Sun Jun 10, 2007 3:04 am
This is a great young team you put together. You are under the salary cap while maintaining a decent team. The only drawback I found was that two of your starters are not above 60 (although they surely will be after this year).
However, I don't like fantasty drafting too much. Somtimes I want to get a player, but I wasn't able to draft him. Then, I have to spend a ton of time trying to find him because he is on a different team.
As for Bosh, developing him will be a good idea but, as you said, he is a wee bit short to play center. But you could trade Amare for Yao maybe and play Bosh at PF (something the real Toronto Raptors are doing).
Can you give me the link where the poster said that Podkolzin would be a monster? Unless he gets trained a lot, I can't imagine him being a "monster". The highest amount of development I've seen is 5 per year and 8 per 2 years (Milicic and Bosh: 51 to 56 to 59 and 65 to 69 to 73, respectively). Given that type of development for Podkolzin, he would be an 80+ by the time he is 29, but I would think that its unlikely.
However, I don't like fantasty drafting too much. Somtimes I want to get a player, but I wasn't able to draft him. Then, I have to spend a ton of time trying to find him because he is on a different team.
As for Bosh, developing him will be a good idea but, as you said, he is a wee bit short to play center. But you could trade Amare for Yao maybe and play Bosh at PF (something the real Toronto Raptors are doing).
Can you give me the link where the poster said that Podkolzin would be a monster? Unless he gets trained a lot, I can't imagine him being a "monster". The highest amount of development I've seen is 5 per year and 8 per 2 years (Milicic and Bosh: 51 to 56 to 59 and 65 to 69 to 73, respectively). Given that type of development for Podkolzin, he would be an 80+ by the time he is 29, but I would think that its unlikely.
Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:54 am
I agree with you on fantasy drafting. In addition to what you said, it also prevents you from doing deals you would normally be able to do with a regular dynasty because the team needs are different (in fact, the rosters and everything else are different too). But as my Knicks Dynasty trading is done for the season until the offseason, I wanted to do something of a GM nature. I thought it would be interesting to try a draft with finances in mind, and this draft met that need. It was kind of fun.
Although I have PG and SF below 60, I don't think it's a total impediment. I have Josh Smith on my Knicks Dynasty roster, and he's a blast to play with, especially as I like my SF to take the ball to the hoop. He has a great dunk rating and good jumping, speed and quickness ratings. Deng isn't a dunking force like Smith, but his numbers suggest he can be effective, and his FG rating is good enough that I should be able to get some nice mid-range shots in. I am curious about Ridnour, though. I actually preferred Tinsley (63 rating) when I focused on PG's, but he went a round earlier. Ridnour's 3-point shooting is on the border of being great, but I wonder if he'll be able to hit the key 3 when needed. He's also a bit slower than the PG's I normally play with, so that will be new for me. However, his defense is real solid, so that will be consistent.
Good point about dealing Stoudemire and moving Bosh to PF...I hadn't thought of that. I did want to get Ming in the 2nd, but he went in the 1st, so that left Stoudemire as the best choice for me in the 2nd. I may give that deal a shot.
The team might have been a bit different if I went for PG earlier in the draft or even SF. But (1) the PG's and SF's who were young with long-term cheap contracts were gone when I thought of them as good value, and (2) it was hard passing up some of the talent I got at backup when I got them (for example, I passed up on Jason Williams and Jamal Tinsley because Okafor was still sitting there...Deng was another I was surprised to see hanging around, so I drafted him when I may have focused elsewhere).
I was also surprised about the Podkolzin comment...I only saw it once. He actually did not use the term "monster"...he actually said "huge" (in all caps). I agree with the limited training one can do in a year. But at 7'5" and being only 20 and having a 4 year contract, I thought he was worth trying to develop to see what happens. Even if he ends up like Bradley, in Live '05 that isn't too bad....a tall center who can block. I just need to develop his blocking skills more. Anyway, the comment was in the "NBA Live 2005 Dynasty" section under the "Cheap But Effective Players" thread. A guy named Mick posted it on August 26, 2005. He said "Pavel Podkolzin after a few years of development becomes HUGE!! While his overall rating doesn't increase, playing with him is awesome as you just put him on the block, back your man down and flip in layups or the occasional dunk. Because he is so big, he always holds his position." It was towards the end of that thread.
Although I have PG and SF below 60, I don't think it's a total impediment. I have Josh Smith on my Knicks Dynasty roster, and he's a blast to play with, especially as I like my SF to take the ball to the hoop. He has a great dunk rating and good jumping, speed and quickness ratings. Deng isn't a dunking force like Smith, but his numbers suggest he can be effective, and his FG rating is good enough that I should be able to get some nice mid-range shots in. I am curious about Ridnour, though. I actually preferred Tinsley (63 rating) when I focused on PG's, but he went a round earlier. Ridnour's 3-point shooting is on the border of being great, but I wonder if he'll be able to hit the key 3 when needed. He's also a bit slower than the PG's I normally play with, so that will be new for me. However, his defense is real solid, so that will be consistent.
Good point about dealing Stoudemire and moving Bosh to PF...I hadn't thought of that. I did want to get Ming in the 2nd, but he went in the 1st, so that left Stoudemire as the best choice for me in the 2nd. I may give that deal a shot.
The team might have been a bit different if I went for PG earlier in the draft or even SF. But (1) the PG's and SF's who were young with long-term cheap contracts were gone when I thought of them as good value, and (2) it was hard passing up some of the talent I got at backup when I got them (for example, I passed up on Jason Williams and Jamal Tinsley because Okafor was still sitting there...Deng was another I was surprised to see hanging around, so I drafted him when I may have focused elsewhere).
I was also surprised about the Podkolzin comment...I only saw it once. He actually did not use the term "monster"...he actually said "huge" (in all caps). I agree with the limited training one can do in a year. But at 7'5" and being only 20 and having a 4 year contract, I thought he was worth trying to develop to see what happens. Even if he ends up like Bradley, in Live '05 that isn't too bad....a tall center who can block. I just need to develop his blocking skills more. Anyway, the comment was in the "NBA Live 2005 Dynasty" section under the "Cheap But Effective Players" thread. A guy named Mick posted it on August 26, 2005. He said "Pavel Podkolzin after a few years of development becomes HUGE!! While his overall rating doesn't increase, playing with him is awesome as you just put him on the block, back your man down and flip in layups or the occasional dunk. Because he is so big, he always holds his position." It was towards the end of that thread.
Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:15 am
You can quote what he said by highlighting his words and press "quote selected".
I was thinking the same thing as you about fantasy drafts. To get a guy like Yao, usually it just takes a ~80 PG to get him from Houston, but in a fantasy you have to use someone else (or a combination of some people).
I think you made the right choice in drafting Ridnour. Tinsley is too old (compared to Ridnour) and his contract expires a few years before Ridnour's and will demand a big contract. And if you drafted Willams, your cap space would be way less.
Now I understand what that guy said about Podkolzin. If it was posted in the Cheap But Effective Players thread, the players they talk about will have a lower rating.
I was thinking the same thing as you about fantasy drafts. To get a guy like Yao, usually it just takes a ~80 PG to get him from Houston, but in a fantasy you have to use someone else (or a combination of some people).
I think you made the right choice in drafting Ridnour. Tinsley is too old (compared to Ridnour) and his contract expires a few years before Ridnour's and will demand a big contract. And if you drafted Willams, your cap space would be way less.
Now I understand what that guy said about Podkolzin. If it was posted in the Cheap But Effective Players thread, the players they talk about will have a lower rating.
Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:31 am
True about the ratings. Some still effective players, though. Their list included Lue, N'Diaye, Korver, Moiso, Kapono, Dickau, Pargo, Ramos, Steven Hunter, Diop, barbosa, Haywood, House, Josh Smith, etc. Some of them are in the upper 50's, but most are not.
Started playing around with some trades in that fantasy league. Toronto has Ming in this league, but they also have Gasol at PG, so they have little need for Stoudemire. They also seem to want PG's, so I thought to add in Dickau or even Pargo, but no dice. Here are the potential trades that could work:
- Deng and Podkolzin for Artest. I would lose the backup C, but improve at SF.
- Biedrins and Podkolzin for Kaman. I would give up a backup PF (although I still have Milicic to back up Amare and Okafor) and a potential stiff at C for a better center.
- Deng and Podkolzin for Mike Miller. Miller is not as much of an upgrade rating-wise as Artest, but he has a better combo of inside and outside shooting.
- Milicic and Podkolzin for Dalembert. Like the Kaman deal, it would get me a better center, although in this deal, I give up my 4th PF rather than my 3rd (Milicic is lower ranked too). The dowwnside is that Dalembert's deal is for 1 year rather tahn Kaman's 3 yrs.
- Milicic and Podkolzin for Gerald Wallace. Here, I add another nice SF, who's higher rated than my present SF's, but I lose a backup PF and C and I already have 3 nice SF's...Wallace is on a 1 year deal too. Don't know that I improve that much, as Josh Smith is a slightly lower-rated version of Wallace, only signed longer.
As Podkolzin is the common link in all 5 deals, I can only do 1. The Artest, Kaman and Dalembert deals strike me as the best. Your thoughts?
Started playing around with some trades in that fantasy league. Toronto has Ming in this league, but they also have Gasol at PG, so they have little need for Stoudemire. They also seem to want PG's, so I thought to add in Dickau or even Pargo, but no dice. Here are the potential trades that could work:
- Deng and Podkolzin for Artest. I would lose the backup C, but improve at SF.
