S90 Town Hall 1

[Mike Lowry]

Seems like a lot has changed in a short period of time.
Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?
What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?
How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?

Rules: 1 point if you give thoughtful answers, which I will award after the timer ends for responses. The timer ends for responses at the moment the corresponding week's Sim is run.

Note: Use approximately 5 sentences as your bare minimum for 1 point. If you write 3 long, complex sentences, you'll still get a point. If you write 5, 3 word sentences, you will not get a point. Don't @ me.

Due: Deadline for Sim 2

[BigDaddyd8720]

Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?
What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?
How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?

My team definitely looks different than last season with the additions of worthy, bowie, and dawkins. We're hoping these additions can finally bring a division title to seattle but there's still a lot of basketball left to be played. The Pistons looked to go into rebuild mode and the Mavericks are getting closer to being out of cap hell.

While the Spurs are still the team to beat, one thing of note is they aren't really that deep. They should be able to withstand one injury for a short period of time but it also depends on that injury. West and Chambers are their only big men. So their players could be dealing with stamina issues as the season progresses. Plus the Kings might be even better this season than they were last season which could cause some problems for the Spurs.

Overall, I do think this season started off with maybe a more balanced league than previous seasons. Maybe once we get a few more sims in we'll see teams fall off but right now seem to show that multiple teams can win their respective divisions.

[WigNosy]

Seems like a lot has changed in a short period of time.
Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?
What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?
How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?

Rules: 1 point if you give thoughtful answers, which I will award after the timer ends for responses. The timer ends for responses at the moment the corresponding week's Sim is run.

Note: Use approximately 5 sentences as your bare minimum for 1 point. If you write 3 long, complex sentences, you'll still get a point. If you write 5, 3 word sentences, you will not get a point. Don't @ me.

Due: Deadline for Sim 2

I mean, on my team it's easy - it was the UFA loss of James Worthy and LaSalle Thompson (and the corresponding reinforcements of the Sonics and Kings). What I noticed around the league was a bigger willingness to throw out large contracts in Free Agency - not sure if this was a unique spike in talent or if this is a harbinger of a new trend of open wallets (I'm betting the former).

The Pacific looks different - the Blazers are weaker, the rest of the division (except maybe the Lakers) is stronger... and none of it makes a difference, because the West still won't get past San Antonio.

Not much at all, honestly. The Spurs and Bucks are still the odds-on favorites to win it all. A couple new teams are trying to win (Warriors) and a couple new teams are trying to tank, but there's still little parity in the league (and hasn't been since season 1).

[NickMalone77]

Seems like a lot has changed in a short period of time.
Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?
What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?
How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?

While the Bucks and Spurs still look like the class of the league, the cracks are starting form within the foundation as both are getting another year older and starting to lose crucial players during FA. I think losing McCray & Thomas off the spurs will hurt more than most realize even if they still have the two MJ’s & Mullins. The Bucks kept most of their core intact but are already trying to sell off some of their talent in an effort to try and get younger. They’re still two of the clear best teams in the league but all dynasties eventually fall.

As far as the rest of the league, I definitely feel like the Western Conference will be an onslaught for who finishes 2nd in the conference. The Kings, TWolves, Suns, Warriors, all could conceivably have a shot to avoid the Spurs until the WCF if they play their cards right but they all have weaknesses that could be exposed.

In the East, the Celtics and Bucks will continue to duke it out I feel for the top of the conference but I wouldn’t count out the Nets. They started off slow but once Fat Lever gets going, they’re a fun and deep team to watch. The Pacers, Cavs, Bulls, & Hornets all could be conceivable playoff teams this year in the East. I think it’s a fun time to compete at the next level in this league.

[AngryBanana]

Seems like a lot has changed in a short period of time.
Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?

The league may be more competitive. Last season mostly everyone threw in the towel after the Magic trade. This season there is a lot more activity and spread of talent compared to most season.


What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?

Spurs. They look different because they have a more shallow team, but it’s still very much the same build. It’s the same as the Warriors teams that had their core during their prime.

How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?

As I said before, more teams seem eager to compete this year. We have teams like the Sonics, Kings, and Bulls (among others who will be far more competitive this season than last). Let’s see how long that lasts before the Shaq draft and the run of good drafts in the mid 90s.


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[K-100]

Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?
More teams than usual are off to slow starts this season. Maybe just an outlier, since it just one sim. A lot of talent also migrated to the Pacific Division. It will be a dogfight all season. My team sucks too, so that is fun.

What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?
The Cavs for the first time ever are in the luxury tax. And not just in it, but deep in the tax. Good for them to take a big swing. Points are fleeting, failing miserably is eternal. Great job @jlmarines. As for what hasnt changed, the same teams suck, the same teams are in the mix to be dark horses. And the Bucks and Spurs are going to meet in the Finals for the 4th time.

How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?
I dont think it really hasnt changed much. The Bucks are still their biggest threat. The Celtics are close behind them both. The Sonics and Blazers are threats in the West, but unless the Spurs and Bucks blow their teams up, I think we are on a crash course for Round 4 of the Finals.

[Darth Vegito]

Seems like a lot has changed in a short period of time.
Which changes did you notice around the league and on your team?
Lots of changes on my team. McHale gone. Price gone. Lasalle signed in UFA. Avery Johnson running point for now. Mitch is pretty close to Super Saiyan. The Spurs are Frieza and Mitch is starting to get angry on Namek.

What looks different now, that hasn't changed at all?
Spurs look different. But they definitely are not better than last season. They have lost depth, which matters. But they are still deadly. They are like Frieza's ugly second form with the horns. I'll just try not to be Krillin and get stabbed.

How has the landscape of the league shifted since we crowned the Spurs as Champs?
The Bucks path isn't as clear. I still say they are favorites but Celtics have arrived. This may be the year the Bucks are sent packing before the Finals. And the Spurs are still the favorites but as I mentioned before, with less depth. Still more depth than most teams, but less than they had last season. So we'll see if it affects them when things get serious.

[logpmess]

It's still the Bucks vs the Spurs until we see otherwise. Early losses in a season does not take away from the inevitable matchup between those two. The Pacific really loaded up this season though. Some top tier talent in that division. In the East, the Celtics look like the best bet to overcome the Bucks.

It does seem like there are less teams obviously tanking this season than the last couple. Maybe this draft class doesn't have the superstar to change a team, but that will happen all over again next season.

In terms of my team, I loved my first sim going 9-0. But so many games were at home. We put some points into Olden to try to develop him defensively a little more rapidly. And losing our superstar in Eddie A Johnson means we need that scoring to be picked up by other players. Ralph Sampson was a great acquisition and we hope that our success can continue on the road.

[IamQuailman]

I think there is starting to be a bit of a powershift in the league. Sure the Spurs are the Spurs. But the Sonics look poised to challenge for the #1 seed with their offseason acquisitions, specifically Bowie. The Blazers have taken an unexpected step back after a difficult free agency, and the Timberwolves & Warriors are looking to take their young teams ahead and try to push the power balance of the West towards them. Oh yeah, and then there are the Kings still doing King things.

In the East, the Bulls have come out with a fast start, only time will tell if its sustainable or not. On the flip side, the BUCKS have a below .500 record for the first time in I can't tell you how long.... maybe 1981-82 season? Sure its a hole we can climb out of relatively easily, but still for the first time we are playing form behind in a while! The Celtics & Nets are also llooking good despite the so so starts... but the biggest surprises are the Hornets balling out thanks to Rodney McCray. really looking forward to seeing how they'll fare over the course of the season.