NBA Showdown: 30 for 30 League -- PREVIEW

 If you enjoyed the MLB Showdown 30 for 30 league, then I'm hoping you'll enjoy the NBA Showdown 30 for 30 league!! Same basic premise -- all thirty NBA franchises are in the league, drafting players from the last thirty years. "Governors" could only draft cards from players ON their team. So the Wizards could have selected Michael Jordan, but they could only have used his cards from when MJ was on the Wizards.  

Available to Bulls only!

Available to Wizards only!

Just like the 30 for 30 league, the Governors must construct their team within the salary cap -- 4500 points for the five most expensive players on the team, 6000 points total. In a fun wrinkle, teams were required to draft their three most expensive players in rounds 1-2-3 (to prevent too much unfairness, e.g., the Spurs sniping the whole draft only to take Parker-Ginobili-Duncan-Robinson at the end) Teams are ten man rosters. Playing time must be distributed to each of the 10 players. Well, now the teams are all set to go and Matt will be simulating a full 82 game season, with plenty of stats and voting on the way too! 

Oh, and I have absolutely no idea how this is going to go. I'm not going to even try to parse out the best from the worst in these team breakdowns, they're honestly all loaded and built well! However, read to the end to see what the different participants voted on for results! Ok, now let's look at the teams:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlanta Hawks

Governor: Boshwack

The first team from the East are the Hawks! They haven't found much success in the past 30 years, but they've still got some fun players to pick from and a variety of styles to build the team with. I like his strategy of building out from solid defensive wings, as SG/SF seems like it'll be the main offensive area in this league. In Round 1, he snagged ISO JOE to play SG and dunking superstar Josh Smith in Round 2. 

He's 910 points after the BOT update, and definitely a scoring machine at the wing!

He closed out his big 3 with Atlanta superstar Trae Young, giving him a lot of firepower in the backcourt. Bosh would add Dikembe Mutombo **aggressively wags finger** and Atlanta-only John Collins to play PF. Here's the starting five:

    PG 2020 Trae Young, 1070 pts

    SG 2009 Joe Johnson, 910 pts

    SF 2008 Josh Smith, 990 pts

    PF 2021 John Collins, 710 pts

    C  1999 Dikembe Mutombo, 810 pts 

Strengths -- very solid on the wings and down low defensively, the backcourt is designed to score in bunches and lead the way. Trae Young's 17 offense will be deadly against all the low defense PG in the league.

Weaknesses -- Young will be a double-edged sword because he's rocking a 7 defense. The team was designed to function without him, but it hurts my soul not to see Dominique Wilkins on this squad. Of course, Bosh could only afford Young or Dom, and I can't blame him for going for the younger star... but I love me some Dominique.

Siri, play Rascal Flatts:

 "What huuuuurts the mooooost... was being soooo clooooose..."

Boston Celtics

Governor: WDR

Our resident Bostonian sports guy Greg, aka WDR, came into this with a leg up considering he works in basketball for a living... but he still fumbled the draft ;) Unfortunately, that last part is a lie, as Greg used his knowledge for all things Boston sports and "value picks" to construct a very formidable squad, particularly in its Big Three. He locked down Paul Pierce round 1, stole Kyrie Irving (and his great 2019 card) in round 2, and solidified his squad with 2022 *superstar* Jayson Tatum in Round 3. As a result, he's got a formidable big three.

Against all the weak PG defense in the East, dude could easily put up 24+ ppg 

while limiting opponents with his inexplicable above-average defense

Boston rounded out its starters with defensive cogs Marcus Smart and Al Horford, giving them an extremely balanced and solid starting five:

    PG 2019 Kyrie Irving, 1080 pts

    SG 2017 Marcus Smart, 550 pts

    SF 2002 Paul Pierce, 1070 pts

    PF 2022 Jayson Tatum, 1120 pts

    C   2017 Al Horford, 670 pts

Strengths: Its big three. At 3270 points, it takes up 72.67% of the budget for its five most expensive players and, frankly, I expect it'll score 70+% of Boston's points. The defense from that group + the defenders placed around are nice. Seems like a team built with real basketball dynamics in mind.

Weaknesses: Smart and Horford are definitely players expected to average points in the low-to-mid teens. If they're against a team that gets hot, I don't know if the Celtics can score enough to keep up.

Brooklyn Nets

Governor: Jorge

The Nets had a tough choice to make Round 1: Jason Kidd or Kevin Durant? I think they went the correct route by selecting Kidd, one of the best assist-men in the game (with a 13 defense to boot) who can play PG or SG, thereby allowing them to stack the assists with another PG! A really savvy selection that paid off when the Nets added Kenny Anderson to the squad too.

The other member of the Nets' big three is center Derrick Coleman. Brooklyn added rebounding stud Kenyon Martin at PF and then, doubling down on the boards, grabbed more-famous-for-his-off-the-court-marriage Kris Humphries to man the SF position. The Nets are definitely going to be trying to win on the rebounding/assist margins, a laudable and different strategy!

    PG 1994 Kenny Anderson, 980 points

    SG 2003 Jason Kidd, 1140 points

    SF 2011 Kris Humphries, 560 points

    PF 2004 Kenyon Martin, 830 points

    C 1994 Derrick Coleman, 960 points

Strengths: Nets have THREE players in the starting lineup who averaged double-digit rebounds per game, as well as two point guards with a ton of assists. They're going to be boosting the backcourt and winning the battle of the boards for extra points! With stellar defense too, this is a team built for early 00s scores and style.

Weakness: Will the rebounding margin be enough to make up for the lack of PPG from the starting five? Coleman is the only player who averaged over 20 per game on his card (20.2). In a league where many teams have 4+ starters who averaged 20+, I'm worried they may get blown out.

Charlotte Hornets

Governor: Fragrant Olives

With the Bobcats to pick from too, our resident OG-game master F.O. put together a team that's got a little bit from every era of Charlotte basketball in the last 30 years. In Round 1, he locked down the best player the Hornets have had to this point, PG Kemba Walker. He then built around him with C Al Jefferson (surprising monster down low) and perhaps the most forgotten victim in Space Jam, Larry Johnson. 

The starting five was rounded out with solid SG/SF Stephen Jackson and versatile PF/SF Anthony Mason. This is definitely another team that'll be highly competitive on the glass! Notably, the Hornets also have Glen Rice (and nearly 20 ppg) off the bench, along with Dell Curry to give them a psychological edge if they have to play the Warriors in a finals. But here's the starters:

    PG 2019 Kemba Walker, 1060 pts

    SG 2010 Stephen Jackson, 840 pts

    SF 2000 Anthony Mason, 670 pts

    PF 1993 Larry Johnson, 960 pts

    C   2014 Al Jefferson, 970 pts

Strengths: Great rebounding, solid enough defense (with 14 D MKG on the bench to help Larry), and some great top-end scoring possibilities from Kemba. I think the team is built around Kemba in a really balanced way, and we're going to see if he can embrace his UCONN legend in this amazing league! 

Weakness: As with most rebound-heavy teams, I think it'll come down to whether they have the firepower. The top end scoring is there, despite the inclusion of two starters from the Bobcats ;) However, I worry that the low-scoring floors for the starters may come back to bite them. 

Chicago Bulls

Governor: John Potts

After being extremely nervous about the Wizards' first-round selection, the Bulls wasted no time locking in Michael Jordan in Round 1. Yes, Jimmy Butler was still on the board but John was (a) worried about chemistry issues with Jordan; (b) worried Minnesota may take Rose in Round 3; (c) wanted to send a message to the entire league -- I've got the GOAT, and I'm taking him where he belongs.

In order to accommodate the other superstars in this lineup, MJ is "only" 1180 pts.

Nevertheless, a 28+ ppg average should be a breeze for this card.

