Season 2: Buy or Sell?

RN4L

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Now being two sims into the second season of the file, most teams have an established idea as to where they stand this year and should be formulating a game plan going forward. You cant really count anybody out at this point, even the Nuggets with their putrid .188 win percentage.

The Raptors have laid claim to the best start to the year boasting a .750 win percentage, yet they hold only a half game lead on the Detroit Pistons. The East is a tight race, with only 2 of the 15 teams being more than 4 games apart. Toronto has already shaken things up, trading for Ben Gordon and Ron Artest before the season started. They recently moved Gordon for Jamal Crawford, and shipped off a young Marshon Brooks for Donatas Motiejunas.

In catching up with Toronto, we spoke about their recent deals and what they mean to the squad, as well as how some of it all fell into place.

How did your trade for Gordon come to fruition?

-I was in the market for wing players and it just so happens that the hawks were looking for a big man in return which we were in a surplus of at the time. It was an opportunity i couldnt pass up. Although, artest was the player i had the most interest in, and the trade wouldnt have worked out without gordon included in the deal.

Did you find more value in a smaller, longer term deal when swapping for Crawford?

-That's part of it, but it all comes down to fit. Crawford is just as capable of scoring in bunches, and can play the 1 and 3 in a pinch. We feel like he's a valuable scoring depth in case some of our guards require rest or god forbid, come down with an injury.

Would you have been more inclined to stand pat had you made it farther last playoffs?

-I wouldn't say that would necessarily be the case. Had we stood pat, I feel like we would be flirting with going over the hard cap. It was inevitable trading some of the older guys that we had while they still had value as well. At the end of the day, you always have to look for ways to get better regardless of any past accomplishments.


Now looking more into the middle of the standings, teams like Washington and Cleveland look like competitors who just arent quite playing up to their roster values.

The Wizards are in the bottom 3 in the league in terms of points scored a game, while allowing competitors almost an equal scoring total. With players like Gay and Collison, the path is set for future seasons, leading me to assume they will be sellers and attempting to retool for the coming years. Tim Duncan should fit the bill for buying teams, but the salary he commands may be difficult to fit into any roster without sending back a big contract or two. Most teams who have such contracts are either valuing those players highly, or dont have the assets to make a splash big enough to land Timmy.

Chicago also makes for a possible seller. At 4-5, they have an interesting blend of youth and vets with John Wall and Jonas Valanciunas, to go along with the well traveled Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. The two latter players command a hefty salary price, so it may not be easy for this team to sell. This could be one of the more interesting teams to watch come the second month through the all star weekend. They are in the top third of the league in FG%, and take care of the ball decently enough to consider them a competitor for the rest of the year - provided they can find the right piece to put next to Paul and Wall. Though they could include Millsap in a deal with Jefferson which may allow them to bring back a large package as a full on seller.

Cleveland is a curious case. Theyre running away with blocks per game at over 8, but still only hold a 1.3 ppg advantage over their opponents. Their defense is stifling (top 5 oFG% and #2 in o3pt%) but are leading the league in TOPG and have the 3rd fewest assists per game to boot - leading to the worst assist/TO ratio in the league. Cleveland may be buyers or sellers, seeing as how they have bigs aplenty I would suggest they move one for an established ball handler to be considered viable playoff contenders.

Out West we have a closer bid for the top spot, as the top 6 teams are no more than 2 games apart. Sacramento is seeded 2nd, as they have the luxury of playing in the worst division in the league. They are the only team in the Pacific with a winning record, though they are pushing for a top lotto pick in the coming draft. It should take a lot of pieces moving out of Sac, so I have this team as one of my top sellers if they truly wish to accomplish their goal.

Golden State is a team who made the playoffs as a sub-.500 team last year, and still has the parts to make a push if they so choose. Gordon Hayward looks to be a nice piece to build around, and Trevor Booker is also developing quite nicely for being a pick of the 5th round in the opening creation draft. The Warriors are allowing 6 points more per game than they are scoring, however, and are in the middle of the pack in terms of scoring efficiency and perimeter defense. With a respectable young core, its not out of the question that Sheed leads the Warriors on another playoff run if he can manage to find some help on the defensive side of the ball.

Portland is an interesting team who started the file out potentially losing a lottery pick. It was used to acquire Marcus Camby during the opening draft, but had top 5 protection. They were attempting to craft a competitive roster right out of the gate, but struggled to the tune of a .415 win percentage season one. Luckily their pick fell at #5, which they traded to Miami for Ty Lawson and pick 9. They then flipped pick 9 for pick 20, where they snagged up Mirotic, and the rights to their 2012 pick, which was to be conveyed after the protection of their 2013 pick. This greatly turned the tides for Portland, who should have been put in a position to compete immediately without the fallback of their 2012 and 2013 picks. Portland still owes New York the rights to swap picks in 2012 and 2014, so I should recommend they buy up some talent soon. With their average age on the roster of 25, theyre still in prime position to compete long term should the TC gods bless them.

