The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

[JoshNormanMane]

I always like a good draft leadup, two 6'7 Power Forwards and a sub 6-foot PG leading the charge is pretty intriguing as well considering they all must have elite skillsets.

Just curious, and my apologies if you've touched on this before but what's the end-game for ole Oggy and Dinko? Do you envision them making the jump to the NBA level and trying to land a HC job one day or will they stay at the collegiate level and try to become a fixture at a prestigious D1 program? This also might be a TBD as you progress as well.

[studbucket]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshNormanMane

I always like a good draft leadup, two 6'7 Power Forwards and a sub 6-foot PG leading the charge is pretty intriguing as well considering they all must have elite skillsets.

It's a weird draft. There's definitely talent here, but all the top end talent is:
1 - a stretch 4
2 - a Draymond-style undersized big
3 - a very smart, talented, undersized, and raw PG
4 - a traditional center

We're missing out on hyper-athletic wings, great shooters, and NBA ready guards. Those players are in the draft, but are not clearly a top 5-10 talent and I think this is one where we'll end up seeing some lower ranked prospects being the best players in this draft.

Personally, I think players like J.B. McCroskey and Joey Robbins are being undervalued in this draft.

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshNormanMane

Just curious, and my apologies if you've touched on this before but what's the end-game for ole Oggy and Dinko? Do you envision them making the jump to the NBA level and trying to land a HC job one day or will they stay at the collegiate level and try to become a fixture at a prestigious D1 program? This also might be a TBD as you progress as well.

There's 2 parts to this question. The simple answer: I don't completely know as I can't really orchestrate NCAA moves as it's a "closed legacy" in CHoops 2K8.

However, I have given both brothers some personality traits that generally guide their decisions:

Dinko values family, especially caring for his parents and wife, loyalty, and consistency. He will take a new job, but it needs to either a) be better for his family or b) be such an amazing opportunity it's worth the cost to his family. It's why not getting the Duquesne job was such a gut punch.

Oggy values success above all else. He wants to be remembered for greatness and to him, at least for now, that's defined as winning titles in college and in the pros. He learns along the way (he burned some bridges in Northern Colorado, so his exit from Stetson was far more gracious), but he's still ambitious.

To peel back the curtain, I basically expect both brothers to be NCAA coaches until they end up being very successful at D1 programs. Oggy may want to taste greatness (or come close) before leaving for the pros, whereas Dinko may take the pro job if it represents a good opportunity even if he's never made it past the Sweet 16.

With Dinko being the better in-game coach and Oggy being the better recruiter, you could argue that Dinko may be a better NBA coach anyway. But we just finished year 5, there's a lot of time for that to change.

[studbucket]

As we neared the draft, a few teams made a serious move that will change the structure of the league.

Durant Returns to Oklahoma City
Since their NBA title a few years ago, the Brooklyn Nets have struggled to get back atop the East. Kevin Durant (SF, 91 ovr) is still a talented player but he saw his scoring drop all the way to 19 points per game this season. As an aging star, the Nets could tell that there wasn’t a future title in their sights.

So they decided to find a way to build a deeper team around Ernesto Parkinson (SG, 85 ovr) and Kyrie Irving (PG, 90 ovr), looking for some players that will allow them to stay relevant and maybe get some picks as well.

They found some willing partners in the Hornets and Thunder, 2 teams that are brimming with talent and deeply underachieving based on that talent. The Thunder had a lot of excess draft capital, but weren’t enamored with the options at pick 6 or 7 and knew they’d also need to clear up their talent logjam as they just had too many guys.

Kevin Durant heads back to his first team in Oklahoma City and will be surrounded by a bunch of talented young players and veterans. He can bring that championship pedigree and will undoubtedly make OKC a more attractive destination for free agents or trades this offseason.

The Hornets joined in to help make the salaries work out and were able to unload tantalizing-yet-underwhelming Zach LaVine (SG, 84 ovr) and got back the 6^th pick in the draft and an exciting and talented point guard in Dan Vignale (PG, 81 ovr). The 2020 second rounder can jump out of the gym, has good court vision, and is a great perimeter defender. With the Hornets being one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, Vignale should immediately help this team, whether as a starter or a backup.

The Nets replace Durant with the 7^th pick in the draft, T.J. Warren (SF, 86 ovr) and Zach LaVine (SG, 84 ovr). This gives them 4 very capable scorers in their rotation and some assets to continue to improve their team with. They probably aren’t a title contender this year, but they may be a better team and they are better set up for the future.

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[studbucket]

The 2024 NBA draft is now underway, with the New York Knicks picking first and looking for a great talent to pair with Brandon Ingram and 1-year away Eurostash point guard Mirko Bosjnak. Can those 3 help the Knicks back to the playoffs?

The third person in that trio is what everyone expected: Kansas PF Kordel Cleaves. Cleaves isn’t great from the perimeter, but he can finish from anywhere inside the arc, is very strong, and can jump out of the gym. Trusting that his shot will come and he can play well with Ingram, the Knicks grab him here.

