Unprofessional Takes: League Pass Team Edition

Photo Cred: AP Photo-Jim Mone/ Flagrant 2 Edit

Earlier this off-season, as NBA talking heads attempted to the fill the time between the end of the summer league and the start of the regular season with content, the Flagrant 2 decided to hold the inaugural League Pass Draft.

What is the League Pass Draft? … Well it is this

As two guys who grew up obsessed with basketball, we wanted to make things a little more interesting during our first year active. The League Pass Draft was created to give us a better understanding of how each team works and be able to provide a little more expertise on teams that we don’t usually follow.

Before the season starts, we thought some unprofessional takes on some of our league pass teams was a huge necessity. The fans of these teams might become internet angry, but what is a website without a little anger coming from your small group of readers. Then after a few weeks, revisit these ideas to see how wrong we actually were.

The Showman:

• Celtics
• Terry Rozier Finishes in the Top-3 for MIP
• The big deal that Evan Turner signed might be the best thing to happen to Rozier. If Turner came back to the Celtics, we might not be looking at Rozier has a potential MIP Candidate. Looking just at his production over the summer league and preseason shows just how talented the young PG can be. Alongside Marcus Smart, the two will form one of the top defensive second units in the league and his improved jumper is a great sign as well. His bread and butter is his ability to take his defender off the dribble, and a full season of that will make the Boston faithful very excited. He might not reach the numbers of Booker or other potential MIP winners but he will average more than 10 PPG while also leading a second unit for a ECF contender.
• Timberwolves
• Is It Worth Exploring The Idea of Trading Andrew Wiggins
• This might be the most Un-TimberWolves idea out there but the question remains, should they explore the idea of trading Wiggins? The thought is more to do with the progression of Zach LaVine and his ability to play with Towns than Wiggins is bad at basketball. I feel LaVine who looks like an All-Star , has a more compatible game with Towns due to his ability to play in the PnR with him. Wiggins still has All-Star level talented and probably can reach that status this year, but his value on the trade market is massive! Is potentially trading Wiggins for MKG, an unprotected 1st rounder and Zeller that crazy of a deal? Maybe swing Wiggins 2 the Clippers for Blake? If LaVine can make that next “Leap” from year 2 to 3, it definitely could make Wiggins a trade option come next summer.
• Bucks
• Both Giannis and Jabari Regress
• It might not be regression but it could be treading water instead. Both Parker and Giannis averaged 16 and 17 PPG Per 36 respectively last season, and those numbers could look very similar this year. Parker should see his minutes close to 35 this year, but I don’t see him scoring more than 17 PPG without really moving the needle that much in terms of rebounds, assists or DRTG. Giannis on the other hand might get his first All-Star nod, but I believe his struggles will be in fine tuning the PG skills. Lots of fans are excited to watch a full season of “PG” Giannis, but that might cause him to press a little too much and cause a lot of careless TOs. The Bucks will also regress in terms of overall production and could be looking at a potential high lottery too.
• Spurs
• Spurs Finish Out of The Top Five in the West
• This could be the season that the Spurs finally start to regress and if I am a Spurs fan, I wouldn’t hate it. Listen to me….. The Spurs are the best team at evaluating talent and the opportunity of drafting 17 rather than 29 could be huge for them. With Kawhi already on dock, and LaMarcus locked up; the team should start to look to rebuild through the draft. By finishing around 6–8 would be a major blow to some teams, but the Spurs ability to draft should provide them ample opportunity to find their net young piece.
• Wizards
• Trading John Wall Doesn’t Sound Like the Worst Idea
• First off, John Wall is a rock star, and is easily a top-20 player in the league today but does trading him really sound like that bad of an idea? I understand that fans fall in love with their stars, and rightfully so they should, but after a few years of team regression the Wizards could explore the idea of trading him. The Wizards could do a lot of interesting trades with Wall as the focal point, one that would yield a huge return with more pieces than K.Love going to Cleveland. The team seems to be stuck in mediocrity and with a lot of East teams making serious moves, it might be tough for the Wizards to regain ground.
• Suns
• Marquese Chriss Will Make First Team All-Rookie
• The Suns should just suck from day one and let fans know this. Chriss was the big time riser for this year’s draft, and his ascension might not stop at just that draft. He has been performing with great promise in the preseason with averages close to 14 and 7, which if given the opportunity could be a regular stat line for him during the season. The Suns don’t have much to excited for this season, and playing an 19 year old kid will definitely lead them closer to the #1 pick than the playoffs but with 2017 draft loaded with talent…. The playoffs should not be on their radar.
