2025 CBlog Historical Post-Draft Season: Sim & Voting

[smokeablount]

ROUND 1 - #1 SAB defeats #8 Celtic Fan Forever 4-1

Again, this series was close and could have swung differently. It was a battle of the starters, as 4-5 of each teams starters scored in double digits every game but without anyone really eclipsing 25 points, and with not much bench support until SABs top bench players got on the board in the clincher. The defense of CFF bothered SAB, typically the most efficient team in the pool, who was much less efficient than normal. SAB cruised in game 1 but lost game 2 when CP3 had a 22-10-15 triple double, and CFF only lost by 1 point in a decisive game 3 in which no one broke 100 points. Game 4 was a relatively close SAB win on the road and in game 5 SAB finally got their trademark blowout at home. Another high seed low seed 4-1 series that was far from the breeze it appears, and we already know the sim under-appreciates the fantastic 7th and 8th seeds built by Who and CFF.

SAB advances to Round 2, which I?m going to aim to do later this week!

#1 SAB vs #5 RodyTur10

#2 Roy Hobbs vs #3 Moranis

[Moranis]

Luka dominating is not surprising to me.  Team was designed for him to have the ball and he was incredibly efficient that season.  Also not surprising to see my team dominating on the boards.  I drafted a big team with plus rebounders at every position, which also helps defensively.

The concern I had with Jokic also played out i.e. he is passive. Doesn't take a lot of shots and isn't a mega usage player.  Works much better outside the fantasy setting where his best traits aren't able to be truly maximized. 

[Roy H.]

I think a matchup between Cleveland and Boston would be fun.  I'd be tempted to go with an ultra-big front line that included Giannis at SF and Brand at PF, just to see how that played out.

[smokeablount]

CONFERENCE FINALS - #1 SAB defeats #5 RodyTur10 4-0

SAB comes out firing, scoring 138 points in a game 1 in a high scoring affair, outgunning RodyTur10 who scored a potent 126 points. SAB won a low scoring game 2 110-102 and then erupted in game 3, winning 143-121 in another high scoring affair. Then in another low scoring affair, SAB completed the sweep, winning 100-82 to close out the series. Kawhi, Wade, and Lowry led the scoring effort for RodyTur10 and SAB had a balanced scoring attack led by Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, who stepped into the 2nd option role here. In half the games the trademark defense of the Raptors was on display, but in the other half SAB?s high octane efficient offense proved too much, and SAB?s defense consistently did just enough for their offense to prevail, though it wasn?t always pretty. It was a great season for RodyTur10, making it to the final 4 and conference finals.

SAB advances to THE FINALS, which will occur next week!

#1 SAB

Vs.

#2 Roy Hobbs vs #3 Moranis

I am going out of town, but trying to do the other conference finals sim/writeup before the weekend. Please bear with me! If I can make time today (work fantasy draft later) I will.

[Who]

Thinking Basketball is currently doing a series where it is ranking the top 25 peaks of the 21st century. I thought it would be interesting to track it since it (mostly) lines up with this CB Historical Draft.

(1) Peaks = so single year only
(2) Similar time frame. 2000-01 til today. 25 seasons 25 best peaks. So ours was 2004-05 til today. So some seasons in early 2000s will be null and void.

It is still ongoing so not finalized yet. Here is where he is so far:

25) Jason Kidd
24) Jayson Tatum
23) Dwight Howard
22) Draymond Green
21) Manu Ginobili
20) James Harden
19) Tracy McGrady
18) Luka Doncic
17) Joel Embiid
16) Anthony Davis
15) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The top 14 still to come. Likely names = Shaq, LeBron, Jokic, Steph, Giannis ... KG, Duncan, Dirk, Kobe, Durant, Wade, Kawhi, CP3, Nash.

McGrady was likely 2002. I don't think his 2005 season makes the cut. Kidd was likely 2001 or 2002. Unclear whether his 2005 or 2006 makes the cut. Probably not. The other guys ranked 15th-25th are all in our time frame.

Shaq, Duncan and KG are all likely in that 2000-05 period. Good likelihood all 3 make it for 2005 onwards. Shaq for 2005. KG & Duncan for some season in between 2005-2008.

Teams

Cleveland = LeBron, Shaq, Luka (#18)
Orlando = Duncan, CP3 ... no P Pierce or R Allen
New York = KG, Nash, Embiid (#17), Ginobili (#21)
Indiana = Jokic, Tatum (#24)
Chicago = Kobe
Boston = Steph, Giannis
OKC = Durant, SGA (#15), J Kidd (#25)
Milwaukee = Dirk, McGrady (#19), Draymond (#22), Dwight (#23)
Toronto = Wade, Kawhi
Philly = Harden (#20), AD (#16)

McGrady and Kidd being likely drop-outs due to time period.

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I know from listening to his opener that Ben Taylor (Thinking Basketball) was disappointed Yao Ming and some others (Brandon Roy) were not in the top 25. He thought they would be before he started the project. He was hoping to spend more time talking about less popular stars (and spend his time talking about what made the so great) but the top 25 was more full with the mainstream superstars than he expected. He needed to go deeper to get to the guys like Yao. A top 50 or something like that. I wonder if he will do that afterwards. That would be interesting.

They said they had 21 top stars. Then 10-12 guys for the final 3-4 spots.

Honourable Mentions

(1) Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook = high offensive volume with mediocre efficiency.

(2) Paul George, Paul Pierce, Jimmy Butler.

Deep cuts - Baron Davis. Ray Allen. Pau Gasol. More PGs - Deron Williams, Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson.

Westbrook was the final cut. Pierce and Jimmy next in line.