Our team previews will incorporate some keeper takes, as we had so much movement pre-draft that we better soak it all in as one big article! And we'll start with the Chamberlain Conference! [ 2023 Midseason: Top Eight | Bottom Eight ]
TeamID - Abbrev - Name (2023 Record, 2022 Record)
Something is wrong in Squirtleland. Despite three playoff appearances, two conference finals, and two most regulars season wins titles in 2020 and 2022, last season’s seven-win campaign signaled a need for some massive changes. The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James were fearsome, but had perhaps run their full course. Three years after going all in post-LeBron trade, SQSQ had still not gotten even one playoff victory. Something had to change…
And that “something” was huge, as SQSQ management shipped off Antetokounmpo in a deal that shook the Slam world. Instead of re-contending alongside Antetokounmpo, Brian decided to do it with the thirty-nine year old James as the focal point, taking in Anthony Davis and DeMar DeRozan as the prizes from the Antetokounmpo trade. Previous keepers Caris LeVert, Jusuf Nurkic, and Jonathan Kuminga were tossed aside as well, in order to keeper an all-super vet squad of LeBron James (38.8), Bojan Bogdanovic (34.5), DeMar DeRozan (34.2), Jrue Holiday (33.3), and Anthony Davis (30.6). Those numbers are their ages by the way, not points per game, or minutes per game. The only young keeper is Tari Eason (22.4) who was SQSQ’s 2023 RD2.1 pick.
That’s a win-now squad if we ever saw one! Interestingly, SQSQ also had this year’s RD1.2 pick, future superstar Scoot Henderson, who will now be the pilot for this contender. Are we intrigued? Yes we are! The rest of the 2024 draft brought in Buddy Hield, Daniel Gafford, Mike Conley, Isaiah Stewart, and Julian Champagnie. Assuming some of the vets will be hard pressed to play sixty-plus games, the depth of this team will be tested through the regular season. Will this be enough to get SQSQ past that crucial first round? We’d like to bet it is, as taking a huge gamble by trading away Antetokounmpo should be rewarded karmically.
#10 ABCX Another Bad Creation (6-14, 11-9)
We thought ABCX had turned the ship around in 2022 with a winning season after three down years in a row, but 2023 put ABCX right back into the bottom of the league. Losing Ja Morant near the back of the season didn’t help, but the team’s problems weren’t only with Morant’s availability, as LaMelo Ball only managed to play thirty-six games last year. The most exciting backcourt in Slam can’t power ABCX if they are sitting on the sidelines can they?
The one bright spot for the team was rookie Bennedict Mathurin (2023 RD1.13), who was a nice find, but this roster needs additional help. Aside from Morant, Ball, and Mathurin, low wattage but productive players like Kelly Oubre Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, and new keeper Bobby Portis are all statistically better than you’d expect. However, they won’t be able to shine without stars to play alongside. That’s why we really like the upside of Jaden Ivey, selected 2024 RD1.7 by Oliver, who exhibited plenty of upside during his rookie season.
The sheen has been wiped off from both Robert Williams III and Christian Wood, but both have their statistical uses, assuming health and opportunity. The rest of ABCX’s draft was also value driven, with Malcolm Brogdon, Norman Powell, and Tim Hardaway Jr. joining the fold. Can Ball return to lead this team to playoff contention—especially with Morant gone for twenty-five games—or will ABCX have another tread water season?
Another Chamberlain team that has seen better days, BUFF has had a tough time escaping the lower echelons of Slam over the past few seasons. Actually they’ve only had one playoff appearance in the past ten seasons, so it might be more accurate to say that BUFF is having a bad decade. Last year was another losing campaign, as BUFF can’t seem to put together two good seasons in a row. There are some bright spots here though!
Potential All-Pro Anthony Edwards (2021 RD1.6) is still ascending, and there’s a nice trio of Edwards, Brandon Ingram, and Domantas Sabonis to create a solid core for this franchise. Kyle Kuzma found his niche in Washington and Klay Thompson is still an okay holdover, fantasy-wise. New keeper Spencer Dinwiddie is a serviceable point guard, so this roster should all set for their top six.
Taking Russell Westbrook with the fifth pick in this year’s draft (2023 RD1.5) was quite the surprise, as Westbrook is old and brings a lot of minuses along with few pluses. Will Roger regret passing up on rookie Ausar Thompson or someone with more upside like Jaden Ivey and Onyeka Okongwu? Time will tell. Staying on-brand by taking more vets, BUFF drafted Jordan Clarkson, Jusuf Nurkic, Harrison Barnes, and Al Horford—who are exactly what they are. The only young-ish player they took was Luguentz Dort in the last round, but his upside is capped by playing time as well.
Overall, the ceiling for BUFF seems to be capped by some of the roster, and aside from Edwards vaulting up another level, and the continued excellence of Sabonis, it’ll be looking like another 0.500ish year from BUFF. Even that could be an improvement…
#12 SOUR Sour Snails (14-6, 12-8)
Our defending champs had a two-year lull in 2020-21 but are now right back up on top. The shocking thing about SOUR’s most recent championship was how dark horse-y it was, as they weren’t the favorites heading into last year’s postseason. They had to navigate their way to the top, and they did it with aplomb. With eight total titles under their belt, SOUR put forth an even greater challenge for themselves in the offseason: revamp!
While we’re used to the free wheeling ways of GM Trieu, I don’t think anyone excited the whirlwind of trades that transformed SOUR’s keeper roster, retaining only Steph Curry from 2023’s championship squad. (Technically Jimmy Butler was on the 2023 team, but he was also almost traded, and was a “new” keeper for 2024.) Out the door went De’Aaron Fox, Pascal Siakam, Jerami Grant, and Slam Finals hero Austin Reaves. The new-look SOUR will feature Curry and Butler alongside Lauri Markkanen, Scottie Barnes, Keldon Johnson, and Mark Williams. Is that a repeat worthy roster? We have no idea! But we’re sure this won’t be the final SOUR team that heads into the playoffs, as Trieu is sure to deal some more.