- Biedrins and Podkolzin for Kaman. I would give up a backup PF (although I still have Milicic to back up Amare and Okafor) and a potential stiff at C for a better center.
- Deng and Podkolzin for Mike Miller. Miller is not as much of an upgrade rating-wise as Artest, but he has a better combo of inside and outside shooting.
- Milicic and Podkolzin for Dalembert. Like the Kaman deal, it would get me a better center, although in this deal, I give up my 4th PF rather than my 3rd (Milicic is lower ranked too). The dowwnside is that Dalembert's deal is for 1 year rather tahn Kaman's 3 yrs.
- Milicic and Podkolzin for Gerald Wallace. Here, I add another nice SF, who's higher rated than my present SF's, but I lose a backup PF and C and I already have 3 nice SF's...Wallace is on a 1 year deal too. Don't know that I improve that much, as Josh Smith is a slightly lower-rated version of Wallace, only signed longer.
As Podkolzin is the common link in all 5 deals, I can only do 1. The Artest, Kaman and Dalembert deals strike me as the best. Your thoughts?
Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:56 am
Your interest in fantasy draft got me to do a little fantasy drafting myself. The team I oringinally got was:
Dirk, Dwight Howard, Gerald Wallace, Battier, and Tony Parker
Guess which position I'm missing.
Houston (coincidentally) drafted Yao, and (again, coincidentally) was in need of a PG. I couldn't get them to trade Dirk for Yao and Araujo, so I traded for Steve Francis in Toronto straight up for Dirk. Then, I traded Francis, Delfino, and a filler (both signed, not drafted) for Yao, Araujo, and Jerome James (a big salary to fit the cap)
I think you should use the same idea to get Yao. Which team has an around 80 rated PG (like Parker, Steve Francis, D-Wade, etc.) and a need for PF? If they don't need a PF but need another position, trade for a player in that position until you get that PG to trade for Yao. Can you also post the roster of the Raptors along with their salaries?
As for your other trades, I'm leaning towards the Kaman trade and the Artest trade (I never knew the computer would trade a 59 SF and a 46 C for Artest). If you want to get Podkolzin back, just sign another guy and trade for him.
Dirk, Dwight Howard, Gerald Wallace, Battier, and Tony Parker
Guess which position I'm missing.
Houston (coincidentally) drafted Yao, and (again, coincidentally) was in need of a PG. I couldn't get them to trade Dirk for Yao and Araujo, so I traded for Steve Francis in Toronto straight up for Dirk. Then, I traded Francis, Delfino, and a filler (both signed, not drafted) for Yao, Araujo, and Jerome James (a big salary to fit the cap)
I think you should use the same idea to get Yao. Which team has an around 80 rated PG (like Parker, Steve Francis, D-Wade, etc.) and a need for PF? If they don't need a PF but need another position, trade for a player in that position until you get that PG to trade for Yao. Can you also post the roster of the Raptors along with their salaries?
As for your other trades, I'm leaning towards the Kaman trade and the Artest trade (I never knew the computer would trade a 59 SF and a 46 C for Artest). If you want to get Podkolzin back, just sign another guy and trade for him.
Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:02 am
Cool team. Dirl is pricey, but one usually needs 1 pricey star...for me it was Kobe and for you it's Dirk. I haven't had the chance to try Dirk out yet...I'd like to at some point. Howard is like Okafor...young, relatively reasonably priced and signed for a few years. A great PF. Although Wallace is a bit fragile and is on a 1 year deal, I like him a lot. I got him for my Knicks dynasty and he's a player. Battier is a good SG to have in Live '05...signed for a few years and with the ability to play inside or out. And you can't argue with Parker, although he's also on a 1 year deal, I believe, so his salary will be going up.
Smooth dealing to get Yao. I think I'll try something similar.
I just played my 1st game with this team, and Deng did pretty well, which makes me wonder about whether I need to upgrade him or not. Surprisingly, Podkolzin looked sharp and quite usable too. Here's some of the key points:
- Bosh had 19 points and 5 rebounds...no blocks.
- Stoudemire had 17 points and 8 rebounds...no blocks.
- Deng played 21 minutes and was 5-6 in FG's for 10 points, with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block. Pretty nice well-rounded game.
- Kobe had 25 points, 4 assists and a couple of steals.
- Ridnour was good, but not special. He was a bit slower than I expected right now. He gave me 13 points, but only 2 assists. He had a few steals.
- Pargo was surprisingly disappointing. 2-5 in FG's for 4 points, 2 asists, 1 steal in 14 minutes.
- Podkolzin played 10 minutes and was 2-5 in FG's, 2-2 in FT's for 6 points, and had 5 rebounds and 1 block. He looks like a beast in the game, towering over the others. He had a smooth shot, was quicker than I expected, and hit FT's nicely. He was also pretty strong, regularly backing the opposing defender down in the box. With some development on rebounding and blocks, I can see why that guy we talked about said Podkolzin can be huge. It still might be worth trading him for someone presently more talented.
- I expected Welsch to be a better shooter. He couldn't hit the 3 so well, and his aim was off in this game. I can see trading him and not missing him so much.
- Biedrins was somewhat similar to Welsch, in that I expected Biedrins to play "bigger". He wasn't horrible, but I expected more.
What I noticed was that other than Ridnour, who is rated 43 for Stamina, my other starters are great with stamina. So absent foul trouble, I can keep them in for a while. That's why Stoudemire had so much PT and Okafor only got 9 minutes of PT. As such, it might not be worth having 2 top PF's, when I can use one for trade bait and bring in a slightly lower-rated backup PF...not sure I'll do it, but I am mulling it over.
I have to say I enjoyed playing Podkolzin. However, as much as I may be interested in developing him, I may be foolish if I don't use him for trade bait. Bosh, Harrison and Podkolzin are all presently average in blocks, so if I want to dominate defensively, I may need to upgrade there. Getting Kaman could address that. However, from an overall ranking stand-point, it migh tbe foolish not to upgrade Deng to Artest. If I get Kaman, I can rely on Deng at SF and I've upgraded at C for relatively little. On the other hand, if I go for Artest, I've improved at SF and can still go after Ming to support my center position.
Tough call, but I think Artest would be the wisest "get"...don't you agree?
Sat. Night Edit: Decided to make the moves. NJ needed a PF, so I traded Stoudemire to the Nets for Tony Parker. I then moved Parker and Dickau to the PG-starved Raptors for Ming. I added Frank Williams from free agnecy to be my 3rd PG. I then traded Deng and Podkolzin to Houston for Artest (believe it or not, Podkolzin was the more desired player...over Deng...for Houston). Lastly, I added Casey Jacobsen from free agency to be my 3rd SG. So now I have:
PG: Ridnour (starting), Pargo, F.Williams
SG: Bryant (starting), Welsch, C.Jacobsen
SF: Artest (starting), J.Smith, Korver (Korver can play SG too)
PF: Okafor (starting), Biedrins, Milicic (Bosh can play here too)
C: Ming (starting), Bosh, Harrison
Still 2.07M under the cap too.
Smooth dealing to get Yao. I think I'll try something similar.
I just played my 1st game with this team, and Deng did pretty well, which makes me wonder about whether I need to upgrade him or not. Surprisingly, Podkolzin looked sharp and quite usable too. Here's some of the key points:
- Bosh had 19 points and 5 rebounds...no blocks.
- Stoudemire had 17 points and 8 rebounds...no blocks.
- Deng played 21 minutes and was 5-6 in FG's for 10 points, with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block. Pretty nice well-rounded game.
- Kobe had 25 points, 4 assists and a couple of steals.
- Ridnour was good, but not special. He was a bit slower than I expected right now. He gave me 13 points, but only 2 assists. He had a few steals.
- Pargo was surprisingly disappointing. 2-5 in FG's for 4 points, 2 asists, 1 steal in 14 minutes.
- Podkolzin played 10 minutes and was 2-5 in FG's, 2-2 in FT's for 6 points, and had 5 rebounds and 1 block. He looks like a beast in the game, towering over the others. He had a smooth shot, was quicker than I expected, and hit FT's nicely. He was also pretty strong, regularly backing the opposing defender down in the box. With some development on rebounding and blocks, I can see why that guy we talked about said Podkolzin can be huge. It still might be worth trading him for someone presently more talented.
- I expected Welsch to be a better shooter. He couldn't hit the 3 so well, and his aim was off in this game. I can see trading him and not missing him so much.
- Biedrins was somewhat similar to Welsch, in that I expected Biedrins to play "bigger". He wasn't horrible, but I expected more.
What I noticed was that other than Ridnour, who is rated 43 for Stamina, my other starters are great with stamina. So absent foul trouble, I can keep them in for a while. That's why Stoudemire had so much PT and Okafor only got 9 minutes of PT. As such, it might not be worth having 2 top PF's, when I can use one for trade bait and bring in a slightly lower-rated backup PF...not sure I'll do it, but I am mulling it over.
I have to say I enjoyed playing Podkolzin. However, as much as I may be interested in developing him, I may be foolish if I don't use him for trade bait. Bosh, Harrison and Podkolzin are all presently average in blocks, so if I want to dominate defensively, I may need to upgrade there. Getting Kaman could address that. However, from an overall ranking stand-point, it migh tbe foolish not to upgrade Deng to Artest. If I get Kaman, I can rely on Deng at SF and I've upgraded at C for relatively little. On the other hand, if I go for Artest, I've improved at SF and can still go after Ming to support my center position.
Tough call, but I think Artest would be the wisest "get"...don't you agree?
