RealGM

Here is an example of Denvers.

Writeup:

PG: Jameer is a starting caliber PG. He was an All-Star a few short years ago, and just needs to be in the right system to be successful. Playing as a 3rd/4th option (instead of 2nd in Orlando) should help him a ton with his confidence and his shooting efficiency. Behind him I have Charles Jenkins (9/2/5 as a starter) and Ian Miller (22nd pick, Westbrook-lite type). Both are capable backups but give me different things.

SG: Wade is simply the best SG in the game. People playing with LeBron often see their numbers drop because of him (see anyone he's played with) and so did Wade's. But as a 1st option, he should be back to his 25/6/6 form, dominating the league once again. Behind him is Leandro Barbosa and Matt Barnes, another nice yin/yang type deal, as both provide very different things. Barbosa can flat out score, and Barnes is the ultimate glue guy.

SF: Here is maybe my deepest position. Wallace is legit: 15/7/3, terrific defense. He will be my 3rd/4th option on offense, and guard the LeBron/Carmelo/Durant's of this league, and do a good job. He really is perfect on a contending team as an elite glue guy. Behind him is Caron Butler, also a starting caliber wing. He has a nice 8M expiring contract as well.

PF: Dirk is still one of the best PFs, and it is a deep position. He can score from ANYWHERE and creates the best 1-2 punch in the league with Wade. The two of them on offense will be unstoppable. Behind him is Patrick Patterson, who put up 8/5 this year. He has great potential to be a long term starter; he is great in the pick and pop. Austin Daye finishes it out with some shooting.

Cc: This may not look so great right now, but that's more because I ran out of time. For now, I have Collison (the Thunder's best big in the playoffs), gigantic Joel Pryzbilla, and Jason Collins (the Dwight Stopper). Again, maybe not the sexiest of players, but they get the job done and can be upgraded in the near future.

Overall: Some teams may have teams that are as good as mine, but keep in mind what I started with: depth, but no stars. Now, I have 2 of the top players in the league and a team with great depth. I will also have about 20M in cap next summer to go after new players (Gortat, Pau, Amare) or resign some of my own (Dirk, Jameer, Patterson). I feel like I have done the best job with what I have, and that I deserve to win this GMaT.

+ Add the team you started with, salary and finances as well as future picks. Concentrate on how you improved.

Golden State Warriors


Original Roster


Under Contract:
G: Stephen Curry
G: Charles Jenkins
G: Klay Thompson
F: Richard Jefferson
F: David Lee
F: Dorell Wright
C: Andris Biedrins
C: Andrew Bogut
C: Jeremy Tyler

Depth Chart

PG: Mario Chalmers/Mike Bibby
SG: Wesley Matthews/J.J Redick/Michael Snaer
SF: Lebron James/James Posey
PF: Chris Bosh/Francisco Elson
Cc Tiago Splitter/Tyler Zeller/Andris Biedrins/Dan Gadzuric/Eddy Curry/Eric Dampier








Salaries
Mario Chalmers $4,000,000
Wesley Matthews $6,875,480/$7,245,640
JJ Redick $7,000,000/$7,000,000/$7,000,000/$7,000,000
Chris Bosh $19,067,500/$20,590,000/$22,112,500
Tiago Splitter $9,000,000/$9,000,000/$9,000,000/$9,000,000(ETO)
Lebron James $19,067,500/$20,590,000/$22,112,500
Tyler Zeller $1,633,440/$1,703,760/$2,616,975
Andris Biedrins $1,950,000
Dan Gadzuric $854,389
Francisco Elson $854,389
James Posey $854,389
Mike Bibby $854,389
Eddy Curry $854,389
Eric Dampier $854,389
MIchael Snaer $490,180
Matt Bonner $1,000,000 (partial ung, not on roster)


total: $62,195,837

RITES

Money

0 million cash


Contact Info

email: allstar_1264@hotmail.com
AIM: kingblackice1991

TPE's


Picks

2013 first round draft pick to Utah
Golden State's own 2013 1st round pick to Utah via Brooklyn (top 6 protected in the 2013 Draft, and top 6 protected in the 2014 Draft). However, if Utah via Brooklyn has not yet received this first round pick by the 2014 draft, then Utah via Brooklyn shall instead receive: (i) Golden State's own 2014 2nd round pick and (ii) Golden State's own 2016 2nd round pick. [Golden State - Brooklyn, 7/22/2008 and amended 9/21/2009 and then Brooklyn - Utah, 2/23/2011]

2013 second round draft pick to Denver
Golden State's own 2013 2nd round pick to Denver via New York. [Golden State - New York, 7/9/2010 and then Denver - Minnesota - New York, 2/22/2011]

2014 first round draft pick to Oklahoma City

2014 second round draft pick to Charlotte Bobcats

2013 second round draft pick to Atlanta

2015 second round draft pick to Indiana
Golden State's own 2015 2nd round pick to Indiana. [Golden State - Indiana, 12/19/2011]

2015 first round pick to New Orleans

Writeup pending....

Gameplan (how we will win the chip)

PS rotation:

Mario Chalmers(34)/Lebron James(14)
Wesley Matthews(8)/J.J Reddick(40)
Lebron James(18)/Wesley Matthews(30)
Chris Bosh(38)/Lebron James(10)
Tyler Zeller(24)/Tiago Splitter(24)







We will run the Pace and Space Motion Offense just like the Heat do in RL. My favourite set is the 4-out-1-in high set.



We want quick flare screens and transition buckets off of our defense (will get into that later). We will rely our our elite spacing from the backcourt. Push the ball, and the offense will run around a lot of dribble drive penetration from LBJ. Bosh will feast on more looks than he had on the Heat, pick and pop with LBJ/Bosh and Bosh will have space to work in the high post as well. Chalmers/Reddick/Wes are spacers, very good ones, and Zeller is mobile and should have a decent mid range game by now.

Defensively is where we thrive. Chalmers is in the league for his defense, he was drafted for it. He can really pressure the ball, and has the size and lateral quicks to stay in front of his man. Chalmers was named Big 12 All-Defensive First Team in college, and look at the NYK game where he embarrassed Lin for a vintage Chalmers defensive effort.

Wes Matthews is a sound defensive player, again he was given a chance by Utah for his defense. Lebron is 1st Team All D and a suffocating defender. We will hold opposing perimeters to below their averages and have the D to create pressure and move the transition game.

Bosh/Zeller/Splitter is adequate post defense, but with our perimeter D there won't be a ton of pressure on them, our guys won't get beat off the dribble much. Reddick is the obvious weak link but even he is a much improved man defender who will be hidden in our defense. All he has to do is make the right rotations.

Improvement:

Stephen Curry >> Mario Chalmers - Clear downgrade here, but Chalmers does what we need him to do.

Klay Thompson = Wes Matthews - About equal, Klay has more upside but Wesley is a more of a win now (still youngish btw) player. His 3 and D ability is valuable to us.

Harrison Barnes <<<<<<<< Lebron James - We add the best player in the league by far, and actually have a supporting cast for him. Lebron IS the NBA, he's the new Kobe. He makes any team a playoff team, give him help and he'll get you a title. He's durable, and ever improving. Barnes is nice but this improvement alone should merit a lot of consideration from the judges.

David Lee <<< Chris Bosh - Bosh is worlds better as a defender, particularly on the weakside. More efficient as a high post player, and as a 2nd option he should be around 21/10, maybe 24/11 like in his last season in TOR with no Wade taking usage. Bosh also doesn't need to dominant the ball to have his impact felt, while Lee doesn't have the same effect on winning.



Bosh also has a lower USG%, don't like the raw numbers fool you Bosh is a different class of player.

Andrew Bogut > Tiago Splitter - Bogut is oft injuried and not a reliable player because of health issues. When heathly he is a clear upgrade but when is he healthy now days? Splitter (and Zeller) are role players with no injury history that do their job and know their role on both ends.

Conclusion:

We've built the MIA Heat sans Wade, with better C depth and Matthews/Reddick at SG. Enough said.

Mia Heat

We had won our first Championship window with a team built around LeBron D Wade and Bosh.
D Wade at 30 now 32 was begginning to show his age after years of a physical style. Bosh too was hurt for most of the Championship Run and is now 29. We wanted a longer championship window so decided to aquire Blake Griffin Deron Williams and Greg Monroe our new big 3.

Original Lineup
PF Chris Bosh Udonis Haslem
SF Lebron James Shane Battier
C Joel Anthony Eddie Curry
SG D Wade Mike Miller
PG Mario Chalmers

New Lineup
PF Blake Griffin Carlos Boozer E
SF JR Smith Ron Artest Shane Battier Rashard Lewis.
C Greg Monroe Sam Dalembert Greg Oden
SG Deron Williams Ray Allen Gerald Green
PG Aaron Brooks Andre Miller

Lineup Comparisons

PF Bosh << Blake Griffin Griffin is 8 yrs younger and more dominant a player today.
SF Lebron >>>>>>>>> JR Smith lebron easily wins
C J Anthony <<<< G Monroe Monroe is a 23 yr all star while Anthony is a role player
Sg D Wade < Deron Williams Williams is 5 yrs younger without the injury history.
PG Chalmers < A Brooks Brooks is the better scorer and floor general with equal shooting. Chalmers is better D

Bench
Batter, Haslem, M Miller, E Curry, << Ray Allen E Brand, Boozer,Artest Battier, Dalembert G Oden, Ray Allen or bench is deeper more versatile and veteran.

Finances

We have lowered our future luxury tax impact with the signing of vets on below MLE contracts in Brand, Rashard Lewis, as well as Boozer and Ray Allen on short at MLE deals. Our main stars Deron and Griffin are signed long term and we will have matching rights with Greg Monroe. The Dalembert contract is short. Aaron Brooks and J R Smith are just entering their prime. We took a long term high reward flyer on Greg Oden who will have the time to rehab.


blake griffin 15000000 15000000 15000000 150000000
JR Smith 7000000 7500000 8000000 8500000 9000000
greg monroe 4100000
Deron Williams $18,466,130 $19,754,465 $21,042,800 $22,331,135
Aaron Brooks 6500000 6500000
Samel Dalembert 7500000 8000000 8500000
Ray Allen 5000000 50000000

Carlos Boozer 8000000 8000000 8000000 8000000

Rashard Lewis 2000000 2000000 2000000
e brand 1500000 150000
G Oden 1500000 1500000 1500000 1500000
Shane Battier 854000
Ron Artest 854000
Andre Miller 854000

D Fisher( 854000)
Nolan Smith (12340000)

Deron Williams is one of the best distributers in basketball and both Brooks and him will work the pick and roll pick and pop with Monroe, Griffin and key reserve Boozer talented bigs. The rest of the roster is filled with long range shooters mainly Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Artest Battier. J R Smith.

