Sim League Monthly Report - December
1st Edition of Issue #2
by: NOLa.
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Introduction
Welcome gentlemen to this month's Sim League Monthly Report (SLMR), your sim league article fix for when you're as bored as me and want to see if your team got any slurpage from outside parties not including yourself. Some teams don't need the slurpage because of their consistent dominance in their respective conference and divisions. Others don't need it because they will quote you in their sig (Great One). Then there are those who are sitting quietly in the dark, probably hoping not to have the spotlight thrust on to them as they quietly work their way into a winning team. Too bad because I have a list of teams that don't normally **** talk but I'm going to do their **** talking for them. And our guest for this month’s edition is none other than DarthVegito!
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Sim League Power Rankings
The Run Down
(1) Los Angeles Lakers 20-12
Defense. Dominating. Doom. I know Balls is the first on the forum to **** talk but this is a shout out to the Lakers for their Total Score of 1.05. The Lakers have certainly created an identity for themselves and the West should take notice. #1 in oPPG, oRPG, and oAPG, the Lakers have slowed down the tempo and in turn have created a suffocating defense led by MVP-favorite Kobe Bryant. The other players aren’t a bad group of defenders either, but Kobe is doing something special. Only Bryant and Melo are scoring more than 30 PPG while shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from the three, but Bryant has the more complete game of being a shutdown perimeter player. Big props go to Balls for being the first team to score over the 1.00 mark. I said it was possible but the team would have to dominate multiple aspects of the game instead of specializing. Ta da!
(2) New York Knicks 14-10
Not a typo, I swear! The Knicks are for real and I for one completely undersold this team at the start of the season. Stacked with talent and deep in the front court, the Knicks are quietly putting together a very solid season. The force of Amare and Chris Webber has proved to be a punishing duo, combining for an average of 19 FTAs a game by those two alone, sending your best post defenders to the bench early. Also the best shooting team overall in terms of FG% but dead last in the league with a 27% 3 point shooting so that may be something to keep an eye on. Keep it up JJack.
(6) New Jersey Nets 15-15
If your team can rebound and defend you have a good shot at making the playoffs, and when you have Dwight Howard you possibly have the single most dominant C in the game. But this team isn’t just about Dwight Howard, because there’s another Howard that has been making a big impact on the Nets as well. Josh Howard is proving to be great complement to Dwight’s game, shooting 42% from three and providing good scoring and defense to help ease the pressure from Dwight. Mike Conley also has a bright future with the Nets, perhaps setting up a deadly defensive presence at the PG and C spot for seasons to come. This nasty defense only allows opponents to shoot 42% from the field, best in the league.
(11) Los Angeles Clippers 14-19
The highest ranked team with a losing record and currently 10th in the West standings overall, the Clippers had a December to forget. After starting December with a 5 game winning streak the Clippers finished the rest of the month going 3-8. Before Clipper fans start jumping off the ledge they have to remember that some key players missed several important games. Lamar Odom missed 5 of those games and starting C Rasho Nesterovic missed 4 games with no true C to back up. The team is fully healthy again and the Clippers will prepare to fight the Jazz, Mavs, and Sonics for the 8th seed spot.
(13) Detroit Pistons 15-11
I’m personally a little confused about the ranking numbers for the Pistons, feel they have been slighted. Last month’s edition had the Pistons at 9 ranked overall, but for some reason dropped 4 spots despite having a good month and beating notable opponents such as Knicks, Raptors, Mavs and others. One of the most balanced scoring teams in the league thanks to the ball distribution of Luke Ridnour, with all five starters averaging over 10 points per game each with no one averaging more than 20. Defense is underrated being in the Top 6 in both oFG% and o3P%, good for Top 5 in the Defense category.
(16) Orlando Magic 12-16
Perhaps the single most confusing team in the league, the Magic step up when it comes time to play against the best teams around the league. In the month of December the Magic have beaten the Lakers, Hawks, Raptors, Bucks, and Pistons. Unfortunately the team is rather inconsistent and in the same span lost to the Cavs, Heat, and Celtics all in a row. When their defense is clicking the Magic can be a tough team to beat, so for those scheduled to play them next just know it may not be a “gimme”.