Jordan was joined in Rounds 2 and 3 by MVP Derrick Rose and his ever-present Robin, Scottie Pippen. However, Pippen will be the 1130 pt version from 1994, giving them one of the most dynamic wing duos in the entire league... all set up by an MVP point guard! However, this staggering investment (3350 points, or 74.44% of their "best five budget") results in some savings in the front court -- 570 pt Toni Kukoc and 560 pt Joakim Noah. These are two of John's favorite Bulls, so it's all gravy in his eyes! 

    PG 2011 Derrick Rose, 1040 pts

    SG 1997 Michael Jordan, 1180 pts

    SF 1994 Scottie Pippen, 1130 pts

    PF 1999 Toni Kukoc, 570 pts

    C   2009 Joakim Noah, 560 pts

Pippen is a two-way GOD for the Bulls. Not only should their wings easily put up close to 60 points per night, 

but MJ's 12 defense and Pippen's 14 defense will really force other teams' wings into a tough spot!

Strengths: Definitely the biggest names for the frontcourt in the league: Rose-Jordan-Pippen. What's not to love about that trio, especially all over 1000 points. We also pair the elite "no MJ" Pippen card from 1994 with an elite-level MJ card, giving both of these NBA All-50 players 1100+ pt cards. Their success will be fully dependent on how far these 90s legends take them... although I love that Kukoc should pretty easily hit 20 ppg since he gets 5 pts in a quarter at a 7 roll! The defensive impact of MJ/Pippen on opponent's wings shouldn't be underestimated either!

Weakness: The frontcourt looks extremely vulnerable, especially with 9 defense Kukoc manning the PF spot. The other weakness was his WEAK WILL in not snagging Jimmy Butler in Round 1, thereby robbing the Heat on their best LeBron substitute, and taking MJ, who was guaranteed to be there in Round 2. I understand wanting to lock down Rose before the TWolves got two cracks at him, but man... Jordan-Butler would've been a dynamic father-son combination! 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Governor: Jeff

Everyone's favorite Showdown podcaster, including on NBA Showdown, drafting his hometown Cavaliers! Jeff was blessed with the most no-brainer first round pick in the draft -- taking LeBron before the Heat and Lakers had a chance to steal him away. He's as amazing as you'd expect:

LeBron is the second-most expensive player in the league!!

With LeBron taking up over 31% of the "best five budget" by himself, Jeff had to surround him with contributors... and he did exactly that in Rounds 2 and 3 by selecting point god Mark Price and versatile big man Kevin Love. The stellar role players were then added, with the Cavs adding 650 pt Bob Sura, 550 pt Larry Hughes and 540 pt Anderson Varejao. 

    PG 1994 Mark Price, 920 pt

    SG 2000 Bob Sura, 650 pt

    SF 2009 LeBron James 1430 pt

    PF 2016 Kevin Love, 930 pt

    C   2010 Anderson Varejao 540 pt

Strength: LeBron is the absolute stud of this team and . Putting an incredible assist man at PG in Price is fantastic. With his 19 offense and likely 2+ assists boosting him each quarter, LeBron should easily be putting up 32-9-9 lines on the opposition. Their frontcourt defense is very strong too, helping them shut down teams that went big.

Weakness: Missing out on stealing Sean Kemp's 20ish ppg at 900 pts in the third round, then adding a 700ish pt Kevin Love in Round 4. Would've loved that combo, if only for the nostalgia. As it is, they're relying a ton on LeBron but aren't too intimidating in the back court. Guard-heavy teams could put up huge numbers against the Price/Sura combo. 

Detroit Pistons

Governor: Matt R (aka The Commish)

The guy who made the simulation, made the BOT/formulas for the cards, and is organizing the league drafted for the Detroit Pistons - one of the final teams left behind by selecting players. Obviously, this is going to be a favorite by virtue of the most experienced/knowledgable player drafting... and he went with a super strong Grant Hill in Round 1. Keeping with the theme of elite wing pairings, Matt took Jerry Stackhouse in Round 2, giving the team two wings who could very well average 28 ppg. 

Hill is do everything superstar, definitely worthy of a #1 pick

The Pistons surprised a lot of folks with their Round 3 pick of Andre Drummond, a rebound machine (6 rebounds in a quarter at a 13 roll!) with 12 defense at C. Detroit rounded out a very balanced lineup with 800 pt Rasheed Wallace and 800 pt Isaiah Thomas. They've also got fan favorite/enemy Bill Laimbeer off the bench with 12 defense, a potential 13-pt quarter in Saddiq Bey on the bench, and potential triple-double, former #1 pick Cade Cunningham ready to roll off the bench. Definitely a fun roster!

    PG 1993 Isaiah Thomas, 800 pt

    SG 2001 Jerry Stackhouse, 950 pt

    SF 1997 Grant Hill, 1110 pt

    PF 2004 Rasheed Wallace, 800 pt

    C   2016 Andre Drummond, 840 pt

Jerry is almost an automatic 20 points... and gets to 44 points scary fast! Definitely love this UNC/Duke pairing on the wing.

Strength: Stackhouse and Hill are elite scorers and are supported by a pair of 12 defense guys in the frontcourt. Honestly, with the weak defenses at PG around the East, Isaiah has a great shot of consistently reaching a 14 roll... at which point he'll have 8 points and 4 assists in the quarter, absolutely bolstering his two wings. When that happens, it's hard to see the Pistons losing.

Weakness: Not pairing Drummond with another rebounding monster like Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace. Would've been extremely fun watching the Pistons put up 30-40 points per game in rebound margin alone ;) Stackhouse's 9 defense, especially if he's playing the 3, may be exploited as well by someone like LeBron or Pippen to massive pain for Detroit.

Indiana Pacers

Governor: Murillo

Our local Indiana resident and Pacers super fan, Murillo put together an elite 1-2 punch immediately in this draft, snagging Paul George in Round 1 and Victor Oladipo in Round 2. Their high scoring attack + elite defense (13 D for PG-13, 14 D for Oladipo) + positional flexibility made them the perfect building blocks. 

PG-13 is everything the Pacers could want in a star, and should put up massive numbers!

The big question came in Round 3 -- who would be the third big star that Murillo would invest points in? Would he go SF with Danny Granger or Ron Artest? PF with David West? C with Roy Hibbert or Antonio Davis? PG with George Hill, Malcolm Brogdon, Jalen Rose? Legendary SG Reggie Miller? In the end, he picked the bedrock of the early 00s title contenders: PF/C Jermaine O'Neal, thereby continuing the roster's flexibility and adding more defense (another 13 D player). The Pacers then added a newer star to the squad, 780 pt Tyrese Haliburton. He's the first below-average defender (9), but still has the potential to put up buckets and his good assist numbers should boost Oladipo, in turn boosting PG13. The Pacers also added 15 defense (!) Myles Turner at Center... and their sixth man is none other than Reggie Miller, coming in at 540 points from 2002 but still ready to drop 16 ppg with only rolls of 9 or higher (with 14 offense to boot). 

    PG Tyrese Haliburton, 780 pt

    SG Victor Oladipo, 1090 pt

    SF Paul George, 1100 pt

    PF Jermaine O'Neal, 900 pt

    C   Myles Turner, 570 pt 

Honestly, I think Oladipo may be the best value in the league... he's the perfect piece at SG.

Strength: Defense at key positions on the wing without sacrificing any scoring, while still bringing in defenders with 13 and 15 at PF/C. Amazing defense there... and all those guys can score too! Victor and PG13 seem like easy 24+ ppg players, while O'Neal should be above 20 ppg. Reggie off the bench provides instant additional offense too.

Weakness: The only real flaw is the PG defense -- definitely concerned about that 9, especially against high offense Eastern PG we've already seen: D-Rose, Kyrie, Trae Young, Kemba and Kenny Anderson. It's not going to get much easier ahead, so they're going to need Tyrese to step up in a big way on D (and on offense to curtail any bleeding).

