Post by Los Angeles on Feb 4, 2014 19:52:47 GMT -6
Question 1: What team had the best offseason? The worst?
Question 2: We have seen the best players ranked before, what are your top three trios in the league?
Question 3: What are your MVP and Rookie of the Year predictions?
Question 4: Who is a player that has exceeded your expectations? Someone you may have written off a couple years ago who is still contributing or a prospect you did not believe in who has grown.
Question 5: What is the most interesting storyline for the upcoming season?
Question 6: We are now 5 seasons into the league. Who is your all league 1st team from the first half decade? Please use traditional C-PF-SF-SG-PG format
Bonus Question: What is one suggestion you have for the league as a new rule or possibly a rule change that you feel would best help the league
FINAL TALLY:
So there you have it. After all the waiting there are now CO-Roundtable champions in the New York Knicks and your reigning champion ALBA Berlin. Congrats to all those that participated and good luck next time.
SYDNEY: Well, as much as I don’t like to toot my own horn, I think myself (Sydney) had potentially the best off-season even though we still have a long road towards a championship. I turned the #10, 20,21,22 picks in addition to the Beijing 2020 1st into Earl Manigault, Bailey Howell, Otto Moore & Bohdan Liszkso and #18 pick. I believe I extracted significant value from these picks, and with Beijing still being 2 seasons away, getting these players now to augment JoJo, Gilmore & Ivan, was critical in setting my team up. If I am unable to select myself, I would have to go with ALBA as he pretty much remade his entire championship team into one I feel is potentially even better. He was able to add Mescherry, Rodgers & Johnston to a resigned Imhoff and Sandro and it looks like he’s the hands down favorite to repeat.
BERLIN: It's hard to find a team that had a better offseason than the Sydney Kings. They took a lotto roster from last season with a couple young pieces and turned it into a potential 50+ win franchise through shrewd trading alone. They took advantage of Beijing, stealing all of their young talent (Dave Bing, Bob Dandridge, Otto Moore) for Beijing's own future 1st and a late 1st in this year's draft. Then they turned around a dealt Dandridge to Athens for Bailey Howell, arguably one of the top 5 SF in the league. Finally, they flipped Bing and a pick swap to nab Earl Manigault from the Seattle Sonics. Does all this talent amount to a title contender? I'm not sure...it's hard to tell how some of these pieces will fit together. But one thing is for sure...no one cleaned up (at other team's expenses) like Sydney did.
The worst offseason is a much shorter answer. Tel Aviv had three major player hit the free agent market in Dave DeBusschere, Tom Meschery and Vladimir Pistelak and managed to bring back none of them. Zero. Even if you have no intention of keeping these guys, you have to resign them and try to deal them rather than letting them go for nothing. Now Tel Aviv is forced to rebuild from scratch when they could have had three extremely tradable assets to use.
KK PARTIZAN: Best Off-Season to me goes to Buenos Aires. After trotting out a bigger and slow front line last year, they were able to flip Groza for a nice young wing in Petrie to start a transition. With key free agent Don Sunderlage a must have, he wasted no time in signing him back. However, before using up the cap… the Free Agent god’s allowed him to sign Max Zaslofsky to give him a legit starting SG and allowing Petrie to back-up the wings. Certainly in a better position to make a substantial run in the playoffs this year.
Worst Off-Season could belong to Tel Aviv but they planned on tearing it down so it wasn’t as big of a loss. However, one team lost talent and is without their first and that’s the Chicago Bulls. Not bringing back Max and making a trade of Neil to get younger isn’t going to look great this year. Older players like Mikan seem to have dropped off more than they are ready to make up for. On top of that, Milan (whose 1st Chicago owns) seems to have improved for the first off-season in ages.
With this being said, titles aren’t won in the off-season as much as managing throughout the year. I expect Chicago and maybe even B.A. to make some changes throughout the year when need be.
NEW YORK: My personal favorite Off-Season was the Toronto Huskies, who I feel took a bottom feeding team and made them a clear cut playoff team. Did they build a championship contender, maybe not but I feel they now have a team that could contend for their division, and once you get that, anything can happen. They came into the off-season with Geoff Petrie and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and a bunch of cap space. They turned Geoff Petrie and some of that cap space into Alex Groza and Jack McMahon via trade, then they went out and acquired one of the best defenders in the league in Terry Dischinger along with Vladimir Pistelak who I think is an underrated acquisition. They also brought in Harry Gallatin and Bob Jake who were two key pieces to the 7-8 man rotation that the Spurs ran last year. I think that is a quality off-season and will result in Kareem Abdul Jabbar getting his first taste of the post season. The worst off-season? I think plenty will agree with me when I say Maccabi had a terrible off-season, they lost 3 quality players for nothing. You don't go into a rebuild with absolutely nothing if you have a chance to acquire some assets first. If they didn't want to max Dave DeBusschere, Vladimir P, or Tom Meschery then they should have traded them in-season to get at least some type of asset. I wish them luck in their rebuild but this was a brutal off-season for them.
BUENOS AIRES: There are a few teams that had great additions that surpass the deduction of players and picks this offseason, but I think the Sydney Kings were the only that didnt give up anyone of value player wise
and time will tell where the traded picks will land, but they got 2.5 legit starters in Manigault, Howell, and Moore, pending on who they play at PF, Moore or Ivan.Just magnificent.
Right behind them Id rate the Toronto Huskies who played their hand great in FA, and landed Dishinger and Pistelak, along with Mcmahon and Groza via trades and now they have a legit SL around KAJ.
Berlin and MC also did a splendid job of adding to their rosters, but the overhaul was major, lots of starters coming in and out, so we have yet to see how will the new groups mesh together.
As for the offseason disappointments, noone can top the Maccabi Tel Aviv. I know its a common answer, but when u lose 3 of your starters in FA, all of which u allegedlly wanted to keep, its a major major setback for this franchise. I truly do hope they can bounce back soon, since they have all of their picks.
PHILLY: Best offseason- Toronto.
I love what this team did. This team went from having KAJ to having a shot at the title with KAJ. They first traded for Alex Groza to help KAJ in the post and be his second banana. Then with his cap space he signed a lockdown SF that can score efficiently and shoot in Terry Dischinger, and a scoring SG that creates his own shot in Vladimir Pistelak. Then he wisely traded the young, future wing defender Robert Mifka for a passing point to get his scorers the ball. For depth he traded Tom Gola, who could have backed up the 3/4, for two very good role players in Gallatin who can give KAJ and Groza a break with the battling for rebounds and an undersized combo guard in Bob Jake who can create his own shot and defend off the bench.
Worst offseason- Beijing Aoshen.
They went from having a decent young team with room to grow into a 3-4 year tank playing the odds on the magic/bird draft. First, they moved an athletic, YOUNG, scoring small forward; a YOUNG, shotblocking big man; and a decent point guard for the 22nd pick in the draft and their pick back. This deal I understand because they wanted to go rebuild. Second, they traded Zubkov (I love him as a sixth man who can play some 2/3) for a second and a late first guy that will most likely never sniff minutes on a good team. Third, he trades likszo and hitch, two decent bench players for the #20 pick, and two expirings. This deal wasn't half bad. Finally, they give up a YOUNG, lockdown combo guard and a young 4th big man for a versatile young big (keeping otto Moore would have been better), an expiring small forward, and a future late first
ANALYSIS: Clearly many teams were not happy with the direction that Tel Aviv took this offseason, underbidding on his own FAs so a mention of them was imperative. Sydney only answered half the question so he finishes last for this one, followed by Philly who failed to even mention Tel Aviv as a contender for worst offseason. I don’t believe Buenos Aires had as good of an offseason as the other teams mentioned so this brings KK in 4th. To us, the Kings had the best offseason in the league so the Knicks drop to 3 for that. Berlin brought up the actual moves made instead of just the guys that Sydney got in the deals so I give them the slight edge over BA on this question.
Berlin 6; BA 5; NYK 4; KK 3; Philly 2; Sydney 1
BERLIN: It's hard to find a team that had a better offseason than the Sydney Kings. They took a lotto roster from last season with a couple young pieces and turned it into a potential 50+ win franchise through shrewd trading alone. They took advantage of Beijing, stealing all of their young talent (Dave Bing, Bob Dandridge, Otto Moore) for Beijing's own future 1st and a late 1st in this year's draft. Then they turned around a dealt Dandridge to Athens for Bailey Howell, arguably one of the top 5 SF in the league. Finally, they flipped Bing and a pick swap to nab Earl Manigault from the Seattle Sonics. Does all this talent amount to a title contender? I'm not sure...it's hard to tell how some of these pieces will fit together. But one thing is for sure...no one cleaned up (at other team's expenses) like Sydney did.