We had to ask the Blazers GM, KDogg, how he was doing and what he felt about this past season, and his team as currently constituted.

What went into the process of acquiring Lawson, then moving him before TC showed what he might really look like going forward?

-Tbh I acquired Lawson simply as a trading chip because I knew that someone else would probably need him more than me at some point during the off-season or regular season. We already had a fairly young starting point guard in Rondo locked up for the next four years and likely werent going to match Lawsons contract when he became a restricted free agent. So when New York offered Tyson Chander for him & Marcus Camby I thought that would be a great deal for both teams. They clearly needed a point guard & I was going to need a replacement for Camby, who is most likely playing in his final season.

Were you nervous about how last season played out? Was possibly not having your own pick in 2012 and 2013 nerve racking for you?

-I wasnt nervous until the last sim and during the draft lottery haha. Early on it looked like as if we were going to be a lock to finish with a terrible enough record to get a top 3 pick but then we miraculously shot all the way up the standings to the 7th seed iirc. The very next sim (and second to last) we went like 1-9 and obviously the playoffs werent going to happen at that point. I decided to play my younger guys more the very last sim but they went on to win a few more games just to stress me out more heading into the off-season (btw shout out to Utah for beating us in one of those games ).

Without any soft cap for next season, would you be more apt to sell a few players to teams with cap, or sell your youth for established vets before the deadline or in the coming offseason?

-For now, Im content with the core of my team and I only plan on doing somewhat minor moves this year since Im guaranteed to have either my draft pick or New Yorks pick. However, if we are clearly out of the playoff race going into the trade deadline I wouldnt be opposed to selling some of my players to contenders with cap space.

San Antonio has been highly active since the draft. They shuffled their 2013 1st in with a mid lotto pick to move up to number 3, where they snagged offensive phenom Klay Thompson. The move appears to have paid off thus far, as Klay is knocking down his shots at a better than 47% clip. The team is 8-8, and not out scoring their opponents so far despite being a top offensive squad. Recent acquisition Dirk Nowitzki is a contributing factor to both sides of the equation, being a big scoring threat while offering little on the other side of the ball.

I had a chance to meet with Rip in San Antonio, and was dying to ask him how he felt about his team after their recent moves.

Would you say youre happy with the team youve put together one month into the year?

-I was until the latest sim. I had high hopes after making the trade for Dirk, and still do, but the last few games we had has left me quite deflated. Im hoping changing the rotation up a bit will be what the doctor ordered.

Does Dirk possibly falling off next year concern you, leaving you with limited cap space and no draft pick to fall back on, while also being a liability to your team for that year and maybe even a year after?

-Yeah its definitely a concern but when you have the chance to get a player as special as Dirk for such a low price you have to do it. Sure by the end of the contract it might not work out but Im just trying to capitalize on him while he still has the ability to play at a high level.

Do you have a plan of attack Incase Dirk doesnt retire and loses his effectiveness on the offensive side of the ball?

-Not quite yet. I suppose Ill cross that bridge when it comes to it, but personally I dont see his offensive production falling off THAT much where he becomes solely a liability on the roster. But if that does happen hopefully Ill have a ring to show for and then can just tear it down and rebuild afterwards.

Meanwhile, in Utah the Jazz have made a big move - sending Horford and Jeff Green to the Clippers in exchange for Deron Williams. This is one of the few teams with a winning percentage above 500, and they still have plenty of youth remaining to either flip into competitive parts or simply hold onto as a backup plan should Deron leave in Free Agency. Utah is in the middle of the pack as far as assists per game, and have been solid compared to the rest of the league at taking care of the rock as well. They have shot the ball well from inside, but lack an outside game that seems to be running the league for the most part.

Do you find that your teams outside game, or lack thereof, was a main factor in your pushing to acquire Deron Williams?

-We actually were just coming off of a 5-1 sim. PG and Lin really played well for us. Sure some teams had injuries like the Knicks, but PG outscored Melo and I think our team was really clicking. We just saw an opportunity to improve the team (we hope) and we jumped on it. We were still able to keep Lin which was huge for us as well. Gives us insurance at the PG spot in case something bad happens and gives us solid depth. Lin would be a starter on a lot of teams in this league and we are lucky enough to have him as a backup. But we are really excited to bring in Deron and see what he and Paul can do. We really think the sky will be the limit for this team with those two leading the way. We feel we were really relying hard on Paul to kinda carry all the scoring for this team, and lightening that load for him with Williams who is a known scorer will really benefit both players we feel.

