2k18 - 76ers "the process needs results"

[Jogo]

Curious to see where you've got LeBron ending up now that he left ...

I can imagine Philly GM is busy throwing a solid pitch at him right now ..

[georgiafan]

2019 & 2020 Power Rankings & Season Preview #3

15. Pacers

Its not sexy, but the Pacers have the core locked in with Turner, KCP, Oladipo and Rubio. Is this team good enough to make it out of the 1st round in the improved East ?

Key Additions (ricky Rubio, Mario Hezonja, Moses Brown, Wayne Ellington)
They made a lot of under the radar moves highlighted by maybe the best pick outside the top 5 in Moses Brown a 20 year old with A potential. Rubio is the starting PG and you know what you are get with him. Hezonja a former draft bust will join the rotation.

Biggest Question
Is the core good enough to get out of the 1st round of the playoffs ?

Possible Trades
If the season goes south it should be pretty easy to dump KCP salary. They are loaded at PF with Sabonis, Washington and Anigbogu so they have some assets to trade if they need to be sellers.

Season Goals
They need to make the playoffs this year or somehow get hit with the injury bug and land in the top 5 of the draft. This is solid team with talent and depth and they should make the playoffs this year.

14. Clippers

The season has yet to start and the buzz is already the Clippers need to hit the reset button and trade off Deandre Jordan and others. They don't have the talent along Griffin to be a serious player in the West. They do have depth at SF as Sam Dekker and Dzanan Muza are young and need to see more minutes.

Key Additions (Archie Goodwin,)
After Lou Williams career went downhill quick they needed a starting SG and somehow Archie Goodwin was they best they could get.

Biggest Question
How quickly do you give up and start trading people ?

Possible Trades
Patrick Beverly averaged 16 ppg last year and is still a elite defender with a player option for 15 million next year. They can easily trade him for a expiring deal and 1st round pick. Jordan is now 31 and has 2 years left on his deal and a lot of teams will call about him since they are expiring deals everywhere. The 1st player to be traded may be Danilo Gallinari who is on the final year of his deal and averaged 17 ppg last year and younger guys are ready to take his spot.

Season Goals
If you ask the fans they need to lose and become sellers as this team isn't going to win the west. If you ask they front office they will probably say differently if they start off hot it will be hard to start selling players.

13. Wizards

The Wizards made it to the finals 2 years ago and then had a early exit this year in the playoffs. Similar to the Raptors it may be time to start thinking of blowing up this team. They have all the $ tied up in the big 3 and Beal could even opt. They two young guys they have Knox and Oubre are both SF's. They have a big hole at C & PF and will likely have to play small ball.

Key Additions ( Jamychal Green)
He was left holding the bag in FA so the 29 year old signed for cheap as he will get the chance to start and play 20+ minutes a game.

Biggest Question
Should they trade Beal or Porter ?

Possible Trades
With so many teams having expiring contracts they are going to be a huge demand for star players tied into 2+ year deals. If at the deadline they aren't a top 4 seed they might want to look at trading Beal or Porter. They would be able to get a haul back for them especially Beal and would open up more playing time for Knox / Oubre. They have to find a way to get a C on this team as they was forced to bring back Gortat and Robin Lopez

Season Goals
To get back into the ECF like 2 years ago and stay healthy unlike last year

12. Suns

Last year the Suns made a big move to trade for Mike Conley and the good news for them draft pick they traded isn't expected to be a superstar. They may be not be any team in the NBA with more pressure to win now then the Suns. They have a team full of talented veterans and young guys with a few years experience. This is the year for the Suns to make a real impact.

Key Additions (Antonio Blakeney)
He spent last year on the 76ers team on a 2 way contract and he improved greatly and is now a valuable bench player. He will improve the backup 2 spot over anything from the last few years.

Biggest Question
What will last years #1 overall pick Michael Porter do as he is the final piece to the big 3 with Booker and Conley ?

Possible Trades
They should be in the playoffs so will be in looking to be buyers. Brandon Knight is in the final year of a 15 million $ deal so he could be packaged with Bender who is a FA or Blakeney to add some depth as the starting lineup is set. They could also look at upgrading Lopez with someone like Jordan or Whiteside.

Season Goals
Conley has a player option so they need to win atleast 1 series and hopes to bring him back as they have bird rights on all the young guys on the team. The expections are high there is no reason this Suns team cant win 1 or 2 series.

11. Pelicans

The supporting cast for the big 2 was better last year with the additions of Bazemore and Bogdanovic still with the big $ that Holiday is getting the roster isn't good enough to win the West. The pressure is one on the front office once again to make a move to get some help and make sure they don't lose Anthony Davis this offseason.

Key Additions (Derrick Rose, )
He will upgrade the backup PG spot and with no cap space or 1st round pick they wasn't able to upgrade the bench any other then Rose.

