Welcome to the newest iteration of the CmanCalzone sim league! We have 32 GMs managing 32 teams. We fantasy drafted our rosters, have made a few trades, and are ready for the year to start. You can follow along with our updates throughout the year on YouTube, the playoffs will be streamed on Twitch, and of course my yearly preseason power rankings will be right here! Now let's dive in.
Contenders
1. Utah Jazz - Steph Curry and Anthony Davis might form the most potent two-man duo in the league. Austin Reaves, OG Anunoby, and Aaron Gordon all have shooting, defensive, and at least enough shot creation to attack a closeout. Jose Alvarado and Grant Williams are solid young players in the same vein off the bench. You really can't ask for a more well-constructed team... almost. Their only other backups off the bench are two mediocre true centers in Luke Garza and Jock Landale, and Grant Williams is really more of a PF anyway. If they can get another solid backup wing or two, they'll have everything they need.
2. Los Angeles Lakers - This team is constructed with a clear vision in mind: Luka Doncic and pure defenders. in addition to their great defense, every other starting lineup member brings something else to the table too. De'Anthony Melton and Mikal Bridges both add secondary playmaking and scoring, DeAndre Ayton contributes an interior presence, and Jonathan Isaac... well, he's really really good at defense. Even off the bench, Lonnie Walker IV is the only scorer, while Bruce Brown, Precious Achiuwa, and Dwight Howard are all here for their defense too. We know the defense will be great, and the offense can't be bad with Luka at the helm. The only question is if it can be great with only one real source of buckets. If Mikal Bridges plays like he did during his IRL Nets tenure though, all bets are off.
3. Phoenix Suns - This team is super well-balanced. Jamal Murray and Jimmy Butler can share the playmaking and scoring load, with Butler and 3-D wing Andrew Wiggins covering for Murray on defense. Similarly, both Draymond Green and Vucevic bring even more passing to the table, with Vooch bringing the shooting and Draymond bringing the defense. A solid bench including Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rui Hachimura, and Seth Curry is similarly balanced. The only thing dropping the Suns below the other two teams is that they don't have that true superstar like Steph or Luka. Then again, we all know how Jimmy Butler gets when the playoffs start...
4. Team Serbia - This oddly named squad must be happy to play in the East, as they won't have to go toe-to-toe with any of the top three squads before a potential Finals matchup. With the Jameses (LeBron and Harden) leading the way, this team should have a balanced offense with enough playmaking and scoring to go around. A solid bench with 6th man Terry Rozier, Larry Nance Jr., and Paul Reed should be able to more than hold their own as well. However, this team lacks proper spacing, and the shooting guards are woeful, with rookie Christian Braun and power forward convert Chuma Okeke getting all the minutes there. If they can find at least one true starter at the 2, then watch out.
5. Washington Wizards - The Wizards have done what the Clippers might attempt to do in real life, partnering Paul George and Kawhi Leonard with a true playmaker in Chris Paul who can organize the offense for them. Brook Lopez, Quentin Grimes, and Onyeka Okongwu provide additional defense around the stars. This will be a team that's impossible to score on, and as long as their top three stars are healthy (which is easy in a league with little-to-no injuries), the offense should be potent too.
Playoff locks
6. Chicago Bulls - This team is like the IRL Bucks, with Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton surrounding a recent MVP and a 3-D center. However, they have Nikola Jokic and Myles Turner instead of Giannis and Brook Lopez, which might mean they're even better. Spencer Dinwiddie is an excellent fifth starter as well. However, the bench gets real thin real quick outside of Tim Hardaway Jr., so they're forced to play their stars 36-40 minutes a night. We'll see if that insane workload takes its toll on this older roster over the course of the year.
7. Boston Celtics - Giannis Antekounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis are a powerful duo that complements each other well in every aspect of the game, as long as Giannis can cover for KP being the worst rebounding 7-footer in history. This team has solid defenders throughout the roster, with Fred Van Vleet, Lu Dort, Jerami Grant, Derrick White, Kyle Anderson, Jevon Carter, and Dwight Powell all being a part of the rotation. If one thing holds this team back, it will be a lack of star guard play, but the defense might be good enough to make up for that anyway.
8. New York Knicks - Jayson Tatum was a surprise #2 overall pick, but is still a stud, and Knicks fans know that Julius Randle is a solid second option. This team has a squad of Isaiahs around them, as well as solid vets like Lonzo Ball and Bobby Portis. However, like the IRL Knicks, asking Randle to be a second option on a title team might be more than he can handle.
9. Dallas Mavericks - Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan are two of the biggest midrange mavens in the league, so watching this throwback offense might give you a tinge of nostalgia. John Wall is a necessary 6th man, and Dillon Brooks, Victor Oladipo, and Jaxson Hayes round out a very solid bench unit. However, the other starters next to KD and DeMar (Cole Anthony, Donte DiVincenzo, and Alperen Sengun) leave quite a bit to be desired, and the Mavericks will need some serious upgrades to reach contender status.
