Best of the Worst

[logpmess]

With so much focus on the playoffs, lets not forget the bottom half of our league. These teams have to find a glimmer of hope, since the playoffs were not made.

1. Seattle Supersonics: 2006 draft
With three projected draft picks in the first ten picks, this upcoming draft is easily the best thing this franchise has going for them. It is difficult to build through the draft, which usually takes a few years for development and battling cap room after four years, but with this many top ten picks, the Supersonics have a chance to turn the franchise around quickly.

2. Atlanta Hawks: Cap Space
With a fairly decent free agency class both in RFA and UFA upcoming, having this much cap room is the main way that the Hawks will make a turnaround. Projected at second pick in the draft will get them a quality young player, but the talent is raw in this class, so free agency will be key for this team.

3. VanMemphis Grizzlies: current talent
With three years left on multiple key talents (both star and role players), this team will only begin to improve by building around this talent. The core of Simmons, Gasol, and Calderon solidifies three starting positions with Lee and Carroll looking like decent role players off of the bench.

4. Detroit Pistons: quality youth
Dwight Howard is 20. Kevin Martin is 23. Tony Parker is 23. Also, the Pistons are projected to get a top 5 pick in this draft. With three extremely talented starters already in place so young, Detroit can pick a player at one of the open starting positions, and should transform from a lottery pick to a playoff team almost immediately.

5. Chicago Bulls: Stephen Jackson
I could make the same cap argument for the Bulls that I did for the Hawks, but there are few players in the league as talented a scorer as S-Jax. Throw in his freakish ability to create steals from the small forward position, and this player is really a gem in the league that is an outstanding basis for team development.

6. Los Angeles Clippers: Jamaal Magloire
With no first round pick in this draft and a lot of salary cap taken up between a couple of players, I had to make a pick between those two players. I went with the big guy because of the things he brings other than scoring. Finding a big with that much talent on the boards and on defense is not a common occurrence in the league. Look for Magloire to be the key piece to this team in the next couple of years.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers: Chris Paul
Even with his injury during his rookie campaign, Chris Paul is a rare talent. He still has some room to develop, but with his really good potentials in so many categories, look for Paul to be a fixture in this league for many years to come. The biggest immediate detriment to this team’s development as a contender is salary cap, so look for Chris to carry the load and really work as a top player in the league.

8. Miami Heat: Training Camp
Some may be surprised with my choice of not choosing Lebron as the key, but we all know what he brings to the table. The Heat are desperate for both Al Jefferson and Monta Ellis to develop into their potential. Currently relying on aging former superstars has not worked for the Heat so far, so the real chance for a turnaround hinges on the potential of the current youth on this team. Especially since the Heat do not have a first round pick this year.

9. Golden State Warriors: Best Player Available
With not very much youth on this team, a rebuild package is a distance away. They have a large amount of salary on the books for next year as well. However, in 2007, this team has little to none as far as salary is concerned. So in order for this team to make the turnaround, the Warriors need to take the best player available when it is there turn to pick. They must simply get a single piece of the puzzle since they don’t seem likely to find an answer this offseason.

10. Los Angeles Lakers: Larry Hughes.
With so much youth and a solid core of players locked up for multiple years in the future, the one piece that the Lakers are losing is their star shooting guard. If they bring him back, this team has the potential to be an immediate playoff team next year.

11. New Jersey Nets: AI’s replacement
Allen Iverson is a free agent at the end of this post-season. The Nets are losing a 21-6 player at point guard. Are they going to give him a superstar contract when he is on the wrong side of 30? That is very doubtful. So the development of this team is trying to figure out how to replace that point output without mortgaging the franchise to do so.

12. Portland Trailblazers: Free Agency
That cap room is amazing. They have two players on the books for next year: Stephon Marbury on a modest contract for his talent and Alan Anderson on the second year of his rookie contract. The Blazers will replace some of their core during RFA, but I expect multiple max contracts thrown out in UFA. This offseason should be an all out bid war from the Northwest franchise.

13. Indiana Pacers: Paul Pierce
Pierce has been the face of the franchise for his entire career. He is getting older though. If the Pacers decide to supermax him, they will have a player on the wrong side of thirty for more than half of that contract. However, if they choose not to supermax him, they are risking losing their best player and key to success.

[logpmess]

I just realized this is the extremely similar to the "Boxed Out" article. oops. More opinions can't hurt, right?

[IamQuailman]

I like it! Good stuff, Logan

[42PhD]

Both did not take a hard look at the cap or realize the team options on the geriatric ward were declined. Got tons of cap space and waivble contracts, y'all. You jelly.

[logpmess]

Both did not take a hard look at the cap or realize the team options on the geriatric ward were declined. Got tons of cap space and waivble contracts, y'all. You jelly.

You're right. I didn't look at the waived contracts bc usually that is taken care of each sim to have an updated index even if you aren't in the playoffs. I was just basing it off of the current updated index. Since team options are due at the end of the season, I figured that they were all already processed. Good looking out.

[42PhD]

Both did not take a hard look at the cap or realize the team options on the geriatric ward were declined. Got tons of cap space and waivble contracts, y'all. You jelly.

You're right. I didn't look at the waived contracts bc usually that is taken care of each sim to have an updated index even if you aren't in the playoffs. I was just basing it off of the current updated index. Since team options are due at the end of the season, I figured that they were all already processed. Good looking out.

So, you admit it... you jelly?

[Conroy]

So I accidently bought jam last night, seriously what's the difference between jam and jelly?

[42PhD]

So I accidently bought jam last night, seriously what's the difference between jam and jelly?

Bend over...

[42PhD]

For real, jelly is supposed to be based on fruit juice, jam on chunks. Other things have peel or bigger pieces or spices in them... Relish, marmalade, etc. In real life things are really on a continuum among these. Just like Darth is an asshole, but not a total asshole, because he busts on Nola., so he's cool. Jelly, jam.

Now, bend over...

[NOLa.]

Giving this league a full packed average 4.5" one at a time

Sent via Morse code

[IamQuailman]

AWARDED 5 POINTS towards 15pt media allowance (do not claim full amount if it puts you over our max of 15)