NBA Fantasy Draft (BENNY AND BBALL ARE LEFT!)

[n8 the gr8]

Ok, what do we say the rankings and seedings come out next Sunday and anyone who dosen't have a summary gets the seeds behind the people with summaries, I'll start at noon. Is that too far away? I'm not in any rush, but I'm happy to do anything that you all want me to do as a judge.

[nazrmohamed]

hello?

[rynyk222]

i think i signed on as a judge too..

wats the deal with this?

[spree#8]

i think i signed on as a judge too..

wats the deal with this?

Judge the teams! You're on the clock...

[Ken The Animal Bannister]

First things first - I'm dropping Rafer Alston (because I think he'll bitch w/o playing time) and adding....

JAMES HARDEN SG 6'5" 210



b/c I need another pure shooter/SG/someone who can rock the bowtie

Thaaaaaa CLIPSHOW!

COACH: Gregg Popovich

STARTERS:
PG: Mo Williams
SG: Brandon Roy
SF: Gerald Wallace
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Kendrick Perkins

BENCH:
PG/SG: Leandro Barbosa
PF/C: Chris Andersen
SG/SF: Josh Childress
PG/SG: Delonte West
C: Zydrunas Ilgausakas

LAST GUYS: Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, James Harden

STRENGTHS:
De-fense (clap, clap), De-fense! - Between G-Force, KG, Perk, and the Birdman, we've got the best shotblocking and rebounding in the league, athletes, bruisers, and size to spare.

Versatility - Everyone off the bench clan play at least one spot. We can go big or small and three point shooters abound to surround the post guys. We've got a plethora of defenders to throw at Kobe/Lebron/etc. (Luc R/G-Force/J-Chill/Roy/DWest) and the best interior rotation in our League.

We be MEAN - between KG, G-Force, Perk, Birdman, DWest (gun charge baby!) and Mo Dubs, we're ready to rumble. Do NOT discount the intimidation factor.

BBall IQ- Coach Pops will teach these guys to play SMART, Spurs-style championship ball and share the ball on o. Everyone on the roster is an efficient scorer that doesn't turn the ball over and shoots well from the FT line. In crunch-time, we'll go pick and roll w/KG n' Roy and slow the game down. There are definitely FLASHIER rosters out there, but this team is built to win in the playoffs, when games slow down and every possession counts. Every guy on the roster knows their role and is ready to sacrifice for the TEAM.

As my final move, we're going back to the powder blue unis (b/c they kick ass!)

[rynyk222]

i would rank the following teams in this order:




1. knicksfan4life - Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade, Caron Butler, Rajon Rondo, Nene, Andrew Bynum, Russell Westbrook, Luol Deng, Jeff Van Gundy (c), Luis Scola, Roger Mason, Brendan Haywood, Kyle Korver, Nick Collison

this team should have a nice inside outside game - and a very nice balance of youth and veterans - defensively elite team - and very capable role players. hopefully JVG knows how to run the team - and take advantage of their offensive superiority

2. nbafreak724 - New Orleans Hornets: Kobe Bryant, Baron Davis, Josh Smith, Mehmet Okur, Josh Howard, Paul Millsap, Andrew Bogut, Ramon Sessions, Rick Adelman (c), Rasual Butler, Carl Landry, Glen Davis, Tyreke Evans

very good balance on the perimeter - team could use more "beef" in the interior - Millsap and Bpgut as their lowpost threats could use an upgrade - but the wing players are solid - Kobe and Baron have the ability to dominate. Smith should compensate for Okur's defensive inabilities and perimeter game

3.nazrmohamed - Golden State Warriors: Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Speedy Claxton, Jason Richardson, Rodney Stuckey, George Karl (c), Anthony Randolph, Joel Pryzbilla, Chris Duhon, Jason Thompson, Anthony Parker, Yi Jianlian

interior presence is beastly - hedo should get plenty of looks - PG position is very thin and weak - but Bosh and Howard on the same court is scary

4. Nononsense - San Antonio Spurs: LeBron James, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Kenyon Martin, Kirk Hinrich, Jerry Sloan (c), Kelenna Azubuike, Francisco Garcia, Derek Fisher, Ben Wallace

great individual players - but lack of interior post game makes this team very unattractive - this team would excel at an up tempo style of play - then again Lebron could be the only post presence this team needs.

5. N8theGR8 - Orlando Magic: Amar'e Stoudemire, Ron Artest, Manu Ginobili, Allen Iverson, Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, Andres Nocioni, Pat Riley (c), Kevin Love, Rudy Fernandez, Danilo Gallinari, Javale McGee, Courtney Lee

big fan of this team - could easily be a top 3 team - one trade away from being a top tier team - a PG facilitator is needed - excellent scorers - but no distribution and ball control are major issues for this team

6. MrMajik2 - Los Angeles Lakers: Joe Johnson, Tony Parker, Yao Ming, Marcus Camby, Tayshaun Prince, Nate Robinson, Doc Rivers (c), Wilson Chandler, Hasheem Thabeet, Al Thornton, Jarrett Jack, Andray Blatche, DeMar Derozan

excellent balance on this team - the bench is major concern- starting 5 is easily one of best - better hope your bigs dont get injured - and hope that doc knows how to coach a team with out the BIG 3.

