LOCKOUT DRAFT VOTING/DISCUSSION THREAD

[AHF]

FINAL TEAMS:

jy21

PG: Chauncey Billups/Jose Calderon

SG: Lebron James/Jason Terry/Brandon Rush

SF: Rudy Gay/Carlos Delfino/Austin Daye

PF: Serge Ibaka/Luis Scola

C: Samuel Dalembert/Darko Milicic/Nazr Mohammed

Coach: Larry Brown

Diesel

PG: Kyle Lowry, Ramon Sessions, Leandro Barbosa

SG: Eric Gordon, Tracy McGrady, Gary Neal

SF: Wilson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Rashard Lewis

PF: Zach Randolph, Ryan Anderson

C: Dwight Howard, Ronny Turiaf

Coach: Avery Johnson

sultanofatl

PG: Steve Nash/Raymond Felton

SG: Andre Iguodala/Terrence Williams/James Jones

SF: Kevin Durant/Mickael Pietrus/Josh Childress

PF: DeJuan Blair/Anthony Randolph/Kenyon Martin

C: Andre Bynum/Greg Oden

Coach: Jeff Van Gundy

capstone21

Deron Williams / Eric Maynor

Stephen Jackson / Jason Richardson / Corey Brewer

Danny Granger / Andrei Kirilenko

Pau Gasol / Carl Landry / Brandon Bass

Marcin Gortat / Anderson Varejao / Udonis Haslem

Coach : Greg Popovich

whassuphawks

Ty Lawson/CJ Watson/Gilbert Arenas/Rodrigue Beaubois

Kobe Bryant/Evan Turner/Ronnie Brewer

Dorrell Wright/Nick Young

Ed Davis/Tyler Hansbrough

Bogut/Omer Asik

HC: Rick Carlisle

AHF

PG: Chris Paul/Jameer Nelson/Jason Kidd

SG: Manu Ginobili/Jodie Meeks/JJ Redick

SF: Jared Dudley/Chase Budinger

PF: Chris Bosh/Carlos Boozer

C: Greg Monroe/Derrick Favors/Marcus Camby

Coach: Pat Riley

Supporter

PG: Derrick Rose/Tony Douglas

SG: James Harden/Rodney Stuckey/Courtney Lee

SF: Thaddeus Young/Richard Jefferson

PF: Kevin Garnett/JJ Hickson/Darrell Arthur

C: Demarcus Cousins/Brendan Haywood/Mehmet Okur

Coach: Rick Adelman

Devon/Colin

PG: Steph Curry / Darren Collison

SG: Kevin Martin / Rudy Fernandez / Boris Diaw

SF: Nicolas Batum / Shane Battier / Gordon Hayward

PF: A'mare Stoudemire / David Lee

C: DeAndre Jordan / Chris Kaman / Andres Biendrins

HC: Scott Brooks

nicholas23/northcyde

PG: Andre Miller - Baron Davis

G: Tyreke Evans - OJ Mayo - Deshawn Stevenson

F: Danillo Gallanari - Vince Carter

PF: Blake Griffin - Reggie Evans - Taj Gibson

C: Andrei Bargnani - Jermaine O'Neal - Jason Collins

Coach: Phil Jackson

seano

PG: Mike Conley, Kirk Hinrich, JJ Barea

SG: Dwyane Wade, Tony Allen

SF: Grant Hill, Tyrus Thomas,

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, David West, Paul Millsap

C: Nene, Chuck Hayes, Chris Anderson

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

01d0rd3r

PG: Rajon Rondo, Aaron Brooks

SG: Marcus Thornton, Aaron Afflalo, Richard Hamilton

SF: Luol Deng, Reggie Williams, Caron Butler

PF: Elton Brand, Kris Humphries, Chris Wilcox

C: Marc Gasol, Zaza Pachulia,

Coach: Jerry Sloan

thatmydawg

PG: John Wall/DJ Augustine/Eric Bledsoe

SG: JordanCrawford/George Hill/Gerald Henderson

SF: Michael Beasley/Jeff Green/Anthony Morrow

PF: Al Jefferson/Andray Blatche

C: Roy Hibbert/Desagna Diop

Coach: George Karl

ngc7

PG: Brandon Jennings, Jeff Teague, Mo Williams

SG: Ray Allen, John Salmons

SF: Paul Pierce, Hedo Turkoglu

PF: Al Horford, Ben Wallace, Jordan Hill

C: Joakim Noah, Nick Collison, Eric Dampier

Coach: Scott Skiles

coachx

R. Westbrook / L. Ridnour

W. Matthews / B. Gordon

T. Prince / W. Johnson / T. Sefolosha

K. Love / L. Odom / E. Udoh

T. Chandler / S. Hawes / R. Lopez

Head Coach: Doc Rivers

alejandro09

PG: Jrue Holiday/Louis Williams

SG: Landry Fields/Brandon Roy/Kyle Korver

SF: Gerald Wallace/Luc Richard Mbah a Moute/Omri Casspi

PF: Dirk Nowitzki/Jason Thompson/Glen Davis

C: Kendrick Perkins/Antonio McDyess

Coach: Nate McMillian

TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA/Lethalweapon3

T. Parker / D. Harris / M. Chalmers

D. DeRozan / C.J. Miles

C. Anthony / T. Ariza

T. Duncan / J. McRoberts / A. Johnson

B. Lopez / E. Okafor / C. Frye

Coach: T. Thibodeau

IHeartAtlanta

1. Monta Ellis / Jamal Crawford / Johny Flynn

2. Joe Johnson / Jr Smith / Eddie House

3. Paul George / Ron Artest / Marvin Williams

4. Josh Smith / Dante Cunningham

5. Javele McGee / Joel Anthony

Coach Mark Jackson

DRAFT RECAP

Round 1

1. jy21 - Lebron James

2. diesel - Dwight Howard

3. sultanofatl - Kevin Durant

4. capstone21 - Deron Williams

5. whassuphawks - Kobe Bryant

6. ahf - Chris Paul

7. supporter - Derick Rose

8. nicholasp27 - Blake Griffin

9. seano - Dwayne Wade

10. 01d0rd3r - Rajon Rondo

11. thatsmydawg - John Wall

12. ngc7 - Al Horford

13. coachx - Russell Westbrook

14. alejandro09 - Dirk Nowitzki

15. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Carmelo Anthony

16. Colin - A'mare Stoudemire

17. IHeartAtlanta- Monta Ellis

Round 2

18. IHeartAtlanta - Joe Johnson

19. Colin - Stephen Curry

20. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Brook Lopez

21. alejandro09 - Jrue Holiday

22. coachx - Kevin Love

23. ngc7-Joakin Noah

24. thatsmydawg-Al Jefferson

25. 01d0rd3r-Marc Gasol

26. seano-Lamarcus Aldridge

27. nicholasp27-Tyreke Evans

28. supporter – DeMarcus Cousins

29. ahf – Chris Bosh

30. whassuphawks – Andrew Bogut

31. capstone21 - Pau Gasol

32. sultanofatl - Andrew Bynum

33. diesel - Zach Randolph

34 jy21 - Rudy Gay

Round 3

35. jy21 - Serge Ibaka

36. diesel - Eric Gordon

37. sultanofatl - Andre Iguodala

38. capstone21 - Danny Granger

39. whassuphawks - Ty Lawson

40. ahf - Greg Monroe

41. supporter - James Harden

42. nicholasp27 - OJ Mayo

43. seano - Nene Hilario

44. 01d0rd3r - Loul Deng

45. thatsmydawg - Michael Beasley

46. ngc7 - Paul Pierce

47. coachx - Tyson Chandler

48. alejandro09 - Kendrick Perkins

49. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Tony Parker

50. Colin - Kevin Martin

51. IHeartAtlanta - Josh Smith

Round 4

52. IHeartAtlanta - Javale McGee

53. Colin - DeAndre Jordan

54. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Emeka Okafor

55. alejandro09 - Gerald Wallace

56. coachx - Wesley Matthews

57. ngc7 - Brandon Jennings

58. thatsmydawg - Roy Hibbert

59. 01d0rd3r - Kris Humphries

60. seano - Mike Conley

61. nicholasp27 - Danilo Gallinari

62. supporter - JJ Hickson

63. ahf - Manu Ginobili

64. whassuphawks - Dorell Wright

65. capstone21 - Marcin Gortat

66. sultanofatl - Steve Nash

67. diesel - Kyle Lowry

68 jy21 - Samuel Dalembert

Round 5

69. jy21 - Lus Scola

70. Diesel - Wilson Chandler

71 sultanofatl- DeJuan Blair

72 capstone21- Stephen Jackson

73 whassuphawks- Ed Davis

74 ahf- Derrick Favors

75 supporter- Thaddeus Young

76 nicholasp27- Andrea Bargnani

77 seano- Paul Milsap

78. 01d0rd3r – Marcus Thornton

79. thatsmydawg – Jeff Green

80. ngc7 – Ray Allen

81. coachx – Tayshaun Prince

82. alejandro09 – Landry Fields

83. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA – Demar Derozan

84. Colin/Devon – Nicolas Batum

85. IHeartAtlanta – Paul George

Round 6

86. IHeartAtlanta -Jamal Crawford

87, Colin/devon - David Lee

88. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Tim Duncan

89. alejandro09 - Brandon Roy

90. coachx - Lamar Odom

91. ngc7/Squawker - Hedu Turkoglu

92. thatsmydawg - "he who's name shall not be mentioned"

93. 01d0rd3r - Jerry Sloan (coach)

