2022-2023 NBA Salary Cap Draft - First Annual Battle for the Wikkid Cup (2 Viewers)

[Kev4029]

5.15 Trey Murphy III – F - $3,206,520

6.01 John Konchar – G - $2,300,000

There aren’t many guys on the cheap that can really succeed in a switching lineup and really knock down threes, but Murphy has the athleticism and length to guard multiple positions and Konchar is a large combo guard that often plays up to small forward and defends well, especially given he is a mediocre athlete. They also provide some much-needed shooting for my lineup – Konchar is a career 41.3% three point shooter (41.6% college) and Murphy has shot 41.0% (and 40.1% in college). Beyond they shooting fit, I need a couple relatively low usage players with Cade, Giannis, and Siakam all being high usage.

I would have felt a lot better about my picks if one of them was Vassell....

@scoobus

 

[Kev4029]

I was kind of hoping to see Grant Williams make it back around to me on the next turn.

That said, I have seen some drafters taking guys who don't even start for their real-life teams in the first 5 rounds of a 15 team draft (that's 1/2 the size of the NBA). Not sure if you are expecting to grab your actual starters later or what, but seems like an odd strategy to be stocking up on backups first and then getting the leftover starting quality players. Depth is important, but not as important as the five guys that will play 60-80% of every game. But heck, with the way guys like Holiday and AD are going in the 5th round, maybe it was a good strategy.

The pool of sub $5M players that can play in an eight to nine man rotation in the playoffs is VERY small. Everybody is going to need one or two of them.

 

[Instinctive]

I was kind of hoping to see Grant Williams make it back around to me on the next turn.

That said, I have seen some drafters taking guys who don't even start for their real-life teams in the first 5 rounds of a 15 team draft (that's 1/2 the size of the NBA). Not sure if you are expecting to grab your actual starters later or what, but seems like an odd strategy to be stocking up on backups first and then getting the leftover starting quality players. Depth is important, but not as important as the five guys that will play 60-80% of every game. But heck, with the way guys like Holiday and AD are going in the 5th round, maybe it was a good strategy.

And others. I think it pretty quickly became obvious that some folks were going to highly value salary, which meant some other guys would fall. That 2nd/3rd tier of star player became a huge value...and a couple of them almost certainly aren't even going to make it onto a team. It's the result of the league's salaries generally being top-heavy, and us only drafting ~65% of the total salary, but 50% of the players. More NBA salary is concentrated at the top than just that gap of players would indicate.

So guys who are in a rotation at a cheap price became massive value targets quickly. Especially if, like me, you saw a few $30M guys in a tier (I had AD a higher tier but fit with Embiid made me wait) like Mitchell and Holiday (love Holiday, but I needed better scoring and creation and see Mitchell playing decent enough defense this year, plus had those guys in the same tier as SGA, PG, Booker, and Trae). As long as a couple of them remained and didn't seem like others would take them...I could keep trying to take the best possible wins to value guys quickly.

I think the next 3-4 rounds are obviously pivotal now.

 

[dawgtrails]

The pool of sub $5M players that can play in an eight to nine man rotation in the playoffs is VERY small. Everybody is going to need one or two of them.

I don't think this is accurate

 

[Instinctive]

The pool of sub $5M players that can play in an eight to nine man rotation in the playoffs is VERY small. Everybody is going to need one or two of them.

I don't think this is accurate

The maximum you can truly get into an 8 man rotation with our salary cap is about $135M.

Everyone's going to have around $60-80M tied up in two players.

You're left with $55-75M for 6-7 guys. That's an average of around $10M each.

So unless you get all $10M guys (there aren't that many), you probably are gonna need 1-2 sub $5M guys who are actually good.

 

[Kev4029]

The pool of sub $5M players that can play in an eight to nine man rotation in the playoffs is VERY small. Everybody is going to need one or two of them.

I don't think this is accurate

Nine of 15 teams already have a sub-$5M player. Maybe not all 15 teams will have somebody that cheap in the "playoff" rotation, but nearly all will. And the people that don't end up with it, will have a player at something like $6M (nysfl2, you, Yo Mama, Chem X all have somebody in that range). And to the overall point I was resisting on was people drafting backups ahead of starters, that will be an absolute necessary for anybody's rotation if you didn't get in on a bunch of cheap starters like Instinctive.

 

[Eephus]

Plenty of talent available

Value is in shorter supply

 

[scoobus]

6.02 Jaren Jackson Jr.- $28,946,605

Gunna swing for the fences here. Elite, switchable, 1st team All-Defense defender, with the ability to knock it down from deep as a big man. Been somewhat inconsistent from long range thus far in his career, but hoping the 37.5% from 3 he showed in last years playoffs will translate forward this year. How and when he returns from his injury is obviously a concern, but we're building teams and trying to win championships, so you gotta take some risks. Get healthy big fella.

 

[scoobus]

@trader jake

 

[Jayrod]

6.02 Jaren Jackson Jr.- $28,946,605

Gunna swing for the fences here. Elite, switchable, 1st team All-Defense defender, with the ability to knock it down from deep as a big man. Been somewhat inconsistent from long range thus far in his career, but hoping the 37.5% from 3 he showed in last years playoffs will translate forward this year. How and when he returns from his injury is obviously a concern, but we're building teams and trying to win championships, so you gotta take some risks. Get healthy big fella.

Wanted him instead of Markkanen, but he was $12M more, so I settled.

 

[trader jake]

Had two players I was debating between, but Scoobus made the decision much easier.

6.03 Draymond Green GSW $25,806,468

Draymond won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the guy is an all-time NBA defensive savant. Just last season he was the favorite to win defensive MVP until he missed time. Then he returned to the court and helped anchor another championship defense.

On offense he's a great distributor and pick setter. His outside shot has gone to hell, but he doesn't compound the issue by jacking them up all the time. Every good team needs a player that will answer a challenge and do what has to be done. Overall, his ability to make it work on defense is his superpower. He and Jrue should make it difficult for teams to find easy looks against this squad.

 

[Yo Mama]

@dawgtrails

 

[Yo Mama]

Had two players I was debating between, but Scoobus made the decision much easier.

6.03 Draymond Green GSW $25,806,468

Draymond won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the guy is an all-time NBA defensive savant. Just last season he was the favorite to win defensive MVP until he missed time. Then he returned to the court and helped anchor another championship defense.

On offense he's a great distributor and pick setter. His outside shot has gone to hell, but he doesn't compound the issue by jacking them up all the time. Every good team needs a player that will answer a challenge and do what has to be done. Overall, his ability to make it work on defense is his superpower. He and Jrue should make it difficult for teams to find easy looks against this squad.

Saw something funny on Twitter this morning:

Draymond’s 48 points in 5 games this year is the most he’s had in the first 5 games of a season since 2015.

 

[dawgtrails]

Give me a few. On a call

 

[dawgtrails]

Still on the call, but give me

6.04 Caleb Martin - SF/PF 6,479,000

 

[scoobus]

@dunfee555

 

[dunfee555]

Going to grab the last piece of my starting unit.

6.5 - John Collins, PF, ATL

Dynamic offensive option who has greatly improved as a shooter in the last few years. Has gotten better as a defender and a great rebounder, will be a fantastic fit as a pick-and-roll/pop fulcrum with both the starters and the 2nd unit.

@Instinctive

 

[dunfee555]

I texted Instinctive and he said he's out running an errand. So it'll be a minute before he can make his pick

 

[Instinctive]

6.06 Brandon Clarke

Dude's been a defensive positive by advanced metrics all 3 years of his career so far, he's an athlete and, once again, a great contract. Give me 25 minutes a night, some with Embiid and some without, and our second unit's got some real pop and athleticism now.

@Dr. Octopus up next

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Bobby Portis

MIL

10,843,350

@Yo Mama

 

[Yo Mama]

With my current roster plans, I’m going to need a handful of super cheap guys. I don’t want all of them to be stiffs who barely play so I need to take a serviceable one now.

Yo Mama selects:

6.08 - Tre Jones, PG SAS Tankers - $1,782,621

He’ll get plenty of usage and put up decent numbers on a tanking team. He’ll be good enough to be my backup PG but cheap enough to be my third.

 

[Yo Mama]

@Eephus

 

[Instinctive]

man my next pick is so far away

 

[Eephus]

6.09 - Immanuel Quickley - G - Knickerbockers

@nysfl2

 

[nysfl2]

6.09 - Immanuel Quickley - G - Knickerbockers

@nysfl2

Now I need to look

 

[nysfl2]

Alec Burks, pistons

 

[Yo Mama]

6.09 - Immanuel Quickley - G - Knickerbockers

@nysfl2

Now I need to look

Do it Quickly

 

[Yo Mama]

@Juxtatarot

 

[Chemical X]

i woke up from the surgery!

 

[Instinctive]

i woke up from the surgery!

Just to make your pick? Send a list to Kev man!

Hope youre doin ok

 

[Eephus]

i woke up from the surgery!

Beats the alternative

 

[Juxtatarot]

6.11 Kevin Looney

@Chemical X

 

[Frostillicus]

Can I send a list to someone?

 

[Instinctive]

Can I send a list to someone?

Sure

 

[Frostillicus]

Can I send a list to someone?

Sure

Sent, thanks!

 

[Chemical X]

6.12 - Jalen Smith, Ind
4,670,160

Pacers giving this guy run. Athletic big that 3s, blocks and boards and starts. Will get his 30 mins a night and is a versatile sub 5mm guy that will allow me room to add some pricey guys later.

 

[Instinctive]

Frosty takes Bones Hyland

 

[Instinctive]

@Jayrod next

 

[Jayrod]

6.13 - Nic Claxton - C, BKN - $8,500,000

 

[Yo Mama]

@Desert_Power

 

[nysfl2]

On a plane for the next two hours. Please don't skip me if it gets there.

 

[Instinctive]

On a plane for the next two hours. Please don't skip me if it gets there.

Send a list to someone opposite you?

 

[scoobus]

I can take lists.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

6.09 - Immanuel Quickley - G - Knickerbockers

@nysfl2

I thought I could wait on him.

 

[Eephus]

6.09 - Immanuel Quickley - G - Knickerbockers

@nysfl2

I thought I could wait on him.

picked quickly

 

[Kev4029]

The pool of sub $5M players that can play in an eight to nine man rotation in the playoffs is VERY small. Everybody is going to need one or two of them.

I don't think this is accurate

Following up on this less than a round later - everybody has a sub $5M player except you and nysfl2.

 

[Kev4029]

On a plane for the next two hours. Please don't skip me if it gets there.

Send a list to someone opposite you?

This thing is probably going to come to a screeching halt soon anyway, being that it's a Friday at 6:30 EST.

 

[Kev4029]

I love this draft format. Draymond Green just got taken in the same round as guys like Bones Hyland, Jalen Smith, Caleb Martin, and John Konchar.

We have probably 3 guys on the board that have a decent chance of being on an All-NBA team. We have 9 or 10 guys that are legit all-star level performers on the board.

Chem X has spent $68 million over 6 picks. Four teams spent more than that on their first two picks alone.

 

[Yo Mama]

On a plane for the next two hours. Please don't skip me if it gets there.

Send a list to someone opposite you?

This thing is probably going to come to a screeching halt soon anyway, being that it's a Friday at 6:30 EST.

I’m fine pausing the clock earlier on Fridays - how about 3pm/6pm?

We’re making good time and I’d rather not skip anyone.

FYI - I have a pick from Jayrod and see Desert P is in the thread.

 

[Desert_Power]

6.15 Seth Curry SG 8,496,653: Elite shooter to provide spacing in the lineup next to his brother and Lebron. Shooters always go quickly in these drafts and there frankly aren't a lot left I can afford.
7.1 PJ Washington PF/C 5,808,435: Have been wanting him in this lineup for a few rounds now. Versatile player that has shot 37.8% from deep in his career on good volume. Has gotten a decent amount of time at center as he has a long wingspan for his height. Can make plays at both ends and, like Seth, will help create more space for the our big playmakers


@Jayrod