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Old 12-12-2019, 02:43 AM   #14
Izulde
Head Coach
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
I'm going to get the biggest trade out of the way, because when I read about it online, I was big mad. I still am irate days later.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
Donovan "Spider" Mitchell

Utah Jazz receive
Darius Garland

What this means for the Cavaliers
Yes. You read that right. A good, but not great prospect was just dealt for a franchise star in Mitchell. Yes, the frontcourt is still a mess, and we won't talk about the bench, but Cleveland just landed their first genuine franchise player since the second coming of LeBron. Happiest man on the planet right now: Collin Sexton, who now has the perfect running mate. The NBA's newest deadly backcourt has just been forged.

What this means for the Jazz
Here's what I don't get. Even if you buy that Garland is a future franchise PG in the making (he's not), and even if you argue that Mike Conley Jr at 33 needs an heir apparent, Utah now has no primary scorers left. Maybe Bojan Bogdanovic, but he's 31 years old. Not the standard bearer of the future - or even now, really. This is Utah torpedoing their win-now roster in the single worst trade I've seen in decades.

Winner: If you don't know this, stop watching basketball

So.damn.frustrating. That single move is going to polevault Cleveland right past us and a few other mediocre teams in the East.

Honestly just about everything else is not interesting bench moves, except that the Bucks dealt Roy Bakken for Mike Chambers. Why did the Spurs not just take offensive rebounding, defensive horse Bakken at 23 in the first place, rather than let him go one spot earlier? Who knows? Chambers is a decent all-around big man, though doesn't stand out in any area.

So, our HUGE trades in reverse order:

Charlotte Hornets receive
PG Cory Joseph
PF Nmanja Bjelica
#12
Sacramento Kings 2022 1st rounder
Sacramento Kings 2021 2nd rounder

Sacramento Kings receive
CE Cody Zeller
PG Devonte Graham
#18

What this means for the Hornets
GM Izulde Jestor had a player he wanted, so traded up to get him. That Charlotte was able to net even more pics was impressive. Joseph and Bjelica are veteran players whose calling card is defense. Neither one is a good shooter, though Bjelica is a stretch 4 that provides some interesting opportunities should he step into the starting lineup.

What this means for the Kings
Sactown was starved for quality post bench players and Zeller slides right in the 6th man spot behind Marvin Bagley III and Dwayne Dedmon. The Kings currently lack a backup point guard as well. Graham isn't any good, but he's a body at least.

Winner: Charlotte
The picks are the differencemaker here, especially since Zeller isn't going to be enough to get the Kings to the playoffs in a tough West.

Charlotte receives
Steven Adams

Oklahoma City receives
Andrew Wiggins

What this means for the Hornets
As great as Wiggins was in Charlotte's spirited first round fight against the Bucks, he proved too inconsistent in the regular season to be the reliable star the Hornets were looking for. Out he goes for Adams, who shot 63.1% from the floor last season, finished just shy of a double-double (15.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 1.3 steals) and was a terror as a rim protector. In the more open Charlotte lineup, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him crack 18/10.

What this means for the Thunder
Simply put, Chris Paul needed a scoring running mate. OKC is convinced that Wiggins can be the guy this season, then transition to a #1 after CP3 retires or is dealt. This seems to be a familiar trend - middling franchises thinking Wiggins might finally live up to his potential on a consistent basis. Don't count on it.

Winner: Charlotte
Perfect move, one that facilitated the later Cody Zeller for picks swap.

Summer League
Off to my old stomping grounds in Vegas we go!

We beat Chicago 105-102. UDRFA Kirk Skinner is a surprise PotG with 20 points, 12 rebounds. Jason Minor just misses a double-double with 8 points, 14 boards, and a block. I let my assistant GM fill out the roster, so will only be covering starters and guys already signed to my squad who have significant games.

106-113 L to Cleveland despite Monte Morris's electric 27 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

I'm pissed when we drop one in OT 120-124 to the Brooklyn Nets of all teams. Way to waste Monte Morris's 30 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and Jason Minor's 12 points and rebounds. Ante Zizic is forcing his way into my attention. Kid has scored like mad off the bench at high efficiency all three games, including 8 of 10 for a 22 point, 10 rebound performance off the bench here - his second straight 22 point showing.

Monte Morris absolutely unloads for 49 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, a steal, and a block in a 121-114 win over Philly. Jason Minor drops in 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Sure he's a bad shooter so far, but there's 29 other teams looking at each other going, "Did we miss something here?"

