Post by London on May 22, 2013 13:06:20 GMT -6
Welcome to the ABCA Legends Roundtable. This will be a recurring segment staffed by an ever changing group of ABCA Legends General Managers. This first week the questions were moderated by London and the responses were given by Sydney, Brasil, Berlin, Boston, and London.
Each team was given a chance to respond to every question. Lets get into it.
1) What was your strategy in the Creation Draft?
Sydney - My strategy going in was to hopefully land one of the young big guys, specifically Bob Boozer or Clyde Lovelette. Based on early projections and a few mocks, I thought it was going to be a great possibility that either one would fall to me. In this scenario, I would then build around youth and try to amass certain picks. Unfortunately, my dream scenario did not come to fruition and I was left to make a pick at 16. I ended up getting Felix, and thought it would be then be a good idea to try and win now. However, due to some computer problems I was stuck picking from the sorted lists instead of looking at the players through my own scout. This severely hampered my judgement and I may have reached for some and missed on some other picks. I ended up trading a 2016 1st, which changes my view of the future but at the time, helped me pick up the second leading scorer in the league. I was able to build a competitive club right off the bat, albeit with little depth. I didn't hinder my ability to maneuver and drafted relatively young guys that are attractive to practically all teams.
In hindsight, I wish I knew the salary structures for each pick going in. I believe this would have compelled me to trade back out of 16 from the get-go and build with younger players on smaller contracts. I still have significant roster flexibility due to Felix/Simmons/Ranzino value around the league and can go in a number of different directions.
Brasil - To Acquire as many movable assets as possible. I like the freedom to make moves one way or the other. Jury is still out on whether it'll work because people are afraid to trade. I would have kept that early 2nd to add another young piece. Drafting Woody in 4th was a pretty sweet move.
Berlin - My creation draft strategy was to create the best team to try to compete right now. I wanted to draft for scoring from the guard positions and rebounding/defense from the post. Honestly, I think I stuck to my strategy pretty well, getting value midway through the draft with guys like Clifton and Glamack. If I could have done one thing differently, knowing now how we do that big men seem to be the focus of the league, I probably would have drafted a center in the first round rather than Bianci. Still, I think it has all worked out so far.
Boston - The strategy in Boston was to grab a good team of young players - high potential, high name value, high tradability - and move forward from there. The issue, of course, is that by going for high name value and high potential, I drafted a young team of Elgin Baylor and other #4 or #5 options. I was the 2006-2007 Cavs - one guy who will become a superstar, and a bunch of additional guys that had marginal potential but would ultimately be bench players on a real contender.
London - My original strategy was to draft Elgin Baylor and tank hard. I almost had a deal to move up for 3 to get him but that fell through. Had a deal with Chicago to get #7 to get Elgin but that fell through when Atlanta moved up for Walt Bellamy at the cost of his entire team. Sadly Elgin went right before me to Boston so I had to regroup. I considered Clyde Lovelette, Gennadi Volnov, but ultimately settled on Bob Boozer who was the youngest talent available. I tried hard to move my first for some additional picks but still with an eye on tanking, ultimately, I decided this was going to be the time when my picks were worth the most and I needed to cash in. And I did. I added Monk Meineke, Hank Spivey, and Max Zaslofsky because of the talent I landed by dealing my 2014 and 2016 picks. Those guys have WAY more value than my firsts would have (unless I won the lottery each season). I went for youth right away, talent later, and found guys like Hank Luisetti, Jean Pierre Voisin, and Jack McMahon late.
2) What two teams will face each other in the American Conference Finals?
Sydney - I think it will be Chicago vs Washington with Chicago taking it down. It seems the league has been riddled with injuries of late and that's where Chicago's depth will allow them to thrive. Although depth doesn't guarantee anything in the playoffs, it is augmented by a top tier cast led by Neil Johnston. A darkhorse here might be Toronto, especially with the trade for Al Bianci. It is still entirely too early to tell but Chicago just seems head and toe above everyone else in this league, reflected by their 13-2 conf record.