The worst offseason is a much shorter answer. Tel Aviv had three major player hit the free agent market in Dave DeBusschere, Tom Meschery and Vladimir Pistelak and managed to bring back none of them. Zero. Even if you have no intention of keeping these guys, you have to resign them and try to deal them rather than letting them go for nothing. Now Tel Aviv is forced to rebuild from scratch when they could have had three extremely tradable assets to use.
KK PARTIZAN: Best Off-Season to me goes to Buenos Aires. After trotting out a bigger and slow front line last year, they were able to flip Groza for a nice young wing in Petrie to start a transition. With key free agent Don Sunderlage a must have, he wasted no time in signing him back. However, before using up the cap… the Free Agent god’s allowed him to sign Max Zaslofsky to give him a legit starting SG and allowing Petrie to back-up the wings. Certainly in a better position to make a substantial run in the playoffs this year.
Worst Off-Season could belong to Tel Aviv but they planned on tearing it down so it wasn’t as big of a loss. However, one team lost talent and is without their first and that’s the Chicago Bulls. Not bringing back Max and making a trade of Neil to get younger isn’t going to look great this year. Older players like Mikan seem to have dropped off more than they are ready to make up for. On top of that, Milan (whose 1st Chicago owns) seems to have improved for the first off-season in ages.
With this being said, titles aren’t won in the off-season as much as managing throughout the year. I expect Chicago and maybe even B.A. to make some changes throughout the year when need be.
NEW YORK: My personal favorite Off-Season was the Toronto Huskies, who I feel took a bottom feeding team and made them a clear cut playoff team. Did they build a championship contender, maybe not but I feel they now have a team that could contend for their division, and once you get that, anything can happen. They came into the off-season with Geoff Petrie and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and a bunch of cap space. They turned Geoff Petrie and some of that cap space into Alex Groza and Jack McMahon via trade, then they went out and acquired one of the best defenders in the league in Terry Dischinger along with Vladimir Pistelak who I think is an underrated acquisition. They also brought in Harry Gallatin and Bob Jake who were two key pieces to the 7-8 man rotation that the Spurs ran last year. I think that is a quality off-season and will result in Kareem Abdul Jabbar getting his first taste of the post season. The worst off-season? I think plenty will agree with me when I say Maccabi had a terrible off-season, they lost 3 quality players for nothing. You don't go into a rebuild with absolutely nothing if you have a chance to acquire some assets first. If they didn't want to max Dave DeBusschere, Vladimir P, or Tom Meschery then they should have traded them in-season to get at least some type of asset. I wish them luck in their rebuild but this was a brutal off-season for them.
BUENOS AIRES: There are a few teams that had great additions that surpass the deduction of players and picks this offseason, but I think the Sydney Kings were the only that didnt give up anyone of value player wise
and time will tell where the traded picks will land, but they got 2.5 legit starters in Manigault, Howell, and Moore, pending on who they play at PF, Moore or Ivan.Just magnificent.
Right behind them Id rate the Toronto Huskies who played their hand great in FA, and landed Dishinger and Pistelak, along with Mcmahon and Groza via trades and now they have a legit SL around KAJ.
Berlin and MC also did a splendid job of adding to their rosters, but the overhaul was major, lots of starters coming in and out, so we have yet to see how will the new groups mesh together.
As for the offseason disappointments, noone can top the Maccabi Tel Aviv. I know its a common answer, but when u lose 3 of your starters in FA, all of which u allegedlly wanted to keep, its a major major setback for this franchise. I truly do hope they can bounce back soon, since they have all of their picks.
PHILLY: Best offseason- Toronto.
I love what this team did. This team went from having KAJ to having a shot at the title with KAJ. They first traded for Alex Groza to help KAJ in the post and be his second banana. Then with his cap space he signed a lockdown SF that can score efficiently and shoot in Terry Dischinger, and a scoring SG that creates his own shot in Vladimir Pistelak. Then he wisely traded the young, future wing defender Robert Mifka for a passing point to get his scorers the ball. For depth he traded Tom Gola, who could have backed up the 3/4, for two very good role players in Gallatin who can give KAJ and Groza a break with the battling for rebounds and an undersized combo guard in Bob Jake who can create his own shot and defend off the bench.
Worst offseason- Beijing Aoshen.
They went from having a decent young team with room to grow into a 3-4 year tank playing the odds on the magic/bird draft. First, they moved an athletic, YOUNG, scoring small forward; a YOUNG, shotblocking big man; and a decent point guard for the 22nd pick in the draft and their pick back. This deal I understand because they wanted to go rebuild. Second, they traded Zubkov (I love him as a sixth man who can play some 2/3) for a second and a late first guy that will most likely never sniff minutes on a good team. Third, he trades likszo and hitch, two decent bench players for the #20 pick, and two expirings. This deal wasn't half bad. Finally, they give up a YOUNG, lockdown combo guard and a young 4th big man for a versatile young big (keeping otto Moore would have been better), an expiring small forward, and a future late first
ANALYSIS: Clearly many teams were not happy with the direction that Tel Aviv took this offseason, underbidding on his own FAs so a mention of them was imperative. Sydney only answered half the question so he finishes last for this one, followed by Philly who failed to even mention Tel Aviv as a contender for worst offseason. I don’t believe Buenos Aires had as good of an offseason as the other teams mentioned so this brings KK in 4th. To us, the Kings had the best offseason in the league so the Knicks drop to 3 for that. Berlin brought up the actual moves made instead of just the guys that Sydney got in the deals so I give them the slight edge over BA on this question.
Berlin 6; BA 5; NYK 4; KK 3; Philly 2; Sydney 1
Question 2: We have seen the best players ranked before, what are your top three trios in the league?
SYDNEY: This is a very tough question but since we’re just evaluating trios and not entire teams, it gives me an easier distinction of who is the best. To come to my answer, I weighed a multitude of different factors such as age, performance, contract and potnetial. With that being said, #1 for me is ALBA. There has never been a better front court in the league than this one of Imhoff/Johnston/Mescherry. No discredit to London and his Wilt/Hayes/Green last season, but this trio right here is going to be deadly both offensively and defensively. The next best trio wasn’t as easy to select but I will have to say Detroit Pistons with Oscar/Stokes/Boozer. These three players have carried this team for multiple years, even with a limited supporting cast. Oscar is still developing and Stokes is in his prime and unfortunately Bob just gets no love. With him being a pending FA, this may be the last season we see this trio in action. Last but certainly not least, the trio in San Antonio is just too tantalizing to not put here. Cosic/Hondo/West is a great mix of youth, potential and current ability as we all witnessed last year when they helped lead SA to 1 win away from an ABCA championship. In a season or two, I can see London/Boston/Sydney/Franca/MC jumping into this discussion.
BERLIN: This one was tough, since I think two of the best trios in the league weren't even in existence when the season ended. With that being said, with no games played together, it's hard to guarantee if either squad will mesh well. So, I'll start with a "Potentially Explosive Combo of Honorable Mentions":
Berlin - Darrell Imhoff, Neil Johnston, and Tom Meschery
This trio might be the most explosive trio of inside scoring threats in the league coming into the year, as Berlin completely revamped its roster after their title run last season. The only team with a trio of players with a career PER over 20, Berlin will be making waves this season in their repeat bid. Still, since they haven't played a single game together yet, it's hard to put them ahead of trios that have already established essential team chemistry.
Sydney - Artis Gilmore, Bailey Howell, Earl Manigault
Another impressive trio that was born this offseason, Sydney's PG/SF/C combination can score from anywhere. It will be interesting to see what this team can do with some of the highest expectations in the league. Again, lack of any experience playing together kept this team from cracking the top three.
3. Spurs - Kresimir Cosic, Jerry West, John Havlicek
The Spurs were a game away from winning it all last season, and this trio is the key to their success towards going over that hump moving forward. Cosic controls things in the paint, while Hondo and West rule the backcourt. Oh, and the scary part? The average age of the three is only 24 years old.
2. Boca Juniors BC - Don Sunderlage, Rick Barry, Tom Heinsohn
Sunderlage is arguably the best PG in the league right now (no offense to Bob Cousy), and when combined with Rick Barry and Tom Heinsohn, you have the nucleus of one of the most exciting teams in the Americas. Heinsohn's numbers should only get better without Groza around, and Barry has gotten better every year he's in the league.
1. Detroit - Oscar Robertson, Maurice Stokes, Bob Boozer
The top trio in the league, this is what you get when you have a threesome including two 25 year olds that has already got 4 years of experience together under their belt. Detroit is a perennial contender because of these three talents, and only needs to find the right complimentary pieces to surround them with to finally grab that first elusive title.
KK PARTIZAN: We have seen the best players ranked before, what are your top three trios in the league?
3rd best trio belongs to KK Partizan. Not often does a team sport three players who can score 20+ points per game and bring defense. With the best SF in the league Elgin Baylor leading the way, young C Bob Lanier and in his prime shooter Jiri Zidek make up a very formidable trio.
