#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

We know this front office is theatrical, so no one is surprised when the lights go out and a projector whirrs to life.

"I stressed a slow rebuild."

A mute video of The JNR last year, gripping the podium, speaking to reporters.

"I said we would bide our time and wait for the right opportunity to try and compete again."

Chris Bosh goes for a dunk and misses. Rip Hamilton speaks at a Pistons press conference. JaVale McGee tries to dribble and falls over, kicking the ball as he falls.

"I was fully committed to a slow rebuild."

Suddenly, the screen goes black and one man's face pops up.
"But...things changed."

When the lights come back on, The JNR is standing at the podium with his starting lineup behind him. He looks uneasy.

The JNR: Are you guys actually surprised that my impatience got the better of me? It doesn't make me special. It just makes me a PBSL GM.

The crowd politely laughs.

The JNR: Last year I was ready to start over. I moved Rip, giving us cap space for this year and beyond. I wanted to find a team that could defend around Chris. I had targets in RFA. One of them, Ray Felton, was very interested in our offer and we were able to acquire him from New Orleans. We know we paid a little bit too much for him, but we trust him to be a steady hand and to get our big men the ball.

Speaking of...

The JNR smiles a shit-eating grin.

The JNR: Unrestricted free agency. You'll never believe me, but Carlos Boozer was not one of our targets.

But then we got a call from his agent. He said "Carlos wants to play with Chris. He thinks they can be the most devastating frontcourt in PBSL history." He was willing to leave an extra year of security, over 30 million dollars, for the chance to play in Minnesota. Some things you can't just ignore.

So we signed him, and we signed some depth in Magloire as well. We're excited about all of our acquisitions, including our draft, where we pulled in high-upside shooting guard Marcus Thornton, and also Sundiata Gaines, who we project to be a bench defender. We know that we have many flaws in our team, particularly our defense. We know that abandoning the slow plan leaves us open to several risks.

But I'll be honest, I'm excited. Signing Carlos has given this team an energy we've lacked for quite some time. Maybe we'll break our first-round-and-done streak. Maybe we won't. But no matter what, we'll have a ton of fun doing it.

Here's our projected starting lineup:

PG: Raymond Felton - We paid him like a starter and we want him to act like it. His responsibilities are to man the offense and limit mistakes.
SG: Marcus Thornton - Our #14 draft pick is going to get minutes off the bat, and he's expected to provide some backup scoring punch.
SF: Jason Kapono - He performed admirably last year as a backup, and we think he'll do great as our main shooter.
PF: Carlos Boozer - Score, defend, and work with Chris to create an impossible duo to defend.
C: Chris Bosh - See note on Boozer, then put the word "Carlos" in for "Chris."

Like I said, it should be fun! Any questions?

If your team finds success early on; how hard will you push to bring in an experienced backcourt player to lead this team? Or are you confident that Felton/Thorton can get it done?

aburns211 wrote:If your team finds success early on; how hard will you push to bring in an experienced backcourt player to lead this team? Or are you confident that Felton/Thorton can get it done?

The JNR: Thanks for the question. If we're doing well early on, we do have the resources to try and upgrade something in the backcourt. It's something we've reached out to GMs about early on, but we haven't made any firm plans yet. That being said, we expect a lot from Ray and Marcus and hope they can deliver.

Random Dallas reporter:

How good do you feel about your team's defensive ability? You always run a fast-paced high-scoring attack. Will the D be there too this season?

We know it's just preseason, but talk to us about these statlines.

Chris Bosh: 30.2 - 10.0 - 66.7%
Carlos Boozer: 31.2 - 11.7 - 53.8%

The CB Twins look strong together. Do you think it's realistic to believe they could average out 60-20 together this season?

fearthebrow wrote:Random Dallas reporter:

How good do you feel about your team's defensive ability? You always run a fast-paced high-scoring attack. Will the D be there too this season?

The JNR: In two words...probably not. I intended to create a defensive juggernaut around Bosh going into this offseason, but the opportunity to find wing and backcourt defenders just wasn't there. I do think that having a three man frontcourt of Chris, Carlos, and Jamaal is going to do a lot for our defense in the paint. We just need to find a way to minimize dependency on the backcourt in that respect.

NOLa. wrote:We know it's just preseason, but talk to us about these statlines.

Chris Bosh: 30.2 - 10.0 - 66.7%
Carlos Boozer: 31.2 - 11.7 - 53.8%

The CB Twins look strong together. Do you think it's realistic to believe they could average out 60-20 together this season?

The JNR: Well, we played at the fastest pace in the preseason, even though our game plan didn't dictate it. So I don't know if those numbers are sustainable, but I will say that any fears about Chris and Carlos not being able to work well together should be assuaged now.