Brasil - Huskies will beat the Knicks in the finals. Huskies addition of Blinky makes them a favorite. Going to be extremely tough to beat in a series. Knicks have the balance to make a run to the Conf. Finals as well.
Berlin - The worst kept secret in the league is that Chicago is making it to the American Conference Finals...who they are playing is a little harder to predict. With the recent acquisition of Bianci, I think the Huskies put it together and face of with the Bulls. With that being said, Chicago still walks over them and makes the Finals easily...
Boston - I like this Bullets team - though they're only marginal scorers, I think the Risen/Lovellette front court is hard to beat, especially if you're looking to grab a rebound. On the other hand, I think New York will begin to pull away sometime soon. Schayes and Sharman are old-school Global guys and in a division - and a conference - that's as weak as this one they can make some noise.
The hard thing, of course, is that Washington and New York will beat each other up. But with that shitty Celtics team in the same division, they're both assured four easy wins.
London - Chicago.. Chicago and someone. I dunno but I am pretty sure they'll be in the mix. I like the Bianci trade for the Huskies and if they can find a way to nickle and dime some more talent onto their roster they will be in a good spot. Not sure there are a lot of teams who can handle Wilt and Bianci for 7 games but I think the Bulls are deep enough to do it. In my opinion Chicago will represent the American Conference in the Finals.
3) What two teams will face each other in the Eurasian Conference Finals?
Sydney - This one is really a toss-up as I feel most of the elite teams are in this conference. It's going to come down to who has the healthiest squad at playoff time, especially with star power. My gut says to go with London vs Berlin, but I think Berlin needs to add another piece to get out of the 2nd round and London may just be too young. As I mentioned in the America's, it is really too early to tell as teams are still wheeling and dealing. A lot will be changed come playoff time and this is why this prediction is the toughest one to make. With all that being said, I am going to go with Tokyo Samurai vs Lagos Islanders. This is a big man's league and they have very formidable front lines and legit starting 5's. I hope Tokyo makes a move for some addition depth and because I feel they want to win it all, I am oing out on a limb and picking Tokyo.
Brasil - Europe is a different animal but I see the Lions (err, Towers) beating CSKA in a very tight series. London on paper is the best team and with the league still a mystery, one has to go chalk.
Berlin - While I would like to say that I think Berlin has what it takes to make the Finals (and I do with a few tweeks to the settings), I think the most likely matchup right now is Moscow vs. London. CSKA has the market cornered in Eurasia when it comes to lock-down defense, while the Towers have got a nice balance of size, speed and scoring to compete with any team in the league. While I think the series goes to 7 games, I think CSKA takes this one right now, though JScott likely isn't done making moves yet.
Boston - Until they're eliminated, I have a hard time seeing any John-Scott-run team as a non-contender. They're not in first, but they'll make it there. On the other side, I think Madrid just got a lot better, and I'm convinced that they're going to run the legs off of their oldish team over the next two years. I can see Madrid coming out of this conference on top. YOU'RE WELCOME MADRID.
London - It's going to be tough to bet against CSKA. I thought Tehran would be the power and while I think they'll still make the playoffs, I don't think they'll make it past two tough teams to get into the Conference Finals. Madrid added some more size today to go with a very scary backcourt. Cairo is also awfully tough. I don't know that I could pick but I think Moscow might win the Eurasian Conference this season. I'm not sure they have enough offense (outside Volnov) to beat Chicago but they are probably the better defensive team.
4) Do you use the Advanced Statistics?
Sydney - I mainly use PER for the advanced statistics. For those unfamiliar, PER is player efficiency rating used to measure a players productivity on a per minute basis. I also like to use margins among other things that I wish not to divulge. You can use any type of metric you want but unless you understand the type of system you have set-up, you will have a hard time understanding where your team actually should thrive and where it shouldn't. Just because your team isn't a top 5 scoring team, doesn't mean you have a bad offense. I am going to keep this short as I feel a lot of people are scratching the surface on understanding these metrics and how to interpret them. For my teams sake, I plan on keeping this to myself to help create my competitive advantage
Brasil - I certainly keep an eye on the Advanced Statistics but with my team so terrible, there is no point in paying much mind to it. I do like to judge Ast Rate vs. Turnover Rate. Shows if someone should be handling the ball more or less than they currently are. That with total shooting can help find the efficient scorers to make options.
