Farewell, and 你好!

First off, big thanks to Trevor for stepping in during the 2014 season and taking over a 1-17-1 team that had hit rock bottom. Trevor dispersal drafted a team that featured Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Kenneth Faried, and Eric Gordon, and took them to 6-12-1 in his rookie season. He followed that up with a series of trades that eventually turned his roster over into Dwight Howard, Derrick Favors, Faried, and Tony Parker, and then improved to 8-11 in his second campaign. Trevor, a fantasy newbie, got some experience with SlamNation and then chose to step down to commish his own league. Good luck Inept Henchmen, may the basketball gods be with you! And let's not forget Inepts' great logo!

And so, here steps in our sixth new owner of the new SlamNation cycle: Brandon! Brandon is my classmate from Taiwan, where we slugged through Mandarin lessons together. Originally from San Diego, Brandon mostly resided in the Bay Area the past couple of years and now we’re here in Taipei together, savoring the cheap drinks from 7-Eleven and playing Hearthstone. This is Brandon's first fantasy league and he’s a big NBA fan so we wish him the best.

With the other eleven teams having declared his keepers, GM Brandon got to use his current roster, plus all the non-keepered players to fill out his core — similar to how we gave Silent Crows (then Eron, Joven, and Chandler) the same thing in 2012. He ended up keeping Howard, Favors, and Faried, while jettisoning Parker, Gordon, and Kyle Korver. That front line will bring in a ton of REB, BLK, and FG%, while leaving an empty backcourt. Who would Brandon choose to fill out his roster?

Bypassing a few big name veterans — such as Dwayne Wade and Joakim Noah — Brandon tabbed Danny Green, Gorgui Dieng, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Green, fresh off a new contract, will be a jack-of-all-trades while tossing in a bunch of 3PT and a sneaky 1.0+ BLK per game. Gorgui Dieng will add strength to strength as the fourth big, and will likely put up close to a double double with 1.5+ BLK. And then there’s the big home run shot with KCP, who is coming off an on-and-off sophomore season but could rise quickly with his shooting prowess.

Overall, “The Brandons” (until they reveal their new name and logo), are lacking a floor general but will have a solid foundation of big men surrounded by some excellent shooting. In a tough Voltron division, this team will look to get competitive while building for the future. Welcome to SlamNation Brandon!