Post by Tigertecz on Aug 26, 2009 12:30:52 GMT -5
The season is about to start and as it stands, these are my opinions on how each team may fare this season. The teams are ranked in order from best to worst in my own opinion, with regards to their current teams. I am not taking into account any trades that may or may not happen as we progress this season.
The line-ups I have posted are not necessarily the actual line-ups for each team, but it's how I would play them if I were their GM.
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The Contenders[/u][/size]
1: Chicago Bulls[/b]
C: Dikembe Mutombo C 32 7'2'' 249 B D+ C- A+ A- B
PF: Alejandro Camby C 28 6'11'' 251 B+ C- D+ B- A- C
SF: Robert Horry SF 28 6'9'' 232 C+ A- C A- C+ C
SG: Vernon Maxwell SG 34 6'4'' 180 C+ A C+ A+ C- C
PG: Etienne Preira SG 26 6'7'' 216 B A- A A C+ C
Key Bench Players: Ignacio Rodriguez, Chuck Person
The Champs are back this season and as long as they stay healthy, they should have a good shot at going all the way again this season. The team has had a decent off-season, with the majority of last year’s squad back again, including Vernon Maxwell who signed a lucrative 3 year deal worth nearly $34million. TC was kind to the Bulls as many players improved and the declines seemed rather minimal.
Maxwell’s added lockdown defensive abilities are a welcome addition to his already lethal scoring, and should continue to provide a solid force in the backcourt. Last season’s Regular Season and Finals MVP, Etienne Preira, joins Maxwell in the backcourt to lead the team with even more scoring power and even better handling. Another career year is expected from him. Backing them up is Ignacio Rodriguez and Chuck Person. Rodriguez has gotten over his bout of depression from last season, and is back better than ever. He’d be a starter on most teams in the league so let’s hope his bench role doesn’t depress him this season!
Big Shot Bob will start at SF this season having been acquired last season to provide some defensive cover while being able to knock down the open 3 at any time in the game. He’s a good rebounder too, and edges out Chuck Person for the starting role. Person will be able to back up both wing positions though, and provide that valuable offensive talent that was so important last season. Person should be able to step in if needed due to any injuries, or simply if the starters aren’t finding away to score. Although his defense isn’t the best, Adrian Griffin is also waiting in the wings to provide the lock-down D he has been playing ever since being drafted in Chicago.
Up front, Alejandro Camby looks set to expand on his offensive game from last season, alleviating some scoring pressure from the main offensive options. His improved rebounding this season makes him a fierce all-round partner for the reigning DPOY Dikembe Mutombo, who will look to keep opposing teams out of his house in the paint. The two combined for around 7bpg last season, and will hope to do the same this season. Neither are slouches on the boards so anything less than 10rpg each will be disappointing.
Overall this team has very few weaknesses. The only one that stands out is their slight lack of depth up front, but other than that, the Champs will remain as a strong contender in the East this season.
2: Indiana Pacers
C: Stanley Roberts C 29 7'0'' 281 B+ D+ C- A- B C
PF: Luc Longley PF 30 7'2'' 271 B+ C- C- B+ A- C
SF: Jamal Mashburn SF 26 6'8'' 242 B+ B- C A- C+ C
SG: Harold Miner PG 28 6'5'' 218 A- A- C+ B+ C D
PG: Predrag Danilovic PG 29 6'5'' 200 B- A A- B- C+ D
Key Bench Players: Reggie Lewis, Felton Spencer
The Pacers are loaded from 1 through 5 with players able to play multiple positions. This versatility means that they can change their DC to suit many different match-ups in the post season, and will give them a very strong chance to compete if the tactics are used correctly. They have plenty of firepower, great defensive players, and very good depth to boot. These are the tools necessary to compete for the Championship and they should have a decent shot this season.
Up front there is a three headed monster, with Longley, Roberts and Spencer all more than capable of starting. The three should rotate effectively though, with no player a slouch on D and all being great rebounders, especially Longley who averaged 13rpg last season – good for third in the league. The offensive game that Longley and Roberts bring to the table will probably lead to them getting starting spots over Spencer, but whoever plays, they will create some problems for opposing teams.
Indy’s backcourt is highly talented and able to fill up box scores completely. Miner is a gunner who improved his offensive game this past TC, and should be pushing for a top 10 place in the league for PPG. If the team didn’t have so many talented scorers already, 30ppg wouldn’t be out of the question for him, but on this team, they’ll be hoping for around 25ppg from Miner for sure. His backcourt partner is Danilovic, who is more than capable of putting up big numbers himself, and is a triple double threat every time he steps on the court. He’s one of the better rebounding points in the league, as his C+ rating dictates (the maximum a PG can attain). I personally would play him at the point and Miner at the 2-guard, but either way, they should run riot.
The starting SF spot is a highly contested position in Indiana. Veteran Reggie Lewis is still a very capable scorer and could put up 20ppg without question on most teams in the league. He’s also a top class defender, but his biggest weakness is his rebounding. This is why I put Mash ahead of him at the 3. Mash is a more than capable offensive player, while playing decent D too, but he’s also an above-average rebounder, which should be valuable for this team. Lewis coming off the bench at both wing spots will be scary for most teams to face though, and is an x-factor for sure. If the team suffers any injuries, he’ll be able to step in nicely as an offensive option too.
Overall the Pacers are a very strong team indeed. With 7 more than capable starters available and some lethal versatility all over the court, I expect them to push hard for the top spot in the East and do well in the Playoffs. As long as the tactics are right, I see no reason why they can’t compete this season.