Miami Heat

Governor: Mikey

As thanks for being Best Man in his wedding, Mikey took control of my favorite team (the Bucks) and one of the best teams from a talent standpoint out there, the Miami Heat. With LeBron off the board, Mikey was crossing his fingers and hoping against hope that his main target -- SG/SF Jimmy Butler -- would fall to him at pick 25... and his faith was rewarded! Interestingly enough, Shaq was also available but Mikey didn't want to recreate the 2006 magic between DWade/Shaq in this league. 

Coming in at 1010 points, the 14/11 Jimmy Butler gives the Heat an easy 20+ ppg scorer with solid defense at either wing spot. In the second round, the Heat had a big decision point -- go with SF Glen Rice or PG Tim Hardaway. A sucker for Timmy, Mikey chose to go with the 1997 PG option, therein moving his third round selection of D-Wade to his natural SG slot and Butler to the SF position. Together, the Heat's big three come in at 3180 points, making them another team to invest over 70% of their "big five budget" into three players. 

I would've taken the 960 pt Glen Rice, but it's hard to argue with the easy 20+ ppg and 8+ apg of Tim Hardaway,

 with above-average defense mixed with 15 offense!

The Heat filled out their back court with 420 point Alonzo Mourning (robbing Charlotte in the process) and 900 pt Bam Adebayo to round out the squad. Antoine Walker and Gary Payton were fun steals from other teams hanging out on Miami's bench, along with Wisconsin native Tyler Herro (knew Mikey would have to take him, even if he did betray our beloved Badgers). 

    PG 1997 Tim Hardaway, 1010 pts

    SG 2006 Dwyane Wade, 1160 pts

    SF 2020 Jimmy Butler, 1010 pts

    PF 2021 Bam Adebayo, 900 pts

    C   2006 Alonzo Mourning, 420 pts

Obviously wish he could be paired with LeBron, but D-Wade did win on his own before... 

let's see if he can do it again!

Strengths: The backcourt is one of the best in the business. Every player in the lineup has at least 11 defense too, which is a first so far. D-Wade is a deadly 16/13 combo and should be a sneaky MVP candidate. They've got four players who should score over 20 ppg, and Mourning is a very good center punt thanks to that 13 defense. 

Weakness: I would've loved to see Rice (and his 10 pts in a quarter at 17 roll) card at the SF slot. I guess point production from the frontcourt, but with highend defense and Bam still scoring 20+ pretty dang easily, it's hard to find an obvious flaw unless Mourning's lack of production is truly more limiting than I think it will be.

Milwaukee Bucks

Governor: Mikey

Another Mikey squad (no one had more than two franchises), and this time it's our mutual favorite team. He knew he was going backcourt heavy for this squad too, which made Round 1 very interesting: would he steal Gary Payton (had a VERY good Bucks card) or go the more conventional route with Ray Allen? In the end, Mikey wanted to secure our childhood favorite, and Ray Allen came home to Milwaukee (much to Seattle and Boston's chagrin).

The Bucks went with one of the cheaper versions of Ray Allen, 

who should still be a 20+ ppg player, to build around their MVP candidate 

With Giannis untouchable for other teams, the Bucks were able to take another star guard with their second round pick, taking Jrue Holiday two picks before NOLA had a shot at this underrated stud. For Giannis, Mikey took the 2020 MVP and is playing him at SF! This is going to give the Bucks a HUGE stepup in the rebounding battle without sacrificing any scoring from the wing position. Indeed, Giannis is a scoring fiend! The Bucks round out the lineup with a 20 ppg Vin Baker at the 4 and, in super sneaky fashion, the last eligible Moses Malone at center! For only 540 points, that Malone is an average defender while still scoring plenty! Really, really love that "punt" pick for the squad.

    PG 2021 Jrue Holiday, 890 pts

    SG 2002 Ray Allen, 950 pts

    SF 2020 Giannis Antetokounmpo, 1320 pts

    PF 1996 Vin Baker, 780 pts

    C   1992 Moses Malone, 540 pts

Strength: GIANNIS and his absolutely ridiculous points/rebounds combination at the wing. Also, taking Allen over Payton... we saw what happened to the Bucks when they let Allen go for Payton in the past - very smart avoiding that mistake!

Giannis is absolutely ridiculous -- getting 28 and 12 should be an easy proposition for this card, just ridiculous talent here. 

He's my (admittedly biased) MVP pick.

Weakness: Frontcourt defense is what jumps out, as they've got two 10 defense players at PF and C. However, I think the 12+ rpg from Giannis should help negate any rebounding disadvantage caused by the weak-ish defense at PF/C. 

New York Knicks

Governor: Booyakuhhsha

Led by the man whose Discord profile picture is the Knicks logo, the Knicks are certainly in loving hands! Those hands have given them one of the most dynamic, potent scoring lineups in the league. Round 1 was an obvious pick -- SF/PF Carmelo Anthony! He's joined in the big three by a pair of big men, Patrick Ewing and Julius Randle. 

The Knicks are sadly using a lesser 'Melo, but I want to celebrate this ridiculous card!

The backcourt has another super scorer at PG in sneakerhead legend Stephon Marbury. SG is going to be platooned between 500 pt RJ Barrett and 540 pt Jamal Crawford. Here's the starting five:

    PG 2004 Stephon Marbury, 940 pts
    SG 2006 Jamal Crawford, 540 pts
    SF 2013 Carmelo Anthony, 950 pts
    PF 2021 Julius Randle, 1080 pts
    C  1996  Patrick Ewing, 980 pts

Strength: Definitely their firepower -- this is a team built to score 125+ points every time out there. Ewing may be the best value card in the East, as he's going to drop around 24 and 12 a night while giving 14 defense for under 1000 pts! Love that card, love that pick for the Knicks.

His offense number is low, making this INSANE chart super affordable

Weakness: Definitely backcourt defense. The Knicks are going to score A LOT, but they could absolutely give up 75-80 points to the PG/SG combo of a team like the Bulls or Celtics with the subpar defense!

Orlando Magic

Manager: Murillo

The second squad from Murillo, the Magic had one of the biggest dilemmas of round 1 -- Shaq or T-Mac? The Magic decided to bet on their frontcourt depth and take one of the best wings in the game, snagging McGrady before the Rockets had a chance to take him. However, things looked dour in Orlando when the Rockets shocked the world by taking Dwight Howard in Round 2. Nevertheless, things remained bright for the Magic when they added 1090 pt Penny (I'm hyped for some Penny v. Tim action when the Florida rivals face off) and then 1090 pt Nikola Vucevic in Round 3.

Should be an EASY 32 ppg from the 18 offense McGrady. 

Definitely a contender for the league scoring title in Orlando's first rounder!

The Magic are filling in the spaces around their big (expensive) three with rookie Franz Wagner and a solid-enough Aaron Gordon at the four. Really, it's all going to come down to a very unconventional big three, which seems weird to say about a team relying on a big VUC! season.

    PG 1996 Penny Hardaway, 1090 pts

    SG 2003 Tracy McGrady, 1140 pts

    SF 2022 Franz Wagner, 650 pts

    PF 2017 Aaron Gordon, 510 pts

    C   2019 Nikola Vucevic, 1090 pts

The supersized backcourt in Orlando NEEDS to be in the conversation for best in the east.

Strength: The Magic backcourt may very well be the best in the business, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Penny/TMac combine for 55+ ppg. Every player in the starting lineup is at least a 10 on defense too, so there are no obvious holes for opponents to exploit. 

Weakness: Wagner/Gordon could both be shut down, especially Wagner against the superstar defenders. Even with TMac going nuts, the Magic will severely struggle during any games where those two are shut down.

Philadelphia 76ers

Governor: Matt R.

Our creator/simulator Matt is back with his second squad, an absolutely beastly Sixers squad. With the #5 overall pick, the Sixers started out the surprises in the draft by passing on the obvious Allen Iverson selection to snag the Round Mound of Rebound for the SF position, taking an INCREDIBLE Charles Barkley card!

