Author Topic: 2021 CB Roster Thread  (Read 78514 times)

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Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #75 on: September 15, 2021, 01:33:38 AM »

Offline Jvalin

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Memphis is so bad defensively I can't take them seriously as a contender in this. They can certainly score, but I don't think they even have the best offense, so when coupled with their awful defense, I just don't see them as threat.
Simmons for Randle straight up would have made perfect sense for both the Grizzlies and the Warriors.

Grizzlies
Lillard - SGA - Bridges - Simmons - KAT

Simmons and KAT are polar opposites. They'd fit next to each other like a glove. No wonder the Wolves are interested in Simmons in real life. Lillard would be an amazing fit next to Simmons as well. He's one of the best volume shooters in the NBA (ranked 2nd in made 3-pointers last season, behind only Steph).

Warriors
Steph - Brogdon - Wiggins - Randle - Bam

At the same time, Simmons and Bam would cancel each other out on offense. I assume this is the reason theswitch is bringing Simmons off the bench. Problem is, it's a waste of talent having a 3rd-round pick coming off the bench. Randle would stretch the floor for Bam on offense (although he scores plenty of his points in the paint as well). Bam would provide cover for Randle's limitations on defense.

According to Woj, the two teams were in negotiations over a potential trade around Simmons and Randle. Unfortunately, they couldn't reach an agreement. Shams is reporting that the Bucks were willing to facilitate a 3-way deal. :P
« Last Edit: September 15, 2021, 01:54:07 AM by Jvalin »

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #76 on: September 15, 2021, 02:07:29 AM »

Offline nickagneta

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Count me as another that would rate of Minnesota poorly. No defense. Bunches of guys needing the ball in their hands to score their points with another 3 off the bench or so that are the same way. I am not enamored with anyone on that team and the fact the the team defense would be so terrible. And their best bench player and 4th best overall player is out until mid January at the least.

So if their were voting, Minny would definitely be in my lower half.

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #77 on: September 15, 2021, 02:39:02 AM »

Offline nickagneta

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Offense: With 4 very good to elite ball distributors in Jrue, Ingram, Westbrook and Lebron, having elite three point shouter for them on the court at all times would make the Spurs one of the best offensive teams in the draft, plus be loaded with a lot of tough, physical two way players.

Spurs 3 point shooters:

Lebron 36.5% on 6.3 3PTA per game
Brown 39.7% on 7.1
Holiday 39.2 on 4.9
Ingram 38.1% on 6.1
Harris 47.5% on 6.4
Seth Curry 45% on 4.9
Morris 47.3% on 5.2
Garland 39.5% on 4.9
Green 41.2% on 3.7
Olynyk 39.2% on 4.6( this is his last half of season in Houston).

Valanciunas would grab up offensive rebounds(Val is one of the best in the league at this) and can still play his high post pick n roll or pick and pop out to mid range.

Timelord will make an excellent rim runner as well as an amazing last line of defense when he is on the court.

Olynyk will be my change of pace three point shooting center.

Brown, Holiday and Westbrook will be the main ball distributors but Brown, Ingram, Curry and Time can all move the ball at excellent levels.

Also, I feel without a doubt this team is the best two way group in the league. For me San Antonio has both a top 3 offense and top 3 defense in this game. Would voters agree? I am not too sure...I have some very unlikeable players on my team. But I think it all works out to be one of the best if not the best in the game.

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #78 on: September 15, 2021, 07:45:04 AM »

Online Who

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I love Golden State's bench. I reckon they have the best bench in the competition.

G: Derrick Rose, Cameron Payne
G: Derrick White
F: Evan Fournier, Keldon Johnson
F: Ben Simmons
C: Brook Lopez, Daniel Theis

I love the guard rotation in particular. Immense collection of talent. A score first two way PG in D-Rose. A high level two way role player in D-White. A two-way playmaker in Cameron Payne. Then you have Evan Fournier on the wing who can slide down and play as a big SG if the team needs more size. So much versatility in the backcourt. D-Rose was very impressive last year for the Knicks and their most consistent player in the playoffs.

