Ok. Tough division. Not only are the teams good, but the GMs are the kind of jackasses who will grind you down into a state of statistical shock over the course of several hours. DISCLAIMER: I hate you all.
Here's my graphically weak presentation. I hope you hate it.
The 2012 FAKE CLIPPERS
Roster (Player[minutes]):PG: Goran Dragic [32] / Darren Collison [16]
SG: Eric Gordon [32] / Demar DeRozan [14] / John Jenkins [2]
SF: Shawn Marion [28] / Demar DeRozan [8] / Omri Casspi [12] / Jeffery Taylor [xx]
PF: Dirk Nowitzki [32] / Derrick Favors [14] / Rashard Lewis [2] / Shawn Marion [xx]
C: Roy Hibbert [30] / Derrick Favors [10] / Brandan Wright [8]
The lineup (Age/2011-2012 PPG/2011-2012 PER):PG: Goran Dragic [26/11.7/18.03] / Darren Collison [24/10.4/13.62]
SG: Eric Gordon [23/20.6/19.23] / Demar DeRozan [22/16.7/12.87] / John Jenkins [21/na/na]
SF: Shawn Marion [34/10.6/15.05] / Omri Casspi [24/7.1/11.26] / Jeffery Taylor [22/na/na]
PF: Dirk Nowitzki [34/21.6/21.81] / Derrick Favors [21/8/8/17.05] / Rashard Lewis [32/7.8/9.37]
C: Roy Hibbert [25/12.8/19.35] / Brandan Wright [24/6.9/21.66]
As usual, those minute breakdowns are approximate and depending on matchups, how players play, etc.
Dirk, Marion, and Rashard Lewis are the elder statesmen of a team that doesn't have any other players over the age of 26. Our big man rotation is Dirk/Hibs/Favors, while the guards will run Dragic/Gordon/Collison/DeRozan for significant minutes. Guys like Favors, DeRozan, Marion, Wright, and Lewis are flexible enough to cover more than one position in stretches, giving this team some depth and flexibility.
Dirk is our guy in the clutch, but Gordon, a powerful and quick 2-guard who can shoot, is a strong second option. This team will be powered by the pure point abilities of Dragic and Collison, who will be playing quarterback from the backcourt. Both are capable of creating plays with an unselfish flair. Hibbert, Favors, and Marion can combine to create a strong but flexible defensive frontcourt. DeRozan plays the role of microwave off the bench, since his strength is scoring in bunches anyway.
Also, Goran Dragic in the last month of his 2012 season: 18.9 points, 7.7 assists, .464 shooting. OH BMO, THAT'S FANTASTIC!
My coach: Kevin Stallings. I like Kevin Stallings. You probably don't, but that's cool.
Trades! Here's how my deals broke down in the 2012 CB Draft:1. Clips send: 2(13) [Joe Johnson], 5(13) [Chauncey Billups], 6(12) [Jason Thompson]
for
Blazers send: 2(21) [Roy Hibbert], 3(21) [Goran Dragic], 4(4) [Derrick Favors]
2. Cavs trade 4(5) [Jeremy Lin] and 4(24) [Shawn Marion]
Clips trade 3(13) [David Lee] and 8(12) [Brandon Roy]
3. To Brooklyn: 4.5 [Lin] and 4.12 [Ryan Anderson]
To LAC: Eric Gordon and a 10.6 [Tyler Hansbrough]
4. Clippers send: Rip Hamilton, Tyler Hansbrough
Thunder send: Demar Derozan, Rashard Lewis
Philosophy:
Pick up guys who could either shoot, distribute, defend on the wings, or lock it down in the post. Hibbert might have been drafted a bit high for my liking, but his awesome 2012 playoffs merited a 2nd round choice. Favors was similarly drafted over his probable slot, but he's also coming off of a solid playoffs and added plenty of defense to the Jazz's lineups at PF and C.
Secondary Philosophy:
Convince people that Dirk's crap season was a result of the lockout. It totally was, you guys! Look at how much fresher he was once he was actually in shape...in February. And now he's got a team with actual post players! And management is actually trying to get him back to the NBA Finals! He's totally gonna bounce back, you guys!
Your outlook for the coming season:Two legit stars in Dirk and Gordon will lift this team to a strong regular season and deep playoff run. Gordon's injury concerns are well founded, but having DeRozan behind him gives us both a strong scoring 6th man and a valid option to give Gordon some rest. Hibbert/Dirk/Favors is a three-headed big man rotation with lots of flexibility and that creates plenty of different looks we can throw at opponents. Whether it's strength, size, or athleticism, there's plenty that we can do in the paint.
Our biggest weakness is at SF right now, thanks to Marion's age. Fortunately, he'll be called on to be a 4th or 5th option on offense and he's got the old man strength and athleticism to continue to be an effective defender as a hybrid player. DeRozan and Casspi are also able to fill the position, but the guy who could snipe the most minutes from Marion is rookie Jeffery Taylor. Taylor is an athletic, highly touted defender who can shoot and get into the lane. He's inconsistent, but doesn't need to put together 35 straight solid minutes on this team. All he has to do is show up and play hardnosed D and the rest of the team can gel around that.
That brings me to my final point. We've got two Vandy guys and Vandy's illustrious head coach. Might as well just give us the SEC Championship now.