GM a TEAM 11/12 - WRITE UPS - 48 hours... go!

[babyjax13]

PHILOSOPHY

The Indiana Pacers were a team that severely lacked a direction, straddling the line between developing young players and giving playing time to older players. I decided immediatly that the future success of the Pacers was predicated on Roy Hibbert and Paul George. Hibbert is already one of the most tantalizing big man prospects in the league, and with our time line would be entering his prime during the 2012-13 seasion. He already averages 13/7/1/2 as a two year pro in a low amount of minutes. It is reasonable to think that someone who is 7-2 and mobile could become an absolute monster by the time they entered their prime, and that's exactly what I think Hibbert will be.

Paul George is also one of the most touted prospects in all of basketball, and from watching him play in college and on the Pacers I am entirely convinced that he will be a star quality player. I think that his career production will easily reach that of a guy like Rudy Gay, and most likely exceed it.

I was also able to add three players that are a two years older than Hibbert (Ellis, Wright and Millsap) and all very talented. Consider that I traded Danny Granger, Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough to add Ellis, Millsap and Wright (all upgrades in talent)...especially when it was apparent that Collison didn't fit into an offense that didn't rely on the P&R. I think that it would be almost unanimous on this board to say that Ellis>Granger, Millsap>Collison and Wright>Hansbrough. Not to mention that I have the aforementioned George and Hibbert developing next to them and entering their primes as Paul and Ellis are in the middle of theirs.

I was also able to retain an extremely talented bench with Kwame Brown, Mike Dunleavy and Dorrel Wright. I think that with the way my rotation is set up I have the perfect balance of offense and defense from the starters and the bench.

On the non-personel side I wanted to ensure that my team consistently reloaded with good players. In that vein I am set up for a huge amount of cap space in the 2013 offseason and have a likely lottery pick in that same year (Golden State).

ROTATION

Eric Maynor 26/Monta Ellis 14/AJ Price 8
Monta Ellis 20/Dorrel Wright 28
Paul George 34/Mike Dunleavy 14
Paul Millsap 32/Hakim Warrick 16
Roy Hibbert 32/Kwame Brown 16

SALARIES



TRANSACTIONS

Brandon Rush/2013 IND 1st for Andray Blatche
Danny Granger/Lance Stephenson FOR Dorrel Wright/Klay Thompson/Ryan Gomes/Charlie Bell/2013 GS 1st
Tyler Hansbrough/George Hill/2012 IND 1st (top 5 protected) for Paul Millsap/Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich for Craig Smith/Randy Foye/Eric Bledsoe
Andray Blatche/James Posey/Randy Foye/Klay Thompson/Eric Bledsoe/2012 IND 2nd for Kevin Martin/Hakim Warrick/Luke Walton
Kevin Martin/Darren Collison for Monta Ellis/Eric Maynor

ROSTER BREAKDOWN

Eric Maynor/Monta Ellis/AJ Price < Darren Collison/AJ Price

This is a position that needs to be addressed a bit depending on Maynor's progress. I feel that he is a legitimate starter even at this point in his career and has the potential to become a DJ Augustin type point guard, which really isn't that much of a decline from what Collison was offering.

Monta Ellis/Dorrel Wright >> Paul George/Mike Dunleavy

At this position I raided the Golden State Warrior's wing rotation which is one of the best scoring units in basketball. Both players are young, great scorers, and in the case of Wright, great defenders (and contrary to popular belief, Ellis is pretty dang good as well).

Paul George/Mike Dunleavy <= Danny Granger/Paul George

The good thing here is that I got George the minutes he needs to become a star player and left him with a serviceable backup. Depending on George's development and Granger's decline, this position could very well be improved from 2011-12.

Paul Millsap/Hakim Warrick >>> Tyler Hansbrough/Josh McRoberts

This was a huge area of need addressed with minimum outlay (traded Hansbrough for Millsap), and all the players are the same age.

Roy Hibbert/Kwame Brown > Roy Hibbert/Josh McRoberts

Hibbert will be something special at this point in his career, so I think just that improvement should bolster my team pretty well.