Berlin - At this point, I don't really use the advanced statistics all that much. When I'm valuing players for trade, or determining my minutes for my lineups, I'm mainly looking at scouted ratings and shooting averages. The one difference from previous versions of the game is that I like to look at the shooting percentages from different areas of the court (ie those who shoot jumpers well % wise vs those who shoot inside well only), as it allows for a better idea of how to set up your lineup.
Boston - I don't use the advanced statistics yet, because my team is not built to win. I know how I will use them in the future, but I'll be damned if I'm going to tell any of you how I plan to do so. Jerks.
London - I do but I'm not a slave to it. I'm not so knowledgeable about all of them but I like to get different reports about how my guys are playing. It's all valuable data to consider but nothing is the for-sure, right-way to win games.
5) Who has been the biggest steal of the Creation Draft so far?
Sydney - Well this is really difficult to chose as it's still such a small sample size and players still have so much potential. Even with that caveat, Tom Heinsohn has to be at or near the top of most people's lists. Drafted in the 5th round and putting up 20/10 with green/blue ratings at the age of 25? How in the world did we miss this? Albeit he is getting help with most defenses doubling Wilt, he has to be one of the better steals of the draft. Add in his age, contract and potential, I'm still shaking my head as to how he fell this far.
Brasil - Hank Luisetti at #10 in the 3rd round is the biggest steal. A top 5 scorer on good numbers with elite Offensive Efficiency is tough to find so late. Not as much a liability on D as one would suspect either.
Berlin - While there are several late first round picks that have "blown up", I think Hank Luisetti putting up over 22 ppg as a mid 3rd rounder has to be the biggest steal of the draft so far. This isn't one of those situations like in Brazil where someone HAS to score, so the young players are getting their stats inflated...Hank has now played for two of the top teams in the league in London and LA and has flourished in both offenses. His age might have had some teams shying away early on, but I think plenty of GMs are kicking themselves for passing on him 2, 3 or 4+ times in the case of Tehran.
Boston - You don't typically see top 10 guys picked in the second round, but Connie Simmons is doing a great job over in Sydney. Top 5 in scoring, top 10 in rebounding, shooting 81% FT as a banger in the post. He's old, but he still has room to get better. Also, I hope he gets Mash Skull so Sydney's pick is worth more.
London - Eddy Terrace for the Lagos Islanders is quietly having himself an All-Star season. He was selected in the 3rd round, is scoring 20 ppg and is a big reason why Lagos is winning as many games as they are. Also Charles Murphy for the Sonics is leading the league in rebounds and was something like a 3rd or 4th round pick. A lot of good value went late to teams that needed to fill holes. Most of those players though are on the wrong side of 28.
6) What GM has impressed you so far?
Sydney - Obviously London is always making moves and it's hard to say I'm impressed as it's kind of expected. I would go with Toronto, he was hand fed the best player in the league but he didn't rest on his laurels. He realized he needed to supplement Wilt with a good supporting cast and he drafted well and made some shrewd moves. He also wasn't afraid to pull the plug on Bailey Howell to obtain Al Bianci, a move that hurts his potential but gives him the ability to be a contender for the foreseeable future. Howell has a ton of potential and in a year or two, may be a great compliment to Wilt but Toronto sped up their window for title contention by drafting well (no, I'm not counting Wilt) and making the necessary moves to surround him with actual talent.
Brasil - Huskies has been quite impressive. Didn't panic when things didn't start out great but made a very good move to help win now. Again with the league so early, if you have a good player or two... you must add to it to take advantage of the teams who are scared to make moves. Trading a young player like Howell for one not much older who now gives them a strength where most teams are weak is very smart. On the other side, time to Tehram to shake things up!
