LAKERS STARTING 5: C SEXTON D DEROZAN J VANDERBILT L JAMES A DAVIS
BENCH: S DINWIDDIE A REAVES M CHRISTIE R HACHIMURA G BITZE
THE LAKERS GO ALL IN ON THEIR KEEPING THEIR CORE BUT ADD SOLID PIECES.
ADVANTAGES:
THEY GET A CLOSER IN DEROZAN
WE KEEP OUR 1ST PICKS
MORE ATHLETISM IN THE BACKCOURT
THE BACKCOURT IS LESS LACKLUSTER IN THE DEFENSIVE DEPARTMENT (NO AR AND DLO)
REAVES GETS TO BE A 6TH MAN AGAIN. MAKING HIM MORE EFFECTIVE (LIKE IN FIBA AND IN THE MEMPHIS SERIES IN 2023)
CONTINUITY SINCE WE KEEP MOST OF THE CORE
WE HAVE A CENTRE UPGRADE IN BITZE TO BACKUP AD
HACHIMURA PLAYS OFF THE BENCH AND CAN BECOME EFFECTIVE LIKE IN THE MEMPHIS SERIES IN 2023
MAX CHRISTIE COULD GET MORE MINUTES
BENCH HAS MORE FIREPOWER
DISADVANTAGES:
DLO NEEDS TO OPT-IN WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY
WE LOSE 3 POINT SHOOTING (NO DLO & PRINCE)
WE STILL DON'T HAVE THAT SUPERSTAR THAT IS IN HIS 20'S TO HOLD DOWN THE FORT AFTER AD & LEBRON (WE'D HAVE TO DEPEND ON OUR 1ST ROUND PICKS)
WE HAVE TO LARGELY TRUST IN THE HEALTH OF AGING PLAYERS JAMES, AD AND DEROZAN
IS MAX CHRISTIE READY FOR MORE MINUTES AND CAN HE PLAY SF IN SOME MINUTES STILL A 2ND APRON TEAM
OKC STARTING 5: SGA A CARUSO LAURI MARKANNEN C HOLMGREN HARTENSTEIN
BENCH: ISAIH JOE L WAITERS J WILLIAMS K WILLIAMS BIYOMBO
OKC GO FOR A TITLE CHARGE, KEEPING TEAM CONTINUITY WHILE ADDING EXPIRENCED NBA PLAYERS.
ADVANTAGES:
THERE IS AN IMPROVEMENT IN SIZE
IMPROVED 3 POINT SHOOTING WITH LAURI
LAURI AND AC ARE IMPROVED FITS ALONG SGA (AC CAN FOCUS ON POA DEFENSE SO SGA CAN FOCUS HIS ENEGY MORE ON THE OFFENSE, BOTH LAURI AND AC CAN BD EFFECTIVE OFF-BALL, AC IS MORE ATHLETIC)
THEY HAVE A PLAYER WITH PLAYOFFS CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE (AC)
REBOUNDING WILL IMPROVE
CHET GETS ROAM AROUND MORE PERIMETER MORE DURING OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE SETS, SPREADS THE FLOOR OFFESIVELY AND IMPROVES PERIMETER DEFENSE)
DISADVANTAGES:
LOSE THREE 1ST ROUND PICKS (ALTHOUGH OKC HAVE A PLETHORA OF PICKS AND ACTUALLY NEED TO GET RID OF A FEW)
LOSS OF DORT WHO HAS BEEN A GREAT DEFENSIVE LEADER, AN IMPORTANT PIECE FOR THEM OVER THE YEARS
THEY AREN'T TOO DEEP (I BELIEVE THEY'RE DEEP ENOUGH THO I MEAN LOOK AT BOSTON) BUT THEY COULD MOVE SOME ASSETS FOR BETTER ONES AND STILL HAVE ROOM TO SIGN FREE AGENTS
JAZZ STARTING 5: G VINCENT Z LAVINE DORT COLLINS WCJ
BENCH: KEYONTE B HIELD THT BAZLEY HENDRICKS
UTAH START GETTING PIECES THAT THEY CAN USE FOR TRADES WHILE BEING IN PLAY-IN MAYBE PLAYOFFS CONTENTION.
