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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 22, 2016 22:29:46 GMT -5
Hey guys,
Here is my prediction series on how this season is going to play out. I will give a little write up on the strengths and weaknesses of each team, where I think they will finish in their conference and why. Keep in mind this is just my opinion (so don’t take offense :) ) and that the league is very dynamic. The teams I’m basing this off of now are probably not what they will consist of in June. I’ll do my best to take into account assets (draft picks) and GM styles when doing this as well. Starting with the bottom of each conference, I will be posting each team’s paragraph between now and the start of the season! Enjoy the suspense!
WEST | EAST | 1. Seattle Supersonics | 1. New York Knicks | 2. Oklahoma City Thunder | 2. Cleveland Cavaliers | 3. Utah Jazz | 3. Indiana Pacers | 4. Memphis Grizzlies | 4. Detroit Pistons | 5. Phoenix Suns | 5. Boston Celtics | 6. New Orleans Pelicans | 6. Orlando Magic | 7. Golden State Warriors | 7. Philadelphia 76ers | 8. Houston Rockets | 8. Milwaukee Bucks | 9. Los Angeles Lakers | 9. Charlotte Hornets | 10. Sacramento Kings | 10. Brooklyn Nets | 11. Minnesota Timberwolves | 11. Miami Heat | 12. San Antonio Spurs | 12. Washington Wizards | 13. Portland Trailblazers | 13. Chicago Bulls | 14. Los Angeles Clippers | 14. Atlanta Hawks | 15. Dallas Mavericks | 15. Toronto Raptors |
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 22, 2016 22:32:09 GMT -5
Dallas Mavericks (15th): Unfortunately, someone has to occupy the bottom. This year, it’s by my prediction that the Mavs take this spot. They have suffered from having numerous front office changes throughout their 2 yr history, which has led the team down a treacherous path. Without a 2017 1st round pick, many unproven players and only three of them above 60, Dallas must pray for sunnier days ahead. Their only hope is in their young draft picks of the 2016 draft. The most notable of these rookies with the most weight on his shoulders, is also the most controversial talent of the draft, Buddy Hield. He will have to live up to the hype of his followers and silence the skeptics if this team wants to climb up a spot in the very competitive Western Conference.
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billy
Miami Heat
Posts: 7,174
Likes: 6,145
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Post by billy on Oct 22, 2016 23:43:55 GMT -5
Not a very controversial choice, lol!
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 22, 2016 23:52:09 GMT -5
Not a very controversial choice, lol! Trying to be accurate! I've got a few bold predictions coming
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 23, 2016 10:39:02 GMT -5
Toronto Raptors (15th): In at the bottom of Eastern Conference is Brian Scalabrine and his Toronto Raptors! One of the newest teams to begin their rendition of “trust the process”, the Raps absolutely detonated a once title contending team this offseason for young pieces and draft picks. Combined with a will to lose and easily the most immediately untalented roster in the league, I predict this Raptor team to give BC’s 2015-2016 Hawks a run at the worst D720 record ever! Atta be (?)! Led by Thon Maker, recently signed Meyers Leonard and a plethora of 2nd round picks from this draft class, the Raptors don’t have much to go on when facing other teams. They will be relying on an impressive rookie season from Kay Felder and a possible return of Chris Bosh if they want to sneak away with a few W’s this season. As you can see, their strengths don’t necessarily rely on their roster. A top pick in this year’s draft class, along with 6 additional 2nd round picks, is the basket where this team’s eggs lay. Hopefully your team is the first worst record team to win the lottery! So far its 4/4 (counting D420) on the opposite ;)
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Post by Brown Cobb IV on Oct 23, 2016 10:44:55 GMT -5
Darn :(
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Post by Brian Scalabrine on Oct 23, 2016 14:44:40 GMT -5
#theysleep
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 24, 2016 15:03:24 GMT -5
