SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE 2052 DRAFT
Analysis: It's the worst kept secret in the league that Josh knows the best time to hit that reset button. He's reset-and-retooled countless times, and this is the beginning of another one. Garland's a premier PG in this league, albeit a little undersized. But that's okay because the Blazers decided to go size for size by sending a fellow SHAWTAY over in the youthful upstart PG Amen Thompson along with Pick #4 in the draft. This is a great haul for the Bulls, and an excellent floor general for the Blazers as they begin the long-time-coming journey of reshaping their roster into a contender.garbageman wrote: Fri Feb 24, 2023 4:06 pm Bulls send:
Darius Garland
Trailblazers send:
Amen Thompson
2052 Trailblazers 1st (Pick 4)
Bulls accept
Analysis: The Blazers are right back in the wheeling and dealing, this time getting another entering-his-prime offensive stud to play off of Darius Garland in Larry Williams, in addition to the 7th pick in the draft and cash considerations. The Spurs are looking to get younger and get less salary as they reshape their rebuild around Pee Wee Kirkland and Brandon Ingram, and Hoyt Timmerman has all the makings of an elite guard that just needs a little more marinating. The Blazers stood pat on trading Hoyt for a few seasons now, and have decided to cash in the chips thanks to the depth at guard they were able to acquire over the years.Eazy P wrote: Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:02 pm Spurs send
Larry Williams
Spurs 2052 1st
10 points
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6562&p=103459#p103459
for
Hoyt Timmerman
Analysis: Blazers and their GM continue to wheel and deal. While this one is on hold until after the draft when salaries can be sent out, this deal points out the direction of both franchises. Blazers bring in multi-time Finals MVP Gerry Folse to help bring championship pedigree to a squad cashing in on it's chips. This will be a tremendous help. On the flip side, this trade helps set the stage for where the Grizzlies are as a franchise after going all in on tax and players to win their championship. Warley is great trade bait to hold onto and those 10 points can help chip away at the mountain of debt they've accrued.K-100 wrote: Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:04 pm Trailblazers send
Jalen Warley
Emmanuel Ford
Olen Dunagan
10 points
Grizzlies send
Gerry Folse
Grizzlies accept
Analysis: Warriors bought a pick from the Bulls (who had a surplus) to assist with another big move coming down the pike.
Analysis: Warriors are making their run now at putting some veteran studs around Fabian Hub and Markus Ridenhour. They gave up a decent pick, but Morelock is worth it. The Grizzlies continue to stockpile change for the piggy bank and get the #5 overall pick which is about to come in handy...greepleairport wrote: Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:26 pm Warriors send
Douglas Haun
Warriors 2052 1st rd (#5 pick)
5pts
Grizzlies send
Alphonse Morelock
Analysis: A token 3-team deal in the off-season... it would not be sim league with out one! The Grizzlies take the #5 pick they just acquired and decided to take their own fate by the balls and get their 2053 1st back from the Pistons. The Pistons shipped own some cash to both teams and pick #18 to the Cavaliers. In exchange, the Pistons got the #3 pick in the draft, which gives them 2 of the top 3 picks in this top-heavy draft class.K-100 wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2023 1:29 pm Cavaliers send
#3 (to Detroit)
Grizzlies send
#5 (to Cleveland)
Pistons send
#18 (to Cleveland)
8 points (to Cleveland)
2053 Grizzlies 1 (to Memphis)
2 points (to Memphis)
Grizzlies accept
Analysis: A pure cap savings move for the Spurs, and the Grizzlies get a 4 year salary to develop over time.
And now.... ONTO THE DRAFT!
Pick #1:
Bernardo Carrasco, New Orleans Pelicans
Analysis: After spending about a week hemming and hawing over what to do and being torn between trading away or keeping the pick, the New Orleans Pelicans GM had his sights set on improving his guard play. Between Carrasco & Bricker, there was much deliberation, but Mr. A Tua went with the former, drafting Bernardo Carrasco first overall. Carrasco should be able to make some contributions on offense immediately; however, he seems to be pretty raw on the defensive side of the ball. All in all, his elite offensive potential was too much to pass up on.