Barkley should average about 24/12 for the Sixers... from the SF slot!!

The Sixers weren't done adding rebounding power, taking PG Ben Simmons (~8-9 rpg) and C Joel Embiid (12 rpg) to round out their big three. However, things get thin quickly afterwards. Iguodala has great defense (12), but his chart is fairly weak and he may struggle to get to 20 points. Meanwhile, they're full-on punting their last slot by taking 380 pt Robert Covington at the PF slot. He's around a 16 ppg player, so the Sixers have to hope, but he could struggle to reach that mark. But with MVP-level Embiid leading the way and supported by a superstar Barkley, the Sixers look like they'll be in fine shape.

    PG   2021 Ben Simmons, 980 pts

    SG   2012 Andre Iguodala, 760 pts

    SF   1992 Charles Barkley, 1080 pts

    PF   2015 Robert Covington, 380 pts

    C     2022 Joel Embiid, 1280 pts

(A) LOVE this card image selected by Matt; (B) Definitely an MVP frontrunner with this insane chart

Strengths: REBOUNDING... and from unconventional positions! Very possibly the coolest/best synced big three in the league with Simmons-Barkley-Embiid. I think Embiid has a shot at the scoring crown, even with all the strong defensive centers in the league, while Simmons looks like a triple-double machine. Their high defense is generally stout too, with the only "weak link" at PF, which seems like a position that's often where teams are stashing a non-top 3 player. I like having a cheap-ish Iguodala giving 12 defense at the SG slot.

Weakness: Having 390 pt Covington at PF (without many rebounds) may neuter this otherwise lethal attack. Indeed, if Iggy and Covington struggle to put in buckets, the squad may find themselves out-scored from time to time.

Toronto Raptors

Governor: YOURS TRULY

Finally, we reach the clear cut best team in the East ;) The Raptors are my second-favorite NBA team, thanks to being a huge Jurassic Park/dinosaur fan as a 4 year-old when the franchise came into existence. After suffering through decades of irrelevance, I finally got to enjoy a championship in 2019... and that's when I knew I had to select Kawhi Leonard in Round 1. Obviously, his card is celebrating the most epic shot in the history of basketball (source -- me) 

Since I picked seventh and the Nets picked sixth, I was set up perfectly to take my childhood hero in Round 2 -- Vince Carter!! 

So yeah, things were going as perfectly as possible on paper for the first two picks... and the Heat didn't take Chris Bosh, giving me the exact big three that I wanted!

However, things took a bad turn in the third round, as the Rockets shocked the world by leaving Hakeem on the shelf in favor of (all the PG) KYLE LOWRY. Suddenly, my team was in flux and rather than take a poor-scoring-but-well-defending Fred VanVleet, I took the Raptors first star, Damon Stoudamire. While he could easily score 20+ ppg, that 8 defense looks very, very, very bad against all the superstar PG in the East.

My final star player doesn't help the defensive lapses, as I'm rocking the 9 defense Pascal Siakam in the PF slot.... indeed, I am embracing the philosophy of Mark D'Antonio in Game of Zone: "Half the defense, double the offense"!!!

My bench continues this scoring emphasis, because I've got 23 ppg DeMar DeRozan and 21 ppg Andrea Bargnani coming off the bench! However, both these players are DREADFUL defenders.... except for J-Lin, who may get significant playing time to stop the bleeding at PG... and yes, I made all the cards for my team, so I'm sharing all of them with you!

Strength: Offense, obviously. This is a team with SIX players who averaged over 20 ppg and a seventh who averaged 19 and has a card set up for 20+ ppg. Definitely going to be a team with some entertaining stat lines. Also, Jeremy Lin's card looks awesome and may be a good luck charm! If the benches really do get a shot to play significantly, these dudes can outscore the other benches.... but the weakness is glaring!

Weakness: Defense, obviously. At basically every position, as Kawhi is surprisingly only an 11 defense in Toronto. While I earnestly believe this team may set the highest single game points mark, I think other teams are going to have FIELD DAYS and my team, overall, will end up below .500 as a result. Reaaaaaally could've used that 910 pt Lowry with 11 defense that I was eyeing, really killed my plans!

Washington Wizards

Governor: Orioles881

Not going to lie, many a mock draft saw Orioles881 taking MJ in Round 1 (and I thought he might shock the world with the 2020 Russell Westbrook), but he wisely went the most prudent route by taking superstar PF Chris Webber as the #2 overall pick in the draft! C-Webb is a monster PF with a 14/11 card for 1070 points... and he's going to score in bunches, especially helpful in a (generally) weaker PF field.

Webber looks like an almost automatic 24 ppg, and that 3 pt quarter floor is going to be a godsend to prevent disastrous outings!

The Wizards then put together a potent trio in the backcourt with Wall-Beal-Butler. Wall's a 1090 pt beast at PG, although he's another sub-10 defender at the PG slot. Wall is an 880 pt scoring machine, while the 980 pt Butler SHOULD score 20 ppg too. The starting lineup is rounded out by Nene and his 450 pt card for center. They're definitely counting on their big four scoring enough while Nene holds down the fort down low (although he should add 12 ppg).

    PG 2017 John Wall, 1090 pts

    SG 2018 Bradley Beal, 880 pts

    SF 2008 Caron Butler, 980 pts

    PF 1996 Chris Webber, 1070 pts

    C   2015 Nene, 450 pts

As this explosive, potential 24/12 card goes, so will the Wiz!

Strengths: FIREPOWER from the backcourt, as well as Webber's explosive scoring from the PF slot. He could feast on players like Siakam for 28ish ppg.

Weakness: PG Defense and the low scoring fifth member of the lineup (familiar refrain at this point for teams). Honestly, the biggest issue is probably the lack of rebounding from Webber and Nene (needs at least 17 for a 3 rebound quarter). That could end up biting them in close games.

FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS

Let's take a break from the team breakdowns for a look at how the first round of the draft went:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Dallas Mavericks

Governor: Sittch

With two obvious picks in Rounds 2 and 3 locked-and-loaded, all eyes were on Dallas' first overall pick. Since the Nets took Kidd, many wondered if they'd go with Nash or perhaps Chandler or Marion, but I like that they went with SF/SG Finley at 960 pts. Considering Luka's PG/SG eligibility, this gave him great flexibility to approach rounds 4 and 5!

Also, shouts to Finley for being a Badger legend!!

No one can fault Dallas for locking down its two legends in the next couple rounds, snagging 2021 Luka and 2005 Dirk for a combined 2260 points!

With so many points locked into their big three, the Mavs made one of the best picks of the draft in Round 4 by snagging Rajon Rondo, which broke John's heart because he was targeting him as the Bulls backup PG with LITERALLY the next pick (which would've been one before Boston, who was ALSO looking into taking Rondo). They rounded things out by securing Kristaps Porzingis, a sweet scoring machine for under 850 pts.

    PG    2015 Rajon Rondo, 440 pts

    SG    2021 Luka Doncic, 1130 pts

    SF    2000 Michael Finley, 960 pts

    PF    2005 Dirk Nowitzki, 1130 pts

    C     2021 Kristaps Porzingis, 840 pts

Strength: The big two of Luka/Dirk will be incredible, and Rondo's decent assist ranges + 10 defense is all you can ask of a punt starter while the rest of the lineup looks to go nuts. I also love the 12 defense of Fat Lever off the bench at PG. Really, really well thought out depth with all sub-440 pt players on the bench. 

Weakness: PG is a black hole despite being the strength of many other teams. Luka has 9 defense, leading to potential weaknesses on D against good backcourts. Really, really riding their top 4 and little help if one of those guys has a bad game.

Denver Nuggets

Governor: Riley!

Another of my old college Showdown buddies appears with his first team, the Denver Nuggets! His one mission -- take one of the MVP Jokic cards and build a team around it. With a 1440 pt card in tow, the most expensive card in the league, Riley built a stout squad, starting with his First Round selection of Allen Iverson. At only 980 points, this scoring machine (with adequate defense) gave Denver a great PG foundation.

