Skip to main content

Boogie's Fake Team

On a recent TrueHoop Show episode with Kevin Arnovitz and Kevin Pelton, they played a little game that piqued my interests. After a discussion about how Sacramento and Vlade Divac have failed DeMarcus Cousins (I really don't want to rehash that; that would take nearly a thousand words and would be really depressing), they ended their conversation with drafting a fake team under the salary cap for Boogie.

So, I'm unabashedly going to do that: a 13-man roster, under the salary cap, with the sole purpose of making Boogie happy and in the Finals contention.

Starting Lineup
PG: John Wall (Salary: $16.96 million)
SG: Rodney Hood (Salary: $1.41 million)
SF: Jae Crowder (Salary: $6.29 million)
PF: Serge Ibaka (Salary: $12.25 million)
C: DeMarcus Cousins (Salary: $15.85 million)

Bench
PG: Cory Joseph (Salary: $7.35 million)
SG: Malcolm Brogdon (Salary: $925 thousand)
SF: Tony Snell (Salary: $2.37 million)
PF: Channing Frye (Salary: $7.81 million)
C: Willie Cauley-Stein (Salary: $3.55 million)
PG: T.J. McConnell (Salary: $875 thousand)
SG: Jordan McCrae (Salary: $875 thousand)
PF: Jarell Martin (Salary: $1.29 million)

And, we are under the salary cap with room to pay Rodney Hood when he demands a max contract in a couple years. This lineup is easily ten deep, and in the playoffs, the rotation can easily tighten to nine. Wall and Boogie can play pick-and-roll really well together, and since Boogie's now a 37% three-point shooter, Wall will have ample space in the lane to finish on pick-and-pop schemes. Hood and Crowder can spot up, if need be, and are adept post-entry passers for Boogie. The team is also going to be a monster on defense, with Ibaka protecting the paint and Wall, Hood, and Crowder playing intense ball denial.

What opens up the floor geometry is the bench. I would personally stagger Wall's minutes and insert him with the bench mob - playing off Frye's amazing shooting. Joseph can play off-the-ball with Hood handling mostly, or he can play a Mike Conley-lite role, feeding Boogie on every possession and cutting or spotting up. Again, this is entirely speculative, but it's a fun thought exercise.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The NBA Time Machine

"I do not do cross-era comparisons." - David Jacoby That's how a lot of smart people view the NBA throughout history, as distinct eras, each with their most dominant players and most dominant teams - the 1960s with Russell's Celtics battling the individual greatness of Wilt, the coke-addled 70s with the rise of Kareem, the star power of the 1980s, featuring Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics, the Bad Boy Pistons, and Dr. J's Sixers, Jordan in the 90s, the barren wasteland of the early to mid-2000s with Shaq and Kobe, and then LeBron's world. Another way to distinguish these eras are through playing styles: The 1970s were all about gliding as close to the hoop and making smooth finishes near the rim. The 1980s were about pushing the pace and finding an open man in space. Jordan ushered in an era of hero ball with an emphasis on surrounding good post up players with cutting (i.e. MJ in Chicago, Hakeem in Houston, and Ewing in New York), something that c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buzz City Report - December 13 Edition

I generally watch the NBA to follow individuals players and overarching storylines - LeBron's continued success, Giannis's rise to stardom, the beauty or futility of team building, depending on what team you're talking about. But, ever since Steve Clifford signed with the Hornets, Charlotte's been home to a watchable, playoff-contending team that's fun to follow. So periodically, I'm just going to talk about how I feel the Hornets are doing this year, just to check in on the one team, invariant of their roster (unless they sign someone like Darren Collison), that I support. As of today, the Hornets are 14-11, fifth in the East, coming off consecutive ass-kickings from the Cavaliers and Pacers, where the offense sputtered and was utterly incapable of interior defense. Kemba Walker is writing a narrative that will probably get him selected as an All-Star off the bench, putting up 22.8 points on 46.7/41.4/78.4 splits with a PER of 23.04.  Nic Batum is actually t...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Way-Too-Early, Scouting Report on Duke's Jayson Tatum

I've seen exactly one game of Jayson Tatum, but there's nothing like overly premature scouting reports for the NBA Draft: He already has a strong body and a will to rebound, both offensively and defensively. His first defensive position, he had a solid box-out, defensive rebound, and quick lead pass. He still needs to learn where to position for rebounds, often times committing to a box-out directly underneath the basket. He seems a little raw around the rim. He didn't go up strong on a dump off, and his shot got swatted. He also threw up a couple floaters that lacked touch. This is irrelevant, but Frank Jackson looks like Bruno Mars, if he were in that one Fresh Prince episode in the country club. His post game is very refined for his age, especially his footwork, which allows him take advantage of his athleticism. He may be a little too reliant on his speed against bigger defenders in the post, which he'll need to work on for the NBA, where he'll be defende...
Post a Comment
Read more