I love the Brook Lopez & Daniel Theis center duo. Lopez as a more statuesque defender and Theis as a more mobile defender. Both give defensive value in different situations and cover each other's weaknesses. Both can shoot the 3 and play five out on offense. Love that.

Then Ben Simmons who is a major game changer off the bench with his defense, rebounding, passing and interior scoring. Simmons is the only perimeter defender in the league today that I really rate as a stopper. As someone whose defensive talent makes me nervous when he checks on my top scorer(s). And Keldon Johnson as a deep reserve behind them. Nice.

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #79 on: September 15, 2021, 03:21:22 PM »

Offline action781

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It's my opinion that questions of fit are quite irrelevant when you're talking about top 20 players, like debating whether players will have the ball enough (Beal was an All-Star alongside John Wall, with a much lower usage, for example) to perform as they do IRL. In my opinion, talent trumps fit.

I think Westbrook + Durant, Simmons + Embiid, the 2004 USA Olympic team to name a few demonstrate that fit does matter.
2020 CelticsStrong All-2000s Draft -- Utah Jazz
 
Finals Starters:  Jason Kidd - Reggie Miller - PJ Tucker - Al Horford - Shaq
Bench:  Rajon Rondo - Trae Young - Marcus Smart - Jaylen Brown -  Peja Stojakovic - Jamal Mashburn - Carlos Boozer - Tristan Thompson - Mehmet Okur

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #80 on: September 15, 2021, 04:43:36 PM »

Offline gouki88

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It's my opinion that questions of fit are quite irrelevant when you're talking about top 20 players, like debating whether players will have the ball enough (Beal was an All-Star alongside John Wall, with a much lower usage, for example) to perform as they do IRL. In my opinion, talent trumps fit.

I think Westbrook + Durant, Simmons + Embiid, the 2004 USA Olympic team to name a few demonstrate that fit does matter.
Westbrook and Durant were finalists at 23 years old, and went on to have 60 and 59 win seasons, Simmons is not a top 20 player in the league, and international basketball is a totally different ballgame.
'23 Historical Draft: Orlando Magic.

PG: Terry Porter (90-91) / Steve Francis (00-01)
SG: Joe Dumars (92-93) / Jeff Hornacek (91-92) / Jerry Stackhouse (00-01)
SF: Brandon Roy (08-09) / Walter Davis (78-79)
PF: Terry Cummings (84-85) / Paul Millsap (15-16)
C: Chris Webber (00-01) / Ralph Sampson (83-84) / Andrew Bogut (09-10)

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #81 on: September 15, 2021, 06:32:01 PM »

Offline theswitch

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Memphis is so bad defensively I can't take them seriously as a contender in this. They can certainly score, but I don't think they even have the best offense, so when coupled with their awful defense, I just don't see them as threat.
Simmons for Randle straight up would have made perfect sense for both the Grizzlies and the Warriors.

Grizzlies
Lillard - SGA - Bridges - Simmons - KAT

Simmons and KAT are polar opposites. They'd fit next to each other like a glove. No wonder the Wolves are interested in Simmons in real life. Lillard would be an amazing fit next to Simmons as well. He's one of the best volume shooters in the NBA (ranked 2nd in made 3-pointers last season, behind only Steph).

Warriors
Steph - Brogdon - Wiggins - Randle - Bam

At the same time, Simmons and Bam would cancel each other out on offense. I assume this is the reason theswitch is bringing Simmons off the bench. Problem is, it's a waste of talent having a 3rd-round pick coming off the bench. Randle would stretch the floor for Bam on offense (although he scores plenty of his points in the paint as well). Bam would provide cover for Randle's limitations on defense.