Should be an automatic 20 points from AI, and I expect him to average at least 28 ppg with that chart!

Riley then turned his attention to taking another 20+ ppg scorer to surround Jokic with... turns out, the Nuggests have not had many players like that in the last 30 years. However, he found one with PF (and OG NBA Showdown classic) Antonio McDyess. Another low floor player, he should put up at least 20 ppg. Of course, round 3 was where he selected the 1440 pt beast at center... yes, there was a 1670 pt version that he by-passed to his chagrin, but he needed a competitive roster around Jokic lest the Nuggets suffer the same fate they did in the 2022 playoffs.

Rounding out the starting lineup was fourth rounder JR Smith at SF and team-controlled Jamal Murray's 520 pt card. It'll be interesting to see how much of a difference Jokic's assists make in increasing their production. 

    PG    2008 Allen Iverson, 980 pts

    SG    2019 Jamal Murray, 520 pts

    SF    2009 JR Smith, 750 pts

    PF    1999 Antonio McDyess, 800 pts

    C      2021 Nikola Jokic, 1440 pts

Strength: Jokic's triple-threat card is the obvious foundation, and I think the Nuggets have surrounded him with scoring threats all around him. If these cards can give/utilize boosts with Jokic at the team's core, they could be lethal.

Weakness: Defense, easily.... especially at SG, where they're counting on an 8 defense Jamal Murray despite the west featuring *checks notes* KOBE BRYANT and LUKA and HARDEN and... well, you get the picture. I feel like they'll have to play AI at the 2 come playoff time or they're cooked.

Golden State Warriors

Governor: Orioles881

The second team for Orioles, and it's one of the few that had an actual dynasty in the last 30 years. In a move that shocked the world, GSW stuck to their plans when the Nets passed on Durant and allowed him to continue falling, instead locking up 2016 unanimous MVP Steph Curry with their first pick. 

The only 20 offense player in the league (with 12 defense too), this Steph card is almost a lock for 30+ ppg

The Warriors rounded out their big three by picking the other members of... well, their dynastic big three, locking up defensive maestro Draymond Green and Steph's splash brother, Klay Thompson. Another Golden State legend joins the Big Three in Chris Mullin, the team's SF and another potential 20+ ppg scorer, which they need to help pick up the slack left by Draymond's middling scoring numbers (although his outstanding defense will be HUGE in limiting wings). Rounding out the lineup is cheap center Ronny Turiaf and his 11 defense.

This Splash Brother is an easy 24 ppg, with a shot at 40+ points with assist help

    PG    2016 Steph Curry, 1350 pt

    SG    2017 Klay Thompson, 910 pt

    SF    1993 Chris Mullin, 860 pt

    PF    2016 Draymond Green, 1070 pt

    C      2009 Ronny Turiaf, 300 pt

Strength: Steph Curry, perhaps the most lethal offensive weapon in this league, and his fellow splash brother. With Mullin adding scoring fire too, their defense combo of Green/Turiaf may be the perfect balance in the West, especially against teams that rely on a PF like the TWolves (Garnett) or Spurs (Duncan). Curry could easily end up the MVP.

I'm extremely curious how this card will perform for its value. The defense is amazing and he gets +4 offense, with valuable assists/rebounds... but he's going to struggle to average even 15 ppg. I'm very curious how that goes in this simulation!

Weakness: For a top heavy team - 4190 pts in four guys - it seems rough that one of them can't score in bunches. Draymond does everything else well though, so it'll be fascinating to watch how it plays out. I would've liked to downgrade Klay to his 670 pt version, draft him in a later round, and have Durant instead to play the four, allowing Draymond to therefore lock down opponent's SF and giving them an extra ~200 pts to play with at center. But in the end, you gotta see how THE big three do at their peaks, so I'm all in for this squad!!

Houston Rockets

Governor: Sittch

The Rockets had a sneaky deep assembly of 1000+ talent to choose from, and their governor CLEARLY did his research because he put together an impressive squad, built to complement its superstar, 1300 pt James Harden. I fully expect this monster to average around 35 ppg, and as set forth above, the Rockets are wisely playing him at SG to (a) maximize his rolls by having a true PG roll ahead of him; (b) maximizing his contributions to other players by letting his boosted assist total go towards another scorer.

With a 6 point quarter coming from a 2 roll against a 10 defender, 

fully expect this guy to surpass 35 points early and often this season!!

That PG ended up being Kyle Lowry, devastating my Raptors in the process. Lowry is a 910 pt stud, 13/11 with 4 assists in a quarter starting at 16. But the swipe of the draft was probably taking Dwight Howard in the second round, just before the Lakers got the chance to take him. This created a true domino effect that ended up screwing over my second team, the Clippers. Indeed, Sittch was unwillingly out to get me ;)

But the Rockets weren't done adding extreme talent, as they have 900 pt Yao Ming sliding in as their center! All told, Houston's got what looks like a 35 ppg SG, 20 ppg/12 rpg PF, 20 ppg/12 rpg C teaming up with a 15 ppg/10 apg PG to set the table. Then they've got a 12ish ppg Chandler Parsons bringing 11 defense to SF. If Parsons can consistently score double digits to support their big three, and if Lowry can average more than 12 ppg/6 apg, I think this team may be a Western frontrunner!

    PG    2011 Kyle Lowry, 910 pts

    SG    2018 James Harden, 1300 pts

    SF    2012 Chandler Parsons, 450 pts

    PF    2014 Dwight Howard, 930 pts

    C      2008 Yao Ming, 900 pts

Strengths: Maybe the most impressive big three, and Harden is a bonafide MVP candidate. Love how they built around his strengths and love the steady 11 or better defense across the starting lineup. Also loved the creativity in building their stars, they took players that I hadn't even bothered to make cards for outside of Harden because I was expecting a more conventional PG Steve Francis/C Hakeem Olajuwon approach!! Nice work :) 

Weakness: Obviously the fifth member of the starting lineup, just by virtue of the cost of the big four... the key will be if Kyle Lowry can carry his weight, which I think comes down to him averaging close to 10 apg to really prop up Harden's MVP candidacy. This team is going to ride-or-die on Harden, and how many additional points he gets to his roll via assists could be giant!

Los Angeles Clippers

Governor: ME AGAIN

Welcome back to one of my teams -- of course I was going to take two, I love drafting! The Clippers had the seventh overall pick and I was faced with a tough decision: building around PG Chris Paul or building around SF Kawhi Leonard. Considering the depth of superstar PG in the West (Steph, Russ, Harden),  I went with Chris Paul, banking on Lamar Odom making it back to me.... this did not happen.

If I had it to do over, I'd probably take a different SF in order to afford the 1250 point Chris Paul that has 14 defense, but I'm ready to ride with my 2016 Chris Paul. I fully expect him to average approx. 23 ppg and put up 10 apg. While the 12 defense isn't going to slow down Steph or Russ too much, it means Steph needs a truly absurd roll to get his max. So I'll take what I can get!

So for reasons explained in the Lakers section, Lamar Odom ended up being their fallback second round selection. But before I took my SF, I locked down a PF... I was torn between Blake Griffin and Elton Brand, but the pull of LOB CITY was too strong to resist. I actually really love a 950 pt Blake card, but based on later selections, I took this versions rebounding for 1010 pts and moved Blake to center.

Then in Round 3, I went for a little steal of my own and took Dominique Wilkins... who the Hawks had already passed twice and took two SF eligible players instead. But I'll admit, I'm seduced by his 26 ppg and the ability to put up a THIRD guy that I fully expect will score far more than 20 ppg in the lineup... even with that 9 defense. Can you send a pattern with my (flawed) strategy?

Next up, I locked down my solid SG in Ron Harper. Affordable at 770 pts with above-average defense and an average over 18 ppg, Harper was a key target to keep my squad stout. With a 5 pt quarter at a 9 roll, getting to 20 ppg is certainly within reach!

