Post by TinyTimPig on Jul 23, 2022 22:00:29 GMT -5
Biggest Makeovers
1. Seattle SuperSonics - The Sonics will feature new starters at likely four positions, with Solomon Alabi the only returner. The Sonics went all in on the draft, even dealing a future 1.1 for the chance to take Jaxson Hayes, a move that could look genius in a few seasons or cripple the franchise for five years. The team will be a mix of veterans with Freeman and Jamaal Tinsley manning their backcourt, youngsters in Hayes, Thybulle, and maybe Max Strus, and one player in his prime in Alabi.
2. Dallas Mavericks - Just shipping Malcolm Huckaby off to New York would be enough to wonder how different the Mavs will look this season, as they lose a six-time champion, three-time MVP, and four-time playoff MVP, but they also restructured the rest of the lineup with the addition of Paul George to play shooting guard, who should be an upgrade over Saddiq Bey. The biggest question, of course, will be if Kira Lewis can even be half of what Huckaby was.
3. New York Knicks - Ankly has been accumulating pieces to prepare for this offseason when it was almost certain Zion Williamson would be the first pick. He’ll rack up the points alongside Huckaby while Ike and Mourning should be defensive stalwarts. There’s nice depth on the wing in Miles, Bogans, and Vassell, but it’s starting to look like Vassell won’t live up to his 1.1 draft status. More moves are likely in store, but grabbing Zion and Huckaby should make this team a contender in the East.
4. Indiana Pacers - It’s hard to believe that Heebs was able to trade the sixth best free agent (Paul George) for the fifth best free agent (Saddiq Bey) AND a 1.5 AND the tenth best free agent (Murray Jarman), but Heebs is a shrewd guy. He was also able to nab the seventh best free agent on a MAX (Hassan Whiteside), the tenth best free agent (Stanley Robinson) on a sub max, and retain the sixteenth best free agent (DeeAndre Hulett) on a big one-year deal. I expect the lineup to look something like Whiteside - Okongwu - Hulett - Robinson - Ntilikina which doesn’t feel all that different off the bat, but the depth and future pieces mean this team looks very different in the long term.
5. New Orleans Jazz - This was a bad team last year, but they added some major firepower in the backcourt with the addition of Sergio Rodriguez, who I wish I had inquired about after he was traded for just 10 upgrades and is only 24 years old. I’m not as big on the Xavier Henry addition as he’s only played about 800 minutes in four seasons and I haven’t seen his build and I don’t think BK has either. Regardless, with those two likely holding down the backcourt and a good portion of the Jazz’s soft cap for the next few years, they should be a much better team than last season.
Best Draft Picks
1. Ja Morant - With training camp now in hindsight, Morant’s washed away the skepticism that surrounded his build and caused him to slide all the way down to 1.6 when he seemed like a shoo-in to go 1.2. He wasn’t even scouted for the second overall pick and didn’t get much consideration at 1.3 or 1.4 either. He went +2 more than the next best rookie and saw growth in all the areas you want, with his +2 outside standing out especially. If BA can avoid having to invest in his jump shot, it’ll make Morant’s outlook much brighter.
2. Jaxson Hayes - I love Hayes and, after seeing his build, I don’t see any flaws. The only question seems to be his slightly below average strength, but he has the capacity to be an excellent player at both ends of the floor. He may have cost a 1.1, but in my mind, he has a 1.1-esque build that was available at 1.3. He went +2 in the two most important categories for him, and if the +1 defense helped his shot blocking, he’s on his way to being a stud.
3. Deividas Sirvydis - King does it again, drafting a shooting guard with excellent size who tied for the second-best TC in the league with a solid +3 in outside, handling, and defense. Now it’s clear why King was so willing to send Freeman Williams packing - he knew he had the league’s next great shooting guard on his hands already. Now, if only he could be mentored…
4. Rui Hachimura - Rui looks like a great value pick, getting snagged in the third round at essentially no cost to Druce. He went +2 in inside and rebounding, which is exactly where he needed it. He was nearly an average scorer in college and, very importantly, doesn’t look like he’ll need jumper upgrades. The Grizz will surely be able to mentor him for the next three seasons, so he’ll have plenty of growth that Druce can influence. His defense (and historically bad shot blocking) may set his ceiling at third big, but that’s not bad for a third rounder.