7. FuryRealm25 - Phoenix Suns: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kevin Martin, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Mike D'Antoni (c), Shane Battier, Nenad Kristic, Tyrus Thomas, Raja Bell, Anderson Varejao, Aaron Brooks, Travis Outlaw

if this team works out the right 5 players assembled on the court - could be very scary - nash martin and gordon all on the same court would be defensively challenged - but okafor thomas and battier should help clean up their mistakes

8. spree #8 - Sacramento Kings: Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, Antawn Jamison, David Lee, Mike Bibby, Eric Gordon, Jermaine O'Neal, Mario Chalmers, Avery Johnson (c), James Posey, Erick Dampier, Ryan Gomes, Stephen Curry

very nice leadership on this team - my concern is the age of their core players - not sure if they have enough in the tank to do any damage

9.BenNY89 - Houston Rockets: Derrick Rose, Devin Harris, Rudy Gay, Shaquille O'Neal, Jamal Crawford, Troy Murphy, Larry Brown (c), Grant Hill, Joakim Noah, Udonis Haslem, Beno Udrih, Matt Barnes, Zach Randolph

if Shaq could be dominant - this team is a force - but most likely shaq needs more help with the low post - and zbo is their only other option - needs more at the 4 or 5 positions

10.nyknicksfan27 - Toronto Raptors: Carmelo Anthony, Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Lamar Odom, Raymond Felton, Samuel Dalembert, Al Harrington, Andrea Bargnani, Rick Carlisle (c), Michael Dunleavy, Larry Hughes, Mickael Pietrus, Joel Anthony

very good role players - bench is very questionable - team could be the sleeper team - odom would need to hold his own against other elite PFs - i just dont believe he can - interior game is questionable

11.NYKCroatia - Denver Nuggets: Kevin Durant, Al Jefferson, OJ Mayo, Tyson Chandler, Phil Jackson (c), TJ Ford, Michael Beasley, Corey Maggette, Randy Foye, Brad Miller, Earl Watson, Johnny Flynn, DeShawn Stevenson

youth is gift and curse - no leadership - good players - great team in a couple of years

12.YouthMovement - Oklahoma City Thunder: Stephen Jackson, Lamarcus Aldridge, Rashard Lewis, Monta Ellis, Elton Brand, Andre Miller, Thaddeus Young, John Salmons, Boris Diaw, Stan Van Gundy (c), Marcin Gortat, Mike Miller, Andris Biedrins

better luck next yr - no superstars - not good balance.

[knicksfan4life]

El Heat:


PG: The team features Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook at the point, both are similar players but it's not a bad thing. Rondo is known for his great defense and the fact that he is a triple double threat, he's a good rebounder for a point guard and is a good distributor. Westbrook is going to be even better this year than in his rookie campaign, he's a skilled defensive player and as most of my player do, disrupts passing lanes. We will pressure the ball and make it hell for passing the basketball, on offense they can get to the hoop and we have shooters like Korver, Deng (mid-range), Butler, Wade, Mason who will make the most of open opportunities. They also can funnell penetration into Bynum and Nene in order to create a lot of contested shots.

At Shooting Guard: Dwayne Wade, he's good. He creates turnovers, he runs (which we will do), he finishes, he blocks shots, he rebounds, he scores, he defends, he does everything and Westbrook will play some time here, and Mason may see time. Wade will handle the ball in big moments of course, draws doubles leaving Bynum man covered in the post, he's tough to handle if you don't have a good defensive center. Wade's one of the top 4 players in the league (LeBron, Kobe, Wade, Paul in some order).

SF: Caron Butler and Luol Deng. Deng didn't play much last season but is expected to make a full recovery and is going to be depended on by the Bulls this season with Ben Gordon gone, I think he will have a big year, versatile wing. Butler is a very underappreciated talent, he is an all-star and can do everything pretty well, he can rebound, he can pass, he can score, he can defend, he can guard bigger guys cause he's strong he posts up smaller guys he creates mis matches, Caron Butler is legit. Korver's on the squad too, he's money when he's open from distance and he should be able to get open from distance so shots will probably go in.


PF: Nene and Luis Scola and we've got Nick Collison ! Nene's a beast, he's real efficient he's getting way better he scores at a high clip and is real strong he's hard to handle 1 on 1 he's pretty swift too for a big fella he can play the 4, Deng or Butler can guard the hybrid 3/4's cause they're both good sized, Scola's a good guy to have around, he's a good passer for a 4 he can put the bal in the hoop he hustles his ass off. Collison is even pretty good, he's fundamentally sonud doesn't make any mistakes just plays ball.