Sat. Night Edit: Decided to make the moves. NJ needed a PF, so I traded Stoudemire to the Nets for Tony Parker. I then moved Parker and Dickau to the PG-starved Raptors for Ming. I added Frank Williams from free agnecy to be my 3rd PG. I then traded Deng and Podkolzin to Houston for Artest (believe it or not, Podkolzin was the more desired player...over Deng...for Houston). Lastly, I added Casey Jacobsen from free agency to be my 3rd SG. So now I have:
PG: Ridnour (starting), Pargo, F.Williams
SG: Bryant (starting), Welsch, C.Jacobsen
SF: Artest (starting), J.Smith, Korver (Korver can play SG too)
PF: Okafor (starting), Biedrins, Milicic (Bosh can play here too)
C: Ming (starting), Bosh, Harrison
Still 2.07M under the cap too.
Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:21 pm
Sorry to post 2 in a row...the last post was getting long, so I thought to separate it.
JT, I played my 1st game with Ming and Artest in the lineup. Chemistry seemed a bit weird while playing...maybe too many "stars". But the scoring ended up pretty even.
- Ming was dominant. He went 30 minutes, was 13-16 FG, 1-3 FT, 27 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks.
- Okafor went 30 minutes. He went 8-18 FG for 16 points, 7 reb., 7 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal.
- Artest went 29 min., and was 7-10 FG, 4-4 FT, 18 points, 5 reb., 2 assists, 5 steals.
- Kobe was his usual monster self. 'Nuff said there.
- Ridnour was better this game. 13 points on 6-10 shooting, with 10 assists.
- Due to Ming and Okafor's stamina, Bosh only was in 9 minutes, but was 4-6 FG for 8 points, with 4 reb. and 1 block in that time.
- Pargo, Welsch and Korver were still weak.
Made a few more moves that I think worked well.
- I traded Welsch to San Antonio for Jaric.
- I then traded Frank Williams and Pargo to PG starved LA Clippers for Battier. That was a deal I was surprised went through.
- I then added Kevin Ollie to be my 3rd PG.
My team now looks like this:
PG: Jaric, Ridnour, Ollie
SG: Bryant, Battier, Jacobsen (Battier can also play SF)
SF: Artest, J.Smith, Korver (Korver can also play SG)
PF: Okafor, Biedrins, Milicic
C: Ming, Bosh, Harrison (Bosh can also play PF)
The new deals took me over the cap...I am $444K over the cap, which is not bad, but I'd love to bring it back under again.
JT, I played my 1st game with Ming and Artest in the lineup. Chemistry seemed a bit weird while playing...maybe too many "stars". But the scoring ended up pretty even.
- Ming was dominant. He went 30 minutes, was 13-16 FG, 1-3 FT, 27 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks.
- Okafor went 30 minutes. He went 8-18 FG for 16 points, 7 reb., 7 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal.
- Artest went 29 min., and was 7-10 FG, 4-4 FT, 18 points, 5 reb., 2 assists, 5 steals.
- Kobe was his usual monster self. 'Nuff said there.
- Ridnour was better this game. 13 points on 6-10 shooting, with 10 assists.
- Due to Ming and Okafor's stamina, Bosh only was in 9 minutes, but was 4-6 FG for 8 points, with 4 reb. and 1 block in that time.
- Pargo, Welsch and Korver were still weak.
Made a few more moves that I think worked well.
- I traded Welsch to San Antonio for Jaric.
- I then traded Frank Williams and Pargo to PG starved LA Clippers for Battier. That was a deal I was surprised went through.
- I then added Kevin Ollie to be my 3rd PG.
My team now looks like this:
PG: Jaric, Ridnour, Ollie
SG: Bryant, Battier, Jacobsen (Battier can also play SF)
SF: Artest, J.Smith, Korver (Korver can also play SG)
PF: Okafor, Biedrins, Milicic
C: Ming, Bosh, Harrison (Bosh can also play PF)
The new deals took me over the cap...I am $444K over the cap, which is not bad, but I'd love to bring it back under again.
Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:29 pm
(Posted this eight minutes late)
Dirk is great to play with. He can hit the three (somthing only a few PF's could do; Radmanovic and Donyell Marshell comes to mind), has a good post game, he is 7' 0", and he is still not over 30.
I actually prefer Howard over Okafor. Howard is a few years younger and rumor has it that he grows another inch in this game. He also gains rating a bit more faster than Okafor.
Parker's salary is going WAY up. I'm looking to trade him for another player to get Dwayne Wade.
Nothing special sbout the stats. With Bosh and Amare's height and block rating, they're not going to get many blocks and I don't think anyone expected much more from Pargo, Beidrens, and Welsch.
Great trades!
Your team looks a lot stronger and, although your bench is a little thin, the starting 5 will get the job done. I recommend trading for a better backup PG if you can give up Pargo, Beidrens, or Welsch. And if you want Podkolzin back, sign any SF to get back Podkolzin (I'm tired of spelling his name already) as NJ should be reeling from the effects of the Artest trade.
Edit (after seeing latest post): Now you team looks like a world-beater! With all starters above 60 and a good bench led by Bosh, this team could go long way. But you don't need to stop here. Lebron, D-Wade, and Melo won't hurt.
Dirk is great to play with. He can hit the three (somthing only a few PF's could do; Radmanovic and Donyell Marshell comes to mind), has a good post game, he is 7' 0", and he is still not over 30.
I actually prefer Howard over Okafor. Howard is a few years younger and rumor has it that he grows another inch in this game. He also gains rating a bit more faster than Okafor.
Parker's salary is going WAY up. I'm looking to trade him for another player to get Dwayne Wade.
Nothing special sbout the stats. With Bosh and Amare's height and block rating, they're not going to get many blocks and I don't think anyone expected much more from Pargo, Beidrens, and Welsch.
Great trades!
Your team looks a lot stronger and, although your bench is a little thin, the starting 5 will get the job done. I recommend trading for a better backup PG if you can give up Pargo, Beidrens, or Welsch. And if you want Podkolzin back, sign any SF to get back Podkolzin (I'm tired of spelling his name already) as NJ should be reeling from the effects of the Artest trade.
Edit (after seeing latest post): Now you team looks like a world-beater! With all starters above 60 and a good bench led by Bosh, this team could go long way. But you don't need to stop here. Lebron, D-Wade, and Melo won't hurt.
Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:00 am
I fully agree on Dirk. I imagine he's a blast to play with.
Didn't kow that about Howard. I wonder why he develops quicker than Okafor.
Fully agree as well on Parker's salary. His current salary is a joke compared to his great ranking.
I think my last batch of trades addressed most of the backup spots other than PF, but Bosh can play there is needed. Jaric moves Ridnour to backup PG, Battier is a great SG/SF backup, Josh Smith and Korver can play both SG and SF spots, and Bosh and Harrison are great backup C's.
I likely can move Artest and a backup to get Anthony if I wanted.
What's interesting is that while doing the GM thing is fun, using the fantasy dynasty makes trading too easy. With my Knicks dynasty, there's no way I am getting Garnett, Ming, Anthony or any of the top "gets" in basketball...the Knicks had too many under-performing, older, high-priced players to make those deals happen. But in these fantasy dynasties, you can pretty much make any type of deal happen. I guess that's why the NBA dynasties (like my Knicks dynasty) are more enjoyable...the deals come that much harder, so it is even more enjoyable when you make them happen.
So it has been relatively easy to draft a pretty good fantasy team and turn it into a top team with Jaric, Kobe, Artest, Okafor and Ming as the starting 5. It was a lot harder turning a crappy Knicks roster into a pretty good team with J-Will, Kobe, Gerald Wallace, Okafor and Ilgauskas as the starting 5...and it's aprt of the reason I like my Knicks dynasty the best of my 3 active dynasties.
Still, as I need my "GM fix", I'm going to continue to play around with trades on my fantasy dynasties.
Didn't kow that about Howard. I wonder why he develops quicker than Okafor.
Fully agree as well on Parker's salary. His current salary is a joke compared to his great ranking.
I think my last batch of trades addressed most of the backup spots other than PF, but Bosh can play there is needed. Jaric moves Ridnour to backup PG, Battier is a great SG/SF backup, Josh Smith and Korver can play both SG and SF spots, and Bosh and Harrison are great backup C's.
I likely can move Artest and a backup to get Anthony if I wanted.
What's interesting is that while doing the GM thing is fun, using the fantasy dynasty makes trading too easy. With my Knicks dynasty, there's no way I am getting Garnett, Ming, Anthony or any of the top "gets" in basketball...the Knicks had too many under-performing, older, high-priced players to make those deals happen. But in these fantasy dynasties, you can pretty much make any type of deal happen. I guess that's why the NBA dynasties (like my Knicks dynasty) are more enjoyable...the deals come that much harder, so it is even more enjoyable when you make them happen.
So it has been relatively easy to draft a pretty good fantasy team and turn it into a top team with Jaric, Kobe, Artest, Okafor and Ming as the starting 5. It was a lot harder turning a crappy Knicks roster into a pretty good team with J-Will, Kobe, Gerald Wallace, Okafor and Ilgauskas as the starting 5...and it's aprt of the reason I like my Knicks dynasty the best of my 3 active dynasties.
Still, as I need my "GM fix", I'm going to continue to play around with trades on my fantasy dynasties.
Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:49 am
I think Howard developes faster because he has a higher careerpkg or something like that. But I saw that some player gain ratings every other year. So it might be that Howard gains in the first season and Okafor second.