ADVANTAGES:
THEY GET A TRADE TARGET THAT THEY'VE BEEN EYEING ACCORDING TO RUMORS IN ZACH LAVINE
LAVINE IS A LARGE CONTRACT THAT CAN BRING IN A GOOD RETURN OF ASSETS ESPECIALLY SINCE CHICAGO ARE LOOKING TO GET RID OF HIM SO NO 1ST ROUNDERS ARE NEEDED
YOU GET A PLETHORA OF 1ST ROUNDERS FOR LAURI AND A FREE 2ND FOR TAKING IN GABE VINCENT'S CONTRACT
GAIN A YOUNGER PLAYER IN DORT WHO IMPROVES PERIMETER DEFENSE AND COULD BE A DEFENSIVE LEADER FOR THE TEAM
B HIELD COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR THE BENCH SINCE HE'LL BE GIVEN A HIGHER VOLUME OF 3 POINT ATTEMPTS
K GEORGE GETS A GOOD MINUTES
WCJ IS A YOUNG STRETCH 5 WITH PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE FROM THE RECENT PLAYOFFS
DISADVANTAGES:
THEY LOSE A VERY EFFICIENT SCORER IN LAURI (A PLAYER THAT THEY MAY BE LOOKING TO KEEP)
THE DOWNGRADE FROM SEXTON TO GABE (BUT GABE DIDN'T PLAY MUCH LAST YEAR DUE TO INJURE WE ARE YET TO SEE HIM AT FULL HEALTH SINCE HE LEFT MIAMI)
RIM PROTECTION MAY BE SEEING A DECLINE (BUT THEY COULD USE THEIR 1ST ROUND PICK TO IMPROVE THAT AREA)
BUDDY HIELD IS CARRYING A GOOD AMOUNT OF THE BENCH FIREPOWER WHICH ISN'T IDEAL
BULLS STARTING 5: C WHITE J GIDDEY J ISAAC J SMITH N VUCEVIC
BENCH: L BALL/ (ROB DILLINGHAM DRAFT PICK) DONOSUMU T CRIAG P WILLIAMS (DRAFT A BIG)
ADVANTAGES:
CHICAGO FINALLH REBUILD AND GET SOLID YOUNG PIECES
COBY WHITE GAINS EXPERIENCE WITH MORE MINUTES
LOB HEAVEN FOR J GIDDEY'S PLAYMAKING WITH PLAYERS LIKE ISAAC, SMITH, WILLIAMS AND VUCEVIC
DISADVANTAGES:
NOT GETTING 1ST ROUND PICKS FOR LAVINE
BENCH COULD BE LACKING FIREPOWER
ISSAC'S AVAILABILITY IS QUESTIONABLE (BUT SO HAS LAVINE'S HEALTH THIS PAST OFF SEASON)
THEY LACK A BONAFIDE CLOSER (IN FACT THEY LOSE ONE IN DEROZAN IN EFFORTS OF REBUILDING THE TEAM)
THEY DON'T GET ANY FIRST ROUNDERS FOR A SOLID 3&D, POA DEFENDER IN A CARUSO (ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ALREADY AGREED TO THE AC FOR GIDDEY TRADE WITHOUT PICKS SO THIS DISADVANTAGE IS OUT OF MY CONTROL🤷🏽♂️)
NO LEADERSHIP (BUT THEY'RE IN PHASE ONE OF A REBUILD SO I'LL LET IT SLIDE)
NO BLUE CHIP GUYS THAT'LL DO THE DIRTY WORK
MAGIC STARTING 5: DLO J SUGGS F WAGNER P BANCHERO W KESSLER
BENCH: C ANTHONY K THOMPSON G TRENT (OR GET B BROWN INSTEAD) J HOWARD M WAGNER
ORLANDO GET TO KEEP THEIR DEFENSIVE IDENTITY AND STILL GET TO KEEP TEAM CONTINUITY. THEY ARE A YOUNG ATHLETIC TEAM WITH A BALANCE OF PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE IN DLO AND KLAY (ALTHOUGH DLO HAS BEEN PUTTING UP BAD PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE AS OF RECENT THAT HAS BEEN DONE MOSTLY DUE TO OTHER FACTORS AND HE HAS PLAYED WELL IN SERIES UNTIL HE FACES DENVER, IT WON'T BE AN ISSUE CONSIDERING SUGGS IS A GREAT DEFENSIVE GUARD, ORLANDO ARE IN THE EAST AND DLO WON'T BE THE 3RD OPTION)
ADVANTAGES:
MAGIC GET THE RIM PROTECTOR (KESSLER) THEY WANT WHILE SHOPPING A PLAYER THEY WERE INTERESTED IN SELLING IN WCJ
THERE IS CONTINUITY
STILL HAVE A YOUNG CORE
THEY HAVE A PLAYER WITH DEEP CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE IN KLAY THOMPSON AS A 6TH MAN
IMPROVED OFFENSE IN KLAY, DLO AND TRENT
THEY GET TO SELL J ISSAC FOR A PLAYMAKER, THAT CAN SHOOT 3S AND PLAY OFF-BALL
REBOUNDING COULD IMPROVE THANKS TO KESSLER OVER WCJ DEFINITELY WILL IF B BROWN COMES IN OVER TRENT
KLAY GETS TO BE A 6TH MAN WHICH IS WHERE HE IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN THIS STAGE OF HIS CAREER
DISADVANTAGES:
IS KLAY REALLY GOING TO LEAVE GSW?
IF DLO AND KLAY BOTH HAVE OFF GAMES IT MAY LEAD TO SOME ISSUES
IF THEY GET B BROWN INSTEAD OF TRENT WILL DLO AND BROWN GET ALONG
CAN KLAY AT MINIMUM GET AS CONSISTENT AS THE 2022 SEASON