Pick five was, I think, where I screwed up. I could've taken DeAndre Jordan at 670 pts, which would've allowed me to get the 1250 Chris Paul as a true superstar with 14 defense. That extra rebounding would've also been nice, especially since Dominique isn't doing a lot of rebounding at the 3. But instead, again seduced by the power of points, I took 22 ppg Danny Manning to be my PF. Now, that does give me an incredibly explosive lineup (with better defense than Toronto), but I regret not having a more balanced build.

On paper though, looks like an easy 24 ppg out of this card too!!

The bench features a guy I probably could've had at SF if I picked his 750 point season, an alternative way to afford 1250 pt Paul, Corey Maggette. He's joined on the bench by 17+ PPG Maurice Taylor (for only 70 pts!), scoring machine even as a rookie Eric Gordon (IU legend), and All Star Chris Kaman, who the analytics hated despite putting up massive numbers in 2010. I also took Doc's son to draw the illusion that he's coaching this squad, hoping it helps me make a run to the playoffs... even if my coaching dooms me to a first round exit.

Strength: Scoring talent... this may be the only lineup where every player SHOULD average 20 ppg. And the defense is fine in most places, especially with 12 defense Paul and 11 defense Griffin holding down the PG/C slots. With some elite bench scorers too, I'm hoping that Lob City is in full effect and the Clippers can win a lot of 135-125 type games.

Weakness: Everything outside of scoring -- I think the SF defense is trouble, as well as the total lack of bench defense. I worry about Manning holding up against Duncan/Garnett, and I really worry that I get destroyed on the glass, outweighing whatever scoring advantage I have in a heartbreaking manner. Overall, I'm not optimistic about either of my teams!

Los Angeles Lakers

Governor: RAGEonomiks

Round 1 was a dream come true... until it wasn't. At the onset, the Lakers knew they'd be in a tough spot, obviously picking near the end of the First Round. In fact, they had the #26 pick... and they knew it would be likely that star players such as Shaq, Pau, LeBron, and Anthony Davis would all be selected before their first pick. But in a great stroke of luck, Shaq fell all the way to #26 and, without hesitation, the Lakers snapped him up.

This card is TERRIFYING for opponents, as Shaq looks like he's going to put an easy 28/12 up every night!

This was a mistake because LA had been targeting PF/C Dwight Howard. And while Shaq would've been available in Round 2 based on teams 27-30, Howard was very much on the Rockets draft board. And so, the Lakers got the Big Man they could scarcely hope to obtain, but needlessly lost the one that was all but guaranteed as well. Why am I salty about this? Because the Lakers then turned to their next logical pick, the absolute stud of a PF/SF Lamar Odom card they had open to them in Round 2, thereby crushing my Clippers hopes at SF. But honestly, what a fantastic pick by the Lakers, as 950 pt Lamar is a do-everthing beast!

Of course, Round 3 could only be one man -- the Black Mamba himself, KOBE!! The Lakers will be running his 2007 card, which should put up over 30 ppg easily. Indeed, the Lakers are looking like they've picked an almost perfect Kobe/Shaq combo to build around (plus the elite defense of Odom)... and we know how well that recipe worked for LA in the past!

With their big three secure, the Lakers also added a score-first PG in Nick Van Exel (650 pts)... however, I'm definitely worried about how his 8 defense will hold up against Curry, Paul, Russ, etc. Rounding things out is another Lakers legend, James Worthy! While his 1993 self is old, he can still put up buckets. 

    PG    1996 Nick Van Exel, 650 pts

    SG    2007 Kobe Bryant, 1120 pts

    SF    1993 James Worthy, 430 pts

    PF    2009 Lamar Odom, 960 pts

    C      2001 Shaquille O'Neal 1140 pts

Strength:    The Kobe/Shaq duo is as elite as they come in this game. It's very, very hard to bet against these two, especially with a versatile Odom as the third banana.

Weakness:    Can Odom score enough as the third player and/or can Van Exel outscore his opponent PG enough with that 8 defense? With Kobe/Shaq, Lakers probably only need to win 1/3 of the other position matchups to take games, but it may be close with this support staff.

Memphis Grizzlies

Governor: Kevin

The creator/commissioner of the amazing NPB Showdown leagues, Kevin took on the challenge of the Grizzlies! With the #3 pick overall, Kevin locked down the elder Gasol brother before LA could take him. Just like that, Memphis had a 1000 pt big man manning the interior!

In Round 2 and 3, Memphis rounded out its big three by going for the two guys at the heart of the "Grit N Grind Grizzlies", star PG Mike Conley and C Marc Gasol. I LOVE that the Grizzlies have the Gasol brothers manning the paint together. While its no Spurs frontcourt, it's definitely one of the best in the west!

With their big three down low and manning the point, the Grizzlies went with two affordable role players in the SG and SF positions, including one of my all-time favorite players, Rudy Gay at SF. This gives the Grizzlies a lineup without any clear weak point, even if they lack a big time, star scorer. With 15 defense Tony Allen on the bench, it's clear they're going to try to hold opponents down and win in the low 100s/high 90s if they can. Honestly, Gay may end up being their leading scorer.

    PG    2017 Mike Conley, 1070 pt

    SG    2022 Desmond Bane, 780 pt

    SF    2012 Rudy Gay, 690 pt

    PF    2006 Pau Gasol, 1000 pt

    C      2013 Marc Gasol, 920 pt

Strength: Solid players at every position and good defense across the board. They aren't going to beat themselves and have a stout big three that's supported by role players who can score without being revolving doors on defense.

Weakness: Lack of elite offensive talent. While a couple guys may end up over 20 ppg, I highly doubt anyone hits 25 ppg, let alone 30 like some teams have. While the floor is high for all the players, I worry that over a seven game series, they just wouldn't be able to keep up with teams that have a ton of firepower/low defense.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Governor: Namba 48ers

The Wolves were always going to be a tough team to draft because they've been (easily) the worst NBA franchise in the last 30 years. This landed them the #1 overall pick, which also put a TON of time in between their first and second picks... but dang, they really seemed to nail their draft! The big decision at the beginning was whether to take PF/C Garnett, PF/C Love or SF/SG Butler? Frankly, any would be great pieces to build around, but I think they made the smartest call by taking a two-way stud (and the most famous player in team history) in Garnett.

Elite defense and upper ranges he should easily hit with that 14 offense -- absolute monster!

The Wolves then solidified the squad with two Minnesota-only players, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. Minnesota also had the unique team building of the squad with THREE #1 overall picks as their three most expensive players. Unfortunately, Wiggins was not the fourth rounder; instead, PG Ricky Rubio joined the squad alongside #2 overall pick Michael Beasley. This gives the Wolves a strong defensive/assist-heavy PG with a scoring machine/low defense SF to go with three potent players in the big three -- definitely a strong construction!

    PG    2016 Ricky Rubio, 830 pts

    SG    2022 Anthony Edwards, 860 pts

    SF    2011 Michael Beasley, 490 pts

    PF    2004 Kevin Garnett, 1190 pts

    C      2020 Karl-Anthony Towns, 1130 pts

Such a fun young player... and one that should easily put up 20 ppg in this league!

Strength: Definitely the backcourt, where the Wolves spent 2320 points (over half their 4500). When Towns and Garnett are hitting their high rolls, that combo of points/rebounds is a recipe for victory! I also love Beasley as the punt player, since he's a surefire 20+ ppg guy for under 500 pts and the 9 defense isn't uncommon (albeit risky)

Weakness: I think it's all going to come down to how well Rubio performs. The lower part of his chart leaves some room to be desired and if he's not clicking, the offense could stall out just enough to lose games. Going to be an interesting player to watch!

