#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

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: Sim 11 deadline.

Presumably, the real draft file went up for Sim 10. Predict the order in which all blue pots will be drafted, and why they will be drafted that way.

Obviously the purple guy is going first. As for the blue guys, it's hard to say without the draft order being complete because folks will draft based on need or weird judgment, but here's who I like.

Pick 2: Abe Thomas
With 90 QKN at 6'6 and the same offensive attributes as Dennis Lally, this guy is going to be able to be a great scorer for someone's team. He's got a B in PAS, so he's the closest thing the draft has to a good PG (although his F HND could turn a lot of folks off)

Pick 3: Garret Bristow
Maybe not the most exciting player offensively, but he's 6'11 with really good QKN and really good defense and rebounding. He's not really bad at offense, and training or TC boosts could make him into a monster based solely on his size. He's my prediction for biggest jump based on where the draft preview ranks him.

Pick 4: Daniel Tamez
He's a 7'0 C who does exactly what you want a C to do...rebound, block, and score inside. A boost to his JPS could make him a great player, and even without it, I could see him being picked ahead of Bristow.

Pick 5: Isiah Heady
I was about to rank him lower until I saw that 99 dunk. He's going to be a one sided player, and at 6'5, he's the smallest blue pot, but his offense is going to make him a solid option at SG.

Pick 6: Stefan Murphey
Here's a guy who will do a little bit of everything with solid defense on both the perimeter and in the post. He's not going to be a guy you can build a team around, but he's the type of player any winning team needs. He's a solid choice for one of the last blues.

Pick 7: Chris Steele
He's like a mix of Heady and Murphey, just not as good as either guy.

I'm including the purple POT as well and I'm just going to use the draft order as the team picking usually dictates who goes where.... But I find this class funny because there's not a single player shorter than 6'5". Everyone is a wing of big man. Even the guards can be dual wing style players.

1. Warriors (I'm very happy for them as that's my boo). - Dennis Lally. Can't pass up on the purple POT guy.
2. Jazz - Daniel Tamez. The jazz actually have a good collection of players at every position but Center. I like Tamez because he's all around on offense and defense. Hopefully some of his B's are high.
3. Raptors- Isiah Heady is their pick. Probably one of my favorite players. Athleticism but also room to train a little bit....maybe? Hopefully could train up the steals and maybe inside. But even if not he's a good player and only 17. Love it.
4. Grizz- since all of these players are wings position and needs doesn't matter much. But grizz are going Abe Thomas who is also another freak athlete with offensive abilities.
5. Wizards - gets a little harder here. The next 3 guys all have some work. That being said. Give me Garret Bristow. Reminds me of gates a little bit. Love the defensive traits.
6. Pels- Stefan Murphey, I love his name for some reason and he at least has some decent defensive traits to go with the meh offense.
7. Heat- they definitely get the weaker of the bunch (IMO) while athletic Chris Steele is the oldest and doesn't have a single A. Would need work or just ride out as an athletic wing and hope he gets some love in TC. Not much for defense and mid offense.

I'm going to start from the back (cuz i like it like that (slow motion for me))

7. Chris Steele - I think we can all agree his lack of A potentials bumps him to the back. He looks like an o/g bum until you look at his athleticism where he TOTALLY redeems himself.

I started my rebuild with two blue pots lacking A potential - Kevin Cross and Kamari Brown. I think both are great players, and I think Chris Steele is going to be a nice pickup for any team in position to get him. Especially if that team can train up his defense a bit.

6. TIE Garrett Bristow and Stefan Murphy - I don't think one clearly pulls ahead of the other. It depends on the team picking, honestly. I LOVE Garrett's defensive potential, but I'm not sure how many GMs are looking for a defensive lotto pick. Stefan Murphy is in a similar boat, but smaller, and a bit better offensively from the outset. Neither player's athleticism jumps of the page, either, and I think the league is trending toward prioritizing solid athleticism.

