Post by Dirt on Jun 21, 2022 21:04:34 GMT -5
Welcome TMBSL fans, after a long deliberation with the commissioner we have finally been given the opportunity to show you who is truly better. This is the inaugural World VS USA TMBSL game.
The World Roster lacks star power, but they are insistent that this team can catch lightning in a bottle. Most players are excited to showcase their talents after being snubbed from multiple all-star appearances. Others are just excited to be in Dallas for the All-Star Weekend and be away from their respected cities.
The World coached by the Australian Andrew Bogut has been preaching to his players to stay confident. It’s well known throughout the league that this will be a no contest and a blow out by half. Assistant Coach Toni Kukoči has been putting in the offensive scheme knowing offense must thrive to win this game. He caught up with us during pre-game warmups and he’s just happy to be around such a great group of players. He claims his TMBSL career was underwhelming but hopes that this opportunity will help him achieve his lifelong goal of being a Strength & Condition coach in TMBSL.
The US team is the obvious favorite, but the real treat will be to see how this team gets along. They have star power at each position, the self-proclaimed dream team is nearly ready to hit the hardwood. I know head coach Tony Perkis who won the first ever Championship in TMBSL is ecstatic to be back in Dallas. His assistant coach is also here, the all-time most under rated, Bob Kurland. We spoke with Bob for a few minutes, and he’s excited for the Mavs season this year but says he’s most excited to see where Matt Fish is drafted in a few weeks.
It should be noted, a couple of American born players have declined their invite due to keeping their legs under them and resting to push through the 2nd half of the season. Markelle Fultz has shown the most frustration telling reporters, “it’s a waste of my dam time”. Harry Hough was one of the few that was saddened by the news that he was invited and then told his invite was revoked after Perkis realized Hough was dealing with injuries.
The lights are dimming the music has started, now that it’s finally time for the tip, let us introduce the starting lineup.
Starting for Team World,
At Center, 24 years old standing at 7 foot 260 Lbs. from Lagos, Nigeria,
Hakeem Olajuwon B+ C C- B+ A C
-Hakeem has been a prospect his entire rookie deal but just hasn’t developed defensively like most scouts wanted. Even though he averages 3.2 bleals he's still frowned upon by most GMs. His biggest controversy is being dealt for the 3028 first overall pick sending Vassell to New York. I think his rebounding and bleals are good enough to start for team World.
At Power Forward, 24 years old standing 7 foot 1 inch 255 Lbs. from Kaduna, Nigeria,
Solomon Alabi A- C C A A- B
-The 16th overall pick in the 3026 draft has blossomed nicely. Alabi has improved more than any other A Potential player since Charlie Bell. After the trades of Jefferson and Howard Alabi finally has his time to shine in Seattle. He has elite shown grades with A defense to go along with 2.5 bleals. You can argue he is the best big on the World Roster.
At Small Forward, 31 years old standing 6 foot 10 inches 220 Lbs. from Athens, Greece,
Giannis Antetokounmpo A- C+ A A B+ C
-Giannis is a stat filler and puts multiple SFs in foul trouble in Portland. His Pts/Tsa are down but when he does everything else so well you have to start him. You can argue Ebi could potentially be slated to start here but the commissioner gave me the nod on this one. He has been a bit of a disappointment since being drafted but it still a good player in TMBSL.
At Shooting Guard, 33 years old standing 6 foot 5 inches 220 Lbs. from Silver Spring, Maryland – Nigeria,
Victor Oladipo B A C A- C+ C
-Oladipo’s parents are Nigerian immigrants, so TMBSL gave him the opportunity to play in this game. The Bobcat Goat has declined throughout the past few years but is still deserving to be the starting Shooting Guard for team world. He leads the league in Pts/Tsa right now and is arguably on pace to win GM Voted 6th man of the year.
At Point Guard, 32 years old standing 6 foot 5 inches 170 Lbs. from Ixelles, Belgium.
Frank Ntilikina C+ A- A+ A C- D
-Ntilikina has earned this starting spot just by experience alone. He’s been playing a long time and has been one of the more consistent defensive point guards throughout the years. He won’t go crazy scoring but his A+ shown defensive is what he will be remembered for. He is a bit older and has declined a bit but is the right choice for Team World.
Now lets go through the bench for team World.