The Magic are on the clock next and have taken players 1^st, 3^rd, and 4^th over the last 2 years, so adding a 2^nd overall pick is fitting. With Jaan O’Donnell (SF, 80 ovr), Jameer Trammell (SF, 82 ovr), and Erroll Reaser (PG, 79 ovr) being those three players, will the Magic choose a complementary player, or grab the talent?

They went with a bit of both, grabbing 6’11” big man Angelo Braswell from UNLV. The big man has loads of potential, sees the floor well, and can score well on the interior. However, he’s a bit soft and will likely underwhelm when it comes to rebounding and interior defense.

Cleveland is now on the clock and has the kind of roster that will let them go with nearly any pick, save for point guard.

They grab the big man out of DePaul: Taquan St. Fort. Despite being seven feet tall and mostly playing inside, St. Fort has a nice shot from the mid-range and can even hit some threes. He’s also a fantastic rebounder and adequate defender on the inside. Many draft pundits are thinking that the Magic should have taken St. Fort over Braswell, and that Cleveland must be thrilled with this pick.

Now the Spurs are up, with what may be the most exciting pick in the draft. They have the top 2 picks from last year’s draft at PF and C, so will they grab a guard or wing here? Trade the pick?

There was reportedly fruitful discussions between Chicago and San Antonio to trade the pick in a package that involved Mikal Bridges and last year’s first rounder Matthew Carroll, but ultimately San Antonio keeps the pick and drafts for the future, getting Australian sharpshooter Ashton Uthoff, who will not show up until the 2025-26 season. The Aussie is deadly from deep and should complement Raynell Ere and Horace Wolfe as they improve and mature.

Now up: nationwide darling Seattle SuperSonics. Last year’s pick of Bobby Drake was brilliant and their sneaky signing of Sagana Dupree also paid off. With Roland Mayes, Keston Mendoza, Kim Pait, and Marcello Barber still available, they have a wealth of choices.

Seattle shocks everyone and selects Florida State’s Joey Robbins. The 6’9” wing / stretch 4 is undoubtedly talented. He’s a good defender, decent shooter, and has good size. But he plays the same spots as Drake and Dupree and struggles to rebound the ball or create for himself. Maybe the Sonics are just taking a bet on talent here.

Now the Hornets get to reap the reward of their trade of Zach Lavine, picking 6^th and they have a ton of talent available to them.

Despite some of their defensive shortcomings, the Hornets select J.B. McCroskey from Hartford. The redhead can match Uthoff in his ability to shoot the ball but is decidedly average when it comes to defense and athleticism. He’s an amazing shooter, and if he can step into the 2 guard spot this year and isn’t ball dominant, perhaps he’ll allow Fox, Ball, and Sparks to play even better with the ball in their hands more.

Now the second part of that trade comes to fruition with the Brooklyn Nets adding to their KD haul.

The Nets go for a pure talent play by grabbing Marcello Barber, PF from Duke. The reigning national player of the year can play the 3 or 4 and should be a solid rotation player for the Nets his rookie season.

With pick 8, the Pacers select Wisconsin big man Eric Valencia.
With pick 9, the Kings select Stanford stretch 4 Keston Mendoza.
With pick 10, the Honu select Louisiana-Lafayette PF Regis Matela.
With pick 11, the Wizards select Romanian PG Liviu Erhan (euro-stashed for 2 years).

San Antonio is back up with their second pick and has seen a few players fall. They used this opportunity to stop the fall for one of them.

Arizona’s Roland Mayes was considered by some to be the second-best prospect in this draft. Unfortunately for him, that’s mostly based on potential as he may take a few seasons to get up to NBA size and readiness. However, he can score from anywhere, including throwing it down on big men.

That brings up Cleveland’s second selection.

They use it to stop the fall of Pittsburgh’s two-guard Kim Pait. The 6’4” guard is sometimes compared to Peja Stojakovic and is a well-rounded offensive player.

New York is up, and with their first overall pick being used on a power forward, look for them to go perimeter here.

And they do, grabbing Arizona State guard Dan Diaz. At 6’3”, he’s a great shooter with potential as high as the sky, but is still quite raw.

With pick 15, the Cavaliers select North Carolina PF Warren Mayes. He’s the cousin of Arizona’s Roland Mayes, San Antonio’s pick.
With pick 16, the Suns select Michigan State PF Kirby White.
With pick 17, the Pacers select T.J. Wrenn, PF from BYU.

With that, the Hornets are on the clock with their second pick and are rejoicing with their luck. Needing more depth, and a possible starter at the 5, they found their guy.

Washington’s Darius Lovelace is an intimidating presence who can score inside and is a good passer. This is good value for the Hornets at 18.

With pick 19, Detroit selects Enrique Radenovic, SF from Wisconsin.
With pick 20, Sacramento selects another Wisconsin Badger, SG Jonas Shavies.
With pick 21, Toronto grabs Maryland SG Samuel Pilgrim.