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Playoff Bound[/u][/size]
3: Milwaukee Bucks[/u][/i]
C: Antonio McDyess PF 24 6'10'' 235 A- C C B+ A- C
PF: Vin Baker PF 27 6'11'' 240 A- C C B A- C
SF: Grant Hill SF 26 6'8'' 225 A- B- C+ A- C+ B
SG: Ray Allen SG 23 6'5'' 205 B- A C B+ C B
PG: Allen Iverson PG 24 6'0'' 175 C+ A- A- A C B
Key Bench Player: Pooh Richardson
None of those starters are on the wrong side of 30. In fact, Vin Baker at 27 is their oldest starter. This team should continue to grow and improve for the next few years, and as their players hit their peaks, the Bucks will push up into the top category in this list. Iverson and Allen are a young but very talented backcourt duo, and are due for breakout seasons. They have the ratings to do it, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they make the Bucks a successful team this season. With Pooh backing them up, this is one of the top backcourts in the Eastern Conference. Grant Hill can do it all from the 3, and can play multiple positions if necessary too. He’ll be a big part of the team this season and as a primary focus, should take on the responsibility well. Up front Baker and Dice are both solid attacking bigs who can clean up on the boards with the best of them. Both are above average defenders, and will provide a solid force inside the paint at both ends of the court for the Bucks.
Overall this team is very balanced and very talented across all facets of the game. They had the 2nd best record in the East last season and will push hard again this season. If they had more depth, the top category in this article would be have had 3 teams instead of two.
4: Toronto Raptors[/u][/i]
C: Arvydas Sabonis C 35 7'3'' 280 B- C+ C B+ B D
PF: Brian Grant PF 27 6'9'' 254 B- C- C- B B+ C
SF: Michael Jordan SG 36 6'6'' 195 A- A- B+ A+ C D
SG: Anthony Peeler SG 29 6'4'' 215 B- B- C B+ C- D
PG: Damon Stoudamire PG 25 5'10'' 185 C A- A- A- C C
Key Bench Player: Doug Christie
MJ just won’t die. He won’t go away. He won’t retire. At 36 this surely must be his last season in the league. Last season he carried the team all the way to the Conference Finals after suffering a terrible injury in the regular season. It would be foolish to think that he couldn’t carry the team deep in the postseason again this year. He’ll need more help this year though, and he won’t be getting it from Hu Weidong, who was a great player for the Raps last season. He’s jumped ship over to the Western Conference this season, meaning MJ’s other teammates must help out more. Mouse is a very talented PG who put up big numbers last season when he was called upon. More of the same will be demanded from him, and he should be able to deliver. Sabonis may not be a 20ppg player any more, but he should be able to provide a solid 3rd offensive option and be good for around 15-18ppg. Brian Grant isn’t the best frontcourt partner he could’ve hoped for, but he’s not bad at all. The two should be able to hold their own against other frontcourts in the league, without being anything special. Peeler is undoubtedly Toronto’s weakest starter, and goes to show how important Weidong was for them last season.
Without Weidong this team is definitely depleted compared to last year, but you can never count out Michael Jordan. Another megastar performance from him this year would mean that the Raptors will make some noise in the postseason, but in him they have all their eggs in one basket. Without him the team may fall out of the Playoff seedings, but with him, they’ll be a seed nobody wants to meet in round 1.
5: Cleveland Cavaliers[/u][/i]
C: Tim Duncan PF 23 7'0'' 248 B+ C- C A- A A
PF: Ben Wallace PF 24 6'9'' 240 C+ F C- A B+ C
SF: Ed O'Bannon SF 26 6'8'' 222 B C+ C B C+ C
SG: Nick Anderson SG 31 6'6'' 205 B+ A- C A+ C D
PG: Kenny Anderson PG 28 6'1'' 170 C A- A- A C B
Key Bench Player: Marcus Camby
The Cavs have a great backcourt in the two Andersons. Both are the prototypical kind of guards you want on your team. Kenny is a great distributor of the ball who plays great D, and can hit the 3 ball too. Nick is a lethal shooter capable of 30ppg, and is also a top class on the ball defender. The abilities of their guards alone will make this team push for the Playoffs for sure. Ed O’Bannon starting at the 3 is a weak spot for them though. He doesn’t do anything particularly well, but is average in most areas. Rex Chapman may start ahead of him, but he’s very undersized for the 3 and a poor rebounder, so Ed would be my choice. Up front though they have former #1 pick Tim Duncan, fresh off another good TC, paired with defensive specialist Ben Wallace. Wallace won’t score many points, but he’ll certainly reject some shots and crash the boards. Although both players are young, they could prove to be effective as a defensive duo. Camby coming in off the bench at both PF/C positions will add to their defensive presence in the paint. If Duncan’s offensive rating translates to real numbers, this team could go pretty far this season.
Cleveland has a very talented veteran backcourt, a very raw frontcourt, and are weak at the SF spot. That just about sums up the Cavs. If they can gel together well though the team may cause a few upsets in the postseason. They do need an upgrade at the 3 though, because right now they are some way off competing. If their bigs were a few years older and into their prime, they’d be in a strong position combined with their current backcourt... but by the time they do hit their primes, the Andersons may be well past theirs. Time seems to be Cleveland’s biggest issue!