2nd best trio in the league is in Detroit. Led by Superstar SG Oscar Robertson, this trio is as good defensively as you can ask for. Bigs Bob Boozer and Maurice Stokes are as talented defensively as any front line and still provide plenty of scoring to compliment one of the best players in the league.
My favorite trio in the league resides in San Antonio. Jerry West is likely poised to take over the title of the best PG in the league while Kresimir Cosic has an extremely well rounded game as a big Power Forward. John Havlicek provides elite level play on both sides of the court. The biggest stand out with this group to me is the versatility and youth they possess.
NEW YORK: Hmm I had to give this one some thought. First up I'd have to go with Earl Monroe - Connie Hawkins - Clyde Lovellette as my third favorite trio in the league. All three are big time defenders and scorers, all 3 are pretty young, and I think Earl Monroe is a bonafide superstar. Clyde was injured last year but I'd take this trio to start a team over most of the other trios in the league. Second Up is the floor spacing trio of Rick Barry, Max Z and Don Sunderlage. All 3 are wing players that do two of the most important things that a wing player can do, hit the 3 and d up. I feel Barry and Don are two players that you could go solo and have a team built around just them, and I feel in his prime Max Z had the same amount of talent. My absolute favorite trio in the league right now is the Berlin ALBA trio of Neil Johnston - Darrall Imhoff - Tom Meschery. This trio is just beastly to look at. You have two finals MVPS in Neil Johnston and Darrall Imhoff, who can both take over a game on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. Then you have one of the league's top scorers in Tom Meschery who is coming off of a 22.5 PPG - 8.0 RPG - 1.3 SPG - 1.1 BPG, while shooting 49% from the field season. This trio with defenders like Guy Rodgers and Sandro in the backcourt will put up big numbers this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see this trio average 68+ PPG between them.
BUENOS AIRES: Before I started writing this, I had them in the third position, since they have yet to play a minute on the court together, but after adding up the stats, I had to put them in the first place. The Berlin Alba frontcourt trio averaged 67 points, 26.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.8 steals and and 6.2 blocks combined on three different teams. We will see if their play together will cancel some of those stats out, but on paper their frontcourt looks devastating.
Im gonna be a homer and put the Buenos Aires trio of Sunderlage, Barry and Heinsohn trio in the second place. On the last years 60 win Boca team, along with the likes of Groza and Felix, they averaged 58.8 points, 17.8 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 5.6 steals and 1.2 blocks.
They put up a flurry of threes, assists and steals on the board, and we will wee how they will adapt to their new position roles this season, as Barry is going to be moved to SF and Tom to PF.
Third place goes to the last years finalists, San Antonio Spurs, and their trio of West, Havlicek and Cosic. They led the Spurs to a surprising finals berth while averaging 57.2 points, 21.6 rebounds, 12 assists, 3.5 steals, and 2 blocks. They are the youngest trio of these three and they have the most room to grow and improve in the future.
Honorable mention includes Detroit with their Oscar/Stokes/Boozer trio, but with the regression of Stokes and mainly Boozer, they end up 4th. Mahram also has the pieces to form a dangerous trio, but the fact is that they have a true legit starting lineup and not exactly a true trio.
PHILLY: 1- Boca Juniors perimeter trio= Sunderlage, Max Z, and Rick Barry.
These three will carry this team to being a championship contender as long as they are together and don't age too badly. I struggled between Barry and Felix for the last spot in the big three. Each are core parts to this team but the perimeter sounds better. I don't see a more ready group to compete than these three/four. NEXT!!!
2- Huskies front court trio= KAJ, Alex Groza, Terry Dischinger
These three guy compleat each other very well. Kareem can dominate from the low or high post. Groza is mainly a low post guy that can battle for rebounds while Kareem is fading away from the goal. Terry Dischinger is a lock down defender that can space the floor for the bigs to operate down low. These three will carry Toronto's scoring load with a little help from Pistelak. Pistelak wasn't over Dischinger as he isn't as proven as Dischinger. NEXT!!!
3- Pistons Big three= Oscar, Mo Stokes, Bob Boozer
This last spot was a battle between Berlin and Detroit. I decided on Detroit as Oscar is Oscar. Oscar can carry the majority of the scoring load by himself. Him having Stokes lets him be a playmaker as well. Boozer made it over Arvo as he is the defensive anchor and has to do a lot of dirty work. These three guys will carry the Postons to a top seed come playoff time. NEXT!!! Oh wait...... I'm done.
ANALYSIS: I understand that they have yet to play a minute together, but it is unfathomable to me that 2 teams failed to even mention Berlin’s trio of Meschery, Johnston and Imhoff. Led by 2 finals MVPs and a third max player, they had to be on the list. Berlin is fourth for having them only as an honorable mention and while I understand his reasoning, his trio is too good and experienced in my eyes to not make the three even if they have no experience together. So KK and Philly finished at the bottom. Big men win championships, this is why I was shocked that someone would list BA’s three perimeter players, let alone the fact that two people did it. This got the Knicks dropped down to 3 even though I did like their inclusion of Tehran’s trio as I think people overlook them. Sydney was the only team to pick the three teams that I wrote down beforehand as having the best trios so this won him the question.
Sydney 6; BA 5; NYK 4; Berlin 3; KK 2; Philly 1
BERLIN: This one was tough, since I think two of the best trios in the league weren't even in existence when the season ended. With that being said, with no games played together, it's hard to guarantee if either squad will mesh well. So, I'll start with a "Potentially Explosive Combo of Honorable Mentions":
Berlin - Darrell Imhoff, Neil Johnston, and Tom Meschery
This trio might be the most explosive trio of inside scoring threats in the league coming into the year, as Berlin completely revamped its roster after their title run last season. The only team with a trio of players with a career PER over 20, Berlin will be making waves this season in their repeat bid. Still, since they haven't played a single game together yet, it's hard to put them ahead of trios that have already established essential team chemistry.
Sydney - Artis Gilmore, Bailey Howell, Earl Manigault
Another impressive trio that was born this offseason, Sydney's PG/SF/C combination can score from anywhere. It will be interesting to see what this team can do with some of the highest expectations in the league. Again, lack of any experience playing together kept this team from cracking the top three.
3. Spurs - Kresimir Cosic, Jerry West, John Havlicek
The Spurs were a game away from winning it all last season, and this trio is the key to their success towards going over that hump moving forward. Cosic controls things in the paint, while Hondo and West rule the backcourt. Oh, and the scary part? The average age of the three is only 24 years old.
2. Boca Juniors BC - Don Sunderlage, Rick Barry, Tom Heinsohn
Sunderlage is arguably the best PG in the league right now (no offense to Bob Cousy), and when combined with Rick Barry and Tom Heinsohn, you have the nucleus of one of the most exciting teams in the Americas. Heinsohn's numbers should only get better without Groza around, and Barry has gotten better every year he's in the league.
1. Detroit - Oscar Robertson, Maurice Stokes, Bob Boozer
The top trio in the league, this is what you get when you have a threesome including two 25 year olds that has already got 4 years of experience together under their belt. Detroit is a perennial contender because of these three talents, and only needs to find the right complimentary pieces to surround them with to finally grab that first elusive title.
KK PARTIZAN: We have seen the best players ranked before, what are your top three trios in the league?
3rd best trio belongs to KK Partizan. Not often does a team sport three players who can score 20+ points per game and bring defense. With the best SF in the league Elgin Baylor leading the way, young C Bob Lanier and in his prime shooter Jiri Zidek make up a very formidable trio.
2nd best trio in the league is in Detroit. Led by Superstar SG Oscar Robertson, this trio is as good defensively as you can ask for. Bigs Bob Boozer and Maurice Stokes are as talented defensively as any front line and still provide plenty of scoring to compliment one of the best players in the league.
My favorite trio in the league resides in San Antonio. Jerry West is likely poised to take over the title of the best PG in the league while Kresimir Cosic has an extremely well rounded game as a big Power Forward. John Havlicek provides elite level play on both sides of the court. The biggest stand out with this group to me is the versatility and youth they possess.
NEW YORK: Hmm I had to give this one some thought. First up I'd have to go with Earl Monroe - Connie Hawkins - Clyde Lovellette as my third favorite trio in the league. All three are big time defenders and scorers, all 3 are pretty young, and I think Earl Monroe is a bonafide superstar. Clyde was injured last year but I'd take this trio to start a team over most of the other trios in the league. Second Up is the floor spacing trio of Rick Barry, Max Z and Don Sunderlage. All 3 are wing players that do two of the most important things that a wing player can do, hit the 3 and d up. I feel Barry and Don are two players that you could go solo and have a team built around just them, and I feel in his prime Max Z had the same amount of talent. My absolute favorite trio in the league right now is the Berlin ALBA trio of Neil Johnston - Darrall Imhoff - Tom Meschery. This trio is just beastly to look at. You have two finals MVPS in Neil Johnston and Darrall Imhoff, who can both take over a game on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. Then you have one of the league's top scorers in Tom Meschery who is coming off of a 22.5 PPG - 8.0 RPG - 1.3 SPG - 1.1 BPG, while shooting 49% from the field season. This trio with defenders like Guy Rodgers and Sandro in the backcourt will put up big numbers this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see this trio average 68+ PPG between them.