94. seano - David West

95. nicholasp27 - Phil Jackson

96. supporter - Kevin Garnett

97. ahf - Carlos Boozer

98. whassuphawks - Evan Turner

99. capstone21 - Anderson Varejao

100. sultanofatl - Raymond Felton

101. diesel - Ramon Sessions

102. jy21 - Chauncey Billups

Round 7

103. jy21 - Jason Terry

104. diesel - Ryan Anderson

105. sultanofatl - Greg Oden

106. capstone21 - Jason Richardson

107. whassuphawks - Nick Young

108. ahf - Jameer Nelson

109. supporter - Rodney Stuckey

110. nicholasp27 - Taj Gibson

111. seano - JJ Barea

112. 01d0rd3r - Aaron Affalo

113. thatsmydawg - Andray Blatche

114. ngc7/Squawker - Jeff Teague

115. coachx - Ben Gordon

116. alejandro09 - Jason Thompson

117. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Devin Harris

118. Colin/Devon - Chris Kaman

119. IHeartAtlanta - Ron Artest

Round 8

120. IHeartAtlanta - JR Smith

121. Colin/Devon - Darren Collison

122. TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA - Trevor Ariza

123. alejandro09 - Kyle Korver

124. coachx - Spencer Hawes

125. ngc7/Squawker - John Salmons

126. thatmydawg - DJ Augustin

127. 01d0rd3r - Aaron Brooks

128. seano - Tony Allen

129. nicholasp27 - Andre Miller

130. supporter - Brendan Haywood

131. ahf - Jared Dudley

132. whassuphawks - Omer Asik

133. capstone21 - Carl Landry

134. sultanofatl - Anthony Randolph

135. diesel - Shawn Marion

136. jy21 - Jose Calderon

Round 9

137. jy21 - Carlos Delfino

138. diesel - Tracy McGrady

139. sultanofatl - Mickael Pietrus

140. capstone21 - Andrei Kirilenko

141. whassuphawks - Tyler Hansbrough

142. ahf - Marcus Camby

143. supporter - Richard Jefferson

144. nicholasp27 - Vince Carter

145. seano - Grant Hill

146. 01d0rd3r -Elton Brand

147. thatmydawg - George Hill

148. ngc7/Squawker -

149. coachx - Robin Lopez

150. alejandro09 - Louis Williams

151. lethalweapon3 - Channing Frye

152. Colin/Devon - Rudy Fernandez

153. IHeartAtlanta - Marvin Williams

Round 10

154. IHeartAtlanta - Joel Anthony

155 Colin/Devon - Shane Battier

156. lethalweapon3 - CJ Miles

157. alejandro09 - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

158. coachx - Wesley Johnson

159. ngc7/Squawker - Mo Williams

160. thatmydawg - Anthony Morrow

161. 01d0rd3r - Chris Wilcox

162. seano - Kirk Hinrich

163. nicholasp27 - Deshawn Stevenson

164. supporter - Darrell Arthur

165. ahf - Jodie Meeks

166. whassuphawks - Gilbert Arenas

167. capstone21 - Eric Maynor

168. sultanofatl - Kenyon Martin

169. diesel - Ronnie Turiaf

170. jy21 -Darko Milicic

Round 11

171. jy21 - Brandon Rush

172. diesel - Rashard Lewis

173. sultanofatl - Terrence Williams

174. capstone21 - Gregg Popovich

175. whassuphawks - Rick Carlisle

176. ahf - Pat Riley

177. supporter - Rick Adelman

178. nicholasp27 - Jason Collins

179. seano - Chuck Hayes

180. 01d0rd3r - Reggie Williams

181. thatmydawg - George Karl

182. ngc7/Squawker - Jordan Hill

183. coachx - Doc Rivers

184. alejandro09 - Glen Davis

185. lethalweapon3 - Amir Johnson

186 Colin/Devon - Scott Brooks

187. IHeartAtlanta - Mark Jackson

Round 12

188. IHeartAtlanta - Eddie House

189 Colin/Devon - Gordon Hayward

190. lethalweapon3 - Tom Thibodeau

191. alejandro09 - Nate McMillian

192. coachx - Luke Ridnour

193. ngc7/Squawker - Nick Collison

194. thatmydawg - Gerald Henderson

195. 01d0rd3r - Zaza Pachulia

196. seano - Eric Spoelstra

197. nicholasp27/northcyde - Jermaine O'Neal

198. supporter - Tony Douglas

199. ahf - JJ Redick

200. whassuphawks - Ronnie Brewer

201. capstone21 - Brandon Bass

202. sultanofatl - Jeff Van Gundy

203. diesel - Avery Johnson

204. jy21 - Nazr Mohammed

Round 13

205. jy21 - Larry Brown

206. diesel - Gary Neal

207. sultanofatl - James Jones

208. capstone21 - Corey Brewer

209. whassuphawks - CJ Watson

210. ahf - Jason Kidd

211. supporter - Courtney Lee

212. nicholasp27/northcyde - Baron Davis

213. seano - Tyrus Thomas

214. 01d0rd3r - Richard Hamilton

215. thatmydawg - Eric Bledsoe

216. ngc7/Squawker - Eric Dampier

217. coachx - Thabo Sefolosha

218. alejandro09 - Antonio McDyess

219. lethalweapon3 - Josh McRoberts

220. Colin/Devon - Boris Diaw

221. IHeartAtlanta - Johny Flynn

FINAL ROUND

Round 14

222. IHeartAtlanta - Dante Cunningham

223 Colin/Devon - Andres Biedrens

224. lethalweapon3 - Mario Chalmers

225. alejandro09 - Omri Casspi

226. coachx - Ekpe Udoh

227. ngc7/Squawker - Ben Wallace

228. thatmydawg - Dasagna Diop

229. 01d0rd3r - Caron Butler

230. seano - Chris Anderson

231. nicholasp27/northcyde - Reggie Evans