How do you believe Williams and Lin will mesh? Is this a case of never having enough handles at the guard spots?

-Well Lin will be backing up Williams so we may not see them running the show together all the time, but i'm sure we'll see that some. And its more about just having two quality guys in a crucial position in the league. Williams and Lin can both shoot, dribble and even defend. They are great playmakers. So when one is off the floor we shouldn't really skip a beat and just keep the flow of the offense going. And that will be big for us. To always have a good playmaker on the court at all times to keep the offense churning. We're elated to have both of the guys to count on to run the show.

What is your plan now for guys like Flynn and Bradley?

-Bradley is our starting 2 guard. We love him. We've been very high on him ever since we watched his draft workout. He didn't see a lot of time last year as a rookie, but we knew he had star potential. Bradley is actually coming off of a 21 point game which is a new career high for him. And we expect that to not be the last time this season he sets a new career high.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Los Angeles Clippers. This is the squad that recently moved Deron Williams to acquire Al Horford and Jeff Green. They have a respectable guard in Lou Williams to fall back on, and snagged up a potential upgrade at the SF spot - which I believe either Bosh or Horford could fit into nicely for them. The Clips are just a half game back of the Kings (who want to lose) and have had some trouble holding onto the ball while also being a sub standard rebounding team for their big talent. After moving Kenyon Martin for Leandro Barbosa earlier this year, they had potential need for a swing forward and now have one of the top - if not the best - twin tower tandems in the league. Though they may not be done dealing, the Clippers have already bought my heart with their recent moves, and could be quietly poised to make big noise in the weak West.

After the move, I had to call up my guy Mexi and see what the shakedown was going forward.

Do you see Barbosa as a potential starter now that youve opened up some competition at the guard spots?

-Barbosa as a starter is something i havent actually thought about but maybe I should consider. Hes a bonafide scorer and was a main target of mine this offseason. As of now the plan is to let him come off the bench and hopefully win sixth man of the year lol.

Do you believe either Bosh or Horford will play well at SF? Or do you intend to play one at C, while pushing Splitter back into a reserve role?

-Ive been really curious about Bosh at the 3, but since I run outside I dont think he'd be good in my system. In others I think he'd be fine. I plan on keeping him at the PF slot. As for Horford, definitely no plans on making him a SF. He's going to start at Center. Last season i had Bosh backup at center and he did fine. In fact, it's when I started winning games. Once i got new centers and stopped, I spiraled out of control. Tiago is going to backup pf and c for me. I have been trying for s while to get more defensive reserves so im happy to see him in a backup role.

Was Deron a problem for your team in terms of turnovers? Do you believe Lou can perform better as a facilitator, or will you still run your point guard as a top scoring option?

-Deron's turnovers weren't really a problem. Me and Utah were actually discussing a trade for another player but as we kept talking and an offer for deron came about, I entertained it and eventually committed to the deal. Last season Lou Williams as a PG was very good. Averaged about 19/7. Im going to use him as my #1 option since I believe scoring is what he does best, but I also wanted to give him weapons. Jackson, Green, Barbosa, Mills possibly and Bosh and Horford I believe are a solid cast of weapons for Lou. My team is still a work in progress but I don't think a run in the west is out of the question.


The league is bound to see some more shakeups coming between now and the deadline, so we shall see who truly bought and who should have sold. Its bound to be an entertaining season two, so stay tuned and enjoy the rest of your respective seasons. Best of luck to you all!
 

DJT

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Good read man. Only thing is Horford can't play SF at all since he was a C on the original roster. But other than that great read.
 
Love the team specific questions opposed to having everyone answer the same question.
 

RN4L

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Yeah I wanted to get more but I also wanted to get the article up before sim 3. Couldnt wait around for people to respond especially if they didnt want to participate.

Thanks my guy!
 

DJT

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RN4L said:
Yeah I wanted to get more but I also wanted to get the article up before sim 3. Couldnt wait around for people to respond especially if they didnt want to participate.

Thanks my guy!
Yeah you mixed in enough interviews with your own insight, I thought it was a good balance.
 

RN4L

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Thanks for participating, glad you guys enjoyed the read as well since the questions didnt really give any sort of gleaning into the article I thought youd all enjoy it
 

dez

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Good ass read.. incorporating the GMs was a nice touch..

But DJT just started a Melo/PG rivalry.. im letting my youngin loose on em day 24.
 

DJT

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dez said:
Good ass read.. incorporating the GMs was a nice touch..

But DJT just started a Melo/PG rivalry.. im letting my youngin loose on em day 24.
Haha should be must see tv
 

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