New Orleans Pelicans

Governor: Malford

Our resident Louisiana native started off NOLA's draft with a no-brainer (since the Clippers removed Chris Paul from board), taking PF/C Anthony Davis. The Brow is an absolute monster at 1190 pts, with 15 defense to go with an almost surefire 24 ppg card. In brief summation of how good he is... Shaq gets +0 against him while he gets +3 on Shaq!

However, target Jrue Holiday was picked by the Bucks before they got their second pick, but NOLA pivoted to selecting the New Orleans Hornets first superstar, PG Baron Davis. At 1040 pts, Davis is another guy expected to average around 24 ppg, with 12 defense to boot! The big three is rounded out with #1 overall pick (and budding superstar) Zion Williamson at the PF position. NOLA went the big four route, adding SF Brandon Ingram (Zion's star pairing currently) to add another jolt of offense! The starting five rounds out with 400 pt E'Twaun Moore -- a defensive worry, but with high potential on offense.

    PG    2004 Baron Davis, 1040 pt

    SG    2018 E'Twaun Moore, 400 pt

    SF    2020 Brandon Ingram, 890 pt

    PF    2021 Zion Williamson, 970 pt

    C      2015 Anthony Davis, 1190 pt

Strength: Another team with electric offensive firepower, especially down low. AD is a legit MVP candidate, and Baron Davis will be a great scoring PG. Zion should be in the 24 ppg range, and Ingram should put up around 20 ppg too. Definitely a team that, when they get hot, will put up LOADS of points on the opponent.

Weakness: Definitely the defense. While PG and C is locked down pretty well, the other three starting positions have 9 defense guys on the floor. It's hard to imagine giving that kind of advantage in THREE spots and the opponent not taking advantage of it, especially over the course of a playoff series.

Seattle Supersonics (OKC Thunder)

Governor: Riley!

In the most fortunate turn of events of the draft, Kevin Durant slipped past both the Nets and Warriors to fall back to the Thunder, who snagged him in Round 2. That selection paired KD with his old partner-in-crime, Russell Westbrook! Now, this isn't the 1420 triple double Westbrook... this is the best value card in the game in my opinion, the 2018 triple double Westbrook for ONLY 1080 points.

This card looks like a surefire 24 ppg/12 apg/12 rpg at only 1080 pts

Having this points/assists/rebound machine lead into KD's 32 ppg card is simply absurd, but Seattle/OKC makes it happen for one of the most dynamic 1-2 punches in the league. Riley pondered over the next pick VERY closely, but knowing he probably had Serge as another option at center, he took Seattle's Rashard Lewis at 770 points to be his #3 player. This is insanely good value too, as Rashard looks like he'll average 20 ppg while also having 11 defense. 

Everything worked out AGAIN for Riley, as Shawn Kemp fell back into his lap in Round 4, allowing him to scoop up the 760 pt C, another guy who should easily get at least 20 ppg... giving them a 30+ ppg scorer and three 20+ ppg scorers that all have 10 or better defense. Needless to say, Riley was thrilled. His lineup rounds out with the 700 pt Dennis Schroder -- 12 defense at the SG slot for 700 pts, with another expected 20 ppg. Dang, I love this team.

    PG 2018 Russell Westbrook, 1080 pts

    SG 2020 Dennis Schroder, 700 pts

    SF 2005 Rashard Lewis, 770 pts

    PF 2014 Kevin Durant, 1140 pts

    C  1997 Shawn Kemp, 760 pts

Strength: Definitely its Westbrook-Durant core, which seems perfectly set up to boost Durant to averaging well over 30 ppg. I'd be surprised if Westbrook doesn't average a triple double too. Then I have to credit the three 700 pt guys surrounding them -- they're all average or better defenders who should also contribute a bunch of points. This is an insanely balanced team, at least the way that I'm looking at them. I'm EXTREMELY jealous that they seem to score as well (or better) than my Raptors/Clippers without the glaring defensive struggles.

Weakness: I guess their weakness will be on the glass, whether Durant/Kemp can grab enough rebounds to survive against teams like San Antonio, Memphis, Sacramento or Minnesota. Definitely could be the fatal flaw during simulation that I didn't anticipate during this review.

Phoenix Suns

Governor: Booyakuhhsha

The Suns had a dramatic draft thanks to a misunderstanding of eligibility rules... but until that moment, things were playing out pretty well for Phoenix. Well, not SO well because their top target SF/PF Charles Barkley was snatched up by Philly before they got the chance to pick. As a solid consolation prize, the Suns took MVP Steve Nash to set the table/boost the other offensive studs that would soon be on their way.

With the speedy PG in place, Suns locked down defense on the wing/PF slot with Shawn Marion (another 1080 pt stud). The Suns then took scoring machine Devin Booker at SG, setting up for a lethal offense... following Booker was Amare Stoudamire, giving them the whole D'Antonio Suns trio + DBook.... but then things fell apart when Phoenix selected Oliver Miller, unaware that his only eligible season was a 770 pt card with extremely limited offensive upside. And thus, Amare was downgraded to a 370 pt benchwarmer. 590 pt Mikal Bridges entered the starting lineup instead, filling in at SF. However, DBook had to be downgraded as well to make the points work... as a result, the Suns backcourt is a 9 defense and 7 defense. WOOF. However, he can still score 60 pts in a game!

    PG 2007 Steve Nash, 1080 pts

    SG 2019 Devin Booker, 940 pts

    SF 2021 Mikal Bridges, 590 pts

    PF 2006 Shawn Marion, 1080 pts

    C   1994 Oliver Miller, 770 pts

Strength: Steve Nash boosting the already high charts of the other players -- Phoenix will be able to score in bunches. 

Weakness: Backcourt defense -- morning, noon and night. Kobe is going to be +9 as a 16 offense... Harden is going to be +12. Things could get ugly for Phoenix when facing a SG with an offense of 12 or more. Also, Oliver Miller will struggle to average double digits, which hurts for a 770 pt player.

Portland Trailblazers

Governor: Fragrant Olives

Checking in again is FO, bringing another team with a dynamic point guard to the table. However, the Blazers first rounder was a PF/C, as they secured LaMarcus Aldridge before the Spurs could have a crack at him. Portland surrounded their resident big man with a phenomenal backcourt next -- PG Damian Lillard and SG Clyde Drexler, arguably the two most famous Portland players from the last 30 years. And with 18 offense and 16 offense, what a perfect combo they are for 2180 combined points!

Clyde seems like he's going to be snagging an easy 24 ppg while contributing on both ends

With their big three secure, Portland snagged SF Cliff Robinson -- a 20 ppg type player with 12 defense for a mere 660 points... I know that I said Westbrook is the best value, but Cliff's certainly a contender for second place! Cliff's affordability helped the Blazers squeeze in their final selection -- the legendary Arvydas Sabonis, bringing 13 defense to the C position and ready to teach his son a lesson in a Blazers v. Kings grudge match.

Off the bench, the Blazers have a couple fun players -- 300 pt CJ McCullom (11 defense), Jerome Kersey at 470 pts (12 defense), and the legendary Zach Randolph as a 9 off/8 def that can easily put up 20 pts.

    PG    2020 Damian Lillard, 1080 pts

    SG    1992 Clyde Drexler, 1100 pts

    SF    1994 Clifford Robinson, 660 pts

    PF    2011 Lamarcus Aldridge, 930 pts

    C      1999 Arvydas Sabonis, 730 pts

Strength: Backcourt offense -- Lillard, Drexler and Robinson will score in droves. I also gotta credit PF scoring, as Aldridge and backup Randolph will pour it on. This should be a team with some impressive high scores. The defense in positions 3-5 is also very stout.

Weakness: I'm sure this is a broken refrain, but PG defense and rebounding. This is a weakness in many teams, so it'll be interesting if it's such a widespread team-building approach that it doesn't really come back to bite these squads. Plus, with the way Lillard can pour it on from his 18 offense card, that 8 defense probably won't matter much!