PG: Steve Nash is still an elite talent who can play well into his early 40's. His elite playmaking along with his ability to make all of his team mates better proves that he can still an All-Star. Last season Nash averaged 12/10/3 in 31 MPG with a mediocre team. We brought in the defensive minded Kirk Hinrich to relieve him for large spurts until the playoffs.

Steve Nash/Kirk Hinrich/Earl Watson > Goran Dragic, Kendall Marshall

SG: Aaron Afflalo is probably the 2nd best defensive SG in the league at this point. The epitome of team first, Afflalo averaged 15 PPG as the teams 3/4th option while defending the leagues best perimeter threats. Playing next to Steve Nash and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt should only increase his productivity. Signing Richard Hamilton to the minimum was a great move. Along with contributing on the court (11/3/ in 24 MPG) he brings championship experience that will help come playoff time. Finally rounding out my SG's I have 3 point specialist Daquan Cook. Every championship has one so why wouldn't I?  

Aaron Afflalo, Richard Hamilton, Daquan Cook > Josh Childress

SF: (Probably one of the highlights in my tenure) Landing former All-Star SF Danny Granger will prove to be invaluable for this franchise. A premier scoring threat, underrated rebounder and shot blocker, Granger is one of the main reason why we'll contend for a championship. This acquisition allows Nash to play off ball more and should preserve his legs come playoff time. Backing up Granger I have Ronnie Brewer. A solid defensive wingman with the ability to slash and get in the lane when we need to. Behind brewer I have Tracy McGrady - We took a risk on him solely because we believe that with the right medical treatment we can get him to produce on a high level. All-Star level? No. Think Grant Hill.

Danny Granger, Ronnie Brewer, Tracy McGrady >  Michael Beasley, Jared Dudley


PF: STAT's Back. Having been two years removed from his years in Phoenix, Amare returns with a new found respect for pass first point guards and a team first philosophy. In his first year in New York he averaged 25 PPG on incredible percentages before being delegated to 2nd option. Unlike his time in NY, Amare will again be the #1 option on offense but  he'll have a much better supporting cast.  All the pieces fit around the all star PF-C. Elite spacing with Nash, Granger and elite perimeter defense with Afflalo. After Amare we have rugged PF-C Jason Maxiell (6PPG 5 RPG ).

Amare Stoudemire, Jason Maxiell > Markieff Morris, Channing Frye

C: Tim Duncan: 4x NBA Champion, 3x NBA FInals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 8x All Defensive First team. He's the glue that keep this team together. His contributions clearly defy his age and even at age 37 he's still more effective than 90% of the other centers in the league. His low impact style of play will allow him to contribute at a high level for another 2-3 years. Duncan will serve as the defensive anchor for our starting unit along with being a primary option in the half court set. After Duncan we have Aaron Gray(4 PPG/ 5 RPG in 16 Min)  and Joel Anthony (3/4/1.3 Blocks. Two really solid backup Centers who can get the job done.

Overall: I managed to put together some of the leagues top talent using minimal assets.

Goran Dragic/Kendall Marshall, Sebastian Telfair
Josh Childress
Jared Dudley Michael Beasley/
Markieff Morris
Marcin Gortat/ Robin Lopex/ Channing Frye


Current Roster:

Steve Nash, Kirk Hinrich, Earl Watson
Aaron Afflalo, Richard Hamilton, Tracy McGrady
Danny Granger, Ronnie Brewer, Corey Maggette
Amare Stoudemire, Jason Maxiell, Troy Murphy
Tim Duncan, Aaron Gray,Phoenix

PHI 76ers

We were a late replacement GM after Tier 3 Free Agency.
Our team just missed the playoffs and the previous GM lost Monta Ellis and Al Jefferson in Free Agency. Instead of overspending on Free Agents we decided to build a more defensive squad built around Gortat who is a top 10 Center.




Original Roster VS New Roster

PF Toni Mitchell <<<<< A Bargnanig J J Hickson Mitchell. We added two young PF on good conracts
SF Evan Turner =< Demar Derozan Turner is better D Demar Better O greater potential
C Marcin Gortat << Gortat plus Josh Mc Roberts, Darko we added two guys on good contracts.
SG Archie Goodwin << We added tough D Singleton and Jeffrey Talylor Rookie contract guys
PG Tony Wroten << We added Jeff Teague a solid pg in his prime and solid vet Duhon.

Depth Chart
Ending Roster

PF Andre Bargnani 30 min JJ Hickson 18
SF Chris Singleton 20 Sam Young 20 Josh Childress 10
C Marcin Gortat 30 Josh Mc Roberts 10 Darko Milovic 10
SG Demar Derozan 30 Jeffrey Taylor 10
PG Jeff Teague 30 Chris Duhon 10

Finances.

Tony Mitchell, Archie Goodwin, Tony Wroten.
finances
We have many players entering their prime on good long term deals such as Derozan,c Hickson Teague and Bargs. We have cap space this year and more in the future sign a top player.

Marcin Gortat $7,727,280
D Derozan 7500000 7500000 750000 750000 7500000
Tony Wroten $1,210,080 $2,179,354 $3,201,471 N/A
Jeff Teague 50000000 50000000 5000000 5000000
Archie Goodwin $1,742,400
Tony Mitchell $1,834,100
PF Andrea Barganani ($10,750,000)11000000
C JJ Hickson ($4,000,000) 4000000
sam young 854000
Chris Singleton 1200000 2316000
josh mc roberts 854000
Jeff Taylor 854000
Duhon 20000000 2000000 20000000 2000000
Childress 2000000 2000000 2000000 2000000
535000500

New Orleans Hornets


Rotation

PG: George Hill | Ish Smith
SG: Bradley Beal | Jodie Meeks
SF: Wilson Chandler | Terrence Williams | Darius Miller
PF: James McAdoo | Jon Leuer | Draymond Green
C: Anthony Davis | Jason Smith | Hassan Whiteside | Dan Gadzuric


PG: People may not know this but George Hill is one of the best pick-and-roll players in the NBA in terms of points-per-possession ranking 8th in the entire league. He is also an elite spot up shooter. Not to mention the fact that he's a GREAT 1-on-1 defender (allowing a PER of 9.2). Placed in Monty's system (PnR heavy and defensive funneling to baseline), Hill will flourish here.

SG: Beal is a star in the making (not an All-Star mind you). He'll ALWAYS find ways to contribute to a team's win - whether it's scoring, or rebounding, or defending, Beal will find ways to contribute to a team's win. He's the ultimate team winner - one who was willing to sacrifice and understand respect back in Florida (in his 1st few games) when he allowed himself to slowly seam into whatever role his coach wanted him to. When the ball was placed in his hands more (towards the end of the season), he was able to exhibit MORE of his potential.

SF: Wilson Chandler is another great defender that fits really, really well with Monty's defense first approach and his preachings of length. Wilson Chandler has the potential to be a 1.5 steal/1.5 block kind of a player similar to the mold of Marion a few years back, or Gerald Wallace. This speaks to his versatility as a player. He struggled to get back into game shape back in 2011/12 but when given the time to acclimate to his surroundings, he can produce (see his 2010/11 NYK numbers).

PF: I will let DraftExpress speak for me here.

He has a well-proportioned frame with big shoulders and a solid base, leading us to believe he will end up looking like a classic NBA 4-man, with the skill-set and athleticism to match.

McAdoo is not a player who jumps out athletically on first glance. He appears to be in no rush to show how explosive he is. He's a smooth and highly fluid player with great coordination and mobility, though, and he will occasionally explode at the rim for a monster finish.

McAdoo's biggest virtues lie in his skill-level and his basketball IQ, which is extraordinarily high for a player his age. He can step out on the perimeter and create his own shot driving either left or right, and he has the ability to make shots with range out to the 3-point line, although he can't hit outside shots consistently quite yet.

In the post, McAdoo shows nimble footwork and an array of hook shots, step-throughs and turnaround jumpers, but he still needs to work on becoming a better (and more willing) finisher through contact. He rarely forces the issue and shows a high basketball IQ, which is particularly evident in his ability to find open teammates. His Tim Duncan-esqe demeanor and his willingness to fit into a team setting can at times be characterized as passive.

Defensively, McAdoo has the ability to step out and hedge screens on the perimeter and the length and athleticism to make an impact around the basket. He still needs to get tougher and more aggressive on this end of the floor, though. He needs to show more of an edge and put his physical tools to good use as a rebounder and defender, something that will become easier as his frame continues to fill out.

C: Anthony Davis is a unique star in the making. He has all the tools to become great and the disposition and demeanor to not give up. He's Olympic experience certainly helped him. He's the best prospect since Lebron James and the best big prospect since Duncan (yes ahead of Howard mind you because he's better defensively and offensively at the same age). He will anchor our "baseline-funneling" defense in this new era of NBA small ball basketball.

Bench: Our big man rotation is really good with an "elite" 3rd big man of the bench named Jason Smith (TS% of .537, TRB% of 12.3, ORTG of 107, WS/48 of .110) and a slew of high potential, low risk bigs of the bench in Leuer (22 years of age, TS% of .536, TRB% of 11.9, ORTG of 111, WS/48 of .122) and Draymond Green (similar skillset as the new breed of perimeter "PFs") and Hassan Whiteside (2nd to Anthony Davis for rookie record for blocks, crazy length, bulked up a lot in the past 2 years). We also have sharpshooter Meeks and 6th man Terrence Williams of the bench.

Outlook: The crazy part is that, in 2014, even with Hill, Chandler, Beal, Davis, McAdoo, and Terrence Williams, we'd still have almost 25+ million in cap space to offer to a deep crop of FAs including the names of Lebron, Carmelo, Bogut, Gortat, Bosh, Dirk, Pau, Kobe, Wade, etc.. the future is really bright in New Orleans

Goals
1) Youth: I wanted young team with high potential that could compete for a title in 2 to 3 years.
2) Fit: Having top players is great but you need to have guys who compensate for others weaknesses and have good synergy.
3) Financial Flexibility: I wanted to make sure to stay below the lux tax and have flexibility in the future to sign extensions and be able to compete in FA.

