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2023-2024 NBA Salary Cap Draft - SECOND Annual Battle for the Wikkid Cup - Preseason Rankings are In! (1 Viewer)

Starters
PG: Cole Anthony
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Austin Reaves
PF: Cam Johnson
C: Joel Embiid

Start with Embiid and surround him with shooting. The combination of Embiid and Mitchell will be impossible to stop. Everyone on the floor with Embiid shoots over 35% from 3, so you can choose to let Embiid kill you from the inside or rain down 3s from the outside. On top of that, there aren't any terrible defenders, and the inside defense will be suffocating.
Wait what?

Cole Anthony has been a terrible defender his first three years in the league. Maybe that has changed but I doubt it.
Donovan Mitchell? Terrible. Embiid is good and Reaves is passable but that wing and guard rotation is going to get torched defensively.
 
There is a reason Caruso doesn't even start for the Bulls in real life
Yes, and that reason is that the Bulls are dumb. Caruso has a ridiculous +15.8 net rating. Coby White not so much
Caruso's net rating is +4.9.

Two teams have now deemed him to not be a good enough starter because he is not good on offense. He's had a negative OBPM every season he's been in the league and averages 6/2/2 for his career.

His reputation > his abilities
 
Team Corporation

Starters
PG James Harden - Obvious deficit defensively, but I needed an elite offensive playmaker. Premier scorer, great distributor of the ball, good rebounder for his position. Not a great defender but does get his share of steals. Not the best locker room guy (understatement I know).
SG - Dejounte Murray - Can play point as well. Great facilitator, capable scorer. Very good defensively and good rebounder at the 2.
SF - Desmond Bane - Love how he plays. Gritty, can facilitate, another really good defender (which we need to cover up Harden's liabilities). Good shooter, scoring continues to grow at a good rate. Undersized a bit for a SF and not a particularly good glass guy. Really great value at $3.8M
PF - Kristaps Porzingis - Of all my picks probably the one I feel like I reached the most on. I was in the car driving to the beach. I wanted a stretch 4/5 and his skillset meshes nicely with what I wanted to do. I really like him with Boston and think it will really help his game. He's always been a capable scorer and decent rebounder. Good rim protection, comfortable with the ball in his hands. Good shooter for a stretch big. As always with him, health will be the key.
C - Nic Claxton - Really wanted a big rim protector who can finish around the rim and think he's a great value. Averaged 2.5 blocks in his first year as a starter. High percentage shooter (70%) just finishing around the rim. Good rebounder. Currently injured.

Key Rotation/Bench
Tyus Jones has long been described as one of the best backup PGs in the league and that's what he'll be here as well. Comfortable coming off the bench and bringing high energy. Was expecting him to be my starter until I picked Harden. Team first guy who will let Harden eat
Onyeka Okongwu - A big with a lot of upside, particularly if Clint Capela goes down or gets traded. Another defensive minded big with a lot of athleticism taking high percentage shots. Will need him to fill in for Claxton while injured
Deni Avdija - I needed another wing and like his upside. A bit of a late bloomer. As someone mentioned, if he could find his shot it would help him a lot. Here's hoping he finds it :) To date he has not. To his credit, he doesn't jack a lot of threes and has a decent overall FG%. Decent rebounder.
Daniel Gafford - Here's another decent big, will be needed for rotation purposes. Good rim protector (just had a 5 block game against PHI), good rebounder. Limited scoring, needs more real life minutes.
Caleb Martin - Needed a wing playmaker. Probably should have been the MVP of the ECF last year. Fits in with this team's hard nosed nature. Capable scorer when needed.
Reggie Jackson - Never consistent enough to be a good starter, but can definitely run the show for short spurts. He has stepped in for Murray and been an adequate replacement
Pat Bev - This grit and grind team needed an irritant, and I'm not sure there's been a bigger irritant than Pat Bev. Not going to impress stats wise but has a bigger impact on the game than a lot of guys
Moritz Wagner - Needed another big with the Claxton injury, and he was available. Will score double digits in limited minutes, but only accidentally blocks shots. Can be a floor spacer but more of an offensive spark plug for this second unit

End of Bench/Lottery Ticket
Johnny Davis - Top 10 draft pick last year, could get some playing time when the Wiz sink into oblivion. Averaging almost a steal a game in under 10 minutes of PT
Trendon Watford - I didn't want to hold the draft up, and I really like this young man. My friend coached him in high school and he seemed nice. Was a solid player at LSU but got lost in the shuffle a little. He's a hard worker and it wouldn't surprise me to see him earn some more minutes while Claxton is out.

I had a lot of fun with this! I think there is a lot of flexibility with the team, where Murray can move to PG, Bane to SG, and Kristaps to C. Can't believe how many times I was genuinely bummed out when someone was taken even in the late rounds (including my last pick when I didn't see Bassey was already selected). I'm happy with this team and think they would do well in real life. Looking forward to seeing how they perform in the roto league. As with everything, injuries will be the key since we have no replacements. Thanks all!
 
Also, here's my leftover team. Good starting 5 and nothing on the bench:

Terry RozierCHA$23,205,221
Zach LaVineCHI$40,064,220
R.J. BarrettNYK$23,883,929
Tobias HarrisPHI$39,270,150
Deandre AytonPOR$32,459,438
Damion LeePHO$2,528,233
Josh MinottMIN$1,719,864
Jalen PickettDEN$1,708,143
Julian PhillipsCHI$1,600,000
Mouhamed GueyeATL$1,119,563
Jordan WalshBOS$1,119,563
Maxwell LewisLAL$1,119,563
Filip PetrusevPHI$1,119,563
Sidy CissokoSAS$1,119,563
Rayan RupertPOR$1,119,563
Total$149,951,355
Cap Room$150,000,000
Left$48,645
 
Also, here's my leftover team. Good starting 5 and nothing on the bench:

Terry RozierCHA$23,205,221
Zach LaVineCHI$40,064,220
R.J. BarrettNYK$23,883,929
Tobias HarrisPHI$39,270,150
Deandre AytonPOR$32,459,438
Damion LeePHO$2,528,233
Josh MinottMIN$1,719,864
Jalen PickettDEN$1,708,143
Julian PhillipsCHI$1,600,000
Mouhamed GueyeATL$1,119,563
Jordan WalshBOS$1,119,563
Maxwell LewisLAL$1,119,563
Filip PetrusevPHI$1,119,563
Sidy CissokoSAS$1,119,563
Rayan RupertPOR$1,119,563
Total$149,951,355
Cap Room$150,000,000
Left$48,645
Could have spent more on your bench since the cap was $175m.
 
Starters
PG- Markelle Fultz
SG- Jalen Williams
SF- Michael Porter Jr
PF- LeBron James
C- Jaren Jackson Jr

Well-rounded starting 5 with a combination of good shooting, playmaking, and defense. And a lot of size and flexibility to move guys up or down the positional spectrum to match up with different teams. LeBron will still be the offensive engine, but Fultz and J-Will both bring a little playmaking to help out. Jackson and Porter are both elite shooters who will provide the spacing for everyone else to go to work.

Backups
PG- Tre Jones
SG- Malik Beasley
SF- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
PF- Isaiah Stewart
C- Dario Saric

I don’t believe in a hockey-style second shift, these players will be playing a good amount of time with combinations of the starters. And each of these backups provides specific skills that complement those combinations. Jones & Saric can both provide some passing/playmaking, Beasley is an elite shooter, Stewart brings rebounding/shooting as a big man, and Alexander-Walker is a defensive force who can also help keep the ball moving.

Situational
PG- Killian Hayes
SF- Yuta Watanabe
PF- David Roddy

More situational depth that will get more spot minutes, not a regular role. Hayes can be a defensive ace with some passing chops. Watanabe is a big wing who can shoot, which is always useful. Roddy is another big body that can be a bit of a changeup with his unique playstyle.

Deep Bench
SF- Jamie Jaquez Jr
C- Charles Bassey

Not expected to play much, but Jaquez especially has some upside to pop later in the year.
 
Starters
PG- Markelle Fultz
SG- Jalen Williams
SF- Michael Porter Jr
PF- LeBron James
C- Jaren Jackson Jr

Well-rounded starting 5 with a combination of good shooting, playmaking, and defense. And a lot of size and flexibility to move guys up or down the positional spectrum to match up with different teams. LeBron will still be the offensive engine, but Fultz and J-Will both bring a little playmaking to help out. Jackson and Porter are both elite shooters who will provide the spacing for everyone else to go to work.

Backups
PG- Tre Jones
SG- Malik Beasley
SF- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
PF- Isaiah Stewart
C- Dario Saric

I don’t believe in a hockey-style second shift, these players will be playing a good amount of time with combinations of the starters. And each of these backups provides specific skills that complement those combinations. Jones & Saric can both provide some passing/playmaking, Beasley is an elite shooter, Stewart brings rebounding/shooting as a big man, and Alexander-Walker is a defensive force who can also help keep the ball moving.

Situational
PG- Killian Hayes
SF- Yuta Watanabe
PF- David Roddy

More situational depth that will get more spot minutes, not a regular role. Hayes can be a defensive ace with some passing chops. Watanabe is a big wing who can shoot, which is always useful. Roddy is another big body that can be a bit of a changeup with his unique playstyle.

Deep Bench
SF- Jamie Jaquez Jr
C- Charles Bassey

Not expected to play much, but Jaquez especially has some upside to pop later in the year.
Jackson is an elite shooter? Jaren Jackson? Jr?
 
Starters
PG- Markelle Fultz
SG- Jalen Williams
SF- Michael Porter Jr
PF- LeBron James
C- Jaren Jackson Jr

Well-rounded starting 5 with a combination of good shooting, playmaking, and defense. And a lot of size and flexibility to move guys up or down the positional spectrum to match up with different teams. LeBron will still be the offensive engine, but Fultz and J-Will both bring a little playmaking to help out. Jackson and Porter are both elite shooters who will provide the spacing for everyone else to go to work.

Backups
PG- Tre Jones
SG- Malik Beasley
SF- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
PF- Isaiah Stewart
C- Dario Saric

I don’t believe in a hockey-style second shift, these players will be playing a good amount of time with combinations of the starters. And each of these backups provides specific skills that complement those combinations. Jones & Saric can both provide some passing/playmaking, Beasley is an elite shooter, Stewart brings rebounding/shooting as a big man, and Alexander-Walker is a defensive force who can also help keep the ball moving.

Situational
PG- Killian Hayes
SF- Yuta Watanabe
PF- David Roddy

More situational depth that will get more spot minutes, not a regular role. Hayes can be a defensive ace with some passing chops. Watanabe is a big wing who can shoot, which is always useful. Roddy is another big body that can be a bit of a changeup with his unique playstyle.

Deep Bench
SF- Jamie Jaquez Jr
C- Charles Bassey

Not expected to play much, but Jaquez especially has some upside to pop later in the year.
Jackson is an elite shooter? Jaren Jackson? Jr?
Last year he was one of only 6 centers who shot over 35%. And he's upped his attempts per game to over 5 this year while maintaining the same percentage. Seems pretty good to me.
 
Starters
PG- Markelle Fultz
SG- Jalen Williams
SF- Michael Porter Jr
PF- LeBron James
C- Jaren Jackson Jr

Well-rounded starting 5 with a combination of good shooting, playmaking, and defense. And a lot of size and flexibility to move guys up or down the positional spectrum to match up with different teams. LeBron will still be the offensive engine, but Fultz and J-Will both bring a little playmaking to help out. Jackson and Porter are both elite shooters who will provide the spacing for everyone else to go to work.

Backups
PG- Tre Jones
SG- Malik Beasley
SF- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
PF- Isaiah Stewart
C- Dario Saric

I don’t believe in a hockey-style second shift, these players will be playing a good amount of time with combinations of the starters. And each of these backups provides specific skills that complement those combinations. Jones & Saric can both provide some passing/playmaking, Beasley is an elite shooter, Stewart brings rebounding/shooting as a big man, and Alexander-Walker is a defensive force who can also help keep the ball moving.

Situational
PG- Killian Hayes
SF- Yuta Watanabe
PF- David Roddy

More situational depth that will get more spot minutes, not a regular role. Hayes can be a defensive ace with some passing chops. Watanabe is a big wing who can shoot, which is always useful. Roddy is another big body that can be a bit of a changeup with his unique playstyle.

Deep Bench
SF- Jamie Jaquez Jr
C- Charles Bassey

Not expected to play much, but Jaquez especially has some upside to pop later in the year.
Jackson is an elite shooter? Jaren Jackson? Jr?
Last year he was one of only 6 centers who shot over 35%. And he's upped his attempts per game to over 5 this year while maintaining the same percentage. Seems pretty good to me.
Yeah, that’s pretty good.
 
Team caustic
PG: Jamal Murray, Immanuel Quickley, Gabe Vincent
SG: Quentin Grimes, Lonnie Walker, Malaki Branham, Andre Jackson Jr
SF: Max Strus, Keldon Johnson, Royce O'Neale
PF: Grant Williams, Jonathan Kuminga
C: Nikola Jokic, Precious Achiuwa, Isaiah Jackson

Strengths
First and foremost, this team has the best player in basketball, an unstoppable force for whom opposing teams have no answers. His creation, scoring, and distribution make everything else work. He and Murray (get well soon) are a deadly duo that I'd put up against anybody's. This team has the personnel to throw endless combinations of high-quality lineups at opponents. Need to maximize defense? Can mix and match Grimes, Vincent, and O'Neale without compromising the offense. Want to juice your scoring? Jokic will make Keldon and Lonnie look like all-stars. Need extra ballhandling? Quickley and Murray can play together. Wanna go big? You could start 3 wings next to Grant and Jokic while still having a competent offense.

One of the biggest problems with Jokic teams over the last few years has been a lack of depth. Previous iterations of the Nuggets would kill opponents while Jokic was on the floor and hemorrhage points while he was off. That will not be the case with this team, which is deep with real, rotation-caliber NBA talent. *13* of the 15 players on this roster are averaging 20+ mpg for their respective teams. Kuminga or Williams could play small ball 5 in non-Jokic lineups and run opposing bench units into the ground. Even my more "traditional" backup bigs in Pecious/Jackson can run and switch. Jokic will still play as much as he can, but this team can actually survive without him.

Weaknesses
Shot creation on this roster is pretty concentrated at center and guard. Keldon can make his own shots but is untested in the playoffs. The rest of my wings are mostly complementary players. The team is also light on shot blocking - one of the few things Jokic doesn't do. Isaiah Jackson is great at this but is unlikely to get huge minutes. Grant Williams and Precious Achiuwa can defend 5s but don't actually block many shots.

Overall
This is a deep, versatile roster headlined by the best player in the sport. There’s a lack of big names after the top two guys, but I prioritized fit rather than sex appeal. Opponents will have a hard time finding weak links to pick on during big moments.
 
Team FatMax

Starters
PG - Jalen Brunson
G/F - DeMar DeRozan
G/F - Scottie Barnes
G/F - Lauri Markkanen
C - Jarrett Allen

I feel like this is one of the most versatile starting lineups in this draft. Three different guys can play 2-4 depending on defensive matchups. Barnes, in my opinion, was the steal of this draft. Second round, 8 mil, 20 pts, 10 reb, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1.5 steals to start the season. Brunson will bring the ball up with a plethora of options. All of these guys can shoot, highlighted my Markkenen, who is hitting 40%+ on 3pters with nine attempts per game. Allen provides a solid defensive and rebounding presence. And of course Barnes is unquestionably one of the best defensive players in the league. A couple of the starters are not great defenders, but what liability they might have on that end will be covered my scoring on the offensive side.

Second Team
PG - De'Anthony Melton
SG - Donte DiVencenzo
SF - Issac Okoro
PF - Sasha Vezenkov
C - Mitchell Robinson

A talent dropoff for sure, but this is an athletic group who can score and keep pressure on. Robinson might be the best second option defensive center drafted.

The rest will rarely see the floor, but I could see McGee playhing five minutes here and there, along with Hood-Schifio and Flynn when needed.
 
Ok I think I got everything locked and loaded in the Fantrax site. New teams should have gotten an invite, and I’m hoping returning teams should have gotten something when I erupted the league from last year. If not, use this link:


Please double check I got your rosters correct and didn’t fat-finger anything or give you the wrong Nikola, Jalen, Williams, Smith, or Jones.
 
Ok I think I got everything locked and loaded in the Fantrax site. New teams should have gotten an invite, and I’m hoping returning teams should have gotten something when I erupted the league from last year. If not, use this link:


Please double check I got your rosters correct and didn’t fat-finger anything or give you the wrong Nikola, Jalen, Williams, Smith, or Jones.

Apparently I already had a Fantrax account at some point, but don't remember the password. When I go through the reset process, I get the emailed link I need to click to reset, and it says "invalid link". I sent them a support ticket. We shall see how responsive they are I suppose.
 
Ok I think I got everything locked and loaded in the Fantrax site. New teams should have gotten an invite, and I’m hoping returning teams should have gotten something when I erupted the league from last year. If not, use this link:


Please double check I got your rosters correct and didn’t fat-finger anything or give you the wrong Nikola, Jalen, Williams, Smith, or Jones.

Apparently I already had a Fantrax account at some point, but don't remember the password. When I go through the reset process, I get the emailed link I need to click to reset, and it says "invalid link". I sent them a support ticket. We shall see how responsive they are I suppose.

Well that was quick. They already fixed it. I'm in
 
Team Yo Mama

Starters

PG - DeAaron Fox
SG - Mikal Bridges
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Draymond Green
C - Jonas Valanciunas

Arguably (that’s what we’re here for right), the most balanced and complete starting five in our league. Scoring, defense, size who can keep defenses honest on the perimeter, flexibility to play multiple positions, an MVP caliber lead, nut kicks. It’s got everything. Williams probably beats out JV by the end of the season. My crunch time lineup also would include a wing like Gordon or Mann, with KD playing the 4 and Draymond the 5.

Key Reserves
Guards - Payton Pritchard, Josh Richardson, Dennis Smith Jr
Wings - Terance Mann, Eric Gordon
Bigs - Mark Williams, Luke Kornet

All solid guys who should have sizable roles with their NBA teams and provide different levels of scoring, shooting, and/or defense depending on what is needed.

Deep Bench
Oshae Brissett, Isaiah Livers, Jabari Walker

They’ll get some minutes for my team when I’m up by 30 against your teams in the 4th quarter.


Overall, my plan was to spend big on my top of rotation guys, but I was still able to build some solid depth throughout the lineup.
 
Team Son of Yo Mama

Starters

PG - Darius Garland
SG - Marcus Smart
SF - Herb Jones
PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo
C - Nikola Vucevic

Elite perimeter D, scoring with multiple distributors across the lineup, and an MVP candidate to drive it all. Green could replace Jones in the lineup by year end to provide more scoring punch, and he’s looked like a new player so far this year.

Key Reserves
Guards - Jalen Suggs
Wings - Jalen Green, Josh Hart, Jae Crowder, Cam Reddish
Bigs - Jaxson Hayes

A lot of great options here to provide different skill sets as needed and to compliment the stars. Light on the center depth, but Giannis will play a lot at the 5, especially with the wing depth this team has.

Deep Bench
Keita Bates-Diop, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Ryan Rollins, Orlando Robinson

Strictly upside plays with varying levels of opportunity to get rotation minutes with their NBA teams.

Another top-loaded team that was also able to build solid depth and roster flexibility with value plays that have been outperforming their draft position so far.
 
Great job everyone - thanks for the fun draft!

Here’s what I’m thinking for next steps:

If you choose to, please post your rosters and any writeups you want to make regarding how all your players can shoot and play defense at all-star levels by Tuesday 11/14.

Then everyone send me how you rank the teams 1-19 (19 being best) - don’t rank your own teams by Sunday 11/19. I’ll consolidate and release the results the following week.

I’ll also set up the teams on Fantrax to track fantasy stats for the year. If you didn’t play last year, please PM me your email address so I can include you on the site.
Reminder on timing.

Non-drafters can give me rankings too. Rosters are on the google sheet file linked in the OP.
 
Meet Team Eephus

Guards: Anthony Edwards, Russell Westbrook, Coby White, Chris Paul, Ben Sheppard

Edwards
will start and play as many minutes as possible. He's made another leap this season and is a two-way superstar.

Westbrook will start at first and we'll see how that goes. His USG is down since moving to the Clippers in real life which should continue on my team.

CP3 will run the second unit and close out games--he's been a steadying presence so far with the Warriors.

Coby White can mix and match with any of the other three guards. He can team with Edwards in a big backcourt and can space the floor to give Edwards more room to operate. He can also run as an off guard in lineups with Russ and CP3.

Sheppard is garbage time, towel waving and G-League for now but it's a long season and stranger things have happened.


Wings: Jaylen Brown, Jabari Smith Jr., Christian Braun, Naji Marshall, Ochai Agbaji

Brown
is well suited to his role as the third star on this team. He's a complimentary offensive option and another excellent defender on the perimeter.

I'm listing Jabari Smith as a wing but he'll start at the 4. He's been solid so far this year but hasn't quite broken out yet. He can space the floor and has good length as a defender. I've been wrong before but Jabari just looks like a player.

Braun can back up at either 3 or 2. He's solid on both ends and has demonstrated the ability to make winning plays in big situations.

Marshall is currently hurt but got minutes for New Orleans last year down the stretch and in the playoffs. I'm a bit concerned his real-life playing time may get squeezed by the emergence of Jordan Hawkins but it's the Pelicans and there's always somebody hurt there.

Agbaji has been starting for the Jazz. He lacks elite length but is capable of thriving in a reserve 3 and D role.


Bigs: Anthony Davis, Christian Wood, Isaiah Hartenstein, Obi Toppin, Mike Muscala

AD
is a magnet for criticism but when healthy, he's still an elite big on both ends of the court and a tough matchup for opponents.

Christian Wood can play at either the 4 or 5, space the floor, finish lobs and even attack off the dribble a bit. He's a tweener on defense. I don't have the strong banger that would make for an ideal big man partner for him but we'll have to make do.

Hartenstein is a solid backup center who always plays hard, sticks to his role and can contribute a little on offense and defense. We'll try out some pairings with IHart at the 5 and AD at the 4.

Obi Toppin probably won't be happy in his limited role but he can provide some scoring juice off the bench. I'm hoping he'll show more intensity on defense and on the boards in his contract year but in his fourth year in the league, he probably just is who he is.

Muscala is a veteran big who can shoot a little and bang a little. He won't see a lot of action if all goes well.

I'm generally pretty happy with my draft. It's a much stronger roster than I put together last year. Picking from the #4 slot helped of course but I tried to draft more aggressively early on rather than playing it cute to preserve cap room for later in the draft.

The roster provides a lot of options to play up tempo or in halfcourt sets. The shooting isn't quite elite but should be adequate to compete. If there is a weakness, I'd probably say we don't match up particularly well vs. teams with huge frontcourts. AD hasn't always thrived in those situations in the past and I wasn't able to draft another big body to help him there.

Thanks to @Yo Mama for running this and to everyone who kept the line moving. It's a fun format that works on multiple dimensions. I wish we had a better way of simming the league out but the NBA is complex and a computer model would create as many arguments as it would settle.
 
Guards: Steph Curry; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; Jaden Ivey; Dyson Daniels
Forwards: Luka Doncic; Harrison Barnes; Trey Murphy (6th Man); Jarred Vanderbilt; Peyton Watson
Center: Wendell Carter; Kevin Love; Dwight Powell
Deep Bench: KJ Martin, Hunter Tyson, Boban Marjanović

Ultimately, the goal here is for my team to slow down your team enough to let this offense hum. Either Curry or Doncic will be on the court nearly all the time so the offense will never be short of top tier (I would argue they are the 2nd and 3rd best offensive players in the NBA), and with the spacing, intelligence, and shot creation available, the starting/closing group is going to be scoring at will.

Defensively, I tried to grab some two-way players around Doncic and Curry for the starting/closing lineup. KCP is great (43% three and great on opposing guards), Carter Jr fits in well and is wildly underrated (does everything at a positive level), Barnes is a good positional and team defender (and has become one of the most efficient tertiary options in the league), and Trey Murphy (who will likely be in the closing group if his knee is okay) is a nice switchable forward. If I need a second great defender (other than KCP), Vanderbilt is fantastic on-ball pretty much anywhere between 1-4, and Watson is that disruptive free safety type (not to mention Dyson Daniels who is an A+ on-ball defender as well).

If the season ended today, my 9-man playoff rotation would be Curry-KCP-Doncic-Barnes-Carter with Murphy getting the majority of playing time and Ivey/Vanderbilt/Love playing 10-12 mpg. Depending on play the rest of the year, I could see any of Watson/Daniels/Ivey/Vanderbilt moving into more of a 25 mpg role and making the playoff lineup more of a 7.5-man rotation though.
 
Guards: Steph Curry; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; Jaden Ivey; Dyson Daniels
Forwards: Luka Doncic; Harrison Barnes; Trey Murphy (6th Man); Jarred Vanderbilt; Peyton Watson
Center: Wendell Carter; Kevin Love; Dwight Powell
Deep Bench: KJ Martin, Hunter Tyson, Boban Marjanović

Ultimately, the goal here is for my team to slow down your team enough to let this offense hum. Either Curry or Doncic will be on the court nearly all the time so the offense will never be short of top tier (I would argue they are the 2nd and 3rd best offensive players in the NBA), and with the spacing, intelligence, and shot creation available, the starting/closing group is going to be scoring at will.

Defensively, I tried to grab some two-way players around Doncic and Curry for the starting/closing lineup. KCP is great (43% three and great on opposing guards), Carter Jr fits in well and is wildly underrated (does everything at a positive level), Barnes is a good positional and team defender (and has become one of the most efficient tertiary options in the league), and Trey Murphy (who will likely be in the closing group if his knee is okay) is a nice switchable forward. If I need a second great defender (other than KCP), Vanderbilt is fantastic on-ball pretty much anywhere between 1-4, and Watson is that disruptive free safety type (not to mention Dyson Daniels who is an A+ on-ball defender as well).

If the season ended today, my 9-man playoff rotation would be Curry-KCP-Doncic-Barnes-Carter with Murphy getting the majority of playing time and Ivey/Vanderbilt/Love playing 10-12 mpg. Depending on play the rest of the year, I could see any of Watson/Daniels/Ivey/Vanderbilt moving into more of a 25 mpg role and making the playoff lineup more of a 7.5-man rotation though.
My vote for best team. Two top 5 players and 3 other starters that make perfect sense with them. The bench sucks as is to be expected with a top heavy roster but it shouldn’t matter.
 
Team Trader Jake 😎
Starting Line-up:
5 - Brook Lopez (MIL)
4 - Evan Mobley (CLE)
3 - Kawhi Leonard (LAC)
2 - Devin Vessell (SAS)
1 - Ja Morant (MEM)

Squad was drafted with defense and shooting in mind. Lopez will be in drop protecting the rim with Mobley as a ranging shot blocker. Kawhi will patrol (aka Klaw) the wing, occasionally moving to the 4 for some small ball offense when needed. Alvarado will irritate and wear down teams when he comes off the bench, and a deep groups of wings will mix and match based on opponent. Strong rebounding, shot blocking, and defense overall.

On offense every player in the rotation will make teams pay behind the 3pt line except Mobley. He'll primarily be used to set picks for Ja Morant and operate as a secondary playmaker on the roll and in the dunker spot. Morant will create for others and with this many shooters that should stress opposing defenses and open the lane. Kawhi is the closer and he'll be able to exploit teams without a strong wing defender.

Rotation Minutes:
Big - Al Horford (w/Mobley moving to 5 when needed)
Wings - Sam Hauser (BOS), John Konchar (MEM), and MarJon Beauchamp (MIL)
Ball Handling - Bogdan Bogdanovic (ATL) Jose Alvarado (NOP)
Love the big rotation with Horford playing off Lopez & Mobley's strengths. Bogdanovic can handle the rock or be a spot-up shooter depending on matchups.

Deep Bench:
Max Christie (LAL), Cam Whitmore (HOU), Jarace Walker (IND), and Bilal Coulibaly (WAS)
Christie could be used as a 3pt specialist and Coulibaly may enter some games to defend, but this group is made up of prospects to develop.

Loved the draft again this season! Appreciate the invite Yo Mama, looking forward to the voting. 🏆 Good luck all!
 
Guards: Steph Curry; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; Jaden Ivey; Dyson Daniels
Forwards: Luka Doncic; Harrison Barnes; Trey Murphy (6th Man); Jarred Vanderbilt; Peyton Watson
Center: Wendell Carter; Kevin Love; Dwight Powell
Deep Bench: KJ Martin, Hunter Tyson, Boban Marjanović
My vote for best team. Two top 5 players and 3 other starters that make perfect sense with them. The bench sucks as is to be expected with a top heavy roster but it shouldn’t matter.
:rolleyes:
 
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Starters for now:

Cade Cunningham
Fred VanVleet
Andrew Wiggins
Jerami Grant
Alperen Sengun


It's questionable if some teams here even have 1 capable PG, this team starts essentially 3. Cade Cunningham thinks he's died and gone to heaven after being surrounded by players that can actually shoot. VanVleet plays off ball to start while deferring to Cade, then absorbs the minutes at PG as he staggers when Cade rests. Wiggins and Grant form a nasty defensive forward tandem, capable of switching everywhere, and both able to create a little offense as well. Then you have Sengun, who's already shown this season he's made a leap. "Mini-Jokic" does a little everything on offense and fits in perfectly.

Rest of the rotation:

1- Like stated, Cade and FVV soak up all the minutes here, their minutes staggered besides the beginning and closing lineups. Ty Jerome is forced to wear a Syracuse hat and Hakim Warrick jersey on the bench.

2-4-
The main strategy here was to just load up on switchable wings and hope to hit on a few. Most the guys you'll see here are switchable defenders who can knock down an open shot. Like stated, Grant and Wiggins lead the group. When one of the Cade/FVV duo is off the floor, you'll most likely see Buddy Hield, a 3pt flamethrower, or Dillon Brooks, one of the league's premier defenders, at the 2. Saddiq Bey, Tari Eason, Santi Aldama, Haywood Highsmith, and Kenrich Williams round out the group of wings. Each brings something a little different to the table, hoping to hit on a career season from a couple of these guys.

5- Sengun starts, but if the defense falters, in comes potential DPOY candidate Walker Kessler to clean things up. He's started kind of slow, weird rotations in Utah thus far. Hoping he picks it up, but Sengun's fast start makes it sting a little less and we can bring him off the bench for now with no worries. Goga Bitadze starts for the playoff-bound Magic but is only 3rd string here? Oh my!
 
Cade Cunningham
Fred VanVleet
Andrew Wiggins

Jerami Grant
Alperen Sengun


It's questionable if some teams here even have 1 capable PG, this team starts essentially 3. Cade Cunningham thinks he's died and gone to heaven after being surrounded by players that can actually shoot.


Hmmm. Three point shooting this year

VanVleet 37%
Wiggins 15%
Grant 36%
Sengun 25%

vs

Stewart 44%
Thompson 15%
Hayes 33%
Burks 50%
 
TEAM JAYROD

Starters:
PG/SG Maxey - May be the steal of the first round at pick #19 and only costing $4.3M. He is off to a torrid start averaging 25.5/7.3/4.5 and shooting 44% from 3. He's a lock to be an All-star at this pace and could be in discussions for all-NBA.
SG/PG Brogdon - The steady hand to Maxey's flashiness, Brogdon is a fantastic shooter from 3 to keep defenses honest and is averaging 19/6.1/5.3 so far. He's an average defender, but has size to offset Maxey's smallness in matchups. Hoping he gets traded in real life to land a FT starting spot.
SF/PF Wagner - My glue guy, he is the next best thing to do-everything Mikal Bridges. Can guard anyone 2-4, score efficiently without hogging the ball and even initiate the offense if needed.
SF/PF Butler - Jimmy is on a mission to "finish the job" from last season. He'll be a All-D candidate if he plays enough games to qualify and will be my go-to guy to pair with Maxey when needed, but be smart enough to lay back and let the others cook if they are playing well. Can initiate offense, play off the ball, terrorize the glass or lockdown the opponent.
C Lively or Nurkic - Early in the season, who starts will be dependent on matchups, but Lively will likely land the gig full time after a while if he can settle into the NBA game and his role. Nurkic can stretch the defense a little more and has been a very good rebounder in his career, but Lively brings energy and shot blocking to the back end of the defense.

2nd Unit/Primary Bench:
C - Nurkic or Lively - (see above)
SG/SF - Herro - My 6th man will push to average around 18 ppg in 25 mpg leading the 2nd unit. Not relying on him for defense, but he's a walking bucket. Averaging 25.3 ppg for the Heat and shooting 41% from 3.
PF/C Portis - Bobby will give us the ability to go to a double big lineup if needed with Lively or Nurkic or play small ball as the C. Can be a liability on defense, but stretches the floor.
SF/SG LeVert - more guard like and can handle the ball for short periods and run the offense with Herro if Maxey & Brogdon are both out. He's an average defender and a plus on offense and should get 15-16 mpg.

Bench Depth:
These 3 guys are all pretty similar. Plus defenders on the wing with OK offensive ability. Will get minutes based on performance for me from 5-10 mpg. All are playing 20-30 mpg in real life right now.
SF/PF Ziaire Williams
SF/PF Derrick Jones Jr
PF/SF Toumani Camara


Deep Bench:
Will only see the floor when the game is over.
C/PF Nick Richards
PF/C Jake LaRavia
PF/SF Kobe Brown
Just a bump since I wrote this up before the draft was even over.

Despite me personally loving and believing in defense, I've built an offensive juggernaut (#1 in scoring so far this season). Probably the best trio of 3-pt shooters with Maxey, Herro & Brogdon and a bunch of strong wings who can also score. Defensively average (good on wing, OK in paint and poor at guard) and surprisingly good at rebounding (as a team, no studs, but all of my top 9 guys avg 4+ per game), but good luck keeping up with our scoring.
 
TEAM JAYROD

Starters:
PG/SG Maxey - May be the steal of the first round at pick #19 and only costing $4.3M. He is off to a torrid start averaging 25.5/7.3/4.5 and shooting 44% from 3. He's a lock to be an All-star at this pace and could be in discussions for all-NBA.
SG/PG Brogdon - The steady hand to Maxey's flashiness, Brogdon is a fantastic shooter from 3 to keep defenses honest and is averaging 19/6.1/5.3 so far. He's an average defender, but has size to offset Maxey's smallness in matchups. Hoping he gets traded in real life to land a FT starting spot.
SF/PF Wagner - My glue guy, he is the next best thing to do-everything Mikal Bridges. Can guard anyone 2-4, score efficiently without hogging the ball and even initiate the offense if needed.
SF/PF Butler - Jimmy is on a mission to "finish the job" from last season. He'll be a All-D candidate if he plays enough games to qualify and will be my go-to guy to pair with Maxey when needed, but be smart enough to lay back and let the others cook if they are playing well. Can initiate offense, play off the ball, terrorize the glass or lockdown the opponent.
C Lively or Nurkic - Early in the season, who starts will be dependent on matchups, but Lively will likely land the gig full time after a while if he can settle into the NBA game and his role. Nurkic can stretch the defense a little more and has been a very good rebounder in his career, but Lively brings energy and shot blocking to the back end of the defense.

2nd Unit/Primary Bench:
C - Nurkic or Lively - (see above)
SG/SF - Herro - My 6th man will push to average around 18 ppg in 25 mpg leading the 2nd unit. Not relying on him for defense, but he's a walking bucket. Averaging 25.3 ppg for the Heat and shooting 41% from 3.
PF/C Portis - Bobby will give us the ability to go to a double big lineup if needed with Lively or Nurkic or play small ball as the C. Can be a liability on defense, but stretches the floor.
SF/SG LeVert - more guard like and can handle the ball for short periods and run the offense with Herro if Maxey & Brogdon are both out. He's an average defender and a plus on offense and should get 15-16 mpg.

Bench Depth:
These 3 guys are all pretty similar. Plus defenders on the wing with OK offensive ability. Will get minutes based on performance for me from 5-10 mpg. All are playing 20-30 mpg in real life right now.
SF/PF Ziaire Williams
SF/PF Derrick Jones Jr
PF/SF Toumani Camara


Deep Bench:
Will only see the floor when the game is over.
C/PF Nick Richards
PF/C Jake LaRavia
PF/SF Kobe Brown
Just a bump since I wrote this up before the draft was even over.

Despite me personally loving and believing in defense, I've built an offensive juggernaut (#1 in scoring so far this season). Probably the best trio of 3-pt shooters with Maxey, Herro & Brogdon and a bunch of strong wings who can also score. Defensively average (good on wing, OK in paint and poor at guard) and surprisingly good at rebounding (as a team, no studs, but all of my top 9 guys avg 4+ per game), but good luck keeping up with our scoring.

I take this as a personal afront. Steph Curry has personally made 62 threes this year at 45% (Doncic has made 43 @ 42%, KCP has made 16 @ 43%), those three combined have made 72 at 40%. I think 121 @ over 42% >>> 72 @ 40%.
 
TEAM JAYROD

Starters:
PG/SG Maxey - May be the steal of the first round at pick #19 and only costing $4.3M. He is off to a torrid start averaging 25.5/7.3/4.5 and shooting 44% from 3. He's a lock to be an All-star at this pace and could be in discussions for all-NBA.
SG/PG Brogdon - The steady hand to Maxey's flashiness, Brogdon is a fantastic shooter from 3 to keep defenses honest and is averaging 19/6.1/5.3 so far. He's an average defender, but has size to offset Maxey's smallness in matchups. Hoping he gets traded in real life to land a FT starting spot.
SF/PF Wagner - My glue guy, he is the next best thing to do-everything Mikal Bridges. Can guard anyone 2-4, score efficiently without hogging the ball and even initiate the offense if needed.
SF/PF Butler - Jimmy is on a mission to "finish the job" from last season. He'll be a All-D candidate if he plays enough games to qualify and will be my go-to guy to pair with Maxey when needed, but be smart enough to lay back and let the others cook if they are playing well. Can initiate offense, play off the ball, terrorize the glass or lockdown the opponent.
C Lively or Nurkic - Early in the season, who starts will be dependent on matchups, but Lively will likely land the gig full time after a while if he can settle into the NBA game and his role. Nurkic can stretch the defense a little more and has been a very good rebounder in his career, but Lively brings energy and shot blocking to the back end of the defense.

2nd Unit/Primary Bench:
C - Nurkic or Lively - (see above)
SG/SF - Herro - My 6th man will push to average around 18 ppg in 25 mpg leading the 2nd unit. Not relying on him for defense, but he's a walking bucket. Averaging 25.3 ppg for the Heat and shooting 41% from 3.
PF/C Portis - Bobby will give us the ability to go to a double big lineup if needed with Lively or Nurkic or play small ball as the C. Can be a liability on defense, but stretches the floor.
SF/SG LeVert - more guard like and can handle the ball for short periods and run the offense with Herro if Maxey & Brogdon are both out. He's an average defender and a plus on offense and should get 15-16 mpg.

Bench Depth:
These 3 guys are all pretty similar. Plus defenders on the wing with OK offensive ability. Will get minutes based on performance for me from 5-10 mpg. All are playing 20-30 mpg in real life right now.
SF/PF Ziaire Williams
SF/PF Derrick Jones Jr
PF/SF Toumani Camara


Deep Bench:
Will only see the floor when the game is over.
C/PF Nick Richards
PF/C Jake LaRavia
PF/SF Kobe Brown
Just a bump since I wrote this up before the draft was even over.

Despite me personally loving and believing in defense, I've built an offensive juggernaut (#1 in scoring so far this season). Probably the best trio of 3-pt shooters with Maxey, Herro & Brogdon and a bunch of strong wings who can also score. Defensively average (good on wing, OK in paint and poor at guard) and surprisingly good at rebounding (as a team, no studs, but all of my top 9 guys avg 4+ per game), but good luck keeping up with our scoring.

I take this as a personal afront. Steph Curry has personally made 62 threes this year at 45% (Doncic has made 43 @ 42%, KCP has made 16 @ 43%), those three combined have made 72 at 40%. I think 121 @ over 42% >>> 72 @ 40%.
I'll concede that. I said "probably" because I hadn't gone through the rosters. Doncic is shooting better than he ever has (by far) so we'll see if he maintains it. Word is he did work on his 3-pt shot a bunch in the off-season.

#2 isn't shabby, though.
 
Probably the best trio of 3-pt shooters with Maxey, Herro & Brogdon and a bunch of strong wings who can also score.
You can't play those three guys together and likely can't even play two of them. Their defense is not good.

Also, everyone has good three point shooters, and either way Malcolm Brogdon is shooting 34% from three

Burks 50%
PG 39%
Tatum 40%
McDaniels 43%
 
Did anyone consider taking Miles Bridges?
Yeah. Probably would've been a better pick than my similarly-priced late rounders like Royce O'Neale or Gabe Vincent, but I just couldn't do it. I already have him in a dynasty fantasy league, and part of me hopes that he sucks after all this time off so I can comfortably drop him.
 
Probably the best trio of 3-pt shooters with Maxey, Herro & Brogdon and a bunch of strong wings who can also score.
You can't play those three guys together and likely can't even play two of them. Their defense is not good.

Also, everyone has good three point shooters, and either way Malcolm Brogdon is shooting 34% from three

Burks 50%
PG 39%
Tatum 40%
McDaniels 43%
Since we have like a 9 game sample size, lets re-evaluate this:

Career:
Maxey - 41.5%
Herro - 38.4%
Brogdon - 38.7%

Burks - 38.6%
PG- 38.2%
Tatum - 37.6%
McDaniels - 36.3%

2022-23 Season:
Maxey - 43.4%
Herro - 37.8%
Brogdon - 44.4%

Burks - 41.4%
PG- 37.1%
Tatum - 35.0%
McDaniels - 39.8%

I like my chances here by the end of the season. And I will be pairing them together 2 at a time almost always. Defense is what Butler & Wagner are for. If we need a stop, sure I'll go down to 1, but it isn't like Maxey and Brogdon are terrible defenders (yes, Herro can be terrible).
 
but it isn't like Maxey and Brogdon are terrible defenders (yes, Herro can be terrible).
It isn't?
No.

Brodgon was a 2x DPOY in the ACC and is a plus sized guard. He has played for some elite defenses with Milwaukee & Boston and has thusly been the guy targeted a lot, but he is not a poor defender by any stretch.

Maxey has been an offensive player from the start of his career, but his defense is not as poor as his stats would indicate since he played alongside the defensively terrible James Harden for the last 1 1/2 seasons. His DBPM is positive so far this season since he has a defender playing next to him for a change.
 
I like my chances here by the end of the season. And I will be pairing them together 2 at a time almost always. Defense is what Butler & Wagner are for. If we need a stop, sure I'll go down to 1, but it isn't like Maxey and Brogdon are terrible defenders (yes, Herro can be terrible).
Defensive specialist Franz Wagner?
 

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