If we're talking about preseason statistics, though, I have to say what surprised me the most was Jason Kapono, scoring 18.5 points on a blistering 55.8%, including an amazing 58.1% from three on 31 attempts. That's something that is also probably unsustainable, but will be a big boost for us this year if he can keep it up.

What nicknames are you going with for your front court?
1. C & C Dunk Factory
2. Boozer and The Bosh
3. Chris and Carlos' Excellent Adventure

Also how do you feel about the city council's decision to change the city's name to "Miannesota"?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

The JNR: I'll be honest, I don't get the last one, especially since Minnesota isn't a city. But out of those nicknames, I have to say C&C Dunk Factory is my favorite!

How far do you see your team going this season with the Addition of Boozer? you have one of the most dangerous front courts in sim league history

Eazy P wrote:How far do you see your team going this season with the Addition of Boozer? you have one of the most dangerous front courts in sim league history

The JNR: Like I said before, my team has clear flaws. Defense is a concern, and there are some great scorers in the Western Conference. I think we will make the playoffs, but beyond that I have no idea how far we can go.

Random Reporter: You've talked a lot about your frontcourt, a little about your backcourt, but not very much about your bench. What kind of contributions are you looking to get out of them, and are there any particular players who you're looking at to make an impact off the bench?

Xist2Inspire wrote:Random Reporter: You've talked a lot about your frontcourt, a little about your backcourt, but not very much about your bench. What kind of contributions are you looking to get out of them, and are there any particular players who you're looking at to make an impact off the bench?

The JNR: I expect some major contributions from Anthony Morrow and Jamaal Magloire. Big Cat is going to bring us defense and energy off the bench, and Morrow is needed to be a big time shooter. I think we'll see some good things from Rudy Fernandez too.

Nick Melon; The Advocate: While all the attention and deservedly so is going to your signing of Carlos Boozer, what led to the decision to deal the high upside but also highly questionable talent, Javale McGee from your front court in exchange for wing swingman, Rudy Fernandez? Lack of minutes with the signing of Magloire? More versatility in the back court?

The JNR: You called it. I had a stacked frontcourt and my wing depth was a little bare. I noticed that McGee had a great training camp, and we're very happy for him. However, even with his improved camp, he wouldn't have taken playing time from Jamaal.

Reporter from Houston:

Outside of your team and maybe the Fryeing Spurs, the rest of the Midwest seems to be a dumpster fire. How much pressure has the front office put on you to win this division and get the 2nd seed in the playoffs?

78# wrote:Reporter from Houston:

Outside of your team and maybe the Fryeing Spurs, the rest of the Midwest seems to be a dumpster fire. How much pressure has the front office put on you to win this division and get the 2nd seed in the playoffs?

The JNR: I've stressed this a few times already: our plan was to be more patient. Obviously that changed. Part of that was finding Carlos had interest, but the other part was watching perrenial contenders such as Denver and Utah take deliberate steps back. It made sense to try to push ourselves to strike now, especially with the chance to land Carlos.

How high are expectations in Minnesota?

RPF wrote:How high are expectations in Minnesota?

The JNR: Reasonably high. We think we can compete in the playoffs, but we make no mistakes that there are much better teams out there.

Have you considered sending any side compensation to the Celtics?

IamQuailman wrote:Have you considered sending any side compensation to the Celtics?

The JNR: I understand that the Celtics front office can't be happy their star player turned down a 5-year max to join our team. Losing players to free agency is always tough. I wish nothing but the best for the Celtics going forward.

How do you think Magloire will fit in with your frontcourt? Do you worry he could become a locker room cancer if he doesn't see the floor?

WigNosy wrote:How do you think Magloire will fit in with your frontcourt? Do you worry he could become a locker room cancer if he doesn't see the floor?

The JNR: We had a great working relationship with Jamaal last time he was in town. I think he can fill both positions in limited time off the bench. If he insists on being a bigger part of the gameplan, we have ideas in place to make sure all of our talent is on the floor.

Bill Simmons Sports Guy here, this question is directly for Boozer. Frye you.

Conroy wrote:Bill Simmons Sports Guy here, this question is directly for Boozer. Frye you.

Boozer: I know I've made a lot of enemies in Boston. I want to say that I enjoyed my time there. Boston treated me like family, and I truly appreciated it. I will always respect the organization and the fans, as well as Bill Simmons, who has an unrivaled passion for the game.

At the end of the day, I made the decision I thought was right for me and my family. I apologize to anyone in the organization who feels like I misled them, and I hope that one day the fans can understand why I made my decision.