232. supporter - Mehmet Okur

233. ahf - Chase Budinger

234. whassuphawks - Rodrigue Beaubois

235. capstone21 - Udonis Haslem

236. sultanofatl - Josh Childress

237. diesel - Leandro Barbosa

238. jy21 - Austin Daye

Edited August 8, 2011 by AHF

[HawkItus]

So how are we playing this? 82 game schedule? NBA playoff format? NCAA tournament style?

[AHF]

AHF U-Niques

PG: Chris Paul/Jameer Nelson/Jason Kidd

SG: Manu Ginobili/Jodie Meeks/JJ Redick

SF: Jared Dudley/Chase Budinger

PF: Chris Bosh/Carlos Boozer

C: Greg Monroe/Derrick Favors/Marcus Camby

Coach: Pat Riley

TEAM PHILOSOPHY: I decided to go with what I think was a very grounded philosophy - WWBKND?

What would BK not do?

Since this squad was going to be the anti-Billy Knight team, it needed to have fantastic point guard play and a dominating front court. Above all, I would make sure that I got effective small forwards on the cheap rather than wasting draft capital on this lower impact position. As my squad developed, I made sure I had All-Star talent at PG and SG with Paul and Manu and bulked out a deep and talented group of peak (Bosh/Boozer), young (Monroe/Favors), and experienced (Camby) talent. To optimize this squad, I added some of the league's most deadly 3pt shooting to make sure that I could run a killer inside-outside game and give my PGs spacing and outlets for passes. I think this squads succeeds in all those categories. With this mix of players, my team is ready to run at the title from day 1 but young star potential like Derrick Favors means that this team should also be good for quite a while.

The U-Niques are thrilled with our squad and give you the blow-by-blow from our draft:

Chris Paul

I think there isn't a lot of difference between the talent available at picks 4-7. Paul is the best PG in the NBA today. Great passer first, scorer and has turned out to be a plus defender. He is only 26 and will be the gold standard for point guards assuming he doesn't suffer a catastrophe.

Chris Bosh

27 years old and by far the best 6'11'' franchise talent out there. Add in the fact that this guy is a zero ego player and Paul will love being able to bring this guy out as opposed to him being stifled as he was last year in Miami.

Greg Monroe

The league's youngest premier center is the same size as Tim Duncan. After the Pistons installed him as a regular, 21 out of his 58 games from January 4, 2011 were double doubles (the same number as Cousins). During those games, he averaged 9.4 rpg and 12 ppg - better numbers than the other centers available (who aren't 20 years old).

By way of comparison, he put up an 18 PER and .143 win shares/48 compared to a 14.6 PER and .022 win shares/48 put up by DeMarcus Cousins. The only reason you haven't heard big things about him is that he played in the wasteland of Detroit, although Joe Dumars publicly says they are ready to take a PF or C in this year's draft because Monroe can play Center or PF for them. Get ready to hear big things about him now that he is playing alongside 6'11'' Chris Bosh and receiving passes from a young wizard in Chris Paul.

The best thing may be his coachability. ESPN's David Thorpe identified Monroe as the rookie who made the most strides during his rookie year into a franchise cornerstone.

Manu Ginobili

The last All-NBA player joins the U-Niques roster with former rival Chris Paul. We are thrilled to grab one of the top 15 players last year with the #63 pick. Given the total lack of depth at the SG position (we've already seen a 6th man go there), he represents big value at this spot in the draft. Obviously, age is the reason he wasn't picked 40 picks ago but Ginobili has shown no signs of slowing down - he played 80 games last season and averaged the 2nd highest minutes per game of his career. He was the lead player on the Spurs for their best stretch of the season and finished as the team MVP (9.9 win shares to 7.7 for Duncan and 8.2 for Parker).

Ginobili is one of three SGs to receive MVP votes the last two seasons (Wade and Kobe were the other two) and he was a top 10 vote getter both seasons. Pencil him down for another All-Star appearance in 2012 for the U-Niques.

Derrick Favors

Speaking of guys I am surprised are still around, the U-Niques select Derrick Favors, the raw 19 year old big man. Favors averaged a double-double on a per 36 basis last year (13 and 10) and looks like he will be a defensive force for the next decade. There is a reason he was the prize to land either Carmelo or Deron. Welcome aboard young bull.