Are you sure that you can't get the top "gets" in basketball using a Knicks dynasty? I actually found a fantasy draft more harder to trade. As I've said before, using a fantay draft loses familiarity with the teams' rosters. So I can't do any of my favorite trades.
I'm not going to play my fantasy dynasty much. I have many dynastys and I can't seem to finish any of them. I'm also scared of year 4. I drafted 6 guys that are cashing their paychecks in 4 years.
Are you sure that you can't get the top "gets" in basketball using a Knicks dynasty? I actually found a fantasy draft more harder to trade. As I've said before, using a fantay draft loses familiarity with the teams' rosters. So I can't do any of my favorite trades.
I'm not going to play my fantasy dynasty much. I have many dynastys and I can't seem to finish any of them. I'm also scared of year 4. I drafted 6 guys that are cashing their paychecks in 4 years.
Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:04 am
I can only imagine about year 4. I'm in year 1 of each dynasty, so they have yet to scare me off with contract demands. :)
Yup, tough to get the best with the Knicks. Houston's contract is a killer, as is Hardaway's. Ilgauskas is also pricey and his rating is not high enough to net me a center like Ming. My roster is now pretty solid, don't get me wrong...I am happy with it. But if I wanted to get players ranked in their 80's who are young, most are not cheap, and I want to bring my cap down. And for those that are cheap, like Anthony or Ming, my expensive, lower-ranked players makes it tough to get them. Ilgauskas on his own is about $10M more than Ming and he is about 11 "points" less in overall ranking. If I was to add another player to make the rankings worth it, I would not be able to find a lower-ranked player on the opposing team who has an expensive expiring contract. That's the killer.
Yup, tough to get the best with the Knicks. Houston's contract is a killer, as is Hardaway's. Ilgauskas is also pricey and his rating is not high enough to net me a center like Ming. My roster is now pretty solid, don't get me wrong...I am happy with it. But if I wanted to get players ranked in their 80's who are young, most are not cheap, and I want to bring my cap down. And for those that are cheap, like Anthony or Ming, my expensive, lower-ranked players makes it tough to get them. Ilgauskas on his own is about $10M more than Ming and he is about 11 "points" less in overall ranking. If I was to add another player to make the rankings worth it, I would not be able to find a lower-ranked player on the opposing team who has an expensive expiring contract. That's the killer.
Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:21 pm
Well, resigning players always is a headache for me. It's really hard to negotiate with the players and they always ask for a salary not justified by their rating. Howard already has a medium contract so if he, Iguodala, and Childress ask for more, I'll be 20M or so over the cap (not factoring in Yao's or D-Wade's pay raise).
Your Knicks roster is good enough to win a championship. But adding the extra 80s guy gives more options and better players to work with. Do you think that it is possible to use the original Knicks roster and trade until you get a team of Yao, Boozer, Anthony, Kobe, and D-Wade? That would be quite hard, though.
Anyway, you don't actually need an expensive EXPIRING contract. Just take the long contract if you have to and then trade for the expiring contract afterwards.
Your Knicks roster is good enough to win a championship. But adding the extra 80s guy gives more options and better players to work with. Do you think that it is possible to use the original Knicks roster and trade until you get a team of Yao, Boozer, Anthony, Kobe, and D-Wade? That would be quite hard, though.
Anyway, you don't actually need an expensive EXPIRING contract. Just take the long contract if you have to and then trade for the expiring contract afterwards.
Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:05 pm
That would be a dream lineup, but I haven't found the way to do it yet. I did get Kobe, by trading Marbury to the Lakers. But the others are tough to get. Other than Kobe (94 rating), I don't have players now above a 71 rating (J-Will is 71, Okafor is 70 and Ilgauskas is 69). And with most of those players being a bit pricey, it's tough to combine them for a young cheap player...especially as now no team is that far under the cap.
So using Ming as the example...Houston is $11.88M over the cap and Ming is an 80 rating with a $4.44M contract for 2 years. Other than McGrady's $14.49M contract (and they're not giving me McGrady, nor do I need him with Kobe on my team) , the next highest contract is Maurice Taylor (61 rating) at 3 yrs., $8.45M, with Clarence Weatherspoon (57 rating, 2 yrs., $5.90M), Juwan Howard (64 rating, 4 yrs., $5.41M) and the soon to be retiring Mutombo (58 rating, 1 yr., $4.50M) right behind. Every other contract is below $2M, except Sura's $3M contract. With Mutombo going to retire, all Houston has at C is Ming. So I would have to trade them Ilgauskas plus more. Ilgauskas' $14.63M contract on its own would require my getting Ming, Taylor and either Howard or Weatherspoon in a 3-for-1 to make the numbers work, but Houston would not want to trade me Ming (80) for Ilgauskas (69) on his own, let alone give other pieces to make the money work. Sure, I can part with a few cheaper players like Sweetney, Okafor or Gerald Wallace (cheap young players with decent rankings) to up the ante on my side, but is it worth stripping my young talent to do that when I have Ilgauskas, Mihm and Haywood at C? And would I want the crappy players I would have to take back for 2-4 years to get Ming? And would Houston even do it? We are talking an 80 rated young center who has a very favorable contract, so would Houston want an older center whose contract is expiring and who is rated 69, plus a 70 or 59 rated PF and a 62 or 57 rated SF for Ming? They already have a 64 rated PF and two 60 rated SF's, so would they be gaining that much at those spots?
Same goes for other top talents. What would I have to give up on my roster to try to get an 80 rated player? It would likely require me to strip my solid PF pair of Okafor and Sweetney and likely my SF pair too (Walalce and Josh Smith). And even that may be tough because these guys of mine are good, but lower-ranked than the targets by a wide enough margin.
It seems it has been easier to maneuver my way to get young less-expensive talent right now than to get the stars. If I can put myself back into a good cap scenario, signing a big free agent may be the best way to try to acquire the star. Or also to wait until some contracts have been renegotiated so the numbers make more sense for a deal...like when Yao gets more money from Houston and I renegotiate a lower-priced contract for Ilgauskas.
And honestly, I think I like it better this way anyhow. Not that my deals have all been realistic, but my putting together an all-star team would certainly be way out of whack with reality and would make playing less of a challenge. And I am having some fun finding young talent who can play (i.e. Harrison, Indiana's C, is someone I'd liek to get and he's actually pretty cool to play with, and Josh Smith, who's on my team now, is also a fun play). So if I can have my star (Kobe) and some key players (like Okafor and J-Will) and shape the rest of the team with this young cheap talent...none of whom are stars on their own but who have potential to be stars...and I can get my team under the cap, that's not such a bad deal. For example, I am enjoying how my Knicks team is shaping up, although I still need to get under the cap. J-Will, Kobe, G.Wallace, Okafor and Ilgauskas is a nice starting 5. Josh Smith, Mihm and Haywood are talents I can try to develop. And if I can lose Houston and Hardaway and add some young talent at PG and SG, my team will be even better cap-wise.
So using Ming as the example...Houston is $11.88M over the cap and Ming is an 80 rating with a $4.44M contract for 2 years. Other than McGrady's $14.49M contract (and they're not giving me McGrady, nor do I need him with Kobe on my team) , the next highest contract is Maurice Taylor (61 rating) at 3 yrs., $8.45M, with Clarence Weatherspoon (57 rating, 2 yrs., $5.90M), Juwan Howard (64 rating, 4 yrs., $5.41M) and the soon to be retiring Mutombo (58 rating, 1 yr., $4.50M) right behind. Every other contract is below $2M, except Sura's $3M contract. With Mutombo going to retire, all Houston has at C is Ming. So I would have to trade them Ilgauskas plus more. Ilgauskas' $14.63M contract on its own would require my getting Ming, Taylor and either Howard or Weatherspoon in a 3-for-1 to make the numbers work, but Houston would not want to trade me Ming (80) for Ilgauskas (69) on his own, let alone give other pieces to make the money work. Sure, I can part with a few cheaper players like Sweetney, Okafor or Gerald Wallace (cheap young players with decent rankings) to up the ante on my side, but is it worth stripping my young talent to do that when I have Ilgauskas, Mihm and Haywood at C? And would I want the crappy players I would have to take back for 2-4 years to get Ming? And would Houston even do it? We are talking an 80 rated young center who has a very favorable contract, so would Houston want an older center whose contract is expiring and who is rated 69, plus a 70 or 59 rated PF and a 62 or 57 rated SF for Ming? They already have a 64 rated PF and two 60 rated SF's, so would they be gaining that much at those spots?
Same goes for other top talents. What would I have to give up on my roster to try to get an 80 rated player? It would likely require me to strip my solid PF pair of Okafor and Sweetney and likely my SF pair too (Walalce and Josh Smith). And even that may be tough because these guys of mine are good, but lower-ranked than the targets by a wide enough margin.
It seems it has been easier to maneuver my way to get young less-expensive talent right now than to get the stars. If I can put myself back into a good cap scenario, signing a big free agent may be the best way to try to acquire the star. Or also to wait until some contracts have been renegotiated so the numbers make more sense for a deal...like when Yao gets more money from Houston and I renegotiate a lower-priced contract for Ilgauskas.