6: Miami Heat[/u][/i]
C: Benoit Benjamin PF 34 7'0'' 250 B C- D+ A- B+ D
PF: Karl Malone PF 36 6'9'' 250 A C C- B B+ F
SF: Scottie Pippen SF 34 6'7'' 210 B B+ A- A C+ C
SG: Kobe Bryant SG 20 6'6'' 192 B A- B A- C+ B
PG: Sherman Douglas PG 33 6'0'' 180 B C A A D D
Key Bench Player: Yinka Dare
The formerly dominant Heat may struggle this year. 4 of their 5 starters are 33 years of age of older, and well past their primes. Kobe is a bright spot though and one of the most untradable players in the league. He might help their chances this season. Sherman Douglas returns to Miami to partner young Kobe yet again, and both are very solid at their respective positions. The Mailman is feeling the effects of age, and at 36 has lost his defensive edge he once had. He can still score inside with the best of them, but will not be able to carry the team on his own any more. His frontcourt partner is likely to be Benoit Benjamin as he’s a better offensive player than Yinka Dare while being just as good on the boards and playing D, but neither player will cause too much trouble for opposing frontcourts. At the 3 though they have one of the best players in UOSLR history in Scottie Pippen. He has the ability to score, pass, rebound, steal and block pretty well too, but he’s now in the twilight of his career. Last season was certainly not near his best, and if he doesn’t recapture the sort of numbers he was putting up a few seasons ago with Orlando or Utah, this team will struggle in the postseason.
The Heat have the Mailman, formerly one of the most dominant players in the league, and the Heat have Kobe, likely to be one of the most dominant players in the league one day. I feel as though the Heat should be good for the Playoffs yet again, but their success depends on whether or not Malone and Pippen can rekindle the sort of play that made them two of the best forwards in the league, and whether or not Kobe can have a breakout season. If all three are on the same page, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with, but if not, then who knows where the Heat will end up?
7: Philadelphia 76ers[/u][/i]
C: Dragan Tarlac C 26 6'10'' 265 A- C D C B- D
PF: Jermaine O'Neal PF 20 6'11'' 225 B C- C A- A- B
SF: Stephen Jackson SG 21 6'8'' 218 B A- C A- C B
SG: Penny Hardaway SG 26 6'7'' 208 B B A- A- C B
PG: Anthony Carter PG 24 6'1'' 190 C B B+ B+ C- B
Key Bench Player: Pat Burke
Last season’s 2nd Seeds certainly didn’t have the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference, but took advantage of their division. They didn’t manage to do so well in the postseason though, but will look to do better this time round. Penny is as good as ever, and helped in the backcourt by Anthony Carter who is a fundamentally sound PG. Penny should be the team’s go-to player again this season, and he can produce at both guard positions well, so expect to see him pop up at the point sometimes too, much like last season. Personally I’d play him at the 2 at the moment though, otherwise the team will have a hole at one wing spot. The other wing spot will be taken up by S-Jax, who continues to improve, and should be able to recreate the 20ppg season he had last year. I expect him to put up even better numbers this season. JO improved heavily this past TC, so Philly will be hoping for big things from him this season and a breakout year. Dragan Tarlac is the weakspot on their team defensively, although he certainly knows how to put the ball in the basket. His defensive liability will hopefully be backed up by Pat Burke off the bench, who can rebound pretty well too.
JO looks monstrous this season, but time will tell if this translates into real numbers. S-Jax, Penny and Dragan are all capable of scoring 20ppg so they should be fine on offense, but I think the Sixers may lack the defensive powess needed to cause real trouble in the Playoffs, with Tarlac standing out as the player of attack for other teams. Philly’s success will depend on JO’s ability to make up for Tarlac’s lack of D in the paint.
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Borderline Playoff Teams[/u][/size]
8: Charlotte Hornets[/u][/i]
C: Lorenzen Wright PF 23 6'11'' 229 C+ C- C B+ A- C
PF: Dennis Rodman PF 38 6'7'' 210 C C C- A- A C
SF: Larry Johnson SF 30 6'7'' 264 B+ A- C+ B B+ D
SG: Ron Mercer SG 23 6'7'' 210 B B- C B C B
PG: Elliot Perry PG 30 6'0'' 158 C+ B- A- A- D+ C
Key Bench Players: Raja Bell, Derrick Martin, Brad Daugherty
Larry Johnson is still a superstar player, despite being past his prime. Rodman is well past his prime, but can still do the fundamentals that brought him to the game well. The Hornets have a lot of good roleplayers outside of their main ma, LJ, but essentially this is a one man team. If the roleplayers on the team can step up to the mark though, the Hornets may find themselves in the Playoffs again. However, if LJ leaves, this team will be nowhere near the Playoffs. As it stands though, they could cause an upset or two if they make it to the Playoffs and LJ takes over.
9: Orlando Magic[/u][/i]
C: Rasheed Wallace PF 24 6'10'' 241 B B C- A- B B
PF: Elton Brand PF 20 6'8'' 275 B- C D+ B B- A
SF: Billy Owens SF 30 6'8'' 223 B+ C+ C B+ B C
SG: Manu Ginobili SG 22 6'6'' 210 B- B C B- C- A
PG: Stephon Marbury PG 22 6'2'' 180 C+ B+ B+ A- D+ A
Key Bench Players: Antawn Jamison
The Magic have a great team. They look like they’ll run the league one day… but that’s one day. They are a good 2 or 3 seasons away from that at the moment because all their players are so raw (bar Owens). In my opinion they are too young to compete for the top Playoff spots this season, but may battle for the 8th seeds. Owens is good, but not great. He needs to perform very very well for the team to make the Playoffs for sure, but he may not need to if both Sheed and Starbury have breakout seasons. Brand seems a little undersized at PF for the league at the moment, but he certainly seems to have the potential to play with the big boys in the future. Like I’ve already said, the Magic are a team for the future, but not right now.