Berlin - Chicago's GM has been one of the most impressive so far in the brief time that ABCA Legends has been around, especially since he isn't an "ABCA Legend". He made some bold moves in the draft that have put his team in the driver's seat to win the first championship this year and has been a driving force towards suggesting more sims and other possible improvements to the league. While several previous ABCA GMs haven't impressed much so far (looking your way Corey), it is nice to see one of the new guys stepping up in such a big way.
Boston - John, as always, has spent way too much time turning over his team and crafting deals, and for that reason his sort of average team has turned into a really good one. Good job, John. You ass.
London - I've been impressed with a number of GMs and it's weird because I am not always sure who I am dealing with yet when I am talking to each of the teams. I think KK Partizan, Chicago, Brasil, and a number of others have done very well for themselves. After todays flurry of deasl I think Boston is in a much better place too. Big thumbs up to Toronto on having the guts to pull a trade out for Howell who he obviously really liked. That's tough. Hell, let's not forget the team that Moscow has put together either. I don't think any of us saw that coming. Potentially Madrid too.
7) Do you support league expansion?
Sydney - I abstain from this question; It's hard enough as is to build a rapport with the current set of GMs so adding more isn't going to help or hurt it.
Brasil - Yes. Not within the first few seasons as things need to be figured out by current GMs before we go adding too many teams. As far as location, that should be decided upon by the committee only. People who are invested in the league could be consulted. Please no poll in this area!
Berlin - I am always in support of expanding the league if the league is ready to support it. With that in mind, the league would have to have a solid set of GMs in place, a successful history of at least a few seasons under its belt and a committee that knows that it is doing to help lead the way before I'd recommend adding more teams. Right now, I'm not sure we have enough solid GMs for the teams we already have...once we get things figured out and solidify the league with GMs for our established teams, I'd definitely support expansion down the line.
Boston - No. The biggest complaint I've heard - especially from the committee - is a lack of activity. Why would we expand the league when we can't get enough activity from the people we have? And, at this point, we have nowhere NEAR enough talent to support extra teams.
London - Well, yeah, of course I do, but not right now. This would be something to consider when we get into the 1970/80's draft classes. I think adding a couple of teams every decade or two would be fun. As more people learn the game there will be more GMs and we'll have more of the ABCA old-timers back who aren't able to be involved right now. So, yeah, I am for it. More people means more people to talk trade with and I am all for more trades.
Each team was given a chance to respond to every question. Lets get into it.
1) What was your strategy in the Creation Draft?
Sydney - My strategy going in was to hopefully land one of the young big guys, specifically Bob Boozer or Clyde Lovelette. Based on early projections and a few mocks, I thought it was going to be a great possibility that either one would fall to me. In this scenario, I would then build around youth and try to amass certain picks. Unfortunately, my dream scenario did not come to fruition and I was left to make a pick at 16. I ended up getting Felix, and thought it would be then be a good idea to try and win now. However, due to some computer problems I was stuck picking from the sorted lists instead of looking at the players through my own scout. This severely hampered my judgement and I may have reached for some and missed on some other picks. I ended up trading a 2016 1st, which changes my view of the future but at the time, helped me pick up the second leading scorer in the league. I was able to build a competitive club right off the bat, albeit with little depth. I didn't hinder my ability to maneuver and drafted relatively young guys that are attractive to practically all teams.
In hindsight, I wish I knew the salary structures for each pick going in. I believe this would have compelled me to trade back out of 16 from the get-go and build with younger players on smaller contracts. I still have significant roster flexibility due to Felix/Simmons/Ranzino value around the league and can go in a number of different directions.
Brasil - To Acquire as many movable assets as possible. I like the freedom to make moves one way or the other. Jury is still out on whether it'll work because people are afraid to trade. I would have kept that early 2nd to add another young piece. Drafting Woody in 4th was a pretty sweet move.
Berlin - My creation draft strategy was to create the best team to try to compete right now. I wanted to draft for scoring from the guard positions and rebounding/defense from the post. Honestly, I think I stuck to my strategy pretty well, getting value midway through the draft with guys like Clifton and Glamack. If I could have done one thing differently, knowing now how we do that big men seem to be the focus of the league, I probably would have drafted a center in the first round rather than Bianci. Still, I think it has all worked out so far.