C: Andrew Bynum and Nene and Brandon Haywood: Bynum is a monster, he's big he was putting up numbers before he got hurt htan had to jump into playoff ball which is tough, he's a good athlete he's a good shot blocker so is Haywood, Nene can play center too so my teams awesome with size.

We'd be tough to beat cause they shoot a high percentage and are defensively aggressive and would force a lot of turnovers especialyl wtih Van Gundy preaching D, mad athletes and versatile players and we got guys that can shoot and guys that can get the ball to guys that can shoot. Plus we have Dwayne Wade !

[Sundov=NextMJ]

pg - calderon/terry/conley
sg - iguodala/brewer
sf - kirilenko/williams
pf - boozer/villenueva
c - gasol/oden

coach: nate mcmillan

This team has everything.

- Great defense (iguodala who is a top 3 defender in the league, and kirilenko is one of the most versatile and effective weak side defenders in the league, gasol is a good defender also as he showed in the finals this year, oden is an up an coming defender)
- Great bench (terry won 6th man of the year last season, and most guys can play at least 2 positions)
- Great passers (kirilenko is a very underrated passer, gasol and calderon are one of the best passers from the post and at the point in the league)

I could go on and on (don't have the time) but this is what you call a real team, with no ball dominating players who can put up 30 points one night and kill you with a 5-25 from the field on another night. Boozer and gasol form the best 4-5 combo in a long, long time and their games complement each other perfectly.

[Ken The Animal Bannister]

i would rank the following teams in this order:

You left mine out

[nyknicksfan27]

Hmmm i think Odom can very well hold his own...anyway you forgot to rank 4 teams. I would also like to add Odom AND Melo can be successful post players. Off the bench Harrington and Bargnani are solid inside and outside. As many commentators have said... having a good guard that can penetrate is like having another post player. I have Felton off the bench, an amazing blow by point guard. Billups is also great at getting into the paint as well. Hughes and Hamilton also get into the paint from time to time. The only real players that don't affect the post are Dunleavy and Dalembert. I admit Harrington and Bargnani don't affect it as much as traditional big men, but having 5 people on the court that could all hit a 3 is a gift.

[Nononsense]

Fantasy Team Summary & Breakdown

Team: San Antonio Spurs

General Manager: Nononsense

Roster
PG – Jason Kidd / Kirk Hinrich / Derek Fisher
SG – Vince Carter / Francisco Garcia
SF – LeBron James / Kelenna Azubuike
PF – Shawn Marion / Kenyon Martin
C – Rasheed Wallace / Antonio McDyess / Ben Wallace

Coach – Jerry Sloan

Depth Chart
PG – Jason Kidd / Kirk Hinrich / Derek Fisher
SG – Vince Carter / Francisco Garcia / LeBron James / Kelenna Azubuike
SF – LeBron James / Kelenna Azubuike / Shawn Marion / Vince Carter / Francisco Garcia
PF – Shawn Marion / Kenyon Martin / Rasheed Wallace / Antonio McDyess / Ben Wallace / LeBron James
C – Rasheed Wallace / Antonio McDyess / Ben Wallace

The Starters


Key Subs


Rounding Out the Bench


The Coach


Overview
Jerry Sloan has every reason to be smiling in the picture above. He has all the ingredients necessary to win a championship. He has the best player in basketball. At all five positions, he has great offense, defense, and 3pt shooting. He’s also got a ton of experienced players who know how to win. This roster complements his wealth of knowledge and great coaching expertise.

Chemistry & Cohesiveness
This team also has good chemistry with duos that have played together such as Jason Kidd/Vince Carter, Jason Kidd/Kenyon Martin, Jason Kidd/Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace/Antonio McDyess/Ben Wallace, and Fisher/Sloan. Plus Jason Kidd and LeBron James played together on the Olympic team. So basically my point guard (Kidd) has played with three of my starters and one of my key players off the bench at some point their careers. Kidd is the common denominator that holds this team together. LeBron is the building block and franchise player while Kidd ensures that everything flows smoothly.

The Starters & Their Roles
Kidd is the facilitator. He’s still very effective even at this stage in his career. Kidd is still a great playmaker and rebounder at his position. He’s even improved his perimeter shooting at this stage in his career. Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? He’s shot over 40% from 3pt-land for the past two seasons. LeBron is the focal point on offense. What can I say? He’s great at everything including offense, defense, rebounding, assists, etc. He’s the best player in basketball. Rasheed Wallace and Shawn Marion spread the floor with their perimeter shooting on offense. They’re both solid defenders which minimizes the need for double-teams. Vince is the second option on offense. He’s a great threat from long-range. So when opponents double and triple-team LeBron (and ya know they will), Vince will drain the open shot or create off the dribble like nobody’s business.