At pick 22, the Magic grab Jameer Trammell’s college teammate from Kansas State, SG Curtis Bitee. Bitee can shoot the lights out…and that’s it for now.

With pick 23, Boston selects Michigan State PF Smackey Krayl.
With pick 24, Minnesota picks Nevada PG Nathan Sneed.
With pick 25, the Trail Blazers select Glenn Thompson, PF from Georgetown.
With pick 26, the Nets select Dmitri Nevsky, PG from Russia.

The Pelicans are rejoicing as they get Oregon wing Can Maldonado. He was a big-time scorer in college and is great value for them at pick 27.

With pick 28, the Nuggets add championship pedigree in Kansas’ V.J. Andres. He’s a solid shooter who might have a future in the league.

At pick 29, the Pacers select Romanian SF Radu Stefan.
At pick 30, the Cavaliers pick Lorenzo Pena, PG from Northwestern.
At pick 31, the 76ers select Tamsir Lawson, PG from Louisville.
At pick 32, the Bucks pick Aliou Finley, SF from Clemson.

Here are some notable second round picks.

• Utah select UCLA star Fab Pratt at pick 34.
• Jerel Barnard (SF, Kansas) is selected by Memphis at pick 35.
• The Kings make a splash with back-to-back second round picks. First they grab intriguing SG from Washington State Randy Vignale. Then with the 41^st pick they grab PG Bronny James. This is surely a grab to try to get LeBron in his final season before retiring, or an attempt to get some good assets in return for Bronny.
• Teddy Ali (PG, North Carolina) is picked at #42 by Orlando.
• Pick 56 was Marquette PG Damond Conklin going to Miami.
• Milwaukee selects Boston College SG Leighton Byerson with the final pick of the draft. This could be a steal as he was listed as one of my “most interesting players” before the season began.

Here’s a starting five for the first and the second rounds based on their ability to immediately make an impact.

Round 1 Starting 5	Round 2 Starting 5
SG: Ashton Uthoff (Spurs, pick #4)	SG: Fab Pratt (Jazz, pick #34)
SG: J.B. McCroskey (Hornets, pick #6)	SG: Randy Vignale (Kings, pick #40)
PF: Kordel Cleaves (Knicks, pick #1)	SF: Jerel Barnard (Grizzlies, pick #35)
PF: Angelo Braswell (Magic, pick #2)	SF: Jon Paul Frank (Pelicans, pick #44)
C: Taquan St. Fort (Cavaliers, pick #3)	PF: Herbert Copeland (Suns, pick #33)

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[BigPlayJ1220]

Big fan of that Lovelace pick

[studbucket]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigPlayJ1220

Big fan of that Lovelace pick

Yeah, I think Lovelace, Maldonado, Diaz, and Mayes were probably the value picks of the draft.

I could see both PGs (Diaz and Mayes) being the best players in the draft, but not in season 1 or 2, rather when you check back in 10 years.

[studbucket]

The Inside Scoop is based on TheDominator273's awesome spreadsheet to add random events to your MyLeague.

#2 overall pick Braswell out for season
Magic fans will be devastated by this one. A freak accident at home resulted in Angelo Braswell falling down the stairs and breaking several vertebra in his back. The 6’11” PF out of UNLV was drafted second overall and expected to slot into a starting spot this year. Instead he’ll have a “redshirt season” and miss all of the 2024-25 year.

Bucks first rounder shows why he fell
With pick 32 in the first round, Milwaukee felt like they got a steal in Clemson’s Aliou Finley. The 6’9” small forward is a great athlete and could contribute off the bench this year. However, seeing him in person, they quickly realized that his athleticism just wasn’t the same against professional-level players as it was in college. There’s still a chance for him to succeed, but there are grumblings of disappointment in Milwaukee.

LA’s Kane needs surgery
Second year undrafted PG Sidney Kane will miss training camp this summer, a reality that could spell the end of his career, as he underwent an appendectomy and is dealing with some complications and infections from the surgery.

Lothar Lindemann is beefing up
The second round pick of the Pacers out of Germany showed up to camp this year and was an inch taller, a few pounds heavier, and noticeably stronger than expected. It seems that the point guard wasn’t done growing and is working hard on his body to make the most of his NBA career.

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Please spend a few minutes to answer the annual Bulgarian Brothers survey. Your answers help shape the dynasty in a few small ways. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAA AAAAAMAAII8-q9UQ09WUTJPOE1YQkpYWVZFSUhCVE1ZVUJXRC4u

[JoshNormanMane]

Tough break for the Magic / Braswell, maybe he'll follow in the steps of Blake Griffin, Ben Simmons, and Chet Holmgren and have a great sophomore rookie year.

This just shows how important the random events generator is to a MyLeague, without it you'll maybe have one minor injury starting a season. To start the real-life NBA season, you have situations like Ja missing the first 25 games, Steven Adams being ruled out for the season, and so many more events that 2k on its own just can't generate unfortunately.