Original Lineup

Original:
PG:Harris/ Teague/ Farmar
SG:Morrow/Jenkins/Stevenson
SF:
PF: Smith/Jordan Williams/Mike Scott
C: Horford/ Zaza/ Petro

New and Improved Roster

PG: Ricky Rubio/Lou Williams/JJ Barea
SG: Landry Fields/John Jenkins
SF: Paul George/Trevor Ariza/Omri Casspi
PF: Isaiah Austin/Arthur/Al Harrington/
C: Omer Asik/Zaza/Channing Frye

Financial information: I kept myself under lux tax in every season and left cap space open in 2014 and 2015 to offer extensions to Paul George and Ricky Rubio. In 2015 I'll have a core or Rubio/George/Austin under contract and room for a max contract offer.

2013 Salary: $53,903,458
2014 Salary: $53,999,612
2015 Salary: $11,345,360

Ricky Rubio $4002120 $5070686
Lou Williams 5500000 5500000
Isiah Austin 2356320 $2,462,400.00 2568360
Trevor Ariza $7727280
Paul George $3282003
Landry Fields $6760606 $7178788
John Jenkins $1007000 $1050300
Omer Asik $5225000 14898938
Al Harrington $2500000 $2500000
Channing Frye $6400000 6800000
Darrel Arthur $3000000 3000000 3000000
Zaza Pachulia $5300000 $5538500 $5777000
JJ Barea $843129
Omri Casspi $843129

3.25 Mil Cash

Draft Picks: Managed to add a few picks that will help round out my young core with some quality role players in years to come.

LA 2014 1st
CHI 2014 1st
ATL 2014 2nd
GSW 2014 2nd

ATL 2015 1st
ATL 2015 2nd

ATL 2016 1st
ATL 2016 2nd
CLE 2016 2nd

Player Comparisons:

For the purpose of these comparisons I will be using "> and <" and to keep it uniform the rankings will between 1 and 3 ">" or '<" for each position

PG: Rubio/Lou Williams/JJ Barea >>> Harris, Teague, Farmar

I consider this to be a huge upgrade. Rubio is a future all star who you can run an offense through. He's also a rare pass-first point who has size (6'4) and plays great defense. He is the new face of the franchise and it's only partly because he's so pretty. Lou is a great off the bench scorer and 6th man and Barea is a
great back up to come in for some quality minutes.

SG: Landry Fields/John Jenkins > Morrow/Jenkins/Stevenson

Fields is a slight upgrade on Morrow. He is a great glue guy who can hit an open shot and is one of the best rebounding guards in the game. This is also an upgrade in terms of fit as Morrow and Jenkins function in the same sharpshooter role.

SF: Paul George/Trevor Ariza/Omri Casspi >>> (Had no SF on my roster when I started)

Well you could have put anyone here and have it be upgrade due to not having a 3 on my roster when I took over, but I upgraded it in a big way none the less. Paul George is an emerging top player in the league. Was 12 and 6 in his 2nd season in the league while playing out of position. He's a 6'10 SF who can score and has little flaw in his game. He can defend, rebound, and shoot 3s. Ariza is great perimeter defender off the bench and Casspi is nice young 3 who was starting for Cavs last season.

PF: Isaiah Austin/Arthur/Al Harrington/<Smith/Jordan Williams/Mike Scott

This a postion where I took a downgrade, but one that gave me better fit to my goals. Josh Smith is a top 30 player and former all star, but I added a player in Austin who fits with the youth culture I'm building and has a high ceiling. This is what ESPN insider had to say about him :

Bottom Line:
Isaiah is without a doubt one of the most unique players in this class. The ultra talented big man is not only teasing with his talent but now inpacts the game in longer spurts. He is one of the country's best shotblockers, can run the floor like a deer, handles the ball exceptionally well and makes 3's. He is the most talented player in the 2012 class.

I like my depth more now as well. Darrel Arthur is a great pick and pop big who is still improving his game and Harrington provides a vetrean presence and averaged 14 and 8 last season.

C: Omer Asik, Zaza, Frye << Horford/ Zaza/ Petro

Another position with a downgrade overall. Horford is a better player than Asik but should be playing the 4 instead of the 5. Asik is a natural 5 who is a great rebounder and shot blocker who will be our teams defensive anchor. He also put up 10 17 4 per 48 in CHI last season. Also Frye >> over Petro as a bench big.

Youth and Height Not positive on this but I believe I have the tallest starting lineup in the league.

Ricky Rubio 6'4, age 21 (23 in the game)
Landry Fields 6'7 age 24 (26 " ")
Paul George 6'10 age 22 (24 " ")
Isaiah Austin 7'0 age 18 (20 " ")
Omer Asik 7'0 age 26 (28 " ")

Assets

My original roster consisted of a half blown up Hawks team that picked up a bunch of expirings in exchange for Joe Johnson. Of my top players one, Al Horford, was coming off a season ending injury and only averaged 12 and 7 when healthy that year. The other, Josh Smith, was a valuable asset but has previously been asked to be traded and was on an expiring contract.

My only other real assets were Morrow, Teague, and Harris who are all fringe starters.

So basically I traded:
Josh Smith for Paul George, Isaiah Austin, and Omer Asik
Al Horford and Jeff Teague for Ricky Rubio, Fields, and Lou Williams

Thoughts on Team Overall

In terms of my orginal goals I've met all of them.


All starters are either in the start of their prime or about to reach their prime (see above). This will allow them to grow together as a group and be deadly once they all reach their potential.

The team fits together like a glove.

Rubio runs the offense and generates great looks for George, who we think is easily a 22 ppg scorer in this system, and Austin, who will be getting easy looks at the basket and open shots to take from 3.

We have pretty good perimeter D with Rubio and George but if anyone does get by them we control the paint with our two 7 foot shot blocking bigs. With our are incredibly long and energetic roster we will get tons of both offensive and defensive rebounds. Due to this we plan to push the pace with Rubio leading our fantastic transition offense.

Not only do our starters fit well but we also have exactly what kind of bench role players you want as well. 6th man of year candidate Lou Williams who can provide instant offense, a sharp shooter in John Jenkins, a lock down defender in Ariza, a stretch 4-5 in Frye, and even a nice defensive big in Zaza.

We've also managed to stay with a lot of financial flexibility going into future by ensuring room for extensions to our top youth players.

Side note: Just wanted to thanks to BlackIce and TMAC for helping run this game. It was my first time and I really enjoyed playing. It was quite an interesting process and I will definitely be playing again. It was really good getting know a bunch you and be sure to stay in touch.

Thanks everyone,

Jim

Original Roster:
Ricky Rubio / JJ Barea / Luke Ridnour
Chase Budinger / Wayne Ellington / Malcolm Lee
Wesley Johnson / Martell Webster
Kevin Love / Derrick Williams / Robbie Hummel
Nikola Pekovic / Darko Milicic / Anthony Randolph

Current Roster:

PG - Derrick Rose
SG - Paul Pierce
SF - Shawn Marion
PF - LaMarcus Aldridge
Cc - Nikola Pekovic

PG - Jordan Farmar
SG - MarShon Brooks
SF - Mickael Pietrus
PF - Hakim Warrick
Cc - Gustavo Ayon

SF - James Johnson
PF - Richard Howell
Cc - DeWayne Dedmon

Contracts:
Derrick Rose - $16,669,629 || $17,832,627 || $18,995,624 || $20,158,622
Paul Pierce - $15,333,334
LaMarcus Aldridge - $14,000,000 || $15,128,000 || $16,256,000
Shawn Marion - $9,066,796
Nikola Pekovic - $9,000,000 || $9,000,000 || $9,000,000 || $9,000,000
James Johnson - $3,950,869
Jordan Farmar - $2,500,000 || $2,500,000
Mickael Pietrus - $2,000,000
Gustavo Ayon - $1,500,000 || $1,500,000
MarShon Brooks - $1,210,080 || $2,179,354 || $3,201,471
Richard Howell - $490,180 (CH)
DeWayne Dedmon - $490,180 (CH)
Total = $72,950,032

Draft Picks:
MIN 2014 1st
NOH 2014 2nd
MIN 2015 1st

Ze Writeup:
PG: Rose >>> Rubio. We went from one of the most exciting young PG's in the game in Rubio, who is more upside than for sure talent at this point-- but we made a huge upgrade by getting the best PG in the NBA and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose. Not much to be said here.
SG: Pierce/MarShon >>> Budinger/Ellington. We took a stockpile of decent wings and turned them into one of the greatest wings in the game in Pierce and one of the most exciting young SG's in the game in Brooks.
SF: Matrix >>> Johnson. Wesley Johnson hasn't been able to become the play many hoped he would be, so I made an effort to upgrade the position. When I had my Rose/PP/LMA trio set, Marion was a near perfect addition and undoubtedly an upgrade from what I started with.
PF: Aldridge = Love. You could maybe argue this as a downgrade, but the fact of the matter is that LMA is a much better fit with Rose than Love was. LaMarcus brings similar offensive productivity, gives up a little rebounding, but is far superior defensively to Love. Giving up the rebounding and adding the defense/athleticism is worth it when you have Pek grabbing boards and Rose running the fast-break.
C: Pek/Ayon > Pek/Darko. I was able to start the game and end the game with my favorite Montenegrin, Nikola Pekovic. He is a total beast and a perfect fit beside Aldridge. Also, adding Ayon was nice as he is an up and coming young big man as well. I love my frontcourt.

So I go from one legitimate star + prospects to the former NBA MVP in Derrick Rose, All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and former NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce, with a supporting cast of Shawn Marion, Nikola Pekovic, MarShon Brooks, Gustavo Ayon, Jordan Farmar, Mickael Pietrus and James Johnson. Need I say more?

Also, just to add-- I am under the lux tax, will have lots of cap room next offseason, and still own all of my future 1st round draft picks.

I am confident that this team would win the 2013 NBA Championship, and then I would have max cap space with Pierce and Marion expiring in order to add another big piece to build a dynasty. I started with a franchise that hadn't seen the playoffs since 2004, and I turned them into a team with the personnel to be perennial title contenders. Let the Larry O'Brien trophy collection begin, when I beat BlackIce in the WCF and RR9 in the NBA Finals.

