Two Franchises Mesh Draft - Discussion

[parsnips33]

This is such a great concept for a draft, really makes you think

[parsnips33]

I didn't want to go Lebron again after being forced into it in the last game. Outside of Lebron the Cavs are just a really tough team to build with. I could have done it with the Pacers as PG and Reggie are great fits, but who's the point guard?

Mobley's a little expensive, but that's pretty good talent for a category 4. Thought about Mark Price and Mobley as 4th and 5th starters next to Ant/Jimmy/KG

[Snakebites]

I didn't want to go Lebron again after being forced into it in the last game. Outside of Lebron the Cavs are just a really tough team to build with. I could have done it with the Pacers as PG and Reggie are great fits, but who's the point guard?

Mobley's a little expensive, but that's pretty good talent for a category 4. Thought about Mark Price and Mobley as 4th and 5th starters next to Ant/Jimmy/KG

Mobley is expensive enough as a category 4 to limit your options for your first 3 categories.

[durantbird]

This is such a great concept for a draft, really makes you think

Yeah. The previous draft (same but with assigned teams) was an easy one relatively because you were forced to build with two specific teams. When you have to pick your teams yourself... it becomes a multi-layered mental exercise

[Snakebites]

This is such a great concept for a draft, really makes you think

Yeah. The previous draft (same but with assigned teams) was an easy one relatively because you were forced to build with two specific teams. When you have to pick your teams yourself... it becomes a multi-layered mental exercise

I think this has potential to be a template for a new style of game in these.

We have regular drafts, pair drafts, chain drafts. It’s time for another.

[MadNESS]

Had thoughts of Steph / Klay / Bridges / Dray / Lopez but I hate Lopez. I like my death line up, with Durant. Kidd is such a good category 2 guy,

[Dr Positivity]

I feel there is two franchises left that could've been drafted top 5 and Celtics fit with anyone so if I mess this up that's my fault.

[Dr Positivity]

TIL there's another guy named Cliff Robinson in the 80s who put up 18-19ppg.

[durantbird]

Almost went with Philly. Really though decision between them and Cavs. Would've gone CP3-Allen-Butler-JDub-Wilt. Maybe wrong decision but still I'm able to put some nice teams with my options.

[wackbone]

This feels like one of those drafts where the bottom of the order’s best bet was one thing and the top was another, aka many talented franchises fell to the top picks who already had the best franchises.

Personally, I was initially thinking of NOT using MJ for my Cat 1 but instead going like Pippen/Butler/Caruso/Kukoc (or similar) and then maybe Portland with Walton/Porter/something, or Houston with Hakeem, something like that. Then I figured would probably be smartest to have MJ particularly when this is the ONLY MJ being used.

So after hours of digging last night I ended up with two possibilities, Detroit or Houston. Billups/MJ/Pippen/Kukoc/Lanier with Caruso and two Pistons off the bench, or Harper/MJ/Pippen/Horry/Yao with Caruso, Battier, and Thorpe off the bench. I figured it’s better to have better 3rd/4th guys than 7th/8th, even if the 7th/8th gap is much larger, and I largely prefer the spacing around MJ with the Rockets version but there’s still both Yao and Thorpe getting big minutes. We shall see!

I also tried something with the Rockets of CP3/MJ/Tomjanovich/Battier/Gilmore or something along those lines, but didn’t think that would be a great fitting MJ team.

[durantbird]

This is such a great concept for a draft, really makes you think

Yeah. The previous draft (same but with assigned teams) was an easy one relatively because you were forced to build with two specific teams. When you have to pick your teams yourself... it becomes a multi-layered mental exercise

I think this has potential to be a template for a new style of game in these.

We have regular drafts, pair drafts, chain drafts. It’s time for another.

It's actually probably the second draft of this format this year. It's similar to the colleges draft

[Dr Positivity]

I'm assuming the lack of amazing 1st team non MVP options scared people away from Sixers and Cavs in Rd 1 (and then in Rd 2 you would have had to replace the MVP you already had while people targeted filled out their team) so I'd say the most surprising fall to me is Rockets because I think Hakeem and Paul and good role players is a really nice starting point.

[Snakebites]

I'm assuming the lack of amazing 1st team non MVP options scared people away from Sixers and Cavs in Rd 1 (and then in Rd 2 you would have had to replace the MVP you already had while people targeted filled out their team) so I'd say the most surprising fall to me is Rockets because I think Hakeem and Paul and good role players is a really nice starting point.

With the Cavs it was everything outside of Lebron frankly.

If they had a couple of Shane Battier/Danny Green/Myles Turner types they'd have been taken in the first round/early second easily. If they had a Battier type they’d have slotted beautifully with quite a few teams I considered in the late first/early second.

Don't get me wrong- they were a great pick where they were. But for instance there really was no way I could justify picking Cleveland.

I thought the Grizzlies would be taken sooner- they were one of my favorite "supporting" teams. There was a good chance I'd have taken them with Jordan/Pippen had the Bulls fallen 2 more spots.

[parsnips33]

Didn't love the "other guys" for the Knicks, but I would have loved Ewing at center

[MadNESS]

Didn't love the "other guys" for the Knicks, but I would have loved Ewing at center

100% was taking the Knicks, with Curry / Klay / Dray / Ewing but I couldn’t find a 3 & D SF worth taking.