PICKS

2013: GS 1st, IND 2nd
All future picks

[Crispy]

Rights
Vernon Macklin

Draft Picks
2013: WAS 2nd, POR 2nd
2014: WAS 2nd, POR 2nd, MIA 2nd
2015: WAS 1st, WAS 2nd

Depth Chart
C - Dwight Howard / Brad Miller / Semih Erden
PF - Taj Gibson / Ersan Ilyasova / Anthony Tolliver
SF - Gerald Wallace / Bill Walker
SG - Richard Hamilton / Brandon Rush / Maurice Evans
PG - Chris Paul / Gilbert Arenas

Rotation
C - Dwight Howard (36) / Brad Miller (12)
PF - Taj Gibson (30) / Ersan Ilyasova (18)
SF - Gerald Wallace (36) / Brandon Rush (12)
SG - Richard Hamilton (30) / Brandon Rush (18)
PG - Chris Paul (36) / Gilbert Arenas (12)

What I started with - I had John Wall, who I admit is a great trade piece. JaVale McGee, Nick Young, Jan Vesely, Andray Blatche, Jordan Crawford etc etc, who are all very nice young players. Had all my future picks. I also had Rashard Lewis' huge contract, which I thought would really hold me back. So basically I had some solid young pieces to work with, but either way, I knew it was going to be very difficult to make a team as good as LAL, MIA, CHI, OKC etc.

Overall - I don't have much time for a huge writeup, but basically, I took a rebuilding team that hasn't been a real contender in years and made it a top 3 team in the league. I'm confident that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard is the best duo in the game. The best part about it is, both of these players have 6+ more prime years, so this gives us a very wide championship window. Players like Richard Hamilton, Gerald Wallace, Taj Gibson, Brandon Rush make an excellent surrounding core. Wallace, Gibson, and Rush excel at defense, which makes my team probably the best defensive team in the league as well.

Picks - I don't have a 1st rounder till 2015, but I have several 2nd rounders each upcoming year. It's actually good that we won't have guaranteed rookie deals since we are a contending team with a high payroll.

Payroll - Yes the payroll is high, but Arenas only has 2 years left on his deal, so once he is off the books, our payroll will be much less hectic. Besides, anyone that wanted to make a team like the Wizards become a contender, they were going to have to prepare to spend.

Future - CP3 is 26, D12 is 25, so there will be many, many years of contending. Gibson, Wallace, and Rush are all under 30 as well.

Why I should win - I took a team that was one of the worst in the league and made it one of the best in the league. Nuff said.

[JoebobLollipop]

The Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler $943,100 $1,008,900
Kobe Bryant $27,849,149 $30,453,000
Raymond Felton $6,200,000 $6,800,000
Eric Bledsoe $1,707,720 $2,626,473
Jason Thompson $12,000,000 $12,960,000
Al Jefferson $15,000,000
WIlson Chandler $8,563,000 $9,377,500
Shelden Williams $1,106,941
Patrick Patterson $1,959, 960 $2,096,760
Steve Novak $1,399,507
Bismack Biyombo $2,584,900 / $2,765,200
Austin Daye $2,958,077 / $4,135,391


Total $82,771,904 $72,223,224
Committed $82,771,904 $65,322,633

Key:
Team Option
Qualifying Offer

Rotation:
Felton(30)/Bledsoe(18)
Bryant(34)/Felton(6)/Butler(8)
Chandler(36)/Daye(12)
Jefferson(36/Patterson(12)
Thompson(34)/Biyombo(14)

Assets:

Rights:
Rights to Vladimir Veremeenko

Drafit Picks:
Own:
CHA 2013 1st(protected)
OKC 2013 1st
WAS 2013 1st
NOH 2013 1st
2014 1st
2014 PHI 1st(Lottery protected)

Owe:
2013 1st to NYK
2012 2nd to LAL
2013 2nd to PHX
2014 and 2016 2nd to PHI

Transactions:
1. Rose for Westbrook, Ibaka, 2012 2nd, 2013 1st
2. Boozer for Batum and Camby
3. Gibson and Deng for N. Young, Vesley, 2012 2nd, 2013 1st
4. Ibaka, Camby, Brewer, 2014 and 2016 2nd for T. Young, Speights, Allen, Brackins, and the 2012 and 2014 1st
5. Thad Young, Terrence Jones, Nikola Mirotic for Austin Rivers, David Lighty, and James Johnson
6. Nicholas Batum for Rodrigue Beaubois and Patrick Patterson
7. Beaubois,Henson, Westbrook, Blair, 2013 1st for Stoudemire, Villanuva, Felton
8. Stoudemire,Asik for Tony Parker, Ray Allen, Carlos Boozer
9. Ray Allen, Jan Vesley, Austin Rivers, Tony Parker for Kobe Bryant, Eric Bledsoe, Quincy Miller, 2013 NOH 1st
10. Carlos Boozer for Jason Thompson and Josh Childress
11. Josh Childress, Joakim Noah, Brian Cardinal for Al Jefferson and Wilson Chandler
12. Quincy Miller,Brian Scalabrine, 2013 2nd for Bismack Biyombo, Austin Daye