• Pistons
• Start Stanley Johnson from Day-1
• Johnson could be starting, but I don’t really put much effort into reading about the Pistons. What I do know is that Tobias Harris is better suited to lead a second unit than taking shots away from KCP, Reggie, Morris and Drummond. If the Pistons run with Tobias in the second unit, you could be looking at one of the more deadly bench scorers in the league. It would be a lot like what the Warriors did with Barnes and Iggy, which benefited both players. This move will save Tobias for end of games situations and give Stanley the opportunity to play impactful minutes with the starters.
• Rockets
• Eric Gordon Averages 20 PPG
• Okay…. So Gordon has only averaged 20 PPG twice in his career and has played more than 70 games just once but I trust that this year is a career resurgence for the soon to be 28 year old. Playing alongside James Harden will provide him enough opportunities to shoot, especially with D’Antoni as the new head ball-coach. With the 10 seconds or less style of play moving into Houston, Harden may be the one getting all the hype in the preseason but it could be Gordon who helps stabilize the offense.
• Magic
• Biyombo Should Start Over Nikola Vucevic
• This is one that I feel the most strongly for. I get that people think that there is a huge logjam in the frontcourt but the easy solution is to have Vucevic come off the bench in a similar role as Kanter for OKC. The Magic need to figure out if Fournier, Gordon and Payton are the core to build around and if Vucevic is taking away a lot of the offense, than nothing good can really come from it. We know what his strengths are and even more importantly his weakness which is defense. By starting Biyombo with Ibaka, we could be looking at one of the best rim protecting front-lines in the NBA this season. Also, adding Vucevic to the second unit with Mario Hezonja and Jeff Green could be one of those bench units that put points up on opponents pretty quickly.
• Raptors
• Get off the Terrence Ross Train Immediately
• Trade TRoss to a contender in hopes of getting some sort of value back. His talent was never the issue but consistency was. A change of scenery can be huge for Ross, while getting a potential 1st rounder or maybe another loss soul like Ben Mclemore could provide a great return for the Raptors. Finding a scorer for the second unit will be huge come playoff time for the Raptors, and leveraging the youth of Ross could be the move to make.
• Hornets
• Hornets Make the Playoffs with Big Help from Frank the Tank
• A lot of NBA folks have the Hornets missing out this year, and they very likely could but Frank Kaminsky’s development this year could be huge for them both this year and long term. The team has a very unathletic frontcourt with Kaminsky, Zeller and Hibbert, but Kaminsky can hit open shots and could grow into a great PnR partner with Kemba. If Frank can put up a stat line of 12 and 5 while playing pretty decent defense, it could stop SOME of the draft night ridicule that came from selecting Kaminsky over Winslow or not taking the Celtics Grandfather deal.
• Mavericks
• Mavericks Will Finish Out of the Playoffs
• Much like the Spurs , I think it could be time for the Mavericks to bow out and get the best possible pick for the future. I know fans hate that idea, but when you have a coach in Rick Carlisle that can find talent than you need to give them the opportunity of drafting in the lottery. If the Mavericks fall short this year, we could be giving Carlisle the best shot at drafting the Mavericks their replacement star for when Dirk leaves. You have Barnes, Justin Anderson and Wesley Matthews but you need that Go-To Talent and this year’s draft has that.
• Grizzlies
• Should the Grizzlies Tank?
• The window for the Grizzlies might be completely shut but they still have enough veteran talent to make the playoffs, which makes the idea of tanking even more difficult. Should they make one final push for the fans and run this team into a first round loss OR do they attempt to tank to find a late lottery pick? With Conley locked up for major money, and Parsons entering year one of a big contract; it could be beneficial to secure young cheap talent through the draft. If they do decide to tank, trading ZBO and Gasol would have to come into play since those two guys don’t like losing.
• Kings
• Kings Are Primed For a Top-3 Pick Next Season
• This really isn’t anything crazy but it seems like this is the year the Kings finally get that elusive top-3 pick. For as long as I can remember, the Kings have been unlucky in draft position. Usually picking in the 5–9 range, the Kings are always getting the less than obvious picks and fall in the realm of picking an easier bust. The Kings are terrible with their current roster, and their management is even worse.
• Sixers
• Embiid is the Best Box Score Center in the East
• What is a Box Score Center? Well… it is someone who looks great in the box score. If we are looking at advanced stats or stuff like that, a guy like Al Horford will be much more productive than him. When we are looking at stuff like points, rebounds, and blocks than I think Embiid might be the best center in the east this year. He should average close to 16 PPG with 8–10 RPG and close to 2 BPG. Those are definite top dog box score numbers.

legiNdary:

• Nets
• The Nets won’t be the worst team in the league.
• Well, if only slightly. This is a sad, sad team. With that said, they actually, sort of, kind of resemble an NBA team now with a few new additions. Hollis-Jefferson should have some nice moments and this has to be the year the Nets consider trading Brook Lopez. He’s their only legitimate all star candidate, and they need to recoup some assets. Lin/Whitehead/Scola/Greivis Christ are not terrible, but the Nets will be.
• Knicks
• Wily Hernangomez should be treated minutes-wise like a Porzingis Lite
• We love Wily. He’s getting comparisons to a young Marc Gasol. I’m not sure this is accurate, but if nothing else he is KP’s new best friend, and we want to keep KP happy. A young versatile, and cheap big? Nice job with this one, Phil.
• Warriors
• McCaw and Looney will be huge for the second unit come playoffs
• The rich get richer in McCaw. He is NBA ready and isn’t afraid to take the big shot. The Warriors depth was affected a little bit, but not a ton. I do think both of these guys make an impact this season, as this will be one of the greatest and most scrutinized seasons of all time.
• Thunder
• Westbrook will be all world, but you knew that.
• What some don’t know is that Domantas Sabonis should be able to contribute this season. He has the NBA skills and NBA dad. He is versatile and will be a serviceable big for this team. There’s no reason to believe this team won’t be competing for a top 6 seed in the crowded west.
• Bulls
• Denzel Valentine finishes in Top-3 of ROY voting
• I think a lot of people sleep on Valentine as a sneaky good NBA player. He has great size and good basketball IQ. This team will either gel nicely, or be a MESS. But within that mess, there is a chance Valentine will be good quickly. With Snell gone, there are tons of minutes for Valentine to eat up. He can space the floor and will surprise some people with his ability to bang down low. DV will surprise some this season, no doubt.
• Jazz
• Jazz Will Be A Top 5 Western Conference Team
• Scorching hot take alert: Ok, no, actually, this has been the most oversaturated take of the offseason. Ever since the Jazz picked up old guys like Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw, people have been clamoring for a Jazz resurgence. And for good reason: This team is built to win now. With a healthy Dante Exum and an all-star ready Gordon Hayward, there is no reason this team can’t compete for a top 5 seed in the western conference.
• Pacers
• Myles Turner Puts Up Better Numbers than KP/Okafor
• Myles Turner is poised for a great year. Now he will get a chance to put up monster numbers for a playoff team. Gone are the shadows of bigs past and Turner is officially the man. With a revamped roster, Turner will help push the Pacers to a deep eastern conference playoff run, led by MVP darling Paul George.
• Blazers
• Blazers back-to-back playoff runs
• James doesn’t think the Blazers make the playoffs, but I do. They have built something organically and then went and added Evan Turner and brought Allan Crabbe back into the fold. Don’t forget Meyers Leonard is back too. Damian Lillard, fresh off his impressive debut rap album, will without a doubt be in the mix for a playoff berth. Will they go as far as last year? Time will tell.
• Cavs
• Jordan Mcrae makes Iman Shumpert VERY expendable
• Iman Shumpert has one NBA talent. That is lockdown perimeter defense. But that’s about it. He can’t stay healthy, barely gets to the basket, and is a mediocre outside shooter at best. McRae has looked great when he’s gotten minutes, and it’s hard to justify giving Shump minutes over the more versatile McRae. JMac gets buckets and will be a huge help to the Cavs, who will look to go back to back like the cover of lethal weapon.
• Clippers
• Blake finishes in top-5 for MVP voting
• Every year is supposed to be “the year” for the Clippers. This actually has to be it. They will need MVP performances out of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. I think they get it. There aren’t too many new faces, but this veteran bunch led by Doc Rivers should be ready to challenge for a Western Conference Championship.
• Nuggets
• Nuggets have a better record than the TWolves
• This will be close. Vegas loves the Nuggets, and with good reason. The Nuggets probably lead the league in passports. No one will be more of an enigma than this team. Gallinari who is on a contract year, may very well get traded. If he does, it may kill the playoff run for this scrappy bunch. Still, they will be a pleasure to watch.
• Pelicans
• Could win-out for the first pick in next year’s draft
• If Anthony Davis gets hurt, this team is screwed. Even if he doesn’t get hurt, the supporting cast is pretty weak. Who knows how long Jrue Holiday will be out, Buddy Hield will have his growing pains, and this will be another lost season for the Pellies. Expect Buddy to be a contender for Rookie of the year, though.
• Lakers
• Jordan Clarkson is the best player on the roster this season
• This should be D’Angelo Russell, but he is still probably one year away. Clarkson can score and will show it this year. He may not average 20 a game, but he is probably the most consistent and dependable player on an odd but entertaining 2017 Los Angeles Lakers team.
• Hawks
• Millsap is First Team All-NBA
• This Hawks team will be plenty interesting to watch this season. Finally, Dennis Schroder will get the keys to the car with Jeff Teague out of the picture. Dwight will put up good numbers but it never usually equals team chemistry. Paul Millsap will be his usual, solid, reliable self. This is the year he is first team. The Hawks are poised for a top 4 seed in the East.
• Heat
• Destined for a Top-10 Pick
• The 2016–2017 Miami Heat are a hot mess. Losing Bosh hurts, a lot. Losing Wade hurts even more. Tyler Johnson will make a lot of money, but I can’t see him making enough of a difference. People also forget that Justise Winslow is still developing and Josh Richardson is out for a while. This is a lottery team, no doubt about it. They will have some flashes (No pun intended, sorry D Wade) but they will be pretty putrid. Maybe Dragic will be traded. Tough spot for Riles to be in.