Boston - The strategy in Boston was to grab a good team of young players - high potential, high name value, high tradability - and move forward from there. The issue, of course, is that by going for high name value and high potential, I drafted a young team of Elgin Baylor and other #4 or #5 options. I was the 2006-2007 Cavs - one guy who will become a superstar, and a bunch of additional guys that had marginal potential but would ultimately be bench players on a real contender.
London - My original strategy was to draft Elgin Baylor and tank hard. I almost had a deal to move up for 3 to get him but that fell through. Had a deal with Chicago to get #7 to get Elgin but that fell through when Atlanta moved up for Walt Bellamy at the cost of his entire team. Sadly Elgin went right before me to Boston so I had to regroup. I considered Clyde Lovelette, Gennadi Volnov, but ultimately settled on Bob Boozer who was the youngest talent available. I tried hard to move my first for some additional picks but still with an eye on tanking, ultimately, I decided this was going to be the time when my picks were worth the most and I needed to cash in. And I did. I added Monk Meineke, Hank Spivey, and Max Zaslofsky because of the talent I landed by dealing my 2014 and 2016 picks. Those guys have WAY more value than my firsts would have (unless I won the lottery each season). I went for youth right away, talent later, and found guys like Hank Luisetti, Jean Pierre Voisin, and Jack McMahon late.
2) What two teams will face each other in the American Conference Finals?
Sydney - I think it will be Chicago vs Washington with Chicago taking it down. It seems the league has been riddled with injuries of late and that's where Chicago's depth will allow them to thrive. Although depth doesn't guarantee anything in the playoffs, it is augmented by a top tier cast led by Neil Johnston. A darkhorse here might be Toronto, especially with the trade for Al Bianci. It is still entirely too early to tell but Chicago just seems head and toe above everyone else in this league, reflected by their 13-2 conf record.
Brasil - Huskies will beat the Knicks in the finals. Huskies addition of Blinky makes them a favorite. Going to be extremely tough to beat in a series. Knicks have the balance to make a run to the Conf. Finals as well.
Berlin - The worst kept secret in the league is that Chicago is making it to the American Conference Finals...who they are playing is a little harder to predict. With the recent acquisition of Bianci, I think the Huskies put it together and face of with the Bulls. With that being said, Chicago still walks over them and makes the Finals easily...
Boston - I like this Bullets team - though they're only marginal scorers, I think the Risen/Lovellette front court is hard to beat, especially if you're looking to grab a rebound. On the other hand, I think New York will begin to pull away sometime soon. Schayes and Sharman are old-school Global guys and in a division - and a conference - that's as weak as this one they can make some noise.
The hard thing, of course, is that Washington and New York will beat each other up. But with that shitty Celtics team in the same division, they're both assured four easy wins.
London - Chicago.. Chicago and someone. I dunno but I am pretty sure they'll be in the mix. I like the Bianci trade for the Huskies and if they can find a way to nickle and dime some more talent onto their roster they will be in a good spot. Not sure there are a lot of teams who can handle Wilt and Bianci for 7 games but I think the Bulls are deep enough to do it. In my opinion Chicago will represent the American Conference in the Finals.
3) What two teams will face each other in the Eurasian Conference Finals?
Sydney - This one is really a toss-up as I feel most of the elite teams are in this conference. It's going to come down to who has the healthiest squad at playoff time, especially with star power. My gut says to go with London vs Berlin, but I think Berlin needs to add another piece to get out of the 2nd round and London may just be too young. As I mentioned in the America's, it is really too early to tell as teams are still wheeling and dealing. A lot will be changed come playoff time and this is why this prediction is the toughest one to make. With all that being said, I am going to go with Tokyo Samurai vs Lagos Islanders. This is a big man's league and they have very formidable front lines and legit starting 5's. I hope Tokyo makes a move for some addition depth and because I feel they want to win it all, I am oing out on a limb and picking Tokyo.
Brasil - Europe is a different animal but I see the Lions (err, Towers) beating CSKA in a very tight series. London on paper is the best team and with the league still a mystery, one has to go chalk.