LA Clippers (14th): With two-time D720 MVP, Stephen Curry, on their roster, the bottom of the West is the last place you’d expect the LA Clippers to be. Yet, that is exactly where they fall in my predictions. The hottest free agent next off season truly is a one man show in Clipper nation. Backed by former parallel universe teammate Andrew Bogut, Ersan Ilyasova and veteran guard Kevin Martin, the Clips will be relying heavily on another MVP-calibre season from the Chef if they are looking to move up in the West. Age, offense (other than Curry), perimeter defense and depth all come to mind as potential weaknesses for this team, while Curry’s offense and Bogut’s defense remain the strengths. The departure of All-star PF, Kevin Love, really has left a gaping hole in this once forerunner team. To add to their shortcomings, the Clips are also without their 2017 1st. On the bright side, a Curry trade has the potential to upgrade this team’s future outlook, former top prospect in Skal Labissiere was drafted to this team this summer and the Clips will have a whopping $100 million in cap space next year. A fresh start and a completely new team looks to be on the horizon for Clippers!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 7:09:26 GMT -5
unless I'm their next GM :P
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Post by Gregg Popovich on Oct 25, 2016 14:51:21 GMT -5
unless I'm their next GM :P yeah then Clippers going to replace Dallas for 15th
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Post by John Stockton on Oct 26, 2016 13:58:18 GMT -5
omg JT ur going so slow, ur going to be revealing the top team when the finals start lol
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 26, 2016 14:24:25 GMT -5
omg JT ur going so slow, ur going to be revealing the top team when the finals start lol Busy day yesterday, will do a double post today :)
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 26, 2016 19:59:46 GMT -5
Atlanta Hawks (14th): Despite their best efforts at “beating” the Raptors for the bottom spot, I have the Atlanta Hawks finishing at in at 14th in the East. BC is a master tanker at this point and knows how to set his lineups and partake in trades that best suit a tanking direction. They have a fairly talented roster, but it is their youth, lack of upper-level talent and experience in tanking that will separate them from the other lottery teams. The Hawks would’ve have been higher in my predictions, however, having Ben Simmons injured for an extended period of time seriously deterred their chances of moving up. It will be the lack of ball handling that I predict to be their biggest shortcoming. On offense, they will be relying on star SG, Bradley Beal, to do most of the heavy lifting. Outside of him, the Hawks have unproven players such as Vaughn, Dekker and Exum that BC hopes can lessen Beal’s workload. For strengths, the Hawks have one of the deepest front-court rotations in the league. Albeit not an all-star lineup of bigs, the Hawks should be decent in interior defending and rebounding with WCS, Mejri, Ezeli, Hawes, DMo, Looney, Jones, etc…assuming they have regular/optimal minutes ;) . Like Toronto, one of their most valuable assets is in their picks. Even with the package of picks that was sent to GSW for Simmons, the Hawks have a few additional 2nds and a protected Orlando pick, as well as their own 1sts. Expect that number of picks to rise as BC attempts to move on from his offseason acquisitions.
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 26, 2016 20:02:35 GMT -5
Portland Trail Blazers (13th): In at the 13th position of the West, is Theodore Duncan and his Portland Trailblazers! With some of the most promising young talent in the D720, Portland is one of my favourite rebuilding teams from a team-composition standpoint. They have a complete, young and talented starting 5 in Noel, Porzingis, Fournier, Booker and Dunn. Assuming each of these players continues to improve, Teddy will have a strong team in no time! However, this year I expect them to be aimed more at growth (aka tanking) rather than winning. Until Booker has proven he is worthy of an upgrade, most of the offense will be assigned to Fournier. His streakiness will allow them to pull off a few wins here and there, but I project it to be not quite enough. Another unknown on this team is their defense. Particularly their interior defense, if Porzingis doesn’t return back to his ‘start of last year form’ and Noel struggles to remain healthy, stopping opposing teams in the paint will prove to be a difficulty. In addition, 3rd overall rookie PG, Kris Dunn, and maybe Fournier (?) are the only possible perimeter defenders. Booker has struggled on that end, Fournier is fairly unproven and Dunn is a rookie. It will be interesting to see how that shakes out. Despite that, Portland looks to be a high-upside team that plans to make their mark on D720 shortly!