BUENOS AIRES: Before I started writing this, I had them in the third position, since they have yet to play a minute on the court together, but after adding up the stats, I had to put them in the first place. The Berlin Alba frontcourt trio averaged 67 points, 26.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.8 steals and and 6.2 blocks combined on three different teams. We will see if their play together will cancel some of those stats out, but on paper their frontcourt looks devastating.
Im gonna be a homer and put the Buenos Aires trio of Sunderlage, Barry and Heinsohn trio in the second place. On the last years 60 win Boca team, along with the likes of Groza and Felix, they averaged 58.8 points, 17.8 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 5.6 steals and 1.2 blocks.
They put up a flurry of threes, assists and steals on the board, and we will wee how they will adapt to their new position roles this season, as Barry is going to be moved to SF and Tom to PF.
Third place goes to the last years finalists, San Antonio Spurs, and their trio of West, Havlicek and Cosic. They led the Spurs to a surprising finals berth while averaging 57.2 points, 21.6 rebounds, 12 assists, 3.5 steals, and 2 blocks. They are the youngest trio of these three and they have the most room to grow and improve in the future.
Honorable mention includes Detroit with their Oscar/Stokes/Boozer trio, but with the regression of Stokes and mainly Boozer, they end up 4th. Mahram also has the pieces to form a dangerous trio, but the fact is that they have a true legit starting lineup and not exactly a true trio.
PHILLY: 1- Boca Juniors perimeter trio= Sunderlage, Max Z, and Rick Barry.
These three will carry this team to being a championship contender as long as they are together and don't age too badly. I struggled between Barry and Felix for the last spot in the big three. Each are core parts to this team but the perimeter sounds better. I don't see a more ready group to compete than these three/four. NEXT!!!
2- Huskies front court trio= KAJ, Alex Groza, Terry Dischinger
These three guy compleat each other very well. Kareem can dominate from the low or high post. Groza is mainly a low post guy that can battle for rebounds while Kareem is fading away from the goal. Terry Dischinger is a lock down defender that can space the floor for the bigs to operate down low. These three will carry Toronto's scoring load with a little help from Pistelak. Pistelak wasn't over Dischinger as he isn't as proven as Dischinger. NEXT!!!
3- Pistons Big three= Oscar, Mo Stokes, Bob Boozer
This last spot was a battle between Berlin and Detroit. I decided on Detroit as Oscar is Oscar. Oscar can carry the majority of the scoring load by himself. Him having Stokes lets him be a playmaker as well. Boozer made it over Arvo as he is the defensive anchor and has to do a lot of dirty work. These three guys will carry the Postons to a top seed come playoff time. NEXT!!! Oh wait...... I'm done.
ANALYSIS: I understand that they have yet to play a minute together, but it is unfathomable to me that 2 teams failed to even mention Berlin’s trio of Meschery, Johnston and Imhoff. Led by 2 finals MVPs and a third max player, they had to be on the list. Berlin is fourth for having them only as an honorable mention and while I understand his reasoning, his trio is too good and experienced in my eyes to not make the three even if they have no experience together. So KK and Philly finished at the bottom. Big men win championships, this is why I was shocked that someone would list BA’s three perimeter players, let alone the fact that two people did it. This got the Knicks dropped down to 3 even though I did like their inclusion of Tehran’s trio as I think people overlook them. Sydney was the only team to pick the three teams that I wrote down beforehand as having the best trios so this won him the question.
Sydney 6; BA 5; NYK 4; Berlin 3; KK 2; Philly 1
Question 3: What are your MVP and Rookie of the Year predictions?
SYDNEY: Honestly, there is so much uncertainty right now on where teams stand that picking an MVP is like finding a needle in the haystack. We have some stacked teams with all-stars at every position in ALBA/BA that I think hurts one of their players from garnering MVP attention. Therefore, I’m going to choose a player I think will be critical in carrying their team to the playoffs and that is Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He actually has some teammates that are capable of making a shot and if his rookie campaign is any indication of what to expect as a sophomore with a decent supporting cast, we should all be on watch. As KAJ goes, so does Toronto and I think he will lift them into the top tier in America and take home the first of many MVPs. As for rookie of the year, it’s difficult to say since we have yet to partake in training camp and these guys have yet to get acclimated to their respective teams. I think Dr. J will be a stud but he has a decent supporting cast and probably will defer to Hayes in the pecking order. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Moses Malone because Athens has no other big men to speak of and Moses will definitely be one of their options. He is young and a little raw but so was Lanier and Moses is a lot more skilled and athletic. I can see Moses averaging 20/10 as a rookie and that’s why I think he’ll be ROY.
BERLIN: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should have won the MVP last year...he was ROY, had superior stats to Wilt and beat Wilt for First Team All-NBA honors. Only being on a crappy team held him back from his rightly honors. This year, the Huskies look to be in the hunt to at least compete for a playoff position, while Wilt has been shipped to LA, where he will be lucky to find the playoffs on TV from his couch at home. This is KAJ's year to shine.
The ROY is a little harder to predict, as Dr. J will likely see some of his shots taken away being in a loaded London lineup. Walton will likely see unlimited looks in Harlem on a squad that could compete for the worst record in league history, but my pick will be Moses Malone coming out of Athens. He has a decent supporting cast, but it isn't so overwhelming that he won't be the primary guy most of the time. He will likely put up Lanier/Gilmore-type numbers from last season.
KK PARTIZAN: I think this is the year we see a different position win the MVP award. Oscar Robertson looks absolutely unstoppable. He could near one of those insane 28-7-7 type seasons if given the opportunity for the Pistons. I am not sure they’ll focus in on one player that much but I look for him to be dominant. Full disclosure, I don’t expect LA to win enough games for Wilt to win the award.
The Rookie of the Year Award will likely go to Bill Walton simply because of the lack of talent around him. He will put up some absurd numbers with Harlem running things through him. McAdoo, Moses, and Dr. J are also in the running but I suspect they won’t get enough touches with the players around them.
NEW YORK: I mean it's clear that JPS will be Rookie of the Year and Dan Issel will be MVP and Most Improved Player, but if we are talking 2nd place then that's where it gets a little harder. But seriously, I feel the MVP will have to come from a team that is competitive as well as put up big numbers. If Wilt was still in London, I wouldn't be surprised to see him 3-Peat, but in LA where he'll put up big numbers but maybe not win as many games, I think he'll have a hard time grabbing the trophy again. I actually see him being surpassed by former teammate Elvin Hayes this year, as we saw Elvin put up some pretty monstrous numbers in 31 MPG last season, now he has the franchise in his hands and I expect to see a minutes increase for him and his production to rise in his 3rd year. Plus we all know London will be a competitive team once again so I have Elvin as my favorite. Guys like Wilt, Elgin Baylor, and Oscar Robertson could play spoiler though depending on if they can move higher in the rankings than some are expecting.
My rookie of the year is a bit harder to predict because you are trying to guess the unknown. But I expect a guy like Bill Walton who will basically be carrying a team of has-been's and never will be's throughout the year, to snatch up the award. I expect him to be big on the offense and defensive end of the floor. Honestly I could see any of the top 5 who will all get big minutes, winning this one. Really a solid draft class at the top.
BUENOS AIRES: History has shown us that big men produce the best numbers and take away all the major awards. Oscar Robertson might be able to creep in, but I think it will again come down to Wilt, KAJ and Russell. All three of them are undisputed leaders on their teams, and will once again put up top notch stats.
If I had to choose, I will choose Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Toronto has the best team out of those team, and te game values the win loss record. They will push for a mid to high seed in the American conference while the Lakers and Cairo will fight just to make the playoffs. One other important fact is that Kareem is likely to end up in London in midseason for a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bag of Nachos, so ending up on a better team will help his stock even more.
As for the Rookie of the year, all of the top 4 picks, Erving, Moses, Gervin and Walton have a chance, but I think it will come down to the two big men. Offensively and rebounding wise they already look ready to take the burden, and they dont have many other capable partners to take away their stats. Plus, like mentioned before,
the game favors big men from the get go, and big men rookies were able to produce beastly numbers right from the moment they entered the ABCA.
