- Ballsohard, Crafty 76er GM trying to steal the Knicks limelight and reliving his childhood rivalry with the Celtics
- NOLa, Smarmy Kings GM battling it out with a team of celestial bodies
- Eazy P, Tank Advocating Spurs GM looking for the next Ray Allen, Josh Smith, Russell Westbrook
- RPF, Tantalizing Nets GM making his presence known on Skype and the SLOE Standings
- False9, Asset Collecting Magic GM trying to pry a few more points from you just before finalizing a trade
Now let's get down to business!
1. The East is shaping up to be the toughest it's been in years. Which team is your favorite from each EC Division? Which team has surprised you the most with their performance (be it good or bad)?
Ballsohard: The Pistons and the Bulls are the darlings of a loaded East. I have the Pistons winning it in the regular season due to the RWB injury. What does that mean? It means with the Pistons most likely taking the #1 in the East and the Bulls will grab the 4 seed by default. This sets up another epic second round matchup for the two teams and home court matters. The team that’s surprised me the most is the Bobcats. They spite-traded for KD and laughed in the face of the Magic-tank saying they made a mistake not trading it back. And now they’re in the early lotto.
NOLa.: My favorite in the Atlantic Division has to be the 76ers because of the core young guys who are starting to enter their prime. Ben Hen, Grim Reaper and Fultz are each scoring more than 20 ppg, so they are well rounded and the team has played great on the road, which I feel gives them the edge over the Knicks and Celtics. It’s a tough division for sure. In the Central I’m starting to believe the Pistons can take the division. The Pistons and Bulls have about the same record, but a key difference may be the Westbrook injury. He’s out for two more sims, which the Pistons should be able to gain a few extra games for their lead. It may be too much for the Bulls to come back from, but we’ll see. In the Southeast it’s easily the Hawks. For the first few sims there it looked like a division where no one wanted to win, but per the norm over the last handful of seasons, no Southeast team is stepping to challenge them.
Eazy P: Yeah the East is a blood bath this season with a lot of good teams Competing to represent the conference in the finals. My Favorite team from each division are
Atlantic - 76ers
Central - Bulls
Southeast - Hawks
My surprise good team in the East are the Brooklyn Nets. I didn't think they would be as good as they are this season. I know it's still early but 2.5 games out of the 5th Spot and still in striking distance of winning the division which is probably a long shot with the way the Sixers are playing. My surprise bad team are the Pacers. I thought this team would have been better than what they are right. On top of that not having their pick that is currently in the lotto. They are going to have to make a huge move to get out of this deep hole in the bloody East.
RPF: The Eastern conference is like the SEC, we all beat up on the other in the gauntlet to face the easy Western conference champions. I think the Pistons will come out of the east, I mean you have to put your money on Anthony Davis. I think the Pacers, I know they don't have a point guard but I don't think anyone expected them to only have 9 wins at this moment.
False9: No surprises here- the Sixers, Bulls (Westbroke injury aside), and Hawks are the class of their Divisions. I look forward to the inevitable Bulls-Sixers III matchup. I would say the Hawks don't look like their usually selves, but Wig's gonna Wig, so don't count them out. The Celtics have been pleasant surprises; who knew surrounding KAT and Ullis with two former Magic bums would be a winning formula? The Pacers have been a major disappointment- if only they could trade for a point guard like ISH SMITH. Ahem.
Quailman: Atlantic will be the Sixers this year, but watch out for the Celtics. Central to the Pistons (even tho he Detroit Shook City), especially in the wake of the Bulls injury woes. Southeast to the Hawks, although Wizards last few months of season have a lot more favorable schedule (home > away)... could be close. Surprise Team in the east for me is the Nets. After struggling hard last year, the team seems to have found a winning formula with Chriss and Pedraza. If they can somehow score a legitimate 2-guard, watch out.
2. The Suns and Kings are battling it out for not only the Pacific but for the top of the West. Which other team in the West could give them a run for their money the most? Do the Jazz still stand a chance to repeat their Finals appearance?
Ballsohard: Really, my answer is no one. The West is almost devoid of great teams outside of those two and I have the Kings a full tier above the Suns. The Jazz have been in a slide since making some moves although they have the talent, I like some of their magical run last year had some luck. I think this year without any home court series their luck will run out.
NOLa.: Pre-trade, I was going to go with the Timberwolves, but I think the Giannis trade to the Warriors just puts the Warriors slightly ahead of the Wolves. The Warriors team is talented and with Giannis they are going to have another great set of versatile wing players, but it will be interesting to see who plays PG now that Smart is gone. With the Jazz, what happened to this team? I couldn’t put away this team in the playoffs last season and it was one of the more complete teams I played against. The team has made a couple of trades that left me scratching my head, but digiskunk is known for this and it usually works out. Maybe this year those trades don’t. I don’t want to say the Jazz have no chance to repeat last season’s success in the postseason, but they are currently not even in the playoff seeding.
Eazy P: I would say the T-Wolves but history shows that prolly won't be the case. The Jazz can repeat but their GM has to do his part as far as game planing. That Jazz team is talented but talent can only get you so far. Once the Jazz get their ducks in a row they will be a scary team to deal with.