Small Ball Lineup:
PG: Bledsoe
SG: Felton
SF: Kobe
PF: Chandler
C: Biyombo

Big Lineup:
PG: Kobe
SG: Chandler
SF: Patterson
PF: Jefferson
C: Thompson

Original Lineup:
PG: Rose/Watson
SG: Bogans/Korver
SF: Deng
PF: Boozer/Gibson
C: Noah/Asik

PG: Rose/Watson=Felton/Bledsoe: This is seems a long shot in terms of talent as Felton, although a very good point guard, lacks the star power of Rose. However, comparing them salary wise, Rose makes 2.5 times what Felton makes. This and my backup in Bledsoe, who is a good young prospect with great potential, makes the PG position equal.

SG: Bogans/Korver<<<<<<<<Kobe/Butler: This competition is not even close. ALthough Kobe is 34 and will be making quite a lot of money, he's still a superstar and guaranteed HOFer. When you compare his accomplishments to Bogans and Korver, it is clear how much I improved this position.

SF: Deng<Chandler/Daye: While Deng may appear the better player, Chandler is younger, payed less, and more versatile in that he can guard three positions. He also showed his potential in NY to be an elite rebounder and also blocked a lot of shots. Daye is also a great outside shooter, and with his size, he spreads the floor well.

PF: Carlos Boozer/Taj Gibson<<Al Jefferson/Patrick Patterson: Boozer appeared lost in the postseason and is possibly the worst the post defender in the NBA. Jefferson scores more, rebounds better, and also blocks a few shots. Patterson is also a backup with great potential.

C: Noah/Asik=Thompson/Biyombo: Thompson showed great potential in SAC and while he is overpaid a little, he fits in great with my team at center. Biyombo is a great backup, with enormous potential, as he could be the next Ben Wallace.

Conclusion: I feel like improved my team at almost very position, and also planned very well for the future. With players like Bledsoe, Daye, Chandler, Thompson, Patterson, Biyombo and also three 2013 picks, I am set for years to come. Offense wise, this team will revolve mainly around Kobe and Jefferson. I also could go fast pace as most of my players are very athletic and well-suited for that kind of game.

[RR9]

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Player 2012/13 /// 2013/14 /// 2014/15

Tony Parker $12,500,000///$12,500,000///$12,500,000///$12,500,000
Ray Allen $10,000,000///$10,000,000
Austin Rivers $2,900,100 ///$3,117,600///$3,335,100
Delonte West $2,160,000
Shawn Marion $8,396,394///$9,066,796
Tracy McGrady $2,400,000///$2,400,000
Kevin Garnett $8,000,000 /// $8,500,000 /// $9,000,000
John Salmons $8,083,000///$7,583,000///$7,000,000
Marcus Camby $6,800,000///$7,344,000
DeWayne Dedmon $473,604 /// min Q0
Mehemet Okur $854,389
Sasha Vujacic $854,389
Leon Powe $854,389

Total Salaries: $64,276,265

Blue - Team Option /// Green - Player Option
Red - Qualifying Offer /// Asterisk - Not On Roster
Grey - Unguaranteed /// Mauve - Early Termination

Depth Chart

PG -Parker/Rivers/West
SG - Allen/Salmons/(West)/Vujacic
SF - Marion/Salmons/TMac
PF - Garnett/(Marion)/Powe
C - Camby/Okur/Dedmon

Picks

2013 - Atlanta 1st / 2nd / Toronto 2nd / Phoenix 2nd / Memphis 2nd
2014 - 2nd

I came in during the middle of this game, but have come a long ways since.


RR9's Theorem:

(TP+RAY)*MATRIX^(KG) + CAMBYMAN = O'BRIEN

PROOF:

This was my transformation (legend: 'before rotation' ==> 'current rotation'):

PG: John Wall/Eric Bledsoe/Sebastian Telfair ==> Tony Parker/Austin Rivers/Delonte West
SG: Klay Thompson/Daequan Cook/Randy Foye ==> Ray Allen/John Salmons/Sasha Vujacic
SF: Terrence Williams /Quincy Pondexter/James Posey ==> Shawn Marion/(John Salmons)/Tracy McGrady
PF: Amir Johnson/ Derek Caracter/Patrick Ewing Jr. ==> Kevin Garnett/(Shawn Marion)/Leon Powe
C: Andray Blatche /Alexis Ajinca /Mehemet Okur ==> Marcus Camby/Mehemet Okur/DeWayne Dedmon

PG: I have Tony Parker, who is just barely past the peak of his prime and has 3 championships under the belt. He has plenty of offensive prowess and knows something about defense from winning championships. He complements this roster as a point guard perfectly with the balance of scoring as well as passing to capable shooters in Allen and Salmons. His backups Austin Rivers (potential Stephen Curry IMO if not better) and Delonte West will keep him healthy and rested by taking some minutes because they can run the point very well as backups.