PHILLY: MVP- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
The reign of Kareem begins. He should carry the Huskies to a top 3 seeding and put them in the conference semi finals with that team put around him. (See previous answers if not read through fully) He is way more developed now coming into sophomore season and should out up ridiculous numbers as well. It helps that Wilt will be attempting to carry a very weak team into the playoffs. His only real competition now is Oscar and still Wilt if he puts up some ridiculous stats and claims his place among the greatest ever. But my favorite is Kareem, as he is a guy who gets his and has a strong team around him. The MVP award isn't about who can put up the best stats, it should be about who can put up the best stats, on a winning team.
ROTY- Moses Malone
This race will be a little more even than in previous years. No one was taking the ROTY from Hayes or Kareem. The top five picks of this draft were all guys who will take a few years to be stars in the league. That said, Malone is the best of the lot right now and has the offensive skill set and minutes to put up some good numbers and attempt to put his team in the playoffs as he has some decent talent around him. Dr. J needs another year and so does Ice Man and Walton. I could easily put Dr. J or Ice Man with their elite athleticism, but big men dominate the league, so it is only right a big man gets the award.
ANALYSIS: Sorry KK, but if its not going to be a big man its probably going to be a PG. For a SG to win they would need ridiculous numbers and you even doubted yourself that they would focus on him enough. Buenos Aires never actually mentioned who they liked to win rookie of the year only saying they think it will be Walton or Moses. I think it is shocking that Hayes received such little love based on what he has done as a second fiddle in London. I think without Wilt and with what will probably be a decline in minutes for Kareem that Hayes and KAJ will be neck and neck for the award. Coming into the draft according to my scout (A A-) Walton was actually the more league ready player than Moses and with his lack of help he is my favorite for ROY and that’s why Knicks wins this question. Sydney and ALBA wrote very similar things so they tied for second and Philly was in fourth.
NYK 6; ALBA 5; Sydney 5; Philly 3; BA 2; KK 1
BERLIN: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should have won the MVP last year...he was ROY, had superior stats to Wilt and beat Wilt for First Team All-NBA honors. Only being on a crappy team held him back from his rightly honors. This year, the Huskies look to be in the hunt to at least compete for a playoff position, while Wilt has been shipped to LA, where he will be lucky to find the playoffs on TV from his couch at home. This is KAJ's year to shine.
The ROY is a little harder to predict, as Dr. J will likely see some of his shots taken away being in a loaded London lineup. Walton will likely see unlimited looks in Harlem on a squad that could compete for the worst record in league history, but my pick will be Moses Malone coming out of Athens. He has a decent supporting cast, but it isn't so overwhelming that he won't be the primary guy most of the time. He will likely put up Lanier/Gilmore-type numbers from last season.
KK PARTIZAN: I think this is the year we see a different position win the MVP award. Oscar Robertson looks absolutely unstoppable. He could near one of those insane 28-7-7 type seasons if given the opportunity for the Pistons. I am not sure they’ll focus in on one player that much but I look for him to be dominant. Full disclosure, I don’t expect LA to win enough games for Wilt to win the award.
The Rookie of the Year Award will likely go to Bill Walton simply because of the lack of talent around him. He will put up some absurd numbers with Harlem running things through him. McAdoo, Moses, and Dr. J are also in the running but I suspect they won’t get enough touches with the players around them.
NEW YORK: I mean it's clear that JPS will be Rookie of the Year and Dan Issel will be MVP and Most Improved Player, but if we are talking 2nd place then that's where it gets a little harder. But seriously, I feel the MVP will have to come from a team that is competitive as well as put up big numbers. If Wilt was still in London, I wouldn't be surprised to see him 3-Peat, but in LA where he'll put up big numbers but maybe not win as many games, I think he'll have a hard time grabbing the trophy again. I actually see him being surpassed by former teammate Elvin Hayes this year, as we saw Elvin put up some pretty monstrous numbers in 31 MPG last season, now he has the franchise in his hands and I expect to see a minutes increase for him and his production to rise in his 3rd year. Plus we all know London will be a competitive team once again so I have Elvin as my favorite. Guys like Wilt, Elgin Baylor, and Oscar Robertson could play spoiler though depending on if they can move higher in the rankings than some are expecting.
My rookie of the year is a bit harder to predict because you are trying to guess the unknown. But I expect a guy like Bill Walton who will basically be carrying a team of has-been's and never will be's throughout the year, to snatch up the award. I expect him to be big on the offense and defensive end of the floor. Honestly I could see any of the top 5 who will all get big minutes, winning this one. Really a solid draft class at the top.
BUENOS AIRES: History has shown us that big men produce the best numbers and take away all the major awards. Oscar Robertson might be able to creep in, but I think it will again come down to Wilt, KAJ and Russell. All three of them are undisputed leaders on their teams, and will once again put up top notch stats.
If I had to choose, I will choose Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Toronto has the best team out of those team, and te game values the win loss record. They will push for a mid to high seed in the American conference while the Lakers and Cairo will fight just to make the playoffs. One other important fact is that Kareem is likely to end up in London in midseason for a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bag of Nachos, so ending up on a better team will help his stock even more.
As for the Rookie of the year, all of the top 4 picks, Erving, Moses, Gervin and Walton have a chance, but I think it will come down to the two big men. Offensively and rebounding wise they already look ready to take the burden, and they dont have many other capable partners to take away their stats. Plus, like mentioned before,
the game favors big men from the get go, and big men rookies were able to produce beastly numbers right from the moment they entered the ABCA.
PHILLY: MVP- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
The reign of Kareem begins. He should carry the Huskies to a top 3 seeding and put them in the conference semi finals with that team put around him. (See previous answers if not read through fully) He is way more developed now coming into sophomore season and should out up ridiculous numbers as well. It helps that Wilt will be attempting to carry a very weak team into the playoffs. His only real competition now is Oscar and still Wilt if he puts up some ridiculous stats and claims his place among the greatest ever. But my favorite is Kareem, as he is a guy who gets his and has a strong team around him. The MVP award isn't about who can put up the best stats, it should be about who can put up the best stats, on a winning team.
ROTY- Moses Malone
This race will be a little more even than in previous years. No one was taking the ROTY from Hayes or Kareem. The top five picks of this draft were all guys who will take a few years to be stars in the league. That said, Malone is the best of the lot right now and has the offensive skill set and minutes to put up some good numbers and attempt to put his team in the playoffs as he has some decent talent around him. Dr. J needs another year and so does Ice Man and Walton. I could easily put Dr. J or Ice Man with their elite athleticism, but big men dominate the league, so it is only right a big man gets the award.
ANALYSIS: Sorry KK, but if its not going to be a big man its probably going to be a PG. For a SG to win they would need ridiculous numbers and you even doubted yourself that they would focus on him enough. Buenos Aires never actually mentioned who they liked to win rookie of the year only saying they think it will be Walton or Moses. I think it is shocking that Hayes received such little love based on what he has done as a second fiddle in London. I think without Wilt and with what will probably be a decline in minutes for Kareem that Hayes and KAJ will be neck and neck for the award. Coming into the draft according to my scout (A A-) Walton was actually the more league ready player than Moses and with his lack of help he is my favorite for ROY and that’s why Knicks wins this question. Sydney and ALBA wrote very similar things so they tied for second and Philly was in fourth.
NYK 6; ALBA 5; Sydney 5; Philly 3; BA 2; KK 1
Question 4: Who is a player that has exceeded your expectations? Someone you may have written off a couple years ago who is still contributing or a prospect you did not believe in who has grown.
SYDNEY: Tom Mescherry. I honestly had no idea who this guy was until last season when I was prepping for potential FA and came across this stud. Drafted 20th overall and playing in the barely talked about Tel Aviv, Mescherry has quietly become one of the premier SF in the game. With a career PER of 20.2, he has to be the most successful pick from outside the teens in ABCA Legends draft history. It’s fitting that he received a max contract since it was well deserved and shows that he is no longer underappreciated.
BERLIN: Vladimir Pistelak - This is a guy who was taken in the second round of the creation draft, then did literally nothing for the first three seasons he was in the league. You could argue that in the first season of the league, he was the worst starter on any team out there. This is a guy that five years ago I thought could be a superstar, four years ago thought could be a bust, three years ago KNEW was a bust, two years ago wondered how he got resigned at all, and last year finally started to turn around on him. Last season, after four bad to subpar years, Pistelak finally started to live up to some of his massive potential, scoring over 19 a game with 2.2 spg and earning himself a nice contract in Toronto. Will he ever be the "superstar" he appeared to be in the creation draft? Who knows...but he is finally someone who can be counted on as a #2 option, which is a lot more than most of us expected two or three seasons ago.
KK PARTIZAN: Vladimir Pistelak really sticks out to me. I honestly expected him to drop off once he didn’t develop quickly. However, he has continued to slowly improve and had a heck of a season last year. Still weak in a couple area but he might just provide the value of his contract this time around. A player who may make this list in few years is Tal Brody. 10th overall a few years back and moved around a lot after the contraction draft.
