Xist's Post-Sim 1 Report

[Xist2Inspire]

So since Quail's running a podcast tonight, I figured that it'd be a great idea to blatantly stea- er, I mean do my own version of the Sim 1 overreaction topic. I got bills to pay, after all. So yeah, here we go, a quick division-by-division analysis that's sure to look silly by Day 60, let alone season's end.

Division I: New Teams, Same S***
After two weeks of play, it's business as usual for the defending champs, as the Spurs sit atop their division once more. However, as usual, there's one team that's nipping on their heels, but this time it's not Houston. Right behind Eazy are Nola's Kings, and it appears that anyone who thought that Sacramento's reign over a dying Pacific division had made them soft was wrong. Wins over current division leaders Minnesota and Indiana prove that even if the Kings ultimately fail to beat out the Spurs for the division crown, they will remain a constant threat now that Nola can relish the taste of real divisional competition again. Other than that storyline, it's business as usual: The Spurs and Kings are on the top, the Knicks and Thunder are on the bottom (love your positivity and what you're doing with OKC, Angry Banana, but you were just the best of a putrid bunch last season), and the Heat are average...except when it comes to their defense, which is unusually bad (basically 124 PA). At least here, it appears that the more things change, the more things stay the same.

Division II: My Time Is Now
This has to feel like the heavens have opened for JNR. After landing in a division eerily similar to his old one (only without a titan like Denver looming over his head) and landing the holy trinity of great draft/great FA period/great TC, the Timberwolves sit triumphantly atop their division, even with three losses. Those losses are to heavy hitters Orlando, Sacramento, and Detroit, and though their wins list hasn't been super impressive, they've already established dominance over division rival Charlotte with back-to-back victories. Overall, a good start to what could turn out to be a fairly chaotic division in terms of who's challenging Minnesota for the crown. Of particular note are the Celtics, who after a terrible FA period are posting a 4-5 record despite having the league's 4th(!)-best scorer, Tyler Ulis, dropping 35 a game. With no real road to improving the roster as-is, if Conroy can't coach this squad back into the hunt, look for a trade that will shift the balance of power elsewhere.

Division III: Topsy-Turvy
Given the recent history of the teams in this division, it's a bit of a shock to see the Pacers and Nets duking it out with the Rockets for the top spot, with the Nuggets trailing behind all three with an even-steven 3-3 record. However, I wouldn't claim this as Bizarro world just yet. The top two teams' list of victims are filled with names like Utah, New York, Dallas - not exactly a stellar resumé. Meanwhile, the Nuggets' 3 losses are against the Hawks, Raptors, and Bulls, and two of those (Hawks and Raptors) were beaten by Denver in the same sim, along with a revenge victory over the Spurs. It's pretty clear that though the Nuggets are no longer invincible, they're still a cut above most, and I expect them to rise back to the top within the next sim or two.

Division IV: Like A Cheap Attorney
If you need proof that defense is a bit of a dying art, take a gander at this division. Of the three highest teams in the league in terms of ppg, two are here (Wizards and Bucks). Expand to the top 8 and the Raptors pop up. When looking at the rosters of these teams, it should come as no surprise that these teams are scoring so much, but what is surprising is the fact that they pretty much have to. While the Raptors performance is fairly in line with what you'd expect of an offensively-minded squad, the Bucks give up (122 PA) almost as much as they score (128 PF), and the Wizards' ridiculous point differential (a whopping 21.8) seems to be more because of the absurd amount of points they're able to post against mediocre teams (148 vs. Pelicans, 135 vs. Hawks), rather than their own ability to stifle other offenses (Pelicans scored 125, Hawks scored 122). Whoever figures out how to actually play a lick of defense first will probably seize control of this scoring-happy division.

Division V: Bull Run
There's really not much to say here. The Bulls have been undefeated since the preseason, with a solid list of impressive wins already. It appears that leaving behind the post-heavy East was a major boost for Wanderlei Silva, as he seems to be well on his way towards establishing himself as the premier big man in the Alpha conference. As for their immediate competition, Portland boasts an average record with similarly average results as far as who they've beaten/who they've lost to. And even though Wig is still perhaps the most feared/respected GM in #SLOE, he has an absolutely massive defensive problem at a time when offense seems to be peaking everywhere. The Hawks are giving up a impressively awful 127 ppg to their opponents, which puts them in the early conversation with Miami and Golden State as the worst defense in the league, by far. This honestly has the makings of a complete rout for Chicago, and if their dominance over their Conference continues, they could be this year's Nuggets in terms of record.

Division VI: Not Ded Yet
You gotta admit it, it's been pretty easy to write off the Pistons as of late. Much like the Suns out West until Love's departure, the Pistons have always been a threat because of a dominant big, but never a true menace because of the lack of...well, everything else. That seems to have changed this year, and it's all because of James O'Connor finally graduating from secondary scorer to star. It's not really clear how or why this has happened - maybe it's the move to the 2 - but nevertheless, O'Connor is the Pistons' leading scorer at almost 29 ppg, and it's he, not 34-year-old AD, who's proving that there's still some fresh gas left in the tank. This could spell trouble for the 76ers and Magic, who are perfectly suited towards knocking out an AD-led Detroit - less so when there's more than one constant threat on the court, as Philly's 94-116 home loss to Detroit shows. BSH will be fine of course, but it's an issue that could come into play later on. A present issue is the lack of production from Aaron Gordon and Bronny James, which has resulted in a .500 record for Orlando. It's not a good sign, given that the teams the Magic have lost to (Washington, Houston, Toronto, Milwaukee) are all quite skilled, meaning that False9 has some kinks to work out if he wants to fight for 1st-4th in the conference rather than 5th-8th.

[IamQuailman]

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