SG: Ray Allen may be 39 at this point, but his incredible discipline of eating the same healthy meal everyday and exercising to stay in the best shape he can for his age (maybe even better shape than some younger than him!) makes him one of the best veteran shooting guards in the game. He's got the 3 point record. His percentages in 2011 were spectacular and would barely drop off because of how hard he works to stay in shape and keep that perfect shooting stroke! He also has a championship under his belt and knows what it takes to win on the defensive end (working w/ KG). His backups John Salmons and Sasha Vujacic (also has a championship as KOBE's backup on the Lakers) are worthy second unit 2's. Salmons can shoot the ball, esp with Ray's guidance I think he will have better shot selection. Sasha can produce off the bench because he gets in your face - like Anderson Verajao type. Salmons used to start on the Bulls, so he knows what expectations are as a starter - he can certainly produce off the bench!

SF: Marion gave Gerald Wallace, Kevin Durant, and Lebron James plenty of trouble on defense in 2011 Playoffs. He also knows how to shoot, play off the ball, and post up well. This versatility in our starting SF/backup PF is a huge fortune for us. Oh yeah, he also just won a championship with the Mavericks, so he knows a little something about what it takes to get there. Many think Barea was a big X-factor in the playoffs, yes, but I also think Shawn Marion was the 2nd biggest one coming off the bench (and taking most of the minutes at the 3). He's got that hunger to win - you can see it in his hustle play and boldness in the shots (iffy form, yes) that he takes! His backup Tracy was one of the best, and now can keep up with the NBA as we can see. Sure, not at the superstar level he used to, but he can keep up with backup units! His veteran experience in the game fits in nicely with our championship experience.

PF: KG. The Big Ticket has won so many awards and a championship - because he's a great leader, particularly on the defensive end. Oh, he won an MVP so he's not too shabby on the offensive end. He's OLD for sure, but we all saw him bounce back when Rondo left that Miami Heat game with a dislocated elbow. He still can go nuts in the post, and his jump shot competes with top tier PFs for SURE (ya all except Dirk haha). His emotional leadership is perfect for our championship-now mentality. Pairing him with our center Camby should be a defensive nightmare in the front court - we all know how vital a good front court is on championship team. Marion should provide nice backup minutes and Powe's hustle is just great energy for the team!

C: Camby's old, but he blocks so many shots per game, and rebounds super well. He's one of those players who play his role (not including scoring) to a T! That is the exact kind of center we like to pair with the offensive fire power we already have in Parker, Ray, and KG. His backups Mehemet, who shows monstrous games every now and then and can stretch the floor w/ his 3pt shooting, and DeWayne, will be great size to supplement Camby. DeWayne is a legit SEVEN footer. He's a little heavy, but if he trains with the likes of KG and co, he will get into shape and his size will help us dominate the post. We love his potential and immediate impact at the same time. We imagine on defense, he has Perkins-like ability to just throw that weight around, which should be easy if you have it and Dedmon's 255 pounds are no joke!

Overall: I think my team's really progressed a long way and I aimed to have that championship/veteran experience to supplement each other. My 1-thru-4 position starters have all savored the O'brien and were crucial elements on their respective teams when they won it. Together, even past their primes but still playing at the high level they are, they can win it again! Parker's ability to penetrate will match concomitantly Ray's outside shooting. Marion can definitely hit that open 3 as well. KG and Camby will be nightmares on the boards on BOTH ends of the floor. KG's post game and ability to pass will put Camby's finishing ability to use very nicely.

QED.

[TMACFORMVP]

PG - Deron Williams - $18,600,000 ||| $20,553,000 ||| $22,506,000
SG - Tony Allen - $3,300,000 |||
SF - Caron Butler - $8,000,000 ||| 8,000,000 ||| 8,000,000
PF - Chris Bosh - $17,545,000 ||| $19,067,500 ||| $20,590,000
Cc - Andrew Bynum - $16,100,000 |||



Nate Robinson - $854,389
Shawne Williams - $854,389
Antonio McDyess - $854,389
Jonas Jerebko - $5,000,0000 ||| $5,000,000
Klay Thompson - $2,357,400 |||
Trevor Ariza - $7,258,960 |||
Jonny Flynn - $4,329,864 |||

2012/2013 Salaries: $85,054,391 w/without options
2013/2014 Salaries: $54,977,900 w/without options

DRAFT PICKS
2013 ORL 1ST
2013 LAL 1ST
2014 ORL 1ST (top 3 protected)
2014 BOS 1ST (lotto protected)

TRANSACTIONS
1. JJ Redick, Chris Duhon, Brandon Bass, and Quentin Richardson in exchange for Ray Allen and Jermaine O'neal.
2. Dwight Howard and Gilbert Arenas in exchange for Chris Bosh and Andrew Bynum.
3. Jermaine O'neal, Daniel Orton in exchange for Trevor Ariza and Richard Jefferson
4. Ryan Anderson, 14 ORL 1st, Carl Landry, and Hedo Turkoglu in exchange for David Lee and Jonas Jerebko.
5. Chris Bosh and Ray Allen for Kobe Bryant and Klay Thompson.
6. Kobe Bryant, David Lee, and Tony Parker for Deron Williams, Jeff Green and Chris Bosh.
7. Jeff Green, and Richard Jefferson for Tony Allen, Caron Butler, and Jonny Flynn.


WHY THE MAGIC SHOULD WIN
I should win, because I didn't care about this competition in the least bit (see the amount of trades and compare it to the other games I've played in), but I still semi-accomplished what I had envisioned with the Magic prior to taking them.

-I'd like to emphasize how bad the Orlando Magic situation was. We had Dwight, but his value was lessened b/c he was an impending FA. Look at the trade after he was traded by me, that was vetoed, but since he had no other alternatives, the same deal went through. We didn't have a chance in hell of acquiring a CP3 like star next to Dwight because:

a.) Gilbert Arenas. Worst contract in the league. Hedo Turkoglu. Arguable top 5 worst contract in the league. Chris Duhon, how is he even getting paid, let alone 4+ million. Who gives Quentin Richardson a multi-year deal..

b.) Jameer was the Magic's second piece. An average PG that's been exposed as a 12-13 PPG, and 5-6 APG point guard. Look at Rafer Alston's stats, you'd think Jameer was his brother. The piece with the most interest was Ryan Anderson, whom people only tried to acquire cheap b/c they thought they were the only ones who knew he was semi good. Then factor in his smaller contract, it was hard to get equal value. And oh yeah, Brandon Bass had decent value.. These were my pieces to get another star. Jason Richardson had already expired, and considering only one team offered for him in FA, that's pretty telling of his value. What does that mean?

Dwight would have left.

Whether it would have been for OKC, or any other team that had capspace, I just didn't have the pieces to get another star of the caliber he'd want, along with a good supporting cast with absolutely no pieces. The Magic had a lessened Dwight Howard, 2-3 average pieces, and a bunch of negative value players..

So in a Dwight trade, our idea was firm. We wanted building blocks, and wanted to shed Arenas horrible contract. We got Bosh, who's one of the top PF's, and Bynum, whose also one of the top C's, with arguably the 2nd most potential in the league at that position..The original idea was to open up capspace to get my true franchise player, but scratched that idea quickly b/c of salary constraints.

We think we maxed on what was possible for Dwight at the time. Then in some other moves, we got enough pieces to acquire Deron Williams, a true franchise player to build our team around. Then we got All-Defensive Tony Allen, a promising rookie who in theory fits well with Deron in Klay Thompson, an athletic wing with a decently versatile game in Ariza, and Jonas Jerebko who has a lot of potential to be a very good role player at the 3/4. We didn't sacrafice on draft picks, and still have a young core that can compete for the next 5-6 years.

Think about the Jazz that won 50 games perennially in the West, and advanced often (against my Rockets, screw the Jazz). But upgrade Boozer to Bosh, give them finally what they lacked in a huge factor defensively with size in the paint with Bynum, and you have a greatly improved version of the Jazz. But then you give them a perimeter defender of TA's caliber (they used to get lit up by Kobe, and other wings), and Ariza (Butler as well), we have the versatility to defend any perimeter player. Butler provides a legitimate third option. This team can contend now. A top 10 player, with a good fitting/talented frontcourt, wings that can defend, score, and shoot to compliment Deron, this team can surprise a lot of people in the post-season. A real nice blend of both offense and defense.

The Magic were heading for a future where they lost their franchise player and were stuck with crap contracts, and below average players. Instead we have one of the better frontcourts, terrific versatility, potential, and one of the best franchise PG's in the game. This team will contend now, only get better with Bynum's increased role, Klay's development, and more salary flexibility/draft picks.

That's all I wanted to do with the Magic, that's all you could do. Vote us.

And I did this writeup in 8 minutes. Beat that.

[roc]

Deadline for Write Ups is over I will have ranking thread up shortly.