Berlin - While I would like to say that I think Berlin has what it takes to make the Finals (and I do with a few tweeks to the settings), I think the most likely matchup right now is Moscow vs. London. CSKA has the market cornered in Eurasia when it comes to lock-down defense, while the Towers have got a nice balance of size, speed and scoring to compete with any team in the league. While I think the series goes to 7 games, I think CSKA takes this one right now, though JScott likely isn't done making moves yet.
Boston - Until they're eliminated, I have a hard time seeing any John-Scott-run team as a non-contender. They're not in first, but they'll make it there. On the other side, I think Madrid just got a lot better, and I'm convinced that they're going to run the legs off of their oldish team over the next two years. I can see Madrid coming out of this conference on top. YOU'RE WELCOME MADRID.
London - It's going to be tough to bet against CSKA. I thought Tehran would be the power and while I think they'll still make the playoffs, I don't think they'll make it past two tough teams to get into the Conference Finals. Madrid added some more size today to go with a very scary backcourt. Cairo is also awfully tough. I don't know that I could pick but I think Moscow might win the Eurasian Conference this season. I'm not sure they have enough offense (outside Volnov) to beat Chicago but they are probably the better defensive team.
4) Do you use the Advanced Statistics?
Sydney - I mainly use PER for the advanced statistics. For those unfamiliar, PER is player efficiency rating used to measure a players productivity on a per minute basis. I also like to use margins among other things that I wish not to divulge. You can use any type of metric you want but unless you understand the type of system you have set-up, you will have a hard time understanding where your team actually should thrive and where it shouldn't. Just because your team isn't a top 5 scoring team, doesn't mean you have a bad offense. I am going to keep this short as I feel a lot of people are scratching the surface on understanding these metrics and how to interpret them. For my teams sake, I plan on keeping this to myself to help create my competitive advantage
Brasil - I certainly keep an eye on the Advanced Statistics but with my team so terrible, there is no point in paying much mind to it. I do like to judge Ast Rate vs. Turnover Rate. Shows if someone should be handling the ball more or less than they currently are. That with total shooting can help find the efficient scorers to make options.
Berlin - At this point, I don't really use the advanced statistics all that much. When I'm valuing players for trade, or determining my minutes for my lineups, I'm mainly looking at scouted ratings and shooting averages. The one difference from previous versions of the game is that I like to look at the shooting percentages from different areas of the court (ie those who shoot jumpers well % wise vs those who shoot inside well only), as it allows for a better idea of how to set up your lineup.
Boston - I don't use the advanced statistics yet, because my team is not built to win. I know how I will use them in the future, but I'll be damned if I'm going to tell any of you how I plan to do so. Jerks.
London - I do but I'm not a slave to it. I'm not so knowledgeable about all of them but I like to get different reports about how my guys are playing. It's all valuable data to consider but nothing is the for-sure, right-way to win games.
5) Who has been the biggest steal of the Creation Draft so far?
Sydney - Well this is really difficult to chose as it's still such a small sample size and players still have so much potential. Even with that caveat, Tom Heinsohn has to be at or near the top of most people's lists. Drafted in the 5th round and putting up 20/10 with green/blue ratings at the age of 25? How in the world did we miss this? Albeit he is getting help with most defenses doubling Wilt, he has to be one of the better steals of the draft. Add in his age, contract and potential, I'm still shaking my head as to how he fell this far.
Brasil - Hank Luisetti at #10 in the 3rd round is the biggest steal. A top 5 scorer on good numbers with elite Offensive Efficiency is tough to find so late. Not as much a liability on D as one would suspect either.
Berlin - While there are several late first round picks that have "blown up", I think Hank Luisetti putting up over 22 ppg as a mid 3rd rounder has to be the biggest steal of the draft so far. This isn't one of those situations like in Brazil where someone HAS to score, so the young players are getting their stats inflated...Hank has now played for two of the top teams in the league in London and LA and has flourished in both offenses. His age might have had some teams shying away early on, but I think plenty of GMs are kicking themselves for passing on him 2, 3 or 4+ times in the case of Tehran.
