2016 Scavenger Hunt Draft - ESAL/Gatz wins

[Braggins]

speaks to the great job everyone did with their picks that we have so many different people getting votes.

Already five different teams with first place votes.

[EwingSweatsALot]

1) ESAL - The shooting on this team could win a game against any of these other super teams easiley

Curry is good, but I think your team has the best overall shooting

So major counterpoint below. The stats include everyone drafted.

First, i will say that Gatz does have Dirk over me. I don't really have a really talented stretch four on my roster. My one regret, though the categories didn't allow for much of that. But other than that, I don't know if I consider it close.



I have the most threes attempted by far and have the best 3P% out of all teams drafted.

You also pointed out Curry, as why it boosts me up. But if you take Curry out of my team's stats, I only drop from first to second in attempts(0.3 behind Gatz, instead of 7.6 attempts ahead). But I am also still first in % at 41.7% (only dropping 0.2%).

Curry isn't the reason my 3p% is good, everyone is the reason I am the best shooting team in the whole league.

[EwingSweatsALot]

Piggybacking on my last post.

I'm the best 3 point shooting team in the league, by a fair margin. 3>2. 50% greater. Math.

Fats has said I just might have the best 3 person defending group in Leonard, Rodman, and Robinson. It's right up there with Lamar's group. So 1-2 in defending inside the arc and protecting the rim.

Swedd has my starting rotation as a "dream fit". so this isn't just a group of guys thrown together.

Scoring from 3 and defending the paint have always been two key reasons for winning basketball games and well I am top 2 in both of those in some eyes. (Math and Supreme Leader Fats).

Just some FYI for those who haven't weighed in

[Braggins]

Piggybacking on my last post.

I'm the best 3 point shooting team in the league, by a fair margin. 3>2. 50% greater. Math.

Fats has said I just might have the best 3 person defending group in Leonard, Rodman, and Robinson. It's right up there with Lamar's group. So 1-2 in defending inside the arc and protecting the rim.

Swedd has my starting rotation as a "dream fit". so this isn't just a group of guys thrown together.

Scoring from 3 and defending the paint have always been two key reasons for winning basketball games and well I am top 2 in both of those in some eyes. (Math and Supreme Leader Fats).

Just some FYI for those who haven't weighed in

My only major concern with your team was lack of a true superstar by the standards of this league. I don't think Curry or Robinson are top tier players in this league and both have had a history of under-performing in the playoffs. I think even Bird is probably a higher overall impact player in his prime than Curry and I don't actually have Bird as a tier 1 either.

I felt like your team would be similar to the current Warriors, in that they are probably going to be in contention for most regular season wins but would ultimately be very vulnerable to losing in the playoffs to a well constructed team with someone like Lebron on it. It was the same concern I had with Gatz team.

[SWedd523]

Finally finished editing my post on the last page. Go back and check it out if you care to read my rambling.

1st. ESaL
2nd. Fats
3rd. Diop

[amcoolio]

I am basing my vote off who would win the championship in today's playoff format.

Bench is a huge factor for me. Any one of you could have put a great starting 5 together, but a team is only as good as its bench unit....If you have a weak bench, your team will crumble in the regular season resulting in low playoff seeding, lack of home court and unfavorable matchups. Therefore, based only on ya'lls benches, the playoff seeding would be

1. Fatlever
2. Lamar
3. ESAL
4. Diop
5. Ian
6. Gatz
7. BtG
8. Yosemite
9. Flip

8/9 Play-in Game: Yosemite vs. Flip - Two evenly matched teams. Lebron is the best player but driving against prime KG/Dwight is going to be tough for him. Flip is asking a lot out of young Harden and young Vince. Are they up to the challenge? In the end, I don't think Flip has enough firepower on offense for 48 minutes. Eaton is a good matchup for Dwight, Lebron can neutralize KG, and Yosemite has more weapons and more consistent shooting. Yosemite in 6 games. (Parting notes for Flip: Really fun team to watch, great job. I like the 00's allstars together, especially prime KG and Dwight. I was really close to taking KG over Duncan to pair with Kobe. But I think OKC Harden is severely overmatched in this tournament and is your downfall. He would get constantly abused by the greats and he doesn't bring anything offensively that the others already bring.)

1/8 Fatlever vs. Yosemite - Lebron's a champ, but does he have enough to pull it out against Magic? Fatlever has prime LJ, Ginobli and Birdsong off the bench, and that really spells trouble for Patty Mills and Anthony Mason. Blake Griffin is good and similar but can he have the same type of impact? I feel like Lebron is going to have to be otherworldly in this series to win, this feels like one of his early Cavs teams where he doesn't have a second weapon and he can't guard all 5 positions by himself. Fats in 5. (Parting notes for Yosemite: Deserving of top three votes for sure, I like that you put thought into your team. Your starters work really well. I just don't think Lebron has enough help. Lebron has shown in his career that he really needs to defer the scoring load at times in the Finals. The bigs will be eaten alive in this tournament, I would have liked to see more length and scoring in the post.)

2/7 Lamar vs. BtG - Unfortuately for BtG, he draws Payton to neutralize Isiah Thomas, and he has no one on the roster to handle Olajuwon. He is also in a world of hurt when McGrady comes in, because Salmons and Barry are completely overmatched. Pippen can't play 48 minutes every game. I really like BtG's starters, and they'll steal a game or two, but Olajuwon is just too much for broken Walton and Cowens. Lamar in 5. (Parting notes for BtG: I like the versality 2/3/4. I love Pippen, think he is the ultimate pro for this type of tournament and I considered him in the first round. However I just don't think Isaiah/Pippen are enough to carry this team. I also don't think Lillard and Barry can coexist. If they can't, then the rotations will be very hard and disjumbled. You will have a really tough time guarding the Olajuwon's, Shaq's, Duncan's, just not enough length.)

3/6 ESAL vs. Gatz - Personally I think ESAL is the team to beat in this tournament (besides mine, of course) but this is a pretty bad matchup for him. First, as great as they are, Leonard and Rodman are way undersized to be handling prime Durant and Dirk. Robinson has enough to handle already with Shaq.

This is one hell of a series. It really could go either way. Gatz put together a filthy combination of Shaq/Dirk/Durant. ESAL will struggle big time with Westbrook off the bench. He might have to start Korver and bring Pierce off the bench.


Hmm.




I think ESAL will make the adjustments to take the series. This is really close, but in the end, Okafor gets abused. He can't step out to guard Towns and Randolph. Curry gets ESAL just enough shooting to win the series in 7. (Parting notes for Gatz: I really like your team, and you also deserve top 3 votes. You have length up the wazoo. Defnitely a threat to win it all against any team in this tournament. I just don't think the bench comes together. There is a huge dearth of scoring in that 2nd unit, and a lot of pressure to put on Westbrook. I think you are easily a top 5 team though.)

4/5 Diop vs. Ian - Diop did not want to see MJ in the first round, thats for sure. Ian is young and aggressive in the frontcourt, whereas Diop is extremely skilled and finesse. Does MJ have enough around him to take this tournament? Well, maybe. This is another hell of a series. It comes down to how well rookie Mourning can slow Kareem, and if old Battier can offer any sort of resistance against Bird. I don't think he can. Diop is going to ask a lot of Bird. He's really the only one that can shoot 3's consistently, as rookie Paul will defer in this lineup. Then again, Ian doesn't have great shooting either. Iverson vs. Wilkins as 6th men is a wash. This is gonna be a slugfest.

In the first upset, Ian in 7 games. In the end, Bosh is overmatched by Kemp. You can bring Kermit in to punch the **** of of Kemp, and maybe you should... I just really don't like Wade with this team. Wade can't hang with MJ, how soon does expansion year Bobcat Gerald Wallace come into the game to try to guard him? And can he really hang with MJ either? Diop has a incredible team, and is definitely a contender, but he drew the wrong team here. (Parting notes for Diop: You are definitely a contender to win, and probably will metal, so don't feel to bad about this upset. For me, there just isn't enough shooting behind Bird. I really dislike Nique and Wade on this team, they are too similar. But that's nitpicking really.)

To be continued.....

[fatlever]

some fantastic stuff in this thread today. keep it up.

[SWedd523]

I'm a fan of Coolio's voting methodology. Should've done the same. Oh well. Interested to see how the tournament turns out. Bet there's also somebody out there who could put all these guys in NBA 2k or something and do it that way

[fatlever]

I wonder if you could run this league thru whatifsports and get an outcome.

[EwingSweatsALot]

I wonder if you could run this league thru whatifsports and get an outcome.

In the process of that actually.

Well not a league really. Everyone would have to pay to do a full league. But they have dream teams where you can make your team no matter the salary and run matchups. Just running it kind of like BPL. Two home and two away games against each opponent.

Will do seven game playoff series. Not sure if I'm gonna do 4 or 6 teams in playoffs.

[fatlever]

I wonder if you could run this league thru whatifsports and get an outcome.