And honestly, I think I like it better this way anyhow. Not that my deals have all been realistic, but my putting together an all-star team would certainly be way out of whack with reality and would make playing less of a challenge. And I am having some fun finding young talent who can play (i.e. Harrison, Indiana's C, is someone I'd liek to get and he's actually pretty cool to play with, and Josh Smith, who's on my team now, is also a fun play). So if I can have my star (Kobe) and some key players (like Okafor and J-Will) and shape the rest of the team with this young cheap talent...none of whom are stars on their own but who have potential to be stars...and I can get my team under the cap, that's not such a bad deal. For example, I am enjoying how my Knicks team is shaping up, although I still need to get under the cap. J-Will, Kobe, G.Wallace, Okafor and Ilgauskas is a nice starting 5. Josh Smith, Mihm and Haywood are talents I can try to develop. And if I can lose Houston and Hardaway and add some young talent at PG and SG, my team will be even better cap-wise.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:52 am
Ah... You're thinking inside the box. Think of more ways, more complicated ways. There are no rules saying that you HAVE to trade Z for Yao. You can trade someone else for Yao and fill the spot by trading away Z (that's how to get Boozer). It's not impossible, I already shown the way to get Anthony, and with Miami's lack of SF's, it should be relatively easy to get D-Wade.
And yeah, you're right about playing with too many All-Stars. It's not as fun and everyone is fighing for the points and playing time (unless you score a ridiculous 200 points).
Edit: Wait, couldn't you give them Kobe, Okafor, and a filler for Yao and T-Mac? Then trade T-Mac for Baron Davis and flip him back to Houston (along with a 60 or so PG) for Kobe and Okafor. That should work.
And yeah, you're right about playing with too many All-Stars. It's not as fun and everyone is fighing for the points and playing time (unless you score a ridiculous 200 points).
Edit: Wait, couldn't you give them Kobe, Okafor, and a filler for Yao and T-Mac? Then trade T-Mac for Baron Davis and flip him back to Houston (along with a 60 or so PG) for Kobe and Okafor. That should work.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:15 am
Quite true, I may not be thinking as outside the box as is needed. I would need to explore more options, but as I've passed the trade deadline, I need to wait until offseason.
However, I still question if it's as easy as you suggest. For example, why would Houston trade Yao and T-Mac for Bryant, Okafor and a filler? T-Mac and Kobe are essentially the same SG stud, so it comes down to Okafor and a fill-in for Ming, and that's a 70 rated PF and a filler for an 80 rated center who already has a 64 rated PF. But then, I guess, the CPU has done stranger deals than that, right?
I think my focus in the offseason is to let Hardaway and Tuerre Brown walk, opening up 2 roster spaces and knocking Hardaway's contract off the books. I'll try to re-sign Ilgauskas to a short-term less-expensive deal and then see how I can leverage him in a deal, especially as I have Mihm and Haywood to use at C until I get extra help. There will be new expiring contracts and newly negotiated contracts for others, so we'll see what trades I can do to lower that cap. And I'd love to add a less expensive backup SG and trade Houston for a bag of peanuts. I need to lose his salary.
However, I still question if it's as easy as you suggest. For example, why would Houston trade Yao and T-Mac for Bryant, Okafor and a filler? T-Mac and Kobe are essentially the same SG stud, so it comes down to Okafor and a fill-in for Ming, and that's a 70 rated PF and a filler for an 80 rated center who already has a 64 rated PF. But then, I guess, the CPU has done stranger deals than that, right?
I think my focus in the offseason is to let Hardaway and Tuerre Brown walk, opening up 2 roster spaces and knocking Hardaway's contract off the books. I'll try to re-sign Ilgauskas to a short-term less-expensive deal and then see how I can leverage him in a deal, especially as I have Mihm and Haywood to use at C until I get extra help. There will be new expiring contracts and newly negotiated contracts for others, so we'll see what trades I can do to lower that cap. And I'd love to add a less expensive backup SG and trade Houston for a bag of peanuts. I need to lose his salary.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:29 am
I'm not sure it would work, but I think the computer will take it. If it doesn't, then trade Okafor for Prince. They would want Prince more because they only have Jimmy Jackson and Scott Padgett (both 60). But don't give Houston a PG, because that will spoil the Baron Davis trade.
Good plan, but you haven't yet seen what Z will ask in the off-season (I don't know if you want me to tell you because that might take away some of the fun in the game). I got rid of Houston in my Dynasty, and not just for a bag of peanuts, but I forgot where. I'll check later.
Good plan, but you haven't yet seen what Z will ask in the off-season (I don't know if you want me to tell you because that might take away some of the fun in the game). I got rid of Houston in my Dynasty, and not just for a bag of peanuts, but I forgot where. I'll check later.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:36 pm
I'e heard mixed things about Z and renegotiating. Someone said he tries for a 1 or 2 year deal at about $12M rather than his current $14.63M. Not much savings, but it's something.
I couldn't help the inner GM in me...I did another fantasy draft (I had 12th pick). You'll like this one. Check this out:
PG: Alston (62 rank, 28 yrs. old, 6 yrs., $3.50M)
PG: Barbosa (57 rank, 22 yrs. old, 3 yrs., $893K)
PG: Dickau (50 rank, 26 yrs. old, 2 yrs., $893K)
SG: J.Crawford (72 rank, 24 yrs. old, 7 yrs., $5.80M)
SG: Peterson (63 rank, 27 yrs. old, 3 yrs., $5.00M)
SF: G.Wallace (62 rank, 22 yrs. old, 1 yr., $1.38M)
SF: J.Smith (57 rank, 19 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $1.27M)
PF: Okafor (70 rank, 22 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $3.74M)
PF: A.Jefferson (56 rank, 19 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $1.41M)
C: Ming (80 rank, 24 yrs. old, 2 yrs., $4.44M)
C: Diop (51 rank, 22 yrs. old, 1 yr., $2.70M)
C: Podkolzin (46 rank, 20 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $1.06M)...yup, him again. :)
I then added Jacobsen (49 rank) at SG, Korver (50 rank) at SF and Milicic (51 rank) at PF from free agency. then came the 2 key deals:
- I traded Okafor and Barbosa to get Brand (82 rank).
- I traded Alston and Milicic to get Billups (71 rank).
I then added Avery Johnson at PG and Reggie Evans at PF to fill the voids.
Then some more deals:
- Not happy with my PG's in my 1st game, I traded Dickau and Diop to get Alston (62 rank) back.
- I then signed Funderburke (48 rank) to give me some blocks at backup PF.
- However, Houston wanted Funderburke and Evans, so I traded them for Gadzuric (53 rank)...gives me another C with steals, blocks and rebounding.
- I then signed Haslem (50 rank) to fill my open PF spot.
So now the team looks like this:
PG: Billups (Starter), Alston, A.Johnson
SG: J.Crawford (Starter), Peterson, Jacobsen
SF: G.Wallace (Starter), J.Smith, Korver
PF: Brand (Starter), A.Jefferson, Haslem
C: Ming (Starter), Gadzuric, Podkolzin
Pretty sick starting 5, especially my Brand/Ming pairing up front, don't you think? And the backups are not horrible...I'll be OK with a second team of Alston, Peterson, Josh Smith, Al Jefferson and Gadzuric.
After my draft, I started out $11.787M under the cap. After signing my 1st 3 free agents to fill up my roster, I was $9.852M under the cap. After all these deals, I am $1.25M over the cap.
I couldn't help the inner GM in me...I did another fantasy draft (I had 12th pick). You'll like this one. Check this out:
PG: Alston (62 rank, 28 yrs. old, 6 yrs., $3.50M)
PG: Barbosa (57 rank, 22 yrs. old, 3 yrs., $893K)
PG: Dickau (50 rank, 26 yrs. old, 2 yrs., $893K)
SG: J.Crawford (72 rank, 24 yrs. old, 7 yrs., $5.80M)
SG: Peterson (63 rank, 27 yrs. old, 3 yrs., $5.00M)
SF: G.Wallace (62 rank, 22 yrs. old, 1 yr., $1.38M)
SF: J.Smith (57 rank, 19 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $1.27M)
PF: Okafor (70 rank, 22 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $3.74M)
PF: A.Jefferson (56 rank, 19 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $1.41M)
C: Ming (80 rank, 24 yrs. old, 2 yrs., $4.44M)
C: Diop (51 rank, 22 yrs. old, 1 yr., $2.70M)
C: Podkolzin (46 rank, 20 yrs. old, 4 yrs., $1.06M)...yup, him again. :)
I then added Jacobsen (49 rank) at SG, Korver (50 rank) at SF and Milicic (51 rank) at PF from free agency. then came the 2 key deals:
- I traded Okafor and Barbosa to get Brand (82 rank).
- I traded Alston and Milicic to get Billups (71 rank).
I then added Avery Johnson at PG and Reggie Evans at PF to fill the voids.
Then some more deals:
- Not happy with my PG's in my 1st game, I traded Dickau and Diop to get Alston (62 rank) back.
- I then signed Funderburke (48 rank) to give me some blocks at backup PF.
- However, Houston wanted Funderburke and Evans, so I traded them for Gadzuric (53 rank)...gives me another C with steals, blocks and rebounding.
- I then signed Haslem (50 rank) to fill my open PF spot.
So now the team looks like this:
PG: Billups (Starter), Alston, A.Johnson
SG: J.Crawford (Starter), Peterson, Jacobsen
SF: G.Wallace (Starter), J.Smith, Korver
PF: Brand (Starter), A.Jefferson, Haslem
C: Ming (Starter), Gadzuric, Podkolzin
Pretty sick starting 5, especially my Brand/Ming pairing up front, don't you think? And the backups are not horrible...I'll be OK with a second team of Alston, Peterson, Josh Smith, Al Jefferson and Gadzuric.