Key Subs
Off the bench, Hinrich subs for Kidd and provides essentially the same things that Kidd brings. He’s a playmaker at heart and a huge threat from 3 point territory. Plus he brings defense like Kidd does. When playing against teams with quick/offensive-minded point guards, Hinrich will get extended time on the floor. At that point, Kidd could effectively guard opposing teams’ sg’s like he does in Dallas. I also have Garcia and Azubuike bringing perimeter shooting and defense on the wings. These two are lights-out shooters! Antonio McDyess and Kenyon Martin sub for Rasheed Wallace and Shawn Marion respectively. They replace defense with… more defense. Although they don’t quite have the range that Wallace and Marion posses, they both have very respectable outside shots. They both can play with their backs to the basket as well.

Just in case some are not familiar with Francisco Garcia, I’m not exaggerating when I say he’s a very good two-way player. Plus he’s still young. Here’s some brief footage that sums up his two-way game. Please check these 3 brief videos out. They are very short (58, 34, and 21 seconds respectively) and very informative. I promise. Thanks.

Defense:

Offensive Repertoire:
Lights-out shooting -
Creating his own shot -

Rounding Out the Bench
There’s no better way to round out the bench than with an experienced, clutch-shooting point guard and a defensive-minded, veteran center: Derek Fisher and Ben Wallace. With Derek Fisher, I’m adding a point guard who knows Sloan’s system inside and out. Whenever Fisher is on the floor, he’ll continue to spread the floor and provide clutch-shooting. Ben Wallace continues to add defense, rebounding, and muscle to my frontcourt.

Coaching
Jerry Sloan has been extremely successful throughout his coaching career and has an impeccable track record. One thing that he has always had is a great point guard. First it was Stockton; now it’s Deron Williams. With my team, he has Kidd with Hinrich as his backup. Sloan has also always had great shooters. As I’ve already pointed out, my roster is loaded with great perimeter shooters. Sloan is also known for stressing defense as well as offense. As I stated earlier, my team is loaded with two-way players that compliment Sloan’s coaching. With Jerry Sloan on the sideline, this team is built for a championship.

Offensive Strategy
With the combination of Jerry Sloan’s coaching and the players’ abilities, my team can be effective in both up-tempo and half-court offenses. Since I have great defense and rebounding at all five positions, there will be lots of deflections, steals, and blocks leading to many easy fast-break/transition points. In the half-court, Sloan is famous for implementing the pick-and-roll. From the point guard position, Kidd will initiate the pick-and-roll with LeBron and Vince Carter. Kidd will run the pick-and-pop with Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace, Kelenna Azubuike, and Francisco Garcia. When Kidd sits, Hinrich will carry out these duties.

Defensive Strategy
Since my players are mature, responsible man-to-man defenders, we minimize the need to excessively double-team. Notwithstanding, if necessary, I have great help defenders also.

Final Note
LeBron finally has a bonefide supporting cast. This team is loaded with leadership and professionals that know how to win. In terms of winning a championship, those are vital qualities that are often times overlooked, especially in fantasy drafts. Coach Jerry Sloan is the perfect complement to this roster because he’s as professional as they come. He’s a coach’s coach. Seriously, imagine what LeBron would do with this squad!!!

Media Day, Photo Shoot, & Team Scrapbook

The Starters


The Bench


Rounding Out the Bench


The Coach

[FuryRealm25]

Holy crap.

Ok, here's my team summary.

PG: Steve Nash/Aaron Brooks
SG: Kevin Martin/Ben Gordon/Raja Bell
SF: Shane Battier/Travis Outlaw
PF: Dirk Nowitzki/Tyrus Thomas
C: Emeka Okafor/Anderson Varejao/Nenad Krstic

Alright I liken my team to a mix of the 2006 Mavericks and the 2005 Suns. We're not a defensive juggernaut but I think we can hold our own. Kevin Martin is not a horrible defensive player. He plays on a 20 win team where he's forced to be the only offensive option. On a team that has Nowitzki, Nash, and Gordon, he'll have the energy to play some defense. Two, Steve Nash has played on league average and above league average defensive teams, so there's no reason why a team that has Shane Battier, Raja Bell, Tyrus Thomas, Emeka Okafor and Anderson Varejao couldn't be a solid defensive team. Three, we are a great three point shooting team. I'd say the best in this draft. Last we saw the best 3 point shooting team make the finals. In a changing league that's pushing towards a jump shooting era, where handchecks are not allowed, I'd say my team has a great advantage with their 3 point shooting. Not only that but we have great FT shooters in Nash, Martin and Nowitzki and two out of the three get to the line consistently. Our bench is made up of a scorer (Ben Gordon), a lightning quick pg (Aaron Brooks), a defensive stopper (Raja Bell), a solid rotational player (Travis Outlaw), a versatile defensive player (Tyrus Thomas), a defensive big (Anderson Varejao) and a big that can play in the pick and pop (Nenad Krstic).

Our starting lineup has 3 offensive players and 2 defensive players. Emeka Okafor will not get in Dirk's way. Steve Nash is the perfect point guard for a Mike D'Antoni ran system and Kevin Martin can shoot from anywhere on the court. Shane Battier is the consummate team player who makes the extra pass and hits the open three. On a team with so many scorers, he defers to all of them. Emeka Okafor will have free reign to easy dunks and to get it done defensively. He is who our defensive is built upon. He'll guard the best 4s, and he can. At 6'10 he's quick and strong. So when people say uh KG and Duncan will score on Dirk easily. One, that's probably not true and secondly he's not defending them.