RPF: Pretty simple answer here and that answer is NOBODY. They have a combined record of 51-10 and only 2 losses at home. The west has already given up to them and started the tank. I really like Gary but I just don't see the same commitment this season like I saw last season. Do they think they can just turn it on like last season? I mean someone wake this team up already, time is ticking.
False9: How about some respect for the current 2 seed, the Twolves? Never bet against a team with a purple player. MAYBE THEY TOO SHOULD TRADE FOR ISH SMITH. Ahem. Also, the Warriors will be very interesting with all their trades. I'm curious if Harden or the Freak will see time at the point, although MAYBE THEY SHOULD...you get where I'm going here. I think the Jazz still have a shot. I'm not sure why management was so desperate to ditch Towers, but as long as they've got Kight and Gebhart, they'll be a tough matchup.
Quailman: Unlike like some of you on this panel, I still have faith that the Jazz can turn their recent woes around. Sim 4's post-trade forgotten DC will set them back during a loaded sim, but I think this team can go on a run still. Kight and Juicy are that damn good. They need to turn Neeley into some big man help though.
3. A lot of big names have shifted this off-season and throughout the 1st third of the regular season. Which move has been the most impactful? Which move do you think will turn out to be a regret?
Ballsohard: The big story to me is how little those moves have mattered. We’ve seen McNary moved and the Pelicans are still trash. Giannis move is yet to be seen on how it turns out. Paul George still has the Bucks in feel sorry for me mode. Clippers getting traped for John Wall still keeps them terrible. Durant to the Bobcats meant nothing. You look up at the standings and they’re very familiar still. In terms of regrets, I’ll just pick all of the above for any Bucks trades since there’s so many trade-backs on that front.
NOLa.: I remember in my preseason presser there was a question about the Harrison Barnes trade for the Suns, and I thought it was a very quiet trade that went unnoticed. The trade has been huge for the Suns because Barnes is a perfect fit next to Kevin Love. He’s averaging career highs in minutes per game, points per game, rebounds per game, and is shooting nearly 48% from 3. It’s really given a big boost to a Suns team that many simply credit Kevin Love for, but Messi continues to gather pieces that work with Love.
For the biggest regret, I have to wonder if the McNary trade will come back to haunt either of the trading parties. Initially, I didn’t understand the Pelicans trading for McNary, as they already have Pearsall. Pearsall isn’t as talented as McNary, but it would be a stretch to say McNary is a much better player. Did they give up on Pulley just to move Rubio? And for the Bucks, did the leg injury and training camp tarnish Quail’s judgement? In the end, both sides may come out as winners in this, but in time we’ll look back and see if someone made a mistake.
Eazy P: The most impactful move is the Bucks acquiring Rubio. Rubio is still a good pg even though his contract is really high. I think he's the reason the Bucks season is going in a positive direction after the McNary botched TC. The move that will be a regret will be Pels trading for McNary. McNary ended the season with a bad injury and then followed up with a bad TC. I think this was a high risk trade for the Pels and may come back and bite them.
RPF: Kevin Durant and reason being it derailed the plans of Chad. I mean he just had to get past this season without his pick but now he has that contract around his neck and that ship is sinking. This is a live look at Andy after every sim call....
As for regret... See above!!!
False9: I guess we can't count the MYSTERY MILBURN TRADE since it actually hasn't been procsessed yet. Could Doug's various transaction churning have paid off? He's paid a hefty price, but he's got a formidable starting five now, enough to get to round 2 at least. The Arron Magness won't be a huge regret, but that's still quite a few points for not filling some gaps the Nets have to fill. The Atlantic looks brutal, and I don't think Magness pushes the Nets over the three teams above them.
Quailman: Most impactful trade so far.. not to toot my own horn but the McNary/Payton for Rubio/Pulley trade has turned my team around a lot, both on the court and in the lockerroom mentality. But I think NOLa brought up a good example of another big impact trade in Harrison Barnes to the Suns. He's having a fantastic season, and I'm not sure if the Suns are where they are without his contributions. Regretful moves, I personally regretted sending away a future pick for Hailey, but it was the price to pay to try and compete now. Hopefully I won't regret it later this season or down the line.
4. Pick one contributor on your team that doesn't get the respect he deserves and tell the world what he means to your team.
Ballsohard: Rajon Rondo probably doesn’t get much respect around the league, but he does exactly what’s asked of him in Philly, he passes the ball (at the highest rate in career), he defends, he gets turnovers, and he misses a lot of shots to help with my offensive rebounding numbers.
NOLa.: Easily Michael Carter-Williams for me. After the first round of UFA in which I spent all my cap on Lamb, I raised a few eyebrows when I put in a huge bid to win MCW back for one more season. He’s a split-6-man for me, sharing with Donovan Mitchell (when both are healthy). He’s been on my team for 2.5 seasons, and when he’s on my team, my team is that much better. I can’t explain how, especially looking at his stats, but for my team he’s the ultimate glue guy. He can pass, rebound, defend and play 3 different positions off the bench, and he does all those things really well. With Duren, Irving, Lamb, Mithcell and Simmons scoring, the one thing MCW struggles with is not a necessity for our team, so he just fits. He is the glass slipper to my Cinderella feet.