Carlos Boozer

The U-Niques see no reason to stop building bigtime depth in the frontcourt and select power forward Carlos Boozer.

Boozer is 29 years old and averages a career double-double with 17.3 ppg and 10.1 rpg to go along with his excellent .573 TS%. He averages a great 20.6 PER and .159 WS/48. The only knock against him is his spotty health history since he has averaged just over 63 games per season on his career. Boozer will deliver outstanding rebounding and low post scoring ability to the U-Niques roster and will be one more weapon for Chris Paul to feed. We had him pegged to be off the board and nearly took him more than 20 picks ago.

Welcome to the squad, Carlos!

Jameer Nelson

On a team with frontcourt talent, you can't have enough talented 3pt shooters and Nelson adds an all around game to his 39% career shooting mark from 3pt range. He is consistently among the more productive point guards in the league on both sides of the floor, racking up between 2.1 and 3.3 defensive win shares (significantly better than Deron Williams, for example) and averaging 3.4 offensive win shares over each of the last 4 seasons. Not surprisingly, he scores much better on win shares/48 and PER than other available PGs. Nelson will bring a dynamic offense off the bench and spread the floor for Manu's drives and our frontcourt. Given his prolific perimeter shooting, we can even play some small ball with Nelson and Paul on the floor together. In his late 20's, Nelson is primed for the playoffs today and looks to be years away from slowing down.

Jared Dudley

The U-Niques select 25 year old small forward, Jared Dudley. Dudley has spent years as the defensive specialist for the Bobcats and then the Suns before breaking out last season as more than a good 3pt shooter on offense. With his career 41.3% from 3pt range, he makes a fantastic outlet on offensive and after taking over as a starter for Vince Carter, he averaged 16 ppg and 6 rpg. While he won't have to put up 16 ppg on this team, the additional offense is a welcome dimension to his game. With his defense, emerging offense, and ability to spread the floor, Dudley makes a perfect glue guy for our starting lineup and enhances the talents of the rest of the roster on both sides of the ball. Welcome aboard.

Marcus Camby

The U-Niques go with a veteran elite defeder and select center Marcus Camby. Campy averaged 10 rpg last season in only 26 minutes and won't need to play more than that in adding serious depth with Monroe and Favors at the 5. He will teach those 20 somethings some tricks while providing impact minutes in the middle. Not a lot of impact left at center at this point in the draft but we welcome the veteran Camby to the club for his rebounding, shot blocking, steals and overall defensive contributions.

Jodie Meeks

The U-Niques add some perimeter fire power with 23 year old Jodie Meeks. Meeks is a sharp shooter who put up phenomenal shooting numbers in college and continued that into the NBA, shooting 40% from 3pt range last season and nearly 90% from the line. Meeks is also athletic and tenacious enough to be a plus defender on the other end of the floor. For advanced metrics, he finished the season right below Jason Terry and right above Louis Williams in win shares.

With Paul penetrating and our frontcourt depth pounding on the opposition, Meeks will be a perfect addition to stretch the floor and provide a spark off the bench.

Pat Riley

The U-Niques select Pat Riley to be the man behind the bench. Riley has 5 championship rings and has taken 3 different teams to the Finals (Lakers, Knicks and Heat). He has the charisma to recruit the top players in the game and the ability to relate to and motivate every guy on the roster. Riley has been successful playing whatever style best suits his team ala the run and gun Lakers of the 80's and grinding Knicks of the 90's.

Riley has won Coach of the Year honors for every team he has ever coached and taken them all to the finals. Get ready to see history repeat.

JJ Redick

The U-Niques select the 2011-12 starting SG for the Magic, JJ Redick. In a league stocked with All-Stars like this one, floor spacing is going to be absolutely critical. Reddick is among the best perimeter shooters in the league and has a career ts% 60 points better than Joe Johnson, for example. Redick will never be a big impact defender but he has worked his way into being much more solid on the defensive side of the floor than hoped when he was drafted. The Bulls tried to make him their starter last season and the Magic will do it next year. For the U-Niques, Redick will come off the bench to spread the floor and absolutely destroy anyone trying to zone this team. As a 26 year old coming of age, he should be an impact reserve for years to come that we are thrilled to see still on the board in the 12th round.

This team is shaping into a bunch with serious interior depth and outstanding perimeter shooting all orchestrated by the maestro, Chris Paul.

Jason Kidd

The U-Niques want to add some additional depth and leadership to this team and select Jason Kidd. He is a first ballot HOFer but what is also good to know is that he was the starting PG on the NBA champions and still put up an excellent .116 WS/48 last year to go with his 17th consecutive season with a PER of 14.4 or higher. Kidd will be ready to step in if Paul or Jameer get hurt, will provide leadership and depth off the bench, and will essentially provide an assistant coach on the bench and the floor. If he follows Stockton's lead, he will have another 3 solid years left in his legs but with a lot more rest to keep fresh.

Chase Budinger

With our final pick, the U-Niques select Houston SF Chase Budinger. In his 22 year old season, Budinger became the starting SF for the Houston Rockets. Budinger is known for his versatile offensive game, including a jumper with excellent range and elite athleticism. Budinger has a 40+ vertical leap and was rated with a "10" for athleticism coming out of college.

What isn't as well known is how well Budinger developed as a defender while playing in Houston. In his second year, Houston gave up 4.1 few points per 100 possessions while Budinger was on the floor. With his solid sabermetric numbers (.095 WS/48 and 14.2 PER) at age 22 and blossoming game, we are excited to finish off this team with a young SF with star potential.

Edited August 8, 2011 by AHF

[jy23]

whoa now....Budinger is and will be a decent player but star potential? HA! I laugh on your lapel!!!!! lol but no you have a decent squad and it is definitely "among the cream of the crop"

[Supporter]

thank you AHF for putting so much time into this.

[AHF]

For everyone who participated in the draft, please share your vision for your team so people get a sense of that when they vote. Some teams are positioned for short-term success and others have a lot of upside for the future. I think people will be interested in hearing what your horizon is for success and why you think your bunch has a shot at being successful.As for me, I have to go change my lapel.

[lethalweapon3]

Lethal Intellectual Playas (LIPS)

PG: William Anthony (Tony) Parker / Devin Lamar Harris /Almario Vernard (Mario) Chalmers

SG: DeMar Darnell DeRozan / Calvin Andre (C.J.) Miles, Jr.

