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RN4L
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I asked several GMs to share their thoughts on the state of the league, the creation draft, and their personal opinions on some team building concepts. Some didn't send their responses in, because they are bums. Here's what they were asked, and their responses:
-Hornets... they got the best overall player on the file in D Rose, and put together a very solid cast around him.
-The Knicks getting Kobe and Melo was pretty cool to see. That's a nasty pair right there. It'll be fun to see what those two can do on the same team. We'll see if they stick together a while. Wolves are another that came to mind. They had a ton of trades and really put themselves into a position to compete. They got the #1 pick and another late first. That's 3 picks in the first round of a fantasy draft. That's big time. They had a rough preseason, but I don't think that will slow them down any when the actual season gets underway.
-The team that Derrick Rose landed on. They did good with managing money. Don't have too much money tied up and Derrick looks like an absolute stud. They did well in the preseason and while I don't think they keep up all that play, they should be solid and will have money to spend and have assets to trade still. Definitely a good base to begin with.
-I really like the Cavaliers draft. Pacers and Mavericks also had very low key awesome drafts.
-I really liked what the Lakers and Hornets did. They made zero draft day trades, and stuck to their guns. They built formidable rosters in their own rights. The Lakers have youth galore, with a few old heads to help the team be more competitive where they needed, and the Hornets have a well balanced roster but not as much to work off of as the Lakers going forward. Teams like the Pacers and Bucks also look well established building for the future.
-I am always in compete mode even when I have a mediocre team - so I use draft picks often to go get a proven young vet whenever I have the chance.
-Depends on the draft pick haha. 2nds I don't think are extremely valuable. 1sts I think are worth a lot. Especially since we know of who will be available in those future drafts. You can already see teams stacking up multiple firsts in certain years to hopefully get the guy they are aiming for (hopefully he doesn't turn out to be a dud). So I think firsts are super valuable trade chips, they can land you a quality player, but they also have value on draft day possibly drafting a young franchise changing player who's brimming with potential.
-I prefer to keep my picks until close to the drafts so I have insurance should I need them. If it looks like we're missing a piece, I'll use them as trade bait but picks are something we really value.
-I always like taking the sure thing. So I prefer trading picks for players. Players can always bust from draft. Pretty much if a player has achieved a certain rank, he usually won't die until he's older. I think picks are super overrated, but nice for rebuilding teams who are shipping older guys out.
-Draft picks are important. Whether they mean more to your team this year, or future picks being more valuable in a trade, is up to your team's composition as well as the team the pick belongs to. If I had the choice to empty my team of picks, however, to go get an all-star, I would do it. Building for the now and retooling when the time comes is my specialty, and it's one of my favorite things to do in a sim league.
-I would say so. I like a solid PG and bigs that can block. I built my team that way and was able to target and draft players that were a fit to my system.
-I would say a creation draft is more beneficial and the way to go. Putting all the players in a pot and letting people build their own teams from scratch rather than using pre-built rosters. I think it does make it easier for teams to compete or tank, depending on what they want to do. Teams can head into the draft with their game plan on what type of team they are looking to build. If a team is just looking to field a young team full of rookies in hopes to get a high draft pick and hope their potential turns them into contenders in a year or several down the road, they have that choice. I also think people have more of a connection to their team in a creation draft. You chose all the guys on your team (unless you're Carson or Vonteego haha). You got the guys you wanted for the most part. It's your team, from the ground up.
-I have always liked creation drafts more. To me, you can build a team you have more of a connection with. Draft players you like, and trade away players you don't have a huge connection to. It's easier to start from that stand point. It also takes more skill, unless your plan is to outright tank from the start.
-Creation is definitely more valuable to all teams. Saves the scrapping your team part of building and you can focus on players you really like. Plus it's easier to draft and compete when you have players this developed.
-The Creation Draft is a lot of fun, and can be an ideal way to start off a file. To be able to gather future resources for moving Creation Draft picks, or to target 3 or 4 specific players, or to decide right away you're going to go for a high slot in the draft by taking raw high pot prospects, is what makes it the most intriguing. Each team has their own individual vision for what they want to create, and we saw that with the draft. Teams moved entirely out of the first - even second - rounds to collect as many future picks as they could. Some teams took it a bit too far, IMO, but if that's their MO then more power to them for sticking to their guns.
-D Rose... clearly the best PG on the file. Ibaka was my #1 big, but #1 in the draft would have been too early for him and there are 29 teams and less than 10 elite PGs. So missing out on a PG in the top half of round 1 is a mistake I couldn't afford.
-I'd have to go LeBron. His rankings are amazing. He's young. I'm sure he'll be one of the top players for years in this league. But I do have to say with having the 19th overall pick I was pleased to have Paul George available. He had a less than ideal preseason but he's a rookie and we have all the confidence in the world in him.