In the process of that actually.

Well not a league really. Everyone would have to pay to do a full league. But they have dream teams where you can make your team no matter the salary and run matchups. Just running it kind of like BPL. Two home and two away games against each opponent.

Will do seven game playoff series. Not sure if I'm gonna do 4 or 6 teams in playoffs.

That's what I thinking. I remember doing something similar when we were playing around with that site a couple of years ago.

[Braggins]

Which team is Popovich coaching?

[BatumtheGlue]

Which team is Popovich coaching?

Mine. Ball movement, no ballhogger

[Braggins]

Which team is Popovich coaching?

Mine. Ball movement, no ballhogger

looks like we have a winner

[BatumtheGlue]

Which team is Popovich coaching?

Mine. Ball movement, no ballhogger

looks like we have a winner

A winner without a single vote

[Braggins]

Here is the starting five I was going for before Fats traveled back in time to change the rules to prevent me from picking Wilt.

Penny Hardaway - all nba
Reggie Miller - closer
Klay Thompson - stop shooting (I think)
Kevin Durant - stone hands
Wilt Chamberlain - rookie

[Diop]

Parting notes for Diop: You are definitely a contender to win, and probably will metal

Watch on YouTube

[Diop]

I just wanted an excuse to post that video really

[Flip Murray]

1. James Gatz

I just love this team top to bottom. Shaq/Dirk/Durant is a **** joke, nobody is stopping those guys. Westbrook off the bench? Please. Although I do worry a little bit that there could be some lingering animosity between him and Durant. I think Conley will do a good job and is a perfect fit with the rest of this team so I really liked that choice. And then you could bring in Iggy off the bench in crunch time and go Conley/Iggy/Durant/Dirk/Shaq. Its just a really great team so you get my first place vote.

2. BtG

I actually think that you may have picked the most intriguing team of the draft, and i'm giving you my second place vote based upon toughness alone. I'm a huge fan of the Cowens/Green/Pippen lineup and I would love to see that one play out in real life. I mean the defensive players that you picked and the toughness was a great strategy and you stuck with your strategy throughout the draft unlike some other drafters (Flip). Bobby Jones was my favorite pick of yours. Shooting may be a slight concern but it probably doesn't matter. 2nd Place

3. Diop

Really well put together with very few weak links. I enjoyed learning a little bit more about Nick Van Exel because I thought he would be scrub status when I initially looked over the lineups but it seems like he is actually pretty good. Crash off the bench obviously gets you extra points as well. Also Livingston was a really smart pickup. 3rd place.

Best of the Rest

Fats - Ginobili off the bench was obviously a stroke of genius. Actually looking at your team right now I don't know how I don't have it in the top 3. It just speaks to how awesome some of these teams are. Bonus points for picking both Malones. This and ESAL were right there for third place for me.

ESAL- Another tough, really good team. I'm not 100% sure I love Rodman on this team and that's why I didn't put you in the top 3. I probably would have liked a floor spacer there but obviously you can run all kinds of lineups with your team. Actually it would have been really cool to see Curry/Pierce/Leonard/Draymond Green/Robinson. I don't know if that could have happened but Dray and Leonard together would've been nice. Still your team was nice. Towns off the bench is also wild. Youve got such an insane amount of talent.

YB - I like how you built around Lebron with some great shooters in Peja and Miller. Peja was born to play with Lebron. I also loved your white stiff Mark Eaton, and the Bowen/Griffin/Miller picks were very smart.

Even looking at Coolio, Lamar, and Ian i'm sitting here thinking they could've just as easily been top 3

[Flip Murray]

8/9 Play-in Game: Yosemite vs. Flip - Two evenly matched teams. Lebron is the best player but driving against prime KG/Dwight is going to be tough for him. Flip is asking a lot out of young Harden and young Vince. Are they up to the challenge? In the end, I don't think Flip has enough firepower on offense for 48 minutes. Eaton is a good matchup for Dwight, Lebron can neutralize KG, and Yosemite has more weapons and more consistent shooting. Yosemite in 6 games. (Parting notes for Flip: Really fun team to watch, great job. I like the 00's allstars together, especially prime KG and Dwight. I was really close to taking KG over Duncan to pair with Kobe. But I think OKC Harden is severely overmatched in this tournament and is your downfall. He would get constantly abused by the greats and he doesn't bring anything offensively that the others already bring.)

To be continued.....

The funny thing is I could've picked Harden at whatever year I wanted and I chose that year. I could've picked any of his amazing years because I got him as southpaw. I got cute