10. Atlanta Hawks - Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Hawks have Devin Booker, Franz Wagner, R.J. Barrett, and Ochai Agbaji. I'm positive at least two of those have been Cookie Hawks before, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This team rounds out the starting lineup with Jusuf Nurkic, and has a solid bench too. It's definitely a good team, but it's far from a great one.
11. Golden State Warriors - Zion Williamson and Bradley Beal are an excellent inside-out duo, and are rounded out nicely by complementary vets Tyus Jones, Kyle Kuzma, and Nic Claxton. The backup backcourt situation could be improved, as Johnny Davis and R.J. Hampton might be better on a rebuilding team, but this team is still solid. Like the preceding and succeeding teams on this list though, there's nothing that makes them amazing.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder - De'Aaron Fox and Brandon Ingram are a fun duo for now and the future, and Klay Thompson should provide them even more spacing for right now. Jakob Poeltl is a needed dose of size and grit on the interior, and the bench has a number of versatile defenders like Drew Eubanks and Robert Covington around 6th man Norman Powell. However, there's just not a ton of high-end star power (last pick of the fantasy draft ain't easy), so even though they should make the playoffs, I don't see them getting past the second round.
Play-in teams
13. - Brooklyn Nets Joel Embiid is Joel Embiid, and should be dominant even if he's playing at power forward to accomodate rookie Jalen Duren. Russell Westbrook and Jordan Clarkson provide a backcourt duo that's know for some their extreme playstyles, but they're very competent 2k players. The bench is solid, led by 6th man T.J. Warren. Like some other teams we'll see, there aren't necessarily many flaws here (outside of shooting from anyone other than Jordan Clarkson), but the fact that they only have one true star and a bunch of role players will keep them from being a true playoff threat.
14. Philadelphia 76ers - Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is amazing, Kevin Huerter provides good shooting at the 3, and Pascal Siakam and Clint Capela form a versatile frontcourt tandem. The bench is fantastic, if lacking a point guard, as Caris LeVert and Harrison Barnes are sure to fill up the stat sheet. Their main problem is starting shooting guard, where Jalen Suggs is currently being pressed into service he isn't ready for. If he was running the bench unit and passing to their talented wings, and the 76ers had a solid 3-D starter next to SGA in the backcourt, this team would be a playoff lock.
15. New Orleans Pelicans - This team is amazingly young, but the fit and talent level are much better than some of the squads below them. Anthony Edwards, Immanuel Quickley, and Cam Thomas will be a handful to cover, and Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler exist solely to deter shots. Their bench includes multiple useful vets like Al Horford and Alex Caruso, and should manage to tread water. The Pelicans will likely go as far as Edwards can take them for now, which shouldn't be much past the play-in, but the so-dubbed "Timberwolves that should have been" will at least be a fun team to watch.
16. Indiana Pacers - Damian Lillard and Zach LaVine should certainly put up points, but a teeny tiny frontcourt of Jae Crowder and Brandon Clarke will likely get mauled on the glass. If they can cash in some of their deep bench (including Keldon Johnson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Isaiah Jackson, and Malik Beasley) for a better big, I'll feel a lot better about their playoff chances.
17. Milwaukee Bucks - Like Atlanta, RJDriven has a bit of a type, going for some of the similar types of players (and in at least one case, the same EXACT player) he had in sim leagues past. Here, Tyrese Haliburton and Dejounte Murray form a nice complementary two way backcourt, and Mitchell Robinson should serve as a nice lob threat, with Christian Wood providing a nice ancillary source of offense. However, there's not much to get excited about on the bench, and this team doesn't really have that true first option offensively. A nice defense should keep them as a decent team, but I have them just missing the playoffs, at least until they add some more firepower.
18. Houston Rockets - Houston seems to want to have its cake and eat it too, selling Steph and Demar DeRozan for younger players and picks, and then turning around and moving those picks for win-now assets again. Presumably they're trying to build a more balanced and sustainable contender than one formed solely around Mr. Curry. Indeed, they have players that might start on some teams that don't even get minutes here. However, no matter how deep the team, a squad whose only 85+ player is Jalen Brunson will certainly have a hard ceiling on it.
19. Los Angeles Clippers - Jaren Jackson Jr. and Karl-Anthony Towns make for a really saucy new-age offensive duo, with two big men that can light it up from deep. The rest of the roster leaves a bit to be wanting though. Markelle Fultz, Kevin Porter Jr., Kelly Oubre, Jalen Smith... none of those players are exactly what you'd call "dependable" in any respect. This team can certainly make the playoffs if all of those guys have a good year simultaneously, but I wouldn't bet on it.