Eazy P: Well my team is bad and I don't see at the moment one person that should be demanding respect from anyone right now. They are still young and have to earn it. Ask me this question a few seasons from now and I would probably have a different response. I am sure by then they would have earned their respect from their peers.
RPF: TJ Warren, I mean the guy is the glue to the team. Buddy and Funky get all the press but TJ just shows up and puts in some serious work even though HE'S CURRENTLY ON THE TRADING BLOCK.
False9: Oh, Ted Adams, my heart sings for you. You don't really rebound well and you're an average defender at best. But you can score inside, so that's a nice bright side on an otherwise intentionally dreary Magic team. Keep getting those FGAs, Teddy.
Quailman: Russell Arciniega has been called many things: short, slow, weird. But this guy is single-handedly leading a renaissance in Milwaukee. Once moving on from McNary, it opened up the opportunity to start Arciniega at the 4, where he is able to outperform his height. In a starting role, he's contributing 16.5ppg (52% from the field), 8.6rpg, 2.9 bpg in 30mpg. He has been one of the key cogs in this team's success and we are happy to have him aboard.
5. If you could do away with one rule in Sim League, what would that rule be and why?
Ballsohard: The one rule I would get rid of would be the one that restricts teams from picking up players in the playoffs. We’ve seen teams try and do this in the past and if the guy’s been a FA all year and someone needs to add to their roster for a run why not let them. If we’re going to have a restriction on it, just say anyone released after X date can’t be picked up.
NOLa.: I was thinking about this today because it has been brought up: why do we limit media points for your own team articles to 3 points? I want to preface this by saying Balls followed the rules in giving 3 points. It’s a dumb rule that a coordinator followed, but instead of blaming the coordinator who followed the rules, we should blame the rule. Gary wrote one of the craziest, odd, but very, very fun article giving a background to his favorite player on his team Juicy James. Despite the well written and entertaining article, which we should be promoting, Gary was penalized by a poor rule implemented so GMs “wouldn’t slurp their own team”. I get that we don’t want everyone just writing articles about just their team and want the focus to be on the league, but not many GMs write articles in the full scope of points allowed. Why are we limiting the points these GMs can make? If you write a great article, we should not penalize you for not talking about another team. What’s the difference between the other articles Gary wrote about a player on his team vs the other articles he wrote about a player on another team that got 5 points (he wrote about Erik Haynes and got the full 5, for the same style of article). The league should encourage GMs to write about their teams, not discourage it. Are we seriously that vain that if someone writes an article about their team we feel their efforts are worth less than the usual 5-on-5s, mock drafts, and the same articles we get over and over again? The rule is ridiculous and takes away the fun of telling the league “Hey, I’m proud of my team and I want to contribute to the league by doing a writeup about it.” Scott followed the rule and he can’t just override it, but maybe this could be the start of getting rid of a poorly though-out rule.
Eazy P: One rule I think that should be change is the rule that do not allow teams to train 2nd and 3rd all league players. I think teams should be able to train those guys the following season. I think that no training rule should just be for all league 1st team guys.
RPF: Oh wow this one is a slam dunk. The 4 part 5 on 5 questions by you. Its 9 questions disguised as 5. What is it about you just asking a simple damn question? Why don't you answer that for us huh!!
False9: From a purely selfish perspective, let me insure more than 3 guys. I've got points to burn, dammit. On a more serious note, let's continue discussing training purple dudes- poor De La Rosa is never going to play more than 30 minutes without it.
Quailman: All good points and suggestions (except for RPF, SMD). If I had one, I think I would say the rule that prohibits training purple potential players in Foul Rating. I think this is truly a behind the scenes rating that isn't a "skill" perse, and really inhibits the ability of a player to be on the court. It's a shame that we have to pay to bring up guys who may have single digit Foul Ratings, but it is a curse to have a purple potential guy who cant stay on the floor due to foul trouble. I also think training purple players in current ratings only so long as their current is orange or yellow should be allowed. But I think this one would get a bit of push back around the league.
BONUS: Now that Germany is eliminated in the WC, who is your pick to win it all this World Cup?
Ballsohard: No hair. Don’t care. (RONAAAALDO)
NOLa.: I’m going to stick with France for no reason other than it was the team I felt could win it all.
Eazy P: I haven't been really following the World Cup. It's on during either work hours or when I am at home asleep. I just hope whatever underdog team left will win LOL. I hope Mexico win it all if the aren't already eliminated.
RPF: BRAZIL...............................not the sad ass team usa.............................BRAZIL
False9: I'll go sentimental and go with the teams/players that got me into the beautiful game and and say Spain over Argentina.
Quailman: Japan all the way. I'm a homer (and Japan is my 2nd home... HONDA-SAN!!!!!!!!!)
Thank you everyone for your contributions! Hope everyone enjoys and has a great sim!