NEW YORK: I still don't feel comfortable answering questions like this since i've been here for only two full seasons. So I can't really say I've went back and forth on many players, that would be extremely fickle to change my opinion on a player between 2 seasons. But one guy who I loved to see bounce back after a lot of criticism last year was Bill Spivey who came in and averaged a double-double after finally getting minutes. Another guy is Ed Macauley who I constantly look at as someone who had a fluke season but then he continues to produce efficiently, despite what his ratings say.
BUENOS AIRES: Kresimir Cosic! My Croation fellow, legend of our basketball history, was all about raw potential the first two seasons. I openly spoke about him as a huge potential guy that never did anything. So what happens? From season three, he has made great strides in all areas of his game, and last season has led his Spurs to a finals berth. He is
not a top 10 league player yet, but has definately exceeded my expectations, because I really thought he was a bust. Hes still ONLY 22 and I hope he can grow some more. Gotta root for a Croatian fellow.
On an semi-related note, I never liked Tal Brody, and didnt think he would amount to a viable starting PG in the ABCA. I was wrong again, as he just had an excellent training camp, and Im eager to see how his new and improved ratings transform into stats, and more importantly, wins.
PHILLY: The most interesting player is Vladimir Pistelak. He has been praised for his potential, written off, and now is looking to be a key contributor on a juggernaut team. Pistelak turned into a very good scoring SG that can handle the ball in a pinch. It will be interesting to see what he does now with how he molds into the team. Will he struggle now with not being the top option or will he strive in that roll? How many times will he be written off? Will he hit his free throws or will he wilt under the pressure in the fourth. This guy is a phenomenon and this might be his make or break year. Good luck Vladimir, we are all watching.
ANALYSIS: I was shocked to see no one mention Dave Debuscherre as he was who I was thinking of when I came up with the question. It was interesting that, with my answer included, all three guys who left Tel Aviv this offseason got mentions. This question really was based more on personal value though so I am giving everyone 1 point for this question as there is no fair way to judge this one. If you had mentioned Debuscherre you would have gotten a bonus point.
Sydney 1; Berlin 1; KK 1; NYK 1; BA 1; Philly 1
BERLIN: Vladimir Pistelak - This is a guy who was taken in the second round of the creation draft, then did literally nothing for the first three seasons he was in the league. You could argue that in the first season of the league, he was the worst starter on any team out there. This is a guy that five years ago I thought could be a superstar, four years ago thought could be a bust, three years ago KNEW was a bust, two years ago wondered how he got resigned at all, and last year finally started to turn around on him. Last season, after four bad to subpar years, Pistelak finally started to live up to some of his massive potential, scoring over 19 a game with 2.2 spg and earning himself a nice contract in Toronto. Will he ever be the "superstar" he appeared to be in the creation draft? Who knows...but he is finally someone who can be counted on as a #2 option, which is a lot more than most of us expected two or three seasons ago.
KK PARTIZAN: Vladimir Pistelak really sticks out to me. I honestly expected him to drop off once he didn’t develop quickly. However, he has continued to slowly improve and had a heck of a season last year. Still weak in a couple area but he might just provide the value of his contract this time around. A player who may make this list in few years is Tal Brody. 10th overall a few years back and moved around a lot after the contraction draft.
NEW YORK: I still don't feel comfortable answering questions like this since i've been here for only two full seasons. So I can't really say I've went back and forth on many players, that would be extremely fickle to change my opinion on a player between 2 seasons. But one guy who I loved to see bounce back after a lot of criticism last year was Bill Spivey who came in and averaged a double-double after finally getting minutes. Another guy is Ed Macauley who I constantly look at as someone who had a fluke season but then he continues to produce efficiently, despite what his ratings say.
BUENOS AIRES: Kresimir Cosic! My Croation fellow, legend of our basketball history, was all about raw potential the first two seasons. I openly spoke about him as a huge potential guy that never did anything. So what happens? From season three, he has made great strides in all areas of his game, and last season has led his Spurs to a finals berth. He is
not a top 10 league player yet, but has definately exceeded my expectations, because I really thought he was a bust. Hes still ONLY 22 and I hope he can grow some more. Gotta root for a Croatian fellow.
On an semi-related note, I never liked Tal Brody, and didnt think he would amount to a viable starting PG in the ABCA. I was wrong again, as he just had an excellent training camp, and Im eager to see how his new and improved ratings transform into stats, and more importantly, wins.
PHILLY: The most interesting player is Vladimir Pistelak. He has been praised for his potential, written off, and now is looking to be a key contributor on a juggernaut team. Pistelak turned into a very good scoring SG that can handle the ball in a pinch. It will be interesting to see what he does now with how he molds into the team. Will he struggle now with not being the top option or will he strive in that roll? How many times will he be written off? Will he hit his free throws or will he wilt under the pressure in the fourth. This guy is a phenomenon and this might be his make or break year. Good luck Vladimir, we are all watching.
ANALYSIS: I was shocked to see no one mention Dave Debuscherre as he was who I was thinking of when I came up with the question. It was interesting that, with my answer included, all three guys who left Tel Aviv this offseason got mentions. This question really was based more on personal value though so I am giving everyone 1 point for this question as there is no fair way to judge this one. If you had mentioned Debuscherre you would have gotten a bonus point.
Sydney 1; Berlin 1; KK 1; NYK 1; BA 1; Philly 1
Question 5: What is the most interesting storyline for the upcoming season?
SYDNEY: Going into every season, the most interesting storyline is who is going to win the championship. There was a ton of movement this off-season in regards to trades, free agency and the expansion draft. A lot of teams have done gotten full makeovers and no one truly knows what is going to happen. It seems everyone’s expectation is that ALBA can and will defend their title but will there new team mesh as well as hoped? Therefore, with so much uncertainty regarding the shakeup of multiple teams, the most interesting storyline is who will be able to dethrone the ALBA of Berlin.
BERLIN: For my money, the most interesting storyline is the parity in the American Conference. BA loses Groza and gains Max Z, Boston loses Baylor and gains Yardley and Gervin, Detroit loses Slater, San Antonio loses Dischinger, Philadelphia loses Arizin, and the Bulls...just are a hot mess. In their wake, Toronto adds a lot of pieces, while Brazil looks ready to roll at the expense of the rebuilding Knicks franchise. There is no clear frontrunner in the Americas, and I think the battle from 1-8 will be something to behold.
KK PARTIZAN: There are a few and I’ll conclude with MY most interesting storyline. Firstly, I am excited to see how these Expansion teams do! Next, I am curious with so many older players seeing the decline, which of these teams that rely on them can still win. In that same breath, some really good teams took a temporary hit for more long term flexibility and wins. Does that affect their chances this year? Lastly, the most interesting storyline(s) of the year belong to teams who battled for ping pong balls last year. Teams such as KK, Sydney, Toronto, and other are remarkably better. Are they good enough to make a legit run is my favorite storyline!
NEW YORK: Man there are so many interesting one, the Knicks without Dolph, KAJ having quality teammates, Wilt in Hollywood, the Post-Neil Era in Chicago, ALBA retooling a championship team. But my absolutely favorite one is KK's journey to the post season. This has constantly been a bottom feeding team, that whenever they did get close, they did something to put them further in the hole. Now under new management and led by Bob Lanier and Elgin Baylor, they look like a legitimate playoff threat. This will really be the start of a new era for Belgrade KK Partizan.
BUENOS AIRES: Hmm. I will disregard the common storylines of who is going to contend, suck, or rebuild on the fly. My mind is set on two storylines.
1. What new gimmick/idea will John set his mind to, and who will be for it and against it, and eagerly bicker in the Skype chat room? Will the league go through another contraction? Another expansion? Division realignment? Will we see a team named by a comic superhero town ( Gotham, Metropolis...) or will we expand to another planet ( a team from Moon or Mars ).
Basically what is going to be the new league changing implementation this season?
2. What will happen with Bill Russell? The guy is a stud, former MVP, that is playong on a crippling aging team that doesnt have a strong shot of winning a title. With a new GM in town, will Bill get tradedand for what? Will the GM stick with him and try to somehow improve that team around Bill? Will he end up in London, MC, or some other place? Whatever happens, that dude deserves to end up in a winning situation.
PHILLY: The most interesting storyline this season should be the London Towers and how will they do with all the depth they have. What if they struggle early on? Will they go to the trade block and bring Wilt back to London yet again?!?!? Or will they wait it out and let their youth develop into the deepest team in the league. What is going to be their starting five this season. Only Hayes truly has a starting spot on this team. Will Wilkens be the point or will Sloan be the point? Will Sloan even start? Or will he start both at the guard spots and bring Siegfried and Slye off the bench. The questions can go on and on. This many options on a team make the London Towers an extremely intriguing and dangerous team.
ANALYSIS: This is completely an opinion question and everyone brought up interesting storylines that Im sure everyone in the league is interested in. So no points are awarded for this question.