Shane Battier defends the opposing team's best perimeter player and we'll try to hid Steve Nash on their worst offensive player. Kevin Martin can hold his own against the other team's second best perimeter player.

With Mike D'Antoni at the helm we have a likeable coach who gets the most out of his players. No one has underachieved under Mike D'Antoni, and players have had their best seasons under him which means that people like Ben Gordon should shine as the great shooter he is. I expect my players to play to their highest ability under Mike D'Antoni.

A team full of unselfish players, who can shoot, are good enough on defense, and can score on anyone with a coach that is likeable, gets the most out of his players and runs a system that is tough to match with star players who are made for the system is a winner for me.

[YouthMovement]

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Starters
PG - Monta Ellis

Excellent size and a good, strong frame. Lightning quick with an exceptional first step. He's a great one on one player but he can also get into the paint and kick it out to one of our many jump shooters. He doesn't have three point range yet, but he's vastly improved his midrange game. He may not be a lock down defender, but he gets steals which will lead to plenty fast break opportunities. The reason I like him the most is that he's an efficient scorer (a career 49% shooter from the field.) His shot selection can be questionable but he makes a very good amount of the shots he takes and I think that's an underrated aspect of his game. He's had a year where, as a point guard, he averaged 20 points and shot 53% from the field. He also has experience playing with Andris Biedrins and Stephen Jackson.

SG - Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson is one of the better shooting guards in the league. He defends, rebounds, distributes (20, 7, and 5 averages last year.) He's a very good three point shooter, and he's proven to be clutch. At 6'8, he provides some matchup problems and can post up smaller defenders.

SF - Rashard Lewis

Rashard Lewis averaged 18 and 6 last year, is a capable defender, and is one of the best three point shooters in the league. He is a 39% career three point shooter, shot 40% from three last year and made 225. He did this all while playing the 4 for Stan Van Gundy and the Magic but on the Thunder he'll be able to move back to his natural position, the 3. At 6'10 he also provides matchup problems because of his ability to post up, get to the basket, and shoot.

PF - Elton Brand

Elton Brand has career averaged of 20, 10, and 2. He's been hurt the last few years but he'll be 100% for the upcoming season, and I expect him to return to his all-star form. He can shoot, rebound, and he's a premier shot blocker in the paint.

C - Andris Biedrins

Biedrins put up 12, 11, and 2 blocks last year. You don't have to run any plays for him and he'll get you double digit points. He's consistently one of the best rebounders in the league. He's a great defender and good shot blocker. With Biedrins and Brand in the middle, baskets in the paint will be hard to obtain.

Rounding out the rotation..

Andre Miller - 16 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 47% fg from my backup point guard. Smart player, great leader.
John Salmons - 18, 4, and 3. Great 3 pt shooter (42%) Efficient scorer (47%.) Good defender. Goes hard all the time. Entering his prime.
Thaddeus Young - 21 year old, averaged 15 and 5 on 50% shooting. Doesn't need isolation plays to get buckets. Plays great defense, very athletic.
Lamarcus Aldridge - One of the rising stars of the NBA. 18 points and 8 rebounds, plus a block. He has a lot of range on his jump shot. Only 24 years old.

The Rest
Boris Diaw - Do it all type of player. Can shoot the 3 very well (45%) guard 1-5.
Marcin Gortat - one of the best backup centers in the league, maybe the best. Already plays for Stan Van Gundy.
Mike Miller - In an off year he averaged 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 48% fg and 38% from 3. The year before that 16 and 7 on 50 fg% and 43% from downtown. Worst player on my team.

The Coach

Intense coach who demands (and gets) the most out of his players. What I like most about SVG is that he took a team to the finals that scored (101 ppg) AND defended (94 ppg.) That's exactly what I'm trying to do with this team.

Analysis
This team will run with one of the fastest players in the NBA at the point guard and shoot a lot of threes with Stephen Jackson and Rashard Lewis. Elton Brand and Lamarcus Aldridge are both bigs with great range, and Brand and Biedrins will form a formidable duo in the paint defensively. Ellis may not be a pure point guard, but he doesn't really have to be with all these players that can score on their own. Jackson can defend at the 2 guard position and Monta Ellis gets steals. In terms of my second unit, I definitely think I have the best bench. Andre Miller, John Salmons, Thaddeus Young, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Marcin Gortat can definitely contend with some starting lineups. If my first unit is outmatched, my second unit can definitely pick up the slack against the other second units.

