The Beast of the East & How the West Was Won
3rd Edition
NOLa. here again to give you, #SimLeagueOverEverything viewers and managers, a brand spanking new edition of the Sim League Power Ranker (SLPR)! There have been many changes in the rankings near the top, with a few teams struggling to keep up and others separating themselves from the rest of the pact. Once again injuries are making owners sick to their stomachs, questioning their player's toughness in the process. The Sim League gods have made it known that durability should be valued among general managers hoping to improve their teams.
For this special 3rd edition I've decided to give a quick run down of the top two teams in each conference for analysis (although for the four GM's it may be considered "slurpage"). After the spotlight the power rankings are posted along with divisional comparisons for the rankings. Enjoy.
East
(1) - Milwaukee Bucks - 14-6 Record
The Bucks!?! Yeah, Quail's Bucking Bucks. The Bucks are currently on top thanks to having the 2nd best rebounding score (behind only to the Raptors) and for a good sim going 5-1, beating the Hawks and Cavs and losing their one game to the CP3 led Sonics. Efficient shooting team but Assist score is low for having Arenas on the team, which may be due to his volume of shooting.
(2) - Philadelphia 76ers - 14-5 Record
Previous #1 for first two sims took a bit of drop in part of a full schedule sim of 8 games played and going 5-3 this sim, losing to divisional rival Boston Celtics and splitting a two game series with the Miami Heat. Still, bojangles manages the 2nd best defensive measured team only behind defensive specialist PaulyP and his Pacers and remains in the top 10 in rebounding. The top team in the standings survived a brutal schedule and will play an easier 4 games next sim.
West
(4) - Los Angeles Lakers - 11-10
Ball is in panic mode because of accumulated injuries, fearing he will drop out of the Western Conference playoff race. Sorry Western Conference, but that's not happening. The West is severely weak and remains very top heavy, and I predict the two time WC Champion is going no where despite the drop in standings. The Lakers may not be on top this season, but Jason Terry comes back this upcoming sim and might provide the back court balance the Lakers need.
(5) - Dallas Mavericks - 16-8
Darth has quickly put together a team that can contend with the best of anyone in the league. The Mavericks boast one of the more balanced teams ranking in the Top 10 in every category but Rebounding, a potential undoing for the Mavs if they hit a rough patch in shooting the ball. However, the Mavs are a strong shooting team and their balanced front court of anchorman Biedrins and Top 10 scorer Jamison is proving to be tough to beat.
http://s16.postimg.org/w48z9o34l/Rank.jpg
(Editors Note: Took out the image but kept the link for comparison of week-to-week for the power ranking)
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Part II – The Beast of the East
July 02, 2013
Another sim league month is in the books as we finished out December last night. The West has still struggled to find a clear number one team with the Los Angeles Lakers still waiting until their team, most notably T-Mac, is completely healthy and ready to roll. The Mavs stumbled after taking the lead, an impressive 8-1 sim threw Sono and the Wolves from sub-.500% and right back into playoff contention, the Rockets are playing better week-by-week, the Clippers have cooled a bit, and the Sonics and Suns remained steady.
But does anyone in the East care?
Hell no. Have you seen the teams out East competing and beating the **** out of each other lately? Four of the top five teams in my power ranking hail from the East. Wait. Wut? Sorry, let me add on to that. Three of those four Eastern teams also play in the same division. Rankings aside, the Eastern Conference boasts balance and consistency. Just how balanced? Only two teams (Magic and Miami) are more than two games behind a .500% record.
The middle-of-the-pack is getting jammed up with teams trying to jump one another for that playoff seed, creating an all-out brawl between the Pistons, Bulls, Pacers, Wizards and others.
Some are fighting to get back into the postseason, while others are looking to make it for their first times as general manager.
And in the thick of it all, the path to the Finals in the East runs through New Orleans where the mighty Hornets await any willing competitor. This season is a different beast because of the Bucks and 76ers. Both are consistently good teams respectively in their division and conference, but the Bucks and 76ers have a chance to be great and go the distance this season.
1. Bucks – 21-6
Still atop the rankings for a second straight sim, the Bucks continue to dominate the league led by MVP Gilbert Arenas. But it’s not because of one man’s production that has the Bucks on top, it’s the balance of talent Quail has provided Arenas. Walker shoulders the frontcourt scoring and still averages over 10 rebounds and 4 assists a game. Allen defends the perimeter and Frye contributes off the bench is multiple positions. The Bucks true strength is team rebounding, now the leader in the Rebounding category (dethroning the Raptors for now). Only has lost one game (Sonics) in two sims, a ridiculous active 12-1 record.
