roster, that means more sharing of responsibilities will have to balance in. What strategic changes are you considering to make sure that more star power on this team means more efficiency?
garbageman wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 3:20 pmSham Smith, Bulls.com: Antonio Blakeney was a revelation last year, powering your team to a much better than projected record. With Cunningham and Folse now on the roster, that means more sharing of responsibilities will have to balance in. What strategic changes are you considering to make sure that more star power on this team means more efficiency?
Part of the thought process was that these three would be levels to this. Where Cunningham is the guard that would handle ball handling and the perimeter on the offense. He also has great passing skills that will be huge for us. We can not afford AB leading the league in turnovers again. AB will be another perimeter guy, but will be crashing to the bucket like Dwayne Wade's clone. With his athletics, I may even consider spelling him at PF some times to see how that is in a small ball lineup. Finally, Folse will be the post guy through and through. Where I already know Folse and Cunningham clearly can play together, and hopefully adding AB to the mix is just simply a great alpha complement to this duo.
Obviously you made moves with a championship in mind. Looking around the league, what is your confidence level right now (1-10) that you'll be the team that remains standing when it's all over?
MexicanMamba wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:12 pm
Obviously you made moves with a championship in mind. Looking around the league, what is your confidence level right now (1-10) that you'll be the team that remains standing when it's all over?
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I would say a solid 7 out of 10. It would be higher but it's too early to feel too confident. Especially after the Thunder's run all those years ago, where we were running away with the regular season winning record (like 30 consecutive wins) until Pete got hurt. This was part of my thought logic in getting Cunningham. I got just JJ last time. This time I got two premier players to go with my core to compete, where if someone gets hurt its not curtain call.
greepleairport wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:39 pm
Having dumped some points into Hackney, so you plan to keep him in Boston? Or is he out the door for the right win now player?
He is here until he isn't. If he is here I will keep on builiding towards the Celtics 2.0. If I can move him for someone else that helps me now and makes sense - lets do it.
I am hoping that the points I pumped into this season will make him a contributor, either starting or off the bench, this season. I like the depth of this post team, in the sense that I got a bunch of guys who can play around Folse in the post, its just a matter of if anyone is THAT GUY next to him.
K-100 wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:02 am
Where would you rank this squad compared to your other builds?
I would say its still early, but this is for sure a top 3 roster. The Roster from 2032 was the greatest of their season, but holding them up next to the other ones that went to the finals and this one, they are just not deep enough. I would argue that this team has the best chance of being the best team I have had. The 2044 team was built very well, and may have been a bit deeper. However, this team has the better top end roster. Where the other teams I had were built around a great guard (pete/wade) and past their prime players. This roster does have some of those elements, but the players I brought in are younger than in any other build I made these moves.
GM jlmarines: The media is saying your strategy is similar to the old 76ers, win a ring regardless of the tax bill and the next 3-4 seasons have a losing record. If that's the case, is it worth it?
jlmarines wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:31 pm
GM jlmarines: The media is saying your strategy is similar to the old 76ers, win a ring regardless of the tax bill and the next 3-4 seasons have a losing record. If that's the case, is it worth it?
I'd like to think all of my builds go in a similar fashion. Tank until you get the clear cut talent. Then build up cap space and assets until you can trade for the final key players.
Also, my tax number will not balloon nearly as bad as the 76ers this season.
"Wet" Willy Cockburn, Boston Tea Party News: With a team loaded with superstars, it's easy for fans and statisticians alike to overlook Larry Hatfield. Ignoring his basic stats, he has the potential to blossom into a very useful PG—especially given his young age. Do you plan to keep Hatfield on board and see if you can turn him into a formidable force in the offseason, or will you send him to the woodchipper?
"ass to ass!" —that old guy from Requiem For A Dream
digiskunk wrote:"Wet" Willy Cockburn, Boston Tea Party News: With a team loaded with superstars, it's easy for fans and statisticians alike to overlook Larry Hatfield. Ignoring his basic stats, he has the potential to blossom into a very useful PG—especially given his young age. Do you plan to keep Hatfield on board and see if you can turn him into a formidable force in the offseason, or will you send him to the woodchipper?
Not sure yet honestly. He has been a guy I had on the roster that played as my reserve last year, so it felt natural to bring him back.
AngryBanana wrote: Mon Nov 14, 2022 3:26 pm
Not sure yet honestly. He has been a guy I had on the roster that played as my reserve last year, so it felt natural to bring him back.
"Wet" Willy Cockburn, Boston Tea Party News: Do it
"ass to ass!" —that old guy from Requiem For A Dream