Mid-Season Report: Silverhawks

There's no doubting who's on top of this division, the ever powerful Sour Snails! At least this year he's got some competition with Fat Jubas a mere five games behind. Oh what are we saying, "Silverhawks" might as well become "Silversnails" until someone can add balance to this division. [2015 Pre-Season | 2014 Early Season]

Sour Snails (12-1-1)
Last season the Snails went 17-2, entered the playoffs on a fifteen game winning streak, and was upended in the Chamberlain Conference Finals by eventual champ Eron, Joven, and Chandler. That's the Snails' story...they keep throttling opponents during the regular season but collapsing in the playoffs. This season, they are ranked first in PTS, 3PT, and STL, second in AST and FG%, and even a frightening fifth in BLKs. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for weaknesses. So far these Snails are on a ten game non-losing streak, and if not for a tie with So Buckets last week, that would be a double digit win streak. The scary part is that this roster might be getting better. Their early season trade of Monta Ellis and 2015 RD1 Wesley Matthews netted them new All-Star Jimmy Butler (20.5 PTS, 5.0 REB, 3.2 AST, 1.8 STL, 1.0 3PT) and the recently returned from injury David Lee. Butler and Ellis may be putting up similar numbers, but there’s no question Butler’s star is quickly ascending.

And speaking of breakouts, Klay Thompson was clearly the right keeper — over Trevor Ariza and Tyreke Evans, both moved for pre-draft picks — and has turned into a true nine category player. Along with his outrageous shooting, Klay is averaging almost a block per game! The four All-Star backcourt featuring Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Thompson, and Butler also have Rudy Gay on the wing plus DeMarcus Cousins in the middle. While GM Trieu was looking for a traditional big man to pair with Cousins — Taj Gibson has been hampered by injury — it looks like he’s found his answer by going with free agent find Robert Covington at the power forward spot. Covington fits right into the rest of this lineup, stretching the floor with his 2.3 3PT per game. Is this the season Trieu finally wins that elusive second championship? We’ll find out soon enough!

Fat Jubas (7-5-2)
It looked like Eric’s team was gelling nicely as Jubas came out of the gates 3-0-1, but then they hit a 1-3 patch and have been a little erratic since. For a team that has played about 0.500 ball over the past two seasons though, this mid-season record is an improvement. And after last season’s Toilet Bowl appearance — Jubas went to the Toilet Bowl Finals, albeit with their pick destined for Chunky Monkeys in the Chris Paul trade — they should be able to get into the playoffs pretty easily this year. The trio of Suns on this team, Markieff Morris, Isaiah Thomas, and Alex Len are probably better in real life than fantasy right now, although Morris’ center eligibility makes him a neat piece to have. Gordon Hayward is having a far better year percentage-wise than last season, and has ascended to near All-Star levels. The disappointment here has been Nicolas Batum, who is averaging a paltry 9.0 PTS on 38.0 FG%. His all around numbers are still decent, but Batum needs to step it up or he might be moved.

The return of Danilo Gallinari gives this team their (questionable) sixth keeper back, and he’ll be needed for a bit of offense as this team is a little low on PTS. Gallo won’t help Jubas’ paltry REB but he is perfectly suited to build on the team’s fourth in 3PT and first in FT% strengths. The Jubas are still in rebuilding mode a bit, but CP3 wants to win now and it’ll be interesting to see what GM Eric can do to put some more pieces around him. Can a lot of useful but ultimately second tier guys have a sneaky post-season run in them? Or is this team still looking for another superstar to slot alongside Chris Paul? We hear rumblings that just such a superstar may be on the trade block...

