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Welcome to Toki Wartooth and the Thunderhorse! Also welcome to Captain Mayday and the Sinking Ships who joined us at the very end of last season. Interestingly, the team they beat to avoid relegation (new york celts) managed to "demote" back into IV.42.

The Great 8 looks as top heavy as last season, while the Big 8 looks like it might be a bit more competitive since we now have 7! active teams.

Best of luck to everyone this season!

In the spirit of Leadfoot, who formerly kept the conversation afloat and was in a PL I ran back in the day, I figured I might do a season "pre-cap."

First off, congratulations to squeakrico7 and The Darius BBall Club (formerly W&C Bball Club) on your IV.42 Season 40 Championship! Good luck in III.15.

In the Big 8, we have our demotee and perennial powerhouses TicTacShack and lélé looking like a formidable top-tier. It looks like Thunderhorse has the arena to keep most of his personnel intact. So look for these three to keep putting it together. Using salary as a measure, the trifecta should be Thunderhorse, TicTacShack, then lélé to win-place-show. MeHiCans should be able to slide into 4th place without much effort, since the other four teams in the conference are bots. The surprise could be lélé’s advantage on the bench. But will it be enough to push them into 2nd or even 1st?

In the Great 8, things look much the same as last season. A relatively evenly matched crop of contenders begins basically a tier below the top three teams in the Big 8. If things play out like last season, look for the “Sticks”, “Knicks”, “Bricks” and I Volt to be locked in a dogfight for the right to lose the finals. Early money is probably on The Golden Bricks who could build on last season’s performance in the playoffs or Matchstick Men to use their depth to snag another conference championship. But it’s anybody’s guess at this point. Not far behind are Hot Boyz, The Boxers and Sinking Ships. And they’ll be primed to shake things up. They’ve got essentially nothing to lose in gunning for the big shots, since falling short of the playoffs only means they’re facing sure victory against a bot in a relegation series.

I hope everyone was happy with their draft picks and is looking forward to a new season of hoops! Good luck!

Last edited by Rhyminsimon (USA NT assistant) at 01/05/2018 13:30:59

In hopes of making this forum more active, I thought I would try my hand at some weekly power rankings of sorts. As with all Power Rankings, they exist just to make fans argue how the ranker has underestimated their team. The pre-season rankings also serve as a sort of preview, so hopefully future weeks will not be as lengthy.

Season 41 Pre-Season Power Rankings
1. TicTacShack CR: 427 - Top 8 Salary: $154,386
TicTacShack was arguably the second best team in IV.42 last season, and made it to the Big 8 Finals before losing to W&C. TicTacShack suffers from a lack of bigs as only 2 of their top 8 players are listed as a big. TicTacShack seems content to train their next crop of super guards, and that focus on training leads to sub-optimal lineups during the season as well as a lack of ID. TicTac cannot wait around too many seasons as the salaries of the upcoming super guards will become unsustainable in D IV before too many more seasons.

2. Thunderhorse CR: 265 - Top 8 Salary: $194,449
The recently demoted team from III.6 comes into the season with the highest salary and does not appear ready to shed any of it as their arena looks capable of sustaining that salary for a season. The glaring flaw with the current roster construction is similar to TicTac in that only 1 of their top 8 players is listed as a big. This lack of ID was enough to sink Thunderhorse in D III, but it remains to be seen if they intend to fix that flaw for the upcoming season, or if they hope to ride their guards as far as they will take them. Despite the larger salary, I put TicTac higher in these initial rankings because Thunderhorse's stars are slightly older than TicTacs and I think that through training TicTac will close the skill gap as well as that TicTac has a slightly deeper team. However you slice it, these teams are 1A and 1B.

3. lélé CR: 494 - Top 8 Salary: $143,580
Counting the playoffs last season, lélé only lost five games last season but three of those losses were to TicTacShack. Despite finishing 3rd in the Big 8 last season, lélé just does not seem to be quite at the level of TicTac, despite similar salaries. On the flip side though, the only other team remaining in IV.42 that lélé lost too last season was Great 8 regular season champion Matchstick Men. lélé's salary is better spread out amongst his starting five and they have the necessary IS to possibly exploit the top 2 team's ID deficiency, but it's lélé lack of defense that is holding them back from being on the same level as the top 2 teams.

4. The Golden Bricks CR:613 - Top 8 Salary: $82,373
The Golden Bricks made a surprising run to the division finals last year but proved they were no match for the far superior Big 8 champion W&C by getting swept. This team is built on defense and rebounding and can sometimes struggle to put up points. Last season The Golden Bricks were able to play to theirs strengths against the other top teams of the Great 8, as use of the GDP and better enthusiasm management helped accentuate their defensive ability and that was key to The Golden Bricks being able to hold their own. Those advantages can be fleeting though should other conference mates develop better enthusiasm management or be less rigid on the tactics they use. Until that happens though, The Golden Bricks remains the team to beat in the Big 8.

5. Matchstick Men CR: 588 - Top 8 Salary: $95,952
Any discussion about Matchstick Men starts with reigning MVP Orazio Origo. Matchstick Men proved to be a formidable team last season as they made it to the Great 8 Finals and were the regular season Great 8 Champions. The team is well balanced and deep, however they definitely are not without their flaws. Last season Matchstick Men was quite predictable and opponents who were willing to leverage the GDP made good use of that. Age is also an issue with this team as Origo and Kumar, two of the top three salaried players on the team, are both 38 and should be on a steady decline as the season progresses.

6. I Volt CR: 483 - Top 8 Salary: $89,304
I Volt proved they belonged with other playoff teams as they split the season series with each of the other teams, but ultimately lost a close Great 8 semi-final against The Golden Bricks. I Volt dropped the Full Court Press last season, and showed a willingness to use the GDP in the playoffs which some view as an improvement. I Volt is another Great 8 team with good depth and good balance, and is only one season removed from making the finals. With a little bit of improvement on last season, I Volt could very easily make it back there this season.

7. brooklyn knicks CR: 577 - Top 8 Salary: $101,406
brooklyn knicks has the highest salary of any Great 8 team, but last season that was only good enough for 4th and a loss in one of the Great 8 semi-finals. Eldon Cannon had by the far the highest assists per game in the league last season and there is alot of depth to this team, but last year this team came up just short in a handful of games. While the knicks put up some of the best IS and Offensive flow numbers in the league, the defense and rebounding are what is holding this team back from greatness.

8. The Boxers CR: 613 - Top 8 Salary: $57,761
The Boxers changed ownership last season and while they did not win a ton of games last season, they have worked to constantly improve their team, kept games close and shown that they are willing to take some risk if the situation presents itself. Even though this team is less than a season old, they have already done a great job at improving their defense and have proven that they can be formidable on any given game day.

9. MeHiCans CR: 824 - Top 8 Salary: $55,642
For the MeHiCans, being in the top heavy Big 8 last season was both a blessing and a curse. The many bots in the conference provided easy wins, while the MeHiCans showed they were not in the same league as the top teams of their conference. Given my perception of this team, I was surprised too see them with such a low salary. Perhaps this team out performs it's salary, or perhaps it's some magic from the Princeton they play.

10. Hot Boyz CR: 875 - Top 8 Salary: $69,775
Hot Boyz is another team that changed ownership last season and had a good half season. Alot like The Boxers, the Boyz are still working on building their team, but has opted to supplement their team with skilled, but older players. The Hot Boyz favor playing zone, and coupling that with the GDP can lead to higher highs, or lower lows based on if they are able to anticipate their opponents tactics correctly. How they are able to transition to players who's skills are not diminishing will be a key part of how successful of a season they have.

11. Sinking Ships CR: 933 - Top 8 Salary: $52,452
Sinking Ships are the newest team in the league, with ownership taking over after the former owners went bankrupt just in time for a relegation series against a bot. Sinking Ships passed that test with flying colors, but not alot is known about this team. Currently this ranking is more a by-product of not knowing much about this team and the fact that the team is basically True Stars and not much else yet.

t12. Bluehawks, BuryYourDead, Dejags, new york celts, OpTicNation
Tied for 12th are the bots, and until they get taken over by a live manager, that's all the words they deserve.

Another thing I thought I would try this season was to do some preview and predictions of games on gameday. Rhyminsimon was willing to help so we'll be tag teaming them this season.
Just a note on these predictions, I will not predict a winner for games I play in because I will not exactly be bias :)

Saturday, January 6th

Big 8

lélé @ new york celts
MeHiCans @ OpTic Nation
Thunderhorse @ BuryYourDead
Bluehawks @ TicTacShack

It is a boring slate of games in the Big 8 as all four games are games including bots. As none of the non-bot teams in the Big 8 have logged in since the schedule became available, the most interesting takeaways will be what the default lineups are for each of those teams.

Winner: All four non-bot teams win handily.


Great 8

Matchstick Men @ Dejags
Let's see, last year's #1 seed vs a bot. Easy picking for Matchstick Men. Interestingly, Matchstick Men also hasn't logged in since the schedule became available. Convenient for all those who haven't logged in that they drew a bot for Game 1 Winner: Matchstick Men

brooklyn knicks @ I Volt
Nothing quite like two rival teams opening up the season against each other. These two teams are pretty evenly matched and last season these two teams split with the home team winning both times. With both teams returning practically the same team from last year I expect this one to be a close game with HCA being the deciding factor. Winner: I Volt

Sinking Ships @ Hot Boyz
An early battle against two up-and-coming teams. As this is will be Sinking Ships first non-scrimmage game against a live manager, it's hard to know what exactly to expect, but Hot Boyz seems to have the more talented team and is at home. Winner: Hot Boyz

The Boxers @ The Golden Bricks (TV)
I've dubbed this the battle of the "Thes" as both teams feel the need to include the word "The" in their team name.
The Boxers were the only Great 8 team to beat The Golden Bricks in the second half of last season. If that was not enough motivation for The Golden Bricks, this is also the TV game of the week and The Boxers are The Slashing Dragons rivals. Will we see another CT like last time these teams met? Will we see some mutually assured destruction (both teams CTing)? Game 1's tend to be a bit unpredictable and this game feels like it can go either way. Winner: N/A

It's very generous of you not to choose a winner in our game. But, last season was a perfect storm. This game has everything lined up in the Bricks' favor: HCA, non-mutual rivalry, TV, salary, equal enthusiasm. Furthermore, this is a year of serious training for the Boxers, so individual game outcomes are not the primary concern in our front office. I think we can go ahead and predict that The Golden Bricks will have their revenge on the Boxers. Winner: The Golden Bricks

Tuesday, January 9th

Tomorrow is rivalry Tuesday, where bad blood fans the flame of competition in half the contests. Here’s a preview of the night’s games!

1 TicTacShack (rival) @ 2 lélé (rival)
The headliner sees two of the top Big 8 teams face off in what looks to be a grudge match between mutual rivals. The home team, lélé, will look to get revenge for their 122-141 defeat in last season’s quarterfinal game. Will their fast-paced, in-your-face brand of basketball be enough to give them their first win against the Shack since the Season 38 opener? Or will Donnie Bozek leave the lélé defense in tatters again? This one should be close, but we’ll give the nod to TicTacShack because history tends to repeat itself.

2 The Golden Bricks @ 1 Matchstick Men
The night’s other big matchup is a rematch of last season’s Great 8 semifinal game. The Matchstick Men’s low & slow recipe for down home cookin’ will be put to the test against the Bricks’ spread-it-around philosopjy. Will last season’s scoring leader and MVP, Origo, show that he’s still got what it takes? Or will The Golden Bricks and Jean Revuelta, their newly-signed SF, extend their all-time record against the Matchstick Men to 4-0? This one could be a nail-biter, but again history speaks: The Golden Bricks win.

4 I Volt @ 6 Sinking Ships (rival)
The Sinking Ships host their rival in the franchise’s first regular season home game. After Saturday’s shellacking at the hands of Hot Boyz, the Ships will be looking for their first regular season win. Riding their holiday infusion of foreign talent, they face their toughest challenge yet, facing Nariwari and three of last season’s top 3-point shooters. To make it harder yet, I Volt has poached former Boxers’ trainee Amadeusz Bernacki in preparation for this game. Sadly for the Ships, they are likely to be scuttled in this one.

3 Hot Boyz @ 7 The Boxers
The Hot Boyz have begun the process of getting younger by signing 23yo journeyman PF, Javier Fortuny. On Tuesday, they travel to The Clearing in a match that pits two teams beginning their first full season. Their only previous meeting saw the Boyz bloody the Boxers in a 25-point rout near the end of Ssn 40. Will home-field advantage allow The Boxers to redeem themselves? Or will the Boyz’ hot start continue? It’s a tossup.


In other action…

7 new york celts (rival) @ 4 MeHiCans (TV)
MeHiCans will be broadcasting a medieval bot-slaying spectacle from BossMan Say.

5 OpTic Nation (rival) @ 3 Thunderhorse
Thunderhorse will host a mechanical bull-riding masterclass.

8 Dejags @ 5 brooklyn knicks
The knicks are sponsoring an “Office Space” inspired printer bashing charity event to buy BB-Charles some Grubbses to go along with all his scrubbses.

6 BuryYourDead @ 8 Bluehawks
The next episode of RobotWars will be shot at Bluehawks’ Golden Globe Arena.

First, congrats to Matchstick Men on proving me wrong and picking up their first win over the Bricks. Revenge is a sweet dish best served cold. So, let's hear it for the crew at the Trap for turning off the heat! Also... Congrats to Hot Boyz for turning a "tossup" into a blowout.

Second, Rufus and I decided to split cup coverage. So I'll be previewing Thursdays in the Big 8 for a few weeks at least. The first week is a one-sentencer:

Cup so botty even the bots drew bots.

Good luck Blue Side! You won't need it.

For the Great 8, all of the humans drew bots, and all of the bots drew humans.

Expect everyone except Dejags to move on to the next round.

Season 41 Week 1 Power Rankings

1. TicTacShack - 2-0 - Previous Ranking: 1
TicTacShack won both of their games this week and with a hard fought OT victory at lélé, TicTacShack proved that they are still just a little bit better than lélé and the team to beat in the division.
2. Thunderhorse - 2-0 - Previous Ranking: 2
Thunderhorse beat both of the bots it played this week, but in the process proved nothing. There is some uncertainity about this team's full capabilities as they still have not logged on since being demoted into IV.42.
3. lélé - 1-1 - Previous Ranking: 3
lélé beat a bot and lost a close game against TicTacShack. Hanging with TicTacShack proved they belong.
4. Matchstick Men - 2-0 - Previous Ranking: 5
Matchstick Men got their first victory over The Golden Bricks and showed they belong in the top spot in the Big 8 for now. There is still concern about how much Origo and Kumar's skills will degrade, but for now they are the best in the Big 8.
5. The Golden Bricks - 1-1 - Previous Ranking: 4
The Golden Bricks made a tactical mistake in game 1 by committing more resources (mainly enthusiasm) than necessary in ensuring a win in their TV/Rival game which cost them an enthusiasm advantage and potential victory against Matchstick Men.
6. I Volt - 2-0 - Previous Ranking: 6
I Volt had a solid victory over rival brooklyn knicks and took care of business against Sinking Ships. Come the end of the season this team could be the best team in the Big 8, but I am waiting to move them higher until seeing how they perform against Matchstick Men and The Golden Bricks.
7. brooklyn knicks - 1-1 - Previous Ranking: 7
brooklyn knicks had a lackluster week 1 with an opening loss on the road and then steam-rolling a bot. If they showed some improved enthusiasm management, they might be able to hang with some of the top teams better.
8. MeHiCans - 2-0 - Previous Ranking: 9
MeHiCans beat up on two bots this week, not much else left to say. They also could improve with greater enthusiasm management.
9. Hot Boyz - 2-0 - Previous Ranking: 10
Strong opening week for Hot Boyz as they beat both of the teams that were in relegation series last season with them. They get a chance to prove if they belong in the playoffs next week with two games against last season's top 4.
10. The Boxers - 0-2 - Previous Ranking: 8
Missing so far for The Boxers is last season's feistiness as The Boxers have not been too competitive in either game this week and alot of that can be attributed to the team's 2-position training of 18 and 19 year olds.
11. Sinking Ships - 0-2 Previous Ranking: 11
Sinking Ships was competitive against I Volt and gave them a scare. This team has potential to move up as they already seem to have a good grasp on enthusiasm management, tactics and using the GDP. Now it's just a matter of continuing to improve the roster.
t12. Bluehawks, BuryYourDead, Dejags, new york celts, OpTicNation
Still bots...

Last edited by Rufus Rugi at 01/10/2018 12:42:04