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Post by Gregg Popovich on Oct 26, 2016 21:05:11 GMT -5
Atlanta Hawks (14th): Despite their best efforts at “beating” the Raptors for the bottom spot, I have the Atlanta Hawks finishing at in at 14th in the East. BC is a master tanker at this point and knows how to set his lineups and partake in trades that best suit a tanking direction. They have a fairly talented roster, but it is their youth, lack of upper-level talent and experience in tanking that will separate them from the other lottery teams. The Hawks would’ve have been higher in my predictions, however, having Ben Simmons injured for an extended period of time seriously deterred their chances of moving up. It will be the lack of ball handling that I predict to be their biggest shortcoming. On offense, they will be relying on star SG, Bradley Beal, to do most of the heavy lifting. Outside of him, the Hawks have unproven players such as Vaughn, Dekker and Exum that BC hopes can lessen Beal’s workload. For strengths, the Hawks have one of the deepest front-court rotations in the league. Albeit not an all-star lineup of bigs, the Hawks should be decent in interior defending and rebounding with WCS, Mejri, Ezeli, Hawes, DMo, Looney, Jones, etc…assuming they have regular/optimal minutes ;) . Like Toronto, one of their most valuable assets is in their picks. Even with the package of picks that was sent to GSW for Simmons, the Hawks have a few additional 2nds and a protected Orlando pick, as well as their own 1sts. Expect that number of picks to rise as BC attempts to move on from his offseason acquisitions. damn...i woulda kept simmons
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 26, 2016 21:07:57 GMT -5
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Post by Gregg Popovich on Oct 26, 2016 21:08:22 GMT -5
Not like I needed butler. I sold him day one
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 28, 2016 15:37:24 GMT -5
Chicago Bulls (13th): At first, Chicago was quite a surprise being a bottom team in the East from the initial simulations. The massive (and potentially horrific) Dragic contract gave the Bulls a sense of decency amongst most of the other teams. However, after further investigation, their shortcomings and reason for the simulations to not favour them have become more obvious. The Bull’s biggest weakness is defense. Both interior and perimeter defense is virtually absent. Firstly, the NBA is veering away from the post-dominant big man in favour of the more versatile, defensive counterpart. To Chicago’s dismay, they have two of the most prominent ‘old style’ bigs in the league in Monroe and Okafor. The irl Bucks and 76ers are currently dealing with this issue now. Do we keep them for their offensive prowess or trade them for pennies as they are becoming more difficult to fit into any team’s scheme? In Chicago’s case, it would seem to be in their best interest to do the latter as they have two of these players. On the perimeter, Dragic, Harris x2 and Waiters have never been great defensively…or at least good enough to cancel out their poor interior defense. Obviously, not being able to stop anyone is an issue. Furthermore, outside of their top 4-5 players, everyone else is around league average or below. The sim greatly values depth, which is lacking in an already struggling Bulls. On the plus side, the Bulls still have one of the more promising talents in Okafor from last year’s draft and an offensively versatile guard in Valentine to look forward to! When Chicago scrapes together a few wins this season, it will be due to simply having their offense be greater than their defensive weaknesses. This isn’t a promising plan of action for a team without their pick this year, but it will have to do for now. Watch for Chicago to win a few games 110-107, but lose the majority 100-120.
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 29, 2016 19:13:48 GMT -5
San Antonio Spurs (12th): Locked in at the 12th spot in the West, is David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs! Somewhat similarly to the irl Spurs, the D720 Spurs are a team comprised of veterans. They are led by the powerful Dwight Howard, recently signed (to a 5 yr $100 million contract) Al-Farouq Aminu, Joe Johnson and Ish Smith. While no All-star calibre players on rostered on the Spurs, they are a solid team with numerous contributors. The reason I have them slotted in this low is due to their offensive vulnerability and lack of ball handling. Perhaps the Spurs can perform like the irl Hawks and have no player above the 20 PPG mark, but I personally don’t see it being sufficient. Howard will be heavily relied upon for his offense this season, which isn’t always the best option. More specifically, the Spurs are greatly lacking shooting. No one on their team has the 3 pt attribute and none likely will. With the way the NBA is heading, this lack of spacing and overall firepower will be a large detriment to their competitiveness. Outside of Ish Smith and Jarett Jack, the Spurs don’t have anyone that is a true floor general to run the offense. Both Ish and Jarrett are backup PGs, so starting either is going to be another offensive weakness for this team. However, they might be able to get by with a bit secondary ball handling from “ISO Joe”, Diaw and Seth Curry. Furthermore, I predict it to be difficult for David to find trading partners to fix these issues because many of these veterans are on lengthy and lucrative contracts. Luckily, what separates this team from truly being a bottom team is their depth and defense. Mr. Robinson spent a metric-shit-tonne of cash this offseason bolstering his roster with solid defensive players like Mahimni and Aminu, and veteran, 50s rated guys like Ajinca, Lee and Anderson to come off the bench. Watch for the Spurs to come back from deficits when the starters are off the court and cause a lot of low scoring games. On the opposite end spectrum to the Bulls, I see them winning a few games 86-84 but losing the majority 96-82.
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Post by Gregg Popovich on Oct 31, 2016 11:32:42 GMT -5
We want predictions! We want predictions! We want predictions!