Jedi Knights (4-10)
Oh Jedis! With two blockbuster trades already under their belts, Lum’s team has certainly shaken things up this season. While we love the big moves, we would love to see more than one free agent add — for D.J. Augustin, admittedly a great FA grab post-Brandon Jennings. GM Lum is still ranked last in “moves” and we think he can show Jedi fans that his re-dedication to their team will come with lots of panning for gold on the waiver wire. Let’s talk about the team Lum has rebuilt so far though. What has dramatically changed about Jedis from last season is the sudden influx of outside shooting in the form of Wesley Matthews (3.1 3PT), Chandler Parsons (2.1 3PT), 2015 RD2 pick Arron Afflalo (1.6 3PT), Avery Bradley (1.5 3PT), and even Monta "He Got It All" Ellis (1.1 3PT).

The mega trades seem to have worked out pretty well so far for Jedi too. Sure, losing their only rim protector in DeAndre Jordan hurt, but this team was ranked last in REB/BLK anyway. Al Jefferson has been slow to get healthy but it looks like he’s fully back now. And the Monta for Jimmy Butler move didn’t hurt this team statistically, as Ellis has actually been better across almost all categories. Not having Michael Carter-Williams’ smorgasbord of numbers is offset by also offloading MCW's horrendous percentages. 2014 RD1 pick Deron Williams started the season off hot but has cooled off dramatically, making the case that maybe a rookie could have been drafted in his place. Then again, this year’s rookie crop has been horrific fantasy-wise. So what now for Jedi? They have four wins already, after totaling five last year, and they are strong in FG% and TO. They’re still a long shot for the playoffs but at least they have been active, which is half the battle. Let’s see if these Knights can take the fight to more teams this season as they slowly construct a winning foundation.

Fob Stars (3-10-1)
Well, this is not good. After going 17-20 in the past two seasons, it looks like Jimmy’s squad has fallen off a cliff. We thought the revamped keeper core would bring Fob Stars into the post-season but instead they’ve regressed in nearly every category. This team can’t shoot, can’t score, can’t rebound, are dead last in assists, and can’t really play any defense either. Hey, at least they’re leading the league in (lowest) turnovers! Let’s start with some good news to offset the eventual bad. Kemba Walker was having a lights out season earlier, before his meniscus ripped. Um, right, bad news. Well, Kevin Martin is back and ready to be moved off the IR list?

Okay, it’s pretty much all sad news for this squad, who may be in desperate need of a makeover. The trade that moved Joakim Noah for Nerlens Noel and Ryan Anderson is still under evaluation. Noel has been outsanding with 2.3 BLK and 1.8 STL but his PTS and REB have been much lower than anticipated. Anderson is still scoring and bombing away from three point land, but his days as a strong REB might be over. And Fob Stars have been injury plagued, with Marcin Gortat, Anderson, and Evan Fournier leading them in GP. That's not good. Overall, we’d love to some moves here, as Zach Randolph (17.2 PTS, 12.1 REB, 50.3 FG%) and the sneaky decent Khris Middleton (11.0 PTS, 1.5 STL/1.3 3PT) could be useful on a contender. Also, with Trey Burke’s current hot streak, maybe now is the time to move his 37.2 FG%? After starting off with seven straight losses, Fob Stars has gone 3-3-1 recently, indicating that the worst is likely over. A roster of pieces now needs a steady hand to shape them into playoff contenders...after one more trip to the Toilet Bowl.

Mid-Season Report: Transformers

Once the most balanced division in the league, Transformers will have to hang its hat on the fact that the recent champs hail from this division. Can someone else steal Silent Crows' crown? [2015 Pre-Season | 2014 Early Season]

Silent Crows (9-4)
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.

Mid-Season Report: Voltron

And here with the mid-season reviews. It’s already twelve, almost thirteen weeks in, and the NBA has been on full tilt with storylines everywhere and surprises, disappointments, trades, and injuries galore. Let’s take a look at where SlamNation stands, starting with the Voltron division! [2015 Pre-Season Voltron | 2014 Early Season]

MoRRie’s Pogiboys (10-2)
Last year at this time Alvin’s team stood at 4-8, headed toward yet another Toilet Bowl. Now Alvin sits atop the Russell Conference by a wide margin and has basically the best fantasy player on the planet, Anthony Davis, anchoring his team. Oh yeah, did we mention GM Alvin hit on quite a few upside picks in the draft too? His first four draft picks this year: Elfrid Payton, Draymond Green, Gorgui Dieng, and Alec Burks. Payton can’t shoot but he’s easily going to be one of the top rookies for the 2014-15 NBA draft class. And well, Draymond is the new darling of the NBA, and his stat sheet stuffing stats are pretty incredible -- this is one Spartan alum Alvin hasn't had a problem rooting for. And Dieng is already almost a double double guy and it looks like his minutes will only increase. Alvin is doing a better job putting pieces around The Brow than the Pelicans are!