4. TIE Daniel Tamez and Isiah Heady - two drastically different players with very clear upsides. Heady will run any opponent off the court without breaking a sweat; I think GMs are also starting to see value in elite bigs. I'm not sure Tamez is elite (neither was PG Daniel Gamez but the league sure grew to love him), per se, but I do think even solid bigs come at a premium, and Tamez will be a problem for most opposing C's.

2. Abe Thomas - closing thing to a starting caliber PG in the draft, and he's not purple. Train up his HND and who knows? Maybe he is purple.

1. Dennis Lally - purple is an obvious #1 pick. And he's lean (6-8, under 200LBS?!) with killer athleticism. Watch that STA climb, too.

Shoutout to @Black Superman luh u too boo

1. Dennis Lally. Look, I don't really have to explain this one, right? He's purple and has elite athleticism. Now, I don't think he's necessarily a future MVP player without some TC luck, but he's going to be a great piece eventually.

2. Garret Bristow. I don't know if he's actually the 2nd best prospect in this draft, but he's the one that I'd personally love to draft to give myself a new project to fully dive into like I did with Safi. His defensive traits are tantalizing so IF you have the patience and the points in your bank? He'd be really fun to build up. So, hey, whoever ends up in his draft range ... hit me up this off-season if you want to trade for one of my stars ha.

3. Abe Thomas. Similar Offensive potentials as Lally, similar size, and similar athleticism just without the purple color. He'd be a great consolation prize for whoever drafts #2.

4. Isaiah Heady. Won't give you much defensively, but with a little luck or points, Heady will be a monster on offensive with quality potentials all around and elite athleticism. Plus he's only 17 so there's a ton of room to grow.

5. Daniel Tamez. Probably could go higher since great two-way bigs are incredibly important. Can be great defensively, and with Cs in JPS and 3PS to go along with his A INS, it won't take much to push this big fella into a new level. Could turn into a Ware/Wemby type player with some luck.

6. Stefan Murphey. Could be a coin flip between these final 2 but I give the edge to Stefan here because he will actually offer some defensive presence unlike Steele.

7. Chris Steele. Can become a productive offensive player down the road and likely not much else. Will probably be a candidate to be better as a trade asset in his first few seasons than any production he may ultimately give on the court, but he should be solid.

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1. Warriors: Dennis Lally - duh. Greeple has struck gold before at the #1 spot so expect big things in the Bay with this pick.

2. Jazz: Daniel Tamez - I think E.J. Liddell declines his player option and hits the open market for one last big payday leaving a gigantic hole in the Jazz frontcourt so Tamez is the pick.

3. Raptors: Abe Thomas - the Raptors go best player available after the #wilcard Jazz and grab an even better version of Kamari Brown with the high-flying Abe Thomas. The Raptors are stockpiling uber athletes and while defense remains a big question mark, this team will be setting scoring records soon enough.

4. Grizzlies: Garret Bristow - reminds me of a more athletic version of Jalen Warley. The Grizzlies have failed with Raphael Gordon at Center so Bristow should slide right next to Tennessee Rainwater seamlessly in the Grizzlies frontcourt.

5. Wizards: Isiah Heady - at the tender age of 17, Heady is a future sniper in waiting. Xist is a patient GM so this is the perfect landing spot for such a raw prospect.

6. Pelicans: Stefan Murphey - the Pelicans need a talent infusion everywhere so take the best player available. I think Murphey can find success in the league as an undersized PF given his above-average athleticism at the 4.

7. Heat: Chris Steele - I could see the Heat trading out of this spot to get more points and pay off that tax bill but Steele is no slouch so if the Heat are comfortable with their bill status this can be the second building block of their new era.

As always I like to evaluate for long term potential, and I tend to overvalue offense. I probably need to respect defense more, but here is may take.

Love them: future stars?
2. Isiah Heady - Athletic; and offensives powerhouse. Defense is suspect.
3. Abe Thomas - Might be better than Isiah Heady, but I don't like that he is better at post defense and weaker at perimeter defense, so I'm giving the nod to Heady.

Like them but don't love them:
4. Garret Bristow - He looks like a weaker watered down version of Antonino Gates.
5. Daniel Tamez - Safe pick. He will be good for sure; but likely not max contract good. Think Darrell Hackney.


These last two I don't like very much:
5. Stefan Murphey - Just generally good at everything but not great at anything. Think of him as a blank canvas to put points into and build whatever you want; but its going to cost you.
6. Chris Steele - He might have a higher ceiling than Murphy, but probably not. He's athletic but no defense and questionable offense.

Glad I won't have a top 5 draft pick because it looks like I would get roasted for picking Heady so high.

1. Dennis Lally. Look, I don't really have to explain this one, right? He's purple and has elite athleticism. Now, I don't think he's necessarily a future MVP player without some TC luck, but he's going to be a great piece eventually.

2. Abe Thomas. He reminds me a lot of a former player I drafted/built up in De'Aron Fox (link is rookie year) WAAAAAAAAAAY back in the day. Nice passing potentials to go along with pretty elite athleticism and size to play PG. Fox had an F in Handles too but still was pretty great at the PG position. Fox was less athletic, but became a pretty incredible player over time. Thomas has that potential too.

This is where it gets more preference-y:

3a. (for those with defense boners) Garret Bristow. MONSTER SIZE. Lauri Markkanen potential on defense/rebounding. Offensive skills need investment though. This guy could be a great foundational piece if someone has the points to make him elite. His size and quickness (which should be trained up even more eventually, QKN not size... duh) allows him to play 2-5 easily.

3b. (offense-needy teams) Isaiah Heady. Elite athleticism for a guard & decent size. 17 YEARS OLD CURRENTLY. Will take some time to bake in the oven and needs a few extra ingredients (paid trainings) to elevate his defensive game. But this guy could be a top end scoring guard in the league with a little TLC.

5. Daniel Tamez. Run of the mill center in the league. 7', CHECK. Double Bs (or better) in rebounding, CHECK. Combination of B or better in 2 defensive categories, CHECK. Could be good on offensive, CHECK. What this dude lacks and honest what should be invested in is his JMP & JPS. I think he could be even better if he adds a little more athleticism and skill to his arsenal. But he's locked in as a C, and only a C.

The category of "Okay... I guess":

6. Stefan Murphey. Do you like having a foundation of defense on your player. Pick him and train his 3PS. BOOM.

7. Chris Steele. Do you like having your offensive skills built out and a high JMP/STA on your SF? Pick him and invest in PRD.

1. Dennis Lally - He is a purple player who is going to be franchise cornerstone for a lucky fanbase.
2. Abe Thomas - I love his player build. I think this is a great consolation prize for whoever loses the Lally sweepstakes.
3. Isaiah Heady - Really passes the eye test from an athletic POV. I hope the team that drafts him is able to train his potentials because the sky is the ceiling.
4. Garret Bristow - He possesses the best traits for a big, but is flexible enough to play the SF if needed. He is a great example of the power of a stretch forward.
5. Daniel Tamez - Any team looking for a C will be happy to draft Tamez. He does everything a big needs to do to be successful in the league.
6. Stefan Murphey - I like his offensive potential but he will need training.
7. Chris Steele - I think someone will trade up for this selection just to collect another blue so if the team that is slated to draft him gets creative they can get rewarded handsomely.

Since the question is about blue guys and the order they would be from 1st to 6th, I would say that the order in my mind would go like this;

1st blue off the board - Daniel Tamez - He's 19 and will turn 20 during the season but you can't teach 7-0 and 48 Jump. At that age he should have a really good TC and with some paid training in certain areas he can become a taller version of OG Anunoby. A little slower but would be a problem.