10: Atlanta Hawks[/u][/i]
C: Wayman Tisdale PF 35 6'9'' 240 B+ C- D- B B+ D
PF: Antonio Davis PF 31 6'9'' 219 B- C- D B+ B+ C
SF: Wally Szczerbiak SF 22 6'7'' 244 C B+ C- C+ C+ C
SG: Derek Fisher PG 24 6'1'' 200 C A- C B+ C- C
PG: Sam Cassell PG 28 6'3'' 199 B- B A- A- C- C
Key Bench Player: Brian Skinner
The Hawks will have to rely on ET and Tisdale if they want to make the Playoffs. That’s if they want to though. Tisdale is past his best and is far on the wrong side of 30, but he can still score and rebound very well. Cassell is as good as ever and probably still in his prime, if not a little past it, but he’s the type of PG that can do it all. Davis at the 4 is the kinda big you want on your team, able to do all the dirty work, but the Hawks have big weaknesses at the 2 and 3. Fisher is undersized and nothing special, while Wally is in his own world at the 3. He’ll need some time to develop but maybe one day he’ll be a solid backup. The fact that he’d be a starter on this team goes to show how much trouble the Hawks are in. They’re likely to push for a complete rebuild this season in my opinion, but with a move here or there could sneak into the Playoffs off the back of ET and Tisdale.
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Lotto Bound[/u][/size]
11: Washington Bullets[/u][/i]
C: Scot Pollard PF 24 6'11'' 265 C+ C- C A- B B
PF: Chris Webber PF 26 6'10'' 260 A C- B A- A- C
SF: James Posey SF 22 6'8'' 215 C B C A- B- C
SG: Dominique Wilkins SF 39 6'7'' 200 B- B D+ B C+ D
PG: Randy Livingston PG 24 6'4'' 209 B- C B- B- C C
Key Bench Player: Jamaal Magloire
Seems like a fall from grace for the once competitive Bullets franchise. Webber seems to have made his home in Washington, and is clearly one of the better big men in the league. He can do it all, score, pass, rebound and defend, all at the highest level, but with little else on this team, they’ll be lotto-bound. Posey looks good on paper but is of course unproven, an Nique needs a wheelchair to get to games. The only problem with the rebuilding process for Washington though is that as long as Webber is around, their pick will always be a low lotto.
12: New Jersey Nets[/u][/i]
C: Sharone Wright C 26 6'11'' 266 B C- D- A- C+ D
PF: Juwan Howard C 26 6'9'' 251 B C C A- B- C
SF: Keith Van Horn SF 23 6'10'' 224 B- A- C- C B A
SG: Michael Dickerson SG 24 6'5'' 196 C+ A- C- B C B
PG: Chauncey Billups PG 22 6'3'' 210 C+ B+ B+ A- C B
Key Bench Player: Moochie Norris
Billups is good, very very good. And he’s still so young. KVH can light it up when on fire, but is always going to be a defensive liability. Those two young studs are just about the only bright spots on the Nets, and it’s going to take a good couple of seasons of rebuilding still to turn this team into anything more than a lotto team. Having said that, Billups is the perfect type of player to rebuild around, so the future doesn’t look so bleak for New Jersey.
13: Detroit Pistons[/u][/i]
C: Todd MacCulloch C 23 7'0'' 280 C+ C- D B+ B B
PF: Nazr Mohammed PF 21 6'10'' 220 B C- D+ B B- B
SF: Calbert Cheaney SF 27 6'7'' 211 B- A- C B+ C D
SG: Ron Artest SF 19 6'6'' 244 B- C+ C A- C+ A
PG: Muggsy Bogues PG 34 5'3'' 136 C C+ A+ A D+ D
Key Bench Player: Kendall Gill
Ron Artest was a great addition in the draft, and will be a defensive monster in the future. This offseason the team also added Calbert Cheaney and Muggsy Bogues to the squad, but neither are good enough to launch this team out of the lotto places. Nazr’s not a bad youngster and MacCulloch could turn into a solid big too, but we’re still a few seasons and a few good TC’s away from all that. This team is still in youth mode so needs to ship out Bogues and Cheaney soon so they can focus properly on rebuilding.
14: Boston Celtics[/u][/i]
C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas C 24 7'3'' 264 B C C- B+ B C
PF: Brad Miller PF 23 6'11'' 244 B- C+ C B C+ B
SF: Ron Harper SF 35 6'6'' 185 B A- C B- C- D
SG: Larry Hughes PG 20 6'5'' 184 B C+ B+ A- C A
PG: Steve Francis PG 22 6'3'' 195 B C+ B+ B C B
Key Bench Player: Derek Anderson
The Celtics have a lot of good youth on their team and one solid vet in Ron Harper. I don’t think they have enough to get out of the high lotto pick situation they’re in though, and are better off shipping out Harper for some youth, or failing that, expiring and a pick. There’s no point keeping him on board. Hughes and Francis look to be Boston’s backcourt of the future, and both have pretty similar ratings. As long as Miller and Big Z continue to improve too, they’ll have a good core for the future. There is no way this team will be competitive this season though.
15: New York Knicks[/u][/i]
C: Theo Ratliff C 26 6'10'' 237 B- C- C A B+ B
PF: Tony Massenburg PF 32 6'9'' 224 C+ C- F+ B+ B- D
SF: Shawn Marion SF 21 6'7'' 220 B- C+ C B+ B- A
SG: David Wesley SG 28 6'0'' 194 C+ A- C+ B- C C
PG: Haywoode Workman PG 33 6'2'' 180 C C+ A A- C- C
Key Bench Player: B.J. Tyler
Ratliff was signed to a very long, very large deal this offseason. He’s one of the better bigs out there and is not that old at 26, but you wouldn’t really call him young either. Nonetheless, the Matrix was added via the draft and looks set to be a star in a few seasons time. He is one of the most complete young forwards in UOSLR at the moment and should develop into an All Star. That’s about it for the Knicks though, as they look set for another season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference in my opinion. Workman needs to be shipped out to ensure they DO stick at the bottom and get another good pick in the next draft though, although even with him on board, the Knicks are still unlikely to put together a lot of wins.