(19) Utah Jazz 15-11
The Utah Jazz had a good December, going 8-5 with an impressive six game win streak in the middle of it all that unfortunately turned into a three game loss streak to close the month of December. But those three losses were against the Pistons, Suns, and Bulls, not exactly a cake walk. Utah also missed Grant Hill for 11 games but survived in his absence. With the team fully healthy the Jazz will try to continue their success and will likely battle the Clippers and Nuggets for the 8th seed.
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Dallas Mavericks Owner DarthVegito Interview
NOLa.: Before I dive in I want to say thank you for taking your time for the interview, it's much appreciated. So the sim results just came in to finish the month of December and I see your team had a full slate of 10 games. Actually I think your team played every damn day this month. How did you think your team performed giving it a quick glance?
Darth: Where do I start....sheesh. This was a very challenging sim for me. Played some very good teams. I decided to move Jamison back to the 3 and start Bass at PF, since Marion had been struggling at the 4. I started off with wins against the Bucks and Wolves, then dropped 3 straight to some really good teams. The Griz, Pistons, and Sonics gave it to me, but then something happened. Antawn tore his ACL 2 minutes into our game against the Spurs. I still can't honestly tell you how I feel about it. I have very mixed emotions right now. Normally one's reaction to losing their superstar for the year would be automatic disgust and panic.
But the reason I'm not feeling that is how my team responded for those final 5 games without Jamison. Especially Andris Biedrins. This was his stat line for the final 5 games of this sim: 26 PPG 15.6 RPG 1.8 SPG 4.8 BPG. And the rest stepped up as well. So I'm not necessarily saying my team is better now that Jamison is out for the season. What I am saying is that luckily that is the one position I have the most depth at. That is Marion's natural position. Marion is better suited to the "balanced" offense that we run. Not to mention he is an excellent defender. So what's done is done when it comes to the injury. It sucks yes, but I'd like to think we can overcome and still rally behind him and put together a winning season. If this sim was any indication as to what this team can do then I'm feeling very optimistic.
NOLa.: The Big Bean has been playing great, possibly from the motivation of his contract year. We've talked about him before the season started. You had faith in him filling into a max player’s role. Has his improving play set himself as the team’s top player to build around going forward in the future instead of Deron?
Darth: Your absolutely correct. We have tons of faith in Andris becoming the star player we know he can be. He is certainly not disappointing us this season. With the unfortunate injury to Antawn, we will be relying on these younger guys much much more now than ever before. Andris, Deron, and Brandon...they hold the season's success in their hands. Along with the veteran leadership Shawn and Caron can provide, we're hoping this continues to stay course and we have a good season.
To answer your question about the centerpieces of this team, we honestly don't hold one above the other. Andris and Deron are equally important to the future of this franchise. These two young players are simply not talked about enough in this league. Look at the numbers and tell me you can find a more rounded center in the whole league. You just cannot. Andris is the best center in the league already in our opinion. 5th in rebounding, 3rd in blocks, and he's a top scoring center. He also is not a liability at the end of a game like a Dwight Howard or a Shaq is. It can be argued he is the best all around center in the league right now. And Deron...well I used to be upset we missed on Chris Paul. Those feelings have long left us. Deron leads the league in assists at the moment. And had he not gotten injured at the end of the regular season last year he would have finished the season leading the league in assists. He has become a pretty efficient scorer and is getting better every day. With these two guys alone we feel like no matter the rest of the pieces we will continue to be in the discussion come postseason for a long long time.
NOLa.: Strong answer, I like it! Alright so out west we know the Midwest Division gets competitive but right now the standings are super packed. Rockets and Grizzlies are locked in right now with a 16-11 record, with you, the Jazz, and the Twolves within two games. How would you rank these teams (1-5)? Also can the Midwest possibly squeeze 5 teams in the playoffs leaving the Pacific division with just 3 teams representing?