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Oct 31, 2016 17:17:12 GMT -5
Washington Wizards (12th): Another promising young team in the fold for a solid pick and projected at 12th in the East, is the Washington Wizards! After a few attempts at trading away their 2nd overall pick in 2016, the Wizards have wound up with a roster comprised up of 8/15 players still on their rookie contracts. In addition, they possess the Clippers 1st, which is currently one of the more valuable picks for the 2017 draft. Definitely a nice position to be in! On the negative side and with the possible exclusion of Capela, most of these rookie contract players aren’t necessarily viewed as high upside players, or even starters for that matter. Majority of them still have a lot of proving to do at the NBA level before Washington can truly be seen as the next young, talented team of D720. Another weakness to this team is their lack of shooting. None of Pete’s dudes with an impactful rating are capable 3PT shooters yet. As mentioned with the Spur’s season prediction, outside shooting is an almost necessity in today’s NBA and is a big offensive weakness that I predict to cost them many games. They are also without a true starting calibre PG. As of now, Cory Joseph (more of a backup PG at this point), is locked in for the starting position, which will inhibit the Wizards from taking the next step as being competitive in their conference. One of their better strengths is in their big men. Capela, Chandler, Allen, Aldrich, Wright and Kaminsky is a solid front court rotation. While some of these guys are topped out in terms of potential, Capela and Kaminsky are the most promising of these players. This year will be a crucial year for Pete and the Wizard’s organization to see if Capela is their answer to the future of the starting C role. I personally predict Capela to be a sufficient enough athlete and rebounder to be their C for the future, despite his poor offensive game. This then leads into my next point…I predict the Wizards to be better than they should be. What I mean by that is I think that collectively they will perform better than their ratings or players would suggest. Having Chandler for possibly the next 3 yrs at that contract (eek!), as well as other solid players like Joseph, Capela and Wright, the Wizards will find it tough to be a bottom 5 team, even though they probably should be. While Pete got a decent return to take on Chandler’s contract, he will have to be content with the wins Chandler will bring now, which his team may not necessarily want.
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Pete Maravich
Washington Wizards
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 772
Total Bank: 55,000
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Post by Pete Maravich on Nov 1, 2016 12:00:09 GMT -5
Spot on JT. Very interesting thread.
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Reggie Miller
Indiana Pacers
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 627
Total Bank: 6,000
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Post by Reggie Miller on Nov 4, 2016 8:04:02 GMT -5
we want more
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Nov 4, 2016 8:18:52 GMT -5
Will post today! Been a busy few days but I have a week off school now so expect them to be regular!
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Nov 4, 2016 15:22:24 GMT -5
Minnesota Timberwolves (11th): In at the 11th slot in the West is Milt Newton and his Minnesota Timberwolves! Led by the charismatic DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Kenneth Faried and Lou Williams, the Timberwolves are a solid but head-scratching team. Last year, the Timberwolves finished a disappointing season at 20th in the league and 10th in the West. I predict them to be right around that range once again (or one spot below to be exact). Some of the biggest reasons for this is injuries and lack of depth. Beginning with injuries, Tyreke looks to be out for an extended period of time this season. Being the 2nd highest rated player on the team and a key component of the offense, this loss that the Twolves are starting the season with will be a big one. Also, recently signed Nikola Pekovic has been diagnosed with a broken foot and will miss the entire season. Not really an injury per se, but Norris Cole has signed a contract with a team in China (not sure if that means he’s ineligible in D720?). Furthermore, Marcus Smart hasn’t played more than 67 games in his career, the Manimal has recently been struggling with injuries and Greivis Vasquez only played 23 games last year. If the Timberwolves strike out in injury luck again this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if they fell even a bit lower than their projection. One of the Wolves’ biggest depth weakness is in the PG spot. Currently, defensive beast but offensively limited, Marcus Smart, is the starting PG. If he is your primary ball handler, the offense will surely suffer. Perhaps he can show some improvement, or Vasquez and Lou can lessen the load, but this is a fairly gaping hole in Milt’s lineup. Outside the starting 5 (Boogie, Porter Jr., Lou, Smart and Faired), the Wolves have no one currently healthy that is above a 60 rating. That is over half off the roster all below a 60! However, the Wolves have two solid ‘fallbacks’ that they can rely on, in Cousins and perimeter defense, to get their share of W’s. As all of you know, Cousins is one of the most dominant big men in the game. He has the talent to single handedly win you a few games. Most teams will find it difficult to find a matchup to stop the man. And as mentioned before, Smart is a great defender, and paired with Winslow and Porter Jr., the Wolves have the potential to shut some teams down through positions 1-3. Look for the Wolves be a respectable team throughout the year, always remaining close, but tailing off as the season progresses and the injuries pile up.