I'll take Nononsense for an example, just because he was the last analysis I see. His first unit outmatches my first unit...he has Lebron, VC, and Jason Kidd. But when they come out, and Kirk Hinrich, Fransisco Garcia, Azubuike, Kevin Martin, and Mcdyess have to match up with Miller, Salmons, Thaddeus, Aldridge, and Gortat, maybe I'm not so outmatched. Now, I'm not saying my team is better, I'm just saying that my second unit can make up a lot of ground. I don't have a superstar, but I have unprecedented depth so my team should rarely let up.

[nazrmohamed]

Nononsense, I think your team would be better served with Kenyon Marting starting over Marrion. KMart pretty much adds more toughness to your starting five and Martinis a pretty decent defensive player when he's healthy. Rasheed alone on a team of shooters and non-defenders would just turn into a chucker himself. Next to any type of defender and Rasheed plays the part. Lebron being the defender too now, you'd be pretty defensively stacked while still dominating offensively. You'd still have enough offense with everyone else and it would allow you to pull Marrion off the bench wher he could play either forward position. I know youre thinking Marrions better but without Nash not by that much when Kenyons healthy.

I think youre team is better suited to be a half court team than an uptempo team. That minor change puts you maybe in the top 3-4 to me. But I didnt agree with the rankings at all. Alot of good teams ranked lower than I wouldve ranked them. And guys like Sundov and Ken left out? Sundov has one of the top defensive teams in the league.

[Naan]

...:::Portland Trail Blazers:::...



PG: Chris Paul, Steve Blake

- Chris Paul, the best point guard in the game today, will run my offense. Whether he is running a screen play with Ray Allen, throwing lobs to one of my guard/forwards, playing pick and pop or roll with one of my big men or creatively making his way to the hoop to draw a foul or convert a lay-up, CP3 will set the pace of the game for the opposition. On defense he picks the most balls in the league and certainly can spark the Blazer's transition game.

- Steve Blake will be Paul's back-up. Not only is my team's front-line designed like the real one in Portland, it is superior. He will have no problem finding players in the post in my half-court set or receiving the ball beyond the arc and drilling a three-pointer.

SG: Ray Allen, J.R. Smith

- Ray Allen is who you want shooting the rock in late-game situations. Ask the 2008-2009 Boston Celtics. If you leave Jesus Shuttlesworth open from beyond the arc or send him to the line, you will pay. If you remember Ray Allen's prime, you also remember Sam Cassell. With an elite point guard the man thrives on offense, certainly off screens. His pretty three to four assists per game are not to go unnoticed.

- J.R. Smith is one of the few bench players in the NBA you can count on to explode for twenty points or more, especially from downtown. He proved to be a capable passer in the playoffs against the Lakers this past season. Smith was once a teammate of CP3 and is one of the most exciting athletes and dunkers in the NBA, further improving Portland's chemistry and transition game.

SF: Richard Jefferson, Jeff Green, Trevor Ariza

- Richard Jefferson is the definition of a hard worker and also thrives with a tremendous point guard at the helm. The man easily lights you up for twenty and up and has expanded his game out to the three point line the past few seasons. His athleticism helps him rebound and draw fouls driving to the hole.

- Jeff Green plays both side of the ball, combining his strength with versatility. Capable of playing the two, three and four, he boxes out for rebounds, passes, mans up defensively, hits over one three per game and manages over sixteen points per game with Durant as the offensive focal point.

- Trevor Ariza was huge for the Lakers in the playoffs this year, forcing key steals. You know he can dunk, but did you know he connected on 40 of his 84 attempts from three during LA's post-season run? Spark, glue player and unselfish are only a few fine terms which describe Trevor Ariza.

PF: David West, Al Horford, Ronny Turiaf

- David West is CP3's real-time teammate. The PG made the PF an all-star. After he is fed the ball in the post, he can post and toast or pull you out and hit a sweet mid-range jumper. I doubt you want to mess with 88% from the line, so if you manage to force him to give up the ball, one of my SFs will drive at you or one of my SGs will hit their shot. If for some reason you Bruce Bowen them and they miss, expect an offensive board from one a few of the following players.

- Al Horford is like Tyson Chandler, only more gifted offensively. Like West, he too can burn you in the post or connect on jump shots. He ran in Florida after blocking shots and does the same in the NBA. Nearly three offensive rebounds means second chance opportunities for my big men or my shooters. My shooters are also thankful for his two to three assists per game.

- Ronny Turiaf played with Trevor Ariza as LA's second unit and can catch lobs offensively. In twenty minutes you witness two assists, miss five rebounds and have two shots blocked back in your face.

C: Brook Lopez, Spencer Hawes

- Brook Lopez will blossom in the NBA thanks to a point guard. He is young and will develop a better post game because of who he has to learn from on this team. Shooting face-up jumpers off the glass a la Tim Duncan is not new territory for him and neither is rebounding three times offensively and eighth times overall. The rookie played the entire season and averaged two blocks per game as well.

