Post by Miege22 on Oct 2, 2013 22:51:36 GMT -5
1. Orlando Magic
This might be the toughest division to project. I think it is obvious that Houston and Orlando are the most well-rounded teams in the division, but neither has the respective ceilings of Memphis or Atlanta. At the end of the day, I think it is Orlando that takes things in the South and gets back to the playoffs. They may not have the star power that Atlanta has, or the intriguing young guys that Memphis seems to be loaded with, but they have a lot of very underrated contributors. Dragic, Gortat, Lowry, David Lee, Parsons, and Wes Matthews are all guys that are sneaky good fantasy players. Then you throw in the bench guys (Gibson, Tony Allen, Barnes, Burks, etc.) and this is a squad that has the potential to not only win the division, but do some damage come playoff time when the big guns are resting.
2. Houston Rockets
I had Memphis penciled in here until I remembered they traded Randolph away for a pick. Steph Curry is a stud. I love Kawhi Leonard. And I think Kanter is a fantasy sleeper this year. That said, there are too many unknowns and black holes on this team for me to pick them first. What do they get from Goodwin and Len? Will Brooks, Scola, and Thornton play meaningful bench roles? Does Gibson get picked up? I'm a little more pessimistic on their question marks than Orlando's, which is why I give the nod to the Magic.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
Depending on the moves made, this is a team positioned to dominate the division in 2016. This is a team loaded with young talent. Rubio, Waiters, Beal, Favors, and Michael Carter-Williams. Even the established vets they have are young: Hibbert and Gay. If Bynum comes back healthy, look out. Of course, the question here is depth. What will Kaman, Chalmers, Fournier and Jenkins give them? Will Bynum ever actually play? Can the young guys take the next step? All of those uncertainties lead me to place them third, but make no mistake, this team is dangerous.
4. Atlanta Hawks
In a normal year, a team with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol is the easy favorite. This isn't a normal year. Kobe is out, likely until Christmas, and the backup is Vince Carter. Pau should see an uptick in numbers, but he's at the point where injuries may dog him the rest of his career. LeBron should continue to be LeBron, but what if, God forbid, he gets hurt? This team is done. The lack of depth is terrifying. Jeremy Lin is the team's fourth best player, and after that? Egads. Meyers Leonard, Jordan Hill, Marcus Morris, and Kris Humphries are the other bigs. Brian Roberts, JJ Barea, and Ian Clark figure prominently in the guard rotation. No, there's just not enough here to win the division.
5. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks
I typed this thinking it had to be a mistake. There's no way Tampa would finish last, given their history. But I looked at their roster, or lack thereof, and that is exactly what's going to happen. There are some pieces here moving forward. Faried is solid, Holiday is on his second team but still young, and they should be able to get something for Dirk. Plus, the draft picks. My word, the draft picks! So many, and a few potential lotto picks in a loaded draft. They're a lock for last, but don't expect that to last for very long.
Discuss.
This might be the toughest division to project. I think it is obvious that Houston and Orlando are the most well-rounded teams in the division, but neither has the respective ceilings of Memphis or Atlanta. At the end of the day, I think it is Orlando that takes things in the South and gets back to the playoffs. They may not have the star power that Atlanta has, or the intriguing young guys that Memphis seems to be loaded with, but they have a lot of very underrated contributors. Dragic, Gortat, Lowry, David Lee, Parsons, and Wes Matthews are all guys that are sneaky good fantasy players. Then you throw in the bench guys (Gibson, Tony Allen, Barnes, Burks, etc.) and this is a squad that has the potential to not only win the division, but do some damage come playoff time when the big guns are resting.
2. Houston Rockets
I had Memphis penciled in here until I remembered they traded Randolph away for a pick. Steph Curry is a stud. I love Kawhi Leonard. And I think Kanter is a fantasy sleeper this year. That said, there are too many unknowns and black holes on this team for me to pick them first. What do they get from Goodwin and Len? Will Brooks, Scola, and Thornton play meaningful bench roles? Does Gibson get picked up? I'm a little more pessimistic on their question marks than Orlando's, which is why I give the nod to the Magic.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
Depending on the moves made, this is a team positioned to dominate the division in 2016. This is a team loaded with young talent. Rubio, Waiters, Beal, Favors, and Michael Carter-Williams. Even the established vets they have are young: Hibbert and Gay. If Bynum comes back healthy, look out. Of course, the question here is depth. What will Kaman, Chalmers, Fournier and Jenkins give them? Will Bynum ever actually play? Can the young guys take the next step? All of those uncertainties lead me to place them third, but make no mistake, this team is dangerous.
4. Atlanta Hawks
In a normal year, a team with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol is the easy favorite. This isn't a normal year. Kobe is out, likely until Christmas, and the backup is Vince Carter. Pau should see an uptick in numbers, but he's at the point where injuries may dog him the rest of his career. LeBron should continue to be LeBron, but what if, God forbid, he gets hurt? This team is done. The lack of depth is terrifying. Jeremy Lin is the team's fourth best player, and after that? Egads. Meyers Leonard, Jordan Hill, Marcus Morris, and Kris Humphries are the other bigs. Brian Roberts, JJ Barea, and Ian Clark figure prominently in the guard rotation. No, there's just not enough here to win the division.
5. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks
I typed this thinking it had to be a mistake. There's no way Tampa would finish last, given their history. But I looked at their roster, or lack thereof, and that is exactly what's going to happen. There are some pieces here moving forward. Faried is solid, Holiday is on his second team but still young, and they should be able to get something for Dirk. Plus, the draft picks. My word, the draft picks! So many, and a few potential lotto picks in a loaded draft. They're a lock for last, but don't expect that to last for very long.
Discuss.