The Dream for YOUR Team
So as we’re deeply entrenched in the slow NBA news days that is early September (prime example), it gives plenty of time for anxious hoping and dreaming about our teams fortunes for the next season but also beyond.
Everyone has the ideal vision for their own team to get them to the promised land, whether its trades to pull, upcoming draft prospects u’d love to have, amnestying the dog of the team, waiting for guys to grow…so put on your fantasy hat and tell me what’s the dream for your team and when do you get to the championship? What does your roster look like? Who’s the leader? Who’s the coach?
Be liberal with your dreams, because without them you’re sitting at .500!
Courtside Notes 
naturalbornanalysts 11:09 pm on September 6, 2012 Permalink |
As an avid wolves fan, I think everyone can guess (in a similar manner to you with DROSE), that Im hoping beyond hope that Rubio comes back from the knee injury and remains the player he was before Kobe kicked him (Kobe is such a dog! haha). The one positive is that he isnt a player who relies on athletic ability. He relies on IQ and seeing the floor well… I think he has been practising his alleys from a wheelchair.
My immediate hope is that we bring back Anthony Tolliver, as I think he is a valuable piece of the puzzle…rebounds well, hustles, shoots the three, and from all reports is a good locker guy. Unfortunately I dont think its high on our agenda.
We need Kirilenko and Shved to bring their olympic form to the NBA and Roy returns to some of his old form. As you can see there are a lot of “ifs” here. But to me having this starting 5 would push us towards a top 4 seed in the West
PG Rubio
SG Roy
SF Kirilenko
PF Love
C Pekovic
Bench: Shved, Williams, Budinger, Ridnour, Barea,
There is a lot of potential there. So I think that the biggest “dream” I have is that these young guys mature into the potential they are showing. That Williams figures out a role. That Roy returns and plays at a high level. That the Russians play a successful Euro-style ball for us. That Love doesnt get worn out and keeps playing at an All star level. That rubio returns healthy.
The only trades I can see working out for us would be moving Barea and Ridnour , or Williams for some early picks or a solid young big that can develop behind the big Pek.
So what are your hopes for Chicago? They seem to have gone into rebuilding mode only a season after topping the East, and being a dominant force. Does it show too much reliance on one guy? Coaching being to one dimensional? Owner caring more about the MLB?
jk41 6:15 am on September 7, 2012 Permalink |
I think I’m going to be a lot more fantastical with my answer here because I think the Bulls are now in rebuild mode and looking to 2014-15 and beyond to start competing again. So because there’s a lot more scope for weird stuff to happen between now and then with the injuries, tightass owner, draft pick luck etc. I might as well put myself in a happy place! So here goes…
Facts
1. DRose will not be back until after the All Star break next year.
2. Boozer is not the PF we move ahead with.
3. Thibs is a keeper.
4. Rip, Luol, Hinrich are off the books after 2013-14 and Boozer has 1 year remaining in the 2014-15 season.
5. We have the 2016 Bobcats’ pick unprotected, and they’re not going anywhere below a top 8 pick by then.
So where do I see it going?
Next year is a wash. I really don’t care what happens record-wise as long as they don’t try to bring back Rose too quickly and sign up Thibs and Taj. A shitty enough record for a mid first round draft pick would be helpful too.
2014-15 is the year I would re-tool the roster for, so the work has to be done in the 2013-14 offseason, and here’s what I’d do:
1. Amnesty Boozer. It just hasn’t happened for him in Chi-town. He is what he is in terms of being a 16-8 kind of guy, with terrible defense. But the PF next to Noah has to be a 20+ scorer to make up for Noah’s lack of offense generation. You only have one amnesty to use and he’s the only one worth using it on.
2. Trade/dump expiring contracts of Rip and Hinrich (~10mil) for a decent shooting guard, who can create their own shot or shoot the 3 or both. Quick scan of the 2013 free agent list (bit pointless because guys get resigned, traded, but whatever) and I like: Tyreke Evans, OJ Mayo, Klay Thompson, Evan Turner. So let’s say the Kings give up on Tyreke Evans, and you can get him for the mid-level, with some actual successful free agent courting.
3. Bring in Nikola Mirotic from Real Madrid, a rising star in Europe. He’s your typical European 4 (6’10) but shoots the 3, and seems pretty athletic from youtube videos. I think he comes in at around a mid-level salary of 5mil not the rookie salary.
4. Trade Luol or let him go to free agency and then you have 14mil in salary. In addition to Boozer’s amnesty you have around 25mil, if that’s how it works?? (might need your help here!). Let’s say you have 15mil to chase for a free agent or in trade. We still have the Bobcats’ pick which is unprotected in 2016, so could prove pretty useful. So in fantasy land we package Luol, plus pieces and the pick for then man we should have had all along…..LaMarcus Aldridge! (stay with me here!)
So ready to lineup for the 2014-15 season is:
PG Rose (18mil)
SG Evans (5mil mid-level)
SF Mirotic (5mil)
PF Aldridge (15mil)
C Noah (13mil)
Bench: Taj (8mil), Jimmy Butler (2mil), Marquis Teague (1mil), ~pick 20 in the 2013 draft SG/SF (850k), vet min C/PF (1mil), vet min SG/SF (1mil).
Coach: Thibs
Total salary around 61 mil so around 3 mil over which will keep Reinsdorf happy (the exceptions don’t count right?).
And I know half my bench don’t have names but that’s really how much I think we need to re-tool and blow things up!
So is Adelman your coach of the future for you guys?
Bit of a tangent, but what about the logo and unis? You like to stick with them?
naturalbornanalysts 9:43 pm on September 9, 2012 Permalink |
Nice. I like it, but youre two biggest problems would be trying to pry Aldridge from Portland… just dont see them letting him go. And there is no way Tyreke only gets paid the mid level. Someone will throw money at him… he is getting at least 10 mill a season. You have backloaded all your contracts which always makes things a little more difficult when trying to unload guys, but the bonus is that once you unload Deng’s 14.3M and Boozer’s 15.3M you have 28.6M, so you could still chase REKE if you want.
That bobcats pick is very nice, even as a trade chip, I think there would be a lot of takers.
What if you could package that with an expiring boozer for a young stud like Monroe (and some other junk?) I guess it depends a lot on the strength of the draft and if you think you can draft immediate help.
Anyway, we both agree Chi-town is in need of a shake up.
Im happy with the wolves logo and uniforms. We changed them a lot over the last 5-10 years so I would like to just see us stay put. Have any teams had major overhauls this season?
I saw the Knicks have “new” ones, which I think are a joke. Either go Retro or try something new.
NEW:
OLD:
jk41 3:40 pm on September 11, 2012 Permalink
Maybe something like an OJ Mayo instead of Reke if it doesn’t work out in Dallas….someone, anyone who can create their own shot!
I reckon the classic teams like the Lakers, Bulls, C’s, Knicks should always carry their original uniforms. Not a big fan of advertising going on uniforms either but almost every sporting league around the world does it.
I guess we can clearly tell that the T’Wolves look in better shape in the short term future at least. I definitely needed a lot more imagination and a couple more years to even assemble a team to compete again. Let alone chemistry, injuries etc.
Although luck can always fall your way so you never know. Sometimes, you only need 1.7%.