Evolution of the PF Position
Gone are the days of the traditional 90's power forward. Last decade, big men roamed free and dominated the sim league landscape. With the likes of Shawn Kemp, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olojuwan, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, and many more, a defensive anchor was a must at the PF position if you didn't want to get plowed down low. However, those times are over. We are starting to see many different varities of scheming using the PF position, which I am identifying now as the 4-spot. The concept isn't new, but the trend towards using quicker, smaller forwards is gaining steam.
A recent and notable example was during the playoffs, when the 76ers used newly acquired defensive specialist Prince in the 4-spot at times to target the likes of Tim Thomas, Lamar Odom and Keith Van Horn. Just that list alone of players that played the 4-spot shows the different builds of players at that one position. The former Spur, now Trailblazer, Glenn Robinson is another example of a player that could score inside, outside, or create opportunities for others as a primary ball handler. It's been fun to observe and I wonder if other positions will start to see a change in scheme.
Juicy Gossip
Forum Changes at Midnight?
There are rumors that the forum keeps having it's design and color scheme changed late at night when most are asleep. We finally have photo proof this has been happening:
Commissioner Quail reportedly is not amused by the changes, with only the words "custom orange pages lost" being muttered.
The Drama Llamas
DC Scandal
The latest drama in sim league was not the Pick'Em scandal. We have quickly moved on after the fair reset and have focused all attention on DC-gate # (insert number here). Cleveland Cavs owner 42 is reportedly unhappy with the lack of quality control monitoring of depth chart inputting. An apology has already been issued, as these mishaps do happen sometimes and are generally acceptable due to the volume of inputting involved and the known risk of human error. While not a new issue, there has been some talk of suggestions to improve this process and will require an owners meeting to discuss. In the meantime, most owners are considering using bolded color to mark changes to their DC, instead of just bolding. We will continue to monitor the progress of DC-gate.
Opinion Piece
Surprise Teams
I want to hit this section quick, one for each division.
Atlantic: Nothing really surprising here as everything is going about how it was expected.
Central: Who expected the Hornets to potentially lead the Central division going into February? Randolph is growing up, and Jefferson is thriving in this offense.
Midwest: Spurs trade for Dirk and lose him just as quickly, riding the rollercoaster of sim league expectations. The team had an undefeated sim after losing him I believe, and has continued to imrpove.
Pacific: Who saw this coming? The Suns are not only exceeding expectations, but they are not that far behind the Sacramento Kings in the division standings! This is a color-whore's worst nightmare, because it might actually drive home the fact that a good twam build and the right gameplan makes a winner, not pretty colors. The experienced owner has built an efficient offensive team and has been fun to watch.
Speculation
Potential Blockbuster Trades by Deadline
It happens every season, and the Hornets have too many RFA-signed players, so we don't expect the Hornets to make that big of any moves. Pacers need some talent around Pierce and Deron, but they will need to get creative or lucky to get a big name. Celtics are primed with a collection of good, young players and picks and are in position to make the Magic really sweat. Curious to see if a Midwest team will respond to the Spurs/Dirk trade. Rockets GM has openly discussed moving Kidd, but we don't believe that will happen this season.
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