Oh yeah, Davis is averaging 24.2 PTS, 10.4 REB, 2.9 BLK, 1.5 STL, 55.7 FG% and 82.2 FT%. Geezes. Would you take him over Kevin Durant or LeBron? Of course right? And also, Pogiboys already have Mike Conley, Brandon Jennings, Victor Oladipo, Roy Hibbert, and Brook Lopez as keepers entering the season. This is the year Pogiboys (finally) hit the post-season, and they could make some major noise there -- right before 2016 when they’ll have quite a few roster decisions on the horizon. Get ready SlamNation, the Pogiboys are (finally) coming!

High Riser (9-2-1)
Nipping on Pogiboys’ heels for the Voltron crown is John Wall and Damian Lillard, both of whom are looking for post-season success in the NBA as well as in SlamNation. Thien’s team went to the playoffs last year, as usual, but were bounced early, as usual. High Riser has always had regular season success under any name — they’ve won seven of their last eight matchups — but their high flying offensive style hasn’t helped them to many post-season wins. This team is fun to watch though, ranking first in AST, second in STL, third in 3PT, and fourth in PTS. The offseason saw Thien bring in Trevor Ariza and Tyreke Evans for draft picks, and both have helped round out the starting lineup.

It’s a shame first round pick Julius Randle won’t play this season, but free agent surprise Hassan Whiteside has taken the opportunity to earn a starting nod alongside Omer Asik and Steven Adams. The four guard rotation of Lillard, Wall, Brandon Knight (18.1 PTS, 5.1 AST, 4.2 REB, 1.6 STL, 1.9 3PT), and Dwayne Wade are one of the best in the league, and they’ll continue to power High Riser to almost contention. What's the next step though, how can this team make a final move for the ring? Is the answer Dion Waiters?!

So Buckets (6-6)
After ruling the Voltron den for a number of seasons, Josh’s team is in danger of dropping out of the playoffs. Then again, the non-Spade teams in the other Russell Conference division are pretty pathetic so Voltron could easily send three representatives to the post-season. However, Buckets has to contend with the sudden rise of Pogiboys, as well as the steady winning ways of High Riser. All that and this season has been tough on the injury front. The rejuvenated Pau Gasol is leading this team in games played, as virtually everyone else has hit the shelf, including long stints outs for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Pekovic. And then there’s the M.I.A. Larry Sanders, who is in danger of washing/weeding out of the NBA. Still, Coach Josh has steadied this team after a 3-5 start, and being at 0.500 mid-season can be called a success.

There’s good news too, as the aforementoned Gasol is throwing up mid-2000's Pau numbers of 18.4 PTS, 11.6 REB, and 2.1 BLK. And Kyrie Irving is still a fantasy star, even if he’s not exactly meshing with his new Cavaliers teammates. Third round pick Rudy Gobert has earned the nickname “The French Rejection” and he’s more than capable of helping this team remain ranked third in BLKs post-Sanders. Plus, young keepers Jared Sullinger and Ben McLemore are still growing and overall this team is trending upwards. With an anticipated healthier second half of the season, So Buckets will focus on entering the post-season and setting their sights on upsetting one of the top seeds -- instead of the other way around. Note: First rounder Joel Embiid is still tucked away on this roster, waiting for the 2016 season...