Sacramento Kings

Governor: Boshwack

Despite the #4 overall pick, the Kings best player (Webber) was already off the board by the time Sacramento picked. Wisely, they secured their second-best player, the beastly DeMarcus Cousins. He essentially has a 12 point floor on his worst day, and should easily average 24/4/12 -- definitely all you can ask to receive from a 1080 point, 14 defense card!

I love how easily he can snag an 8-2-5 quarter too

Bosh then wisely paired Cousins with the Sabonis' son, giving the Kings a pair of 1000+ giants who should easily average over 20 pts and 10 boards per game. The frontcourt monsters gained a PG to funnel them the ball with Bosh's third selection, as 890 pt Mike Bibby joined the squad. The Bibby-Sabonis-Cousins trio should all individually average 20 ppg, and I love the rebounding edge that the frontcourt gives to Sacramento.

Rounding out the starting lineup is Mitch Richmond, another score-first player at the SG position that should be good for 20 ppg, and the affordable final option in Tyreke Evans. I honestly see Evans, despite being under 600 pts, being a strong candidate for ~18 ppg too. This gives the Kings a lethal offense without having any sub-10 defenders!

    PG 2005 Mike Bibby, 890 pts

    SG 1996 Mitch Richmond, 850 pts

    SF 2013 Tyreke Evans, 590 pts

    PF 2022 Damontas Sabonis, 1040 pts

    C  2015 DeMarcus Cousins, 1080 pts

Considering the weak defenses of PG in this league, averaging more than 20 ppg is not out of the question for Bibby, 

which would be huge for his assists too!

Strength: A very well-balanced offensive attack. I love that it's been built inside-out and can see them winning a lot of rebounding edges. There's no gaping hole on defense. Even the punt will score. Looks like a potential surprise team, despite lacking the more well-known star names on other teams.

Weakness: Bibby needs a pretty big quarter to get to 3 assists and Sabonis/Cousins' both having 11 offense means they don't get a big advantage without assists boosting their rolls. Accordingly, there may be games where the Kings struggle to score with cold-markers... however, I think that'll be neutralized by the sheer number of great scoring options across their starting 5.

San Antonio Spurs

Governor: Kevin Potts

I think we could've all predicted this would be an amazing team since they can count on their big four of Parker-Ginobili-Duncan-Robinson right off the cuff. Brother of the Bulls' Governor, Kevin may be notorious for rolling horribly irl (I recently beat the 2014 Spurs with 2013 Heat by over 50 points thanks to Kevin's horrible rolling), but the sim will remove that weakness from the equation! Since Kawhi went to the Raptors, the Spurs did the sensible thing with the #30 pick and took Tim Duncan, then turned around at #31 and took David Robinson. We've seen a lot of amazing PF/C combos in this league, but the 1130 pt Duncan and 1180 pt Robinson take the cake. 

Paired with The Admiral's 14/15 card, it's almost unfair what the Spurs have down low!

Kevin definitely played with adding the 1390 pt, 1994 Robinson instead, but it would've neutralized Ginobili and Parker too much, whereas this 1996 version will do just fine anyway. Both of the Spurs' legendary big men should average over 24 ppg and at least 12 rpg. Kevin decided on Ginobili as the third banana on this team, giving him a 16/13 SG with a 12-pt quarter upside. Parker comes in at 730 points, with a 10 defense, and honestly should still put up 20 ppg. I'd be worried about Parker's poor assist range, but Duncan/Robinson don't need it with their 14 offenses to put up dominate stat lines!

Rounding out the starting five will be a combo of Bruce Bowen (14 defense) and Robert Horry (13 defense) at the SF position. Neither will score much -- but their sole job is to limit the production of opposing SF. With those defensive numbers, they're in great shape to do so. The bench also features some Kevin favorites, such as Jakob Poeltl (of the word game fame) and Avery Johnson (who he insisted be drafted early to ensure he was a Spur).

    PG    2007 Tony Parker, 730 pts

    SG    2005 Manu Ginobili, 1040 pts

    SF    2006 Robert Horry, 420 pts

    PF    2002 Tim Duncan, 1130 pts

    C      1996 David Robinson, 1180 pts

Strength: Obviously the backcourt, but more so the way the team is built around their expensive top 4. Parker can still score in bunches, which helps the streakier Ginobili, while the punt piece is designed to clamp down on the opposing SF. The Spurs know their big four can score and without options to put 15-20 ppg up for around 400 pts, they decided to clamp down and limit the opponents. I'm excited to see if the sim rewards this move or if they get outscored!

Weakness: This team looks great, but the obvious weakness is SF scoring. If opponent wings dominate Horry/Bowen in pt differential, it may be too much for the Spurs since Ginobili may struggle to get over 16 ppg consistently.

Utah Jazz

Governor: Davy

If you've read all this, congratulations -- you've reached the final team summary! Similar to the Spurs, the Jazz were loaded with team-controlled options in the draft. This team is centered around defense and, foregoing known-pedophile Karl Malone, built a very sturdy team that's built to win games in the high 90s/low 100s. In Round 1, they secured a needed offensive weapon down low in Carlos Boozer. Better known to me for his days in Chicago (and horrible fake hair during one game, google that monstrosity), he was absolutely a scoring machine in the mid-00s for the Jazz, and his card here should score over 20 ppg.

Not going to lie, I love the purple backgrounds and love how this card came out. Easy 12 rpg for Boozer too!

Of course, he's going to be bolstered by the third-rounder, PG John Stockton. Stockton has 18 offense and 12 defense, and he's looking at an easy 12 assists per game... potentially more with a 5 assist quarter starting at 20. I love him running the show and boosting the other scorers. But the other key weapon is a defensive machine at SF, the classic Russian Andrei Kirilenko. AK-47 has amazing defense and should average somewhere in the 18 ppg range. The goal, like the Spurs, will be to limit teams best weapon on the wing, but with a lot more OOMPF than Bowen/Horry can provide.

Rounding out the starting five is 90s Finals team third star Jeff Hornacek (another 16 ppg type player) and center Hassan Whiteside, who should provide plenty of rebounding for his 12 defense and 530 pts. I'm worried Whiteside will average closer to 8 ppg/8rpg than 16 ppg/16 rpg though.

    PG    1992 John Stockton, 1110 pts

    SG    1994 Jeff Hornacek, 800 pts

    SF    2005 Andrei Kirilenko, 1080 pts

    PF    2007 Carlos Boozer, 980 pts

    C      2022 Hassan Whiteside, 530 pts

Strength: Great defense across the board and maybe the best PG card funneling the ball to the stars. Built to win bruising games. I think AK47 adds strong rebounding contributions to the mighty Boozer and strong enough Whiteside.

Weakness: I'm worried they won't score enough, as the only guy who seems like he'll put up over 20 ppg is Boozer. If the defense falters, they could be in trouble in catchup mode.

PREDICTIONS

Ok, so that's all 30 teams!!! 11 governors submitted their predictions for the season, and here they are:

Eastern Conference champion voting-- the governors overwhelmingly selected the Bulls to win the East, giving them 7/11 votes

• Bulls, 7 votes
• Bucks, 2 votes
• 76ers, 1 vote
• Knicks, 1 vote

 Western Conference champion voting -- the governors were more split here, but the Warriors and Spurs are the favorites at this juncture

• Warriors, 3 votes
• Spurs, 3 votes
• Lakers, 2 votes
• Rockets, 1 vote
• Trailblazers, 1 vote
• Nuggets, 1 vote

WHO WILL WIN IT ALL??

We've got a wide variety of votes for the NBA Champion:

• Bulls, 4 votes
• Lakers, 1 vote
• Rockets, 1 vote
• Nuggets, 1 vote
• Bucks, 1 vote
• Spurs, 1 vote
• Knicks, 1 vote
• Supersonics, 1 vote

Yes, apparently one manager selected a team they didn't pick to win the West to win it all -- maybe they meant "win the West" as get the one seed. Anyway, let me know your predictions for the year and stay tuned for the simulation to begin soon!!