Boston - You don't typically see top 10 guys picked in the second round, but Connie Simmons is doing a great job over in Sydney. Top 5 in scoring, top 10 in rebounding, shooting 81% FT as a banger in the post. He's old, but he still has room to get better. Also, I hope he gets Mash Skull so Sydney's pick is worth more.
London - Eddy Terrace for the Lagos Islanders is quietly having himself an All-Star season. He was selected in the 3rd round, is scoring 20 ppg and is a big reason why Lagos is winning as many games as they are. Also Charles Murphy for the Sonics is leading the league in rebounds and was something like a 3rd or 4th round pick. A lot of good value went late to teams that needed to fill holes. Most of those players though are on the wrong side of 28.
6) What GM has impressed you so far?
Sydney - Obviously London is always making moves and it's hard to say I'm impressed as it's kind of expected. I would go with Toronto, he was hand fed the best player in the league but he didn't rest on his laurels. He realized he needed to supplement Wilt with a good supporting cast and he drafted well and made some shrewd moves. He also wasn't afraid to pull the plug on Bailey Howell to obtain Al Bianci, a move that hurts his potential but gives him the ability to be a contender for the foreseeable future. Howell has a ton of potential and in a year or two, may be a great compliment to Wilt but Toronto sped up their window for title contention by drafting well (no, I'm not counting Wilt) and making the necessary moves to surround him with actual talent.
Brasil - Huskies has been quite impressive. Didn't panic when things didn't start out great but made a very good move to help win now. Again with the league so early, if you have a good player or two... you must add to it to take advantage of the teams who are scared to make moves. Trading a young player like Howell for one not much older who now gives them a strength where most teams are weak is very smart. On the other side, time to Tehram to shake things up!
Berlin - Chicago's GM has been one of the most impressive so far in the brief time that ABCA Legends has been around, especially since he isn't an "ABCA Legend". He made some bold moves in the draft that have put his team in the driver's seat to win the first championship this year and has been a driving force towards suggesting more sims and other possible improvements to the league. While several previous ABCA GMs haven't impressed much so far (looking your way Corey), it is nice to see one of the new guys stepping up in such a big way.
Boston - John, as always, has spent way too much time turning over his team and crafting deals, and for that reason his sort of average team has turned into a really good one. Good job, John. You ass.
London - I've been impressed with a number of GMs and it's weird because I am not always sure who I am dealing with yet when I am talking to each of the teams. I think KK Partizan, Chicago, Brasil, and a number of others have done very well for themselves. After todays flurry of deasl I think Boston is in a much better place too. Big thumbs up to Toronto on having the guts to pull a trade out for Howell who he obviously really liked. That's tough. Hell, let's not forget the team that Moscow has put together either. I don't think any of us saw that coming. Potentially Madrid too.
7) Do you support league expansion?
Sydney - I abstain from this question; It's hard enough as is to build a rapport with the current set of GMs so adding more isn't going to help or hurt it.
Brasil - Yes. Not within the first few seasons as things need to be figured out by current GMs before we go adding too many teams. As far as location, that should be decided upon by the committee only. People who are invested in the league could be consulted. Please no poll in this area!
Berlin - I am always in support of expanding the league if the league is ready to support it. With that in mind, the league would have to have a solid set of GMs in place, a successful history of at least a few seasons under its belt and a committee that knows that it is doing to help lead the way before I'd recommend adding more teams. Right now, I'm not sure we have enough solid GMs for the teams we already have...once we get things figured out and solidify the league with GMs for our established teams, I'd definitely support expansion down the line.
Boston - No. The biggest complaint I've heard - especially from the committee - is a lack of activity. Why would we expand the league when we can't get enough activity from the people we have? And, at this point, we have nowhere NEAR enough talent to support extra teams.
London - Well, yeah, of course I do, but not right now. This would be something to consider when we get into the 1970/80's draft classes. I think adding a couple of teams every decade or two would be fun. As more people learn the game there will be more GMs and we'll have more of the ABCA old-timers back who aren't able to be involved right now. So, yeah, I am for it. More people means more people to talk trade with and I am all for more trades.