20. Portland Trail Blazers - LaMelo Ball and Desmond Bane should be a good offense for years, not unlike Bane and Ja Morant on the IRL Grizzlies. However, these Blazers lack the depth and quality surrounding cast of those Grizzlies, and have seemed to be more looking to sell than buy. That's all well and good -- they have a long window with Ball and Bane -- but don't expect a deep playoff run from them in year 1.
Lottery teams
21. Miami Heat - Ja Morant is a menace in more ways than one, and we know he plays well with Jonas Valanciunas. Anfernee Simons and Michael Porter Jr. should make sure this offense is dynamic, even if they might be seriously lacking on the other end. Gordon Hayward and Bogdan Bogdanovic make for a very solid (if expensive) bench unit, although the rest of the unit was clearly more picked for their potential than their current production. This team definitely has pieces, but with few defenders, only one star, and a point guard who could get random-evented into oblivion at any time, I'm skeptical of how good they'll be.
22. Seattle Supersonics - Donovan Mitchell and Tyler Herro will certainly both score. Both can shoot, so both can theoretically play off-ball... but which one of them is actually willing to pass the ball to the other? Robert Williams is a good defensive pairing with them, and Miles Bridges provides even more scoring, but the complete lack of playmaking (and a very mediocre bench) don't bode well for the future of this team.
23. Toronto Raptors - Similar to the team right above them, these Raptors have a good scoring backcourt in Trae Young and Jordan Poole. Young is an excellent playmaker too, so although there are massive defensive questions with such a small backcourt, they should cook offensively. However, after selling off key vets in Khris Middleton and John Wall, this team is sorely lacking for talent around them.
24. Sacramento Kings - Darius Garland is a great lead guard, but the praise pretty much stops there. When you spend your 2nd round pick on a 79 overall (even if he has Jabari Smith Jr.'s upside), you know you're at least partially punting on the first season. However, a deep GM room, as well as other solid long-term prospects like Saddiq Bey, Davion Mitchell should give this team a bright future.
25. Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies have a super deep stable of guards, with four starting-caliber players in C.J. McCollum, Malcolm Brogdon, Gary Trent Jr., and Mike Conley. Domantas Sabonis and Lauri Markkanen make for a fun frontcourt as well. However, Dorian Finney-Smtih is the only player on the roster who's defensively oriented, so no matter how good the offense is, having a bottom-5 defense should keep them out of the playoffs.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves - Kyrie Irving and Bam Adebayo are a good start to a team, and there's actually a decent group of vets around them. But Bam and Rudy Gobert are an atrocious fit together, and this team is way over the salary cap, so they'll have to sell players instead of improving. They certainly have the talent to be a play-in team, but it's questionable how many of their current players end up making it through the season on the team.
27. Orlando Magic - I love the way this team fits together, as well as their focus on youth. Tyrese Maxey and Paolo Banchero are the primary scorers, with Jeremy Sochan and Xavier Tillman providing git and defense down low. The bench is arguably just as good as the starting lineup, with known buckets Alec Burks and Collin Sexton, wing stopper Isaac Okoro, and young prospects Josh Christopher and Isaiah Stewart in an intriguing small-ball group. However, they lack a primary playmaker to set up all their scorers, and their best players are tied at an 84. The Magic have an impatient owner who won't allow tanking, and I anticipate trades to bring this team into the play-in conversation, but I won't place them higher until I see the results.
28. Charlotte Hornets - Jaylen Brown and Scottie Barnes are a dominant two-way forward duo, not dissimilar to Brown and Jayson Tatum IRL. However, Barnes more to the table as a playmaker than Tatum, so in the long term they could be an even better match. Currently though, Barnes has a long way to go, while the rest of the team is either very young or on the trade block. This ranking reflects the expectation that the Hornets will continue to sell off some assets before building around their two tentpoles in future years.
Tankers
29. Detroit Pistons - This is a tough team to place. Josh Giddey and Ben Simmons are an interesting duo of massive Aussie playmakers, and Chet Holmgren could grow very well alongside them. They added a bunch of vets around that young core to mentor them as well, so expect rapid development. However, with only one player above an 80 overall, I can't consider this team anything other than a tanker in good conscience.
30. Denver Nuggets - Similar to the next team on this list, the Nuggets are very young, led by the IRL Pistons duo of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Like the IRL Pistons, they will be very very bad this year.
31. San Antonio Spurs - This is a roster of boys amongst men. Chenmabobber certainly has a vision, and players like Shaedon Sharpe, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels, Malakhi Branham, and insert 10 more 21 year olds will be good someday. However, Evan Mobley is the only good player NOW.
32. Cleveland Cavaliers - I no longer know who's on this team, as they shipped out everything except for Jalen Green. Expect him to go for 40 every night while his teammates combine for only 40 more, and the team to lose by 30 anyway.