Andreas Glyniadakis C 26 7'0'' 245 A C C B- A C
-Andreas another Greek monster that has really improved especially for being a B Potential Jumping Big that was signed after his first rookie TC. It did help that he was a gem and was mentored throughout his first 3 years. His biggest asset is Rebounding and FT% and is a solid big for an outside offense even though he only gets 2.1 bleals.
Hedo Turkoglu SF 32 6'8'' 200 B- A- A A- C C
-Turkoglu is probably a big surprise but I think it shows how thin the World Roster really is. He’s been a bench guy his entire career and was a bit of a disappointment after a long cheap deal was given to him. He's had some pretty sweet shown grades throughout his career but has never really put it all together. He may be one of the biggest TC movers in TMBSL history.
Ndudi Ebi SF 24 6'9'' 236 A B+ C- C+ B- B
-Ebi is another teen TC player that has really shown improvement throughout his career. His is a solid starting SF if you can find it in your heart to ignore his turnovers. I think he starts at Shooting Guard if he isn’t 6’9”, I would reset him, but I can also see why most wouldn’t. He is a prime example of the SF height rule really hurting him. He should probably be a back up 2/3 wing but to sign him to a max contract you have to start him. The OK Special players are a bit TO happy but it’s too bad his handles didn’t naturally grow.
Paccelis Morlende PG 27 6'3'' 185 C A- A A- D+ C
-Morlende has always had solid shown grades and has been a solid back up PG inToronto. He’s finally got his first run as a starter this season and he hasn't played that well. He has a good jumper but his TOs are a bit higher than you’d like. The roster is thin so I thought he was good enough to be the 12th man just in case Frank got injured.
Pau Gasol PF 27 7'0'' 250 B C+ C+ A- B+ C
-What’s an All World team with Pau? Pau is a very intriguing player and I’d love to see his build. He was a C+ all around, A Pot player that grew into what you see. He has great steals and Jumper but must lack some athletic traits for his shown inside. Still a solid Big and last minute chose him over Okur and the Greek Politician.
Sergio Rodriguez PG 22 6'3'' 176 C A A C D+ B
-Rodriguez is having a really good season as the back up Point Guard in Carolina. He has great outside offense potential for when he gets the call to be a starter. With .4 TOs as a back up I’m curious to see what he can do when he’s unleashed. Obviously, I think he’s the 2nd best PG for Team World and maybe he should have beaten out Frank.
Onyeka Okongwu C 20 6'8'' 235 A C D+ C+ B A
-Last years 1.6 is looking strong in Indiana. I like his defense and I believe he still has a chance to grow in SHO with his potential. I think you can make a case that he is a player to look out for in the future. It is no surprise that heebs immediately upgraded him knowing he couldn’t hide him on his roster.
C: Hakeem Olajuwon / Onyeka Okongwu / Pau Gasol
PF: Solomon Alabi / Andreas Glyniadakis / Pau Gasol
SF: Giannis Antetokounmpo / Ndudi Ebi / Ndudi Ebi
SG: Victor Oladipo / Hedo Turkoglu / Victor Oladipo
PG: Frank Ntilikina / Sergio Rodriguez / Paccelis Morlende
Scoring Option #1: Victor Oladipo
Scoring Option #2: Frank Ntilikina
Scoring Option #3: Ndudi Ebi
Pace: Very Fast
Trap: Often
Press: Never
Focus: Inside
Now let’s introduce the starting lineup for Team USA,
At Center, 31 years old standing 7 foot 215 Lbs. From Malden, Massachusetts,
Nerlens Noel B- D B+ B A- D
The reigning defending Defensive player of the year has to start for team USA. You can argue he may just be the perfect Center for any outside focus offense. He doesn’t have many flaws besides a low FT% but he doesn’t shoot enough for you to worry about that.
At Power Forward, 30 years old standing 7 foot 2 inches, 245 Lbs., from New York City, New York,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar A- C+ C A- A- C
Abdul-Jabbar is the best scoring big in TMBSL. If you take out Dwight’s 30 game stretch this season it’s a no brainer he should be the starting power forward. He has elite Pts/Tsa, Blocks, and Rebounding. He should have more than 1 ring if Lebron wasn’t drafted and that’s a fact.
At Small Forward, 23 Years old, standing 6 foot 11 inches, 280 Lbs., from Akron, Ohio,
LeBron James A A A B+ B+ C
LeBron is starting to finally become the GOAT of TMBSL. He is on a roster full of scorers and is still top 3 in the league. He is #2 in Pts/Tsa and #1 if you include starters. This season he’s #2 in PER, leads all wings in blocked shots. Most would say he's the correct choice for being the starting SF for team USA.