2. Hornets – 21-9
This looks familiar. Considering the buzz from the East, my rankings have slighted the Hornets the past few updates. If this was any other season the Hornets would be on top laughing at everyone below right now. The season is not over and the #1 favorite Hornets should not be too concerned with the regular season as they are almost always in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hornets are the only team in the rankings to earn a positive score in each category this update and holds one of the higher points per game margin. Kevin Garnett is also shooting lights out, shooting 48% from 3 and 50% overall and nearly converting 80% FT%, all while being ranked in the Top 10 for scoring and rebounding. My current MVP candidate.
3. 76ers - 16-7
The 76ers might look like they have taken a lost their punch since starting the season the strongest, but I wouldn’t worry about it. Only played four games this sim and went 2-2, wins over the Knicks and Bulls and losses to the Pistons and Bucks. A tough short week and came out even. Might not be what bo was looking for but the 76ers are a solid and sound basketball team with a simple plan. Play tough defense, rebound the ball, and then take care of the ball in that order. “Damn NOLa. we know how basketball works.” I know, but bo just does it better than most because of his focus on building a team that can slow down the tempo and play aggressive defense. Having Camby might have something to do with it, hmmmm.
So you know about the three headed beast in the East. But here’s a closer look at two teams not getting the love and respect they deserve.
5. Raptors - 17-9
The Toronto Raptors continue to improve and Soundwave has quietly built his team from “Hope we make the playoffs” to “Looking towards the series!” David Lee and Mo Pete are forming into one of the league’s best inside-out combos in the East. Mo is shooting over 41% from the 3 and shoots about 5 threes a game. David Lee, meanwhile, continues to grow into a beast inside the paint. Averages almost 18 points and 13 rebounds a game. Shoots at 43% which is not bad, but if improved could be a 20-14 player next season if he can convert more. Shoots 80% of his FT’s too, which is great for his position. Just lacking at the 5 but still has a good cast of guys who can play defense at the position.
14. Pacers – 12-14
Was brought up in the #SLOE podcast during the “worst team in the league” segment, although not for being the worst team (Unanimous decision is: Kings) but because of a disappointing start after almost knocking off the Hornets in the playoffs last season. This is not a defense, but that label was unwarranted. Fact is the Pacers play in the toughest division in the league and had a bad start. Last two sims? 8-2 combined. Really solid defensive team (number one in rankings) that steals and blocks shots at a very effective rate. Team probably needs another G that can score to help ease Baron’s load as he is shooting a career low in FG% and 3P%, but if I had to choose a team from the outside that will make it, I would pick the Pacers if they can keep up with their defense.
That’s the end of Pt. II guys. Western Conference, I did not forget about us. Next addition, How the West Was Won, will be next to close out the 3rd edition of these power rankings. For now, #SLOE and enjoy the rankings.
http://s11.postimg.org/mk76bibpf/Power_Ranking.jpg
Editors Note: Rankings are 1/29th biased as I am out to underscore the Celtics.
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Part III - How the West Was Won
July 4th 2013
Welcome back to today's final segment of the Sim League Power Rank! We had a special Independence Sim Day (1:01 A.M. on July 4th) which a few fellow sim leaguers could not stay up for. We're almost half-way through the season and five sims away from the trade deadline on Day 100. The league witnessed the first "big" trade of the season that will be broken down later, and the question remains if there are any other trade discussions ongoing around the league. It's been a fairly quiet season in terms of rumors and posts suggesting big deals being in the works, but that may be because of the hectic season in which most teams are still trying to figure out their go-to game plan before trading pieces. Either way, there are several teams in the East that may look to make a trade in order to go from "outside looking in" to competing in the postseason.
But what about the Western conference, how is that shaping up? Kind of meh, arguably the four worst teams in the league hail from the West. Here's a look.
The playoff picture is a lot clearer for the West compared to the East. A team like Portland, who has improved lately, can make a push if a team like the Lakers, Clippers, or Houston slips. But that would require the Lakers or Clippers to keep regressing or for Houston to stop improving, neither which seems likely at the moment. Other than Portland I don't see any other team challenging for the 8th and final seed, so it's a nine team race that could drop to a final eight if GI's team goes through a shooting slump.
First big trade of the season royally ****s the West.
So everyone who reads the forum should know by now that there's this team, the Lakers, who has suffered from the random injury bug and lost both McGrady and Terry. Good news is Terry's back, the really bad news is that T Mac still has 17 days to recover and won't be able to help Ball for another 12 games. Even in a downturn for the West, Ball did what everyone knew he would end up doing. He made a trade.