According to Woj, the two teams were in negotiations over a potential trade around Simmons and Randle. Unfortunately, they couldn't reach an agreement. Shams is reporting that the Bucks were willing to facilitate a 3-way deal. :P

Takes three to do whatever that version of tango is :) I tried...
2023 Historical Draft: Toronto Raptors

Point Guard: Anfernee Hardaway, Fat Lever, Terrell Brandon
Shooting Guard: Paul Westphal, Paul Pressey
Small Forward: Marques Johnson, Danny Granger
Power Forward: Jermaine O'Neal, Bobby Jones, Kiki Vandeweghe
Center: Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #82 on: September 15, 2021, 06:34:45 PM »

Offline theswitch

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I love Golden State's bench. I reckon they have the best bench in the competition.

G: Derrick Rose, Cameron Payne
G: Derrick White
F: Evan Fournier, Keldon Johnson
F: Ben Simmons
C: Brook Lopez, Daniel Theis

I love the guard rotation in particular. Immense collection of talent. A score first two way PG in D-Rose. A high level two way role player in D-White. A two-way playmaker in Cameron Payne. Then you have Evan Fournier on the wing who can slide down and play as a big SG if the team needs more size. So much versatility in the backcourt. D-Rose was very impressive last year for the Knicks and their most consistent player in the playoffs.

I love the Brook Lopez & Daniel Theis center duo. Lopez as a more statuesque defender and Theis as a more mobile defender. Both give defensive value in different situations and cover each other's weaknesses. Both can shoot the 3 and play five out on offense. Love that.

Then Ben Simmons who is a major game changer off the bench with his defense, rebounding, passing and interior scoring. Simmons is the only perimeter defender in the league today that I really rate as a stopper. As someone whose defensive talent makes me nervous when he checks on my top scorer(s). And Keldon Johnson as a deep reserve behind them. Nice.

Thanks, Who - I was pretty excited about my picks starting in round 4 and think I did a nice job on the bench. Unfortunately, it's only so strong because Simmons was a reach and I underestimated how strongly people would view his fit. Rookie move. I should've just kept it simple with Jrue, Siakam, or Randle (my other considerations). Would've made life a lot easier with Steph, Bam, Jrue - less to explain. If I had done that, you could still argue for a strong bench because then Brogdon or Grant would've been coming off the bench, but it takes a little hit.
2023 Historical Draft: Toronto Raptors

Point Guard: Anfernee Hardaway, Fat Lever, Terrell Brandon
Shooting Guard: Paul Westphal, Paul Pressey
Small Forward: Marques Johnson, Danny Granger
Power Forward: Jermaine O'Neal, Bobby Jones, Kiki Vandeweghe
Center: Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #83 on: September 15, 2021, 06:36:29 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Gonna have a good ole laugh when Boston beats the Lakers for the title next year with the 4 biggest stars in the Finals being Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Jaylen Brown and The Timelord.(Oh, Tatum too)

Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #84 on: September 15, 2021, 07:14:01 PM »

Online Roy H.

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I'm arbitrarily going to make up final four playoff matchups based upon my own rankings, with seeding determined by draft pick.  Ground rules:  coaches set the rotation to maximize their player talents, so it doesn't really matter who a GM designates as a "starter" or at what position the GM picked them.  Games will be evaluated as if we're playing in the Orlando Bubble; i.e., no home court.

1.  Milwaukee Bucks vs. 4. Indiana Pacers

G: Chris Paul, De'Aaron Fox, De'Anthony Melton
G: Buddy Hield, Tim Hardaway Jr
F: Khris Middleton, Kyle Anderson, Kelly Oubre
F: Kevin Durant, Danilo Gallinari, PJ  Tucker
C: DeAndre Ayton, Josuf Nurkic

vs.

G: Dejounte Murray, Lonzo Ball, Goran Dragic
G: Paul George, Tyler Herro
F: Jayson Tatum, Terrence Ross
F: Pascal Siakam, Jae Crowder, Larry Nance Jr
C: Domantas Sabonis, Jarrett Allen, Steven Adams

This is a very close series.  To be a bit controversial here, I think Tatum will take a leap next season, and I see he and George going about point for point with Durant and Middleton.  I think the series comes down to the "other guys", both in terms of starters and the bench. 

One of those "other guys" is Chris Paul, who just averaged 19 / 9 with 45% 3PT% in a deep playoff run.  I think he's going to be able to play at a similar level against Indiana.  I also like that Milwaukee has better defenders at the two most important positions, the 1 and the 5.  Overall, I like the Indiana bench better, and Siakim as a 5th option is better than anything that Milwaukee can role out there.  It's a really close series, but on a neutral floor I lean toward Milwaukee.  They've got the best player, the best point guard, and the better defensive center.  In crunch time, I think these things matter.

2.  San Antonio vs. 3. Minnesota

G: Jrue Holiday, Russell Westbrook, Darius Garland
G: Jaylen Brown, Seth Curry
F: Brandon Ingram, Joe Harris
F: LeBron James, Marcus Morris, Jeff Green
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Robert Williams, Kelly Olynyk

vs.

G: Trae Young, Jamal Murray, Jordan Clarkson
G: Bradley Beal, Terry Rozier, Saddiq Bey
F: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Will Barton
F: Harrison Barnes, Aaron Gordon
C: Joel Embiid, John Collins, Mason Plumlee

Unlike the first series above, this series is going to have some real mismatches.  Jonas can't defend Embiid.  That's going to be a bloodbath, I think.  Nobody on Milwaukee can defend Lebron.  He's going to put up a series reminiscent of his title winning performance in Cleveland.  I suspect Denver will bring Aaron Gordon to guard him some, but there's only so much he can do. 

I seem to be a bigger fan of Minnesota than most, but I ask myself:  how can you stop a team that has Embiid, Young and Beal if they are playing to their full potential?  They can't be doubled, the only hope you have is that the guys around them miss shots.  And, Barnes / Bogs / Collins don't miss a lot of shots.  This team may put up a .600 TS% as a team.  I see Minnesota getting to the line a lot.  I see Lebron getting to the line a lot.  I love Jrue Holiday, but I don't think he'll exploit Trae Young the way some other guys could.

Another 7-gamer.  What it comes down to is that I just don't trust Jonas and Ingram in this series, and I think ultimately there are too many guys on the San Antonio roster that seem out of place (Westbrook, Garland, along with the aforementioned two starters). 

Finals:

1.  Milwaukee vs. 3. Minnesota

My wife is making me do chores.  I don't like chores.  Does that mean I don't like my wife?  No, I guess she's okay, so I need to wrap this up.

If this was the hypothetical matchup, it's an incredibly high-scoring series.  I don't see how either team defends the other.  Ayton and Paul at least put up some resistance to Embiid and Young.  We see an epic Game 7 duel between Durant and Beal, but in the end, Durant is just too efficient.  146 - 140, Milwaukee.


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Re: 2021 CB Roster Thread
« Reply #85 on: September 26, 2021, 06:38:49 AM »

Offline Jvalin

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I'm assuming we'll never vote for the best teams. I would have submitted my ballot to gouki, but I'll post it here instead.

1. Indiana Pacers
Versatile defensive team. Everybody but Sabonis can switch ball screens on the perimeter. I like the offense as well. Tatum, George and Sabonis can either create their own shot or create shots for their teammates. Siakam, Dejounte and Lonzo are perfectly suited in supporting roles. Jarrett Allen gives some toughness in the paint. The Pacers are a well-rounded, balanced team.

2. San Antonio Spurs
LeBron at #6 was a steal! He ain't getting any younger, but at the end of the day he's still LeBron. I'll always consider him the best player in the league till categorically proven otherwise. I think he's earned this kind of ultimate respect. I like the Spurs a lot. They are a hard-nosed, 2-way team.
Imo, LeBron has pass-first mentality. He likes deferring to his teammates in the clutch. I believe the Spurs could have a use for an elite score-first player. This is the only reason I didn't rank them at #1.

3. Houston Rockets
Based on the depth chart, OG starts at the 2. Imo, he's a swing (SF-PF), not a wing (SF-SG). Don't think he can stay in front of explosive undersized guards. That said, the Rockets have Thybulle who's one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Zinger is a massive question mark. Can he stay healthy? Even if he can, he ain't the ''unicorn'' anymore. He's just a floor spacer. In any case, I love the fit next to Giannis.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Talent-wise, possibly the best team in the draft. That said, Trae and Beal are ball-dominant players. Embiid demands the ball in the half court as well. Is there such thing as ''too many shot creators''? I mean, basketball is played with only one ball. Not a fan of Trae's game, but maybe that's just me. He's a hopeless defender and a ball-dominant guard. Reminds me a bit of AI. Can you win it all with Trae running the show? The Hawks have surrounded him with off-ball players (shooters + PnR roll men in Capela/Collins). Don't think he'd be a good fit alongside other ball dominant players (for instance, Beal).

5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Hard-nosed, defensive-oriented team. One of the best defensive teams in the league (if not the best). What holds them back is the fact that they lack an elite go-to scorer. Don't think Butler is versatile enough to qualify as an elite go-to scorer, cause he's a below average 3pt shooter. AD is a 2-way monster, but he ain't an elite go-to scorer either (at least imo). Reminds me of poor man's KG. You gotta surround him with scorers/shot creators in order to maximize his effectiveness.

6. Detroit Pistons
Imo, Jokic was the best player in the NBA during the 2020/21 regular season. He totally deserved the MVP. Love the fit of Mitchell next to him (although I'm relatively low on Mitchell). I believe Klay won't be the same player ever again. If he were fully healthy, he would have probably been a second-round talent. The way I see it, what separated Klay from other sharpshooters around the league was the fact that he was a great defender. Now that he's coming off 2 major injuries, is there anything separating him from shooting specialists like Duncan Robinson, Joe Harris, Buddy Hield etc?

7. Golden State Warriors
I believe Bam and Simmons would cancel each other out on the offensive side of the ball. It makes sense to bring Simmons off the bench. That said, it's a waste of talent to have a 3rd round pick coming off the bench.

8. Memphis Grizzlies
Great offense. Below average defense. The best defender in the starting lineup is Mikal Bridges. I absolutely love his game (best 3+D wing in the NBA, imo), but you cannot possibly build your entire defense around him. He's just a role player.

9. Toronto Raptors
Worst defensive team the league. Literally all 5 starters are below average defenders. The same goes for most of the 2nd unit as well. The only exceptions are JJJ and De'Andre Hunter. It seems like the Raps don't even care about playing defense. Thomas Bryant is quite possibly the worst defensive Center in the NBA.
Love the offense, but imo the Raps aren't a functional/balanced team cause of their horrendous defense.

10. New York Knicks
Hate the fit of CJ and LaVine next to Luka on the defensive side of the ball. Gobert is the best rim protector in the NBA, but he cannot play D on the perimeter. The Knicks would have hands down the worst perimeter defense in the league. Don't like the offensive fit either. Too many players who are at their best when playing with the ball in their hands. Again, basketball is played with only one ball.

11. Brooklyn Nets
Kawhi will possibly miss the entire season. Even if he comes back, chances are he won't be close to 100% from day 1. I'm also relatively low on Booker. He's a very talented scorer, but most of the times he only cares for his own shots. Don't think he makes his teammates better. Too many rooks/young prospects as well (although I'm super high on Cade). Team of the future vibe. Not ready to compete in the upcoming season.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2021, 12:44:15 PM by Jvalin »