The line-ups I have posted are not necessarily the actual line-ups for each team, but it's how I would play them if I were their GM.
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The Contenders[/u][/size]
1: Chicago Bulls[/b]
C: Dikembe Mutombo C 32 7'2'' 249 B D+ C- A+ A- B
PF: Alejandro Camby C 28 6'11'' 251 B+ C- D+ B- A- C
SF: Robert Horry SF 28 6'9'' 232 C+ A- C A- C+ C
SG: Vernon Maxwell SG 34 6'4'' 180 C+ A C+ A+ C- C
PG: Etienne Preira SG 26 6'7'' 216 B A- A A C+ C
Key Bench Players: Ignacio Rodriguez, Chuck Person
The Champs are back this season and as long as they stay healthy, they should have a good shot at going all the way again this season. The team has had a decent off-season, with the majority of last year’s squad back again, including Vernon Maxwell who signed a lucrative 3 year deal worth nearly $34million. TC was kind to the Bulls as many players improved and the declines seemed rather minimal.
Maxwell’s added lockdown defensive abilities are a welcome addition to his already lethal scoring, and should continue to provide a solid force in the backcourt. Last season’s Regular Season and Finals MVP, Etienne Preira, joins Maxwell in the backcourt to lead the team with even more scoring power and even better handling. Another career year is expected from him. Backing them up is Ignacio Rodriguez and Chuck Person. Rodriguez has gotten over his bout of depression from last season, and is back better than ever. He’d be a starter on most teams in the league so let’s hope his bench role doesn’t depress him this season!
Big Shot Bob will start at SF this season having been acquired last season to provide some defensive cover while being able to knock down the open 3 at any time in the game. He’s a good rebounder too, and edges out Chuck Person for the starting role. Person will be able to back up both wing positions though, and provide that valuable offensive talent that was so important last season. Person should be able to step in if needed due to any injuries, or simply if the starters aren’t finding away to score. Although his defense isn’t the best, Adrian Griffin is also waiting in the wings to provide the lock-down D he has been playing ever since being drafted in Chicago.
Up front, Alejandro Camby looks set to expand on his offensive game from last season, alleviating some scoring pressure from the main offensive options. His improved rebounding this season makes him a fierce all-round partner for the reigning DPOY Dikembe Mutombo, who will look to keep opposing teams out of his house in the paint. The two combined for around 7bpg last season, and will hope to do the same this season. Neither are slouches on the boards so anything less than 10rpg each will be disappointing.
Overall this team has very few weaknesses. The only one that stands out is their slight lack of depth up front, but other than that, the Champs will remain as a strong contender in the East this season.
2: Indiana Pacers
C: Stanley Roberts C 29 7'0'' 281 B+ D+ C- A- B C
PF: Luc Longley PF 30 7'2'' 271 B+ C- C- B+ A- C
SF: Jamal Mashburn SF 26 6'8'' 242 B+ B- C A- C+ C
SG: Harold Miner PG 28 6'5'' 218 A- A- C+ B+ C D
PG: Predrag Danilovic PG 29 6'5'' 200 B- A A- B- C+ D
Key Bench Players: Reggie Lewis, Felton Spencer
The Pacers are loaded from 1 through 5 with players able to play multiple positions. This versatility means that they can change their DC to suit many different match-ups in the post season, and will give them a very strong chance to compete if the tactics are used correctly. They have plenty of firepower, great defensive players, and very good depth to boot. These are the tools necessary to compete for the Championship and they should have a decent shot this season.
Up front there is a three headed monster, with Longley, Roberts and Spencer all more than capable of starting. The three should rotate effectively though, with no player a slouch on D and all being great rebounders, especially Longley who averaged 13rpg last season – good for third in the league. The offensive game that Longley and Roberts bring to the table will probably lead to them getting starting spots over Spencer, but whoever plays, they will create some problems for opposing teams.
Indy’s backcourt is highly talented and able to fill up box scores completely. Miner is a gunner who improved his offensive game this past TC, and should be pushing for a top 10 place in the league for PPG. If the team didn’t have so many talented scorers already, 30ppg wouldn’t be out of the question for him, but on this team, they’ll be hoping for around 25ppg from Miner for sure. His backcourt partner is Danilovic, who is more than capable of putting up big numbers himself, and is a triple double threat every time he steps on the court. He’s one of the better rebounding points in the league, as his C+ rating dictates (the maximum a PG can attain). I personally would play him at the point and Miner at the 2-guard, but either way, they should run riot.
The starting SF spot is a highly contested position in Indiana. Veteran Reggie Lewis is still a very capable scorer and could put up 20ppg without question on most teams in the league. He’s also a top class defender, but his biggest weakness is his rebounding. This is why I put Mash ahead of him at the 3. Mash is a more than capable offensive player, while playing decent D too, but he’s also an above-average rebounder, which should be valuable for this team. Lewis coming off the bench at both wing spots will be scary for most teams to face though, and is an x-factor for sure. If the team suffers any injuries, he’ll be able to step in nicely as an offensive option too.
Overall the Pacers are a very strong team indeed. With 7 more than capable starters available and some lethal versatility all over the court, I expect them to push hard for the top spot in the East and do well in the Playoffs. As long as the tactics are right, I see no reason why they can’t compete this season.