SF: Carmelo Kiyan Anthony / Trevor Anthony Ariza

PF: Timothy Theodore (Tim) Duncan / Amir Jalla Johnson /Joshua Scott (Josh) McRoberts

C: Brook Lopez /Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi (Emeka) Okafor / Channing Thomas Frye

Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Celebrity Row: Mick Jagger, Lisa Rinna, Louis Lipps, Sade, Frank N. Furter, Angelina Jolie, The Joker, Echo & the Bunnymen

Mascot: Smoochy the Rhino

Arena: ChapStick Palace; Kissimmee, Florida

D-League Affiliate: Oak Hill Orifices; Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

General Manager: lethalweapon3

GM Hairstyle: Billy Knight Fauxhawk

General Manager Emeritus: TRUEINTELLECTUALPLAYA

Team Philosophy:

Proficiency and versatility are the hallmarks of this team. The LIPS can fill buckets in bunches, thanks in part to Carmelo Anthony (last season’s third-leading scorer -- and top three-point shooter among players contributing 25+ points per game), Tony Parker (the top field-goal shooter among point guards), and Brook Lopez (one of the top three scorers among centers).

While heavily geared to produce points inside with Tim Duncan, DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson (second in the NBA last season for offensive rating), and Emeka Okafor, bench players C.J. Miles and Channing Frye help the LIPS to stretch opposing defenses to the three-point line. Expect post-ups and mid-range jumpers galore. Also, quickness in transition from steals will result in numerous fastbreak opportunities for Parker, Anthony, Trevor Ariza, and DeRozan.

Both Parker and his reserve, Devin Harris, can get into the lane and dish, come off screens from Duncan and Lopez, or set up the offense for Anthony, Lopez, and DeRozan on the blocks, spotting up for outside jumpers when defenses double-up on the top scorers. Anthony will be useful not only for drawing double teams, but for drawing defenders outside, spacing the floor for the dribble-drive element of the offense.

Okafor (the league’s second-leading offensive rebounder among centers) and Duncan supplement Lopez’s shortcomings on the glass, registering putbacks and bolstering opportunities to extend control of the ball on the offensive side of the floor.

The LIPS carry a balance of accomplished veteran leadership and emerging talent, featuring five players with NBA Finals experience, including two NBA Finals MVPs in Parker and Duncan. Both players have sufficient depth at their positions to eliminate the need for excessive minutes. Beside these ex-Spurs, several pairs of players have recently played together (Harris-Lopez, Harris-Miles, DeRozan-Amir Johnson, Ariza-Okafor). Duncan is the sole player above age 30 on the roster. And within the last year alone, DeRozan, Johnson, Miles, Josh McRoberts, and Mario Chalmers have each displayed an ability and will to improve their overall game. All aged 25 years and under (along with Lopez), these players will serve this team well into the next decade as mentoring veteran leaders transition toward retirement.

Defensive intensity will determine how far this team can go. And there are few coaches better equipped to instill the value of defensive intensity than Tom Thibodeau. Coach Thibodeau’s strategies have adjusted player approaches and mindsets that turn heretofore unremarkable players defensively into strong defensive talents (Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Derrick Rose). He will have defensive-minded players at his disposal (Chalmers, Ariza, Okafor) along with aggressive frontcourt players in Johnson and McRoberts, and a perennial All-Defensive Team veteran in Duncan, who tops all active NBA players in career defensive rating. Motivating players like Anthony and Frye to focus and play the full court with on-the-ball pressure, and committing Lopez to fight for more rebounds, will go a long way in giving the LIPS the edge it needs every night.

~lw3

[capstone21]

For everyone who participated in the draft, please share your vision for your team so people get a sense of that when they vote. Some teams are positioned for short-term success and others have a lot of upside for the future. I think people will be interested in hearing what your horizon is for success and why you think your bunch has a shot at being successful.As for me, I have to go change my lapel.

I will try to get to mine in the next few days. Very busy right now

[coachx]

Thanks to AHF for all the time and work in organizing the thread so well.

coachx's team roster for The Perfect Balance with ages:

R. Westbrook (22) / L. Ridnour (30)

W. Matthews (24) / B. Gordon (28)

T. Prince (31) / W. Johnson (24) / T. Sefolosha (27)

K. Love (22) / L. Odom (31) / E. Udoh (24)

T. Chandler (28) / S. Hawes (23) / R. Lopez (23)

Head Coach: Doc Rivers

When building the roster for "The Perfect Balance" there were a few fundamental principles I did not want to stray away from:

1. Build a team that can win both now and well into the future. I did not want to build a franchise with a small window of oppurtunity. My 2 star players are 22 and 23 years old (Love & Westbrook), yet there are veteran leaders on the roster with championship expierence ( Chandler, Odom, Prince). I wanted a good balance of young rising stars mixed with championship caliber veterans who are still at their prime or at least very near it.

2. Build a team that has cohesive parts that should develop chemistry on the floor with a balance of skill sets. This roster has an excellent mix of unselfish players with one of the best players in the league at creating their own shot.

3. Defense - This roster is built with defense in mind. Both the starting unit and bench are balanced out with excellent defenders.

4. Balanced offense. This roster has one of the best penetrators in the game with Westrook and the roster is loaded with shooters to kick out too. This roster also has enough post scoring to stay balanced. It is important that this offense can score both in trasition and in the half court.

Below is a quick look at the roster individually in the order in which players were picked.

Russell Westbrook

With the 12th selection Westbrook seems an excellent value. At only 23 years of age Russell Westbrook took the next step and is now in the top echelon of PGs in the NBA. Westbrook is an elite perimeter defender on both PG and SGs a like. His length is off the charts for PGs helping his defensive prowess. Westbrook is probably the 2nd rated defensive PG in the league behind only Rondo but Westbrook is both younger and more explosive on offensese. Westbrook's game was put under the microscope in the Western Conference Finals for shooting too much. Yet, Westbrook was 8th in the NBA in apg with 8.2 (which was tied with assist master Jason Kidd). His decision making will get better and better. At just 23 Westbrook has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential and will use this learning expierence to motivate him even more to improve his game. Last season Westbrook improved his 3 point shooting to a respectable 33 %. His perimeter shooting should continue to improve which will leave Westbrook virtually unstoppable on offense. His athletic ability can only be matched by 1 man at his position. This selection will be 10 years + of production due to his age of only 23.