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Nov 7, 2016 16:44:32 GMT -5
Miami Heat (11th): Coming in at 11th in the East is Kylo Ren and his Miami Heat! This is a team that is somewhere between a competitive season and a tank. They have a few interesting young players such as Schroder, Portis and McLemore, but also have some older and more competitive oriented players like Iguodala and Gallinari. Over the offseason, the Heat acquired Schroder, Henson and various draft picks for their All-Star SG, Klay Thompson. I really liked this trade for the Heat, but I think that it may not have turned the Heat into as strong of a tanking team as Kylo may have thought. While trading away any 70+ rated player will surely cost you wins, getting a promising PG already at a 64 and a strong defensive big in Henson, the difference isn’t all that great, which I predict to land them in this awkward zone. This, combined with Andre and Gallo’s presence, will simultaneously keep them out of a top pick and playoff contention. Some of the Heat’s weaknesses that opposing teams will be looking to exploit are the lack of a starting quality SG and a real star. In the wake of the Klay Thompson trade, the Heat will be running Ben McLemore at the starting 2 position. He has yet to prove he can be anything more than a bench player and even the irl Kings seem to think the same. Furthermore, until Schroder takes the next step in his development, the Heat have no star that they can rely on, night in and night out, to simply get buckets. Gallo is good, but not great, Henson has the tools but doesn’t seem like he’ll put it together, Andre is out of his prime and McLemore is well...McLemore. With Schroder getting the starting job in irl Atlanta, this will be a crucial year for the Heat to see if their star is in the ‘Golden Patch’. If not, the Heat managed to get 2 unprotected 1sts from the Lakers in the Klay trade, as well as all of their own picks which have the potential to turn out great. Watch for the Heat to struggle to put it together this season, but steal some wins when you’re not paying attention.
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Post by Gregg Popovich on Nov 7, 2016 18:07:23 GMT -5
Kylo might kill you for this. He deserves #1
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Nov 10, 2016 1:25:21 GMT -5
Sacramento Kings (10th): Locked in at 10th in the West are the Sacramento Kings and one of the newest GMs to 720, Baron Davis. With veterans leading the way, younger guys improving and rookies behind, I predict the Kings to land in this awkward zone in the West. George Hill, Taj Gibson, Amir Johnson and Deron Williams are all solid contributors on any team. They will be taking the bulk of the starting minutes, leading the team in most statistical categories and be the focal points to their success this season. Just behind them are improving, younger players like Solomon Hill, Tim Frazier and TJ Warren. If all goes according to plan and these three players make the most of their current irl situations (all three are currently starting for their respective teams), the Kings could have 3 additional players bumped into the 60’s. Next, the Kings have two promising rookies from this draft class in Jaylen Brown and Marquese Chriss. Both are slated to have meaningful roles this season and have the potential to prove effective this season. Personally, I am most excited about Chriss’ potential and see him carving out a role in today's NBA. The insane athleticism, combined with a respectful shot at his size is dangerous. Similar to the Miami Heat, the Kings are without a star. Perhaps that role could be filled in time with Chriss or Brown, but for now they have no one above a 66. In a superstar driven league, having a star to rely on and build around is crucial. Without that, the Kings will require a full team effort each night if they want to win consistently. Furthermore, they are in a bit of a puzzling positional predicament. The Kings will likely start two traditional PGs, two PFs and a C. While Hill is a great off-ball player and will be fine spotting up playing the 2, having Gibson and Johnson together in addition to Asik is where the issues arise. Any teams with a threatening SF will have their way against the Kings, as Taj or Amir are likely too slow to guard these types of wings. A player like Paul George or any of Seattle’s big 3 will be in a primed position to fully take advantage of this mismatch. However, I have seen some lineups in the sim that have had success playing big, so maybe there’s a chance for Baron to sneak a few unexpected wins. With Baron Davis’ uninterest in undertaking a full fledged tank, watch for the Kings to make some moves this season and possibly outperform the prediction of 10th in the West. If luck is on their side, the Kings could join the teams slotted in above them for competition for the 8th seed.
