Who's "Pick-Two" Teams' Analysis

[Bahku]

Houston Rockets (Rondo2287)

New Rockets Post Trade

Brooks
Salmons
Thadd Young
Millsap
Okafor

Bench
Yi
Ben Wallace

3 picks in this round. 

The Paul Millsap + Emeka Okafor combination is very good. I also like Ben Wallace off the bench, he's having an excellent season. That's the strength of this team. The backbone. Those three players. They add nearly all the value to this team.

I think the rest of the squad is fairly mediocre. I'm not an Aaron Brooks fan. I don't think he does enough outside of scoring the ball. Poor defensively, poor rebounder, poor floor general/passer. I think Salmons + Young is a downgrade from Battier + Ariza. Yi is a large variable who is hard to pin down but he's off to an unimpressive start to his career. In comparison to the current Rockets, the loss of Kyle Lowry is a large downgrade.

I think Thaddeus Young is a lot more effective as a power forward than a small forward. That's why I'm not enthusiastic about him here. I think he's a better offensive (quickness creates matchup problems) + defensive player (team defense adds a lot of value) at the four. I think his natural position is as an undersized power forward.

The question is:

• Is Millsap + Okafor + Big Ben superior to Scola + Landry + Hayes? Yes, it is.
• Is that upgrade more important than the perceived downgrades on the perimeter? Ehh, that, I'm not sure about.

Overall, I'm thinking that the squad is comparable to the current Rockets. They're in the same ball park.

Houston Rockets (rondo2287)-
Aaron Brooks, DeMar DeRozan, Corey Maggette, Paul Milsap, Emeka Okafor
Mike Bibby, Yi Jianlian, Ben Wallace

Three best players on the team -- Paul Millsap + Emeka Okafor + Ben Wallace.

Those three players will create a tough spine to the team. A backbone. Steel. Excellent rebounding and very good defensively. Also, will provide some good scoring between Millsap and Okafor.

DeMar DeRozan is the next most interesting player on the roster. He's not up to much in the present tense but he's a very good prospect going forward. A lot of potential as a defender + rebounder. Kind of reminds me, physically and D+R, of Nick Anderson. DeRozan is also very good off the ball offensively, has a good midrange game, and should grow as a scorer in future seasons. A potential 20ppg guy down the road + major contributor defensively and on the glass. An All-Star caliber prospect.

Corey Maggette gives the team some solid go-to scoring, as does Aaron Brooks, but neither player contributes much outside of scoring.

Yi is a poor player who shouldn't be given any court time given the strength of the Rockets' top three players. Mike Bibby creates as much damage (defensively) as he adds offensively (shooting ability, efficiency).

So, in summary, not much of a contribution from any of the players outside their three best guys. DeRozan is a very good prospect though and is a very good asset for the club.

Another team that should be somewhere around .500.

[Bahku]

Memphis Grizzlies (ChampKind)

Fake Grizzlies:

PG - Jose Calderon - $8.219m
SG - O.J. Mayo - $4.165m
SF - Paul Pierce - $19.795m
PF - Carl Landry - $3m
C  - Marc Gasol - $3.24m

Bench:
PG - Ramon Sessions - $3.67m
PG/SG - Sweet Lou Williams - $4.972m
C/PF - Ronny Turiaf $4.14m

Total Salary 2010: $51.201m

That starting five would be beautiful to watch offensively. All talented players, four of whom are extremely efficient. Good passing and unselfishness amongst the unit. One of the best offensive lineup's in the league.

Not the best team defensively but they'd be serviceable.

Not a fan of the bench corps ... I love the shooting ability + efficiency + ball movement that the starting lineup provides. I dislike seeing two guards, Ramon Sessions and Louis Williams, who don't fit into that type of game plan. The offense will change a great deal when they check in.

The team already had a lot of go-to scorers who can create offense (Pierce + OJ + Landry)and high quality complementary offensive players (Gasol + Calderon) in the starting lineup ... I think your team's balance would have been better to stick with complementary bench players who can play off of those players rather than two ball dominant guards who need the ball. It would be less of an issue if you decided to keep only one of them and traded the other for a quality backup wing.

Turiaf is a solid backup big man, can fill both big man positions. I like him. He brings a bit more defensive chops to the table. Great energy and effort too.

I'm thinking a 47-51 team that could be a 55/56 win team with a stronger bench.

[Bahku]

Utah Jazz/Salties (SlamTheKing)

Current Utah Salties
C: HIbbert
PF: Boozer
SF: Battier
SG: Granger
PG: Williams

Bench
4/5 backup: Sheed
2/3 backup: Raja Bell
PG backup: TJ Ford

I think that's a pretty solid team so far.  Could definitely use some solid bench players but so far I think I'm off to a pretty decent start.

Opinions from anyone?

If I were you, I'd start Raja Bell at SG and move Battier to the bench.  Granger, in my opinion, is not capable of playing SG.  Raja Bell can't score anymore, but with the rest of that starting lineup he won't need to - and Battier off the bench will keep his minutes down.

Love the talent you have on the team though.

Shift Bell to SG and Granger to SF.  Use Battier off the bench.

I disagree, I think Battier is a far more effective two guard than Raja Bell ... and more importantly I think the team is vastly superior with Battier in that starting lineup than Bell because of Battier's stronger defensive play at this juncture in their respective careers. The weak interior defense and Granger's mediocre D makes Battier's strong D a necessity.

I would keep Battier in the starting lineup and Bell in the reserve role.

Other Thoughts

I would like to see you target a second wing off the bench with some size. There is a very good prospect still available with that description and a couple of decent role players.

I don't think TJ Ford can play for Jerry Sloan. He doesn't have the discipline offensively, to run the offense, that Sloan demands. TJ needs more freedom to express himself.

Still very concerned about the defensive qualities of Boozer, Hibbert and Wallace as a big man rotation. The rest of the roster is elite, a contender, but that combination could hold it back.

[Bahku]

Chicago Bulls (KCattheStripe)

TEAM OF THE FUTURE!

PG: Rose
SG: Batum
SF: Gallinari
PF: Jeff Green
C: Noah

Bench: Al Thornton, Jrue Holiday.

Nice little team.   Need some major size at PF and C.  I think Green's future is at SF (though stuck at PF because of Durrant/Gallinari) 

Yeah, I'm not wild about Jeff Green at the four either. I think he needs to be playing alongside a center with a bit more heft, more physicality, to make that work.

I prefer Green as a small forward. As a Tayshaun Prince type player.

[Bahku]

Indiana Pacers (Slugger)

My turn?

Pacers starting lineup:

PG  -  Stephen Curry
SG  -  Courtney Lee
SF  -  Lamar Odom
PF  -  Chuck Hayes
C   -  Nenad Krstic

Bench:

Shannon Brown
Anthony Randolph
Zaza Pachulia.

My take on team as follows - though a couple of changes are inevitable.

Krstic is more of a finesse Centre, so i've decided to start a bulldog like Chuck Hayes next to him.  Hayes, whilst being 6-6, can create mismatches but can also defend above his size.

I love Lamar Odom at the 3.  Whilst he may struggle to defend quicker perimeter 3's, he tends to get abused by bigger 4's in the post.  Offensively, he can handle the ball, is a great passer, has pretty good outside touch, can post his man, pretty good rebounder and can also initiate the offense.  I honestly still do not know why i copped so much flack for trading him for Granger.  Nevertheless.....

My starting backcourt of Lee and Curry i like alot.  Whilst they are young, both have shown real promise.  Lee is a very solid defender, who makes a good 3rd or 4th offensive option.  He is a good slasher and decent outside shooter.

Curry is a future all-star.  The season started slow for him, but he has really come on lately.  He is an excellent shooter and is displaying some good playmaking abilities.  The reins of his GSW team will be handed over soon, if not already.

Benchwise, we have a banger in Zaza.  Some length and rawness at the 4 in Anthony Randolph.  In his second starting game as a rook he swatted 8 shots.  You dont do that without some skill.  We also have some toughness and scoring in Shannon Brown (aka 2010 slam dunk champ)  Good slasher, fearless and has confidence in his game.

Whaddya think?
 

I'm not a fan of Krstic. I'd rather have a strong defensive minded center there. That type of center in combination with Odom at power forward would give you a terrific foundation defensively. Especially with Lee on the perimeter. A top 10 defense.

I agree with others on Lamar Odom. I think he's at his best at power forward. He's a very good defender at the position and it allows him to stay closer to the backboards, and, thus a bigger impact on the glass. He is also a matchup problem for most opposing bigs due to his quickness + ballhandling/passing/driving ability.

I don't like having both Lamar Odom and Anthony Randolph. Both players are natural power forwards and the two best talents on the roster. I would rather see you trade Randolph and build a team for the present tense (Odom + Player X + Curry) or trade Odom and build a team for the future (Curry + Randolph + Prospect X). I think you're stuck between those two ideas ... and that that has left your team short of the talent necessary to make a major challenge both now and in the future.

Stephen Curry is a very nice starting point guard. Excellent offensive player. I like Courtney Lee, he is a valuable role player. Chuck Hayes and Zaza Pachulia are a pair of good reserve big men.

Not a fan of Shannon Brown. He's not a natural point guard and will struggle a lot more once he doesn't have the Triangle + Kobe Bryant to play off of. I'm not impressed by him as a two guard either.

[Bahku]

New York Knicks (PLamb)

Knicks

Starters

PG: George Hill
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Grant Hill
PF: Zach Randolph
C:  Nene Hilario

Bench

PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Anthony Parker, Quentin Richardson
SF: Matt Barnes
PF: Kenyon Martin
C:  Louis Amundson

What do you think so far Mr Who?

It's a good team.

I'm undecided on which players I'd like to see start at the PG + PF positions. Whether the current starters (Zach Randolph + George Hill) or Kenyon Martin + Ty Lawson give the Knicks a better chance of winning. I'm not sure which one works better. Randolph gives you the go-to scorer and Kenyon Martin gives you a better defensive team. I think you need to keep George Hill (very good defensive player) with Randolph and Ty Lawson (talented offensive guard) with Kenyon Martin though, those duo's/combinations work very well.

The bench

I think the team should only go eight deep (D'Antoni will like that). Use Lawson + Parker + Kenyon in addition to the starting five.

Then have Amundson as an ninth man and Barnes as a tenth man. Not a fan of Barnes' defense or his streak shooting, that's why I wouldn't want him in the rotation. Excellent rebounding small forward though. I wouldn't play Amundson because of the talent amongst your three main bigs, all are vastly more talented and are able to handle the available minutes. Amundson is a very good second big off the bench, excellent pickup.

Quentin Richardson is another strong rebounding wing, a below average but serviceable defender and a good stand still shooter offensively. He's a very good 11th man.

Anthony Parker is a good role player; an average defender and an excellent perimeter shooter with a solid handle + passing ability. He's a very nice pickup. When playing alongside Ray Allen, your wings would be weak on the boards so the other three players need to have some strong rebounding.

Overall

I think you have three high quality defensive players in the rotation with Nene, Kenyon Martin and George Hill. Nene and Martin are the backbone of your side both defensively + overall. They are the players I'd treasure the most.

The rest of your squad has a few of average defenders (Hill, Parker ... Ray's inconsistent D is hard to peg down), a poor-to-decent defender in Lawson and a poor-to-very poor defender in Zach Randolph.

I'm thinking the squad will be slightly above average defensively and while Kenyon + Nene are on the floor together they are a top 10 defensive team.

Offensively, only one go-to scorer but an abundance of efficient + capable of offensive players in Nene, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Ty Lawson and Anthony Parker. Solid offensive play from George Hill and Kenyon Martin too. A good offensive team.

I'm thinking this Knicks team is a 45-48 win squad.

[Bahku]

New Jersey Nets (IndeedProceed)

Okay now the New Jersey Nheyts are starting to really shape out. This is the team as I envisioned it..mostly.

Devin Harris/Will Bynum
Thabo Sefelosha/Wes Matthews
Omri Casspi/Dorrell Wright
Luis Scola/Ersan Ilyasova/Darius Songaila
Brook Lopez

Rational behind trading Lee and 9(1) for Scola and 8(11)

David Lee is a good option, but I wanted a more traditional 4. I started out with Nene, then went to Lee, and now I'm at Scola. Scola isn't the rebounding monster Lee is, but he's a natural 4, and he's much the same type of player the rest of my boys are. He's a banger, he's physical. He takes charges, he rebounds, and he's got some sweet post moves. Beyond that he's got a legitimate midrange jumper where Lee's was inconsistent at best. He'll allow Lopez room to operate if he needs it, and on top of that he can still bang in the post for buckets if need be. I'd say he's as good or better a defender as Lee.

Still have 2 picks next round and I'm done.

I thought your team was best off with Nene. The team would have benefited greatly from his defensive quality.

Luis Scola is a nice addition though. Scola and Lopez give the Nets a very impressive 1-2 punch in the paint. The two best players on the team. Ersan Ilyasova is an excellent offensive complement to either big man also. That's a strong big man rotation. Songaila cleaning up the garbage minutes.

[Bahku]

Trade: Toronto & Atlanta (Lucky17 & Jsaad)

Toronto trades Tayshaun Prince
Atlanta trades Jason Thompson

Interesting trade. Helps balance out both team's lineup in the short term.

Atlanta Hawks

Let's Atlanta move Josh Smith back to his natural position at power forward and gives Joe Johnson some legitimate help on the wing with Tayshaun taking over Marvin Williams' role. That's a quality trio at SG + SF + PF.

I would like to see Atlanta start Jordan Farmer alongside them. A more creative offensive player albeit primarily as a scorer. I don't like Derek Fisher. He can do a Bibby imitation but I don't think that's valuable. I would rather see another point guard brought in to take away his minutes if possible.

The team still needs a true center to play in the middle. Someone with a bit of muscle, some defensive ability and in particular post defense + man-to-man defense because Josh Smith already brings a lot of weakside defense but not man-to-man D against opposing bigs, and some tough rebounding ability. Another Al Horford.

Chris Andersen would make a very good backup big with his energy + effort + solid defensive/rebounding/garbage man contributions. I don't like him as the starting center but he is a good piece.

I also love Ryan Anderson as the backup power forward, he has All-Star potential if he can get his defense up to a solid level and based on his defensive improvement this season that is an achievable target. It's a shame he's stuck behind Josh Smith because he could have added huge value to a team as a low valued high quality 30-35mpg power forward.

James Posey is a good secondary reserve wing but I'd rather see someone else as the primary backup wing. Or two comparable reserve talents who's minutes vary depending on matchups.

Jordan Hill isn't a rotation worthy player but he is a decent prospect. A good rebounder and a decent garbage man offensively with a solid stand still jumper out to 20 feet. Some defense would be nice though.

So, I would like to see the Hawks add another solid reserve/rotation wing + a starting center + a Fisher replacement ... to get the most out of their core/squad.

Toronto Raptors

I'm not sure what to make of Gilbert Arenas. He has been poor this season but he's only at the early stages of his comeback attempt. He may improve and if he does he's exactly the type of prolific offensive perimeter player that this team could use.

The one major downside to Arenas is that I don't like him around JR Smith. Smith is too immature to handle playing alongside such an erratic + ball dominating point guard. So if Arenas is in the plans, then JR Smith has to go, or vice versa.

Anyway, to the rest of the team since Arenas is an X-Factor for the time being ...

Kirk Hinrich and Mario Chalmers is a good point guard rotation. Mainly because of their defense. JR Smith and Martell Webster is one of the better defensive wing combinations in the league. Combine those two elements together and you have the makings of an elite perimeter defense.

JR Smith would be the best perimeter scorer and likely a 18-20ppg threat as well as a solid passer + solid defender + solid rebounder. Martell Webster is one of the finest role players in the league with his excellent defensive play + decent rebounding (SF, good rebounding SG) and high quality complementary offensive game. Their quickness + defensive ability would make life difficult for opposing teams on a nightly basis. And, their shooting ability will keep opposing teams on their toes all night long.

There is a lack of a 3/2 type reserve player. A small forward/shooting guard. It would be preferable to have that type of role player (defender + effective offensive player) but that isn't a big deal due to Smith's + Webster's flexibility. JR Smith is a prototypical two guard who can play some time at both the three and the one while Martell Webster is a natural two guard who can double up as a three. So the Raps could field a big small forward like Jerebko or Nocioni and just keep Webster or JR Smith on the court to play the two guard position while they're out there.

Jonas Jerebko is a good utility man who can backup all three frontcourt positions. Andres Nocioni is a mediocre reserve player who provides streaky offensive player + good rebounding at the small forward position and can play the four in some small ball lineups. Nocioni is slow footed defensively at the three and struggles defensively against more PFs, that's the main reason for my interest in a quicker solid defensive reserve wing. So not the strongest at the reserve SG + SF + semi-PF positions but adequate.

Jason Thompson is a very good acquisition. He can switch between the four and five seamlessly. It allows the Raptors to put more quickness out there with their big men (Thompson vs Perkins) when required without resorting to a small ball lineup and without losing a lot of their quality rebounding.

Thompson is a very poor defensive player but he's young and capable of making large strides defensively over the next few years. He's also a skilled + versatile offensive player who is comfortable anywhere on the court. Thompson is an excellent offensive + rebounding complement to Chris Bosh when you want to put Bosh at center and create more matchup problems (very valuable!).

Nazr Mohammed is a serviceable backup center and JaVale McGee is a solid prospect at center. Nice depth as the fourth + fifth bigs in the rotation.

So, ideally -- short of acquiring an All-NBA wing -- I would like the see the Raptors add one more wing player. Someone who can play solid defense (slightly above average or better) and provide some offensive quality (either as an efficient complementary player or a go-to scorer off the bench). Also, primarily a natural small forward who is a solid rebounder (board work is important here) but is also able to matchup against some twos.

Without Gilbert Arenas, that squad is still a tad short on perimeter offense so it's important they have an effective offensive player backing up the wings. Nocioni is acceptable but Jerebko less so.

If you can't get that though, it's fine, Nocioni will do a good enough job. And Jerebko gives enough depth. Add a two guard who is a strong defensive player as a situation substitute to balance out the bench.

[Bahku]

Minnesota Timberwolves (Fafnir)

PG   Darren Collison   Luke Ridnour   
SG   Rudy Fernandez   Daqeuan Cook   Ime Udoka
SF   Luol Deng   Chase Buddinger   
PF   Anthony Randolph  Kevin Love   
C   Al Jefferson   Nick Collison   


I'm not sure if Collison would start, but I think he would. Though Ridnour likely would get more minutes, especially early.

Randolph would be playing next to Big Al possible, I imagine Kevin Love would end up getting just as many minutes.

In terms of current ability, I would consider Anthony Randolph is the worst defender on your team. Teaming up with Big Al (second worst) defender is a bad recipe.

I like Randolph's defensive potential but he's a long way away from being a positive influence on any team's defense. Likely two seasons away before he becomes an average defender, another year to become a good defender and then you'll have something special on your hands. Playing alongside Big Al + Love isn't going to make his development (defensively) any easier either.

Then Love as the primary big off the bench and Collison as the fourth big. Very little defensive play between the four of them. No quality options for that second starting spot.

Collison is probably the best call, make him a 10-15 minute a night starter and play the other two big minutes off the bench. You might be able to find a trade for N.Collison for a solid defensive minded power forward and use that player as a temporary starter until Randolph is ready to step in.

[Bahku]

Portland Trailblazers (PosImpos)

Portland Trailblazers (PosImpos)-
Delonte West, Brandon Roy, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, LaMarcus Aldridge, Shaquille O'Neal
Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Travis Outlaw, Erick Dampier

I like the Delonte West + Brandon Roy combination. I think those two would be very effective playing alongside one another. I also like Sasha Vujacic as the backup guard. A big point guard rotation size wise. Nice shooting ability too.

Mbah a Moute gives the Blazers a terrific defensive player on the wing.

I dislike the lack of quickness amongst the bigs + lack of team defense. Their overwhelming size, and importantly, the size of the Blazers perimeter players will help offset their weaknesses though. Still, the Blazers will be increasingly vulnerable to pick and roll offenses + transition offense + against teams who force multiple defensive rotations on the same possession due to the lack of quickness/team defense.

I love having Travis Outlaw off the bench. I think he offers the Blazers a whole different look with their bigs. Two burly seven footers with Shaq + Dampier and a big PF/C in Aldridge. A combo forward like Outlaw who can play out on the perimeter and has great quickness creates a whole different type of matchup problem for opponents. Makes life difficult for teams ... changing up between styles of play. A change of pace substitute. A nice weapon to have. Walton is a solid backup SF too.

I think this Blazers team will be very effective offensively. A lot of very efficient players. I think the Blazers' big men's weaknesses defensively hold it back some but it should still be a good defensive side.

[Bahku]

Milwaukee Bucks (Gainesville Celtic)

Milwaukee Bucks (Gainesville Celtics)-
Brandon Jennings, Ronny Brewer, Wilson Chandler, Drew Gooden, Andrew Bogut
Earl Watson, Kelenna Azubuike, Jared Jeffries, Tyrus Thomas, Desagana Diop

I think is a fun team. Quite similar to the current Bucks. Less perimeter shooting ability but even more defensive ability.

This is one of the best defensive teams in the league. Bogut is very talented interior defender. Ty Thomas is a good-to-very good defender at the four. Ronnie Brewer and Wilson Chandler combine to make a very effective defensive tandem on the wing. One with great size and versatility too. I also like Azubuike off the bench, another solid defender. Jennings is a solid defender at the point and backed up by another solid defender in Earl Watson. Jared Jeffries gives the team good versatility defensively as a reserve forward and Diop is a superb defensive backup center.

The only player on the roster who is a poor defender is Drew Gooden. Offensively, Gooden will supply a solid jump shot and a decent low post game. That should be a nice complement to Bogut's game.

Scoring is going to be a major issue. A lot of grind it out games ... heck, a grind it out season. But they'll be effective and be close to .500.

[Bahku]

Philadelphia 76ers (Riah32)

Philadelphia 76ers (riah32)-
Jameer Nelson, Ben Gordon, Carlos Delfino, Antawn Jamison, Robin Lopez
Earl Boykins, Jamal Crawford, Jerry Stackhouse, James Posey, Kris Humphries, Zydrunas Ilgauskus

I do not like the mix of this team. A lot of individual talents but collectively I don't think they're impressive.

I consider only two players on the roster to be mediocre or better defensively and they are Carlos Delfino + Kris Humphries. Humphries being a slightly above average defender and Delfino being a solid-to-good defender. I think the rest of the players on the team are liabilities defensively.

Robin Lopez is a player who I feel doesn't deserve his reputation for being a defensive player + rebounder. Although, in fairness to him, his rebounding has improved considerably this season after a very poor display last year. His defense still needs a lot of work. Not a serviceable defender.

Lopez' offensive game is very good though. He has excellent hands, is an excellent finisher, runs the pick and roll well, gets a good number of easy baskets (garbage plays, running the floor) too. A type of player who scores 12-15ppg if he's playing 32-35 minutes a night while shooting 55-60% from the floor. A complementary offensive threat and a very good one at that. His offensive play has been his best asset since his first day in the league. Unfortunately, he rarely gets any credit for it.

I don't like the mix in the backcourt with Jameer Nelson, Ben Gordon, Earl Boykins and Jamal Crawford. All scoring guards. Three of the four are poor passers/playmakers and Nelson is only mediocre (relative to position). I particularly don't like Boykins. I think he's at his best on a team that is desperate for scoring help but at his worst on a team that needs a floor general/passer/facilitator.

I think the lack of passing ability is also a major issue throughout the rest of the squad. Nobody on the team is an above average passer for their position. Actually, I think Delfino is a solid passer but he doesn't add much value to a team with his passing ability.

I think the team's lack of defensive ability + lack of teamwork offensively will hold it back. It's the type of squad that could improve greatly from some personnel changes in these two departments because there is good individual talent on this team.

I think is a team that wins somewhere in the 30's. Could be anywhere from low-to-high 30s depending on what type of playing time is given to players.

[Bahku]

Boston Celtics (RebusRankin)

Boston Celtics (RebusRankin)-
Rajon Rondo, Jason Richardson, Richard Jefferson, Kevin Garnett, Joel Przybilla
Anthony Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Sam Young, JJ Hickson, Serge Ibaka

An excellent team that would be amongst the league leaders defensively and a solid offensive team.

I love the interior combination of Kevin Garnett + Joel Przybilla. Rajon Rondo gives Boston a third impact player ... and a third impact player who relies on his non-scoring contributions for his greatest impact. A rare trio.

Jason Richardson is a good scorer and rebounder who'll be a nice fit on that roster. Richard Jefferson is questionable fit offensively but a solid one, and, defensively he'll be superb. That starting five will be the best, or one of, the best in the league defensively.

I like two of the bench players, JJ Hickson and Serge Ibaka. Unfortunately, I think they'll get in each others way in terms of development. Both being prototypical power forwards who need minutes + responsibilities for the next phase of their growth. I'd rather keep Ibaka and trade Hickson. Hickson has greater possibilities but is less likely to achieve them. Ibaka, on the other hand, is already a quality defensive player + quality rebounder and he has excellent potential in both areas. A special combination.

I'm not a fan of the perimeter players off the bench. Anthony Johnson is a low level first guard off the bench. Ellington and Sam Young are both poor first wings off the bench while Young is a solid secondary wing off the bench. Ellington shouldn't be depended on for regular rotation minutes. Not yet. I see Ibaka as the only regular quality contributor off the bench.

I don't think the bench contributes enough for Boston to the best of the best but they'll remain an excellent team. A contender but slightly behind a couple of other teams.

[celticsclay]

San Antonio Spurs (CelticsClay)

PG: Tony Parker
SG: Leandro Barbosa
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Tim Duncan
Center: Samuel Dalembert

Bench: Jarrett Jack, Darrell Arthur (playing his first games of the season soon), Roger Mason Jr...

Will probably add some more wily veterans after the next round of buyouts on the non contending teams. Ive also awarded myself the number one pick in next years draft and plan to select Wall.

The backcourt is just to small. 

How will they defend Kobe?  Roy?  Martin? 

I was surprised by the choice in the backcourt too. Four small players in Parker, Barbosa, Jack and Roger Mason Jr. Three of those guys are substantially better players as point guards. All four are liabilities defensively + on the backboards as shooting guards.

No offense to who, who is doing a great job taking the time to put in his analysis, but this is not really relevant. This assessment is based off my first seven players of the draft and doesnt include my major trade for stephen jackson. Wouldn't mind an updated assessment. Though wish there was someway to see if my theory of having Stephen Jackson and Tim Duncan on the same team would be (they won a championship the first time). Even though he has done some really stupid things and may in fact be insane, look how much better every team stephen jackson has played for did with him (this includes spurs, pacers, warriors and charlotte) and how much worse they did without him. Also, please watch some raptors game. He is no small part of the reason the raptors are 4 games back of our celtics....

[Bahku]

Miami Heat (WalkerWiggle)

Brooklyn Draft Dodgers (Walker Wiggle)-
Jonny Flynn, Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Michael Beasley, Al Horford
Jeff Teague, Keyon Dooling, Donte Greene, Anthony Tolliver, Jason Smith

I very much like the trio of Dwyane Wade + Al Horford + Mike Miller. I think that trio lifts a squad to a 45 win squad with a decent supporting cast.

Also, like having Michael Beasley in that fourth best player role but alongside two non-prolific scorers (Horford/Miller) so his go-to scoring ability will be maximized. Miami should get good value out of him as a result.

Donte Greene is another player that I enjoy on this roster. Capable of playing two through four ... and consequently gives Miami great flexibility with it's lineups. A big lineup with Wade at the point + Greene at SG + Miller at SF + two bigs. Or a small lineup with Greene at power forward alongside one big. And everything in between. Nice flexibility.

I'm not a fan of Jonny Flynn. I always get worried when people are forced to talk about how great a character a player is because there isn't enough to talk about in terms of ability. I felt the same way when he was in college and I don't see much change as we near the end of his rookie season. I think he's a poor fit alongside Wade because of his need to have the ball in his hands offensively + poor jump shot + below average but decent defensive ability. I just don't see him adding much to the team.

Keyon Dooling is too erratic at the point. I hate his decision making and inability to run a team effectively offensively. A horrendous player to depend on in pressure situations (playoff games). I do love his defensive ability but not enough to live with his offensive game.

Jeff Teague is the best point guard on the roster and the best prospect going forward. The added scoring ability + good jump shot in college + scrappiness, willingness to fight for loose balls, to create extra possessions.  He is a good prospect. Not an ideal fit for Wade unless he gets his jump shot back.

I dislike the Anthony Tolliver and Jason Smith combination of backup bigs. Both are poor rebounders + poor defenders with good midrange jump shots. The jump shooting will help Miami, Wade in particular, offensively. I worry about their defense + rebounding though.

I love Wade's + Miller's rebounding and passing ability. I think those contributions will be a major strength for this team. Having two wings who will take a lot of pressure off the bigs on the glass and pressure off the point guards with the ball-handling/playmaking responsibilities. That's the main reason why I think Miami would be better off with a point guard like George Hill than a Jonny Flynn ... someone who needs less of the ball and is capable of making contributions off the ball.

The best four players on this roster is quite the foundation. This will be a solid playoff caliber roster.

Quite a few young players who are still improving, particularly the guards, so the squad could grow and become a 50 win team in the near future. If Beasley ever maximizes that potential (a massive if), Miami would be a major threat in the East ... in the future.