Would this team win more than 20 games?

[Goudelock]

So my friend and I were trying to come up with topics to discuss on the radio. One idea he had was to pretend that the Supersonics were coming back, and that the league was holding an expansion draft. In this scenario, each team got to protect 6 players from the draft. Rookies were also not eligible to be drafted by the Sonics, although for some reason, the Sonics were given the #1 pick in this year's draft (Markelle Fultz). So this is how my team looks:

PG: Markelle Fultz, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jameer Nelson
SG: Alex Abrines, Mario Hezonja, Vince Carter
SF: Derrick Jones Jr., Justin Anderson, Bruno Caboclo
PF: Trey Lyles, James Johnson, Nicolas Brussino,
C: Richaun Holmes, Lucas Nogueira, Joakim Noah

So my team is extremely young and athletic, but has some over-the-hill veterans to act as good locker room guys. No defense on this team aside from James Johnson and maybe Richaun Holmes, so I'd hire a coach that would play uptempo all the time. The goal would be to entertain fans with high-scoring losses, while hopefully finding out if one of the young players on the team has any star potential.

[Winsome Gerbil]

Wouldn't win 20, but then again would you actually want it to?

That's part of the expansion team's strategy, try to entertain fans eager to be entertained just enough while you pick in the high lottery every year and secure your own Adam Morrison.

[Dr Positivity]

Going to say under on 20 there. James Johnson should be starting, he's one of their best players

I made a thread in Trades and Transaction forum a few months ago where fans of teams protected their players using the Bobcats expansion rules, and then played out the expansion draft.

In termes of veterans some of the established veterans available included Ryan Anderson, Kanter, Knight (pre ACL tear), Barton, Crabbe, Robin Lopez, Matthews, Dellavedova, Carroll. Barton was the guy that was on just about everyone's team. For prospects most of the good ones were protected so it was players like Derrick Jones and Chinanu Onuaku who were most interesting

My team at the time was

Dennis Smith, Jr. (#4) / Fred VanVleet (non-guaranteed) / Demetrius Jackson (non-guaranteed) / Gary Payton II (non-guaranteed)
Justin Anderson / Joe Harris (non-guaranteed)
Will Barton / Derrick Jones, Jr. (non-guaranteed)
Jon Leuer / Jordan Bell (#34) / Joel Bolomboy
Enes Kanter / Chinanu Onuaku / Edy Tavares (non-guaranteed) / Daniel Ochefu (non-guaranteed)

[HeartBreakKid]

No shot at winning 20 games. Carter and Johnson are the only ok players, Fultz might be starting caliber his rookie season also.

[HornetJail]

That team might have a hard time keeping up with the 2012 Bobcats or 2016 Sixers. You'd need a GREAT coach to get that to even challenge 20 wins.

Wouldn't win 20, but then again would you actually want it to?

That's part of the expansion team's strategy, try to entertain fans eager to be entertained just enough while you pick in the high lottery every year and secure your own Adam Morrison.

[azcatz11]

So my friend and I were trying to come up with topics to discuss on the radio. One idea he had was to pretend that the Supersonics were coming back, and that the league was holding an expansion draft. In this scenario, each team got to protect 6 players from the draft. Rookies were also not eligible to be drafted by the Sonics, although for some reason, the Sonics were given the #1 pick in this year's draft (Markelle Fultz). So this is how my team looks:

PG: Markelle Fultz, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jameer Nelson
SG: Alex Abrines, Mario Hezonja, Vince Carter
SF: Derrick Jones Jr., Justin Anderson, Bruno Caboclo
PF: Trey Lyles, James Johnson, Nicolas Brussino,
C: Richaun Holmes, Lucas Nogueira, Joakim Noah

So my team is extremely young and athletic, but has some over-the-hill veterans to act as good locker room guys. No defense on this team aside from James Johnson and maybe Richaun Holmes, so I'd hire a coach that would play uptempo all the time. The goal would be to entertain fans with high-scoring losses, while hopefully finding out if one of the young players on the team has any star potential.

I had to google Alex Abrines. I literally had no idea who that was lol. I've never had that happen with a current NBA player!

[magicmerl]

Mario Hezonja

But the horse..... does horse things!

[JordansBulls]

I'd say max of 12-15 games.

[RightToCensor]

I actually think they can under the right coaching.

Fultz | Nelson | Mudiay
Carter | Hezonja
Anderson
Johnson | Lyles
Holmes | Nogueira

Fultz and Johnson alone are a better duo than those terrible Bobcat or Sixer teams that won less than 20 games. If Fultz is legit, then he should be able to get this team to 20 wins on his own.

[feyki]

20 wins makes a team -7 SRS Team. Does not sound a hard goal, to me.