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Nov 11, 2016 0:31:47 GMT -5
Brooklyn Nets (10th): The Brooklyn Nets are a team that has only seen the bottom of the league throughout D720’s history, but I predict this year to finally be the year of a slow ascent out. With a team almost entirely comprised of rookie contracts and run by possibly the most idle GM, the Nets will once again rely solely on the stock-watches and improvements of their players. Of the players with the potential to receive a noticeable improvement in their ratings are D’Angelo Russell and Joel Embiid. I wouldn’t be surprised if both finished the year with a rating of 65 or higher. The bump in ratings of these two, combined with the 3 and D play by KCP and the scoring ability in Wiggins, makes for a scary young core that could do well even this season. However, this potential doesn’t necessarily equate to wins in the sim. If Embiid suffers another injury or Russell and Wiggins don’t take that next step in their development, the Nets could be in for another season of stagnation. Whether to his benefit or demise, this dormancy likely won’t change Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Because of this lack of action, I predict the Nets to have promising pieces, but never be able to make that next step. Specifically this year, the Nets have the potential to make the playoffs in the East, but I don’t see them making the necessary moves to accomplish that. Even with a SW on Russell and Embiid, the Nets will be ‘missing something’. Also, once their starting players are off the court, opposing teams will be looking to take full advantage of a lackluster bench. The Nets will be relying on Jeremy Lamb and Tony Snell to stop anyone, as well as TRoss’ streaky scoring to get any kind of offense. When the Nets win this year, it will be because of strong nights from Wiggins, Embiid and/or Russell. If they go cold and into a scoring slump, the Nets could find themselves in a detrimental losing streak. Kareem and his team take a slight edge over Miami due to their higher upside players, as well as having a starting 5 all above 60. Watch for the Nets to start out slow, ride the hot streaks of their players but finish strong.
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Post by Justin Timberlake on Nov 12, 2016 15:49:22 GMT -5
LA Lakers (9th): Next in my season predictions, and just barely missing the playoffs is Blake Bowman and the Los Angeles Lakers! Led by Eric ‘Mini LeBron’ Bledsoe, Klay Thompson, Andre Drummond and Nikola ‘Vucci Mane’ Vucevic, the Lakers are not a team to be taken lightly. This team has great potential, however, from a composition standpoint, it is lacking cohesion. The incohesiveness stems from their shortage of positional variance. Specifically in the frontcourt, the Lakers are inept in spacing by playing two traditional C’s together. While Vuc has a decent mid-range game, neither player can extend out to the 3PT line, an extremely useful dimension in a modern NBA offense. Furthermore, both centers are great rebounders. Having them play together causes them to suffocate each other, resulting in neither reaching their full rebounding potential. Defensively, having the two together also hinders their potential. Drummond is the most athletic of the two, resulting in him guarding the typically quicker PF’s of opposing teams, leaving the least defensive of the two (Vuc) to be in charge of interior defense. Neither are in an optimal situation and it's too bad Blake didn’t allow Andre to spread his wings this RFA in Phoenix :(. Perhaps the sim doesn’t work exactly like that, but each year the Lakers disappoint and I think that is a big reason why. Next is their interesting backcourt. To me, they are missing a SF. While Klay can and likely will play there, I think once again the Lakers are squishing players into positions that will produce suboptimal results. Klay is also off to a cold start to the year. If this trend continues, the Laker’s star and only 70+ rated player could get reduced. While I’m not a believer in the argument that players should be reduced because of another star joining their team (resulting in less shots, lower usage and thus lower stats), Klay is simply struggling. So far this season, he is only taking 1 less shot per game and his usage has gone down by 2.7% with the addition of Durant. Yet, for a sharp shooter such as himself, he is shooting an abysmal 28.1% from downtown. For the Lakers sake, I hope this is only a shooting slump and we should see it go back to his career numbers (over 40%) in a few weeks. Then the Lakers will have to decide on who to start at the 1 and 2 between three PGs. A backcourt combo of Lin and Bledsoe seems to make the most sense as Lin and Kemba irl meshed well. This leaves out veteran PG, Tony Parker to play the backup role, which seems logical as he continues to regress (possibly another SW candidate?). Now that we’re out of the big names on the Lakers, the talent level steeply drops off. This lack of depth outside of the top 7 guys was the deciding factor for me in placing the Lakers below the two teams slotted above. If there is another injury (like last year to Bledsoe), the Lakers will truly suffer. However, if they make the right moves to maximize their roster, I think the Lakers will easily surpass this prediction. Placing them somewhere between those two scenarios seemed logical. Watch for the Lakers to hover just below .500 with the potential for much more. Congrats to the remaining Western Conference teams, you’re predicted to make the playoffs (if that means anything?)!!
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