Pick #2:
Delmer Bricker, Detroit Pistons
Analysis: With the 2nd overall pick being openly shopped, fellow GMs weren't really sure where Quailman was going with this pick. There were less-than-productive talks with the Suns, there were some talks of trading back (especially once #3 was acquired), and there was even some brief conversation about moving up to #1 overall. In the end, the Pistons went with their heart and draft a guy who hopefully will NOT live up to his last name. Bricker has some elite level athleticism and some real potential to be a game-changing scorer, despite being a on the shorter range of modern guards. His athleticism alone and ability to create will allow for him to make an immediate impact off the bench, if Quailman doesn't go the red-shirt route like he does with many of his younger talents. Bricker also has shown he can be a willing passer as well, in addition to bringing some of that athleticism to the defensive side of the ball.
Pick #3:
Brittney Griner, Detroit Pistons (Previously, Charles Craig)
Analysis: Brittney Griner is the first female Center/Forward ever selected in the SLOE Sim League Draft and looks to break barriers. During her time abroad playing foreign ball in a previous life, the SLOE Sim League became gradually more and more progressive, inviting famous baseball players, historical figures, and pro wrestlers to join the league. SLOE even had the first female basketball player come into the league and succeed, Kendall Liberty. Liberty broke down the barrier for women as a whole and now Griner, who stands a foot taller than Liberty, looks to do the same for the big women of tomorrow. As for Griner, it will take a little time for her to acclimate herself to the male league pros, but as many scouts saw in her pre-draft workouts, she has the talent, determination, and skill set to eventually thrive in the NBA. She's definitely a candidate for a red-shirt season with the Pistons, while spending some time in the G-League honing her craft.
Pick #4:
Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls (Previously, Kevin Evans)
Analysis: The Bulls and Pistons were deep in talks regarding trades involving Don Long & #3, which would have possibly been used on Bricker if available. However, with Bricker going #2 overall, the deal fell apart which allowed the Bulls shift his focus on building around Long and the prospects available at #4. Markkanen is a player that has some incredible size and quickness for the forward position, similar to that of the forever-untouchable Suns legend Antonio Gates. Markkanen has skill set to become an inside out shooter, with the size to be a very prolific post defender and rim protector. His size at the SF position will allow for him to be an above average rebounder, but he may struggle at defending perimeter threats. One last flaw in his game is his ability to stay on the court due to foul trouble, but it is something Lauri has been actively working on in the draft preparation stages.
Pick #5:
Jonathan Isaac, Cleveland Cavaliers (Previously, Jorge Stout)
Analysis: The Cavaliers were inclined to trade back from #3 to #5 due to the potential for the backlash being directed towards Cleveland front office from the fans. The national media was applying pressure to draft an unconventional player like Griner, and jlmarines opted to trade back and avoid the distractions, selecting a more traditional and offensively elite talent in Jonathan Isaac. Isaac's speed and athleticism will make him a menace down low and bring a gritty physical energy to the Cavaliers offense they've been lacking for a while now. His downsides do involved his ineffectiveness on the defensive side of the floor and getting his feet set, causing him to be a huge fouling liability. He will definitely require some additional foul training to work on his footwork. However, if he can shape that up, Isaac has the potential to be one of the best scorers in this draft class.
Pick #6:
Sanford Benfield, Atlanta Hawks
Analysis: The Hawks emphasized this off-season they are looking to build their roster around Phil Smith, their centerpiece. While Sanford Benfield is definitely the bet player available at this junction of the draft and one of the last players in "tier 2" of our draft class, he doesn't come without some worries. But before we get to that, let's discuss the positives as Sanford Benfield has plenty to like. He has good size and quickness to be an effective guard in the NBA. He has the potential to be an above average passer and scorer in the league. However he is coming out very raw, and has shown at times to slag off on the defensive side of the ball. That isn't something unteachable, but perhaps some scouts saw it as a red flag and questioned his defensive motor. Could we see the Atlanta Hawks use Benfield as a trade chip down the road to help build the roster around Phil Smith? Because Benfield is a player that may take 4-5 seasons to come into his own, and by then Smith may be already gone.