After my draft, I started out $11.787M under the cap. After signing my 1st 3 free agents to fill up my roster, I was $9.852M under the cap. After all these deals, I am $1.25M over the cap.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:22 pm
Mistake in my last post. I meant Posey, not Prince.
In my Dynastys, Z always askes for something like 7-8M (still not good as Bosh will be 69 and at only 4M, about the same as Magloire).
Yeah, you're right, this team suits my tastes perfectly. Except for the fact that I have to keep spelling Podkolzin again. I like having Peterson on my bench as he is both a defensive and a 3-point specialist. But his salary is a bit too high for a sixth or seventh man.
I'm not a big fan of Skip to My Lou. His recent success (or lack thereof) cost Yao and T-Mac a chance at the second round (and possibly Jeff Van Gundy's job) and his wacky nickname doesn't help much as far as I'm concerned. In a business point of view, I think he's too old and expensive considering that he's only really good at threes.
It looks like you keep using Gerald Wallace in your Dynastys. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I found that when using fantasy drafts, he usually gets drafted later than what his skills and ratings dictate. So I also keep drafting him in my Dynastys.
I got Barbosa too in my fantasy draft. It's too bad you had too part ways with him during the Brand trade. Are you sure his salary is 893k? Mine says 870k for some reason.
Your deals are great. But all the guys you got are old. Are you taking a break from your youth movement recently? Gasol and J-Will are both younger than Brand and Billups, so I think they may be better choices (however, this is your Dynasty so you can do whatever you want with it).
Your starters are fine (well, better than fine), but your backups can use a little upgrade. All the decent backup are in the backcourt, while you have no solid bakup big man. Maybe you could target Araujo, Chandler, Moiso, or Haywood. But that a great team by itself.
In my Dynastys, Z always askes for something like 7-8M (still not good as Bosh will be 69 and at only 4M, about the same as Magloire).
Yeah, you're right, this team suits my tastes perfectly. Except for the fact that I have to keep spelling Podkolzin again. I like having Peterson on my bench as he is both a defensive and a 3-point specialist. But his salary is a bit too high for a sixth or seventh man.
I'm not a big fan of Skip to My Lou. His recent success (or lack thereof) cost Yao and T-Mac a chance at the second round (and possibly Jeff Van Gundy's job) and his wacky nickname doesn't help much as far as I'm concerned. In a business point of view, I think he's too old and expensive considering that he's only really good at threes.
It looks like you keep using Gerald Wallace in your Dynastys. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I found that when using fantasy drafts, he usually gets drafted later than what his skills and ratings dictate. So I also keep drafting him in my Dynastys.
I got Barbosa too in my fantasy draft. It's too bad you had too part ways with him during the Brand trade. Are you sure his salary is 893k? Mine says 870k for some reason.
Your deals are great. But all the guys you got are old. Are you taking a break from your youth movement recently? Gasol and J-Will are both younger than Brand and Billups, so I think they may be better choices (however, this is your Dynasty so you can do whatever you want with it).
Your starters are fine (well, better than fine), but your backups can use a little upgrade. All the decent backup are in the backcourt, while you have no solid bakup big man. Maybe you could target Araujo, Chandler, Moiso, or Haywood. But that a great team by itself.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:05 pm
With Z, $7-8M sounds much better than $12M that someone else mentioned. I'd take that. He is much more movable at $7-8M, so I am sure I can figure out a deal for him in the 2nd year.
I haven't used Alston yet in Live '05, so I hope he is useful. The perks for me went beyond just 3's. His FG rating is 75, his FT rating is 77, hsi quickness is 79, his speed is 84, his passing is 80, his dribbling is 99, and his steals are 80...pretty good all around and I need steals from my PG.I would prefer a cheaper backup, though, I agree.
You are right about Wallace. He keeps getting drafted later than he should, so I keep taking him. He plays great.
I may have made a mistake on Barbosa. My notes say $870K too, but I could have sworn his salary showed as $893K on the computer. I'll double check because I think you're right.
This team does have some older elements, but I have a core youth movement too. I would have preferred a young Harrison or Swift to a 26 year old Gadzuric, but I couldn't get Harrison or Swift with what I paid for Gadzuric (Evans and Funderburke). Brand is only 25, so not too old, and his stats were just too immense to pass up. As for Billups, both he and J-Will are 28, so I wouldn't get younger (or higher rated) by going there...just more expensive for J-Will. But frankly, I didn't enjoy my 1st game with Billups...a bit too slow and no defense. I may want to trade for a PG more my style.
I would prefer better backups for big men. My Ming-Bosh-Okafor combo in my last draft was sweet. I'm going to see about addressing that a bit.
I haven't used Alston yet in Live '05, so I hope he is useful. The perks for me went beyond just 3's. His FG rating is 75, his FT rating is 77, hsi quickness is 79, his speed is 84, his passing is 80, his dribbling is 99, and his steals are 80...pretty good all around and I need steals from my PG.I would prefer a cheaper backup, though, I agree.
You are right about Wallace. He keeps getting drafted later than he should, so I keep taking him. He plays great.
I may have made a mistake on Barbosa. My notes say $870K too, but I could have sworn his salary showed as $893K on the computer. I'll double check because I think you're right.
This team does have some older elements, but I have a core youth movement too. I would have preferred a young Harrison or Swift to a 26 year old Gadzuric, but I couldn't get Harrison or Swift with what I paid for Gadzuric (Evans and Funderburke). Brand is only 25, so not too old, and his stats were just too immense to pass up. As for Billups, both he and J-Will are 28, so I wouldn't get younger (or higher rated) by going there...just more expensive for J-Will. But frankly, I didn't enjoy my 1st game with Billups...a bit too slow and no defense. I may want to trade for a PG more my style.
I would prefer better backups for big men. My Ming-Bosh-Okafor combo in my last draft was sweet. I'm going to see about addressing that a bit.
Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:06 pm
With Z, $7-8M sounds much better than $12M that someone else mentioned. I'd take that. He is much more movable at $7-8M, so I am sure I can figure out a deal for him in the 2nd year.
I haven't used Alston yet in Live '05, so I hope he is useful. The perks for me went beyond just 3's. His FG rating is 75, his FT rating is 77, his quickness is 79, his speed is 84, his passing is 80, his dribbling is 99, and his steals are 80...pretty good all around and I need steals from my PG.I would prefer a cheaper backup, though, I agree. Same point with Peterson...I'd like a cheaper backup SG.
You are right about Wallace. He keeps getting drafted later than he should, so I keep taking him. He plays great.
I may have made a mistake on Barbosa. My notes say $870K too, but I could have sworn his salary showed as $893K on the computer. I'll double check because I think you're right.
This team does have some older elements, but I have a core youth movement too. Avery Johnson is ancient, and Billups and Alston are both 28, but I also have youth in Crawford, Jacobsen, all 3 SF's, Jefferson, Podkolzin, Haslem and Ming. I would have preferred a young Harrison or Swift to a 26 year old Gadzuric, but I couldn't get Harrison or Swift with what I paid for Gadzuric (Evans and Funderburke). Brand is only 25, so not too old, and his stats were just too immense to pass up....as Gasol is 24 (1 year younger than Brand), I'd not be getting too much younger by moving off Brand. As for Billups, both he and J-Will are 28, so I wouldn't get younger (or higher rated) by going there...just more expensive for J-Will.
Frankly, I didn't enjoy my 1st game with Billups...he was not very quick and had no defense. I am used to playing with J-Will or even Tinsley, both who are very quick and who are great with steals. The difference between J-Will's 85 quickness and Billups' 74 quickness is like night and day...very noticeable. And as I am used to J-Will's 80 in steals, Billups' 56 in steals is killing me...combine that with his lack of quickness and he can't get a steal to save his life. As he is on paper one of the most accurate shooters, I'm going to give Billups a bit more time to prove himself, but at some point I may want to trade for a PG more my style. But it's not easy finding a younger PG with a reasonable contract who can hit the 3, is quick and fast, who can pass and dribble well and who can steal well. Hinrich is slow and is not quick (his steals are iffy too), Andre Miller can't hit the 3, Wade is iffy with 3's and is an average passer, and Parker is average with 3's and steals. Others, like Francis, Marbury, Bibby and even Nash are too expensive.
What's interesting is that some of my lower-rated backup PG's outperformed Billups and, in my other league, Ridnour. In both leagues, Dickau (50 rated) performed bettter than Billups and Ridnour. More accurate shooting, quicker, and more steals. In my 1st game with Billups, Billups had 2 assists, single digit points, and no steals, while Dickau had a few more points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Go figure!
I would prefer better backups for big men. My Ming-Bosh-Okafor combo in my last draft was sweet. I'm going to see about addressing that a bit in this league.
I haven't used Alston yet in Live '05, so I hope he is useful. The perks for me went beyond just 3's. His FG rating is 75, his FT rating is 77, his quickness is 79, his speed is 84, his passing is 80, his dribbling is 99, and his steals are 80...pretty good all around and I need steals from my PG.I would prefer a cheaper backup, though, I agree. Same point with Peterson...I'd like a cheaper backup SG.
You are right about Wallace. He keeps getting drafted later than he should, so I keep taking him. He plays great.
I may have made a mistake on Barbosa. My notes say $870K too, but I could have sworn his salary showed as $893K on the computer. I'll double check because I think you're right.