Biggest Question
As always how do they make a move to help out the big 2 which is more important then ever since Davis can opt out. Anthony Davis could opt out so all th

Possible Trades
They have 21 million in expiring deals to trade to a team looking for a salary dump. They don't have a young asset to trade with that other then 23 year old Troy Brown who has limited upside. They might have to go the 2nd tier route for someone like Niclos Batum, Garry Harris, KCP or Hardaway. I don't see anyway they are able to trade Holiday.

Season Goals
You have had the big 2 together for a few years now and you got to do something to make sure Davis doesnt opt out and leave in FA. They need to find a way to get a top 3 seed and win the West.

[georgiafan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jogo

Curious to see where you've got LeBron ending up now that he left ... I can imagine Philly GM is busy throwing a solid pitch at him right now ..

I will spoil it a bit and say I didn't sign Lebron or any other high profile FA. Even though I very easily could have done that after year 1 or 2. I didn't want to take the easy way just signing a big all star FA. I did have a out from the realism side with some rumblings Philly will try and land him. I think where he ends up will be a fun story to follow for everyone much more then just me adding him taking the easy road.

[georgiafan]

2019 & 2020 Power Rankings & Season Preview #4



10. Timberwolves

No team set themselves up for the future better then the Timberwolves did who jumped all the up to #2 in the draft. They now have all the key players on the team locked up for the next 4 years. The bad news is the west is so loaded they are only expected as the 6th seed.

Key Additions Zion Williamson, Alan Williams, Andrew Jones
The Zion and KAT combo down low will cause nightmares in the NBA he is A+ athlete that can score, rebound and defend. They also had the 19th pick in the draft and got a potential steal in Andrew Jones. His overall is only 71, but he has great potential and can develop in the G league.

Biggest Question
How will they handle and keep happy Zion, Butler, KAT and Wiggins ?

Possible Trades
The PG spot is the issue on this team as Teague had a bad year last year so maybe they try and trade him. They are maxed out salary cap wise even if they could trade Dieng. They likely wont make a major move unless someone gets hurt.

Season Goals
They are a lot of pressure on this team after getting the #2 pick and resigning Butler. They front office didn't want to give him the 5th year and ended up doing it in the end. They need to get off to a hot start and get a top 3 seed and avoid the Warriors in the playoffs.

9. 76ers

The #1 seed from the East is back with the same basic squad from last and no team in the NBA has more depth and players needing minutes then the 76ers. They word around camp is Ben Simmons has taken his game to the next level and will be in the MVP race.
.
Key Additions Bol Bol, Walter Tavares, Shareef O'neal
Mike Scott has been replaced on the roster with Walter Tavares who spent last year on a 2 way contract. The 7'3 center will not see the court much, but is shot blocking expert. Bol Bol is going to help this team out with shot blocking and rebounds two area that need help.

Biggest Question
Can the 76ers win the NBA title after they gained valuable experience last year ?

Possible Trades
Dario Saric is the most talked about trade asset, but will have to be traded to a team that can start and pay him 18 + million per year. Timothy Luwawu Cabarrot is in the final year of his deal and is still buried on the bench. Keep a eye on T.J McConnell two players that deserve more playing time and are locked into cheap deals.

Season Goals
The time is here its win the title or bust

8. Thunder

If you ask us the Thunder are greatly over rated as 8th in the power rankings. Carmelo is still going strong with 21.7 ppg last year. The problem is they are 2 weak spots in the starting lineup at SG and PF. Russell Westbrook is going to have to do it all if they want to win the West. They have to find a 3rd scorer in the starting lineup and need to find it asap

Key Additions (Jacob Wiley, E.J Montgomery)
We aren't sure where Jacob Wiley came from, but he was signed a FA and will be the starting PF. He has A+ rebounding with A- athlete and can hold his own on defense. The rookie E.J has potential, but will not make a impact this year

Biggest Question
Are they legit title contenders ?

Possible Trades
Is this the team that goes after Saric ? They also need to find a way to improve SG as Roberson despite his defense is a liability on offense scoring less then 4 points per game last year. Do they look at trading Steven Adams who is coming off a strong year ?

Season Goals
Anytime you have Westbrook you know there is a chance to win the title. They have decisions to make as Anthony is in his final year and if they cant get past the Warriors this year you have to wonder if they will with this current squad.

7. Celtics

The Celtics have disappointed for 2 years in a row and everyone expects them to get back on track going foward. Kyrie Irving is locked up long-term and they have cap space and a potential top 5 pick this off season. Jaylen Brown has improved every year and they need him and Tatum to keep on getting better if they want to be a player in the East. They have depth down low With Horford, Bamba and Monroe.

Key Additions (Greg Monroe, Nazeron Reed, Emitt Williams)
Monroe will fill the role Chris Bosh had the last 2 years in a veteran big off the bench capable of starting when called upon.