At Shooting Guard, 29 years old, standing 6 foot 3 inches, 200 Lbs., from Flint, Michigan,
Charlie Bell B A C+ A C C
Bell has quickly become just as important as Lebron for the team he plays for. For his volume his Pts/Tsa are just insane. If you look closer to his career you can see his FG% actually bumped up when his volume skyrocketed on the Cougars. I’ve always said he’s a Terrance Ferguson type of player and he’s even exceeded those expectations. I would say this was one of the most obvious decisions for who should start for this squad.
At Point Guard, 28 years old, standing 6 foot 2 inches, 218 Lbs,. from Bristol, Connecticut,
Malcolm Huckaby C+ A A- B D+ C
Homer I know but I just think his 3pt% last season really put him here. He has always played alongside greats and has continued to improve each year. Probably one of the best FA trash heap players to ever be signed and upgraded. I’m not even sure why he’s this good but numbers don’t lie. Let’s not forget he also has the hardware to go with it.
Now the reserves for Team USA
Al Jefferson C 29 6'11'' 289 A- C C C+ A- C
-Al has been an all-league pillar in the league since his rookie season. He has shown his offensive prowess over and over and it continues to soar. He may not be a bleals beast but he’s the prime candidate if you're running an inside offense. So far this season it’s been good to see his Field Goal% stay elite in an outside focus offense.
Charles Barkley SF 24 6'6'' 272 A- C+ C+ B- A- C
-It was difficult not to start Barkley but man the wings that were in front of him are just the best of the best. Barkley does everything you want and is easily one of the elite defensive bleal wings. If his volume can increase just slightly, I can argue he should be starting at the 2 or 3 spot here on Team USA.
Dwight Howard C 28 7'0'' 275 A C- C A A+ C
-D12 is having a magical year and I’m not sure If he can hold on. Even if he can continue to be around 50% from the field, he will still have a dang good year. I think he’s the 3rd best big on this roster but with the roster so stacked we had to give everyone some playing time. His Rebounding is just crazy, and the biggest stat of this season is his minutes per game.
Gilbert Arenas PG 26 6'3'' 191 B- A A+ C D+ C
-A very tough decision for back up PG. I had Hough then I went with Fultz then just decided to give The Washington Bullets some love. Gilbert is an MVP after all and even though battling some injuries he’s having a great year. I truly believe there is an argument that he should be starting, or he should be off this team, it just really depends on your opinion. If his TOs were at a Huckaby level he would for sure be on the roster.
Larry Bird SF 29 6'9'' 240 A- A- C+ C+ A- C
-Larry Legend is a monster and is defiantly a top 3 SF in the league. I think I would start him over Barkley but it’s really close. It’s a shame he doesn’t have a ring yet but I think the Grizzlies are in a good with Larry playing alongside Forte. Great Outside Focus Wing with Elite Rebounding.
Myles Turner C 33 6'11'' 255 A- C+ C A- B C
-Turner has aged some but still playing amazing. The Inside beast with excellent Pts/Tsa and can potentially lead the league in shot blocking each year. His only downside is his rebounding, or he would have even more DPOTYs. He was too good to keep off the roster.
Terrance Ferguson SG 32 6'6'' 190 B+ A- B A- C+ D
-I would put Ferguson on the list then I would take him off for Hough. After taking a closer look at things I just couldn’t keep Ferguson off the roster. I know he’s parked at the end of the bench, but I think this just shows how good the Americans have it on the perimeter. Even after the long career Terrance is still shooting just as elite as he ever has.
C: Nerlens Noel / Dwight Howard / Dwight Howard
PF: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar / Myles Turner / Al Jefferson
SF: LeBron James / Larry Bird / Larry Bird
SG: Charlie Bell / Charles Barkley / Terrance Ferguson
PG: Malcolm Huckaby / Gilbert Arenas / Gilbert Arenas
Scoring Option #1: Charlie Bell
Scoring Option #2: Lebron James
Scoring Option #3: Malcolm Huckaby
Pace: Very Fast
Trap: Often
Press: Never
Focus: Outside
Unfortunately, the game did not go well for Team World. USA had a field day on offense and blocked a tremendous amount of shots. This game was over after the 3rd Quarter. It is a bit surprising World kept it fairly close in the first half.
The Box Score is below:
