#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Well we tried to give you something to write about.
We followed stars like paparazzi and mid big men like injury attorneys.
We set the tone on draft day and built stock in picks up and down the board.
And we ain't done yet!
We'll be moving bodies and money as often as we can in order to get this organization to the top.

Last season was a hard pill to swallow.
We put a lot of trust in Brad Davis and he shit the bed on us.
We got a fair return when we sent him out of town and fully expect to build a bully with the pieces.
John Drew is a bucket, George Johnson is a scrapper, Quinn Buckner will pick a pocket.
The draft picks we got returned Darnell Valentin with the 20 pick this year and we still got a 1st in the chamber next year.
The 3 pick this year was a nice place to land, but we felt the draft was deep.
We're more than happy to welcome Calvin Natt and Orlando Woolridge, who both bring a ton of athleticism and highlight reel material.

Right now we're confident saying that we're the deepest team in the league.
Look for us to turn up the pace and hit the boards hard.
Though we haven't landed a star big yet, we'll rebound by committee.
Everyone will put in their work.
When we all grind, we all shine.

Starting Five will be:
Wayne Cooper
Alvan Adams
Terry Tyler
Calvin Natt
Michael Ray Richardson

Help us walk through why you went for Calvin Natt over the #1 projected player in the draft Isaiah Thomas? It was baffling that he fell to 3, and shocking that you traded out!

Bruce Wayne, New York Post

I will be the first to say the GM here in the big apple was shocked by the return you got for Brad Davis, so bravo on that. That being said, seems like you are really banking on Calvin sustaining the form he showed last year and carrying the team. Brad Davis had a tough year, but you did still lose your best facilitator. Even if Calvin averages 30 points a game again, how many wins over the 35 your grabbed last year do you think he gets you? Do you feel like you will be able jump our Knicks and compete with Dawkins and the Nets for the division?

IamQuailman wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 10:40 am Help us walk through why you went for Calvin Natt over the #1 projected player in the draft Isaiah Thomas? It was baffling that he fell to 3, and shocking that you traded out!

Actually the computer deciding to change the nature of the landscape came at a time when we were trying to get aligned with impact.
Last season we felt like our back-court was very deep and it landed us below .500.
Our intention coming into the draft was to land a big man, but after Buck Williams was picked, we felt like the other bigs were a bit of a reach for the pick.
We had IT come in for a work out.
We believe he will be a great player in the future with the right care and direction.
We're not necessarily looking for a long build.
Natt is a bucket, and we're very happy to add Orlando Woolridge in return for the long project that is IT.
We also had the luxury of adding Darnell Valentine who will be an excellent PG in the future.

NY_Magic_Garrett wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 11:42 am Bruce Wayne, New York Post

I will be the first to say the GM here in the big apple was shocked by the return you got for Brad Davis, so bravo on that. That being said, seems like you are really banking on Calvin sustaining the form he showed last year and carrying the team. Brad Davis had a tough year, but you did still lose your best facilitator. Even if Calvin averages 30 points a game again, how many wins over the 35 your grabbed last year do you think he gets you? Do you feel like you will be able jump our Knicks and compete with Dawkins and the Nets for the division?

First off
We don't need Calvin to score 30, even though we welcome the possibility.
You mentioned the return we got for Davis, and I'll point out that Drew is a capable scorer as well.
We feel like we made improvements up and down our roster and added real depth.
In regards to the division, I do like the moves you made in the off-season.
Adding Buck Williams and Rickey Green should move the needle for you and the team in Jersey ain't goin nowhere.
I'll be more than happy with 48 wins, but I hope to approach a number in that range.

Steve Duin, Blazers beatwriter for the Oregonian...

What do you see in rookie Brad Branson that made you comfortable giving him the nod to be a starter this season?

WigNosy wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 2:45 pm Steve Duin, Blazers beatwriter for the Oregonian...

What do you see in rookie Brad Branson that made you comfortable giving him the nod to be a starter this season?

We don't have a lot of height on this roster.
I have a few guys that look more talented than him who are 6'9", but I don't think this computer is prepared to recognize that a a viable center.
He does a few things decently according to his attributes.
Hopefully it will pan out in the sim.

Generic Wolves Reporter: You said that you are interested in turning the pace up -- are you worried about turnovers? It seems like only a few of your players are skilled at handling the ball.

Do you expect Natt to get your team into the playoff picture this season? Will he be the main focal point?

JNR wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:35 am Generic Wolves Reporter: You said that you are interested in turning the pace up -- are you worried about turnovers? It seems like only a few of your players are skilled at handling the ball.

I am not particularly worried about turnovers. As you alluded to, we definitely have some players capable of handling the ball, and we pass fairly overall. I think a war of attrition is what we will welcome. Again, We believe in our depth.

Eazy P wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2025 4:06 pm Do you expect Natt to get your team into the playoff picture this season? Will he be the main focal point?

I do expect Natt to lead our team on and off the court, but we made some wholesale changes, and most of them for the better. I'm looking at all the guys we brought in to contribute, and yes we'll make the playoffs.

WigNosy wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2025 2:45 pm Steve Duin, Blazers beatwriter for the Oregonian...

What do you see in rookie Brad Branson that made you comfortable giving him the nod to be a starter this season?

Just updating this point, we were lucky enough to complete a deal for Wayne Cooper, and he will immediately be sliding into the starting rotation.

Is Calvin Natt part of your long term plans?

LazyTitanSmash wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:24 pm Is Calvin Natt part of your long term plans?

For clarity, I LOVE Calvin Natt!!!
I appreciate him coming in day 1 and putting in work like a DOG.
That kind of work ethic is contagious and breeds winning culture.
I also appreciate that he took Terry Tyler under his wing and got in the weight room.

That being said, I'm not really a long term planner.
So if an opportunity comes along that makes sense, I could possibly change course tomorrow.