Old Depth Chart
Steve Nash /Steve Blake / Darius Morris
Kobe Bryant / Andrew Goudelock / Darius Johnson-Odom
Metta World Peace / Devin EBanks / Christian Eyenga
Pau Gasol / Josh McRoberts
Andrew Bynum / Robert Sacre

Current Depth Chart
Brandon Jennings / Gary Neal/ Darius Morris
Andre Iguodala / Rudy Fernandez/ Darius Johnson-Odom
Rudy Gay / Grant Hill / Devin Ebanks
Josh Smith/ Mason Plumlee
Joakim Noah / Jordan HIll / Robert Sacre

GAMEPLAY
Los Angeles came into this game looking to get younger, rid ourselves of bad contracts, all while still being able to win a championship NOW. We achieved these three objectives and as a consolation, improved our bench depth immensely which includes the right mix of veterans and young talent.

The new look Lakers send out an all-star caliber player at every position, who is athletic, long, and can play smothering defense. Transition baskets will be a scarcity against our team due to our overall team speed and quickness. Mike Brown will have these guys turning defensive possessions into easy layups at will. I think it’s extremely important to note just how well we are built to guard Durant and LBJ. We have literally 3 players we can throw at either of them in a game situation: Iguodala, who is widely considered the premier defensive player on the perimeter. Gay, who is 6’9, 220, can guard LBJ or Durant due to his quickness. He excels defensively by stopping penetration coupled with above average post defense. We also can throw Josh Smith into the mix defensively against these two at times simply due to his size, strength and superior athleticism compared to the rest of the league aside from the above two mentioned players. There isn’t another team in this league that can play either of these two effectively and efficiently as us in a 1 on 1 situation. This factor alone will lead to supreme weak side defense from Noah and gives Brandon Jennings the ability to play the passing lanes a lot more.

Offensively we will run an offense similar to what OKC does. Each one of our starters can get a basket when they want it. We will rely on Jennings to facilitate, which if any of you followed his career in Europe, this is when he is most successful. He does not have to be the focal point of our offense and can rely on his athleticism and speed to make things happen for our team. We might not be the best team built to hit the long-range shot, but we counter that with our inside play and our ability to beat just about any team to the cup. I’m going to beat the dead horse numerous times in this, but our ATHLETICISM and SPEED will lead to many wide open looks that are high percentage shots.

Why LAL did the Best?
There are other teams who have acquired superstars or tanked to acquire talent in FA. The problem with this is, they have 2-3 all-star players and then fill out the roster with below-average talent who more often than not will be a nuisance rather than a commodity. Don’t believe me; check out the LBJ – CLE era or even the 2011/2012 Lakers. We did not want to deal with that problem again, but it seems some of the other “top tier” teams are fine with following that ineffective blueprint.

We have built by far and away, the best starting 5 in basketball, but more importantly, this starting 5 is built for the evolution of today’s game which shies away from half court offenses and relies heavily on transition offense and defense and the ability to flat out overwork your opponent.
We did this all while shedding the immovable object that is known as Kobe’s contract, dealt away Andrew Bynum who is not right mentally to be the center he is capable of being, and dealing the aging Pau Gasol. All 3 of these players were moved for equal or more value than what they were.

Cap Room:
We are the Los Angeles Lakers, we might be close to the hard cap designated in this game, but we do not have a contract that we cannot move if the time comes where we need to save money. We also did not use our amnesty this season, giving us more flexibility to save cap room as well. The Lakers will also tread water in the red line when it comes to cap, but they never put themselves in a position where they are a ticking time bomb financially.

Overall why this team is the best currently assembled?
Eliminating bias and close-mindedness, if this team were to be put on a hardwood court against any of the other teams currently assembled, the game would not be close. There is too much talent here, defensively and offensively, and more importantly, we have a good blend of talent that compliments each other immensely on both end of the floors.

E-Mail/AIM: gsm305@gmail.com


ROSTER
PG: John Wall | Gilbert Arenas
SG: James Harden | Daniel Gibson
SF: Lamar Odom | Alonzo Gee | Jordan Hamilton
PF: Pau Gasol | Thomas Robinson | Lou Amundson
C: DeAndre Jordan | Trevor Booker | Andray Blatche

Draft Rights: Lucas Nogueira


SALARIES
PLAYER 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2016/2017
Pau Gasol $19,285,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A
James Harden $13,668,750 $14,283,884 $14,898,938 $15,514,032 N/A
DeAndre Jordan $10,986,550 $11,440,123 N/A N/A N/A
John Wall $7,459,925 $9,697,902 N/A N/A N/A
Thomas Robinson $3,526,440 $3,678,360 $4,660,482 $6,179,799 N/A
Lamar Odom $3,500,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Trevor Booker $2,350,820 $3,420,443 N/A N/A N/A
Alonzo Gee $2,090,000 $2,180,000 $2,270,000 $2,360,000 N/A
Daniel Gibson $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 N/A N/A
Andray Blatche $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 N/A N/A
Gilbert Arenas $1,399,507 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Lou Amundson $1,186,459 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Jordan Hamilton $916,099 N/A N/A N/A N/A
TOTAL SALARIES $66,867,485 $48,700,712 $25,829,420 $24,053,831


FUTURE DRAFT PICKS
2014: n/a
2015: n/a
2016: 1st RND | 2nd RND
2017: 2nd RND

CASH
$1,500,000


WRITE-UP

The Bulls started off with an injured Derrick Rose, an overpaid Carlos Boozer and some marginally talented starters. It was hard to move on from D-Rose, but I was seriously concerned about his recovery from a devastating ACL injury. I decided to completely wipe the slate clean and completely rebuild this team.

PG: Derrick Rose is a phenomenal talent, but John Wall is more than just a consolation prize. One of the most athletically gifted athletes to enter the league in recent years, Wall moves to a major market and fulfills his destiny as a premier PG in the league. Gilbert Arenas is a nice veteran presence off the bench.

SG: James Harden is the perfect complement to Wall to create one of the most nasty back courts in the League. Daniel Gibson is a nice shooter off the bench who can still be deadly from downtown and play either guard spot.

SF: Lamar Odom is on the downside of his career, but is still a productive player that provides veteran leadership to a young team. Alonzo Gee is an up and coming player who provides consistent scoring and hustle off the bench. Jordan Hamilton is a nice prospect who can develop with some spot minutes.

PF: Pau Gasol is still one a premier PFs in the league and is the foundation of the front court. We're still floored that we were able to acquire a prospect like Thomas Robinson. He's in the perfect position to learn from Pau and step in as the starter of the future. Lou Amundson is a nice vet whos nothing but hustle from the moment he steps on the court.

C: DeAndre Jordan is not the greatest offensive threat, but he is a defensive beast. Trevor Booker is a nice prospect that can play either PF or C. Andray Blatche has gotten a bad rap, but has the physical tools to succeed; easily worth a minimum contract.

The Bulls don't have any draft picks the next two years, but we figure we would have picked late in the draft, we can easily purchase a pick.

AS for salary, the Bulls are in a nice position with Harden and Robinson locked up for the forseeable future and have enough room to max out Harden and re-sign Jordan in the next few years and still be under the Luxury Tax.


As I see it, the Bulls have all the talent in the world to out-hustle the Dream Teams and "Big Three's" and Prima Donnas. They just have to become a unit and do what they are capable of.

EMAIL/AIM: gsm305@gmail.com


PG: Kemba Walker | Alexey Shved | C.J. McCollum
SG: O.J. Mayo | Jordan Crawford
SF: Shabazz Muhammed | Chandler Parsons | Travis Outlaw | Rodney Williams
PF: Carl Landry | Amir Johnson | Jeremy Tyler
C: Jonas Valenciunas | Mareese Speights | Festus Ezeli



PLAYER 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2018/2019
O.J. Mayo $15,000,000 $15,000,000 $15,000,000 N/A N/A
Amir Johnson $6,550,000 $7,050,000 N/A N/A N/A
Shabazz Muhammed $5,324,280 $5,563,920 $5,803,560 $7,318,290 $9,513,777
Carl Landry $5,000,000 $5,000,000 N/A N/A N/A
Jonas Valanciunas $3,526,440 $3,678,360 $4,660,482 $6,179,799 N/A
Travis Outlaw $3,000,000 $3,000,000 N/A N/A N/A
Kemba Walker $2,568,360 $3,272,091 N/A N/A N/A
Mareese Speights $2,500,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Alexey Shved $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $2,500,000 N/A N/A
Jordan Crawford $2,162,419 $3,206,867 N/A N/A N/A
C.J. McCollum $1,110,120 $1,160,040 $1,210,080 $2,179,354
Marquis Teague $1,074,720 $1,120,920 $2,023,261 $3,034,891 N/A
Festus Ezeli $1,066,920 $1,112,880 $2,008,748 $3,013,123 N/A
Chandler Parsons $926,500 $964,750 N/A N/A N/A
Jeremy Tyler $884,293 $1,123,163 N/A N/A N/A
Rodney Williams $490,180 $788,872 $884,293 $1,123,163 N/A
TOTAL SALARIES $55,515,572 $55,320,860 $37,996,051 $25,546,103 $9,513,777



DRAFT RIGHTS
PF Augusto Lima (Brazil)

FUTURE DRAFT PICKS
2014: 1st RND (Top 20 Protected) | 1st RND (OKC)
2015: 1st RND (Top 20 Protected) | 2nd RND
2016: 1st RND (Top 20 Protected) | 2nd RND | 2nd RND (MEM) (Top 55 Protected)
2017: 1st RND (Top 20 Protected) | 2nd RND

CASH:
$2,946,000


WRITE-UP

As this game started, the Mavericks had Dirk Nowitski, an overpaid Brendan Haywood, and nothing else.

For a full on re-build with no assets, we are very pleased with the talent we have acquired.

PG: Kembas Walker is a nice young guard who should just be hitting his stride. Alexey Shved brings a slashing spark off the bench. CJ McCollum is a great prospect to develop in the D-League.

SG: OJ Mayo is a tad overpaid, yes; but he still has all the talent in the world to be a great SG. Jordan Crawford is a productive young guard on a cheap contract.

SF: Shabazz Muhammed is a premier talent that many are calling the next Kobe. Ideally a SG, he is so athletically gifted, he can play SF just as well. Chandler Parsons is a great young prospect on a rediculously cheap contract. Travis Outlaw is nice bench material and Rodney Williams is a diamond in the rough. The kid is all motor and can put on a highlight reel of dunks.

PF: Carl Landry, Amir Johnson and Jeremy Tyler are all young pieces that can combine to provide solid contributions to the front court.