For the draft, SOUR took a gamble on the troubled Miles Bridges in round one but that may already be a waste of a pick as he’s right back on suspension. Then SOUR took firebrand Immanuel Quickley, and went for upside with Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Cam Whitmore. Grayson Allen was brought in for a touch of shooting, while last pick Killian Hayes offers some intriguing value as Mr. Irrelevant. As SOUR is proving, rosters don’t seem to matter much, because winners win, and Trieu will be looking to repeat (again).
Our 2022 champions may have faltered in their repeat bid, but with another solid season to follow up their title run, SBUK could easily be looking at a third Finals appearance in four seasons if 2024 shakes out right. Their keeper core remained as solid as ever, as there was no turnover from the six-pack of Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Rudy Gobert, CJ McCollum, Jalen Brunson, and Franz Wagner.
An in-draft trade off of Brunson for Desmond Bane was intriguing, as that puts a lot of pressure on Irving to be the lead guard here, and we know how dangerous that can be.
However, should Irving decide not to basketball for a few months, Collin Sexton (RD3.9) and TJ McConnell (RD5.9) could be decent plug-ins. SBUK had a very nice fill-the-holes draft actually, with John Collins and Kevin Huerter both slotting into starting positions and two rookies everyone is excited about in Jazz’s Taylor Hendricks and sharp-shooter Gradey Dick. Long a franchise full of stability and reliability, SBUK does have the reigning MVP in Embiid, as well as a roster that is well balanced and ready to contend once again.
#14 SPDE Spade (7-13, 4-16)
With six playoff appearances and one Finals run in their first seven seasons, SPDE was perennially a contender until 2021, when their injury-plagued roster aged beyond the point of no return and SPDE suffered a 14-42 record between 2021-23.
However, as they were stacking up losses, SPDE was also stacking talent. The 2022 draft brought in Josh Giddey (2022 RD1.8) and Tyrese Maxey (2022 RD4.15). Last year was Chet Holmgren (2023 RD1.2). And with the first overall pick this year, 2024 RD1.1 Victor Wembanyama, SPDE has now assembled a scary roster for their next decade of Slam. Along with Devin Booker, Tyler Herro, and the still there Kawhi Leonard, SPDE is looking to regain their spot at the top of SlamNation. Their long elusive title may not be that far out of reach, especially with two multi-faceted seven-footers on board.
Understanding that their window is opening right now, SPDE took the steady likes of Tobias Harris, Dennis Schroder, and Gordon Hayward for some veteran presence—along with Saddiq Bey for extra Leonard insurance. The RD3.4 selection of Ben Simmons raised some eyebrows, but if Simmons can play, he’ll be in a low pressure environment to succeed, as all eyes will be on Wemby and Chet. While we can’t say that SPDE is going to contend right away, there’s no question this will be the most watched team in Slam this season. Exciting times ahead!
The picture perfect version of a team that has slowly climbed the ranks, ILCN has been putting together a gorgeous core while lucking into franchise players—Luka and Paolo fell to them— as well as drafting hit after hit. Since entering SlamNation seven years ago, ILCN has worked their way up from the bottom and could be on the verge of their first title.
The backcourt of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Luka Doncic are unparalleled for everything you’d want three guards to do, fantasy-wise. Jaren Jackson Jr. had a breakout season and won Defensive Player of the Year, and while he can admittedly be foul and injury-prone, carries blocks when healthy and active. Last season’s 2023 RD1.3 Paolo Banchero won R.O.Y. and quickly established himself as a potential franchise cornerstone in Orlando. The main offseason question for GM Frank was what to do with his extra keeper-quality assets. At the end of the day, ILCN elected to sell off Bradley Beal and Walker Kessler for future picks, and then keepered the explosive Shaedon Sharpe.
With that enviable core solidified, ILCN’s for-need draft brought in Khris Middleton and Jaden McDaniels to man the small forward spot, and then a foursome of centers in Mitchell Robinson, rookie Dereck Lively II, Naz Reid, and Bol Bol to add defensive backbone alongside Jackson. After finishing last season as a top-four seed, ILCN will be looking to challenge for much more this time around.
#16 SCRM Screamin Eagles (15-4-1, 11-9)
In just three short seasons in Slam, SCRM ascended from an under 0.500 team in 2021 to dominating most of the regular season in 2023. Never afraid to make big deals, GM Jordan started off his career by making an in-dispersal trade for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (and OG Anunoby), and then moved for James Harden and Karl-Anthony Towns last year. This offseason brought SCRM their biggest coup of all: Giannis Antetokounmpo!
With Gilgeous-Alexander elevating himself to MVP-like levels, SCRM revamped the entire keeper core around him, adding Harden, Antetokounmpo, Towns, Jakob Poeltl, and another pre-draft acquisition Walker Kessler, to potentially push themselves to a title. Looking over the roster, there’s an incredible blend of offense and defense, and SCRM’s draft could be perfect to push those strengths even further.
While Chris Paul and Draymond Green are injury-plagued, they add a ton of assists for SCRM. Bogdan Bogdanovic is a sneaky good all-around contributor and NBA Finals hero Bruce Brown is a do-it-all role guy, which is just what SCRM needs. Adding Steven Adams to back up Poeltl and Kessler gives this team no holes. A team with this much firepower and synergy should capture the regular seasons crown—barring injuries—and we’re excited for SCRM to challenge for a championship this season.
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