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

[StartOrien]

Baron Davis video on both threads, LET THE WILD MARKETING RUMPUS BEGIN!

LOL it's sweet though. I loved watching Cleveland get to beat Miami. I still feel for those fans and hey I did just acquire the guy haha.

There are few players I like watching more than an engaged-Baron Davis

[StartOrien]

Still offering combination of Paul George, Courtney Lee and Ron Artest for an upgrade at the 2 or the 3.

Also, would consider trading 2 of our 'medium sized 4' for a super-duper-star

[riah32]

Atlanta Army Ants.

PG - Rajon Rondo / Mario Chalmers (Marcus Thornton)
SG - Marcus Thornton / DeShawn Stevenson
SF - Richard Jefferson / Terrence Williams
PF - Tyrus Thomas / Andray Blatche (DeMarcus Cousins)
C  - DeMarcus Cousins / Andris Biedrins (Andray Blatche)

deep bench: Kelenna Azuibuike (SG), Chris Douglas-Roberts (SG,SF), Trey Thompkins (PF, C)


collection of good outside shooters (with decent to good defense) to stretch the floor for Rondo.

DMC. A headcase but a physical imposer.

And Anday Blatche, my inevitable demise. I like this team.

one question about this team that I have is who takes the last shot?

[riah32]

Enough grilling of the Thunder. Time to put the screws to one of OKC's trade partners from today.

PG Steve Nash / Beno Udrih
SG Mike Miller / Jason Terry
SF Gerald Wallace / Evan Turner / Gordon Hayward
PF Udonis Haslem / Al Harrington / Anthony Randolph
C  Joakim Noah / JJ Hickson

Two Concerns with this two no real back up center and no established back up for Gerald Wallace. Other than those two things I really like this team alot.

[Lucky17]

Enough grilling of the Thunder. Time to put the screws to one of OKC's trade partners from today.

PG Steve Nash / Beno Udrih
SG Mike Miller / Jason Terry
SF Gerald Wallace / Evan Turner / Gordon Hayward
PF Udonis Haslem / Al Harrington / Anthony Randolph
C  Joakim Noah / JJ Hickson

Two Concerns with this two no real back up center and no established back up for Gerald Wallace. Other than those two things I really like this team alot.

Pending confirmation on a trade that does both things, I think.

[riah32]

How about the NJ Nets I think finished product...]

Coach Scott brooks

Pg:Conoly Jr/IRving/ Farmar
Sg:Rip Hamilton/Rudy F
SF:Durant/Cj Miles
PF:Scola/Charlie V/Drew Gooden
C:Perkins/Anthony/Nikola Vucevic

thoughts about this squad?

[The Walker Wiggle]

PG Ricky Rubio/ Aaron Brooks/ Eric Bledsoe
SG J.J. Redick/ Thabo Sefolosha/ Jordan Crawford
SF Danilo Gallinari/ Josh Howard
PF Blake Griffin/ Ekpe Udoh/ Trevor Booker
C Kevin Garnett/ Timofey Mozgov

So very few GMs believe Garnett can play center, but he's still one of the best mentors in the game, the league's very best pick and roll defender by a absurd margin, and gives me a second top 20 rebounder and the what may just be the most efficient scoring 1-2 (4th and 21st)?

So should I try knocking the quality of the modern-day starting centers that are supposedly going to wear Garnett down? We've got other power forwards playing the part, Brand, Horford, David Lee and Varejao, and then fully a quarter of the league that represent nights offs for KG, the scoring in single digits club, Tyson Chandler, Dalembert, DeAndre Jordan, Greg Monroe, Perkins, Anderson Varejao again. (Fringe starters Gortat and McGee barely avoid inclusion.)

Cleveland is also prepared to play plenty of zone, to take advantage of our mobility, length, and the smart help play of Garnett and Rubio. It worked well in stretches for a title winning Dallas team.

If that doesn't work soon to be seen in a starting line up near you, offense-defense tandem Mozgov and Udoh will play plenty of regular season minutes, since Garnett, like his fellow elite fours Stoudemire and Duncan, will have to his minutes monitored.

And even if you hate the look defensively. It work beautifully on the offensive end. I just moved Griffin out of a L.A. studio apartment into a mansion (ok a mansion in Cleveland). Last season he was fourth in the league in scoring (22.5) and the second best passing big man (3.8 apg) that was with one credible shooting threat in the Clippers starting five (E.G.)

So I look around and I don't see that any of the teams that are leaving me out have a credible chance of defending the Wine and Gold or matching our two stars' intensity, certainly not fan favorites like Sacramento and Washington.

P.S. If you haven't today, please check the roster thread and tell me how I'm doing.

[Gainesville Celtic]

Here's my team:

Starting (it takes) Five:
PG - Deron Williams
SG - Jodie Meeks
SF - Luol Deng
PF - DeJuan Blair
C - Tim Duncan

Knicks Bench:

6. Taj Gibson
7. Wesley Johnson
8. Rony Turiaf
9. Austin Daye
10. Keyon Dooling
11. Reggie Williams
12. Dahntay Jones
13. Jordan Hill
** The draft rights to Jonas Valanciunas

GC, after all that talk about liking West and Horford, you go and make that trade?!?!

As I'm sure you guess from my analysis, I love the trade for you.  Absolutely love it.

Wait, you're in the East.  I hate this trade.

I *do* like the fit of West and Horford together --- a very talented inside-outide combo that fits terrifically together.

I made this deal (Duncan-Deng-T.Gibson for Horford-West-Jameer) for 3 main reasons:

1. Duncan -- (Yelled a la Cedric Maxwell....) "I got Duncan! I got Duncan!".... I got Tim Duncan to be my 2nd best player alongside arguably the games best PG, Deron Williams. Duncan wins titles, he's a leader and can get everyone else motivated to win the title this year. Horford will be better over the next 10 years but Tim D gives me a better shot to win THIS YEAR. Like Rudy T said... "Never underestimate the heart of a champion!"

2. Deng -- Luol is a HUGE upgrade at the SF position and I guy who's game i love. Scorer, defender, rebounder. That upgrade cost a slight downgrade at PF, but Blair/Gibson (and Jordan Hill) gives me 80% of what West (who is injured and I was planning would be out til January) gave me at the 4. If Jason Terry can be the 2nd best player on a title team, Deng is awesome as the 3rd best guy on a contender.

(Deng and Gibson were elated to be reunited with Tom Thib in this trade!)

3. Valanciunas -- Duncan won't be around forever, maybe only another year or 2. So Valanciunas comes in next year as the understudy -- meaning we compete for the title this year AND reload next. In 2012-13, Valanciunas is Duncan to Duncan's David Robinson. I don't make this deal w/o a young center like Val to take over for Duncan alongside Deron and Deng.

[StartOrien]

You transformed your team into a contender with a theft of a trade. If I'm you, I'd be looking at some of the younger teams and see if you could exchange Wes Johnson and another player with a more proven shooting guard.

[The Walker Wiggle]

So I look around and I don't see that any of the teams that are leaving me out have a credible chance of defending the Wine and Gold or matching our two stars' intensity, certainly not fan favorites like Sacramento and Washington.

Case in point, Griffin/Garnett versus Millsap/Chandler

Griffin has two inches on Millsap and in thee games rang him up to the tune of 27 points per on 61% shooting, 14 rebounds, and nearly 4 assists. Meanwhile Chandler has just an inch on Garnett. And who's going to have trouble defending who, given Garnett's ability both to step out and put the ball on the floor? Chandler's range ends at the charge circle and he's a liability at the free throw line if KG does get tired.

Between the two Garnett gives up far fewer points in the paint (40th vs 101st) and guarding the roll man (1st vs 52nd). It's a wash scoring at the rim. KG is the better defensive rebounder. Chandler the far more dangerous offensive rebounder. And, KG misses fewer games - over his career and even over the past four seasons.

[Donoghus]

How about the NJ Nets I think finished product...]

Coach Scott brooks

Pg:Conoly Jr/IRving/ Farmar
Sg:Rip Hamilton/Rudy F
SF:Durant/Cj Miles
PF:Scola/Charlie V/Drew Gooden
C:Perkins/Anthony/Nikola Vucevic

thoughts about this squad?

I like this team.  I think the pieces fit nicely with the starting five. Very complementary.

[Fafnir]

Start Gibson instead of Blair, he's a better fit defensively with Duncan.

[Who]

Start Gibson instead of Blair, he's a better fit defensively with Duncan.

+1

[action781]

You transformed your team into a contender with a theft of a trade. If I'm you, I'd be looking at some of the younger teams and see if you could exchange Wes Johnson and another player with a more proven shooting guard.

They are in our conference!

[Roy H.]

Here's my team:

Starting (it takes) Five:
PG - Deron Williams
SG - Jodie Meeks
SF - Luol Deng
PF - DeJuan Blair
C - Tim Duncan

Knicks Bench:

6. Taj Gibson
7. Wesley Johnson
8. Rony Turiaf
9. Austin Daye
10. Keyon Dooling
11. Reggie Williams
12. Dahntay Jones
13. Jordan Hill
** The draft rights to Jonas Valanciunas

I love the trades you've made and the way you've re-defined your team.  In an ideal world, though, you'd consolidate some of your younger talent (Meeks, Johnson, Daye, etc.) into an impact SG.