Kevin Love / pick #22

There were alot of good PFs left but I can't turn down a 22 year old who is coming off a 20 ppg / 15 rpg season. Kevin Love has done nothing but prove people wrong since the day he stepped foot in the NBA. He was seen as a player with a low ceiling and not much room to grow. Now he is 3 years into his career and coming off an allstar season. He is in a class all his own in terms of rebounding with 15.2 rpg to lead the NBA. He is a rebounding machine who lead the NBA in offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, total rebounds, and rebounds per 48 mintues. He also averaged 20.2 ppg to lead his team in scoring. At 6'10'' 260 lbs Love shot over 41% from 3 point range. At only 22 years of age Love will continue to mature and get stronger to become and even better rebounder then he is today. Now that is a scary thought.

Love seems a perfect compliment to grow with Westbrook. Love's wide body and deadly shot makes him an ideal pick and roll/pop partner for Westbrook. Love proven ability to consistently hit the 3 point shot (41% last year) will open up the paint for Westbrook to drive in the paint. Love's elite rebounding ablity and court vision for outlet passes is also an ideal fit tp ignite the fast break for the speedy and athletic Westbrook. 20 / 15 for the next 12 years sounds good to me ! ....................and that is if he is has totally plateaued at 22 years of age.

Tyson Chandler

Chandler is coming off and excellent season where he is finally getting individual recognition for his defense. Chandler was voted 2nd Team All Defense this year. I was really considering K. Perkins until Chandler got the better of him last round in the playoffs and out rebounded him 2 to 1. Chandler shot 65% from the field last year. His unselfishness allows him to fit on any team and his defensive quickness makes him an excellent compliment to Love. Coach K thought enough of Chandler that he made him the only center on team USA's roster and relied on him for heavy minutes. Team USA teamates ( Westbrook, Love, and T. Chandler) should already have some chemistry formed before they ever hit the floor. T. Chandler is still 28 and has some good seasons left in him. He has also been refered to as the vocal leader of this year Western Conference Mavericks team. That experience will help the 2 young guys.

Wesley Matthews6'5'' / 220 lbs / age 24 / 45% FG / 40% 3FG / 85% FT / 16 ppg / 3 rpg / 2 apg) on a 48 win playoff team last season.

I felt like I needed to put his stats up since he is guy some may not be as familar with as they should for how good a player he is. Matthews may not yet have the name but he already has the game. The star names of the SG position are aging quickly and I'm not sure there is one undrafted who is better then Matthews is now. He has proven to be durable after not missing a game in his 2 seasons of NBA expierence. In only his 2nd season Matthews quickly earned the reputation as an excellent peremiter defender by earning several votes to the exclusive All NBA Defense Teams by his peers. He is young, athletic, has ideal size, plays great defense, and has a sweet outside shot. He is a sniper from 3 point range. Last season Matthews finished 7th in the NBA with 154 made 3FGs. He will grow with this core for years to come and has plenty of game to win right now too.

Tayshaun PrinceWill remain 31 years old for the majority of next season. He is a veteran that should hold steady through 34 ( 4 more seasons). The 4 time NBA All Defense SF will continue the defensive theme with this roster. Prince;s scoring is underrated. He finished 10th in PPG last year, among SFs, with over 14 ppg and can hit the set 3 point shot which he has done throughout his career. His expierence will be valuable to this young roster. He adds good balance and championship leadership to the starting unit.

Lamar Odom

Selected versatile veterans back to back to balance out this roster with championship expierence. Like T. Prince, Odom is 31 with some good seasons left in the tank for sure. Unlike most 6th men who are scorers by trade only, Odom will be a multi-purpose, versatile 6th man who can give his team what it is missing game by game. One game it could be defense, another game passing, then scoring, or it could be more rebounding. He can play SF with a HUGE line up or he can play PF or C. His winning experience in the playoffs is a welcomed addition to The Perfect Balance who will be ready to win now and have the young pieces to win later.

Ben Gordon

He is still only 28 years old. Gordon's skillset is ideal for a primo bench scorer. Gordon is a natural scorer who can heat up quickly. His perimeter scoring and explosive scoring off the bench is needed on championship teams. He is a one dimensional scorer but rosters need one of these guys to balance out a roster. The head coach has the expierence to know when, and when not to, play Ben Gordon.

Spencer Hawes At just 23 and 7'1'' I see Hawes continueing to grow. He found himself playing a good role on a playoff team last year. He will compete for that same role this year. In Sacremento he showed he fill a box score with minutes. He has a fairly polished offensive game for his age that should continue to develop. His offensive skill set adds balance to the center position for this roster.

Robin Lopez

More depth in the front line with another 7'1'' 23 year old. Lopez if the opposite of Hawes. He is much heavier and a better defender but without much offensive post skill. He is that physical banger that ever team needs to fill a role. I hoping he can learn from Chandler's defensive intensity and fire. At just 23 he has room to grow.

Wesley Johnson

Soon to be in his 2nd year, he is a young 24 year old swing man who is super athletic AND can hit the 3 point shot. That combination is fairly rare in today's NBA. He can backup both SF and SG when needed. Hopefully T. Prince and L. Odom can take him under their wing and teach him the art of defense and the mental aspect of the game. He already has the god given physical tools. I see him finishing many a break (both from 3 and with dunks) after Chandler and Love secure the defensive rebound.

Doc Rivers

He was a great floor general in his playing days. Especially his days as an Atlanta Hawk. That leadership transfered to the head coaching ranks. He has proven he can not only coach stategically but he can also manage huge egos which is a gift not every coach has. What I like best about him is his defensive mentality. He is a voice my young players will buy into while at the same time being a voice who my veterans will instantly respect. He is also young enough to where coaching another 10 years should be no problem.

Luke Ridnour

Brings veteran leadership on and off the court. He is a quality backup PG with loads of starting expierence. At 30 years of age he should still have several more years in him.

Thabo Sefolosha

Thab is one of the most respected perimeter defenders in the league who is in the mold of a Bruce Bowen (minus the bow-ties). At 27 years of age I expect him to be a valueable role player for this team who can defend SGs and SFs. Sefolosha will probably be bumped ahead of the inexpierenced W. Johnson on the depth chart, by Doc Rivers, and will also see minutes at SG when B Gordon is too cold or too small to be effective.

Ekpe Udoh

Upside pick here. He was the 6th pick of the 2010 NBA draft. He is a has natural shot blocking and defensive instincts who could one day be a solid NBA player. He averaged 1.5 bpg in only 17.8 mpg during his rookie season last year. I have a feeling new head coach, Mark Jackson, will give this young guy plenty of minutes to grow in the real world with Golden State.

