Free Agent Fan Needs Help Picking Team
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 6:01 pm
I need your help in deciding on a favorite NBA team. I have been a huge basketball fan all of my life. I have never had a hometown team growing up in Buffalo, NY. I used to root against the Bulls when I was a kid because they were so dominant. I like underdogs because I am a Bills and Sabres fan. I don’t want to be bandwagon so I am disqualifying all teams that have won a championship in my lifetime. I have narrowed it down to Minnesota, LA Clippers, Golden State, New Jersey, Dallas, OKC, and Toronto, These are the criteria I am considering when deciding on a team I will follow for the rest of my life
1. Location: I want to be able to watch the team that I choose. Toronto is a short drive into Canada so the Raptors get points there. However, I can watch all Nets and Knicks games on YES and MSG respectively, and I plan on moving to NYC in about a year. I also plan on moving to LA eventually (5+ years from now) but of course that could change. So the Clippers are in the mix and get extra points for being the former Buffalo Braves.
2. Future Outlook: As long as I have the power to choose I might as well pick a team headed in the right direction. Again, I would prefer to not be bandwagon, so a young team with a lot of potential is preferred over an older current contender. The Clippers get points for their core of Griffin/Gorgon and Minnesota’s 2012 unprotected draft pick. I’m also a Syracuse fan so if the Nets get Carmelo without giving up too much they will get major points.
3. Owner/GM: This is part of the future outlook, but a team like the Clippers loses points here for obvious reasons. Good owners get more points than a good GM because they are more permanent.
A few notes on each potential team:
Minnesota
Pros: Kevin Love (huge fan of him since HS), Jonny Flynn and Wes Johnson (‘Cuse fan even though they may be busts) Rubio(maybe?)
Cons: Don’t like most moves their GM has made and their location doesn’t get them any points. Don’t have their 2012 draft pick (Clippers unprotected) and it should be a very deep draft considering the potential lockout.
LA Clippers
Pros: Griffin, Gordon, Davis’ very recent resurgence, the aforementioned Min. 2012 unprotected pick. Location. Former Buffalo Braves
Cons: It’s the Clippers, Donald Sterling. Bills, Sabres, Clippers combination might kill me in the long run.
Oklahoma City
Pros: Durant (been a huge fan since college), already a contender, Good GM.
Cons: Location, Don’t like team nickname, colors, or that they left Seattle the way they did.
Golden State
Pros: Stephen Curry, location gets some points; I like the team nickname, great fans
Cons: new unproven ownership/GM
Nets
Pros: With or Without Carmelo I like the roster going forward (if they don’t give up too much for him), Owner (even though he’s unproven), Location, move to Brooklyn would be a plus, TV availability (YES network)
Cons: Carmelo deal could handcuff building of team. Billy King. New Owner might not be as good as he seems. Lopez’s slump might be permanent.
Dallas
Pros: Already a contender, Cuban will keep them competitive; Dirk probably has a few good years left in him considering his style of play
Cons: Location, since I don’t see myself living near Dallas anytime soon.
Toronto
Pros: Location (nearby currently), They’re fairly new so I haven’t missed as much of their history. Great fans
Cons: Location (they’re Canadian and hard to catch on TV), Ownership is cheap, GM Colangelo has made some bad moves in Toronto since helping build Suns.
Thank you for any input. I don't expect fans of these teams to care about adding one more loyal fan, but I thought it could be an interesting discussion while helping to make my decision.
1. Location: I want to be able to watch the team that I choose. Toronto is a short drive into Canada so the Raptors get points there. However, I can watch all Nets and Knicks games on YES and MSG respectively, and I plan on moving to NYC in about a year. I also plan on moving to LA eventually (5+ years from now) but of course that could change. So the Clippers are in the mix and get extra points for being the former Buffalo Braves.
2. Future Outlook: As long as I have the power to choose I might as well pick a team headed in the right direction. Again, I would prefer to not be bandwagon, so a young team with a lot of potential is preferred over an older current contender. The Clippers get points for their core of Griffin/Gorgon and Minnesota’s 2012 unprotected draft pick. I’m also a Syracuse fan so if the Nets get Carmelo without giving up too much they will get major points.
3. Owner/GM: This is part of the future outlook, but a team like the Clippers loses points here for obvious reasons. Good owners get more points than a good GM because they are more permanent.
A few notes on each potential team:
Minnesota
Pros: Kevin Love (huge fan of him since HS), Jonny Flynn and Wes Johnson (‘Cuse fan even though they may be busts) Rubio(maybe?)
Cons: Don’t like most moves their GM has made and their location doesn’t get them any points. Don’t have their 2012 draft pick (Clippers unprotected) and it should be a very deep draft considering the potential lockout.
LA Clippers
Pros: Griffin, Gordon, Davis’ very recent resurgence, the aforementioned Min. 2012 unprotected pick. Location. Former Buffalo Braves
Cons: It’s the Clippers, Donald Sterling. Bills, Sabres, Clippers combination might kill me in the long run.
Oklahoma City
Pros: Durant (been a huge fan since college), already a contender, Good GM.
Cons: Location, Don’t like team nickname, colors, or that they left Seattle the way they did.
Golden State
Pros: Stephen Curry, location gets some points; I like the team nickname, great fans
Cons: new unproven ownership/GM
Nets
Pros: With or Without Carmelo I like the roster going forward (if they don’t give up too much for him), Owner (even though he’s unproven), Location, move to Brooklyn would be a plus, TV availability (YES network)
Cons: Carmelo deal could handcuff building of team. Billy King. New Owner might not be as good as he seems. Lopez’s slump might be permanent.
Dallas
Pros: Already a contender, Cuban will keep them competitive; Dirk probably has a few good years left in him considering his style of play
Cons: Location, since I don’t see myself living near Dallas anytime soon.
Toronto
Pros: Location (nearby currently), They’re fairly new so I haven’t missed as much of their history. Great fans
Cons: Location (they’re Canadian and hard to catch on TV), Ownership is cheap, GM Colangelo has made some bad moves in Toronto since helping build Suns.
Thank you for any input. I don't expect fans of these teams to care about adding one more loyal fan, but I thought it could be an interesting discussion while helping to make my decision.