Our defending champs underwent a name change but that’s probably just to sell more jerseys. This iteration of Lucas’ team is likely even better than last year. We already said that we loved their 2015 draft and that’s born itself out as vets like Joe Johnson and Tyson Chandler (12.0 REB, 1.4 BLK) have been exactly what this team needed. And with Danny Green and Patrick Beverley hammering in 2.4 3PT each and contributing in all the other categories, this team goes ten deep. At least. The only dark cloud on the horizon is Carmelo Anthony’s impending shut down. It’s rumored that after the All-Star Game in New York, Melo will be put out to pasture for the rest of the season. While Anthony’s had a bit of a down year, he’s still this team’s leading scorer and nominal leader.
Sure, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, and all the other offensive powerhouses on this team can step in, for this squad but can a Melo-less team really repeat? Swapping Ricky Rubio for Derrick Rose could help pick up some of the offensive slack, as Rubio hasn’t played since early this season while Rose is at 18.9 PTS, 5.3 AST, 1.9 3PT over the past thirty days. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about here, as Crows are ranked second in PTS, REB, 3PT, while no real weaknesses save STL. Lucas’s team has a good a shot as any to repeat, and it looks like they are getting stronger after a 4-3 start.
Squirtle Squad (8-5)
After a draft spent on all youngsters, it looked like Brian’s team was going to take a little step back. Clearly that’s not the case as Squirtle Squad was leading this division until last week’s WK13 loss to Silent Crows. This well coached team just knows how to win, even as they don’t rank top three in any category. With no weaknesses though, they are, as always a regular season force. Having Ty Lawson (17.1 PTS, 10.0 AST) and Nikola Vucevic (19.5 PTS, 11.2 REB, 53.6 FG%) back and fully healthy has been nice. The Serge Ibaka, Jordan Hill, and Channing Frye combo also complement Vucevic well. Plus, first round pick Darren Collison has been much better than expected as the Kings new point guard.
Bigger things were probably hoped for from Giannis Antetokounmpo, (recently injured) Kelly Olynyk, and Bradley Beal, but all three are getting there — especially Beal. These three won’t have anyone pushing them for playing time, that's for sure, as the young draftees of 2015 haven’t brought back much return yet. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Zach LaVine are still around but Noah Vonleh, Otto Porter Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic are long gone, with Shabazz Muhammad waiver wire picked up and IR stashed. Still Squirtles is a deep team that is balanced and executes nightly. Can Brian take them deep into the post-season now they’ve basically secured a playoff spot? Let's find out!
LA Buffy (5-7-1)Well, the on-again and off-again nature of Buffy’s seasons will probably end right here. It looks like Roger’s team is headed toward two losing seasons in a row, for the first time ever, and even if they come out 0.500 or above, a playoff spot is likely out of reach. After coming out of the gates 3-1, Buffy has gone into a complete tailspin with two wins and one tie in their last nine games. It may be time for that long anticipated rebuild. This core has surprised many by staying relevant over they years but it’s really starting to look like the days of a super powerful front line rampaging opponents is coming to a close.
We would love to see Tim Duncan and his 14.8 PTS, 10.0 REB, 2.0 BLK shipped off somewhere useful. Or how about Carlos Boozer and his, well, okay nobody needs Boozer. Still, this team has many useful bits that could be transformative for a contender. Chris Bosh is having a hell of a season with 21.2 PTS, 7.6 REB, 1.4 3PT and even he could be moved. The youngest, most exciting piece on this roster is um, Tristan Thompson? Lakers’ third stringer Jeremy Lin? (Right now, Gerald Green leads this team in games played...) We’re curious where GM Roger will take this team, as he’s facing the first true rebuild of his reign. We all know Buffy has always had strong management, but it could be a multi-year challenge to restock the larder and get back into championship contention.
Half Man Half ImAsian (5-8)
We knew that without Kevin Durant, Oliver’s team would have a rough start of the season. A 0-4 start confirmed that, even as Durant returned early. However, even with Mr. MVP back in the fold, Half Man Half ImAsian suffered another four game losing streak WK7-10. But there’s a chance they could be on the rise, with three straight wins in recent weeks. The LaMarcus Aldridge injury put a scare into this team but it looks like Aldridge is going to continue playing through his injury. That means the two leading scorers for this team are still intact and a new star has risen next to them…Greg Monroe! Monroe has put up 15.6 PTS and 12.2 REB on 49.2 FG%. He still can’t protect the rim but who cares, this team isn’t that interested in defense anyway!
Monroe’s emergence post-Josh Smith has been very necessary as the rest of this roster has underperformed. Amir Johnson was a keeper, he of the 9.8 PTS and 5.8 REB. Mario Chalmers has still been swiping balls but 10.7 PTS and 0.8 3PT aren’t gonna cut it. At least sixth keeper J.J. Redick has been nailing 2.5 3PT a game, along with 14.9 PTS. And only Terrence Ross remains from a 2015 draft class that have all been cut already, replaced with utility guys like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Zaza Paculia, and Jared Dudley. After last season’s eleven win campaign, we don’t think Half Man is gonna make it into the playoffs so they should gear up for a strong Toilet Bowl showing that can bring in another star to slot alongside KD and Aldridge. We’d love to see what this team can do with a bit more quality depth and pizzaz.
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