Pick #7:
Osmosis Gonzales, Portland Trailblazers (Previously, Charles Gonzales)
Analysis: Love this pick for the new look Trailblazers. What a great fit. Gonzales (or whatever he's about to be named) will be able to come in an be an immediate contributor to a team poised to make a leap this season. He should be able to come in and provide some elite level rebounding and defense while not taking away from the stars on this squad. Between (eventually) Folse, Charley Quick, and Gonzales, rebounds will be hard to come by in Portland.
Pick #8:
Chris Markham, Charlotte Bobcats
Analysis: Lauri Markkanen, Chris Markham. What a bunch of Marks. Nah, this is a decent pick for the Bobcats. Markham has a nice inside-out skill set that makes him a versatile, confident offensive threat from behind the arc and in the paint. He's active off-ball too, crashing the offensive glass and using his athleticism as a tweener forward to get easy put back buckets. On the other end of the court, scoring won't come easy for those trying to body him up, as he's an above average post defender (although he won't provide much rim protection). Teams will try to keep him stay in the mid-range and hope that his overconfidence in shooting will make him fall in love with the jumper.
Pick #9:
Dusan Bulut, Los Angeles Lakers (Previously, Andrew Kennedy)
Analysis: With the plethora of talent and depth, the Lakers have plenty of wiggle room to take flyers of high ceiling project players... and that is exactly what Dusan Bulut amounts to. His player profile compares him to the likes of vintage sim league Tyson Chandler, Hassan Whiteside, & Steven Hunter. Your modern day rebound gobbler and post defender. The problem with this is that this player is incredibly raw and will take seasons to develop. But fortunately, the Lakers have the privilege of insane depth and talent to let Bulut ride the pine, and grow into his body and roll in the NBA. Don't be surprised if this kid (with a combination of Mamba's luck and the Lakers development programs) is an All-League defender before the end of his second contract.
Pick #10:
Jaylen Forbes, Houston Rockets (Previously, Hugh Barnes)
Analysis: Jaylen Forbes was probably the top of scouts' 3rd tier of talent in this draft. With a little more athleticism and training, he could be a great building block for a Houston Rockets franchise that is in an apparent, permanent tailspin. Forbes has decent size and athleticism to play between the 2 and 3. His handles help allow him to run as backup point guard at times, a good asset for positionless basketball advocates. He's aggressive in the paint, but doesn't always finish strong. But one of the things that scouts rave about is his ability to body up opposing players and make scoring difficult. He may not get a block or deflect into a steal... but he will hold his opponent in check down low or around the perimeter. Great pick by the Rockets... if only the GM was a little more invested in this team...
Pick #11:
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers (Previously, Todd Masters)
Analysis: Lakers are taking another project player in Austin Reaves. Scrappy white kid who brings his lunch pail day in and day out. He's a guy that can be aggressive attacking the rim on offense but also maintains that aggressiveness off-ball. He's a box-out nightmare for defenders, securing offensive boards at a high level creating extra possessions and easy putbacks for his team. Opposing teams and fan bases will hate this guy, and he'll become the Lakers next annoying fan favorite.
Pick #12:
Allie Quigley, Sacramento Kings (Previously, Brant Dean)
Analysis: Kings come in and grab best player available in Quigley. Quigley is the yin to Jaylen Forbes' yang, pretty much doing everything Forbes cant on offense; overall I had these two ranked pretty much equally. Quigley brings an element of 3&D that any team can come to appreciate and should have an immediate impact on the floor. Day 1 starter? Possibly! It's a new look Kings in the post-Killian Hayes era!
Pick #13:
Chauncey Banks, Toronto Raptors
Analysis: Chauncey Banks's decent athleticism and scoring capability will keep him in the league for at least 4 years. However, if he really wants to stick beyond his rookie contract, he needs to develop his defensive game. Currently, he would be a major liability on that side of the ball.
Pick #14:
Rudolph Coppage, Minnesota Timberwolves
Analysis: The Timberpups are BACK, with the original GM JNR back at the helm to guide them hopefully to back to back playoff berths. Rudolph Coppage is by no means a defensive stopper, but his quick hands can generate the occasional steal creating transition scoring opportunities. Coppage looks to be a player who can come off the bench to spell his young studs. Though, I'm surprised they didn't go big here. John Fryer would've been perfect for what they needed.