Biggest Question
What must this team do to get back in the Eastern Conference Finals ?

Possible Trades
It may be time to think about trading Gordon Heyward to open up opportunities for Brown and Tatum. Heyward can opt out at the end of the year so they risk losing him for nothing since it would be hard to pay big $ when you have Tatum at SF. They have a lot of young F's that could benefit from a new team and the assets to trade for a superstar like Blake Griffin.

Season Goals
This is a veteran team and it could be the last run with this group as Horford is likely gone next year. They need to root for Memphis to lose games as adding a stud player to go along with having max cap space could make this team scary after a few down years

6. Knicks

The NBA world is in a uproar after Lebron leaves Cleveland to join the New York Knicks. Its hard to blame the Cleveland front office as they built a great team around him on paper. The Knicks are a perfect place for Lebron to play out his final few years as if he can deliver a title he will get all the credit and be a hero in New York. He joins a team with two young studs in Porzingis and Doncic making the most interesting big 3 in the NBA. He also gets to stay in the East away from the bloodbath in the West. The Knicks dont have a lot of depth so staying healthy will be key and Doncic is already dinged up. To get the cap space they traded the #7 pick in the draft, a future 1st and another young player to the Kings.

Biggest Question
How far can LBJ carry the knicks and are the expections to high ?

biggest addition (Lebron James, George Hill, Baynes, JR Smith, Amir Johnson, Shumpert)
The best offseason in Knicks history they found a way to dump salary and convince Lebron to come to New York. The big 3 sets up perfect with SG Doncic, SF Lebron and PF Porzingis. George Hill was also a big addition and will take the pressure off Frank to be the starting PG. All the others guys will give them veteran depth.

Possible Trades
Tim Hardaway is a guy they might look to trade and shed his salary next year, but that will take some work to do. They need some more bench help just don't have much to trade. Frank and George Hill make a good team at PG and Lin isnt going to get much back. Basically what you see is what you get this year unless somehow they are able to trade THJ..

Season Goals
When you have LBJ the only goal is to win the championship

[ljking0326]

Wow! Lebron to the Knicks!

[georgiafan]

Quote: Originally Posted by ljking0326

Wow! Lebron to the Knicks!

The Knicks might not have been where everyone expected him to go I think its a good place for him and they are a fun team to follow. It also makes for a potential epic ECF with 76ers vs Knicks in the coming years. With all the rumors in real life of him leaving and now 3 years since the Cavs made it to the finals it made sense for him to jump ship.

I will have the top 5 power rankings up today with one more big move

[georgiafan]

2019 & 2020 Power Rankings & Season Preview #5



5. Rockets

The window is closing on this team, as Chris Paul is 34 and James Hardin and Eric Gordon 30. Despite no cap room they upgraded this team adding two more guys over 30 in Darrin Collison and Rudy Gay. The starting lineup will look different this year as Ryan Anderson moves to the bench for Zhou Qi and Trevor Ariza is gone.

Key Additions (Rudy Gay, Darrin Collison, Kyle O’Quin)
Bringing in Rudy on the minimum to be the starting SF is huge for this team, as another scorer is needed to take the pressure off the stars. Another upgrade will be at the backup PG spot with Collison as that’s been a issue the last few years.

Biggest Question
What do they have to do to get past the Warriors?

Possible Trades
Ryan Anderson’s awful contract is finally in the final year and he isn’t even going to get minutes this year. They are deep in the luxury tax and will have no cap room next year. Another expiring deal they have is P.J Tucker so he could be flipped with some 2nd round picks to add some depth if a injury happens. Would they go ahead and trade Anderson to a team looking to move a longer contract like Nic Batum?

Season Goals
When you have so many key players on the team over 30 and 2 superstars they need to make the NBA finals. The Warriors have won 4 of the last 5 titles and they need to find a way to get past them. This feels like the last chance for this to happen and Chris Paul’s contract could look ugly soon.

4. Bucks

The Bucks had a very expensive off-season paying big long-term $ to Middleton and Brogdon. They also have Bledsoe back on a 1 year deal and have Thon Maker wanting 25 million + a year. There is no doubt they have the talent to win the East. They need to win this year as for a small market team they are deep in the luxury tax.

Key Additions (Dwight Howard)
Its not sure how much playing time he will get as he will battle John Henson and Thon Maker for playing time. Center has been the weak spot on this team for a few years and now they have another option that can defend and rebound.

Biggest Question
Can the Greek Freak win the East over Ben Simmons, Lebron James and Kryie Irving ?

Possible Trades
They need to find a way to trade Tony Snell’s contract for next year and will have to include a 1st and maybe more to make it happen. You are going to have to choose between paying Maker or the 3rd guard 20+ million a year. My guess is they just let Bledsoe walk at the end of year and keep Brogdon and Middleton. You could also trade either Henson or Howard as both have expiring deals.