Darth: Yea the Midwest looks like it's going to be very tough as usual. Well as far as ranking them goes, that's a hard one. The Griz and the Rockets are clearly the top two. Melo is finally giving Houston the offense they've been looking for from him. Those two teams will probably go back and forth all year. I would probably put the Jazz third. I like what they did in the off season, question is will it be enough. Wolves are always a threat of course. Honestly I won't rank myself. Can we really be a better team without Jamison? We will find out soon. But I do think we still make the playoffs. I only see 10 teams in the West having a chance at the playoffs. And the Nuggets and Clips, that chance is small. They need someone to implode. That team could be the Mavs. But I doubt it. I think we're solid enough to take a 5-7 seed.
I do think the playoff teams right now will stay exactly the same. Only moving around and jumping each other. 5 will come from the Midwest and the Suns, Lakers, and Sonics from the Pacific. Let's talk about those Sonics! Has to be the worst defense I've seen in years. For a team who pretty much has the same players the state of that defense is a wreck. I believe they lost defensive monster Ratliff, if I remember correctly. I'm shocked they haven't made a move yet. They've been a threat for the past few seasons, but even they know they will be in for a first round bounce if they don't improve that defense. Maybe they can put up 120, but that doesn't do any good when their opponents score 125. Curious to see what moves are made in the conference by the deadline.
NOLa.: Yeah the Sonics decided to start the season off going small-ball if I remember right. I think Dirk played C for him the first couple of sims with Harrington playing PF an Roy at SF. I was interested in how that would work out for him and it quickly turned ugly for the Sonics. He's trying Mihm at C now and he said his defense has improved but still requires tinkering. Who do you think he'll go after, because I too also believe he will make a move after Day 60. Has to be a defensive C I would think.
Darth: Yah he did say it improved. I didn't look too deep into his results this SIM but I can only imagine it didn't improve enough to satisfy him. I do think he will try to pull off a big trade before the deadline. And I mean BIG trade. But will he be able to make it happen is the question. We all know he has been trying to find a suitor for Beno and hasn't made that happen yet. Why is that? Probably multiple reasons. I won't list them all, I know you don't have that much time on your hands! But a huge reason is because I'm pretty sure he hasn't been offered a good enough deal for him. Beno is a backup for the Sonics, but would start on probably 75% of the teams in the league. Will he being a RFA this off season force his hand into making a trade? Knowing that if Beno doesn't accept his offer, some other GM will no doubt throw the bank at him. We've also heard he's willing to move Dirk as well. I see him going after strictly front court players, ones who don't lack a defensive game for sure. So the makings for a huge trade are there. He's just got to find the right suitor and get all the moving pieces to fit. Definitely will be intriguing to see how the deadline plays out this year.
NOLa.: Speaking of free agency you will have a busy one in filling your team back up after this season. You'll have about $20 million coming off the books but most of that must be going towards the Big Bean. Will you be looking to retain most of your team this offseason or do you think you'll scan the market and see who might be available for pickup? Also Marion turns 30 after this season, will you pay him like he will want to be paid or is that money best saved for Deron when his contract runs out?
Darth: This off-season will be an expensive one. Would love for Andris to take a home town discount, but he is obviously a max guy. Now with the added politics of RFA, we will play the game and do what's in the best interest of the team. But with that being said, there is 0% chance the Beaner leaves Dallas. He really really enjoys it here.
Most of the rest will depend on how our season goes. Either way we would like to retain Marion. We have had no contract negotiations as of yet. We will wait until the season concludes before talks start. Of the season goes well we're hoping he wants to stay and is considerate when it comes to our cap situation. As I stated earlier, Jamison was going to be traded on Day 45. Don't be surprised if we move his expiring for a huge piece in the off season.
NOLa.: Kind of a tough question but one every serious GM must ask themselves when moving forward, do you think your core group (minus Jamison due to injury) can carry you to the Western Conference Finals? Also, which team would you prefer to play against in the 1st round and which team would you loathe to play in the 1st? I understand it might be early but it's never too late to observe.