C: We're very fortunate to have a premier international talent like Jonas Valencieunas as our Center of the future. Mareese Speights is a nice big off the bench and we like Ezeli as a prospect.


Mavs have no real chance of competing in the immediate future, but we feel we have sped up our rebuild in the quickest fashion possible, we have two 1st RND picks in 2014, all our future picks, and $10-$20 million in cap room in the next few years.

>>>>>>>> PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS <<<<<<<<


LINE-UP
PG .. Stephen Curry / Jarrett Jack / Patty MIlls
SG .. Evan Turner / Elliot Williams / Jerryd Bayless
SF .. Nicolas Batum / Mike Dunleavy JR / Will Barton
PF .. Tristan Thompson / Jared Sullinger / Hedo Turkoglu
CT .. Anderson Varejao / Greg Stiemsma / Joel Freeland
ANNUAL SALARY .... $65,363,055 .. / $69,547,247
ASSETS: ..................................TPE $ 3.008,000 Trade 252
Picks: .....................................TPE $ 4,968,250 Trade 102
2014 –NO 1st / 2nd Own
2015 - 1st / 2nd Own / 2015 1st (PHX trade 282)
>>>>>>>>> / 2nd (POR receives least favourable of DEN and MIN via MIN)
2016 - 1st / 2nd Own

GAME PLAY
Portland came into the Game looking for a new Identity. Oden and Roy were gone, Gerald Wallace was traded in the wake of the Felton / Camby coup that resulted in the firing of Nate McMillan and Batum was a maybe. The Blazers were in the lottery. but thanks to the Nets Tank Job had a 2nd lotto pick and selected Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard (and Will Barton from the 2nd round). This offered some promise for the future, but not much with which to work.

In keeping with the strategy I have used (and lost) in every GMaT game I have played, I moved my key talent, LaMarcus Aldridge to acquire assets. I stayed active in my trading and again kept a balanced line-up with character guys throughout my rotation. In addition, most players were selected with some other rationale in mind (former Blazers who were well liked in Portland and had skills that complimented the overall line up – or the deal for Dunleavy (10th rated SF by ESPN – Min contract and played High School ball in Portland and Joel Freeland – A Euro who is coming to America via PDX)

In this game, I did make a conscientious effort to acquire some “star” quality players. I do weigh the fact that we are now judging these players after completing 2 full seasons so Age is a huge factor for me. I just don’t buy that many of the current stars will not be on a significant decline at this point. AND this is from the GM who did adopt the NJ Nets after the 2012 season and “features” Kobe Bryant as his SG!

Steph Curry has already preformed at close to an all star level and made big gains in his game management as a facilitator in 2011. By now he will have established himself as a 20 / 9 ast / 5 reb PG. Even in GS, his issues were that he tried too hard on Defense and got stupid fouls. That should be behind him now. In addition, the 2011 playoffs were a coming out for Evan Truner. I move DeMar DeRozan for Evan who displays a much better team concept and does play both ends of the court. He also has remarkable handles and can penetrate at will and hit the mid range jumper, floater and finish at the rim. Once he starts knocking down 3s I envision a Brandon Roy lite. Batum is an outstanding wing in the open court – which he will have a better opportunity to demonstrate in a new – Non Nate offense. He still has a great jumper with range and has improved his ball skills every year to where is should be able to get to the rim or line regularly. He has always been able to defend 4 spots. Tristan Thompson has a great work ethic and only needs to improve his low post footwork and add shooting range and he will be a beast in the post. His stats are already much better than one imagines and comparable to many of the best PFs at his age. He and Anderson Varejao are also the defensive anchors of the team.

The balance of the roster is filled with guys who have tremendous upside or have proven themselves in the league and would be good leaders and role models for the younger guys. (Will Barton dropped 72 in a summer game against NBA player a week ago – Patty Mills has performed at every chance he's been given - is a great locker room guy - and a Paul Allen Favorite. E Williams, Bayless, Sullinger. Jack and even Hedo all can be contribtors to this teams success.) Depth and skill throughout the line-up.

I enjoyed this game and appreciate the effort Black Ice and TMAC put into it. These games never run without some controversy, but these guys were responsive and tried to make their decisions fairly – even though I got screwed on some! I also enjoyed negotiating with all the GMs – whether we got a deal done or not. It is a good experience to try to work things out and find solutions – even if it means not getting everything you want (Not a dig at Black Ice – maybe?)

BROOKLYN NETS

ROTATION:
PG: Damian Lillard / Marquis Teague / Ben Uzoh
SG: Kobe Bryant / Jared Cunningham
SF: Jeff Green / Perry Jones III / Julian Wright
PF: Paul Millsap / Tyler Hansbrough / Terrence Jones
C : Meyers Leonard / John Henson

Total Salary .. $58,171,346 .. $36,347,960
CASH: $7M startup CASH + $3M from trade #49 = $10M total + $3M from trade #61 = $13M total + $1M from trade #67 = $14M total + 2M from trade # 190 =$16M total; # 245 - $3M= $13M total;
TPE: Trade 249 - $6,237,820 TPE

THE GAME:
Preface: As in many of the GMaT games, people seemed to shut down early. Unfortuneately this included a number of GMs whith whom the Nets were trying to finish deals for an experienced Post player and SG. Our Rich Russian Owner does not like to be out spent (finishing with $13M in cash is an insult - And we are not even at the Salary Cap - when Prokhorov fully intended to be a Lux Tax guy.

The game - began with the Nets poised to match Dwight Howard with Deron Williams. At the end of the 2012 season, something happened and the NJ GM left the game. I inherited a team that had Deron and salary cap room and a few nice pieces (Brooks, etc). However, I had no faith in DH12 coming to Brooklyn and was promised that Deron Williams was the final piece to another GMs roster and he would be taken care of and never ever moved if I would only send him there (GSW). So out of the kindness in my Heart and to get Deron to a place he coud grow roots, I sent him off for no more than Damian Lillard (2012 ROY) and Kevin Love. What Happend Black Ice - You turned Deron into Mario Chalmers (who I had to throw you in the end along with Matthews, Bosh, Splitter and Reddick!) Oh where, Oh where has my little Deron Gone!

Moving on - I again went for a balanced line up and seem to have cornered the market on the best young talent in the last draft - sans Davis. I do thnk Lillard is the real deal and with Kobe Bryant as his running mate he will be a 40/50/90 shooter with 8 assists per game. Jeff Green will retun to form and be allowed to play at his natural SF spot where he has been a dominant Defensive presence and will be able to knock down the J when Damian or Kobe dish to him. Paul Millsap is the 5th rank PF in the league coming out of the 2011 campaign and Meyers Leonard is now in his second season where his high BBIQ and great athleticism will take over and allow him to be the Man in the Middle and on the Glass and he will conitine to provide better offensive stats than were expected with his 15 Foot jumper and the Put Backs that will result from his Play in the post.

Tyler Hansbrough has demonstratted that the Psycho T game does play in the association and he will be a solid contributor on both ends of the floor. Many of the experts think that Marquis Teague will be the best PG in this draft - we still like Lillard - but Teague will have his time to shine. I expect between PJ III - Terrence Jones - John Henson & Jared Cunningham, we will get at least 2 solid contrributors and possible All Star level players.

With Kobe setting the tone and the talent that the Nets have assembled - Along with the Money that Porkorov is looking to spend, the Future is not only bright - But Now.

Fun game - shout out to BI and TMAC for their efforts. I did enjoy dealing with the other GMs - just wish we had played it out to the end. Good Luck on future games.

Washington Wizards



Salaries:



Blue - Team Option
Green - Player Option
Red - Qualifying Offer
Grey - Unguaranteed
Purple- Early Termination

*Depth Chart:

Holiday/Mo Williams/Robinson
Stuckey/Jamal Crawford/Goudelock
Barnes/Thaddeus Young/Stackhouse
Favors/Bass/Clark
McGee/Hawes/Lavoy Allen

Draft picks:

2014: WAS 1st/ WAS 2nd / OKC 2nd
2015: WAS 2nd/ MEM 2nd/ NOH 2nd/ MEM 2nd
2016: WAS 2nd
2017: WAS 1st/ WAS 2nd

Draft rights:

Tomas Satorinsky (2012, 32nd pick)
Trey Burke (2013, 24th pick)

TPE:

None.

Cash:

$1.5M



Write-up:

How it all started

When i started GM-ing the Wizards, the team was built in the very interesting way - we had two young potential stars in back-court with John Wall and Bradley Beal, while our front-court had some guys who seemed like win-now players in Trevor Ariza, Nene, Emeka Okafor. All 3 of them had not the nicest contracts possible. Our bench featured players that were born to be role-players, nothing much was there.

Original depth chart:

John Wall/Shelvin Mack
Bradley Beal/Jordan Crawford
Trevor Ariza/Jan Vesely/Chris Singleton
Nene/Andray Blatche/Trevor Booker
Emeka Okafor/Kevin Seraphin


The game:

My goal was to build a young team in Washington. During the game i made 27 trades, so i think, i was a pretty active GM. There were some trades that were easy to make and then there were some trades that had me thinking hard. Read on, if you're interested how i think i succeeded.

Position-by-position

Talking about my starting PG, i replaced John Wall with Jrue Holiday. I think, this is a pretty even thing. Wall's more athletic, but he shot 7% from downtown and his jumper is really bad. Holiday, for example, was 38% shooter from three. John Wall also dished more assists, but, let's not forget, he had the ball more in Washington than Holiday in Philadelphia, because Jrue played with guys like Iguodala and Turner. Turnovers reflect that (Holiday has about 2 TO per game, while Wall has 3.8 TO a game). Wall's got more potential, but, i'm pretty happy with Holiday, especially since he's signed with us long-term.

Let's move on to my starting SG. Bradley Beal was the 3rd pick in 2012 draft, so, obviously he has more value than my starting SG Rodney Stuckey. Though, Stuckey is more proved and we know what are we gonna get from him. 14pts/4asts a game with some play-making and ability to be the play-maker along Jrue Holiday. I admit, i wanted to trade Stuckey for a more traditional SG with a better range, but Stuckey is also a decent player to have. It's a downgrade value-wise from Beal, but it's not like i down-graded from Dwight Howard to Kwame Brown, cos i''ve got a legit replacement.