-LeBron > Rose > Durant > CP3 > Russ
-KD/CP3/Rose or LeBron all have a nice case for going number one. I would go KD or Rose just for potential.
-Taking into consideration what my team needs, I would have gone with LeBron or KD. Point gods are what runs FBB, but I feel like you can get high volume guys who aren't your prototypical PG, and build around them with the right team.
-I think Hornets will be hard to beat... but league should be competitive 1st yr and teams with balance O and D should be in it to win it.
-Hmmmm... that's a tough question. Obviously there are some teams more built to be contenders this year than others, but I wouldn't say there is any one team that should just completely dominate the rest of the league. That's another thing with a creation draft is the parity of the league. We don't have one super team like the real NBA who is going to be an almost lock for the finals. Plus with sims, you never really know if a team that looks great on paper will perform. So I would say there is no team with a huge advantage to win the championship... yet.
-I think we have a fairly balanced league right now. It may take a few sims and a few trades before any one team stands out from the rest. It'll be a fun season, I'm looking forward to seeing trades that make or break teams.
-I think the field is pretty open. Can't see too many teams being super competitive as all teams have a couple of holes here and there.
-If there's any team that I'd say has any edge, it has to be the Hornets. Based off what we saw in pre, they are well rounded and will be a tough out in the playoffs. The East is pretty balanced, as far as competitive teams vs tanking teams they seem the better conference, so I see some teams giving them a tough time. The creation draft really balances out the league, so it's tough to make any one team a favorite to win it all in the first year - however, when you have easily a top 3 PG and top 3 boards and blocks big, you will be a tough team to beat if you can surround them with the right talent, and it seems Danny has done just that.
So, it appears some GMs share similar opinions on several subjects. The Hornets are your most feared/revered team for the file's inaugural season. KD/LBJ and CP3/DRose are your odds on favorites to win MVP according to these guys. The Creation Draft was a smashing success, and easily the best way to kick off a file.
I want to thank all those who participated for their time, and for sharing their opinions. I won't name any of them, unless they want to step forward and share any more. Those who did not participate, please feel free to share your thoughts below on the subjects, and the opinions of your fellow GMs.
1. What team, other than your own, do you believe had the best creation draft?
-Hornets... they got the best overall player on the file in D Rose, and put together a very solid cast around him.
-The Knicks getting Kobe and Melo was pretty cool to see. That's a nasty pair right there. It'll be fun to see what those two can do on the same team. We'll see if they stick together a while. Wolves are another that came to mind. They had a ton of trades and really put themselves into a position to compete. They got the #1 pick and another late first. That's 3 picks in the first round of a fantasy draft. That's big time. They had a rough preseason, but I don't think that will slow them down any when the actual season gets underway.
-The team that Derrick Rose landed on. They did good with managing money. Don't have too much money tied up and Derrick looks like an absolute stud. They did well in the preseason and while I don't think they keep up all that play, they should be solid and will have money to spend and have assets to trade still. Definitely a good base to begin with.
-I really like the Cavaliers draft. Pacers and Mavericks also had very low key awesome drafts.
-I really liked what the Lakers and Hornets did. They made zero draft day trades, and stuck to their guns. They built formidable rosters in their own rights. The Lakers have youth galore, with a few old heads to help the team be more competitive where they needed, and the Hornets have a well balanced roster but not as much to work off of as the Lakers going forward. Teams like the Pacers and Bucks also look well established building for the future.
2. What is your value on draft picks? Do you find them more useful as assets to trade with? Or are future picks more valuable to you on draft day? Please explain.
-I am always in compete mode even when I have a mediocre team - so I use draft picks often to go get a proven young vet whenever I have the chance.
-Depends on the draft pick haha. 2nds I don't think are extremely valuable. 1sts I think are worth a lot. Especially since we know of who will be available in those future drafts. You can already see teams stacking up multiple firsts in certain years to hopefully get the guy they are aiming for (hopefully he doesn't turn out to be a dud). So I think firsts are super valuable trade chips, they can land you a quality player, but they also have value on draft day possibly drafting a young franchise changing player who's brimming with potential.
-I prefer to keep my picks until close to the drafts so I have insurance should I need them. If it looks like we're missing a piece, I'll use them as trade bait but picks are something we really value.
-I always like taking the sure thing. So I prefer trading picks for players. Players can always bust from draft. Pretty much if a player has achieved a certain rank, he usually won't die until he's older. I think picks are super overrated, but nice for rebuilding teams who are shipping older guys out.
-Draft picks are important. Whether they mean more to your team this year, or future picks being more valuable in a trade, is up to your team's composition as well as the team the pick belongs to. If I had the choice to empty my team of picks, however, to go get an all-star, I would do it. Building for the now and retooling when the time comes is my specialty, and it's one of my favorite things to do in a sim league.