Darth: That is a very hard question. But only because I've had only 5 games to see results. Let me see a few more sims and I'll get back to you on that one
Team or teams I want to play in the first round...that's an easy one. Seattle, Houston, or Memphis. Not because I think I'll have an easy series win, but because those are the three I'd enjoy beating the most. Any win over Seattle is enjoyable. Houston is the in state rival. And I need revenge on Memphis for ousting us last year.
There's only one team this year I can say I don't want to face in the first. That's the Lakers. That is a complete team, and the team I think we'll come out of the West. But we play them back to back coming up. The last game in the next SIM and the first game in the following SIM. We will see how we stack up against them soon. This is a whole new team without Jamison in the lineup. New team, new dynamic. Looking forward to seeing how each one of them adapt.
NOLa.: Well man you've been an awesome guest and thank you for sharing and allowing me to take up some of your time. Now is the time I give you what I promised, the mic with the open floor. If you got a message for the league, a owner, or just have something you want to get off your chest go ahead and throw it in. Can be as long or as short as you like, no limits!
Darth: a lot of things that probably would **** some people off. I actually wrote this twice. First message was a juicy one. But I will have to refrain. I will make one comment about the state of the league. We have the most activity I have seen in the 4 seasons I've had a team. It's very exciting. But we've seen recent frustrations and outbursts concerning the timing of sims and the lack of communication by commish. Although a drunken outburst this statement by IamQuailman:
Originally Posted by
IamQuailman
And honestly, can we at least get some kind of heads up if there is or isn't gunna be a sim? Commish, I completely understand if you are busy, but it takes only 1 min to say "not happening today". Or sonething like that. You got 28 guys waiting on pins and needles for a sim, if it's not going to happen (or if it's gunnna be a late one) some kind of heads up would be nice. I'm not talking about this one.... But last sim too. Again not trying to be an ***, but it's just frustrating to wait and wait and wait not knowing what to expect
No one really commented on it, everyone saw it and kinda ignored it. I love this league. I don't want it to end. But most of these GMs put tons of time into this league and feel like they at least deserve updates on when sims will happen and I tend to agree. It is a miserable day when I refresh ALL day long having no clue if there will even be a sim. The amount of work the Commish puts in has never been questioned. We know it's a lot of work. And this isn't the first season this topic has been discussed or **** has hit the fan about this in particular. I don't know the solution to this problem. I do know many GMs have offered to help the Commish out with running the league to alleviate some of the stress and responsibility. But those offers have never been taken up. So as to the solution. I don't have one. But I do know that I love this league and I don't want it to end. And once again as myself and others always make sure to say, we appreciate everything you do for the league commish, we really do. But if we don't find ways to solve problems like these, I see frustrations growing and grim days ahead for sim league unfortunately. Guess that's more than one comment but oh well. Hope that comment was "innocent" enough. Thanks again NOLa. for the opportunity!!
Originally Posted by
Inner_GI
ALL I KNOW IS IF YOU WERE A "REAL FAN" YOU'D BE WILLING TO BET EVERYTHING! YOU SHOULD BE DEVASTATED BY THE IDEA OF NOT MAKING THE PLAYOFFS! I WOULD BET ALL MY STRIPPER MONEY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I'M HARDCORE!
Originally Posted by
Inner_GI
Originally Posted by
NOLa.
This chik is hardcore
Nola.... wow man. We don't need your fap material.
Originally Posted by
BallSoHard
Originally Posted by
Soundwave
Tray took you to the ghey club for your bachelor party didn't he.
I was suspicious when the place it was called bananas swings..
Originally Posted by
The JNR
RPF jokes, but I want this SLOE meetup to happen, especially since I've met two of you so far and still have all my organs.
Originally Posted by
IamQuailman
Beeball's **** yall. Can't live with it, can't live without it
Originally Posted by
RealPelicans Fan
this was my reaction when i finally traded Maglorie
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