Season Goals
This core has been together for a few years now and the Greek Freak is still only 24 years old. Its time for him to step up and win 55+ games in the regular season and be a top 2 seed for the playoffs.

3. Lakers

The other big shocker this off-season was the Lakers finally getting the 2nd max star it just took 1 year longer then initially expected. Klay Thompson has decided it was time to leave Golden State after wining 4 of the last 5 championships. The lakers may have the most talented roster in the NBA with Lonzo Ball, Paul George, Brandon Ingram, Klay Thompson and others.

Key Additions Klay Thompson, Kennith Faried, P.J Dozier, Cory Joseph)
Klay wanted the chance to be a 1 or 2 option instead of the 3rd or 4th and will get his chance and also stays in California for his dad’s old team. Faried was a pivotal part of the Pistons title chase and will get the first chance at starting. He will join Lonzo as two members of the starting lineup that can be effective without needing to shoot. Joseph and Dozier will provide depth at Guard.

Biggest Question
Can Klay be the #1 option on a championship team?

Possible Trades
If everyone stays healthy they will not have to make any moves as they are set both short and long term. The one area they are weak at is Center they just don’t have players they want to trade that has value to bring anyone else in.

Season Goals
Its only year 1 and all the core is 29 and younger so they don’t have to win a title this year to make it a successful season. They have to make it out of the 1st round of the playoffs, which is going to be harder then it sounds. Klay also needs to show he can be a #1 option without Steph.

2. Spurs

Making the trade for Vucevic last year turned out to be the right call as they were the hottest team in the NBA after that trade. They are in the process of changing this team to younger team and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. They last steps in that process will be declining Aldridge’s 24 million option, Tony Parker retiring and either releasing or trading Patty Mills. Waiting in the wings to take over the starting PF spot is Mitchell Robinson a 2nd year player.

Key Additions (Alex Carusa)
Alex was signed off the street never playing in a NBA game before and is now the staring PG for the #2 team in the power rankings. The move to make next year a team option could be huge as you get a starting PG for a bargain price. He has to work on his defense, but he should be able to hold his own on offense.

Biggest Question
Was last years run after getting Vucevic a fluke or is this team for real?

Possible Trades
They need to find a way to trade Patty Miles as they are wanting to sign a max player before using the bird rights to give Murray big $. His contract is off the books for next year I just don’t know if a 1st round pick is enough to get a team to take him.

Season Goals
They need to make the WCF and use this a transition year and see growth from young guys Mitchell, Anderson and Curusa. If those guys can step up that can be the core going forward and hopefully you bring in a star player this off-season

1. Warriors

I am pretty sure they will not be any tears shed for the Warriors after losing Klay Thompson. They have won 4 of the last 5 titles and for the first time in a few years the front office will need to make some moves. If you’re looking for a positive then now they should be able to bring back Jordan Bell and Drayman Green. They have seen improvement from a lot of the young bench guys and they will be needed this year. Drayman also will need to score more with Klay gone.

Key Additions (J.J Reddick )
He landed in a perfect spot as he will start and see a lot of open looks along KD and Steph. He may eventually be shifted toward the bench if a move is made. For now though he and McCaw will try and replace Klay.

Biggest Question
How will they do without Klay?

Possible Trades
They have to many bodies at the 4 and 5 spots and some of them they don’t have bird rights on. They need to find a way to upgrade SG and trading Iguodala for a SG locked into a longer contract might be the move to make. Then they can extend Green and Bell and be set for the next several years.

Season Goals
To make if 5 out of 6 years with a ring

[georgiafan]

Preseason Playoff Projections

*based on nba.com power rankings

East Preview

#1 Warriors vs #8 Suns
Right off the bat you see how loaded the West is with a Suns team with Conley, Porter and Booker as the 8th seed. This would make for a scary 1st round matchup if your the Warriors

#2 Spurs vs #7 Pelicans
Another potential upset game with AD & Boogie as the 7th seed.

#3 Lakers vs #6 Timberwolves
The 3 and 6 matchup could be the best of all of them and this would make for a great series with 2 young and upcoming teams

#4 Rockets vs #5 Thunder
Don't these two teams play every year in the playoffs ?

Not in the Playoffs
Clippers
Nuggets
Trailblazers

East Preview

#1 Bucks vs #8 Cavs
The cavs should be higher then the 8th seed with Isaiah, Love and the Gasol Brothers.

#2 Knicks vs #7 Heat
Lebron would roll past the heat

#3 Celtics vs #6 Pacers
This shows the lack of depth in the east with the Pacers as the 6th seed

#4 76ers vs #5 Wizards
The 76ers should be able to handle the Wizards here

Key Teams Not In Playoffs
Raptors
Hornets
Pistons


I also had the wrong picture for the Nuggets team here is there roster