- Spencer Hawes is another tall 7'0"+ facilitator who occasionally hits one from long range. Other than his back to the basket quickness, his wingspan enables his post defense to be on par with the rest of my big men

Coach: Byron Scott

- Byron Scott is most effective with perimeter shooters (see his assistant gig with Sacramento from '98 to '00) and talented point guards (Jason Kidd and Chris Paul). The Nets and Hornets both saw 20-win improvements and playoff births with his guidance. Other than taking home Coach Of The Year the same season his players, Chris Paul and David West, were named all-stars, he coached Richard Jefferson and the Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals. His teams run exceptionally well and share the ball en route to a three or dunk only after a key defensive play, which my athletic forwards and brute forces in the middle can provide.

In conclusion, you have a team filled with class acts, made evident by their work in the NBA Cares department and Hurricane Katrina relief programs. Their generosity and knack for getting the job done translate to the hardwood, as you have a team comprised of college winners and playoff veterans. The coach demands unselfishness and the best out of his leaders, whom rub off on the rest of the team. No one in Portland missed more than ten games last season or shoots below 73% from the line except Hawes, proving we are in it for the long haul. Our quickness in the open floor or post (backing you down or pulling you) and dual or tri-position capabilities creates mismatches, especially out in transition. Portland's shooters, ball hocks, passers, rebounders, athletic drivers and scorers and defensive skyscrapers will force you to stay on your toes on both offense and defense for the entire forty-eight minutes because we will set the tempo and work you in the half-court and full-court sets.

[Nononsense]

Nononsense, I think your team would be better served with Kenyon Marting starting over Marrion. KMart pretty much adds more toughness to your starting five and Martinis a pretty decent defensive player when he's healthy. Rasheed alone on a team of shooters and non-defenders would just turn into a chucker himself. Next to any type of defender and Rasheed plays the part. Lebron being the defender too now, you'd be pretty defensively stacked while still dominating offensively. You'd still have enough offense with everyone else and it would allow you to pull Marrion off the bench wher he could play either forward position. I know youre thinking Marrions better but without Nash not by that much when Kenyons healthy.

I think youre team is better suited to be a half court team than an uptempo team. That minor change puts you maybe in the top 3-4 to me. But I didnt agree with the rankings at all. Alot of good teams ranked lower than I wouldve ranked them. And guys like Sundov and Ken left out? Sundov has one of the top defensive teams in the league.

Thanks for the advice, Nazr. About Marion needing Nash, I think the reunion of Marion/Kidd will be a fruitful one. Defensively, I think Marion holds his own as well, but I understand your point. And for what it's worth, depending on the matchup, Kenyon Martin may indeed start. I posted the projected starting lineup. However, looking at my depth chart, there are a number of possiblities. Ultimately, that's why I picked Jerry Sloan as my coach. In the grand scheme of things, we're only the gm's. It's really up to the coaches to make it all work. I'm confident Sloan will make the right choice. By the way, you really did a remarkable job of turning your team around via trades.

[rynyk222]

i would rank the following teams in this order:




1. knicksfan4life - Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade, Caron Butler, Rajon Rondo, Nene, Andrew Bynum, Russell Westbrook, Luol Deng, Jeff Van Gundy (c), Luis Scola, Roger Mason, Brendan Haywood, Kyle Korver, Nick Collison

this team should have a nice inside outside game - and a very nice balance of youth and veterans - defensively elite team - and very capable role players. hopefully JVG knows how to run the team - and take advantage of their offensive superiority

2. nbafreak724 - New Orleans Hornets: Kobe Bryant, Baron Davis, Josh Smith, Mehmet Okur, Josh Howard, Paul Millsap, Andrew Bogut, Ramon Sessions, Rick Adelman (c), Rasual Butler, Carl Landry, Glen Davis, Tyreke Evans

very good balance on the perimeter - team could use more "beef" in the interior - Millsap and Bpgut as their lowpost threats could use an upgrade - but the wing players are solid - Kobe and Baron have the ability to dominate. Smith should compensate for Okur's defensive inabilities and perimeter game

3.nazrmohamed - Golden State Warriors: Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Speedy Claxton, Jason Richardson, Rodney Stuckey, George Karl (c), Anthony Randolph, Joel Pryzbilla, Chris Duhon, Jason Thompson, Anthony Parker, Yi Jianlian

interior presence is beastly - hedo should get plenty of looks - PG position is very thin and weak - but Bosh and Howard on the same court is scary

4. Nononsense - San Antonio Spurs: LeBron James, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Kenyon Martin, Kirk Hinrich, Jerry Sloan (c), Kelenna Azubuike, Francisco Garcia, Derek Fisher, Ben Wallace

great individual players - but lack of interior post game makes this team very unattractive - this team would excel at an up tempo style of play - then again Lebron could be the only post presence this team needs.