Inept Henchmen (4-8)
So, how’s Trevor’s second season in SlamNation going? Last year’s team had only six wins total so this year’s four victories are a baby step up even after their 3-2 start crumbled to six losses in their last seven games. The defensive anchors for Henchmen, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bogut, have been in and out of the lineup, making it tough to establish an inside presence. Before his injury though, Dwight was putting up monster games, making last year’s trade of Derrick Rose look brilliant. And it’s not really the frontcourt that this team is lacking in, as they have Howard, Bogut, Derrick Favors, and Kenneth Faried pogo-sticking around. Plus, Jeff Green has shown that he can still put up points in his new Memphis home.

That backcourt though, filled with an old man crew of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Greivis Vasquez, and Jose Calderon. That’s not great. Sixth round pick Tony Wroten had been averaging 16.9 PTS, 5.2 AST, 1.6 STL, 1.2 3PT before his ACL tear, but now he’s out for the season. Rookies Nik Stauskas and TJ Warren were drafted with high hopes but both were cut long ago. Some fresh blood is needed here, and Kyle Korver is an intriguing trade chip. Surely some contender could use a rocket launcher who drops in 3.0 3PT at a 51.6 FG% clip? We like the direction GM Trevor has taken this team, and a few more steps upwards would make this a successful second year of rebuilding.

Another Funk Rebuild

It’s only been a couple of months since Funk Coalition’s latest rebuild. If you’re counting, that’s three major rebuilds in about three seasons, starting with the pre-draft acquisition of Rajon Rondo in 2012. Apparently, building a winning team around Rondo is difficult. Very difficult.

With their lone 2015 win coming against fellow undefeated Fob Stars, GM Jon saw the need to reshape their roster yet again. High draft picks Dante Exum and Marcus Smart had yet to see much return and a roster full of guards weren’t able to rank well in any of the traditional guard categories. In fact, Funk’s team is last or near last in FT%, 3PT, and PTS. So, with a pair of trades, Jon went all in on guards who can’t shoot, while trading away all of his top scorers and essentially punting PTS. Will it work? Hard to say, but this roster suddenly got a lot more cohesive in its flaws.

• ID#47: Funk Coalition trade Al Jefferson, Amare Stoudemire, 2016 RD2 to Jedi Knights for Michael Carter-Williams and DeAndre Jordan
• ID#48: Funk Coalition trade Derrick Rose to Silent Crows for Ricky Rubio

With the additions of Michael Carter-Williams and Ricky Rubio, Funk should now have the AST and STL to surround Rondo in the backcourt. None of the three guards can shoot for percentage or range, but that’s alright I guess. Who needs to space the floor anyway!? Also, all three possess awful FT% for professional basketball players, highlighted by Rondo’s 31.6 FT% this season. What Rondo, MCW, and Rubio can do is post near triple doubles, providing Funk with a plethora of AST/REB/STL.

The new-look frontcourt will now feature the twin defensive towers of Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan, who's averaging 9.5 PTS, 13.4 REB, 2.4 BLK, 1.0 STL, and 70.7 FG%. They’re essentially the same player, with high FG%, awful FT%, outstanding REB/BLK, and quick hands for bigs. Also, neither can be expected to average more than about ten points per game, especially with Drummond slumping in an expected breakout year. Josh Smith is still the third big here, and he has brought awful percentages but a nice smattering of REB, AST, and a combined 3.0 STL/BLK. Basically, Funk has decided to torpedo every category they were bad at and double down on all the counting stats.

It’s hard to say if this strategy is better than the last (failing) one, but Funk now has the a team that sort of makes sense on paper. Also, let’s not overlook the snazzy pickup of Dennis Schroder, aka the German Rondo. Since this SlamNation trade last week, Rondo has found himself moved to the Mavericks, which means that the heart and soul of Funk isn’t even a Celtic anymore. Argggh!

Note: At the end of the day, Funk moved Dwight Howard, Tony Parker, a 2015 RD2 (Jose Calderon) for Ricky Rubio and Marcus Smart. Worth it? Considering Dwight is having a great year and the still perfect piece alongside Rondo and this team build? Also, Funk says good bye to Al, again!