Pick #15:
Ronnie Smith, Utah Jazz
Analysis: Higher than a kite on a windy day, GM Digiskunk strolled into draft day and selected a player who had already been picked 2 picks ahead of him. That's so Gary! In a rush to stop the press releases he already sent out before realizing he can't catch a Pokemon he's already caught, the Jazz GM ended up actually drafting a better player in Ronnie Smith. I'm surprised Smith lasted this long. He's got average size for a shooting guard, pretty reliable jumper, some accuracy from 3 and plays defense. That's about all you can ask for in a mid-teens 1st round pick. Does this have the makings to be another potential Utah legend, a la Juicy James Gebhart? Probably not, but if there's ever a GM to build up their own players' legendary status, it's Digiskunk.
Pick #16:
David Brown, Memphis Grizzlies
Analysis: Just what the Grizzlies needed.. another big man. Assuming he cracks the rotation at shooting guard or even point guard, Brown can bring some above average rim protection to a team with alot of that already. Can't ever have too many blocks!
Pick #17:
John Fryer, Boston Celtics
Analysis: Legend has it that this guy's real name is John F-U-C-K-R but it couldn't get past Wig's censorship. So AIR FRYER was born. This dude is clearly the best prospect on the board and has been for quite a few picks. I personally feel the Celtics got a steal here. Fryer will take some time to develop, but he clearly has a high ceiling when it comes to defensive boards and rim protection. If he can work on his footwork a little more, he could also become a legit scoring threat in the future. Frye, the Celtics got a good one here!
Pick #18:
Jason Marotta, Cleveland Cavaliers
Analysis: Continuing their crusade to avoid selecting women players, when trading away pick #3, the Cavaliers also got a pick outside the lotto to ensure no female rename could ever happen. And with this Pistons first they selected the 6'8" shooting guard Jason Marotta. Not to be confused with Jason Mamoa, Marotta prefers to be surrounded by D's and F's (instead of C's/seas). He can hit a jumper and play a little defense. Asking more than that from at late-teens pick is too much.
Pick #19:
Justin Griffith, Brooklyn Nets
Analysis: The Nets had to dig deep to find James Andrews' successor... and that they did. They found the poor man's poor man's version in Justin Griffith. If he reaches his potential, he could be a nice little project, but until then, expect this player to ride the pine and wipe the sweat off of Saddiq Bey's balls.
Pick #20:
Cyril Snyder, Utah Jazz
Analysis: At least he can shoot free throws great.
Pick #21:
Jerry Bryant, Orlando Magic
Analysis: No relation to Kobe Bryant, Jerry brings okay shooting and that's about it. We are running low on quality players here, so forgive me if I'm seemingly less-than-enthused.
Pick #22:
Joshua Giles, Orlando Magic
Analysis: Biggest reach of the draft. Perhaps the Magic got mixed up on which round we were auto-picking for... because this bloke was projected to be picked by the Magic with Pick #47. EEK.
Pick #23:
Robby Owens, Golden State Warriors
Analysis: If there's one thing the Warriors love, it's short point guards. Whether it's Mac MacClung, Markus Ridenhour, or for the old-heads out there reading this... Mugsy Bogues (and his barely visible profile pic), there's just an innate disposition to lean towards these dudes. Owens is actually an interesting case, he's got a pretty viable offensive skill set and can contribute immediately off the bench. He's just missing something most point guards have... an ability to see the floor and make good passes. But hey, at least them hands are active on defense.
Pick #24:
Archie Hong, Memphis Grizzlies
Analysis: Going out on a limb to say his offense is gonna suck.
Pick #25:
Russ Coles, Denver Nuggets
Analysis: Just home growing the next Mason Dixon. My Panda is so clever!! <3
Pick #26:
Elijah Flores, New York Knicks
Analysis: This guy looks like he could actually be pretty decent with a training or two... but he got drafted by the Knicks. RIP any player development or growth.
And with that.... in the words of Homestar Runner/Strong Bad's Teen Girl Squad:
