Post by Herby New Year! on Jun 14, 2021 11:00:26 GMT -5
Long anticipated round table featuring TimPig, Skrouse, Majic, Druce, Bankz, and yours truly.
Enjoy!
1. What is the most surprising team or player so far in the 3007 season and why?
Druce - No real huge surprises for me, the 76ers having the record they do is a bit surprising. I think Webster's shitty defense will cost them in the playoffs so that will be an interesting follow. I also continue to wonder how the Magic are any good. No one on that roster really stands out to me as a "yeah that guy is a stud" type of player. I'm pretty surprised by Tobias Harris' lack of scoring volume thus far, really hope he gets some TC love.
Heebs – I’m going full homer here with Bynum. He is on track to win DPOY and isn’t an offensive liability. He may be the first elite two-way big in TMBSL if he can get another decent TC or two for his inside scoring.
Bankz - On the positive side I would say the Stags. They have been building that roster up nicely. The league shit on the McCray deal but it seems like that has paid off in a big way. All these dramatic bitches in shout that think they know everything but have zero titles to the name want to cast stones. If your fall in line with BK's talking point you may want to check yourself because going full BK is never a good look. Good for the Stags and good for Troy for trusting his gut and that team looks pretty strong at this point.
On the negative side I would say the Cougars. That team has been extremely talented and deep but it seems like after shuffling around a few pieces 20s may have chosen wrong. After a very slow start last year he was able to change his rotation and bounce back. This year it doesn't seem like anything is working. He's recently made a couple of moves maybe to reshuffle the deck but no way a team that talented should be battling for an 8th seed.
Skrouse - The Knicks are a lot better than I thought they would be, really shows just how talented Kyrie is. He and CP3 are in a tier all their own.
TimPig - The Heat are the first team that comes to mind as surprising, and not in a good way. They made big moves this offseason to get Webber and Mashburn some help, grabbing Sidney Green from the rebuilding Rockets and Josh Peppers from the 76ers. Those two moves have kept the Heat comfortably playing .500 ball and in 8th place in the East.
A few players have also been disappointing. The 76ers’ depth is obviously a huge reason for this, but both Marc Gasol and Martell Webster are putting up pretty unimpressive raw numbers. They’ve both been really efficient, but spending two 1.1s to get 34 points per game is crazy. After being the most celebrated player in Hornets history, Vin Baker is having a pretty unimpressive season. Luther Wright should’ve won MIP last year, but this season he might get the opposite award if it existed. Brandon Bass might’ve been the final nail in Ward’s coffin, as he’s not looking like he’s worth anywhere near a 1.3.
Majic - I don’t know that there is 1 specific team that jumps out, good or bad, as being a complete surprise. I am a little surprised the 76ers are as good as they are, I figured Websters defense would hold them back. Then again, the software loves Ellis and Carr and it doesn’t seem to matter who is around them. On the other end, I am a bit surprised the Bulls are as bad as they are. I didn’t expect them to be an elite team, but I am surprised they are barely contending for a playoff spot. Similarly, I figured the new rookie trio for the Grizzlies would be a bit better than they are. They might just need some TC's before that team is ready to compete.
2. It's early, but who is your rookie of the year?
TimPig - Definitely Kyrie. 1.16 pts/tsa as of sim 4 with solid volume, no turnover issues, and even his rebounding isn’t as horrid as it appeared after TC and preseason. He still has a few upgrades left to juice one of the areas he’s already strong in.
Bankz - Its Kyrie. The vast majority of the PGs in the league built have been pretty similar and and underwhelming. Kyrie, CP3 have broken that mold and the gap between those two and the rest of the PGs is vast. I'm glad both those players went to average GMs who have no clue how to build a title winner in 6.0, So the massive advantage they get for having CP3 and Kyrie on a roster won't be maxed out.
Majic - There seems to be a clear top 2 in Vucevic and Irving. I am going to go with Irving, I think its harder to find what he does for a team than it is to find a quality big. Irving is s scoring machine and does so on great efficiency. His assist numbers are also extremely high and it doesn’t look like he will hurt you on the defensive end. His rebounding is solid for a PG and he incredibly low TOs. Again, as I often say I am going to go with the guy that gives you an elite player at a position that its not easy to find.
Heebs – Kyrie for sure. He will be the ROY in the software due to the assists, but I also think he’s the most valuable rookie in this class. There just are not elite PGs in the league right now besides CP3 and Kyrie.
Druce - I think it's pretty easily Kyrie. I love Vuc and am glad I picked him, but Kyrie is on another level. He'll challenge CP3 for best point guard in the league in a few years, that will be fun to watch develop. Would be cool to see a Knicks vs. TWolves finals, except that one of them would have to win a championship, so pass on that.
Skrouse - Kyrie, not even close. He may actually be the best Rookie yet
3. Create the best 8-man sim rotation. Max 2 players on rookie contracts. 80m hard cap applies.
Bankz - PG: CP3 - 4.9
SG: McCray - 15.0
SF: Ellis -13.8
PF: Carr -15.0
C: Webber - 4.9
PG: Session - .6
W: O'Koren - 6.9
B: Kemp -19.2
Heebs – Bigs: Al Horford, Antoine Carr, and Mike Gminski
Wings: Clyde Drexler, Rodney McCray, and Adam Haluska
PGs: CP3 and Kyrie
Druce - Big: Isaiah Austin ($12,000,000)
Big: Al Horford ($12,500,000)
Big: Tom Piotrowski ($10,457,308)
Wing: Dale Ellis ($13,752,292)
Wing: Adam Haluska ($11,045,689)
Wing: Michael Brooks ($9,313,334)
PG: CP3 ($4,900,000)
PG: Kyrie ($4,000,000)
With $2,031,377 to spare
Skrouse - C: Chris Webber / Stanko Barac / Chris Webber
PF: Antoine Carr / Stanko Barac / Antoine Carr
SF: Rodney McCray / Kiki Vandeweghe / Kiki Vandeweghe
SG: Dale Ellis / Kiki Vandeweghe / Kiki Vandeweghe
PG: Kyrie Irving / Taurean Green / Kyrie Irving
TimPig - Bigs - Al Horford / Brook Lopez / Manute Bol
Wings - Clyde Drexler / Dale Ellis / Luke Maye
Points - Chris Paul / Anderson Hunt
Backup point guard was the toughest and could have gone a number of ways, but most backups I really would have liked were on rookie contracts, and I didn’t want to use one of my two rookie deals on someone who might only get 10 minutes per game. Scoring is no problem for this team and they can win most games just by getting buckets, but there’s some defense too in Lopez and Bol, the latter not taking shots away from anyone else. I would’ve loved someone like George Lynch or Marvin Williams as my third wing to provide some no-shoot defense and rebounding, but they’re both on rookie contracts so I just decided to add some more scoring in Maye.
Majic - PG - Chris Paul - obvious pick on this one, elite PG and on a cheap rookie contract
SG - James Blackmon Jr - he has elevated his game to another level the last couple years. Love what he brings to this team and his scoring capabilities.
SF - Antonio Gates - Largest contract but worth it for all that he gives your team. Outstanding scoring and elite rebounding.
PF - Antoine Carr - total package for a big and gives you everything that you would be looking for.
C - Tom Piotrowski - might be a surprising pick but I love his game. He is on a team friendly contract and offers a scoring touch and defensive presence.
Reserve - John lucas III - this is the main roster spot I am sacrificing quality for the contract. In a reserve roll Lucas can be serviceable and not be a disaster, which is all we need.
Reserve - Jamal Mashburn - saved my second rookie contract for the reserve role. Mashburn would be an unreal 6th man for this team
Reserve - Kevin McHale - might be sacrificing a little here but I love the value of McHale and his contract. He is an elite 3rd big and would dominate.
4. Dumptime appears to be back. Are you excited?
Druce - Well, we lose ward, who obviously wasn't very invested into things this go round so no big deal there. Am I excited dump is back? Meh, not really. I haven't come across much of his posting on TMB as I stick to mainly 5-6 threads there now days. No idea if he's grown up at all, but I doubt it. I've been trying to limit my time in shout/on the board in general as shout gets toxic pretty fast these days and I just don't care to deal with it. I don't think dump will make eric's job any easier, so I'm not excited for that. I can't imagine running a league with dump and bk and bankz in it simultaneously so godspeed to eric on that.
Bankz - No, His arrival doesn't have me excited. But its good we filled the void. I wish ward would've stuck around. Nothing against dump as I would take him over a handful of current GMs. Best of luck to him.
Heebs – Yes. I enjoy dumptime and hope he hits the ground running. I’m a little worried though, because he still hasn’t posted an article and that is not a good sign for his commitment to the league.
Majic - Sure, I was so new to the league when Dump was in his glory so I never had issues with him. He is quite the personality and if he sticks around it will be hilarious to watch. From a GM'ing perspective I am interested to see how he does. The league is almost unrecognizable since the last time he was a GM and it might not be an easy transition. He gets a nice slot in the wheel and a clean cap, so he should be setup well.
Skrouse - I'm glad we got a GM to fill the void left by Ward, and one with experience, as Ward himself was quite experienced. I don't have very strong feelings either way regarding dump, I hope he brings a positive impact to the league.
TimPig - I’m excited to have a full league. I’ve never really GM’d with Dump save for a brief 5.0 period when he wasn’t particularly active. I think once I sent him a trade proposal and his response was “No”, which wasn’t exactly an exhilarating trade negotiation. He seems to be a polarizing figure so I’ll be curious to see how he, Bankz, and BK feed off of each other in Shout.
5. Who wins in a game of one-on-one basketball - your physique with Dumptime's shooting or Dumptime's physique with your basketball skill?
Druce - The only thing I've got on dump physique wise is height. I've gained a lot of weight since my hey day so I'm not sure the physique is an advantage. I do think I'm likely a better basketball player than dump so I will take my skill with his physique. Either way we're prob. both gassed after about 4 points.
Skrouse - As I'm not the most skilled baller I would go with the former, my physique with dump's shooting.
Heebs – My physique with Dump’s skill. I’ve not practiced shooting a basketball in years and I can really only dribble with my right. I am a little taller than dump and I think I’m in a little better shape.
TimPig - Most of my contributions on the basketball court come from athleticism and rebounding/blocking shots and I think I recall seeing a video of Dump winning a bet where he had to make a couple of free throws or something, so I’m going with Dumptime’s shooting with my physical skill. A guy who can block shots, get boards, and make free throws? Sounds like sim Greg Oden.
Bankz - Have you seen his video? That man's skill is NBA level. Now my body isn't fantastic but its an upgrade over dump so let's roll with Dump's sweet jumper in my body.
Majic - Dumptimes physique with my shooting skills, easy answer. Old man basketball isnt about speed or quickness, its about knowing what to do and when to do it. My skills would translate very well to an old man league and I could make dumps body work, assuming I dont keel over and die.
6. We've got some serious beef between BK and Bankz. A TMBSL civil war breaks out and you must choose a side. Who are you riding with and why?
Majic - I avoid most of the shout drama, so I am not entirely sure I understand the full scope of the beef. If I had to pick one of them, I would likely go with BK which might surprise some. BK has been around for a long time and when he remains calm, he often has some good suggestions for the league. I have nothing against Bankz per say, I am more going with the devil I know.
Druce - Previous to 6.0 I never had any issue with Bankz, but the way he's handled himself the last few months has really rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I'm just used to how BK is, but at his core I think he's a good person who generally means well, and he does provide some funny bits from time to time. This heel turn of bankz is really unbecoming, so I would choose BKs side.
Skrouse - Very tough call, but all things considered I would have to side with BK. I can usually deal with BK no matter what he says/does, definitely not the case with Bankz, sometimes the shit he spews is just awful. No thanks
TimPig - Probably BK since I’m on his side more than Bankz’s, though it’s a really tough decision as in this scenario I feel like BK is the one “leading” his side and I’m not sure there’s someone on the planet less cut out to be a leader than BK. It’d have to be one of those situations where every time I went in to battle I took a step back and remembered the cause I was fighting for and not the individual.
Heebs – I’m not excited about making this choice. Bankz and BK couldn’t be more different as far as being leaders goes. BK has good ideas, but his executive function is rather low. Bankz, on other hand has some bad ideas, but he gets shit done. Ultimately it comes down to who I think will win because I want to win. Bankz will do whatever it takes to win, so I’m riding with Bankz.
7. With the addition of dumptime, we're going to have at least 3 GMs prone to emotional outbursts in shout. Do you agree that the league is better off with the drama than the 5.0 dolldrums?
Bankz - Drama is good for the league. But it can go over board. It's why I recently put BK on shout ban. I've long been against doing something like that. But BK is white girl stalker levels in shout. And people seem to have soured with our exchanges so for the health of the league I banned his bitch ass. BK can't be trusted to shout ban me. We have caught him faking the ban multiple times in the past and since he can't be a man of his word I needed to do something I was against and banned him. You're welcome.
Druce - No. We still had occasional drama in 5.0 but generally just had better conversations/conversations I didn't mind being involved in. When the community grows people try harder to stand out, whether it's by being egdy, or a contrarian or any number of other ways. I'm not involved in this league for drama. I'm a 34 year old man, and I don't work for TNT. I'm here for some fun competition and to see how well I can build a team/make moves etc.
Heebs – I enjoy shout when it is lively and full of drama. So I’m excited about dump rejoining and giving BK another foil.
TimPig - BK was in 5.0 so it wasn’t exactly devoid of drama, and I think there has been plenty of constructive 6.0 Shout that’s not BK/Bankz fueled. The sheer volume of GMs in 6.0 would make for plenty of engaging Shout talk without the emotional outbursts, though I do enjoy being on the sidelines for a heated argument from time to time. If we could cut those down by about 50% I think it’d be just about perfect.
Majic - 100% yes its better. Nothing can help kill a workday than a shout controversy. If there is a good controversy with an active ongoing argument its easy to kill a few hours. On a more serious note, 5.0 shout was near dead at the end of the leagues run. An active shout is better than no shout, no matter what is going on, and its one of the main reasons I stick around the league. Bring me all the drama and all the shout arguments, its easy enough to leave the page if its too much.
Skrouse - I'm a fairly non-confrontational person, so I prefer less drama, but I'm not a very active shout participant. If those in the league whop shout often prefer shout drama and that's what keeps guys here, great. If it ends up leading to GMs leaving though, I say boot the drama queens instead.
8. FMK - Marc Gasol, Ervin Johnson, Andrew Bynum
TimPig - F - Andrew Bynum: I feel like he’s looking really, really good looking right now but it’s likely a fluke. He’s young and has a lot of appeal, but I’m just not sure I’m quite ready to settle down with him long term.
M - Ervin Johnson: Still relatively young, consistent, and an all-around solid player. He won’t surprise you and, at his age, you know exactly what you’re going to get.
K - Marc Gasol: Marc just hasn’t shown much drive to improve as a player, and I don’t want to commit myself to someone who isn’t committed to being the best version of themselves that they can be.
Bankz - I would kill Ervin. He had the lowest potential of the trio so the chances of decline by contract two are very high. Give the dip shit GM of the Nets willing to max Noah no doubt he would Max Ervin and then the decline hits he will try to shop him for a top 2 pick before eventually going the amnesty route. So foh EJ. I would fuck Bynum. Not sure if he can ever take the next step and be the cougar down the road, might as swell get it in early and keep it moving. I would marry Gasol. I have a thing for a sexy Hispanic as some may known and this man does it all. Clearly willing to share given his assist numbers you know he will put me first above all.
Majic - Marry Ervin Johnson - love his game and think he will grow into an elite big for a long time.
Fuck Andrew Bynum - really like him as a player and what he grown into. This pick is likely influenced by my affection for him in 5.0 during his time on my team.
Kill Gasol - simply, I like him the least of these 3 guys. Not a bad player and certainly does alot of great things, I just like him 3rd so he dies.
Skrouse - I think Keep, Trade, Cut would be more appropriate for sim but alas. I suppose...
F - Ervin Johnson
M - Andrew Bynum
K - Marc Gasol
Druce - F - Bynum - I like what he brings to the table on the boards/defensively
M - Ervin Johnson - really well rounded player who plays really good defense and has elite efficiency
K - Gasol - not as good on defense/boards as Bynum and not as good on offense as Johnson. Probably splitting hairs, but I'd kill him.
Heebs – F – Ervin Johnson – lowest starting potential so you know he’s going to fall off by the middle of that second contract and become a cap anchor. But right now? Lot to love right now.
M – Andrew Bynum – looks on track to be an elite two-way big that may be a perennial DPOY candidate. May move him to kill if he doesn’t resign though.
K – Marc Gasol – he is a good player, but of the three he’s the clear kill option. He’s not as good right now as Ervin and he’s not going to be as good long term as Bynum.
Enjoy!
1. What is the most surprising team or player so far in the 3007 season and why?
Druce - No real huge surprises for me, the 76ers having the record they do is a bit surprising. I think Webster's shitty defense will cost them in the playoffs so that will be an interesting follow. I also continue to wonder how the Magic are any good. No one on that roster really stands out to me as a "yeah that guy is a stud" type of player. I'm pretty surprised by Tobias Harris' lack of scoring volume thus far, really hope he gets some TC love.
Heebs – I’m going full homer here with Bynum. He is on track to win DPOY and isn’t an offensive liability. He may be the first elite two-way big in TMBSL if he can get another decent TC or two for his inside scoring.
Bankz - On the positive side I would say the Stags. They have been building that roster up nicely. The league shit on the McCray deal but it seems like that has paid off in a big way. All these dramatic bitches in shout that think they know everything but have zero titles to the name want to cast stones. If your fall in line with BK's talking point you may want to check yourself because going full BK is never a good look. Good for the Stags and good for Troy for trusting his gut and that team looks pretty strong at this point.
On the negative side I would say the Cougars. That team has been extremely talented and deep but it seems like after shuffling around a few pieces 20s may have chosen wrong. After a very slow start last year he was able to change his rotation and bounce back. This year it doesn't seem like anything is working. He's recently made a couple of moves maybe to reshuffle the deck but no way a team that talented should be battling for an 8th seed.
Skrouse - The Knicks are a lot better than I thought they would be, really shows just how talented Kyrie is. He and CP3 are in a tier all their own.
TimPig - The Heat are the first team that comes to mind as surprising, and not in a good way. They made big moves this offseason to get Webber and Mashburn some help, grabbing Sidney Green from the rebuilding Rockets and Josh Peppers from the 76ers. Those two moves have kept the Heat comfortably playing .500 ball and in 8th place in the East.
A few players have also been disappointing. The 76ers’ depth is obviously a huge reason for this, but both Marc Gasol and Martell Webster are putting up pretty unimpressive raw numbers. They’ve both been really efficient, but spending two 1.1s to get 34 points per game is crazy. After being the most celebrated player in Hornets history, Vin Baker is having a pretty unimpressive season. Luther Wright should’ve won MIP last year, but this season he might get the opposite award if it existed. Brandon Bass might’ve been the final nail in Ward’s coffin, as he’s not looking like he’s worth anywhere near a 1.3.
Majic - I don’t know that there is 1 specific team that jumps out, good or bad, as being a complete surprise. I am a little surprised the 76ers are as good as they are, I figured Websters defense would hold them back. Then again, the software loves Ellis and Carr and it doesn’t seem to matter who is around them. On the other end, I am a bit surprised the Bulls are as bad as they are. I didn’t expect them to be an elite team, but I am surprised they are barely contending for a playoff spot. Similarly, I figured the new rookie trio for the Grizzlies would be a bit better than they are. They might just need some TC's before that team is ready to compete.
2. It's early, but who is your rookie of the year?
TimPig - Definitely Kyrie. 1.16 pts/tsa as of sim 4 with solid volume, no turnover issues, and even his rebounding isn’t as horrid as it appeared after TC and preseason. He still has a few upgrades left to juice one of the areas he’s already strong in.
Bankz - Its Kyrie. The vast majority of the PGs in the league built have been pretty similar and and underwhelming. Kyrie, CP3 have broken that mold and the gap between those two and the rest of the PGs is vast. I'm glad both those players went to average GMs who have no clue how to build a title winner in 6.0, So the massive advantage they get for having CP3 and Kyrie on a roster won't be maxed out.
Majic - There seems to be a clear top 2 in Vucevic and Irving. I am going to go with Irving, I think its harder to find what he does for a team than it is to find a quality big. Irving is s scoring machine and does so on great efficiency. His assist numbers are also extremely high and it doesn’t look like he will hurt you on the defensive end. His rebounding is solid for a PG and he incredibly low TOs. Again, as I often say I am going to go with the guy that gives you an elite player at a position that its not easy to find.
Heebs – Kyrie for sure. He will be the ROY in the software due to the assists, but I also think he’s the most valuable rookie in this class. There just are not elite PGs in the league right now besides CP3 and Kyrie.
Druce - I think it's pretty easily Kyrie. I love Vuc and am glad I picked him, but Kyrie is on another level. He'll challenge CP3 for best point guard in the league in a few years, that will be fun to watch develop. Would be cool to see a Knicks vs. TWolves finals, except that one of them would have to win a championship, so pass on that.
Skrouse - Kyrie, not even close. He may actually be the best Rookie yet
3. Create the best 8-man sim rotation. Max 2 players on rookie contracts. 80m hard cap applies.
Bankz - PG: CP3 - 4.9
SG: McCray - 15.0
SF: Ellis -13.8
PF: Carr -15.0
C: Webber - 4.9
PG: Session - .6
W: O'Koren - 6.9
B: Kemp -19.2
Heebs – Bigs: Al Horford, Antoine Carr, and Mike Gminski
Wings: Clyde Drexler, Rodney McCray, and Adam Haluska
PGs: CP3 and Kyrie
Druce - Big: Isaiah Austin ($12,000,000)
Big: Al Horford ($12,500,000)
Big: Tom Piotrowski ($10,457,308)
Wing: Dale Ellis ($13,752,292)
Wing: Adam Haluska ($11,045,689)
Wing: Michael Brooks ($9,313,334)
PG: CP3 ($4,900,000)
PG: Kyrie ($4,000,000)
With $2,031,377 to spare
Skrouse - C: Chris Webber / Stanko Barac / Chris Webber
PF: Antoine Carr / Stanko Barac / Antoine Carr
SF: Rodney McCray / Kiki Vandeweghe / Kiki Vandeweghe
SG: Dale Ellis / Kiki Vandeweghe / Kiki Vandeweghe
PG: Kyrie Irving / Taurean Green / Kyrie Irving
TimPig - Bigs - Al Horford / Brook Lopez / Manute Bol
Wings - Clyde Drexler / Dale Ellis / Luke Maye
Points - Chris Paul / Anderson Hunt
Backup point guard was the toughest and could have gone a number of ways, but most backups I really would have liked were on rookie contracts, and I didn’t want to use one of my two rookie deals on someone who might only get 10 minutes per game. Scoring is no problem for this team and they can win most games just by getting buckets, but there’s some defense too in Lopez and Bol, the latter not taking shots away from anyone else. I would’ve loved someone like George Lynch or Marvin Williams as my third wing to provide some no-shoot defense and rebounding, but they’re both on rookie contracts so I just decided to add some more scoring in Maye.
Majic - PG - Chris Paul - obvious pick on this one, elite PG and on a cheap rookie contract
SG - James Blackmon Jr - he has elevated his game to another level the last couple years. Love what he brings to this team and his scoring capabilities.
SF - Antonio Gates - Largest contract but worth it for all that he gives your team. Outstanding scoring and elite rebounding.
PF - Antoine Carr - total package for a big and gives you everything that you would be looking for.
C - Tom Piotrowski - might be a surprising pick but I love his game. He is on a team friendly contract and offers a scoring touch and defensive presence.
Reserve - John lucas III - this is the main roster spot I am sacrificing quality for the contract. In a reserve roll Lucas can be serviceable and not be a disaster, which is all we need.
Reserve - Jamal Mashburn - saved my second rookie contract for the reserve role. Mashburn would be an unreal 6th man for this team
Reserve - Kevin McHale - might be sacrificing a little here but I love the value of McHale and his contract. He is an elite 3rd big and would dominate.
4. Dumptime appears to be back. Are you excited?
Druce - Well, we lose ward, who obviously wasn't very invested into things this go round so no big deal there. Am I excited dump is back? Meh, not really. I haven't come across much of his posting on TMB as I stick to mainly 5-6 threads there now days. No idea if he's grown up at all, but I doubt it. I've been trying to limit my time in shout/on the board in general as shout gets toxic pretty fast these days and I just don't care to deal with it. I don't think dump will make eric's job any easier, so I'm not excited for that. I can't imagine running a league with dump and bk and bankz in it simultaneously so godspeed to eric on that.
Bankz - No, His arrival doesn't have me excited. But its good we filled the void. I wish ward would've stuck around. Nothing against dump as I would take him over a handful of current GMs. Best of luck to him.
Heebs – Yes. I enjoy dumptime and hope he hits the ground running. I’m a little worried though, because he still hasn’t posted an article and that is not a good sign for his commitment to the league.
Majic - Sure, I was so new to the league when Dump was in his glory so I never had issues with him. He is quite the personality and if he sticks around it will be hilarious to watch. From a GM'ing perspective I am interested to see how he does. The league is almost unrecognizable since the last time he was a GM and it might not be an easy transition. He gets a nice slot in the wheel and a clean cap, so he should be setup well.
Skrouse - I'm glad we got a GM to fill the void left by Ward, and one with experience, as Ward himself was quite experienced. I don't have very strong feelings either way regarding dump, I hope he brings a positive impact to the league.
TimPig - I’m excited to have a full league. I’ve never really GM’d with Dump save for a brief 5.0 period when he wasn’t particularly active. I think once I sent him a trade proposal and his response was “No”, which wasn’t exactly an exhilarating trade negotiation. He seems to be a polarizing figure so I’ll be curious to see how he, Bankz, and BK feed off of each other in Shout.
5. Who wins in a game of one-on-one basketball - your physique with Dumptime's shooting or Dumptime's physique with your basketball skill?
Druce - The only thing I've got on dump physique wise is height. I've gained a lot of weight since my hey day so I'm not sure the physique is an advantage. I do think I'm likely a better basketball player than dump so I will take my skill with his physique. Either way we're prob. both gassed after about 4 points.
Skrouse - As I'm not the most skilled baller I would go with the former, my physique with dump's shooting.
Heebs – My physique with Dump’s skill. I’ve not practiced shooting a basketball in years and I can really only dribble with my right. I am a little taller than dump and I think I’m in a little better shape.
TimPig - Most of my contributions on the basketball court come from athleticism and rebounding/blocking shots and I think I recall seeing a video of Dump winning a bet where he had to make a couple of free throws or something, so I’m going with Dumptime’s shooting with my physical skill. A guy who can block shots, get boards, and make free throws? Sounds like sim Greg Oden.
Bankz - Have you seen his video? That man's skill is NBA level. Now my body isn't fantastic but its an upgrade over dump so let's roll with Dump's sweet jumper in my body.
Majic - Dumptimes physique with my shooting skills, easy answer. Old man basketball isnt about speed or quickness, its about knowing what to do and when to do it. My skills would translate very well to an old man league and I could make dumps body work, assuming I dont keel over and die.
6. We've got some serious beef between BK and Bankz. A TMBSL civil war breaks out and you must choose a side. Who are you riding with and why?
Majic - I avoid most of the shout drama, so I am not entirely sure I understand the full scope of the beef. If I had to pick one of them, I would likely go with BK which might surprise some. BK has been around for a long time and when he remains calm, he often has some good suggestions for the league. I have nothing against Bankz per say, I am more going with the devil I know.
Druce - Previous to 6.0 I never had any issue with Bankz, but the way he's handled himself the last few months has really rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I'm just used to how BK is, but at his core I think he's a good person who generally means well, and he does provide some funny bits from time to time. This heel turn of bankz is really unbecoming, so I would choose BKs side.
Skrouse - Very tough call, but all things considered I would have to side with BK. I can usually deal with BK no matter what he says/does, definitely not the case with Bankz, sometimes the shit he spews is just awful. No thanks
TimPig - Probably BK since I’m on his side more than Bankz’s, though it’s a really tough decision as in this scenario I feel like BK is the one “leading” his side and I’m not sure there’s someone on the planet less cut out to be a leader than BK. It’d have to be one of those situations where every time I went in to battle I took a step back and remembered the cause I was fighting for and not the individual.
Heebs – I’m not excited about making this choice. Bankz and BK couldn’t be more different as far as being leaders goes. BK has good ideas, but his executive function is rather low. Bankz, on other hand has some bad ideas, but he gets shit done. Ultimately it comes down to who I think will win because I want to win. Bankz will do whatever it takes to win, so I’m riding with Bankz.
7. With the addition of dumptime, we're going to have at least 3 GMs prone to emotional outbursts in shout. Do you agree that the league is better off with the drama than the 5.0 dolldrums?
Bankz - Drama is good for the league. But it can go over board. It's why I recently put BK on shout ban. I've long been against doing something like that. But BK is white girl stalker levels in shout. And people seem to have soured with our exchanges so for the health of the league I banned his bitch ass. BK can't be trusted to shout ban me. We have caught him faking the ban multiple times in the past and since he can't be a man of his word I needed to do something I was against and banned him. You're welcome.
Druce - No. We still had occasional drama in 5.0 but generally just had better conversations/conversations I didn't mind being involved in. When the community grows people try harder to stand out, whether it's by being egdy, or a contrarian or any number of other ways. I'm not involved in this league for drama. I'm a 34 year old man, and I don't work for TNT. I'm here for some fun competition and to see how well I can build a team/make moves etc.
Heebs – I enjoy shout when it is lively and full of drama. So I’m excited about dump rejoining and giving BK another foil.
TimPig - BK was in 5.0 so it wasn’t exactly devoid of drama, and I think there has been plenty of constructive 6.0 Shout that’s not BK/Bankz fueled. The sheer volume of GMs in 6.0 would make for plenty of engaging Shout talk without the emotional outbursts, though I do enjoy being on the sidelines for a heated argument from time to time. If we could cut those down by about 50% I think it’d be just about perfect.
Majic - 100% yes its better. Nothing can help kill a workday than a shout controversy. If there is a good controversy with an active ongoing argument its easy to kill a few hours. On a more serious note, 5.0 shout was near dead at the end of the leagues run. An active shout is better than no shout, no matter what is going on, and its one of the main reasons I stick around the league. Bring me all the drama and all the shout arguments, its easy enough to leave the page if its too much.
Skrouse - I'm a fairly non-confrontational person, so I prefer less drama, but I'm not a very active shout participant. If those in the league whop shout often prefer shout drama and that's what keeps guys here, great. If it ends up leading to GMs leaving though, I say boot the drama queens instead.
8. FMK - Marc Gasol, Ervin Johnson, Andrew Bynum
TimPig - F - Andrew Bynum: I feel like he’s looking really, really good looking right now but it’s likely a fluke. He’s young and has a lot of appeal, but I’m just not sure I’m quite ready to settle down with him long term.
M - Ervin Johnson: Still relatively young, consistent, and an all-around solid player. He won’t surprise you and, at his age, you know exactly what you’re going to get.
K - Marc Gasol: Marc just hasn’t shown much drive to improve as a player, and I don’t want to commit myself to someone who isn’t committed to being the best version of themselves that they can be.
Bankz - I would kill Ervin. He had the lowest potential of the trio so the chances of decline by contract two are very high. Give the dip shit GM of the Nets willing to max Noah no doubt he would Max Ervin and then the decline hits he will try to shop him for a top 2 pick before eventually going the amnesty route. So foh EJ. I would fuck Bynum. Not sure if he can ever take the next step and be the cougar down the road, might as swell get it in early and keep it moving. I would marry Gasol. I have a thing for a sexy Hispanic as some may known and this man does it all. Clearly willing to share given his assist numbers you know he will put me first above all.
Majic - Marry Ervin Johnson - love his game and think he will grow into an elite big for a long time.
Fuck Andrew Bynum - really like him as a player and what he grown into. This pick is likely influenced by my affection for him in 5.0 during his time on my team.
Kill Gasol - simply, I like him the least of these 3 guys. Not a bad player and certainly does alot of great things, I just like him 3rd so he dies.
Skrouse - I think Keep, Trade, Cut would be more appropriate for sim but alas. I suppose...
F - Ervin Johnson
M - Andrew Bynum
K - Marc Gasol
Druce - F - Bynum - I like what he brings to the table on the boards/defensively
M - Ervin Johnson - really well rounded player who plays really good defense and has elite efficiency
K - Gasol - not as good on defense/boards as Bynum and not as good on offense as Johnson. Probably splitting hairs, but I'd kill him.
Heebs – F – Ervin Johnson – lowest starting potential so you know he’s going to fall off by the middle of that second contract and become a cap anchor. But right now? Lot to love right now.
M – Andrew Bynum – looks on track to be an elite two-way big that may be a perennial DPOY candidate. May move him to kill if he doesn’t resign though.
K – Marc Gasol – he is a good player, but of the three he’s the clear kill option. He’s not as good right now as Ervin and he’s not going to be as good long term as Bynum.