Let's move on to starting SF. I had Ariza, an ok player, who can shoot the three, who can defend, who is a little bit over-paid and, since i knew he's not going to be a "better than ok" player, i wanted to upgrade him. And that's what i did. Harrison Barnes, i thought, should have gone higher in 2012 draft than 7th pick. It's the same like with Beal, it's hard to say, whether or not, he'll be a really good NBA player, but i added a potential and i consider this as an upgrade.

Starting at my PF i had Nene. Brazilian is a good player, but i felt he was a little too old for me. His contract, while not too big, wasn't also a bargain, so his value on the court was probably bigger than his trade value. After the game, starting at my PF i have Derrick Favors. The 3rd pick in 2010 NBA draft. This dude is 9 years younger than Nene. He's also known for his good defense and rebounding and he's not a stain on offense to boot. While being very young, he also has play-off experience and he had a good series against the Spurs in 2012 playoffs putting up 12/9 in 29 MPG. During the regular season, he was able to put up 9/6 in only 21 minutes. That's 15/11 per 36. The bottom line is, the dude is young, he has a lot of potential and i consider him as a huge upgrade over Nene, especially when he's twice as cheap.

At C i also had an over-paid, defensive C that was too old for my plans - Emeka Okafor. Yet again, he's a decent player, but when you look at his salary, he looses all the trading value. In 2011-2012 season he didn't play in a lot of games and that season was a down-season for him, so we were worried about his future. As a replacement, starting at C, we have JaVale McGee. He's younger, he's longer, he's more athletic than Emeka. His offensive game and bball IQ aren't his strong sides, but his defense and rim-protection will be crucial for our team. Also, he worked on his game with Hakeem Olajuwon, so we are hoping for an improvement. Also, let's remember what Hakeem said, JaVale has a lot of potential and he should dominate the league if he lives up to his potential. His contract is probably a little too big, but he's still cheaper than Emeka and you have to pay for the potential. JaVale fits my plans much better and he will become a better player when he matures, works more on his offensive skills, so this is an improvement.

Now to my bench. I could break it down position by position, but is there a point? Look at Mo Williams, Jamal Crawford, Thaddeus Young, Brandon Bass and Spencer Hawes. This is a legit starting 5 and i have them all coming off the bench. They are not super young, but that's not necessarily a disadvantage - they have some experience and can mentor the younger guys. Also, instead of conflicting with the coach they will try hard to earn a starting spot, and they'll put some pressure on our starters to improve. In my 3rd string i have a produtice Lavoy Allen, who was a pleasant surprise in 2012 playoffs. I also have Nate Robinson, who can light it up from time to time. Solid vet like Stackhouse will mentor the guys in the locker room and Earl Clark and Andrew Goudelock are the cheap guys, who can develop as pretty ok role-players.

Summary:

I think i've slightly down-graded in my back-court, but i've kept it ok anyways. I've made some big improvements in my front-court, while i also got younger. I'm very satisfied with my bench, i think it's the best bench unit in the league. The coach of this team has so many options during the game, so if one or two guys are struggling, it's not a big problem.
That said, i think i did a pretty good job, hopefully the rankings will reflect that.

Raptors

Goals
1.) Make the Raptors relevant
2.) No higher than 85 million on the salary cap
3.) Change the era in Toronto.

Original Raptors Roster
PG: Kyle Lowry / Jose Calderon
SG: Demar DeRozan
SF: Terrence Ross / James Johnson
PF: Andrea Bargnani / Ed Davis / Amir Johnson
C: Jonas Valanciunas

New Raptors Roster
PG: Kyle Lowry / Luke Ridnour / Reggie Jackson
SG: Eric Gordon / Tony Allen / Delonte West
SF: Jared Dudley / Tyler Honeycutt
PF: Kevin Love / Taj Gibson / Drew Gooden
C: Emeka Okafor / Cole Aldrich

Salaries
Allen, Tony: $7,500,000 / $7,837,500 / $8,175,000 / $8,512,500
Aldrich, Cole: $3,245,152
Dudley, Jared: $4,250,000 / $4,250,000 / $4,250,000
Gibson, Taj: $6,000,000 / $6,100,000 / $6,200,000 / $6,300,000
Gooden, Drew: $6,687,400 / $6,687,400
Gordon, Eric: $14,194,379 / $14,805,621 / $15,416,862
Honeycutt, Tyler: $2,000,000 / $2,000,000
Jackson, Reggie: $1,260,360 / $2,204,370
Lowry, Kyle: $6,210,000
Love, Kevin: $13,891,359 / $14,860,523 / $15,829,688
Okafor, Emeka: $14,487,500 (PO)
Ridnour, Luke: $4,200,000
West, Delonte: $2,612,500
Total Salary: $86,538,650


Cash
9 million

TPE
None

Draft Picks

2014
1st Round (Top 2 Protected)
MEM 1st Round (If between 4-14)
2nd Round

2015
1st Round
2nd Round

2016
1st Round





Positional Write-Ups
Point Guards
Kyle Lowry / Jose Calderon < Kyle Lowry / Luke Ridnour / Reggie Jackson

Doesn't appear to be a huge improvement, but it's an improvement nonetheless. Kyle Lowry is a year older, and more importantly got a taste of the playoffs in the East in the 2012 season with the Raptors. Luke Ridnour is a better fit as a backup than Jose Calderon because he's cheaper and he's a better three point shooter. Add in Reggie Jackson, whose a young guard I'm particularly high on.


Shooting Guards
Demar DeRozan / Landry Fields <<< Eric Gordon / Tony Allen / Delonte West

This is a MASSIVE upgrade at shooting guard. Getting Eric Gordon was a coup, and put my team in the right track. He's 23 years old in real life, and he's already loads better than DeRozan whose career is probably going to consist of highlight dunks. It might be about time to label him as a bust. Tony Allen might be even be better than DeRozan right now. He adds some defense to the backcourt, where Gordon offers offense. Delonte West backs up both guard spots.


Small Forward
Terrence Ross / James Johnson < Jared Dudley / Tyler Honeycutt

Much like point guard, this might not look like a big improvement but it really is. Terrence Ross is completely unproven, where as Dudley is a proven great three point shooter and a phenomenal defender. Add on the fact that Jared Dudley makes peanuts, and this really is an improvement. Tyler Honeycutt, unlike James Johnson, actually provides some youth and upside.


Power Forward
Andrea Bargnani / Ed Davis / Amir Johnson <<< Kevin Love / Taj Gibson / Drew Gooden

Kevin Love is the best power forward in the NBA, by a pretty significant margin and upgrading from Andrea Bargnani, whose afraid of banging in the paint is a huge steal for us. Add on Taj Gibson, whom you could argue is better than Kevin Love already and this is a no brainer huge upgrade for the Raptors. Taking on Drew Gooden's contract isn't great, but he's a nice big body to throw out and use up some fouls.


Centers
Jonas Valanciunas < Emeka Okafor / Cole Aldrich

I took a hit in the future to get better now, and to get a much better fit next to Kevin Love. I need a defensive minded center who isn't afraid to bang in the post and Emeka Okafor. Cole Aldrich is a guy whom I think can be a decent starting center in the NBA. May never be a star, but should be a solid center for several years.

Goals
1.) Make the Raptors relevant
~ The Raptors have made the playoffs five of the 17 seasons they've been in existance. They've never once made it out of the conference semifinals. Odds are high that the Raptors aren't only contending for conference championships

2.) No higher than 85 million on the salary cap
~ I thought this was a pretty fair "bar" to set the Raptors salary cap at. Toronto is about a similar market size as Dallas was at that the year they won their championship. I went a little bit over, but that only becomes a bit insignificant difference since I was pretty close to what I was trying to accomplish.

3.) Change the era in Toronto.
~ There will be legitimate excitement around the Raptors. With Eric Gordon and Kevin Love not even close to the primes of their career, they'll have the future to grow together.

Overall
Just look at the team I inherited. I had three assets at the start with Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, and Jose Calderon's expiring contract. You pool up all my assets together and you don't get Kevin Love, let alone adding in Eric Gordon and the other great fits next to those two. I improved every single one of my positions, and only really took back one bad contract and didn't lose any significant pick flexibility. I've even got significant cap relief next year in the form of expiring contracts, namely Emeka Okafor. Add onto that I managed to put two million cash back in my bosses' pocket and I think I did a pretty damn good job. Eric Gordon and Kevin Love are my franchise cornerstones and they're both 23 years old in real life. The results speak for themselves, I took a pretender contender into a legitimate powerhouse for several years to come with the young core I have put in place for the Raptors. How many people say they took a perennial lottery team and made them a top 5 team in the NBA over the next five years? The Raptors are finally relevant again.

Magic

I'll try to keep it short and simple, since I know no one wants to read 30 long-ass essays.

We went from this...

Kyrie Irving / Daniel Gibson
Dion Waiters
Omri Casspi / Luke Walton
Tristan Thompson / Samardo Samuels
Anderson Varejao / Tyler Zeller

...and got to this:

Kyrie Irving / Jimmer Fredette / Jonny Flynn
Kevin Martin / Brandon Roy
Kawhi Leonard / Danny Green
Serge Ibaka / Zach Randolph / DeJuan Blair
Roy Hibbert / Steven Adams / Alex Len

Yeah.


We also went from the 4th pick in the draft in 2012...



...to the 4th seed in the playoffs in 2013.



Our salary information is as follows:



We're JUST over the luxury tax but I think it's worth it. Our team's salaries were carefully structured so that we would have no problem re-signing Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard in two years ($28M comes off the books then).

Oh, we also have $20.5M cash to help out.



As for our future picks:

2014:
DET 1st (Top 8 protected)
MIN 2nd

2015:
CLE 1st
UTA 1st (lottery-protected)

2016:
WAS 1st
DEN 1st
BOS 2nd

2017:
CLE 1st
PHI 2nd
BOS 2nd

We have 6 first-round picks in the next four years, AND we have a nice wild card in the Detroit pick, which is pretty much a guaranteed lottery pick (team full of rookies).



And finally, to go a little bit deeper into the team...

STARTERS (with ages):

Kyrie Irving (21): easily a future superstar, but I started with him.

Kevin Martin (30): a top SG scorer who puts up an efficient 20+ PPG. He should flourish off open looks from Kyrie and less pressure. He's also on a pretty sweet deal.

Kawhi Leonard (22): a debatable top 2 pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He's got tremendous physical tools and played great as a defensive guy. His ONLY concern coming out of college was his jumper, but he shot a very respectable season his rookie year. He can score, defend, and do the intangibles. I think he's an Iggy/fringe all-star type player at worst.

Serge Ibaka (23): 2nd in DPOY voting and the best big on a Finals team. Mr. 5BPG per36. He's a guy I really like, with tremendous physical attributes and a beyond-elite skill in shotblocking. He's improved every season and has even developed a really nice midrange jumper. We had to overpay for him in RFA but I think he'll be worth it pretty soon.

Roy Hibbert (26): easily a top 3 center who's a force on both ends of the court. He impressed me a LOT after the playoff series against us. He's a traditional low-post scorer, can hit the midrange jumper, a great rebounder/shotblocker, and one of the best low-post defenders.

2ND STRING/BENCH:

Jimmer Fredette (24): a great scorer/shooter who didn't have a great rookie season. I think with another year passed, Jimmer becomes a good sixth man scorer/instant-offense type of guy. He has too much talent not to.

Brandon Roy (29): he says he's healthy and the Twolves are convinced. He's a GREAT sixth man as a primary ball-handler off the bench who can score and make plays, especially next to a shooter like Jimmer.

Danny Green (25): he's a great backup to Kawhi with his similar defensive capabilities and legnth. I thought he played really well as a backup wing for the Spurs with his energy/defense.

Zach Randolph (31): an all-star 20/10 big man as a third big would be terrific off the bench, considering how well he fits with either Hibbert or Ibaka. He was easily the best player on a Grizzlies team that overachieved in the playoffs.

Steven Adams (20): he's a 6th pick prospect with a high ceiling and a ton of hype. He's a nice wildcard for us as he could develop into a really good center. He's also Kiwi.

Alex Len, DeJuan Blair, Jonny Flynn: Len's a 12th pick on mock drafts, Blair's a great third string who plays great in limited minutes, and Flynn's a recent sixth pick who still has potential.

On the team overall:

I think that overall, the team would mesh well together.

On offense, I think Kyrie has a lot of options to go to, Kmart's a terrific 2nd/3rd option type of guy, and Hibbert's a guy you can just throw the rock to in the low post. Ibaka/Kawhi are great finishers with their athleticism as well.

On defense, Hibbert/Ibaka give us an all-time caliber shotblocking duo, and we have a perimeter lockdown defender in Kawhi. I think we easily have the best defensive frontcourt in the league, with all due respect to the other teams.

OVERALL, why I think I deserve to win:

We started with Kyrie + a couple pieces, and one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best in just a year.

We didn't tank AND we didn't sign any big names in free agency, which I feel is big.

We also have a TON of cash, and we didn't give up all our future picks either (we actually got more).

We're not luxury tax capped out either. Our salaries structure is done so that we have no future problems re-signing Kyrie/Kawhi.

We have two nice wild cards in Adams and 2014 DET 1st. One's a sixth pick prospect and the other is a guaranteed lottery pick in next year's draft.

I think overall, we're the only team that can compete with OKC (the NBA champs) now, and for the next decade.

gmoklahomacity@gmail.com

Starters

..Lawson...Sefolosha....Durant....Horford.....Bogut

Bench

..Davis.....Thornton.....Kleiza.....Wright......Kaman


..Taylor......Evans



Roster


Depth Chart


Statistics


Minutes
PG: Ty Lawson (32)/Baron Davis (16)/Tyshawn Taylor
SG: Thabo Sefolosha (18)/Marcus Thornton (30)
SF: Kevin Durant (38)/Thabo Sefolosha (10)/Linas Kleiza
PF: Al Horford (36)/ Brandon Wright (12)
Cc: Andrew Bogut (30)/Chris Kaman(18)/Reggie Evans


Draft Picks
2015 Second Rond Pick (OKC)
2015 Second Round Pick (CLE)
2016 First Round Pick (OKC)
2016 Second Round Pick (OKC)
2017 First Round Pick (OKC)
2017 Second Round Pick (OKC)

Draft Rights
Yotam Halperin
DeVon Hardin
Paccelis Morlende
Latavious Williams


Transactions
1.) Russel Westbrook, 2013 OKC First, 2014 OKC 2nd to Washington for John Wall, Chris Singleton and Kevin Seraphin
2.) James Harden, Chris Singleton, Eric Maynor and Kendrick Perkins to the Golden State Warriors for Andrew Bogut, DeMar DeRozan and 2014 First Round Pick GSW
3.) DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Seraphin and 2014 First Round Pick OKC to Memphis for Mike Conley
4.) 3 Million in Cash to New Jersey for the rights to Tyshawn Taylor.
5.) Signed Tyshawn Taylor to a 4 year rookie deal
6.) Mike Conley and 2014 First Round Pick GSW to Sacramento for Marcus Thornton
7.) Tibor Pleiss to MEM? for 2015 Second Round Pick CLE
8.) Cole Aldrich and $1 Million in cash to Brooklyn for Reggie Evans
9.) Signed Chris Kaman to a multi year multi million dollar contract
10.) Daequan Cook and 2015 First Round Pick OKC to Philadelphia for Jerryd Bayless.
11.) Waived Hasheem Thabeet
12.) Signed Linas Kleizato a 2 year deal.
13.) John Wall, Reggie Jackson, Perry Jones III to Cleveland for Al Horford and 2013 2nd Round Pick Chicago.
14.) Serge Ibaka, Jerryd Bayless 2013 CHI 2nd and 3 million cash to Cleveland for Ty Lawson
15.) Re-signed Ty Lawson to a 4 year deal $11,000,000, $10,505,000, $10,010,000, $9,515,000
16.) Signed Brandon Wright to a two year contract $1,500,000, $1,500,000
17.) Signed Baron Davis to a two year contract $1,500,000, $1,500,000
18.) Traded Nick Collison to someone for a TPE

Trading Block
No One ATM

Writeup

This is going to be very short and sweet I hope. When I took OKC my goal was to keep the team intact for the most part, but seeing how this game goes, I knew that James Harden and Serge Ibaka were going to be offered max contracts. I decided then that I would keep the team under the LUX TAX of 75 milion. I came close. The team is ay 78 Million and is very competitive thats for sure.

Lets look at the rosters.

Ty Lawson, without a doubt it is a downgrade from Russel Westbrook. However, Lawson will be getting paid about 10 million while Westbrook will be getting paid 15-17 million. Big money savings in a small market imho.

Thabo is staying, and what was also one of my goals. Harden was not affordable as a backup with his atrocious defense so getting Thornton to replace him at 8 million instead of 15-19 million I think was an absolute sideways move in talent but a no brainer salary wise.

Kevin Durant....yea he wasnt moving.


Al Horford, while not the shot blocker that Ibaka was, is a much more talented big man that Ibaka right now. And at a much cheaper price. 12 million here vs the 15-19 million that Ibaka got in free agency.


Andrew Bogut, baring another Freak Accident Bogut >>>>>>>> Perkins. Perkins saw no floor time in the finals at all, he was just too much of a liability.

Bench

While Baron Davis is old he still got something left for 15 mins a game. IMHO Taylor was the 2nd best PG in the draft this year, and he would have two years in the league now so Baron Davis would not even be needed.

Thronton as above is close enough to Harden off the bench and at a much cheaper price.

Kleiza, while a lot of fans in Toronto hate this guy, me included, at 800k hes a much better player then he is at 4.5 million. Nice Backup imho, Even though Sefolosha will get most of the KD backup minutes.

Brandon Wright proved this year with Dallas he can be a great backup big in the league.

Chris Kaman, is a great backup and for 6 million a year hes well worth it. Same goes for Reggie Evans at 1.5 million. Yes these two on the same team is just pricelss, but im sure they have parted there ways on the Reggie Evans mistake.


Overall
I think I did a good job managing this team, its actually harder than people think because of the salaries involved with Ibaka and Harden and getting fair return. If i could change one thing it would probbly be the Westbrook for John Wall trade I made, but that was all in the cost saving mode. I think I did a great job with this team in making them affordable for the future.

Clippers



Original Rotation
C Jordan/Martin
PF Griffin/Odom/Thompkins
SF Butler/Simmons
SG Crawford/Billups/Young/Leslie
PG Paul/Bledsoe

New Rotation
C Bynum/Camby/Mahimni/Dieng
PF Jefferson/Jamison/Martin
SF Kidd-Gilchrist/Mirotic/Mbah Moute
SG Richardson/Terry
PG Paul/Billups/Blake

total salaries: 79million.

rights to
#33 Gorgui Dieng: will play on team

#28 Dario Saric
#41- Doug McDermott
#58 CJ Fair
play in europe^

2014 1st
2014 Charlotte 2nd
2014 Miami 2nd
2015 1st
Future nets second rd pick


The LA Clippers came into this game as a fringe contender team a team that looked destined for 1st or 2nd round playoff losses year after year. We had Chris Paul a top 3-5 player in this league, Blake Griffin a superb athlete who hasnt improved his game since his entering the league and a cast of role players. My goal in mind was to make the best team i could possibly make and try to build a dynasty.

This was my first time doing a game like this and i was being a bit cautious at first after getting the hang of it i started to get more and more aggressive as the game went on.

Position by Position analysis:

Center: Andrew Bynum/Marcus Camby/Ian Mahimni/Gorgui Dieng vs DeAndre Jordan/Kenyon Martin
This was an unbelievable large upgrade. I turn an overpaid center who has made one shot outside the paint in the last 3 years and a guy that is a natural powerforward not center into:
Andrew Bynum who in 2 years has a chance to be the leagues most dominant center and maybe even player. Bynum is supposedly 7'2 with arms to his knees. When motivated he is the leagues best center and we will unlike the lakers give him the touches to keep him motivated. Post all star break he averaged 21ppg 11rpg 2bpg on 57%FG playing as a 2nd or 3rd option and with the leagues biggest shot jacker Kobe. keep in mind he is also only 24.
Moving on i signed Marcus Camby a veteran locker room presense who is a hard worker and an elite defender and rebounder. Camby was 1st in the league in TRB% and BLK% showing how big of an impact he has.
Ian Mahimni is a young high energy defensive big he has a lot of value as he warranted Darren Collison and Dahntay jones in a trade just a month or so ago.
Gorgui Dieng is a player that im unbelievably high on he is flying up draft boards like crazy after adding a large amount of bulk. He is 6'11 with a chiseled body and has a 7'4 wingspan. He is a really good athlete and tremendous shot blocker he has a nice touch as shown by his solid 68% FT. And hes been making great strides in his game.

Power Foward: Al Jefferson/Antawn Jamison/Kenyon Martin vs Blake Griffin/Lamar Odom
This one is close but Jefferson and the depth makes it better now
Jefferson gives me another near 7'0 footer that i have on my team. He is a legit 20 and 10 player and was the best player on a playoff team last year. He has one of the leagues top post games and takes care of the basketball really well he was 2nd in the league in turnover rate averaging 1topg on 26%usg. He is also a good jump shooter and spreads the court nicely his EFG% on jumpers is better than players like Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh, Zach Randolph, Josh Smith, Paul millsap and others. He is also a very valuable player as he had one of the leagues best simple ratings. He is a very underrated defender with above average advanced stats in every category. He can also play PF well boasting a 35.4 PER vs opponents 10.3 PER at the PF position.
Antawn Jamison is a veteran presense on my team hes a solid rebounder defender and he is a nice stretch 4 next to Bynum. He has been on multiple contending teams and knows what to do to win.
Kenyon Martin is a tough hard nosed locker room presense hes a great rebounder defender and can get under other players skins. He has been a big time playoff player in the past being in the NBA finals twice and being deep in the conference playoffs multiple times.

Small Forward: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist/Nikola Mirotic/Luc Richard Mbah Moute vs Caron Butler/Bobby Simmons

This is another big upgrade. We turn a mediocre starter and a scrub into the leagues #2 picks, one of europes brightest stars and an elite defensive stopper.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is an elite prospect. Think Scottie Pippen. Hes 6'8 with a 7'0 wingspan and a chiseled 233 lb body at only 18 years old. He has an unbelievable motor and hes the biggest gym rat ivev seen. He was the consensous leader as a freshman of the NCAA Champion Kentucky Wildcats. He has only one weakness and thats his jump shot and with his will to get better there is no doubt in my mind he will turn it into a strength. The guy is a lockdown defender and is my designated "Lebron Stopper" as a freshman his opponents offensive stats were: 25%FG in isolation, 23.5% in PnR, 20.3% on shots off dribble, and 31.4% FG at the rim. He is also an amazing slasher and boasted the highest FG% at rim of all prospects with 70.5%. He also has a great post game shooting 56.3% out of the post and he was 5th among all SF prospects in FTA per 40mins despite playing in a lesser role. He has all the tools to be a star in this league and he is a great piece of my core.
Nikola Mirotic is the only 2x winner of the euroleague rising star award. An award won by nba players like Gallinari, Rubio and Bargnani. He is 6'11 is a solid athlete and an unbelievable jumper he has a great inside out game with a post game and floaters and can get up and dunk.
Luc Richard Mbah Moute is one of the leagues top defensive stoppers hes 6'8 with a 7'1 wingspan and hes a high energy player a great defender and offensive rebounder.

Shooting Guard: Jason Richardson/Jason Terry/Billups vs Crawford/Billups/Young/Leslie

This is also an upgrade. I turn Crawford and young two inefficient shot jackers into two better shooting guards.
Richardson is a great fit at my starting 2 guard. Hes big 6'7 a solid defender and can shoot the 3ball really well. I dont need anything else from him he is an experienced player and has been in the playoffs tons of times.
Jason Terry will be my 6th man he will get a ton of minutes and him and billups will make an outstanding 2 headed monster off the bench. Terry is a former 6th man of the year winner and one of the leagues elite clutch players. He was the mavericks hero in the 2011 finals putting shot after shot in against the nbas best player LeBron james.

Point Guard: Chris Paul/Chauncey Billups/Steve Blake vs Chris Paul/Eric Bledsoe
This is an upgrade. Chris Paul is still one of the leagues elite players. He carried the clippers to the playoffs and led them to the 2nd round of the playoffs playing injured. Advanced stats all portray him as the leagues best player after Lebron James. He is unbelievable clutch and nobody can dictate the game like him
Chauncey Billups is another super clutch player. He is the only player in nba history to make the conference finals 6 years in a row. He can hit shots play both guard positions and be a coach off the bench. He is a former Finals MVP and for good reason Mr.Big Shot is still a top notch guard in this league and a terry-billups backcourt off the bench would be considered really good as as starting backcourt.
Steve blake is a very solid backup he can shoot 3s and wont turn the ball over.

I turned a treadmill team into a powerhouse. I have an elite bench one of the best ive ever seen. My starting lineup is also stacked. I have the leagues top point guard and arguably the top center in Bynum. I have an elite young prospect in Michael Kidd Gilchrist and another all star PF in Al jefferson. My team has the perfect blend of young future stars, veteran leaders and prime players. In my opinion we are the best team in the league and we will win tons of titles over the next 10 years.

Detroit Pistons


Original roster
C Andre Drummond/Jason Maxiell
PF Greg Monroe/Jonas Jerekbo/Charlie Villanueva
SF Tayshaun Prince/Austin Daye/Corey Maggette
SG Rodney Stuckey/Kim English/Khris Middleton
PG Brandon Knight/Will Bynum

Roster i took over
C Jason Maxiell
PF Greg Monroe/Jonas Jerekbo
SF Paul George
SG Kim English/Khris Middleton
PG Goran Dragic


Current Roster

C Cody Zeller/ Epke Udoh/Kosta Koufos
PF Alex Poythress/Jonas Jerekbo/Patric Young
SF Klay Thompson/LeBryan Nash/Kim English
SG Dion Waiters/Brandon Rush/Doron Lamb
PG Brandon Knight/Devin Harris/Lorenzo Brown

total salaries 50.4mil

draft rights
rights to#35 Isiaah Canaan
rights to #38 Branden Dawson
rights to #57 CJ Fair

2014 Detroit 1st
2014 Charlotte 1st (unprotected)
2014 Houston lotto protected 1st
2014 2nd

I had a unique situation i took over a situation from another GM who had to leave. He did only one trade but in my eyes it wasnt a great one. He traded Andre Drummond, Rodney Stuckey Brandon Knight and a 2013 1st(#7 pick) for Paul George and Dragic. I had to start off with Monroe George Dragic and nothing else not even a draft pick and i turned my team into an absolutely stacked young team with 2 below average teams 1sts while still keeping mine. I took a train wreck of a team and turned it into a super talented young run and gun team thats 15 deep. Tons of young guys with star potential. 3 2014 1sts as well and i have a chance to get a young star to add to my collection. We will be a run and gun team with our youth shooters and athletes

My roster
C Cody Zeller(19) Hes a legit 7'0 hes a ridiculously hard worker as well. He has amazing footwork and is an animal in the weight room. He has a very well developed post game and can shoot the mid range shot. He has an unbelievable bball iq and is listed #1 on the nbadraft.net mock
PF Alex Poythress(19) Hes a 6'9 Combo Foward with a 7'0 wingspan. He has an nba body and is an absolute man child. He is super athletic and will slam everything down. Hes got a solid handle and a pretty good jump shot. What i like most about him is that he is a super hard worker getting comparisons like Terrence Jones with Michael Kidd Gilchrists mentality. He can guard all 5 positions and plays hard every play. Was the 5th pick in the draft.
SF Klay Thompson(22) Hes 6'7 and is more of a natural 2 guard but we are a run and gun team so SF wont be a big deal. He is an unbelievable shooter one of the leagues elite as a rookie. As a rookie he averaged 18+ppg as a starter on 45 40 90 shooting. He is on the US Select team and looks to have a very bright future. 11th pick in 2011 nba draft.
SG Dion Waiters(20) a 6'4 shooting guard he was the 4th pick in the draft. Dion is a super talented player. He is unstoppable when penetrating as he has a chiseled nba body and is really quick. Hes a complete scorer and a very aggressive player. hes also a very active defender leading all draft prospects in STLs/40min.
PG Brandon Knight(20): a 6'3 point guard he was the 8th pick in the 2011 draft. He is a great leader and absolute gym rat. He has nba level athleticism and already has a great jump shot. He has gained 15lbs of muscle this off season and looks like he will only get better and better.

Bench
Epke Udoh(25): Hes been in the nba for only 2 years and has proven himself to be a valuable specialist. He is a great defender a good rebounder and can hit the mid range shot. he still has potential left and was the 6th pick in the 10 draft.
Jonas Jerekbo(25) Hes a 2year nba player and has proven himself to be a super valuable energy guy. He is very versatile he can defend multiple positions is a very good athlete can hit jump shots and is a great defender.
LeBryan Nash(20) The 8th pick in the draft. A rookie he has a ton of potential. He is a bit of a headcase though but with all the hard workers here i feel like he can reach his potential. He is 6'7 and has tons of strength and athleticism. He has an ok handle and a nice looking jump shot. If he can tighten up both his handle and jumper he can be a truly special player.
Brandon Rush(27) A valuable bench player. Brandon was 4th in the leaguee in true shooting percentage with a staggering 63%. He is a great defender and hard worker. He has high character and looks to be one of the veterans on this team.
Devin Harris(29) Looks to be one of the leaders of this team. Is a former nba finalist and all star. Had a very underrated 2011 he averaged 11.3ppg on 45%FG in 27mpg with a 2.5:1 Assist to Turnover ratio. He will work hard and set an example for the young guns.
Kosta Koufos(23) Is a very talented and young 7'0. He runs the floor extremely well and is incredibly efficient averaging 5.5ppg and 5.4 rpg on 60%FG in 16mpg for a PER of 17.3.
Patric Young(20) The 16th pick in the draft. 6'9 250lbs with a 7'1 wingspan. He is built like a tank and is a great athlete. Is a very good shot blocker and rebounder and has a growing basketball IQ. A ton of potential.
Kim English(23) A rookie 2nd rounder. Looks to be an incredibly valuable pick. THe pistons veterans are raving about the young guy and his incredible work ethic. Season hasnt even started and hes been in the pistons facility watching game film. He is a knockdown shooter and a solid athlete. Looks to be a lock down defender for the rest of his career with his lateral quickness length and competitive attitude.
Doron Lamb(20) The veteran of the Kentucky Wildcats championship team. He is a great shooter and is super smooth and crafty. he can play both guard spots and is a super intelligient player. He looks like a Jason Terry clone.
Lorenzo Brown(20) A super talented young point guard. Looks to be the best player on NC States basketball team which has title aspirations. Hes a legit 6'5 and a very good athlete. Hes got mean handles and is a really good defender. His jump shot has been improving and his growth from freshman to sophomore season is staggering. 17th in the 2013 NBA mock