The Cincinnati Lions: a 2KTale
The Expansion Draft
With the 2016 NBA Draft and most of free agency out of the way, the NBA's two new Expansion teams sure seemed behind. Normally they'd get a shot at this year's rookies, but this time around, the teams would have to make due with whoever their competition didn't lock up.
Cincinnati's Goals
With the NBA putting a premium on versatility, my pre-draft strategy mainly focused on getting tweeners who can play multiple positions. I wanted to get as many ball handlers at each position as possible, combining pace motion and pick & roll offenses for the modern NBA. I knew most teams would restrict their young talent, so I hoped to add as many solid 27 & younger guys as possible - players either in their prime or with a little room for improvement.
The Draft
The Surf went first & nabbed Joe Johnson from the Jazz - kinda surprising, if you ask me, but who doesn't love Iso Joe? That meant us Lions had the next two picks, where we grabbed two guys with championship experience.
Pick #1: Festus Ezeli (C, 76 overall)
Pick #2: Shaun Livingston (PG, 76 overall)
While Bogut, Ginobili, and a few other high-70's vets were available, I decided I'd rather see if 27-year-old Festus has any more upside left in him. Though Livingston's older than I was hoping for, especially for his position, his height and pedigree were too good to pass up. Never underestimate the power of a mismatch.
San Diego grabbed Norman Powell (damn, that's the young talent I wanted) and Mike Beasley with their next two selections. Back on the clock, the Lions selected:
Pick #3: Wilson Chandler (SF/PF, 76 overall)
Pick #4: Aaron Afflalo (SG, 76 overall)
Two solid players who can do a little of everything. At 29 and 31, I'm not getting the potential I need for the future, but at least everyone's solid. Chandler will benefit from our scheme - rather than staying a somewhat slow/bulky SF, he'll be a quick stretch 4 who can still body up. Good character guys, too. After that...
Pick #5: Brandon Jennings (PG, 75 overall)
Pick #6: Thabo Sefolosha (SF, 75 overall)
Rather than grabbing the year-younger Matthew Dellavadova, I decided to bet on Jennings. Even off his injuries, he's still lightyears faster than Delly's honey-pour first step, & we need some speed. Plus, his contract's much more stomachable at a cool $5m/year. Thabo comes in as a defensive wing who can start and keep our team longgggg.
Since our starters will likely be outmatched every night, these next few picks matter - the second unit will need to score if we're going to win games. Next to join are...
Pick #7: E'Twaun Moore (SG, 74 overall)
Pick #8: John Leuer (PF, 75 overall)
Good - some scoring. E'Twaun will need to be a firecracker off the benc, and Leuer adds a 6'10" traditional stretch 4 to the group. These two will get quite a bit of time, and maybe even some starts depending on the match-ups.
Now, let's fill out the roster with a few more deep rotation / 3rd string guys.
Pick #9: Jerami Grant (SF, 73 overall)
Pick #10: Dewayne Dedmon (C, 74 overall)
Pick #11: Ivaca Zubac (C, 67 overall)
Pick #12: Jordan McRae (SG, 70 overall)
Pick #13: Alex Abrines (SG, 70 overall)
Potential, potential, potential. After failing to get young players in my top 8, I made sure 4 of my final 5 were 25 or younger. Dedmon will get time immediately as Ezeli's back-up, and McRae will need to come in and gun. The others will have time to develop. We've got high hopes for Zubac, a thin center that's bursting with potential, and Abrines, a 6'6" french wing that can do some interesting things with his length.
The Depth Chart
PG: Livingston / Jennings
SG: Afflalo / Moore / McRae
SF: Sefolosha / Abrines
PF: Chandler / Leuer / Grant
C: Ezeli / Dedmon / Zubac
Again, a solid group. As a GM, I'm happy. As a coach, I'm worried we'll have trouble scoring, but hopefully that'll come via mismatches (or new players 2-3 years from now).
Now, to do something about those jerseys before the first game...
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