BERLIN: For my money, the most interesting storyline is the parity in the American Conference. BA loses Groza and gains Max Z, Boston loses Baylor and gains Yardley and Gervin, Detroit loses Slater, San Antonio loses Dischinger, Philadelphia loses Arizin, and the Bulls...just are a hot mess. In their wake, Toronto adds a lot of pieces, while Brazil looks ready to roll at the expense of the rebuilding Knicks franchise. There is no clear frontrunner in the Americas, and I think the battle from 1-8 will be something to behold.
KK PARTIZAN: There are a few and I’ll conclude with MY most interesting storyline. Firstly, I am excited to see how these Expansion teams do! Next, I am curious with so many older players seeing the decline, which of these teams that rely on them can still win. In that same breath, some really good teams took a temporary hit for more long term flexibility and wins. Does that affect their chances this year? Lastly, the most interesting storyline(s) of the year belong to teams who battled for ping pong balls last year. Teams such as KK, Sydney, Toronto, and other are remarkably better. Are they good enough to make a legit run is my favorite storyline!
NEW YORK: Man there are so many interesting one, the Knicks without Dolph, KAJ having quality teammates, Wilt in Hollywood, the Post-Neil Era in Chicago, ALBA retooling a championship team. But my absolutely favorite one is KK's journey to the post season. This has constantly been a bottom feeding team, that whenever they did get close, they did something to put them further in the hole. Now under new management and led by Bob Lanier and Elgin Baylor, they look like a legitimate playoff threat. This will really be the start of a new era for Belgrade KK Partizan.
BUENOS AIRES: Hmm. I will disregard the common storylines of who is going to contend, suck, or rebuild on the fly. My mind is set on two storylines.
1. What new gimmick/idea will John set his mind to, and who will be for it and against it, and eagerly bicker in the Skype chat room? Will the league go through another contraction? Another expansion? Division realignment? Will we see a team named by a comic superhero town ( Gotham, Metropolis...) or will we expand to another planet ( a team from Moon or Mars ).
Basically what is going to be the new league changing implementation this season?
2. What will happen with Bill Russell? The guy is a stud, former MVP, that is playong on a crippling aging team that doesnt have a strong shot of winning a title. With a new GM in town, will Bill get tradedand for what? Will the GM stick with him and try to somehow improve that team around Bill? Will he end up in London, MC, or some other place? Whatever happens, that dude deserves to end up in a winning situation.
PHILLY: The most interesting storyline this season should be the London Towers and how will they do with all the depth they have. What if they struggle early on? Will they go to the trade block and bring Wilt back to London yet again?!?!? Or will they wait it out and let their youth develop into the deepest team in the league. What is going to be their starting five this season. Only Hayes truly has a starting spot on this team. Will Wilkens be the point or will Sloan be the point? Will Sloan even start? Or will he start both at the guard spots and bring Siegfried and Slye off the bench. The questions can go on and on. This many options on a team make the London Towers an extremely intriguing and dangerous team.
ANALYSIS: This is completely an opinion question and everyone brought up interesting storylines that Im sure everyone in the league is interested in. So no points are awarded for this question.
Question 6: We are now 5 seasons into the league. Who is your all league 1st team from the first half decade? Please use traditional C-PF-SF-SG-PG format
SYDNEY: Center = Wilt Chamberlain; PF = Neil Johnston; SF = Elgin Baylor; SG = Oscar Robertson; PG = Bob Cousy
This doesn’t really need much justification; Wilt is best player in league, Neil carried Chicago to 2 championships, Baylor has been best SF in league, Oscar is a stud and still getting better and Cousy is a former MVP who has the best A/T ratio in the league, rebounds and plays lockdown defense.
BERLIN: C- Wilt Chamberlain gets the nod, with two MVP titles and a ring to his name. If Bill Russell wasn't around with 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards and an MVP of his own, this actually wouldn't be as close as it is.
PF - Neil Johnston gets the slight nod over Maurice Stokes and Bob Pettit due to his two rings and slight points lead, but you could hardly go wrong with any of these three studs.
SF - Elgin Baylor is easily the best SF of the first five season. Move along.
SG - This one was the toughest of the bunch, as no SG jumps out as "the best" of the bunch. Even though he has only been around 4 years, I went with Oscar Robertson (3 time All-Star and 3 time All-NBA First Team) over Gennadi Volnov (4 time All-Star). I just think Oscar has had the bigger impact in 4 seasons than any of the creation draft SG have had in 5.
PG - Bob Cousy is the best PG...by far. He has the career records in assists, steals and triple doubles. He has the top 4 apg seasons and 5 of the top 6. He has the top individual games in assists, steals and 3 pointers made. The list goes on and on and on.
KK PARTIZAN: C Wilt Chamberlin – 2 MVPs, 1 Championship and a bevy of awards.
PF Neil Johnston – 2 Championships, 2 Playoff MVPs, 2 All-League 1st Teams
SF Elgin Baylor – 2 All-League Teams, 1 Scoring Title… no SF has stood out award wise, his numbers are best.
SG Oscar Robertson – 3 All-League 1st teams despite only 4 years of play.
PG Bob Cousy – 1 MVP, Led League in Assists each year, Steals for 3 of the 5. 3 All-League 1st teams (2 2nds)… no question here.
NEW YORK: C - Wilt Chamberlain
Why? 2x MVP, a 1x Champion, 5x All-Star, 1x scoring champion, 1x Finals MVP, and undoubtedly the best player in the league for the seasons I was here
PF - Neil Johnston
2x Finals MVP & Champion, third leading scorer in league history, 4x All-Star, 2x All-League First Teamer. Another obvious choice as he's been head and shoulders above the rest of the power forwards in the league.
SF - Elgin Baylor
This was pretty much a one horse race, as we've constantly said over and over that there are no elite small forwards outside of Elgin Baylor, that may change with Dr. J & Rick Barry moving to SF, but in the first few years Elgin Baylor has been the unquestionable king of SFs.
SG - Oscar Robertson
Another easy call, as there are a lot of good SGs but the Big O towers over all of them. Oscar for his career is a 24 PPG - 6 RPG - 6 APG - 1 SPG type of player shooting basically 50%, not many players let alone SGs can match that type of production. Outside of a sophomore slump, he has been unquestionably the best SG in the league.
PG - Bob Cousy
Cousy has not been much of a winner team wise in ABCA Legends but when you look at his stats in accomplishments you can't argue with his spot on this list. Eventually guys like Don Sunderlage (who has recently closed the gap) and Pete Maravich could take this spot but they don't have the longevity Cousy has. Back to his achievement, you could look at the 3 First Team Appearances, 5 Defensive First Team Appearance, the MVP Trophy, the 5 Assist Leading Seasons, the 3 Steal Leading Seasons, but there is one thing that I look at with him that tells me he is the has been the best PG in the league and one of the best players in the league. Cousy has 23 Triple-Doubles, the next group of players on the list have 3.
BUENOS AIRES: I wont get into much detail
C Wilt Chamberlain
PF Neil Johnston
SF Elgin Baylor
SG Oscar Robertson
PG Bob Cousy
The C/PF/PG are pretty much logical choices looking at stats and accomplishments. Hoing by a traditional format excludes the likes of Petit, Schayes, Russell etc, and I have to go with Oscar and Baylor, stat monsters and All League Teamers that have yet to win an MVP award or win a title in the ABCA.
PHILLY: C- Wilt Chamberlain
The clear cut Center choice. He is the most dominant center in the game. A 2-time MVP in five years has to be in this.
PF- Bill Russell
I hate moving him hear but there wasn't a clear cut guy at the four so I go with the most versatile defender and best team-player in the game. He could play the 4 spot with his quickness rating so high. You can make a case for Hayes/Pettit/Schayes/Johnston as well.
SF- Elgin Baylor
He has been the most dominant small forward so far being one of the only two-way small forwards. A consistent 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and lockdown defense makes Elgin the top small forward.
SG- Oscar Robertson
The only guy who was in a rookie draft. His excellence playing both ways and playmaking make him the top off-guard so far. Putting up a consistent 23 points, 6 rebounds, and five assists with lockdown defense makes him an easy choice.
PG- Bob Cousy
I looked at Don Sunderlage for the lead guard spot but he just couldn't come close to Cousy's ability to get assists and rebounds. Don had the slight edge in scoring but had no chance with Cousy's triple double ability. Cousy has put up a 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game over the first half of the decade.
ANALYSIS: Well everybody except for Philly had the same exact lineup. So for this question I am rewarding everyone except Philly 2 points and Philly receives 1 point for saying there wasn’t a clear cut PF when Neil Johnston led his team to 2 championships.
Sydney 2; Berlin 2; KK 2; NYK 2; BA 2; Philly 1
This doesn’t really need much justification; Wilt is best player in league, Neil carried Chicago to 2 championships, Baylor has been best SF in league, Oscar is a stud and still getting better and Cousy is a former MVP who has the best A/T ratio in the league, rebounds and plays lockdown defense.
BERLIN: C- Wilt Chamberlain gets the nod, with two MVP titles and a ring to his name. If Bill Russell wasn't around with 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards and an MVP of his own, this actually wouldn't be as close as it is.
PF - Neil Johnston gets the slight nod over Maurice Stokes and Bob Pettit due to his two rings and slight points lead, but you could hardly go wrong with any of these three studs.
SF - Elgin Baylor is easily the best SF of the first five season. Move along.
SG - This one was the toughest of the bunch, as no SG jumps out as "the best" of the bunch. Even though he has only been around 4 years, I went with Oscar Robertson (3 time All-Star and 3 time All-NBA First Team) over Gennadi Volnov (4 time All-Star). I just think Oscar has had the bigger impact in 4 seasons than any of the creation draft SG have had in 5.
PG - Bob Cousy is the best PG...by far. He has the career records in assists, steals and triple doubles. He has the top 4 apg seasons and 5 of the top 6. He has the top individual games in assists, steals and 3 pointers made. The list goes on and on and on.
KK PARTIZAN: C Wilt Chamberlin – 2 MVPs, 1 Championship and a bevy of awards.
PF Neil Johnston – 2 Championships, 2 Playoff MVPs, 2 All-League 1st Teams
SF Elgin Baylor – 2 All-League Teams, 1 Scoring Title… no SF has stood out award wise, his numbers are best.
SG Oscar Robertson – 3 All-League 1st teams despite only 4 years of play.
PG Bob Cousy – 1 MVP, Led League in Assists each year, Steals for 3 of the 5. 3 All-League 1st teams (2 2nds)… no question here.
NEW YORK: C - Wilt Chamberlain
Why? 2x MVP, a 1x Champion, 5x All-Star, 1x scoring champion, 1x Finals MVP, and undoubtedly the best player in the league for the seasons I was here
PF - Neil Johnston
2x Finals MVP & Champion, third leading scorer in league history, 4x All-Star, 2x All-League First Teamer. Another obvious choice as he's been head and shoulders above the rest of the power forwards in the league.
SF - Elgin Baylor
This was pretty much a one horse race, as we've constantly said over and over that there are no elite small forwards outside of Elgin Baylor, that may change with Dr. J & Rick Barry moving to SF, but in the first few years Elgin Baylor has been the unquestionable king of SFs.
SG - Oscar Robertson
Another easy call, as there are a lot of good SGs but the Big O towers over all of them. Oscar for his career is a 24 PPG - 6 RPG - 6 APG - 1 SPG type of player shooting basically 50%, not many players let alone SGs can match that type of production. Outside of a sophomore slump, he has been unquestionably the best SG in the league.
PG - Bob Cousy
Cousy has not been much of a winner team wise in ABCA Legends but when you look at his stats in accomplishments you can't argue with his spot on this list. Eventually guys like Don Sunderlage (who has recently closed the gap) and Pete Maravich could take this spot but they don't have the longevity Cousy has. Back to his achievement, you could look at the 3 First Team Appearances, 5 Defensive First Team Appearance, the MVP Trophy, the 5 Assist Leading Seasons, the 3 Steal Leading Seasons, but there is one thing that I look at with him that tells me he is the has been the best PG in the league and one of the best players in the league. Cousy has 23 Triple-Doubles, the next group of players on the list have 3.
BUENOS AIRES: I wont get into much detail
C Wilt Chamberlain
PF Neil Johnston
SF Elgin Baylor
SG Oscar Robertson
PG Bob Cousy
The C/PF/PG are pretty much logical choices looking at stats and accomplishments. Hoing by a traditional format excludes the likes of Petit, Schayes, Russell etc, and I have to go with Oscar and Baylor, stat monsters and All League Teamers that have yet to win an MVP award or win a title in the ABCA.
PHILLY: C- Wilt Chamberlain
The clear cut Center choice. He is the most dominant center in the game. A 2-time MVP in five years has to be in this.
PF- Bill Russell
I hate moving him hear but there wasn't a clear cut guy at the four so I go with the most versatile defender and best team-player in the game. He could play the 4 spot with his quickness rating so high. You can make a case for Hayes/Pettit/Schayes/Johnston as well.
SF- Elgin Baylor
He has been the most dominant small forward so far being one of the only two-way small forwards. A consistent 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and lockdown defense makes Elgin the top small forward.
SG- Oscar Robertson
The only guy who was in a rookie draft. His excellence playing both ways and playmaking make him the top off-guard so far. Putting up a consistent 23 points, 6 rebounds, and five assists with lockdown defense makes him an easy choice.
PG- Bob Cousy
I looked at Don Sunderlage for the lead guard spot but he just couldn't come close to Cousy's ability to get assists and rebounds. Don had the slight edge in scoring but had no chance with Cousy's triple double ability. Cousy has put up a 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game over the first half of the decade.
ANALYSIS: Well everybody except for Philly had the same exact lineup. So for this question I am rewarding everyone except Philly 2 points and Philly receives 1 point for saying there wasn’t a clear cut PF when Neil Johnston led his team to 2 championships.
Sydney 2; Berlin 2; KK 2; NYK 2; BA 2; Philly 1
Bonus Question: What is one suggestion you have for the league as a new rule or possibly a rule change that you feel would best help the league
SYDNEY: It’s a cleaner long shot and will obviously never happen since finding dedicated GMs is hard enough but in an effort to lessen the burden on our commissioner, each GM should be required to have the game. Playing without it, you’re at a severe disadvantage as the HTML is based on league scout and also doesn’t include a lot of features found in the game. Hopefully with the FTP issue being fixed, this would allow each team to submit their DC/BIDS/TCs all through the game and free up a lot of Jscott’s time.
BERLIN: Everyone should be required to own the game...there is a world of interesting stuff to do with the finances of the game that has to be turned off since half the league doesn't use the game. (It's obviously too late for this now, but it would be nice to use full finances when it is time to start ABCA Legends 2: Electric Boogaloo)
KK PARTIZAN: We’ve discussed not allowing the worst record to ever get the 1st overall seed to stop tanking and lack of interest late in season for losing teams. I think you’d see an upset or two each year from a team trying to avoid the worst record that could change the landscape of the playoffs. Otherwise, league is in great shape!
NEW YORK: NO ANSWER
BUENOS AIRES: Dont let anymore Johns in the league .
Kidding. I honestly think we should be more strict about the laziness and inactivity of some GMs. If a guy is continually making stupid moves, or being inactive and hurting his team, and yet manages to keep up with the Same DC posting, we, as a league should be more strict in those cases and try to look for a new GM. I know I had periods of inactivity and laziness, but overall it didnt hurt my team much. Some teams are just a mess.
Also, I hate when a new GM comes in and makes bad trades simply because he doesnt uderstand all the ratings yet, or is just making a move for the sake of making a move. I know this wont pass, that the idea of a "grace period" where the board would overlook a new Gms first few trades, sounds good to me. For the sake of the balance of the league.
PHILLY: NO ANSWER
BERLIN: Everyone should be required to own the game...there is a world of interesting stuff to do with the finances of the game that has to be turned off since half the league doesn't use the game. (It's obviously too late for this now, but it would be nice to use full finances when it is time to start ABCA Legends 2: Electric Boogaloo)
KK PARTIZAN: We’ve discussed not allowing the worst record to ever get the 1st overall seed to stop tanking and lack of interest late in season for losing teams. I think you’d see an upset or two each year from a team trying to avoid the worst record that could change the landscape of the playoffs. Otherwise, league is in great shape!
NEW YORK: NO ANSWER
BUENOS AIRES: Dont let anymore Johns in the league .
Kidding. I honestly think we should be more strict about the laziness and inactivity of some GMs. If a guy is continually making stupid moves, or being inactive and hurting his team, and yet manages to keep up with the Same DC posting, we, as a league should be more strict in those cases and try to look for a new GM. I know I had periods of inactivity and laziness, but overall it didnt hurt my team much. Some teams are just a mess.
Also, I hate when a new GM comes in and makes bad trades simply because he doesnt uderstand all the ratings yet, or is just making a move for the sake of making a move. I know this wont pass, that the idea of a "grace period" where the board would overlook a new Gms first few trades, sounds good to me. For the sake of the balance of the league.
PHILLY: NO ANSWER
FINAL TALLY:
Berlin 17
NYK 17
Sydney 15
BA 15
KK 9
Philly 9
NYK 17
Sydney 15
BA 15
KK 9
Philly 9
So there you have it. After all the waiting there are now CO-Roundtable champions in the New York Knicks and your reigning champion ALBA Berlin. Congrats to all those that participated and good luck next time.