Edited August 9, 2011 by coachx

[Supporter]

Team Supporter

Off the Court Philosophy: The underlying theme throughout my whole draft process was to build a team for the future. Nine of my thirteen players are under the age of 25 and my future starting five (Rose,Cousins,Harden,Hickson,Young) are all 22 or younger. So my thought process was that, I have a team that is decent right now but when push comes to shove, my whole starting five will be in their primes with plenty of experience. Additional benefits also arise from building a young team from start to finish, I have plenty of back up players that will also age well considering how young they are, and probably the most important attribute of my team is that they will all "grow" and "learn" together ala the Hawks and the Thunder.

However, this doesn't mean that I totally neglected any type of veteran presence; on the contrary all my veterans whom are 30 years or older (Garnett,Jefferson, Haywood, Okur) have had a plethora of playoff and finals games under their belts. My most successful veteran, Kevin Garnett, will provide leadership and intensity that will help my young core flourish and grow. In addition to providing veteran experience on the court, a Hall of Famer like KG will help reel in and guide young players like Demarcus Cousins (who is known for being a headcase)JJ Hickson, and Darrell Arthur off the court.

On the Court Philosophy: My "Big Three" are Rose, Cousins, and Harden. The first thought that came to my mind when I ended up drafting my big three was, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili. The San Antonio Spurs won numerous championships through their Big Three and Coach Poppavich, and I believe that my Big Three could very well resemble one of the best teams in NBA history, and maybe be a little better. Derrick Rose and James Harden can both get inside the paint and either score, pass, or get to the free throw line just like Parker and Ginobili. And Demarcus Cousins who maybe young and reckless right now, has the talent to be a dominant post player as well as an elite playmaker from the post. Don't believe me?

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkh3BtMJOc

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0NjDzUQJXc

Your Eyes Don't Deceive You. Cousins has the potential to be the best center in the NBA, even better than Dwight Howard. He routinely put up big numbers against guys like Howard, Bynum and Gasol. The only one who can slow down Cousins is himself, and the likelihood of that happening goes down with the way my team is mapped out. Having a young core leads to bonding, and bonding leads to maturity. Therefore, a volatile player like Cousins has a good chance of achieving his potential in "Team Supporter"

So enough about the "Big Three", what will hold the fortress are my role players, and glue guys. Beyond the "Big Three" ,JJ Hickson and Thaddeus Young are in the starting five. Both Hickson and Young are very talented players in their own right, having PER's of 15.7 and 18.5 respectively. Young has the ability to play both inside and outside, and Hickson has the ability to score in the post and hit the open midrange jumper. I see both players having an important role in a championship caliber team. The bench features players like Courtney Lee, Darrell Arthur, Rodney Stuckey, and Toney Douglas, who all had their highs and lows in each of their respective careers. But I am not asking them to be superstars, I am asking them to provide toughness and hustle that is essential to any team that wants to win it all. Each player has his own strenght that will provide him minutes on the court. Courtney Lee is a terrific slasher and perimeter shooter. Rodney Stuckey provides back up to Derrick Rose, while having a familier skill set. Toney Douglas can run a team for short periods of time, play the pick and role, and provide outside shooting. Arthur blossomed as an energy guy in the most recent playoffs, he has a decent post game and jumper.

On Offense: Team Supporter doesn't really have a weakness when it comes to scoring. Guys like Rose and Cousins can clog up the middle and free the perimeter for three point shooters like Richard Jefferson, Toney Douglas, Courtney Lee or Mehmet Okur. The midrange game is solid with guys like Harden, Rose, Cousins, Hickson, etc... All of my players are unselfish, and good passers. And most importantly I have sufficient backups that provide the same sort of skillets as my starting five in case of injury.

On Defense: I believe that the athetacism of my core players allow for a versatile and adaptive defense. Due to their quickness and agility, Man to Man defense should be no problem. And with enough communication and practice, we can embody and type of Zone Defense. And if the perimeter defense breaks down, guys like Cousins, and Hickson provide help defense and shot blocking.

Bottom Line: My team probably won't win a championship in their first year together, or even in their second or their years, but believe me when I say that they have a legitimate shot at the title past their fifth years. At that point, even though most of my veterans maybe done, my core players will all be in their primes and ready to win a championship.

Edited August 9, 2011 by Supporter

[Supporter]

hmmm......interesting lol. I range from being a pretty good team, to being a pretty crappy team.

[Diesel]

Diesel

PG: Kyle Lowry, Ramon Sessions, Leandro Barbosa

SG: Eric Gordon, Tracy McGrady, Gary Neal

SF: Wilson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Rashard Lewis

PF: Zach Randolph, Ryan Anderson

C: Dwight Howard, Ronny Turiaf

Coach: Avery Johnson

My team is built around balance.

I have front court dominance.

Zach Randolph the best offensive low post PF in the game. The best Pf in the game according to Kevin Durant. Dwight Howard, the best defensive player in the game period. Then a variance of offensive shooters and defensive stoppers.

Offense:

Randolph in the high post, Howard in the low post.

Eric Gordon - 22 yrs old. 22.3 ppg, 4.4 apg. Shot 45% from the field and 36% from three.

Chandler - 23 yrs old. 15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg. shot 45% from the field and 35% from three.

Lowry - 24 yrs old. 13.4 ppg, 6.7 apg, shot 42.6% from the field and 37.6% from three.

Off the bench, I have vets that can play: McGrady, Marion, and Lewis will bring their talent and their vet experience. The neat thing is that they don't have to log in many minutes to be effective. Nobody is counted on 40 minutes from those guys.

Then there is my sleeper: Gary Neal and Ramon Sessions. Neal is one of the best three point shooter in the league. Neal shot 41.9% from three and made 129 3 pters. Neal was also all rookie first team.

So ages of my starters: 24, 22, 23, 30, and 25... That's years of dominance as they grow together.

Defense

Howard - Defensive player of the year for the last 3 yrs. Has led the league in blocks.

I got a quote about Chandler

" Defensively, he is a good weak side defender and gets most of his blocks off of help defense. He plays conservative on-the-ball defense and focuses on keeping his man out of the paint as opposed to trying to deny jump shots.

This defensive strategy becomes more prominent when he defends a guard as opposed to a forward. He trusts his length and jumping ability to enable him to contest jump shots when guarding smaller players.

Because he is physically strong, he is excellent at defending the post. His man rarely tries to take him down low as a result. Plus, he can switch on the pick and roll and defend a big man."

Then there was Lowry. One of the best on ball defenders. He plays with a lot of determination and causes problems for whoever he has as his assignment.

