98-99 GM of the Year Campaigning Thread

[LoCo89]

Beginning today until the last sim of the season, feel free to post stats, in-season achievements, moves made, pictures, biographies... Whatever it is that makes your yourself stand out above the rest of the GMs. Please keep your "pimping" relevant to the award thread you are in.



NEW RULE FOR THREADS: You are allowed to make one post about yourself (edits of your original post will be allowed). There will NOT be any goading or attacking other candidates to create nonsense drama like previous years. Any additional BS posted in threads will be deleted. The campaigning period officially ends when the sim occurs.



Voting period starts Friday after the final sim and will be due by the lock of the first playoff sim. No exceptions

[rpf]

Well I didn't want to be first but I guess i don't have a choice. I would like to nominate myself for GMOY. Everyone knows the trade I made last off season to kick start my late season surge..GUGS!! Even after an 8-8 start I've gone 41-8 since and as of this writing I own the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Sure I didn't make splashy moves in FA but I just tried to add depth to my team to contend. So I just ask for your consideration when making your selections AND if I indeed win, I'll show up to the next 3 #SLOe events lol.

tl;dr

• Currently #1 seed in the Eastern Conference
• 47-10 since my 8-8 start
• Added Rony Seikaly for defense and depth
• Drafted Rider and Walker traded for Gugs
• I'm a fucking G

[IamQuailman]

I'm gunna throw my hat into consideration.

Coming off a strong Conference Finals push (and first ever Central division crown) last season, I knew the bar would be set high for me this season. That said, there was a lot of uncertainty going into this off-season. I had 2 draft picks coming into the draft, and was very active in the trade talks to move up. However, talks fell through, and I drafted a couple project youth in Rafer Alston and Jahidi White. My biggest hurdle came after the draft. Both Brian Grant and Jalen Rose were RFAs, and both signed maxes with outside teams. These two players were cornerstones for the franchise, but getting them both on maxes would not be ideal for building a team going into the future. Ultimately, I matched Jalen Rose and let Brian Grant walk (for a 2-pick compensation from the Raptors). Having a hole at the 4 and not really having realistic prospects in FA, I made a move while weakening a division rival by acquiring Derek Strong for a pick and Dino Radja. I also got a potential long term defensive wing answer in Ruben Patterson from the Hawks for a protected future pick and brought in some depth in FA in Howard Eisley.

Next was living up to the expectations I set for myself coming into the season. With 10 games left in the season, I am 1 game shy of matching my win total from last season and 1.5 games back from #1 seed (despite injuries to 2 starters in Big Z and Rick Fox... many of my losses came when one of these guys was out and injured). Chances are the Nets hold the #1 seed and I hold onto the #2 seed, but I will have (hopefully) gone on to improve upon last season's win despite losing a major defensive cog in Brian Grant.

The Nets and the T-Wolves both have made great cases for GMOY consideration, and I think that they will be getting two of my votes (altho not sure which ones). But I'm just asking that you consider my roster turnover and injuries yet sustained success (and improvement) when casting your votes... Thanks SLOE BROS!

[WigNosy]

Okay, me too. I'll keep things fairly brief. Here's what I did this season:

DRAFT:
* Ricky Davis (8.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 apg)
* Damon Jones (4.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)
* Ruben Patterson (see trades)
* Mikki Moore (see trades)

FREE AGENCY:

* Donyell Marshall (17.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.1 apg) in RFA for a 2000 draft pick

* Bryant Stith (17.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.5 apg)

* Kenny Smith (later traded)

TRADES:

* Moved 31-year-old Vlade Divac (averaged 13.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.8 apg), Jerome Williams (6.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.7 apg) and Erick Dampier (7.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.3 apg) for 26 year-old Jamal Mashburn (18.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.6 apg), 18 year-old Al Harrington (great future potential), and Jazz 1999 pick (currently projected at #13)

* Flipped redundant Ruben Patterson (after Marshall, Mashburn, Stith pickups) for future 1st from Bucks

* Traded aging Kenny Smith for young C Scot Pollard (probably got less talent this year but turned an aging player who was not in my rotation into a cost controlled young big who might crack my rotation if he gets better)

* Picked up Anthony Mason (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.7 apg) to be a stopgap forward while my injured forwards healed and Jeff McInnis and his excellent potential for Mikki Moore (#29 pick) and Hawks 1999 1st (projected at #15 - I think McInnis is better than what will be at 15)

COACHING:

* My two top offensive players missed significant chunks of the season - Antonio McDyess was out for 28 games, Donyell Marshall out for 52, Ricky Davis missed a half dozen... and yet we're still comfortably in the playoffs with a shot at the #6 seed if we're lucky.

* Got Mashburn to live up to his contract (only better scorers are max guys or rookies who are locks to be maxed).

[JNR]

Time to throw my hat into the ring. I'll divide this into team results and team moves.

TEAM RESULTS

The Wolves are a whopping 60-13 with 9 games left to go in the regular season. Even if I lose all 9 games, I'll be 60-22, which is a 13 game improvement over last year and the best my team has ever been. The team is currently #1 in PPG scored, #5 in PPG allowed, and has the highest differential in the league by over 4 points. Unless the wheels fall off in this last sim, the Wolves should have the top record in the West if not the entire league. 

TEAM MOVES
 
So how did we get there? Simple, by minimum signings and one big trade. The minimum signings are overlooked in my opinion. I drafted Tyronn Lue and picked up Corie Blount in a trade. I then signed Todd Day and Doug Overton to minimum deals. Day has been serviceable off the bench and Doug has stepped in big time as a starter, helping the team keep the ship afloat when Voshon Lenard went down with a broken leg.

Speaking of Voshon...

The other trade, which GMOY candidate Wig Nosy called an underrated move, sent Allan Houston, Lue, and Stanley Roberts to the Hornets for Voshon Lenard and Vlade Divac. I was able to get Divac on the team without sending a draft pick, and he immediately changed my team. I was 20-6 when that trade happened, with a great offense but a defense that was 18th in the league. After the trade, The team has gone 40-7 and the defense has transformed from a liability to a Top 5 defense. Before the trade I was a nice story with a good offense. After the trade, my team was a monster. 

CONCLUSION

There are conflicting ideas on how to judge a GM of the Year. Some people believe a team that has performed very well or shown improvement deserves it. Others believe it should go to a GM that has made savvy moves that result in tangible results. My campaign this year covers both of those beliefs pretty easily. I improved my record from last year, developed a team that is seen as a championship contender, and did so using trades and key signings. I know that since I won GMOY before, people may be reluctant to vote for me again. Also, there are some great candidates this year, the Bucks and Nets in particular. But if you look at my body of work, it's hard to let that prejudice stand in your way. 

Thanks for your time, and let's have a great playoff season!

[ballsohard]

This is actually a good year for GMOY. No clear favorite imho. A Lot of people have cases for it.

[Soundwave]

currently a 15 game increase for the Raptors

Didn't have to trape anyone who's name sounds like Stick.
Didn't have the pleasure of lucking out in the lotto once or twice.
didn't quit
not a contender yet, but does anyone think I won't be soon?

[fearthebrow]

Fearthebrow came into the league this season as a complete newbie with zero Sim leage experience. He took over the Sacramento Kings and ran with it, drafting Keon Clark and signing Sherman "The General" Douglas to a one year free agent deal, moves that put the Kings in great position to compete for a championship. Then, fearthebrow was suddenly removed as GM of the Kings and assigned to the Mavericks, post draft and post free agency. The rookie GM was left dazed and confused.

At first glance, given that the Mavs won back-to-back championships, this seemed like a great situation for the rookie GM. However, it turned out the team was actually in rebuilding mode and not expected to do much this season. But with the help of some great individual performances by a few players on the team, fearthebrow has mostly pushed all of the right buttons to lead the team to a 50 win season and a playoff berth. The Mavs may not be the top seed in the conference, but it would not shock me if they pulled off a major upset in the playoffs to achieve the unthinkable... the three-peat.

I'd like to congratulate all of the previous posters on their great seasons. You made some heady moves and have displayed great skill and intuitiveness. But with all of that being said, it is now time to nominate the best GM of the year, myself, fearthebrow.