This team does have some older elements, but I have a core youth movement too. Avery Johnson is ancient, and Billups and Alston are both 28, but I also have youth in Crawford, Jacobsen, all 3 SF's, Jefferson, Podkolzin, Haslem and Ming. I would have preferred a young Harrison or Swift to a 26 year old Gadzuric, but I couldn't get Harrison or Swift with what I paid for Gadzuric (Evans and Funderburke). Brand is only 25, so not too old, and his stats were just too immense to pass up....as Gasol is 24 (1 year younger than Brand), I'd not be getting too much younger by moving off Brand. As for Billups, both he and J-Will are 28, so I wouldn't get younger (or higher rated) by going there...just more expensive for J-Will.
Frankly, I didn't enjoy my 1st game with Billups...he was not very quick and had no defense. I am used to playing with J-Will or even Tinsley, both who are very quick and who are great with steals. The difference between J-Will's 85 quickness and Billups' 74 quickness is like night and day...very noticeable. And as I am used to J-Will's 80 in steals, Billups' 56 in steals is killing me...combine that with his lack of quickness and he can't get a steal to save his life. As he is on paper one of the most accurate shooters, I'm going to give Billups a bit more time to prove himself, but at some point I may want to trade for a PG more my style. But it's not easy finding a younger PG with a reasonable contract who can hit the 3, is quick and fast, who can pass and dribble well and who can steal well. Hinrich is slow and is not quick (his steals are iffy too), Andre Miller can't hit the 3, Wade is iffy with 3's and is an average passer, and Parker is average with 3's and steals. Others, like Francis, Marbury, Bibby and even Nash are too expensive.
What's interesting is that some of my lower-rated backup PG's outperformed Billups and, in my other league, Ridnour. In both leagues, Dickau (50 rated) performed bettter than Billups and Ridnour. More accurate shooting, quicker, and more steals. In my 1st game with Billups, Billups had 2 assists, single digit points, and no steals, while Dickau had a few more points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Go figure!
I would prefer better backups for big men. My Ming-Bosh-Okafor combo in my last draft was sweet. I'm going to see about addressing that a bit in this league.
Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:43 am
I thought J-Will and Gasol were way younger. Guess I should check my stats before posting. I'm making lots of mistakes this past few days.
It's hard to find a player from any position who is "perfect" (young, cheap, quick, can defend, can shoot from downown, can pass, and can dribble), let alone a PG. I think D-Wade is as close as it gets. But you could try to maybe platoon 2 guys who are good at their respetive categories. Wade and Kirk Hinrich may be asking too much, but a combo of Wade and Charlie Ward or Tinsley and Ridnour ar good choices.
It's hard to find a player from any position who is "perfect" (young, cheap, quick, can defend, can shoot from downown, can pass, and can dribble), let alone a PG. I think D-Wade is as close as it gets. But you could try to maybe platoon 2 guys who are good at their respetive categories. Wade and Kirk Hinrich may be asking too much, but a combo of Wade and Charlie Ward or Tinsley and Ridnour ar good choices.
Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:34 am
I agree...tough to find that perfect player. But my search continues. :)
By the way, it's been good chatting it up with you. The Live '05 forum had been dead since...well, about 2005. Andrew responded a number of times, and then you and I have had this continuing dialogue. It makes the Live '05 experience more enjoyable to be chatting about the moves and strategies.
Moving onto the next '05 topic...do you know if there's a cap on development? In my Knicks dynasty, I started focusing on developing Josh Smith. I was able to improve his stats a bit over a few training sessions, but then I found that the next few attempts resulted in absolutely no gain anywhere. It was a waste of development points. Does Live '05 limit the amount of growth and development in any given year?
Also, what happens when you move into new seasons? Does the overall rating of young players increase while the rating of older players decrease? How much can the ratings increase or decrease?
So I played my 1st game with the latest fantasy draft dynasty. I have to say, despite a 46 rating and some average defensive stats (due to youth), Podkolzin played real well. His FG rating is relatively low, but he was hitting shots nicely. He also was quite strong, so he was backing down the opposing center pretty well. I still may end up trading him, but until then, he may be enjoyable to use.
Could use another trade opinion. My 1st fantasy draft dynasty was done some time ago before I was familiar with the salaries, etc. I am $33M above the cap thanks in large part to having Shaq. The team as it currently stands (with 3 open roster spots) is:
PG: Tinsley and Norris
SG: Finley, Kittles and Childress
SF: McCarty, Willaimson and Korver
PF: Stoudemire and D.West
C: Shaq and Shawn Bradley
Clearly not as good a team as my successive 2 fantasy drafts. Anyway, I am trying to fix the cap mess I put myself into. Getting rid of Shaq will be a huge help along those lines. He is 32 yrs. old and has 2 years left of a $29.46M contract. No team has that much cap space, so a deal would have to incorporate at least 2 big contracts in return and likely a 3rd player. I tried every offer possible and the only one I can get for Shaq is to trade him for Odom, Kaman and Eddie Jones. I can then move Jones for Ilgauskas, as I would still need C help. I know I can trade Finley for Ray Allen and I can trade McCarty for Josh Smith. I might be able to get Boozer in exchange for Kittles and West, but that's hit or miss. Anyway, what do you think of the Odom/Jones/Kaman for Shaq deal? Worth it or is it better to just keep Shaq for now and see what I can get later? What about the other deals too...Finley for Allen, Jones for Ilgauskas (assuming I get Jones), and McCarty for Smith?
By the way, it's been good chatting it up with you. The Live '05 forum had been dead since...well, about 2005. Andrew responded a number of times, and then you and I have had this continuing dialogue. It makes the Live '05 experience more enjoyable to be chatting about the moves and strategies.
Moving onto the next '05 topic...do you know if there's a cap on development? In my Knicks dynasty, I started focusing on developing Josh Smith. I was able to improve his stats a bit over a few training sessions, but then I found that the next few attempts resulted in absolutely no gain anywhere. It was a waste of development points. Does Live '05 limit the amount of growth and development in any given year?
Also, what happens when you move into new seasons? Does the overall rating of young players increase while the rating of older players decrease? How much can the ratings increase or decrease?
So I played my 1st game with the latest fantasy draft dynasty. I have to say, despite a 46 rating and some average defensive stats (due to youth), Podkolzin played real well. His FG rating is relatively low, but he was hitting shots nicely. He also was quite strong, so he was backing down the opposing center pretty well. I still may end up trading him, but until then, he may be enjoyable to use.
Could use another trade opinion. My 1st fantasy draft dynasty was done some time ago before I was familiar with the salaries, etc. I am $33M above the cap thanks in large part to having Shaq. The team as it currently stands (with 3 open roster spots) is:
PG: Tinsley and Norris
SG: Finley, Kittles and Childress
SF: McCarty, Willaimson and Korver
PF: Stoudemire and D.West
C: Shaq and Shawn Bradley
Clearly not as good a team as my successive 2 fantasy drafts. Anyway, I am trying to fix the cap mess I put myself into. Getting rid of Shaq will be a huge help along those lines. He is 32 yrs. old and has 2 years left of a $29.46M contract. No team has that much cap space, so a deal would have to incorporate at least 2 big contracts in return and likely a 3rd player. I tried every offer possible and the only one I can get for Shaq is to trade him for Odom, Kaman and Eddie Jones. I can then move Jones for Ilgauskas, as I would still need C help. I know I can trade Finley for Ray Allen and I can trade McCarty for Josh Smith. I might be able to get Boozer in exchange for Kittles and West, but that's hit or miss. Anyway, what do you think of the Odom/Jones/Kaman for Shaq deal? Worth it or is it better to just keep Shaq for now and see what I can get later? What about the other deals too...Finley for Allen, Jones for Ilgauskas (assuming I get Jones), and McCarty for Smith?
Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:57 am
I also enjoyed chatting about Live 05 with you. The only reason I joined this forum was because you started posting about Live 05 (the only Live I have in the whole series) and I thought that there would be someone to exchange ideas and strategies with.
Back to the topic. There was a poster in this forum who said that he changed the Dynasty points by cheating and then training a player like crazy until he had a 99 overall rating. I have never tried that myself, though (I avoid cheating in most cases). So there shouldn't be a limit on training development.
Generally, young players' overall ratings increase. But there are some cases where their ratings actually decrease. In my third post in the draft experiment, there was a player who actually lost 2 points after the next season (he had limited potential, by the way). Older players are a bit hard to predict. All players eventually lose ratings as time goes by, but some players, like Bob Sura and Juwan Howard of Houston (Sura and Howard are both 34 now), actually gained stats. Howard got 2 and Sura gained an impressive 5. As for the amount that the players increase/decrease, it depends on their careerpkg or whatever it called. Most player gain 2-3 points every year, but young players with very good potential (Wade, Hinrich, Telfair, Milicic, Josh Smith, etc.) gained as much as 7 over a year. That was Hinrich who was 67, then gained 5 in the off-season, and gained another two after training camp. I haven't seen many players decrease, but Dikembe Mutombo (who didn't retire because I traded him to the Nets and he got a starting job) lost three points over the course of two years. There is also a rumor that Shaq goes down to 85 by the time he retires.
I had the same problem as you the first time I did a fantasy draft. I drafted T-Mac, Keith Van Horn, and Houston. That's already about 48M, and I still have 12 players left to draft. As it turned out, I finished at 30M above cap and I promptly deleted that Dynasty.
Shaq and Stoudemire for Richard Jefferson and whatever other big player they have. Then give up McCarty for Bosh or Magloire (not straight up, the CPU won't take that unless their desperate for SF).
Back to the topic. There was a poster in this forum who said that he changed the Dynasty points by cheating and then training a player like crazy until he had a 99 overall rating. I have never tried that myself, though (I avoid cheating in most cases). So there shouldn't be a limit on training development.