2nd blue off the board - Abe Thomas he's you tall and could be a combo guard. With that 90 qkn, 57 str gives me point guard vibes. The 88 jump is great for a person his height and at the point. another guy with a little tlc paid training that perimeter D will make him a match up problem.

3rd Blue off the borad - Isiah Heady a 17 year old raw talent that will be crazy good probably at the tail end of his RFA deal if whomever drafted him is patient with his growth.

4th - Stefan Murphey his attributes doesn't scream superstar but with a few good TCs he could be a key player on a championship team. His defensive potentials I think would improve every TC. I see potential bumps making him great and a GM happy they drafted him.

5th - Garret Bristow he's another athletic tall guy but because of his age would be picked later than the other blue guys.

6th - Chris Steel another guy who, if it wasn't cause of his age would be picked earlier. Being 21 scares GMs but the thing I like about older draft picks is they tend to have really good TCs and Steele would be that person to have that type of TC and be ready to contribute game 1 of the season.

Hope this made sense.

Ok, I am going to go against what everyone else here has said so far, but Frye it.

1. Daniel Tamez: I get it... it should be Dennis Lally... However I have learned most recently with Antonio Gates that having a young purple is not always the greatest. It took Gates 7 years to fully develop. I think Lally will be a good player, but that will take time that I dont want to theoretically wait on. So I am going to take Tamez. Tamez is my pick because he is the most unique of the group. He can be a really good big on both sides of the court and could even be retained at a cheaper rate then some of these other players in RFA if the cards are played right for the GM.

2. Abe Thomas: The same thing with Lally is still applicable here. I beleive Thoams is going to be as equally good as Lally when push comes to shove. However, I believe Thomas can be trained and developed to be better. Thomas is already close to being a starting level player on offense (closer than Lally) and you can sink points into his defense to make it not putrid (unless it turns him purple and destroys the purpose of my argument.) He also has pretty close athletics to Lally. You could also play around with Thomas' abilities and maybe make him a PG of sorts.

3. Dennis Lally: now the purple has been claimed. He is going to be good offenseivly and he has the steal trait to make him a potential net negative on defense as well. You are probably going to pray to the sim gods that one of the potentials in INS, 3PS, PSD, or PRD hit to make him a better player. Beggers can not be choosers, and this guy is a commodity.

4. Isiah Heady: This is a pick of me more liking the player then anything else. I really like his all offensive stats. I historically have alwyas had better defensive minded players and so I sometimes see the guys like Heady and see a shiny toy. I think he is a weaker version than my boy Lew Alcindor, but they could both become offensive firecrackers down the road. I was inclined to put him higher due to his age but meh...

5. Garret Bristow: Hello? Is anyone still reading the analysis at this point? I hope you are enjoying your week Greeple. I like Bristow for the opposite reasons I liked Heady. I think he will be a great defensive player and can be trained up to be an ok secondary offensive outlet. He is a little bit of an odd fit at SF, and I would most likely try to up his STR to make him a PF.

6. Stefan Murphey: Really I am not sure how to evaluate the last two as I am not really looking through the data that hard... I did notice Murphey did not have an F which is a good thing to not have. He is also going to be a great defensive player who is one training away from a decent offensive skillset potential. He is lower than Bristow however because I like the size associated to Bristow as an added wrinkle to his game.

7. CHRIS STEELE: You want to know why I picked him last Greeps? I know you are still glancing through these, while no one else gives a Fryeing Frye about what I have to say. He has an F PSD. That is not acceptable. Besides that, he just seems like the usual blue pot SF that seems to be produced in these draft classes. Unless attention is put into him from the beginning with a clear plan, he may never become something special.

+1 to @AngryBanana , @Eazy P , @pennpanther1 , @IamQuailman , @LazyTitanSmash , @@K-100 , @MexicanMamba , @greepleairport , @Black Superman , @garbageman