For Jedi Knights, this was their second big trade in a season that has seen them step up their activity. (Although, they still rank last in “moves,” and haven’t made any FA pickups yet.) Losing last year’s Rookie of the Year will be tough, but MCW’s awful FG% was weighing this team down. The top two Jedi picks from the 2013 draft, Carter-Williams and Jimmy Butler, are now both gone.

Al Jefferson has been slow to become the 20-10 machine he’s always been, but his sterling percentages and offensive output fits in very nicely with Jedi's recent focus on increased offense. Losing DeAndre Jordan’s defensive stats hurt, but this team wasn’t beating anyone on the boards or protecting the rim anyway.

And Amare Stoudemire returns to the fold, two years after being acquired for a number of picks — the result was Stoudemire for 2013 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and 2014 John Henson. Jefferson, Stoudemire, and a suddenly enticing Mason Plumlee will anchor the new look frontline while balancing out Deron Williams, Monta Ellis, and the wing combo of Chandler Parsons, Wes Matthews, and Arron Afflalo. There’s still a lot of work to be done to make the 2-8 Jedi Knights competitive, but at least the effort is showing. Now to work that free agent wire Lum!

Defending champ Silent Crows hit a quick “yes” to the Rose for Rubio swap, exchanging a still injured Rubio for Rose’s offensive output. Rose has been in and out of the lineup but two months into the season, he’s getting steadier and steadier, averaging 19.4 PTS, 5.0 AST, 1.5 3PT, on 45.7 FG%. If Rose continues his successful comeback from injury, Lucas could have just added another piece to his title defense while jettisoning an equally risky injured player in Rubio.

Currently the Crows are 5-3 and ranked second in FG%, REB, and PTS, with their only bad category being STLs. They are well positioned to be a top team again, even as Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin have yet to hit their full stride. Silent Crow's 2015 draft yielded key rotation pieces in Joe Johnson, Patrick Beverly, Tyson Chandler, Danny Green, and even free agent pickup Marreese Speights. That's preeeeetty impressive.

Let the mega-trade season begin! Who's next?

The Force Awakens

After vowing to better manage his team this season, Lum has made good on his promise, throwing his team into 2015's first blockbuster. With a roster full of interesting parts, it was high time GM Lum started to shape his pieces into a cohesive unit. Toward that end, Lum moved rising star Jimmy Butler and the still injured David Lee to Sour Snails in exchange for Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews. That immediately upgrades the offense, as Ellis and Matthews combine to average 37.3 PTS. The new backcourt will give this second-to-last ranked offense an infusion, and give greatly improve their 3PT shooting to the tune of 3.9 3PT per game.

The new look Jedi will have a bounce back Deron Williams, a returned from injury Michael Carter-Williams, plus Ellis and Mathews on board. Not to mention there’s Arron Afflalo and Chandler Parsons for the swing positions. The frontcourt seems to be a bit soft with Thaddeus Young playing power forward next to DeAndre Jordan, but it’s not like David Lee was providing anything this season. We like the new run-and-gun Jedi, and well, let’s see if they can pick up a few extra wins this year!

As for Sour Snails, this is their third move of the season, after shipping off extra keepers Tyreke Evans and Trevor Ariza for draft picks — both of whom are having excellent seasons. We already knew that this backcourt was crowded with talent, and consolidating Ellis and Matthews into an up and coming All-Star like Jimmy Butler is exactly the type of move Trieu has consistently executed. Butler has taken over the main offensive duties in Chicago and is averaging 21.0 PTS, 5.7 REB, 1.5 STL, and 48.7 FG% in a long awaited breakout year. He’s not a 3PT threat, but the top ranked Snails hardly need anything in that category. And when David Lee comes back, he’ll add additional scoring, and most importantly, rebounding to help out DeMarcus Cousins. Lee should be an upgrade, or at least a nice complement, to Taj Gibson and Ed Davis. All in all, a trade that looks like a winner for both sides!

• ID#47: Jedi Knights trade Jimmy Butler and David Lee to Fob Stars for Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews.