2011 CB draft: How does my team look?/division rankings

[celticpride07]

Anybody would like to criticize a rookie GM and watch him freak out?

Atlanta Army Ants

PG - Rajon Rondo / Marcus Thornton
SG - Marcus Thornton / DeShawn Stevenson
SF - Caron Butler / Terrence Williams
PF - "Big" Al Jefferson / Tyrus Thomas
C  - Andris "Beans" Biedrins / Andray "the new Mo" Blatche

start jefferson at center and thomas at pf

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Anybody would like to criticize a rookie GM and watch him freak out?

Atlanta Army Ants

PG - Rajon Rondo / Marcus Thornton
SG - Marcus Thornton / DeShawn Stevenson
SF - Caron Butler / Terrence Williams
PF - "Big" Al Jefferson / Tyrus Thomas
C  - Andris "Beans" Biedrins / Andray "the new Mo" Blatche

I might have said this earlier in thread, but I'm not sure so I'll say it again, if I was the GM of that team I would lineup like so:

PG - Rajon Rondo
SG - DeShawn Stevenson
SF - Caron Butler
PF - Tyrus Thomas
C - Andray Blatche

I would use Big Al as my sixth man and use a three player big man rotation with Ty Thomas, Blatche and Big Al. I would use Stevenson in that part time starter role (16-20mpg) with Marcus Thornton picking up the remainder of those minutes at SG.

I think you still need to acquire a backup small forward to play behind Caron Butler. D.Stevenson is currently your most suited player to filling that hole. He could double up as a part time starter (16-20mpg) and backup SF (12mpg) if you fail to find a suitable candidate for those minutes.

Then you have a choice to make at PG, either try to develop T-Williams there (will not be a popular decision) or acquire a PG with your next pick.

There is still some really good talent available at the PG spot. By far the best talent, deepest pool of talent, remaining on the draft board out of the five positions. I think that would be the best option for your team's success next season. If your goal is more towards the future, then acquire a quality third string PG to play behind T-Will.

I would look for two defensive minded bigs to flesh out your depth chart. Not regular rotation guys. Just someone who can step in and give you 5-10 minutes when your team needs it. Be it for foul trouble, an individual's poor performance (likely Blatche) or team struggling on D and needing a little lift.

So a backup PG (primary backup or third string), a backup SF and two third string defensive bigs.

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Back to Blatche, I really like him as a starting C alongside a playmaker like Rondo. A guy with his mobility, hands, ball-handling, jump-shooting and finishing around the basket is going to be very effective playing off of Rondo in the pick and roll. Blatche's athleticism and versatility offensively makes him a much more difficult matchup for opposing teams when he is played at C rather than PF.

Then you have Caron Butler as a second scorer. Rondo is your third option. Stevenson spaces the floor and gives you an extra ball-handler. Tyrus Thomas' job is to play good defense, grab a few boards and offensively to hit a few midrange jump shots + cut to the rim whenever spaces opens up which will be fairly often. Just do what he does best.

Big Al will come into the game to give you one of the best low post scorers in the league. He will do a better job without Rondo than Blatche can because of his refined moves in the post. Big Al is mostly a one-on-one player anyway (gets most of his shots that way vs PG creating them).

Also, Blatche is capable of playing better defense than Big Al. Whether he does or not, is anyone's guess.

And then you have Marcus Thornton to give you a 1-2 punch off the bench that will likely create the best bench scoring unit in this fantasy league. Thornton's scoring ability and jump-shooting will make him a lethal threat alongside Rondo.

M.Thornton is a suspect defender though so I would be more inclined to use him off the bench to give him some easier matchups defensively for at least some of his court time + to put D.Stevenson on the tougher assignments + to place as much defense as possible around Blatche (C) to make that lineup work as well as it could. Rondo, Stevenson and Tyrus give Blatche some quality defensive help and Butler should be serviceable enough.

I would be reluctant to start T-Will because of his lack of shooting (alongside Rondo) + his erratic play offensively in general. I think you are a better unit with D.Stevenson at SG instead of T-Williams.

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Oh, Biedrins, I knew I was forgetting someone.

I wouldn't play him. Your team is better without him.

Thanks, I like the way you described how the team will run.

I wanna just defend Beans though. He's a solid rebounder and defender (not great but solid). He a little shy off contact but he does crash the boards a lot and set solid screens. He is also good in positioning himself under the basket and has good hands to catch and finish and with Rondo creating, he can have easy looks down low. I won't make him play post like the Dubs does. He is not that confident anymore, but I could use his 2-3 offensive rebounds a game once in a while. But youre spot on, I should not start him.

[Kwhit10]

Biedrins gets pushed around easily on D, and he is also a horrid FT shooter.

[Who]

Yeah, I greatly dislike Biedrins' defense.

He is a very weak one-on-one defender and offers little rim protection. Biedrins' inability to play adequate interior defense is one of the main reason GSW's defense has sucked for the last few years.

I actually like his offensive game more than his defense. His speed creates, activity and length create good opportunities for him as a garbage man. Moves well without the ball. Very good rebounder. Very good finisher around the basket and in transition. Has a nice lefty dribble drive move from about 15 feet but only when his confidence is there which it hasn't been for what two years now.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Biedrins gets pushed around easily on D, and he is also a horrid FT shooter.

Which is why he is now a body in the bench. He can still rebound and that's all I need him to do for the moment.

[Kwhit10]

Biedrins gets pushed around easily on D, and he is also a horrid FT shooter.

Which is why he is now a body in the bench. He can still rebound and that's all I need him to do for the moment.

But when he does play who is going to cover his shortcomings on D?

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Biedrins gets pushed around easily on D, and he is also a horrid FT shooter.

Which is why he is now a body in the bench. He can still rebound and that's all I need him to do for the moment.

But when he does play who is going to cover his shortcomings on D?

I believe he can hold his own. But he'll definitely not gonna play alongside Dray (man, Dray is just gonna watch Beans get mauled over there). With Tyrus probably most of the time and Big Al in some spots.

Beans is not as bad a defender. Yes he gets pushed around easy but he challenges shots and he's still 7'0'' which is lengthy enough to alter someones shot attempts when he challenges.

[indeedproceed]

Lowry/Sessions
Harden/Garcia
Delfino/Williams/Garcia
STAT/Williams/Splitter
Bogut/Splitter/Tolliver

Uh ohhhhhh.....the big boys are almost done with their work. just 2 picks left, and I'm gonna make em count!

Things to do today:

1) Cement depth in the frontcourt: Check

2) ?

3) Profit.

[KCattheStripe]

Lowry/Sessions
Harden/Garcia
Delfino/Williams/Garcia
STAT/Williams/Splitter
Bogut/Splitter/Tolliver

Uh ohhhhhh.....the big boys are almost done with their work. just 2 picks left, and I'm gonna make em count!

Things to do today:

1) Cement depth in the frontcourt: Check

2) ?

3) Profit.

You got an answer for why pop wouldn't play Splitter even when he was limiting  Duncan's minutes?

[indeedproceed]

Lowry/Sessions
Harden/Garcia
Delfino/Williams/Garcia
STAT/Williams/Splitter
Bogut/Splitter/Tolliver

Uh ohhhhhh.....the big boys are almost done with their work. just 2 picks left, and I'm gonna make em count!

Things to do today:

1) Cement depth in the frontcourt: Check

2) ?

3) Profit.

You got an answer for why pop wouldn't play Splitter even when he was limiting  Duncan's minutes?

Because San Antonio didn't lose any rotation players, and when it ain't broke don't fix it. McDyess and Blair both proved to know San An's system and Splitter was adjusting, and unneeded in Pop's mind.

That changed in the playoffs and it paid off when he started playing Splitter and Duncan together.

[KCattheStripe]

Lowry/Sessions
Harden/Garcia
Delfino/Williams/Garcia
STAT/Williams/Splitter
Bogut/Splitter/Tolliver

Uh ohhhhhh.....the big boys are almost done with their work. just 2 picks left, and I'm gonna make em count!

Things to do today:

1) Cement depth in the frontcourt: Check

2) ?

3) Profit.

You got an answer for why pop wouldn't play Splitter even when he was limiting  Duncan's minutes?

Because San Antonio didn't lose any rotation players, and when it ain't broke don't fix it. McDyess and Blair both proved to know San An's system and Splitter was adjusting, and unneeded in Pop's mind.

That changed in the playoffs and it paid off when he started playing Splitter and Duncan together.

[TheTruthFot18]

Couldn't resist the easy joke.

OKC is a great team, but in a 7 game series I think they're going to have some real trouble with any kind of height.

shards underrated on defense hes 6'10" and long.. dalembert and JO are solid defensively and gooodshot blockers..how many teams are going to have a kobe AND melo stopper? how are you going to outscore okc?

Same way we "outscored" ORL last year in the ECF. Defense is an offenses kryptonite 

[Rondo2287]

Kings - with a more rounded out rotation

PG: Chauncey/Jarret Jack
SG: Wes Matthews/Gary Neal
SF: Lebron
PF: Millsap/ Diaw
C:  Chandler/Pachulia/Mohammed

Really liking how this group is rounding out.  Probably gonna pick up a lebron backup this round (Aka mr. Irrelevent)

[Scribbles]

Lowry/Sessions
Harden/Garcia
Delfino/Williams/Garcia
STAT/Williams/Splitter
Bogut/Splitter/Tolliver

Uh ohhhhhh.....the big boys are almost done with their work. just 2 picks left, and I'm gonna make em count!

Things to do today:

1) Cement depth in the frontcourt: Check

2) ?

3) Profit.

You got an answer for why pop wouldn't play Splitter even when he was limiting  Duncan's minutes?

Because San Antonio didn't lose any rotation players, and when it ain't broke don't fix it. McDyess and Blair both proved to know San An's system and Splitter was adjusting, and unneeded in Pop's mind.

That changed in the playoffs and it paid off when he started playing Splitter and Duncan together.

You mean from a #1 seed and a 61 win team to out in the first round type of pay off? Just messing with you, I like Splitter as a player. 

[TheTruthFot18]

2. Magic -- Paul and Jennings on the same team?  Seems like overkill to me.  Wasn't Jason Terry on the Bulls?  The backcourt for this team seems like a bunch of talent put together that doesn't really mix well in my opinion.  The frontcourt would have serious defensive issues.

While I realize putting Jennings behind CP3 is a bit odd, it has a point. I would use him as our scoring PG off the bench (despite average shooting), he can be more effective to a team as a straight scoring option at backup over his starting role with above average PG/scoring skills. And yes JET is on the bulls via trade with me. As for my backcourt, first sentences aside, where's the problem? CP3 is not derrick rose or westbrook, so having JRich at 2 and Brandon Roy as his back up (Webster too) for more scoring isn't a problem to me.

As for the front court, their are some defensive holes. Magette is obvious but Dunleavy and Webster provide some needed D for the 3 spot. I started Bass over Beasley so our frontcourt has some decent D. And as far as the 5 spot, McGee and Birdman can block enough shots to kinda make up for the below average D, but Birdman will help when Mcgee is out. DEn gave up 6 pts/ 100 possessions less with him on the floor and thats with a 16-18mpg status (19 per). Sorry for the birdman rant.

Hate to break it to you, but the Magic are taking the Southeast.