The trade was with Eazy P's Spurs. Eazy has made it known since he drafted Rondo #3 overall in this past draft that he would want to deal Jason Kidd in the near future. The deal composed of Lakers sending Jason Williams (PG), Othella Harington (PF) and Heat 08 Top 10 protected for the sole service of Jason Kidd. Othella was just a salary balancer I'm guessing and Jason Williams will be the Spurs backup PG behind Rondo for the next two seasons. The positive for the Spur is that they replaced a high-salary triple-double-threat PG in Kidd for a much cheaper rookie triple-double-threat PG in Rondo and added a little depth.
The downside is that the Spurs might not get pick they acquired for possibly three season in the 2009 draft unless the Heat get better and out of the lottery by next season. Easier said than done to get better trade value after the fact, but it was no secret the league felt the Spurs might have hastily shed Kidd's contract. In the end, Lakers now have arguably one of the best backcourts in the league with Kidd and McGrady healthy. Only concern about Kidd is his atrocious 4.8 TO's a game really diminish his production in setting up teammates. Number should go down but he still might end up leading all PG's in turnovers by the end of the season.
Got the trade talk out the way finally, so let's take a closer look at the current three top teams out West.
(3) Seattle SuperSonics - 23-12
The question in the West after the Lakers injury woes became "Who will lead the West in the standings now?" A few teams jumped out early, like the Mavericks and Clippers, but had a bad sim or two and dropped a few spots later. Others, like the Timberwolves, started off on the wrong foot but have really turned it on as of late.
The SuperSonics, however, have been in the thick of it all from Day 1. Currently atop the standings in the West thanks to a 7-0 sim with notable wins over the Raptors, Clippers and Rockets, Beeball and his CP3 led Sonics have continued to make a name for themselves on the defensive end. The Sonics steal and block the ball at a very high rate and is currently ranked in the Top 5 in oFG% and an more impressive number one in o3P% defense. The perimeter defense of Paul (#1 in SPG) and Roy with the down low defensive presence in Ratliff and Mourning really balance out this team and have a good chance at fortify their position in the standings with a few more good sims. No chest-thumping from Beeball yet, but the season is not yet over!
(5) Memphis Grizzlies - 21-13
A few general managers questioned LoCo's move to trade for Ray Allen and his huge contract and releasing BeeBall of his loaded contract to replace with Brandon Roy in return for Alonzo Mourning. I was one of them, but only because I felt the Grizzlies were known for their tough inside defense and offense, and trading the player that was that teams defensive anchor in return for sharpshooter Ray Allen changed Memphis's game they were known for. I asked LoCo after the trade if shooting was a renewed focus on his part for his team going forward, and he simply stated he felt the direction he was taking his team would fit his team after the addition of Allen.
Well there's a reason why he's winning and the Kings are losing. The Memphis Grizzlies are now a very dangerous shooting team, ranking in the Top 10 in the Shooting category and leading the league in 3P% shooting. The combination of Ray Allen and Joe Johnson form the best shooting wing tandem in the league. However, many probably don't know the Grizzlies are one of the best Assist-Turnover teams in the league. They move the ball well and find open shooters while taking care of the ball better than most teams.
(6) Minnesota Timberwolves - 21-18
Sono and his Timberwolves had a down-up sim. They started by losing their first three games against the Mavs, Raptors, and Rockets, only to turn around and win their next four with notable wins against the Suns and Pistons. Having Pierce at the SG position has been very successful for the Wolves, shooting over 40% from the arc and averaging 25 points - 7 rebounds - 4 assists. Combine that with MVP-candidate Carlos Boozer who is almost shooting 50% from the field and averaging a solid double-double.
Minnesota follows the mold of most of the better teams in the league, which is to play solid defense on wings and rebound the ball more efficiently than opponents. But just how good are they at doing both? The Wolves rank 4th in both the Rebounding and Defense categories of the power rank, only team in the league to do so. Keep it up Wolves and you may find yourself with homecourt advantage in the first round.
Well ****. Fine a couple of quick notes around the West.
- Although not in the above mentioned, the Dallas Mavericks responded well after a tough sim by going 6-2 with the losses coming from the Hornets and Celtics.
- The Rockets are steadily climbing the ranks and their teams shooting is getting better. Also heard Manu made an appearance this sim!
- The Suns had a tough sim this go around, going 4-3 but remain steadily on top of the Pacific division. Shouldn't be worried about the sim because the teams played were tough.
And now, the moment you've been waiting for, the final Sim League Power Ranking of the 3rd Edition!
And that's a wrap! I hope if you read this article that you enjoyed it and was worthwhile of your time. Have a happy 4th of July and be safe on the road fellow sim leaguers!
And if you'll excuse me, I have some beer to pickup at the store and some burgers to grill outside. #SimLeagueOverEverything
Sim League Power Rank - The Beast of the East & How the West Was Won
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Originally Posted by BeeBall Reasons