Our final summer game is against the Knicks and Monte Morris puts up video game numbers of 51 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, a block, and a steal in a 119-102W victory. Ante Zizic has 20 points, 8 rebounds off the bench, and though Jason Minor only scored 2 points, he racked up 10 boards and 2 blocks.

We *just* missed the cutoff for the playoffs, and the tournament final ends up all-NYC in the desert, with Brooklyn topping the Knicks 130-122.

Free Agency
Bobby Portis jumps to the Denver Nuggets on a 4 year, $73.4 million deal. Sure there's a team option in the last year, but it was like

OH (EXPLETIVE) YOU! THE ATLANTA HAWKS SIGN ANTHONY DAVIS ON A MAX DEAL!?!? GO TO HELL, AD!!!! Wow, that's STUPID! Ugh. IN MY OWN DAMN DIVISION! WHAT.THE.HELL?!?!

Serge Ibaka signs with Cleveland on a 4 year, $92 million deal. Because sure, I haven't had enough of East teams suddenly loading up on good players and the Cavs totally didn't need a good big to go with Donovan "Spider" Mitchell they stole from the Jazz.

Knicks steal Nikola Mirotic on a 3 year, $54.7 million deal and sign someone, I forgot who, to an offer sheet. Joe Harris goes off to the Grizzlies on 2 years, $26 million. No way we could even come close to that. Lakers sign Kris Dunn to an offer sheet and snap up another prestige name I forget.

Boston brings both Enes Kanter and Marc Gasol because why not, I guess.

Nice work for Kenneth Faried getting a 2 year, $11.2 million deal from Portland. Rajon Rondo reups with the Lakers. Tristan Thompson joins AD and Trae Young in Atlanta.

Nerlens Noel takes forever to sign, but we finally ink him to a 5 year, $12.8 million deal that will keep him in Charlotte for the long haul. He's still just 26, so by the time his contract runs out, he'll be 32 and we can move on from him. That might sound harsh, but we revived his career, damn it. And he's still a multi-millionaire after he looked like he was headed to Bust City.

So we've a little over $4 million to play with in cap space. Things are pretty well picked over at that point, but I find Pat Connaughton, last year's Slam Dunk champion. Good defense and a pretty interesting shot chart, so I ink him to a 2 year, $7 million contract and he gets the nod at starting SF.

Steven Adams signs a 3 year contract extension that pays him $22 million the first year, $25 million the last year, so I don't have that headache to worry about next summer.

Training Camp
Jason Minor indeed looks like a breakout player, so that's cool. Unfortunately everyone else is whatever and didn't move as far as I can tell.

We're picked to finish dead last in the Southeast and the East as a whole.

Lineup
PG Monte Morris
SG Nicolas Batum
SF Pat Connaughton
PF N. Bjelica
CE Steven Adams

We promptly blow up the Raptors 106-65 in the opener. No, that's not a typo. You have to go back to the 1990s to see a team scoring that few a points total. Monte Morris scores 24 with 7 rebounds and a block to be Player of the Game. Nerlens Noel scores 12 with 2 blocks off the bench, and Pat Connaughton is also on the bench, where he scores 14 with 5 boards.

But the sweetest part of this whole deal?

#1 pick Kirk Miller: 1/7 - 5 points, 6 rebounds - 27 minutes
#31 pick Jason Minor: 3/3 - 10 points, 7 rebounds - 17 minutes

Talk about a debut differential! Xavier Smith, who sadly disappointed, scores 9 with 2 assists in his own NBA first minutes.

The glitzy new Cavaliers come to town and we win a shootout, 142-118. Steven Adams racks up 28 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and a block to win Game MVP. All five starters score 14 or more, led by Adams, Monte Morris (29 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds), Nmanja Bjelica (20 points), Cory Joseph's 14 points and 6 assists off the bench, and Nerlens Noel narrowly missing the bench double-double with 9 points, 10 boards, a block, and a steal.

Tough 4 point loss in Utah. They got serious home cooking with a 31-15 FTA advantage differential. Lakers have lost AD but they're still the Lakers.

22 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals makes Monte Morris PotG in a 119-98 road squash of Phoenix. Three bench players score 10: Jason Minor (also 8 rebounds), Pat Connaughton, and Cory Joseph. BTW, Nicolas Batum and Gary Harris are the starters at SF and SG, in case you're wondering why Pat is coming off the bench.

3 point road loss to the Clippers really hurts.

So we're 3-3 after October ends. Two essential coinflip games could have had us 5-1. I have no idea how this team is working as well it does. On paper, yes, we should be stinking. But just like last season, we're finding ways to win. Weirdest flex? Our 117.2 Offensive Rating is tops in the league.

I have zero clue how that's even possible.
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