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Playoff Bound[/u][/size]
3: Milwaukee Bucks[/u][/i]
C: Antonio McDyess PF 24 6'10'' 235 A- C C B+ A- C
PF: Vin Baker PF 27 6'11'' 240 A- C C B A- C
SF: Grant Hill SF 26 6'8'' 225 A- B- C+ A- C+ B
SG: Ray Allen SG 23 6'5'' 205 B- A C B+ C B
PG: Allen Iverson PG 24 6'0'' 175 C+ A- A- A C B
Key Bench Player: Pooh Richardson
None of those starters are on the wrong side of 30. In fact, Vin Baker at 27 is their oldest starter. This team should continue to grow and improve for the next few years, and as their players hit their peaks, the Bucks will push up into the top category in this list. Iverson and Allen are a young but very talented backcourt duo, and are due for breakout seasons. They have the ratings to do it, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they make the Bucks a successful team this season. With Pooh backing them up, this is one of the top backcourts in the Eastern Conference. Grant Hill can do it all from the 3, and can play multiple positions if necessary too. He’ll be a big part of the team this season and as a primary focus, should take on the responsibility well. Up front Baker and Dice are both solid attacking bigs who can clean up on the boards with the best of them. Both are above average defenders, and will provide a solid force inside the paint at both ends of the court for the Bucks.
Overall this team is very balanced and very talented across all facets of the game. They had the 2nd best record in the East last season and will push hard again this season. If they had more depth, the top category in this article would be have had 3 teams instead of two.
4: Toronto Raptors[/u][/i]
C: Arvydas Sabonis C 35 7'3'' 280 B- C+ C B+ B D
PF: Brian Grant PF 27 6'9'' 254 B- C- C- B B+ C
SF: Michael Jordan SG 36 6'6'' 195 A- A- B+ A+ C D
SG: Anthony Peeler SG 29 6'4'' 215 B- B- C B+ C- D
PG: Damon Stoudamire PG 25 5'10'' 185 C A- A- A- C C
Key Bench Player: Doug Christie
MJ just won’t die. He won’t go away. He won’t retire. At 36 this surely must be his last season in the league. Last season he carried the team all the way to the Conference Finals after suffering a terrible injury in the regular season. It would be foolish to think that he couldn’t carry the team deep in the postseason again this year. He’ll need more help this year though, and he won’t be getting it from Hu Weidong, who was a great player for the Raps last season. He’s jumped ship over to the Western Conference this season, meaning MJ’s other teammates must help out more. Mouse is a very talented PG who put up big numbers last season when he was called upon. More of the same will be demanded from him, and he should be able to deliver. Sabonis may not be a 20ppg player any more, but he should be able to provide a solid 3rd offensive option and be good for around 15-18ppg. Brian Grant isn’t the best frontcourt partner he could’ve hoped for, but he’s not bad at all. The two should be able to hold their own against other frontcourts in the league, without being anything special. Peeler is undoubtedly Toronto’s weakest starter, and goes to show how important Weidong was for them last season.
Without Weidong this team is definitely depleted compared to last year, but you can never count out Michael Jordan. Another megastar performance from him this year would mean that the Raptors will make some noise in the postseason, but in him they have all their eggs in one basket. Without him the team may fall out of the Playoff seedings, but with him, they’ll be a seed nobody wants to meet in round 1.
5: Cleveland Cavaliers[/u][/i]
C: Tim Duncan PF 23 7'0'' 248 B+ C- C A- A A
PF: Ben Wallace PF 24 6'9'' 240 C+ F C- A B+ C
SF: Ed O'Bannon SF 26 6'8'' 222 B C+ C B C+ C
SG: Nick Anderson SG 31 6'6'' 205 B+ A- C A+ C D
PG: Kenny Anderson PG 28 6'1'' 170 C A- A- A C B
Key Bench Player: Marcus Camby
The Cavs have a great backcourt in the two Andersons. Both are the prototypical kind of guards you want on your team. Kenny is a great distributor of the ball who plays great D, and can hit the 3 ball too. Nick is a lethal shooter capable of 30ppg, and is also a top class on the ball defender. The abilities of their guards alone will make this team push for the Playoffs for sure. Ed O’Bannon starting at the 3 is a weak spot for them though. He doesn’t do anything particularly well, but is average in most areas. Rex Chapman may start ahead of him, but he’s very undersized for the 3 and a poor rebounder, so Ed would be my choice. Up front though they have former #1 pick Tim Duncan, fresh off another good TC, paired with defensive specialist Ben Wallace. Wallace won’t score many points, but he’ll certainly reject some shots and crash the boards. Although both players are young, they could prove to be effective as a defensive duo. Camby coming in off the bench at both PF/C positions will add to their defensive presence in the paint. If Duncan’s offensive rating translates to real numbers, this team could go pretty far this season.
Cleveland has a very talented veteran backcourt, a very raw frontcourt, and are weak at the SF spot. That just about sums up the Cavs. If they can gel together well though the team may cause a few upsets in the postseason. They do need an upgrade at the 3 though, because right now they are some way off competing. If their bigs were a few years older and into their prime, they’d be in a strong position combined with their current backcourt... but by the time they do hit their primes, the Andersons may be well past theirs. Time seems to be Cleveland’s biggest issue!
6: Miami Heat[/u][/i]
C: Benoit Benjamin PF 34 7'0'' 250 B C- D+ A- B+ D
PF: Karl Malone PF 36 6'9'' 250 A C C- B B+ F
SF: Scottie Pippen SF 34 6'7'' 210 B B+ A- A C+ C
SG: Kobe Bryant SG 20 6'6'' 192 B A- B A- C+ B
PG: Sherman Douglas PG 33 6'0'' 180 B C A A D D
Key Bench Player: Yinka Dare
The formerly dominant Heat may struggle this year. 4 of their 5 starters are 33 years of age of older, and well past their primes. Kobe is a bright spot though and one of the most untradable players in the league. He might help their chances this season. Sherman Douglas returns to Miami to partner young Kobe yet again, and both are very solid at their respective positions. The Mailman is feeling the effects of age, and at 36 has lost his defensive edge he once had. He can still score inside with the best of them, but will not be able to carry the team on his own any more. His frontcourt partner is likely to be Benoit Benjamin as he’s a better offensive player than Yinka Dare while being just as good on the boards and playing D, but neither player will cause too much trouble for opposing frontcourts. At the 3 though they have one of the best players in UOSLR history in Scottie Pippen. He has the ability to score, pass, rebound, steal and block pretty well too, but he’s now in the twilight of his career. Last season was certainly not near his best, and if he doesn’t recapture the sort of numbers he was putting up a few seasons ago with Orlando or Utah, this team will struggle in the postseason.
The Heat have the Mailman, formerly one of the most dominant players in the league, and the Heat have Kobe, likely to be one of the most dominant players in the league one day. I feel as though the Heat should be good for the Playoffs yet again, but their success depends on whether or not Malone and Pippen can rekindle the sort of play that made them two of the best forwards in the league, and whether or not Kobe can have a breakout season. If all three are on the same page, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with, but if not, then who knows where the Heat will end up?
7: Philadelphia 76ers[/u][/i]
C: Dragan Tarlac C 26 6'10'' 265 A- C D C B- D
PF: Jermaine O'Neal PF 20 6'11'' 225 B C- C A- A- B
SF: Stephen Jackson SG 21 6'8'' 218 B A- C A- C B
SG: Penny Hardaway SG 26 6'7'' 208 B B A- A- C B
PG: Anthony Carter PG 24 6'1'' 190 C B B+ B+ C- B
Key Bench Player: Pat Burke
Last season’s 2nd Seeds certainly didn’t have the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference, but took advantage of their division. They didn’t manage to do so well in the postseason though, but will look to do better this time round. Penny is as good as ever, and helped in the backcourt by Anthony Carter who is a fundamentally sound PG. Penny should be the team’s go-to player again this season, and he can produce at both guard positions well, so expect to see him pop up at the point sometimes too, much like last season. Personally I’d play him at the 2 at the moment though, otherwise the team will have a hole at one wing spot. The other wing spot will be taken up by S-Jax, who continues to improve, and should be able to recreate the 20ppg season he had last year. I expect him to put up even better numbers this season. JO improved heavily this past TC, so Philly will be hoping for big things from him this season and a breakout year. Dragan Tarlac is the weakspot on their team defensively, although he certainly knows how to put the ball in the basket. His defensive liability will hopefully be backed up by Pat Burke off the bench, who can rebound pretty well too.
JO looks monstrous this season, but time will tell if this translates into real numbers. S-Jax, Penny and Dragan are all capable of scoring 20ppg so they should be fine on offense, but I think the Sixers may lack the defensive powess needed to cause real trouble in the Playoffs, with Tarlac standing out as the player of attack for other teams. Philly’s success will depend on JO’s ability to make up for Tarlac’s lack of D in the paint.
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Borderline Playoff Teams[/u][/size]
8: Charlotte Hornets[/u][/i]
C: Lorenzen Wright PF 23 6'11'' 229 C+ C- C B+ A- C
PF: Dennis Rodman PF 38 6'7'' 210 C C C- A- A C
SF: Larry Johnson SF 30 6'7'' 264 B+ A- C+ B B+ D
SG: Ron Mercer SG 23 6'7'' 210 B B- C B C B
PG: Elliot Perry PG 30 6'0'' 158 C+ B- A- A- D+ C
Key Bench Players: Raja Bell, Derrick Martin, Brad Daugherty
Larry Johnson is still a superstar player, despite being past his prime. Rodman is well past his prime, but can still do the fundamentals that brought him to the game well. The Hornets have a lot of good roleplayers outside of their main ma, LJ, but essentially this is a one man team. If the roleplayers on the team can step up to the mark though, the Hornets may find themselves in the Playoffs again. However, if LJ leaves, this team will be nowhere near the Playoffs. As it stands though, they could cause an upset or two if they make it to the Playoffs and LJ takes over.
9: Orlando Magic[/u][/i]
C: Rasheed Wallace PF 24 6'10'' 241 B B C- A- B B
PF: Elton Brand PF 20 6'8'' 275 B- C D+ B B- A
SF: Billy Owens SF 30 6'8'' 223 B+ C+ C B+ B C
SG: Manu Ginobili SG 22 6'6'' 210 B- B C B- C- A
PG: Stephon Marbury PG 22 6'2'' 180 C+ B+ B+ A- D+ A
Key Bench Players: Antawn Jamison
The Magic have a great team. They look like they’ll run the league one day… but that’s one day. They are a good 2 or 3 seasons away from that at the moment because all their players are so raw (bar Owens). In my opinion they are too young to compete for the top Playoff spots this season, but may battle for the 8th seeds. Owens is good, but not great. He needs to perform very very well for the team to make the Playoffs for sure, but he may not need to if both Sheed and Starbury have breakout seasons. Brand seems a little undersized at PF for the league at the moment, but he certainly seems to have the potential to play with the big boys in the future. Like I’ve already said, the Magic are a team for the future, but not right now.
10: Atlanta Hawks[/u][/i]
C: Wayman Tisdale PF 35 6'9'' 240 B+ C- D- B B+ D
PF: Antonio Davis PF 31 6'9'' 219 B- C- D B+ B+ C
SF: Wally Szczerbiak SF 22 6'7'' 244 C B+ C- C+ C+ C
SG: Derek Fisher PG 24 6'1'' 200 C A- C B+ C- C
PG: Sam Cassell PG 28 6'3'' 199 B- B A- A- C- C
Key Bench Player: Brian Skinner
The Hawks will have to rely on ET and Tisdale if they want to make the Playoffs. That’s if they want to though. Tisdale is past his best and is far on the wrong side of 30, but he can still score and rebound very well. Cassell is as good as ever and probably still in his prime, if not a little past it, but he’s the type of PG that can do it all. Davis at the 4 is the kinda big you want on your team, able to do all the dirty work, but the Hawks have big weaknesses at the 2 and 3. Fisher is undersized and nothing special, while Wally is in his own world at the 3. He’ll need some time to develop but maybe one day he’ll be a solid backup. The fact that he’d be a starter on this team goes to show how much trouble the Hawks are in. They’re likely to push for a complete rebuild this season in my opinion, but with a move here or there could sneak into the Playoffs off the back of ET and Tisdale.
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Lotto Bound[/u][/size]
11: Washington Bullets[/u][/i]
C: Scot Pollard PF 24 6'11'' 265 C+ C- C A- B B
PF: Chris Webber PF 26 6'10'' 260 A C- B A- A- C
SF: James Posey SF 22 6'8'' 215 C B C A- B- C
SG: Dominique Wilkins SF 39 6'7'' 200 B- B D+ B C+ D
PG: Randy Livingston PG 24 6'4'' 209 B- C B- B- C C
Key Bench Player: Jamaal Magloire
Seems like a fall from grace for the once competitive Bullets franchise. Webber seems to have made his home in Washington, and is clearly one of the better big men in the league. He can do it all, score, pass, rebound and defend, all at the highest level, but with little else on this team, they’ll be lotto-bound. Posey looks good on paper but is of course unproven, an Nique needs a wheelchair to get to games. The only problem with the rebuilding process for Washington though is that as long as Webber is around, their pick will always be a low lotto.
12: New Jersey Nets[/u][/i]
C: Sharone Wright C 26 6'11'' 266 B C- D- A- C+ D
PF: Juwan Howard C 26 6'9'' 251 B C C A- B- C
SF: Keith Van Horn SF 23 6'10'' 224 B- A- C- C B A
SG: Michael Dickerson SG 24 6'5'' 196 C+ A- C- B C B
PG: Chauncey Billups PG 22 6'3'' 210 C+ B+ B+ A- C B
Key Bench Player: Moochie Norris
Billups is good, very very good. And he’s still so young. KVH can light it up when on fire, but is always going to be a defensive liability. Those two young studs are just about the only bright spots on the Nets, and it’s going to take a good couple of seasons of rebuilding still to turn this team into anything more than a lotto team. Having said that, Billups is the perfect type of player to rebuild around, so the future doesn’t look so bleak for New Jersey.
13: Detroit Pistons[/u][/i]
C: Todd MacCulloch C 23 7'0'' 280 C+ C- D B+ B B
PF: Nazr Mohammed PF 21 6'10'' 220 B C- D+ B B- B
SF: Calbert Cheaney SF 27 6'7'' 211 B- A- C B+ C D
SG: Ron Artest SF 19 6'6'' 244 B- C+ C A- C+ A
PG: Muggsy Bogues PG 34 5'3'' 136 C C+ A+ A D+ D
Key Bench Player: Kendall Gill
Ron Artest was a great addition in the draft, and will be a defensive monster in the future. This offseason the team also added Calbert Cheaney and Muggsy Bogues to the squad, but neither are good enough to launch this team out of the lotto places. Nazr’s not a bad youngster and MacCulloch could turn into a solid big too, but we’re still a few seasons and a few good TC’s away from all that. This team is still in youth mode so needs to ship out Bogues and Cheaney soon so they can focus properly on rebuilding.
14: Boston Celtics[/u][/i]
C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas C 24 7'3'' 264 B C C- B+ B C
PF: Brad Miller PF 23 6'11'' 244 B- C+ C B C+ B
SF: Ron Harper SF 35 6'6'' 185 B A- C B- C- D
SG: Larry Hughes PG 20 6'5'' 184 B C+ B+ A- C A
PG: Steve Francis PG 22 6'3'' 195 B C+ B+ B C B
Key Bench Player: Derek Anderson
The Celtics have a lot of good youth on their team and one solid vet in Ron Harper. I don’t think they have enough to get out of the high lotto pick situation they’re in though, and are better off shipping out Harper for some youth, or failing that, expiring and a pick. There’s no point keeping him on board. Hughes and Francis look to be Boston’s backcourt of the future, and both have pretty similar ratings. As long as Miller and Big Z continue to improve too, they’ll have a good core for the future. There is no way this team will be competitive this season though.
15: New York Knicks[/u][/i]
C: Theo Ratliff C 26 6'10'' 237 B- C- C A B+ B
PF: Tony Massenburg PF 32 6'9'' 224 C+ C- F+ B+ B- D
SF: Shawn Marion SF 21 6'7'' 220 B- C+ C B+ B- A
SG: David Wesley SG 28 6'0'' 194 C+ A- C+ B- C C
PG: Haywoode Workman PG 33 6'2'' 180 C C+ A A- C- C
Key Bench Player: B.J. Tyler
Ratliff was signed to a very long, very large deal this offseason. He’s one of the better bigs out there and is not that old at 26, but you wouldn’t really call him young either. Nonetheless, the Matrix was added via the draft and looks set to be a star in a few seasons time. He is one of the most complete young forwards in UOSLR at the moment and should develop into an All Star. That’s about it for the Knicks though, as they look set for another season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference in my opinion. Workman needs to be shipped out to ensure they DO stick at the bottom and get another good pick in the next draft though, although even with him on board, the Knicks are still unlikely to put together a lot of wins.
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