Off the bench, I have Marion, Anderson, and Turiaf. All three strong defensively.

Intangibles is the fact that my team is so versatile. We can pound pound pound or we can get fancy and put Barbosa, Neal, Lewis, Anderson, and Turiaf on the floor and make you bend over and grab your toes because we're about to get in it with our third team. YES I said Third team. Our Third team can match some people's first team. You better cover the perimeter.

When talking about versatility, we have several players that can play different positions: Neal PG/SG. Lewis Sf/PF, Chandler SG/Sf. Marion Sf/PF. Zebo PF/C, McGrady PG/SG/Sf. and so on.

So this is my claim:

We're a good young team. Lots of talent. Some potential. We have the best frontcourt in this league. We have good shooters. Our inside out game will be deadly.

[jy23]

The squad and concept behind THE REGULATORS is as follows.......starting with my first pick mister Lebron James, gives me the best player in the league and years of super production. The man is damn near a walking triple double. 30 8 8 is pretty much what you can expect from him year in and year out. His defense has improved every year to the point where this year in the playoffs he put the clamps on the most dynamic point guard in the league (who also happened to be the MVP). Versatility is key with this guy, he can play and guard 4 out of the 5 positions on the court, high BBIQ....I could keep going on but I'll move on

Rudy Gay...my second option on offense, long athletic and very skilled offensively. Came in the league and pretty much got by on his athleticism but has since really improved his jumper, to the point that last year he was shooting close to 40% from 3 during the regular season. He's a guy that can get his own shot off when needed and can also spread the floor and knock down spot up jumpers when needed. With he and Lebron on the wings I've said it before and I'll say it again, there isn't a squad out there that can keep up with those 2 collectively!

Serge Ibaka...3rd in the league in blocks per game and first in the league in total blocks....he's 21 with limited organized basketball experience but UNlimited potential. Has developed a nice mid range jumper and will only get better with time. He's 6'10 and extremely athletic, his rebounding numbers could be better but I think that with more playing time and more experience he'll improve in that area.

Chauncey Billups...my floor general, won't have to carry the entire load of being the playmaker bc of Lebron being on the team and I think that helps him tremendously. He can do a lot more spotting up and he's deadly when doing so...shot 40% from 3 last year. When things are going wrong he can still take over and get the team back in sync. He's not the athlete he used to be but he can still contribute at a high level and his BBIQ is higs enough that if he's put in the right system with the right guys around him he can still be a damn good team defender. Oh...and he's clutch!

Samuel Dalembert...don't need him to contribute much on offense bc I have that taken care of, his focus is defense and rebounding. He's long and gives me everything that I need from the 5 spot on this team. He was 4th in the league in rebounds per 48min...for the time that he's on the floor he gives me what I need

Luis Scola...ENERGY, plays with everything that he's got the entire time he's on the floor. When he comes in I don't miss a beat with scoring, i actually gain something. He's a career 51% shooter, averaged 18ppg last year with 8 rebounds, I think thats pretty damn good for my 6th man.

Jason Terry....shooter, playmaker, clutch, toughness, and willingness to accept the role that he's given. I know exactly what I'm getting from him when he hits the court and so does everyone else.

Jose Calderon....5th in the league in APG and is also a pretty damn good shooter.

Carlos Delfino.....guy who can spread the floor for my playmakers and also defend his postion fairly well

Darko Milicic...defend the paint, rather that requires using up your fouls or actually blocking a shot or 2. Can never have to many big bodies

Nazr Mohammed see above

Brandon Rush...shot 41% from 3...shocking isn't it!! Come in and spread the floor

Larry Brown..gets the most out of his players and preaches defense

[Colin]

Write-up coming soon, ayeeeeeee

[jy23]

WOW!!! I have a vote in each one.....LMAO!!! I guess

[Diesel]

WOW!!! I have a vote in each one.....LMAO!!! I guess

Here's my discussion of your team:jy21PG: Chauncey Billups/Jose CalderonSG: Lebron James/Jason Terry/Brandon RushSF: Rudy Gay/Carlos Delfino/Austin DayePF: Serge Ibaka/Luis ScolaC: Samuel Dalembert/Darko Milicic/Nazr MohammedCoach: Larry Brown1. Chauncey is old.2. Lebron is one of the best players playing.3. No scoring from the PF spot. 4. Rudy Gay and Dalembert are question marks.Summary: I think your team has some good players, some questionable players, and some interesting decisions. How often does James and Gay sit? You have Jason Terry and Brandon Rush for trading purposes? I like Jose as a BU PG but he would need somebody to back him up. Last season, Billups started to look his age. Calderon may have to be the starter. Calderon doesn't give you the defense that Billups does. The team is going to be built around Lebron's ability to carry it. The question is, is this a better team that what Lebron had in Cleveland? :Nail Biting: It's hard to say. However, for a "fantasy" team to be equivalent to a real life team that never won... it's bad.

[coachx]

WOW!!! I have a vote in each one.....LMAO!!! I guess

Did you vote for yourself to be the best team in the league.I see alot of people have 1 vote for the best team in the league ? One can only assume people are blindly voting for their own team as the best one. I guess that is to be expected but I didn't do it.Its pretty obvious that 4 or 5 GMs voted their team as the #1 best team in the entire league who probably should not have. Edited August 11, 2011 by coachx

[Diesel]

Did you vote for yourself to be the best team in the league.I see alot of people have 1 vote for the best team in the league ? One can only assume people are blindly voting for their own team as the best one. I guess that is to be expected but I didn't do it.Its pretty obvious that 4 or 5 GMs voted their team as the #1 best team in the entire league who probably should not have.

My decision actually came down to my and your team as being the best. But on second review, I have to consider AHF's teams more strongly too. I just like the mix of youth and talent. I think that nobody can deny that I have the strongest frontcourt in this draft. I think your and AHF's strength is depth. I like my depth too, but the difference is that my depth is experienced. Some may balk at that and some may go with it but I have never seen a completely young team win anything. I ultimately think I have an advantage because the best way to get to a championship is to have a dominant center. So front court dominance matters IMHO.

[LucastheThird]

Before I post my write-up, I want someone to break down my team.

[AHF]

Did you vote for yourself to be the best team in the league.I see alot of people have 1 vote for the best team in the league ? One can only assume people are blindly voting for their own team as the best one. I guess that is to be expected but I didn't do it.Its pretty obvious that 4 or 5 GMs voted their team as the #1 best team in the entire league who probably should not have.

I haven't voted yet because I wanted to wait for discussion but when I do vote I won't be voting for my own team at all for this reason.