5. N8theGR8 - Orlando Magic: Amar'e Stoudemire, Ron Artest, Manu Ginobili, Allen Iverson, Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, Andres Nocioni, Pat Riley (c), Kevin Love, Rudy Fernandez, Danilo Gallinari, Javale McGee, Courtney Lee

big fan of this team - could easily be a top 3 team - one trade away from being a top tier team - a PG facilitator is needed - excellent scorers - but no distribution and ball control are major issues for this team

6. MrMajik2 - Los Angeles Lakers: Joe Johnson, Tony Parker, Yao Ming, Marcus Camby, Tayshaun Prince, Nate Robinson, Doc Rivers (c), Wilson Chandler, Hasheem Thabeet, Al Thornton, Jarrett Jack, Andray Blatche, DeMar Derozan

excellent balance on this team - the bench is major concern- starting 5 is easily one of best - better hope your bigs dont get injured - and hope that doc knows how to coach a team with out the BIG 3.

7. FuryRealm25 - Phoenix Suns: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kevin Martin, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Mike D'Antoni (c), Shane Battier, Nenad Kristic, Tyrus Thomas, Raja Bell, Anderson Varejao, Aaron Brooks, Travis Outlaw

if this team works out the right 5 players assembled on the court - could be very scary - nash martin and gordon all on the same court would be defensively challenged - but okafor thomas and battier should help clean up their mistakes

8.Ken the Animal Bannister - Los Angeles Clippers: Kevin Garnett, Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace, Rafer Alston, Mo Williams, Chris Andersen, Gregg Popovich (c), Leandro Barbosa, Kendrick Perkins, Josh Childress, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

PG could use an upgrade - and bench is also average - 1 solid trade away from being an elite team

9. spree #8 - Sacramento Kings: Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, Antawn Jamison, David Lee, Mike Bibby, Eric Gordon, Jermaine O'Neal, Mario Chalmers, Avery Johnson (c), James Posey, Erick Dampier, Ryan Gomes, Stephen Curry

very nice leadership on this team - my concern is the age of their core players - not sure if they have enough in the tank to do any damage

10.BenNY89 - Houston Rockets: Derrick Rose, Devin Harris, Rudy Gay, Shaquille O'Neal, Jamal Crawford, Troy Murphy, Larry Brown (c), Grant Hill, Joakim Noah, Udonis Haslem, Beno Udrih, Matt Barnes, Zach Randolph

if Shaq could be dominant - this team is a force - but most likely shaq needs more help with the low post - and zbo is their only other option - needs more at the 4 or 5 positions

11nyknicksfan27 - Toronto Raptors: Carmelo Anthony, Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Lamar Odom, Raymond Felton, Samuel Dalembert, Al Harrington, Andrea Bargnani, Rick Carlisle (c), Michael Dunleavy, Larry Hughes, Mickael Pietrus, Joel Anthony

very good role players - bench is very questionable - team could be the sleeper team - odom would need to hold his own against other elite PFs - i just dont believe he can - interior game is questionable

12.YKCroatia - Denver Nuggets: Kevin Durant, Al Jefferson, OJ Mayo, Tyson Chandler, Phil Jackson (c), TJ Ford, Michael Beasley, Corey Maggette, Randy Foye, Brad Miller, Earl Watson, Johnny Flynn, DeShawn Stevenson

youth is gift and curse - no leadership - good players - great team in a couple of years

13. youthMovement - Oklahoma City Thunder: Stephen Jackson, Lamarcus Aldridge, Rashard Lewis, Monta Ellis, Elton Brand, Andre Miller, Thaddeus Young, John Salmons, Boris Diaw, Stan Van Gundy (c), Marcin Gortat, Mike Miller, Andris Biedrins

better luck next yr - no superstars - not good balance.

[Naan]

You missed bballrule11, Sundov=NextMJ and yours truly. Perhaps the overviews a few managers posted will change your mind about their teams.

[nazrmohamed]

Thanks for the advice, Nazr. About Marion needing Nash, I think the reunion of Marion/Kidd will be a fruitful one. Defensively, I think Marion holds his own as well, but I understand your point. And for what it's worth, depending on the matchup, Kenyon Martin may indeed start. I posted the projected starting lineup. However, looking at my depth chart, there are a number of possiblities. Ultimately, that's why I picked Jerry Sloan as my coach. In the grand scheme of things, we're only the gm's. It's really up to the coaches to make it all work. I'm confident Sloan will make the right choice. By the way, you really did a remarkable job of turning your team around via trades.

I go back and forth in my head as to whether I wouldve been better served by keeping Derreck Rose who I think is gonna be great this year( in real life), but at the end of the day it was also about getting rid of Zach and adding a complementary PF to Howard. So it makes my interior pretty much lethal and my pg position alittle weak. My plan though is simply to have a guy who can dribble the ball upcourt and lob it inside anyway. To me once that happens Stuckey becomes a SG anyway similar to Bibby most of his career. So yeah it could be better but I doubt it'll matter. I seriously dont see an interior duo that can match up with mine except for the GM that has Duncan and JOneal together.

[n8 the gr8]

Ok, I read through everything. I have to sleep on it, but so don't think I'm blowing you all off by not posting my rankings tonight. what ry posted was pretty close to what I was going to say, but I'll get it all on here tomorrow afternoon.