3. Would you say starting off the file with a creation draft is more beneficial to a GMs vision for their team? Is it easier to compete or tank, or does the starting file not affect this as much or at all?
-I would say so. I like a solid PG and bigs that can block. I built my team that way and was able to target and draft players that were a fit to my system.
-I would say a creation draft is more beneficial and the way to go. Putting all the players in a pot and letting people build their own teams from scratch rather than using pre-built rosters. I think it does make it easier for teams to compete or tank, depending on what they want to do. Teams can head into the draft with their game plan on what type of team they are looking to build. If a team is just looking to field a young team full of rookies in hopes to get a high draft pick and hope their potential turns them into contenders in a year or several down the road, they have that choice. I also think people have more of a connection to their team in a creation draft. You chose all the guys on your team (unless you're Carson or Vonteego haha). You got the guys you wanted for the most part. It's your team, from the ground up.
-I have always liked creation drafts more. To me, you can build a team you have more of a connection with. Draft players you like, and trade away players you don't have a huge connection to. It's easier to start from that stand point. It also takes more skill, unless your plan is to outright tank from the start.
-Creation is definitely more valuable to all teams. Saves the scrapping your team part of building and you can focus on players you really like. Plus it's easier to draft and compete when you have players this developed.
-The Creation Draft is a lot of fun, and can be an ideal way to start off a file. To be able to gather future resources for moving Creation Draft picks, or to target 3 or 4 specific players, or to decide right away you're going to go for a high slot in the draft by taking raw high pot prospects, is what makes it the most intriguing. Each team has their own individual vision for what they want to create, and we saw that with the draft. Teams moved entirely out of the first - even second - rounds to collect as many future picks as they could. Some teams took it a bit too far, IMO, but if that's their MO then more power to them for sticking to their guns.
4. Who would you have drafted #1 overall if you could have supplemented your current roster with the first pick of the creation draft?
-D Rose... clearly the best PG on the file. Ibaka was my #1 big, but #1 in the draft would have been too early for him and there are 29 teams and less than 10 elite PGs. So missing out on a PG in the top half of round 1 is a mistake I couldn't afford.
-I'd have to go LeBron. His rankings are amazing. He's young. I'm sure he'll be one of the top players for years in this league. But I do have to say with having the 19th overall pick I was pleased to have Paul George available. He had a less than ideal preseason but he's a rookie and we have all the confidence in the world in him.
-LeBron > Rose > Durant > CP3 > Russ
-KD/CP3/Rose or LeBron all have a nice case for going number one. I would go KD or Rose just for potential.
-Taking into consideration what my team needs, I would have gone with LeBron or KD. Point gods are what runs FBB, but I feel like you can get high volume guys who aren't your prototypical PG, and build around them with the right team.
5. Does any one team have an absolute edge over any other to win the first season's Finals? If so, who and why?
-I think Hornets will be hard to beat... but league should be competitive 1st yr and teams with balance O and D should be in it to win it.
-Hmmmm... that's a tough question. Obviously there are some teams more built to be contenders this year than others, but I wouldn't say there is any one team that should just completely dominate the rest of the league. That's another thing with a creation draft is the parity of the league. We don't have one super team like the real NBA who is going to be an almost lock for the finals. Plus with sims, you never really know if a team that looks great on paper will perform. So I would say there is no team with a huge advantage to win the championship... yet.
-I think we have a fairly balanced league right now. It may take a few sims and a few trades before any one team stands out from the rest. It'll be a fun season, I'm looking forward to seeing trades that make or break teams.
-I think the field is pretty open. Can't see too many teams being super competitive as all teams have a couple of holes here and there.
-If there's any team that I'd say has any edge, it has to be the Hornets. Based off what we saw in pre, they are well rounded and will be a tough out in the playoffs. The East is pretty balanced, as far as competitive teams vs tanking teams they seem the better conference, so I see some teams giving them a tough time. The creation draft really balances out the league, so it's tough to make any one team a favorite to win it all in the first year - however, when you have easily a top 3 PG and top 3 boards and blocks big, you will be a tough team to beat if you can surround them with the right talent, and it seems Danny has done just that.
So, it appears some GMs share similar opinions on several subjects. The Hornets are your most feared/revered team for the file's inaugural season. KD/LBJ and CP3/DRose are your odds on favorites to win MVP according to these guys. The Creation Draft was a smashing success, and easily the best way to kick off a file.
I want to thank all those who participated for their time, and for sharing their opinions. I won't name any of them, unless they want to step forward and share any more. Those who did not participate, please feel free to share your thoughts below on the subjects, and the opinions of your fellow GMs.
