TravTex
Active member
The Spurs offseason work got me all inspired, again.
(I tried a Jefferson Spurs franchise for a bit... The guy significantly changes the game for the team. Trying to double-team Duncan is suicide. Not double-teaming Duncan is suicide. Uh...?)
I started up a franchise with the idea of just deconstructing and building up a team. The obvious candidate was the Stolen Sonics. I simmed the first season, just working trades... I could prattle off the long boring story, but suffice to say I worked one blockbuster trade, one huge free agent signing, and drafted a stud starter over the first sim-season and offseason.
2009/10 Thunder Roster:
-----------------------
PG:
Russell Westbrook: (One of the few players I ended up keeping. He isn't Nash, but he can still be a gamechanger at times. He's also young and has a ton of potential for development.)
Smush Parker
------------------------
SG:
Gheorghe Bacu: (First draft pick at #4 for the Thunder. The guy is absurdly versatile. For example, he's averaging 22ppg in the first two games... playing out of position. By far. This is a drafted SG starting at PF and excelling. Major ROTY chances, I'd say.)
Quinton Ross: (He's starting at SG at the moment, due to injury, but don't see him as more than a role player.)
Simon Arthur
-------------------------
SF:
Danny Granger: (Awesome. Just a phenomenal player in our game.)
Kyle Korver: (This slot was initially filled by Jason Kapono. A straight trade for Korver accomplished... well, absolutely nothing, really. They're role players with a deadly outside shot. Korver happened to be cheaper and more nimble.)
Jeff Green: (I like Green's potential, but don't see as how I'll have the time to develop him.)
--------------------------
PF:
Pau Gasol: (I was stoked when I worked this trade. Gasol is the reason Durant isn't on the roster, and it's a trade-off I can live with. Unfortunately, Pau broke his ankle in preseason and it'll be 4-6 weeks until we actually get to see what he does for the team.)
DJ White
---------------------------
C:
Brendan Haywood: (Most of the time, he's just kinda 'there'. When defenses start to ignore him, though, he can hurt you for double digits in a hurry.)
Yunlong Wang: (Second-round draft pick we used to follow the trend of improbably gigantic Chinese guys. 7'1" and a rebound vacuum.)
---------------------------------------------------------
The team is actually set for a few years... I'd like to improve at Center, but otherwise all of the pieces are in place for the next four years or so. I'm not sold on resigning Carlisimo next year when his contract expires, but for the moment it seems to be a good blend.
I thought it was going to be utter horror tragedy with Gasol injured. I tried to build my team around him, after all -- and the gimp goes and breaks his ankle in preseason.
BUT... we started 2-0 with wins versus the Pacers and the Mavs in Dallas.
Granger seems able to do it all. The first game against Indy had him logging 43 points. Offseason work with Westbrook's passing has him with 20 assists for the first pair of games. The biggest surprise is the rookie. Bacu, our drafted SG, has been filling in at PF for Gasol.
Obviously, he's tall and has good elevation for a SG... he's averaging over 20ppg at PF, and logged four blocks against Dallas... while guarding Dirk. I'm almost scared to see what happens to our chemistry when Pau comes back, and he's our 'Star Player'.
The team has issues -- We went into the fourth against Indiana up by 20... and jacked around enough to let them make a game of it. BUT, beating Dallas handily in Dallas boosted everyone's confidence.
Meanwhile, I'm fairly amused by the frequent shots of Pau Gasol looking rather irritable sitting on the bench.
(I tried a Jefferson Spurs franchise for a bit... The guy significantly changes the game for the team. Trying to double-team Duncan is suicide. Not double-teaming Duncan is suicide. Uh...?)
I started up a franchise with the idea of just deconstructing and building up a team. The obvious candidate was the Stolen Sonics. I simmed the first season, just working trades... I could prattle off the long boring story, but suffice to say I worked one blockbuster trade, one huge free agent signing, and drafted a stud starter over the first sim-season and offseason.
2009/10 Thunder Roster:
-----------------------
PG:
Russell Westbrook: (One of the few players I ended up keeping. He isn't Nash, but he can still be a gamechanger at times. He's also young and has a ton of potential for development.)
Smush Parker
------------------------
SG:
Gheorghe Bacu: (First draft pick at #4 for the Thunder. The guy is absurdly versatile. For example, he's averaging 22ppg in the first two games... playing out of position. By far. This is a drafted SG starting at PF and excelling. Major ROTY chances, I'd say.)
Quinton Ross: (He's starting at SG at the moment, due to injury, but don't see him as more than a role player.)
Simon Arthur
-------------------------
SF:
Danny Granger: (Awesome. Just a phenomenal player in our game.)
Kyle Korver: (This slot was initially filled by Jason Kapono. A straight trade for Korver accomplished... well, absolutely nothing, really. They're role players with a deadly outside shot. Korver happened to be cheaper and more nimble.)
Jeff Green: (I like Green's potential, but don't see as how I'll have the time to develop him.)
--------------------------
PF:
Pau Gasol: (I was stoked when I worked this trade. Gasol is the reason Durant isn't on the roster, and it's a trade-off I can live with. Unfortunately, Pau broke his ankle in preseason and it'll be 4-6 weeks until we actually get to see what he does for the team.)
DJ White
---------------------------
C:
Brendan Haywood: (Most of the time, he's just kinda 'there'. When defenses start to ignore him, though, he can hurt you for double digits in a hurry.)
Yunlong Wang: (Second-round draft pick we used to follow the trend of improbably gigantic Chinese guys. 7'1" and a rebound vacuum.)
---------------------------------------------------------
The team is actually set for a few years... I'd like to improve at Center, but otherwise all of the pieces are in place for the next four years or so. I'm not sold on resigning Carlisimo next year when his contract expires, but for the moment it seems to be a good blend.
I thought it was going to be utter horror tragedy with Gasol injured. I tried to build my team around him, after all -- and the gimp goes and breaks his ankle in preseason.
BUT... we started 2-0 with wins versus the Pacers and the Mavs in Dallas.
Granger seems able to do it all. The first game against Indy had him logging 43 points. Offseason work with Westbrook's passing has him with 20 assists for the first pair of games. The biggest surprise is the rookie. Bacu, our drafted SG, has been filling in at PF for Gasol.
Obviously, he's tall and has good elevation for a SG... he's averaging over 20ppg at PF, and logged four blocks against Dallas... while guarding Dirk. I'm almost scared to see what happens to our chemistry when Pau comes back, and he's our 'Star Player'.
The team has issues -- We went into the fourth against Indiana up by 20... and jacked around enough to let them make a game of it. BUT, beating Dallas handily in Dallas boosted everyone's confidence.
Meanwhile, I'm fairly amused by the frequent shots of Pau Gasol looking rather irritable sitting on the bench.