Generally, young players' overall ratings increase. But there are some cases where their ratings actually decrease. In my third post in the draft experiment, there was a player who actually lost 2 points after the next season (he had limited potential, by the way). Older players are a bit hard to predict. All players eventually lose ratings as time goes by, but some players, like Bob Sura and Juwan Howard of Houston (Sura and Howard are both 34 now), actually gained stats. Howard got 2 and Sura gained an impressive 5. As for the amount that the players increase/decrease, it depends on their careerpkg or whatever it called. Most player gain 2-3 points every year, but young players with very good potential (Wade, Hinrich, Telfair, Milicic, Josh Smith, etc.) gained as much as 7 over a year. That was Hinrich who was 67, then gained 5 in the off-season, and gained another two after training camp. I haven't seen many players decrease, but Dikembe Mutombo (who didn't retire because I traded him to the Nets and he got a starting job) lost three points over the course of two years. There is also a rumor that Shaq goes down to 85 by the time he retires.
I had the same problem as you the first time I did a fantasy draft. I drafted T-Mac, Keith Van Horn, and Houston. That's already about 48M, and I still have 12 players left to draft. As it turned out, I finished at 30M above cap and I promptly deleted that Dynasty.
Shaq and Stoudemire for Richard Jefferson and whatever other big player they have. Then give up McCarty for Bosh or Magloire (not straight up, the CPU won't take that unless their desperate for SF).
Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:35 am
I wonder if usage also impacts increases or decreases in ratings. For example, if I play a guy 90% of the time as compared to a player who I play 5% of the time, does the first guy increase in stats and the second guy decrease in stats regardless of their age?
So am I correct in reading your response that you don't like the Shaq deal for Odom/Jones/Kaman? I was hesitating on it because I would be giving up a 92 rated player for 73, a 70 and a 57 rated players....then moving the 70 rated player for a 69 rated player (Ilgauskas). It seems to be a drop in "trade value". I would prefer to swap Shaq for a player rated in the 80's plus an added player.
Some other ideas for a Shaq deal (with the 20% +/- $200K requirement, I would need $23.37M back in a deal for Shaq):
- Shaq for Baron Davis (88 rank-$11.33M) and Ilgauskas (69 rank-$14.63M). Don't know if they'd do that for Shaq alone, but if I wanted to keep Davis, I could throw Tinsley's $1.55M contract into the mix. Or I could move Davis in a deal to get a center back. They have Ilgauskas, Drobnjak and Scott Williams presently at C, so Shaq could be useful to them.
- Cleveland has Garnett (98 rank-$16M) and Jefferson (75 rank-$10.96M). They have Battie and Pollard at C, so they can use help. Any deal you can think of with Shaq plus a cheap player for Garnett and Jefferson (both would be needed to match Shaq's salary)?
- Dallas has Iverson (85 rank-$14.63M) and several players between 5-9M. I could try a 3-for-Shaq deal that nets me Iverson, but those deals are tough to get CPU approval on. Their C's are LaFrentz and Stepania.
- Detroit has Ray Allen (85 rank-$14.63M), G.Robinson (63 rank-$12.00M) and Dampier (63 rank-$8.00M). Their C's are Dampier and Blount.
- Lakers have Bibby (75 rank-$10.50M), Pierce (89 rank-$12.59M) and Szczerbiak (63 rank-$9M). Their C's are Okur and Foster.
- Milwaukee has Ming (80 rank-$4.44M), A.Walker (80 rank-$14.63M) and Van Horn (68 rank-$14.49M). Their C's are Ming, Marc Jackson and Mbenga. I think they already turned me down when I offered Shaq for Ming, Van Horn and a lower-ranked player whose salary fit the deal (I think it was Malik Rose).
- Orlando has J.O'Neal (84 rank-$14.78M), Van Exel (64 rank-$11.82M) and Brian Grant (62 rank-$13.35M). Their C's are Vin Baker and J.Collier.
- Phoenix has McGrady (90 rank-$14.49M), Nash (75 rank-$8.75M) and Derek Anderson (64 rank-$8.44M). Their C's are Kwame Brown and Mohammed.
-Seattle has Duncan (91 rank-$14.26M), Odom (73 rank-$10.47M) and Eddie Jones (70 rank-$13.44M). Their C's are Kaman and Potapenko.
With the above info (and knowing that the above teams have some lesser expensive players too), do you see any interesting ideas for a Shaq deal? There are definitely some teams who could use an upgrade at Center. Clearly, I listed players whose salaries would be key in any Shaq deal (other than Ming, who I listed because I'd love to get him and wanted you to know which team he was with). Do you see any players on any of these teams that you think are appropriate for a Shaq deal or any team where you think a Shaq deal may be good?
So am I correct in reading your response that you don't like the Shaq deal for Odom/Jones/Kaman? I was hesitating on it because I would be giving up a 92 rated player for 73, a 70 and a 57 rated players....then moving the 70 rated player for a 69 rated player (Ilgauskas). It seems to be a drop in "trade value". I would prefer to swap Shaq for a player rated in the 80's plus an added player.
Some other ideas for a Shaq deal (with the 20% +/- $200K requirement, I would need $23.37M back in a deal for Shaq):
- Shaq for Baron Davis (88 rank-$11.33M) and Ilgauskas (69 rank-$14.63M). Don't know if they'd do that for Shaq alone, but if I wanted to keep Davis, I could throw Tinsley's $1.55M contract into the mix. Or I could move Davis in a deal to get a center back. They have Ilgauskas, Drobnjak and Scott Williams presently at C, so Shaq could be useful to them.
- Cleveland has Garnett (98 rank-$16M) and Jefferson (75 rank-$10.96M). They have Battie and Pollard at C, so they can use help. Any deal you can think of with Shaq plus a cheap player for Garnett and Jefferson (both would be needed to match Shaq's salary)?
- Dallas has Iverson (85 rank-$14.63M) and several players between 5-9M. I could try a 3-for-Shaq deal that nets me Iverson, but those deals are tough to get CPU approval on. Their C's are LaFrentz and Stepania.
- Detroit has Ray Allen (85 rank-$14.63M), G.Robinson (63 rank-$12.00M) and Dampier (63 rank-$8.00M). Their C's are Dampier and Blount.
- Lakers have Bibby (75 rank-$10.50M), Pierce (89 rank-$12.59M) and Szczerbiak (63 rank-$9M). Their C's are Okur and Foster.
- Milwaukee has Ming (80 rank-$4.44M), A.Walker (80 rank-$14.63M) and Van Horn (68 rank-$14.49M). Their C's are Ming, Marc Jackson and Mbenga. I think they already turned me down when I offered Shaq for Ming, Van Horn and a lower-ranked player whose salary fit the deal (I think it was Malik Rose).
- Orlando has J.O'Neal (84 rank-$14.78M), Van Exel (64 rank-$11.82M) and Brian Grant (62 rank-$13.35M). Their C's are Vin Baker and J.Collier.
- Phoenix has McGrady (90 rank-$14.49M), Nash (75 rank-$8.75M) and Derek Anderson (64 rank-$8.44M). Their C's are Kwame Brown and Mohammed.
-Seattle has Duncan (91 rank-$14.26M), Odom (73 rank-$10.47M) and Eddie Jones (70 rank-$13.44M). Their C's are Kaman and Potapenko.
With the above info (and knowing that the above teams have some lesser expensive players too), do you see any interesting ideas for a Shaq deal? There are definitely some teams who could use an upgrade at Center. Clearly, I listed players whose salaries would be key in any Shaq deal (other than Ming, who I listed because I'd love to get him and wanted you to know which team he was with). Do you see any players on any of these teams that you think are appropriate for a Shaq deal or any team where you think a Shaq deal may be good?
Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:03 am
I'm not sure, but playing time should help. I may do an experiment on that.
You're right. I think that the Odom/Jones/Kaman trade is a ripoff for you.
The Baron Davis trade is ok, but I'm not sure if the CPU would take it.
The Garnett trade was the one I was recommending you (Shaq/Stoudemire for Garnett/Jefferson). Its a good trade for both teams, and you could add in a filler if they won't take it.
AI is too short. I block him using McGrady a gazillion times and he's not the youngest of players.
How about Bibby, Pierce, and Okur for Shaq, Stoudemire, and McCarthy?
Don't bother trading with the Bucks. They don't need Shaq. If you really want Yao that much, target him after you get rid of Shaq.
Its too bad Nash wasn't a bit younger or i'll be screaming for you to trade for him and T-Mac...
These are all the trades I can suggest. But if the big name player you get is going to be traded for Yao anyway, then just get any trade that will net you 80+ player with some backup upgrades.
You're right. I think that the Odom/Jones/Kaman trade is a ripoff for you.
The Baron Davis trade is ok, but I'm not sure if the CPU would take it.
The Garnett trade was the one I was recommending you (Shaq/Stoudemire for Garnett/Jefferson). Its a good trade for both teams, and you could add in a filler if they won't take it.
AI is too short. I block him using McGrady a gazillion times and he's not the youngest of players.
How about Bibby, Pierce, and Okur for Shaq, Stoudemire, and McCarthy?
Don't bother trading with the Bucks. They don't need Shaq. If you really want Yao that much, target him after you get rid of Shaq.
Its too bad Nash wasn't a bit younger or i'll be screaming for you to trade for him and T-Mac...
These are all the trades I can suggest. But if the big name player you get is going to be traded for Yao anyway, then just get any trade that will net you 80+ player with some backup upgrades.