[Snakebites]

Didn't love the "other guys" for the Knicks, but I would have loved Ewing at center

100% was taking the Knicks, with Curry / Klay / Dray / Ewing but I couldn’t find a 3 & D SF worth taking.

I think the Knicks are one season away from viability here. I'd like to see OG and Bridges get their 3pt percentages up this year but they will have usable seasons for the Knicks this time next year.

Towns is an interesting pick for them too, and Brunson may be slightly more palpable with a slightly cheaper but still elite season. He's always going to be tough to use given the depth at the point guard position.

As of right now they are tough to use. Even Ewing is someone devalued by his one All-NBA First selection, and most of their role players leave a lot to be desired on offense.

I don't actually think the Celtics are that OP in this iteration. I think what made them OP in the last one was they fit with everyone- so Flaco had no fit challenges at all. Now that we're choosing our own teams we're picking cores that fit together.

[flaco]

I figured it was likely Flaco wanted the Pacers. I didn’t anticipate he’d also want the Clippers. Irony is I’m not even using the player I assume he was targeting at that spot.

TBH I think I prefer his Magic team over one with Paul George, unless he had some other tricks up his sleeve with the Pacers/Clippers.

To me the Clippers always felt like a first round team. I always figured the Pacers were a strong possibility for me in round 2- they are a very good team”secondary” team in this setup.

Wasn't expecting you to pick both the Clips and the Pacers cause they both give you access to George. When Fade's turn passed, I thought I was safe. Turns out you didn't care for George at all.

PG: Billups (36) / Hill (12)
SG: Reggie (36) / Hill (12)
SF: George (24) / KCP (24)
PF: Aaron Gordon (36) / George (12)
C: Jokic (36) / cheap big up to 4.4 FGA. Jeff Foster is a good shout. I was considering Sam Perkins.

Had I known I'd miss out on the Pacers, I would have gone a completely different route in round 1.

It’s not that I didn’t care for George- he’s one of my faves in this game. I wanted CP/Kawhi (a better combo than Kawhi/PG) and you can’t take George alongside that pair. And the CP/Reggie fit in the backcourt speaks for itself.

George’s one All-NBA First nod hurts his value in this specific game.

I was entertaining a Denver/Indy combo before you took Denver. It had pretty much the exact team you posted here. Would have been great offensively but the backcourt defense is a little weak with Reggie and older Chauncey.

I like your team with TMAC quite a bit. The offense is a tad more top heavy but it’s better defensively than what you’d have gotten with Indy or (I’m guessing) LA.

Just curious- what would a Clipper team have looked like?

Hadn't thought it through. Just knew I wanted George. On second thought, I actually think you are right. The Magic were probably a better fit than the Clips for a Nuggets core.

[Square]

Didn't love the "other guys" for the Knicks, but I would have loved Ewing at center

100% was taking the Knicks, with Curry / Klay / Dray / Ewing but I couldn’t find a 3 & D SF worth taking.

I think the Knicks are one season away from viability here. I'd like to see OG and Bridges get their 3pt percentages up this year but they will have usable seasons for the Knicks this time next year.

Towns is an interesting pick for them too, and Brunson may be slightly more palpable with a slightly cheaper but still elite season. He's always going to be tough to use given the depth at the point guard position.

As of right now they are tough to use. Even Ewing is someone devalued by his one All-NBA First selection, and most of their role players leave a lot to be desired on offense.

I don't actually think the Celtics are that OP in this iteration. I think what made them OP in the last one was they fit with everyone- so Flaco had no fit challenges at all. Now that we're choosing our own teams we're picking cores that fit together.

Knicks were in consideration for me in round 2.

I was pretty much set on building around Magic/Davis/Cooper. I wanted a team with a nice Category 3 guard/center duo that would fit with them, plus hopefully some useful bench pieces. Brunson/Chandler was one such option, but in the end I liked the Grizz group better. (Also, I hate the Knicks...)

[wackbone]

Pleasantly surprised to end up having 3 other guys around MJ (so 4 players total) who finished Top 5 in MVP Voting in the selected season, which is pretty crazy for this draft imo given the restrictions. Jerebko is my only real scrub even though both Caruso and Mahorn are low FGA guys.

[Dr Positivity]

I don't actually think the Celtics are that OP in this iteration. I think what made them OP in the last one was they fit with everyone- so Flaco had no fit challenges at all. Now that we're choosing our own teams we're picking cores that fit together.

I was blessed to get the team with strong MVP, 1st team, 2nd team, supporting all-stars and non all-star and tons of good fitting stars, however it was harder to improve any of those categories so some people may be able to have used the 2nd round to catch up (hopefully not).

Clippers are pretty strong in this format and were unfortunate (random?) omission from the last game.

I didn't expect to go non Bird when I started but I basically had to replace one of Bird, Tatum or Pierce to get an extra Celtic and have any value out of Round 2, and Tatum and Pierce's pools got emptied out, so Wilt, Hakeem and in unlikely case he fell Lebron builds ended up seeming the best to me. Although because I ended up getting Jimmy I'd still have a Bird route available to me if I wanted to just do flaco's build with him, which for all I know could end up more popular instead of my team, but I don't think I'm going to do it.