End of Season 4 Evaluation: Western Conference

[ripkobebryant]

Dallas Mavericks

Trades made: 14

Players kept since season 1: Kyrie Irving

Building through the draft: Nobody

Overall Record: 175-153

Grade: B+

Bundy possibly got the team with the best player to start with in the league, moved him for Jayson Tatum in a huge downgrade, then moved Tatum for another downgrade and then ever since then its just been down hill. Didn't make playoffs and didn't have his pick in year 4 as well. So far a meh job at best. Grade is where its at due to at least trying to be active and making some moves to the team even if they weren't good ones.

Denver Nuggets

Trades made: 5

Players kept since season 1: Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr, Jamal Murray

Building through the draft: Zaccharie Risacher, Ugonna Kingslev, Aaron Bradshaw

Overall Record: 184-144

Grade: C

I cannot really say anything about this team as its one of the teams that hasn't really done anything at all and have not had a GM really since the league started. I would love to have something more to write about this team but unfortunately I do not. Decent record in 4 years and I would love to see an active GM if there was any around nowadays take over the team and make them look nice. Not sure why we never got an interim GM for this team but others we did.

Houston Rockets

Trades made: 5

Players kept since season 1: Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green

Building through the draft: Kel'el Ware, Caleb Love, Trey Alexander

Overall Record: 151-177

B-

Another team that has just done the bare minimum. Hasn't really made any moves at all, young players look the same as they were from the time they entered the league. Hunt has not really tried to make any deals at all to put his team in the right direction at all. Record shows, only reason this is a B- and not lower because the Jaylen Brown deal was atleast decent for the team, sucks they didn't do anything else to really make any sort of noise with the team.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Trades made: 10

Players kept since season 1: Karl Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards

Building through the draft: Izan Almansa, Stephon Castle

Overall Record: 175-153

Grade: B+

Meh, haven't really seen anything from the Wolves either since winning the Season 1 Championship. Kept Edwards and Towns together who really haven't even improved their games from Season 1 to Season 4. The roster around them keeps getting thinner and their depth is probably their biggest weakness. Those 10 trades were probably all made in the first season as well as I haven't really seen many made since then. Reason the grade is where its at is only because of the season 1 title + keeping Edwards for 4 seasons.

San Antonio Spurs

Trades made: 25

Players kept since season 1: Nobody

Building through the draft: Xavier Booker, Bryson Tucker

Overall Record: 146-182

Grade: A-

Woulda given a higher grade here if the record wasn't so bad and if he didn't move Wemby for as low as he did, however... Those 25 trades shows me a lot of activity and movement from Charles in the league. During those trades he was able to bring in a very young defensive center and an amazing duo in Evan Mobley and Trey Murphy who have been playing very well together. Charles has shown that he wants to build a winning team and I applaud his work.

Utah Jazz

Trades made: 12

Players kept since season 1: Nobody

Building through the draft: Bryson Tiller, Dillon Mitchell

Overall Record: 173-155

Grade: B

Honestly not sure what Joseph has been doing with the team since acquiring Luka Doncic. Is he trying to win? Is he rebuilding? I really don't know. The roster besides Luka just looks like a big pile of crap. He didn't make the playoffs and didn't have his pick and even if he did, Luka wins too many games to get into the lottery anyways so I'd really like to see if Joseph finally does something to change what he has done for the first 4 years. Only reason the grade is where its at is because of the record and the fact that was able to acquire Luka.

Memphis Grizzlies

Trades made: 25

Players kept since season 1: Taylor Hendricks? (these are supposed to be for the good players but I thought Grizzlies would say something bout Hendricks not on this lol)

Building through the draft: Josiah-Jordan James? I believe Grizz picked him first draft but correct me if I am wrong.

Overall Record: 188-140

Grade: A+

If you ask me to show you a top active GM in the league whos trying to build a dynasty and trades and makes a lot of moves with the team UC would definitely be one of the first GMs I pick. Overall record is great, has a great player at each position and has a very good bench. Since the day the league opened he has been on a mission to create one of the best starting lineups in the league. Zion, SGA, and Barnes are all top players at their positions respectively. Top GM in the league.

Golden State Warriors

Trades made: 8

Players kept since season 1: Brandin Podziemski

Building through the draft: Khaman Maluach, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Foster

Overall Record: 124-204

Grade: B+

Here is a team that didn't really have a GM up until around Season 2 or 3 when Chedder took over. In terms of building his team through draft Warriors have been doing a great job. They already probably have their starting Center and Power Forward figured out already which is huge. There isn't much I can grade on cheddars job so far as its been just under 2 seasons or something but for what hes done so far its been pretty good. Hes already made more trades than some GMs that have been in the league since day 1 and the Boozer pick looks like its gonna be an amazing one.

Los Angeles Clippers

Trades made: 17

Players kept since season 1: Nobody

Building through the draft: Alexandre Sarr, Ulrich Chomche, Bassala Bagayoka, Dink Pate

Overall Record: 107-221

Grade: B+

As much as it looks like their record shouldn't be given a B+ but the GM bigman has been doing an okay job with the team. He has a direction hes going and has players to show for it. Sarr is still very raw but has been getting camped, I feel like this is the year for him to blow up in TC and be really good next season. 17 trades also is pretty high compared to most teams in the league. Ulrich also looks like he can be something nice, probably 1 more tanking year and he can try to compete in the easy West Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers

Trades made: 20

Players kept since season 1: Austin Reaves

Building through the draft: Nobody

Overall Record: 186-142

Grade A+

Here is another great GM just like the Grizzlies. Has a very good amount of trades completed, a very good overall record, and has great players at each position including a very good bench. Spikelee in my opinion has done a very well job with what he had coming into the league, yes he had LeBron and AD but LeBron was 40. I absolutely love what the Lakers have done in 4 seasons.

Phoenix Suns

Trades made: 6

Players kept since season 1: Jusuf Nurkic, Devin Booker

Building through the draft: Mark Mitchell, Ace Bailey

Overall Record: 188-140

Grade: C

Again we have a team here that hasn't really had a GM to run them since the day the league began. Not much moves, not much anything, when the interim GM took over, also didn't really do anything at all. Tough to grade really.

Portland Trailblazers

Trades made: 22

Players kept since season 1: Scoot Henderson

Building through the draft: Nobody (Dame Sarr was traded to Blazers not drafted just to clarify for all, he might not be the only one from other teams but I wanted to clarify it here)

Overall Record: 126-202

Grade: B

I miss mcmuslim. He was very active in the beginning of the league and made some really good moves to put the team in the right direction. Unfortunate that just like a lot of the others he disappeared and left the team stranded. Interim GM has done a pretty decent job of bringing in some nice young players to the squad but now they just aren't where they coulda been with an active gm that mc was.

Sacramento Kings

Trades made: 5

Players kept since season 1: Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, De'Aaron Fox

Building through the draft: Donovan Clingan, Patrick Ngongba II,

Overall Record: 199-129

Grade: A-

This is the one that I hate evaluating the most out of all the teams. The moves made are at an absolute minimal but the GM is the commish and is a Kings fan so technically the commish not making too many moves in my opinion is GREAT. However, the moves made, and the rookies drafted, and their overall record alone shows they deserve a high grade. Only reason Grade is A- and not A+ is because trades were a high part of my grading system that I used in terms of activity with the roster.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Trades made: 35

Players kept since season 1: Nobody

Building through the draft: Kiyan Anthony, Bronny James

Overall Record: 163-165

Grade: A

This one is a fun one. I love the activity. 35 trades is huge, 3rd place in fact. In my opinion, melo is a top GM in the league in terms of it all. Competed when he wanted to compete, tanked when he wanted to tank, and is now having fun with LeBron's and Melo's kids because its fun for him even if they aren't good. At the end of the day we only do these fbb leagues now for only our own entertainment and thats what hes doing. Wonderful to talk to and negotiate trades. Only reason his grade is A and not A+ is for the overall record.

[SpikeLee14]

I’ve also kept Jalen Hood Schifino since the beginning with Reaves.

[ripkobebryant]

May 20, 2024 9:42:04 GMT SpikeLee14 said:

I’ve also kept Jalen Hood Schifino since the beginning with Reaves.

forgot hes a laker. 

wish he was good irl

[verysilentone]

I'm just going to say this. It is a great idea for any article, but you really need to figure out your grading criteria.

Teams that have better record cannot be rated much worse than teams with shitty records.

The Suns grade is not all about me, since obviously gabe traded Durant and Beal, but again Kings gets A- while I got a B for doing nothing.

Your grading criteria makes no sense. This was just an opportunity to take shots at the Gms that are tired of receiving 25 PMs a week that says nothing other than, will you trade me your superstar for 3 2nd round picks and Josh Hart, the worst contract in the league

[verysilentone]

There is no way to explain away 75% of the teams that got a higher grade than the Hornets even if you tried.

[ucfinfan86]

Monte Leyva?!?!?

[ripkobebryant]

May 20, 2024 10:46:40 GMT verysilentone said:

There is no way to explain away 75% of the teams that got a higher grade than the Hornets even if you tried.

You havent passed the 2nd round with the same roster for 4 seasons and havent made a single move to improve your chances in the playoffs. 

[ripkobebryant]

May 20, 2024 10:48:27 GMT ucfinfan86 said:

Monte Leyva?!?!?

Sorry. For some odd reason when I was doing this i had in my head that you traded for him idk why

[ripkobebryant]

May 20, 2024 19:25:04 GMT ripkobebryant said:

May 20, 2024 10:46:40 GMT verysilentone said:

There is no way to explain away 75% of the teams that got a higher grade than the Hornets even if you tried.

You havent passed the 2nd round with the same roster for 4 seasons and havent made a single move to improve your chances in the playoffs. 

Ur starting PF is completely trash, you have absolutely no bench and you havent tried to get better. I’ve had 6th and 7th bigs who ive been trading away every season who are better than your 2nd best big and you have made zero effort to acquire them or anyone. Its not just me cuz ur not dealing with anyone. I even have Kevon Looney that im trying to move who looks almost as good as Mark Williams and you wont even try to make an effort to acquire a big like that to get even a tiny bit better. Ive never had the chance to make you an actual offer cuz you dont actually trade. Sorry that I used a grading scale here on things you havent done at all

[ripkobebryant]

Spurs traded Wembanyama but mark williams has been untouchable for 5 seasons

Even Silver has at least PM’d me once for a player he was interested in

[carlos]

I think it'd be helpful to just list out what you're grading. If it's just based on the # of their moves, I guess it's fine. But in terms of team-building I think some of these teams with higher grades would've been better off doing nothing

[Rog]

May 20, 2024 19:39:15 GMT ripkobebryant said:

Spurs traded Wembanyama but mark williams has been untouchable for 5 seasons

Even Silver has at least PM’d me once for a player he was interested in

What do the Spurs have to do with what the Hornets do? I don't understand why you don't understand that not everyone plays the game the same way as you. Trading constantly isn't fun for everyone. Berating people for not trading a ton but putting forth good teams is absolutely stupid. Some guys like to have dudes for long term and watch them develop and watch the dynamics of their roster evolve over time without changing that dynamic with a ton of trades. Stop trying to make your way seem like the only way. We can't all be on the boards 247 for your amusement.

[Rog]

Melo started off with Chet and SGA and gets an A for trading a ton despite being 2 games under .500. I like most of Melos moves and I'm not hear to shit on Melo(odd I know, I like shitting on Melo) but he objectively took a good young roster and shit on it by trading himself to death. But that gets an A? No sense.

[Rog]

May 20, 2024 10:43:43 GMT verysilentone said:

I'm just going to say this. It is a great idea for any article, but you really need to figure out your grading criteria.

Teams that have better record cannot be rated much worse than teams with shitty records.

The Suns grade is not all about me, since obviously gabe traded Durant and Beal, but again Kings gets A- while I got a B for doing nothing.

Your grading criteria makes no sense. This was just an opportunity to take shots at the Gms that are tired of receiving 25 PMs a week that says nothing other than, will you trade me your superstar for 3 2nd round picks and Josh Hart, the worst contract in the league

Clippers are over 100 games under .500 and got 2 grades higher. Absolute insanity

[ripkobebryant]

Put "trades made" at the top for a reason and its the only one that even have a different color and all the other ones dont..... Next time I'll name the article differently if I do it again.

I was gonna do an article based on trades alone and how the trades affected the team, at first I only counted trades but I couldn't get a good article out just on that so I decided to add overall record and added players who are there since season 1 etc.

You say not many people like to make trades but apparently im only outing 1 guy? Kings have made less trades but their moves made their roster better and better each season and went further in the playoffs each season. I can't say that about Hornets.. Its the only roster I can click Season 1 and see almost no difference.

We all love trading, if he loves not trading thats good for him. I wrote an article for 29 teams and only 1 feels getting outed then theres gotta be a reason. Using that he took a team that is lottery in the NBA and has made playoffs every year on FBB means nothing. This isnt NBA. Lamelo on FBB and in NBA is like comparing Apples and Oranges. Hornets haven't passed the 2nd round once and have not been in lottery once so what have they done? I love verysilentone and have in the past as a GM including his Gming in some of my own leagues so saying I'm grading you like this just because you havent made a trade with ME is delusional.


Go through every team in the league from Season 1 to now I promise you Hornets are the only team that has done the same thing season 1, 2, 3, 4, everyone else has gotten at least better as a team to compete, or worse to tank except 1 team. I am not saying that is bad or that is good or thats what I like or don't like, but just based on this article thats what I got out of it when writing it. I evaluated teams Season 1-4 and the Hornets were the only team that was just the same every year, I am sorry.