5. Jordan Poole - He went just +1 in TC in handling, but Poole was an elite scorer in college that Trofie was able to grab at 1.10. He has low assists (and hopefully low passing) without the crazy high turnovers that should give him a higher scoring ceiling than many other point guards. He’s a good rebounder for the position and may have the Bucks looking to move on from Shane Heal earlier than initially planned.
Burning Questions
1. Can the revamped Mavs make it five of the last six? Huckaby and Lebron have been the mainstays of the Mavs during their historic run, but those two have of course been accompanied by other greats - Dwight Howard, KAT, Ike Anigbogu, Desmond Mason, and Myles Turner at different points. Huckaby has arguably been as important as LeBron, surpassing him in MVPs and PMVPs, and there’s a lot of pressure on Kira Lewis to replace him. Paul George isn’t the same caliber as some of those other greats, so the situation now becomes Lebron and Dwight with a solid supporting cast, but not the same quality as it was before.
2. Do the Knicks have the firepower to contend now? The Knicks dealt both of their valuable draft picks in exchange for Huckaby who, in the right circumstances, may have been worth a 1.1. They added Zion Williamson, who may average 30 points per game out of the gate. Ank hasn’t been successful in dealing Miles or Bogans for decent draft picks, but with two new GMs and King still around, I’m sure he can figure something out. I don’t remember Zion’s build and am curious to see if he can function as well in an outside offense as Embiid did when the Knicks had Kyrie. An inside offense likely doesn’t maximize this team’s potential as Ike and Mourning aren’t big scorers and that’d limit Huckaby too.
3. Is Montrealdude a legitimate new GM or an elaborate troll? It’s always fun to give BK and his connections a hard time when he recruits someone new to join the league because, well, he’s BK and has invited it onto himself after years of immature antics. Despite all of that, I tend to give the benefit of the doubt and believe the people he invites are legitimate. The timing of Montrealdude’s joining does make me a tad skeptical. Before Chap has actually been contracted, we see a new GM who BK hasn’t spoken of previously that just so happens to want to join when his other friend decides he no longer has the time to invest. The new GM then immediately goes and grabs two of Chap’s prized players in Melo and JJ Redick and sends bids on some of his other favorites in Ariza and JR Smith. Still, I think he’s a real and new person as I don’t think BK or Chap could keep up this sort of gimmick for this long.
4. Can the Pipers continue making noise in the East? After a bit of salary cap mismanagement, the Pipers were forced to let their stellar third big, Damir Markota, walk so that they could retain their prized big man in DeMarcus Cousins. LaPhonso Ellis should be able to step in as their third big, and while he’ll likely outperform Markota offensively, they’ll take a step back on defense. More important than the big man situation are burning questions at small forward. Jayson Tatum retired and Ariza is gone, which likely means one of their three UDFA small forward signings gets big minutes. Desmond Mason’s contract is enormous but he can still perform and there’s likely not an easy replacement on the current roster. In good news for Pittsburgh, Ja Morant’s great TC likely means he can feel comfortable letting Walt Frazier walk after this season which will provide a ton of cap breathing room. With the emergence of the Knicks the Cougars continuing to do their thing, it may be tough for Pittsburgh to keep up.
5. What’s next in Houston? The Rockets had a nice little run before the Mavs showed up, but they weren’t really able to tear down in the way that they had hoped. They traded Ferguson to the Bucks for a 1.5, but then dealt that 1.5 for Michael Jordan, who obviously hasn’t panned out. Not that the 1.5 (which turned into Sprewell) would’ve ended up much better, but 1.5 is always a valuable trade asset. He hasn’t found anything for Hough, who is still good but now in the twilight of his career. Al Jefferson is in the same boat - good and efficient but likely not making any All-League teams anytime soon. There isn’t much youth on this roster and no good draft assets coming up, so they’ll likely need to trim some of the fat and hope for success in free agency.
1. Seattle SuperSonics - The Sonics will feature new starters at likely four positions, with Solomon Alabi the only returner. The Sonics went all in on the draft, even dealing a future 1.1 for the chance to take Jaxson Hayes, a move that could look genius in a few seasons or cripple the franchise for five years. The team will be a mix of veterans with Freeman and Jamaal Tinsley manning their backcourt, youngsters in Hayes, Thybulle, and maybe Max Strus, and one player in his prime in Alabi.
2. Dallas Mavericks - Just shipping Malcolm Huckaby off to New York would be enough to wonder how different the Mavs will look this season, as they lose a six-time champion, three-time MVP, and four-time playoff MVP, but they also restructured the rest of the lineup with the addition of Paul George to play shooting guard, who should be an upgrade over Saddiq Bey. The biggest question, of course, will be if Kira Lewis can even be half of what Huckaby was.
3. New York Knicks - Ankly has been accumulating pieces to prepare for this offseason when it was almost certain Zion Williamson would be the first pick. He’ll rack up the points alongside Huckaby while Ike and Mourning should be defensive stalwarts. There’s nice depth on the wing in Miles, Bogans, and Vassell, but it’s starting to look like Vassell won’t live up to his 1.1 draft status. More moves are likely in store, but grabbing Zion and Huckaby should make this team a contender in the East.
4. Indiana Pacers - It’s hard to believe that Heebs was able to trade the sixth best free agent (Paul George) for the fifth best free agent (Saddiq Bey) AND a 1.5 AND the tenth best free agent (Murray Jarman), but Heebs is a shrewd guy. He was also able to nab the seventh best free agent on a MAX (Hassan Whiteside), the tenth best free agent (Stanley Robinson) on a sub max, and retain the sixteenth best free agent (DeeAndre Hulett) on a big one-year deal. I expect the lineup to look something like Whiteside - Okongwu - Hulett - Robinson - Ntilikina which doesn’t feel all that different off the bat, but the depth and future pieces mean this team looks very different in the long term.
5. New Orleans Jazz - This was a bad team last year, but they added some major firepower in the backcourt with the addition of Sergio Rodriguez, who I wish I had inquired about after he was traded for just 10 upgrades and is only 24 years old. I’m not as big on the Xavier Henry addition as he’s only played about 800 minutes in four seasons and I haven’t seen his build and I don’t think BK has either. Regardless, with those two likely holding down the backcourt and a good portion of the Jazz’s soft cap for the next few years, they should be a much better team than last season.
Best Draft Picks
1. Ja Morant - With training camp now in hindsight, Morant’s washed away the skepticism that surrounded his build and caused him to slide all the way down to 1.6 when he seemed like a shoo-in to go 1.2. He wasn’t even scouted for the second overall pick and didn’t get much consideration at 1.3 or 1.4 either. He went +2 more than the next best rookie and saw growth in all the areas you want, with his +2 outside standing out especially. If BA can avoid having to invest in his jump shot, it’ll make Morant’s outlook much brighter.
2. Jaxson Hayes - I love Hayes and, after seeing his build, I don’t see any flaws. The only question seems to be his slightly below average strength, but he has the capacity to be an excellent player at both ends of the floor. He may have cost a 1.1, but in my mind, he has a 1.1-esque build that was available at 1.3. He went +2 in the two most important categories for him, and if the +1 defense helped his shot blocking, he’s on his way to being a stud.
3. Deividas Sirvydis - King does it again, drafting a shooting guard with excellent size who tied for the second-best TC in the league with a solid +3 in outside, handling, and defense. Now it’s clear why King was so willing to send Freeman Williams packing - he knew he had the league’s next great shooting guard on his hands already. Now, if only he could be mentored…
4. Rui Hachimura - Rui looks like a great value pick, getting snagged in the third round at essentially no cost to Druce. He went +2 in inside and rebounding, which is exactly where he needed it. He was nearly an average scorer in college and, very importantly, doesn’t look like he’ll need jumper upgrades. The Grizz will surely be able to mentor him for the next three seasons, so he’ll have plenty of growth that Druce can influence. His defense (and historically bad shot blocking) may set his ceiling at third big, but that’s not bad for a third rounder.
5. Jordan Poole - He went just +1 in TC in handling, but Poole was an elite scorer in college that Trofie was able to grab at 1.10. He has low assists (and hopefully low passing) without the crazy high turnovers that should give him a higher scoring ceiling than many other point guards. He’s a good rebounder for the position and may have the Bucks looking to move on from Shane Heal earlier than initially planned.
Burning Questions
1. Can the revamped Mavs make it five of the last six? Huckaby and Lebron have been the mainstays of the Mavs during their historic run, but those two have of course been accompanied by other greats - Dwight Howard, KAT, Ike Anigbogu, Desmond Mason, and Myles Turner at different points. Huckaby has arguably been as important as LeBron, surpassing him in MVPs and PMVPs, and there’s a lot of pressure on Kira Lewis to replace him. Paul George isn’t the same caliber as some of those other greats, so the situation now becomes Lebron and Dwight with a solid supporting cast, but not the same quality as it was before.
2. Do the Knicks have the firepower to contend now? The Knicks dealt both of their valuable draft picks in exchange for Huckaby who, in the right circumstances, may have been worth a 1.1. They added Zion Williamson, who may average 30 points per game out of the gate. Ank hasn’t been successful in dealing Miles or Bogans for decent draft picks, but with two new GMs and King still around, I’m sure he can figure something out. I don’t remember Zion’s build and am curious to see if he can function as well in an outside offense as Embiid did when the Knicks had Kyrie. An inside offense likely doesn’t maximize this team’s potential as Ike and Mourning aren’t big scorers and that’d limit Huckaby too.
3. Is Montrealdude a legitimate new GM or an elaborate troll? It’s always fun to give BK and his connections a hard time when he recruits someone new to join the league because, well, he’s BK and has invited it onto himself after years of immature antics. Despite all of that, I tend to give the benefit of the doubt and believe the people he invites are legitimate. The timing of Montrealdude’s joining does make me a tad skeptical. Before Chap has actually been contracted, we see a new GM who BK hasn’t spoken of previously that just so happens to want to join when his other friend decides he no longer has the time to invest. The new GM then immediately goes and grabs two of Chap’s prized players in Melo and JJ Redick and sends bids on some of his other favorites in Ariza and JR Smith. Still, I think he’s a real and new person as I don’t think BK or Chap could keep up this sort of gimmick for this long.
4. Can the Pipers continue making noise in the East? After a bit of salary cap mismanagement, the Pipers were forced to let their stellar third big, Damir Markota, walk so that they could retain their prized big man in DeMarcus Cousins. LaPhonso Ellis should be able to step in as their third big, and while he’ll likely outperform Markota offensively, they’ll take a step back on defense. More important than the big man situation are burning questions at small forward. Jayson Tatum retired and Ariza is gone, which likely means one of their three UDFA small forward signings gets big minutes. Desmond Mason’s contract is enormous but he can still perform and there’s likely not an easy replacement on the current roster. In good news for Pittsburgh, Ja Morant’s great TC likely means he can feel comfortable letting Walt Frazier walk after this season which will provide a ton of cap breathing room. With the emergence of the Knicks the Cougars continuing to do their thing, it may be tough for Pittsburgh to keep up.
5. What’s next in Houston? The Rockets had a nice little run before the Mavs showed up, but they weren’t really able to tear down in the way that they had hoped. They traded Ferguson to the Bucks for a 1.5, but then dealt that 1.5 for Michael Jordan, who obviously hasn’t panned out. Not that the 1.5 (which turned into Sprewell) would’ve ended up much better, but 1.5 is always a valuable trade asset. He hasn’t found anything for Hough, who is still good but now in the twilight of his career. Al Jefferson is in the same boat - good and efficient but likely not making any All-League teams anytime soon. There isn’t much youth on this roster and no good draft assets coming up, so they’ll likely need to trim some of the fat and hope for success in free agency.
