NBA SIMS LEAGUE
NSL Insider - Before and After - feat. NY/Atl/Cleby Nels, updated on Thursday, July 14 2022, 11:49 pm EST Before and After featuring the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland
Cavaliers The champions have only just been crowned and the draft
still being talked about. Summer league games are the hot topic of conversation
as the league await signings from NBA Free Agency which will, no doubt,
generate discussion and activity within Discord. There�s no doubt the league has been shaken to its very core
multiple times over the past month with mega-names such as Jimmy Butler, Damian
Lillard, Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, Russell Westbrook, Brandon Ingram, Demar
Derozan, Kristaps Porzingis and Giannis Antetokounmpo all being moved to new
franchises. And, not to mention, a rumoured Lebron for James Harden swap will
be in the works for week 8 as well. Stars are flying all around the league as
the show is anything but over during the NSL offseason. So while we have a 20 minute lull on the NSL transaction
page and as the dust is settling post-Westbrook debate, let�s take a look into
3 franchises who completely revamped their roster over the latter weeks of the
2021-22 season and very beginning of 2022-23.  NEW YORK KNICKS Smokey�s Knicks are the biggest movers this offseason. After
acquiring two half-dead superstars in Dame and Kawhi, the Knicks had their
sights set and fingers crossed for the lottery. And boy did it work! �THE 2nd
PICK IN THE NSL DRAFT GOES TO� THE KNICKS.� A collective groan was heard on the
NSL soundwave, Smokey had secured a piece so valuable it would completely alter
the course of his already upward trending Knick franchise. Before: Damian Lillard After: Jimmy Butler  The new-look Knicks are big, no wait, humongous, which
definitely matters in the NSL especially when centres are guards and guards are
coaches. GM Smokey has assembled a two-pronged star line up with one of the
best defensive big men in Capella and a bench full of upside young bigs. The
Knicks will look for a big signing in free agency to complete their build and
if it doesn�t go to plan, not-to-worry, they have a bounty of picks and assets
to figure out a solution. So this is what is
left, once the Smoke(y) settles! ATLANTA HAWKS After spending a year (or two) on the sidelines, GM Bandrsn
saw a window he had to take. A prized superstar on the market in Minnesota
(Siakam) and a Knicks GM looking to move one of the game�s best (Lillard) in
some type of secretive covert operation. What on Earth was going on? The Hawks
were in and wanting to make 2023 a more exciting one for fans who haven�t had a
lot to smile about since the drafting of Jalen Green this time last year. So the Hawks got busy, they shipped off Myles Turner,
Spencer Dinwiddie and two hundred picks, throwing caution to the wind,
undressing and diving into the NSL trade pool. The return is unquestionably a
homerun for this emerging franchise and with internal development expected from
Hunter and Green, they are out to prove they are a team to be taken seriously
once again. Before: Jalen Green After: Damian Lillard  There�s no doubt the �After� list for the Hawks will strike
fear into the Eastern Conference and with the Knicks on the rise as well, the East
will be incredibly hard to pick for the upcoming season. GM Bandrsn has performed wonders at the helm, capitalising
on opportunities and spending the assets to put together a fun, talented and
promising roster. We all expect to see the Hawks in the playoffs, no doubt, the
depth of their playoff run will depend on how good their youngsters prove to be
this year and whether their windows can line up with their current stars. No longer just a
bunch of blokes named Kelly! Cleveland Cavaliers With new ownership comes a new GM on the block. The league
welcomed GM Shams to the helm of a franchise that was on the rise after an
impressive playoff run behind ex-GM and now Toronto GM Dylan. While he didn�t
inherit a roster with Toronto calibre toys, Shams definitely had some assets to
play with. And didn�t he play!? Trade discussions were rumoured to be constant
in the first few days, deals were closed immediately and at first it appeared a
fire sale might be on in Cleveland. But the ship steadied and a clear build
became clear as the draft approached. Before: Andrew Wiggins After: C.J. McCollum  The flurry of moves in Cleveland had the roster looking in
serious trouble at one point with C.J. McCollum sitting there on his lonesome.
However, a few savvy trades saw GM Shams acquire Murray and Bridges to fit
perfectly around their offensive star. Murray and Bridges appear built to fit
around McCollum and the roster is definitely coming together. There�s no doubt
the depth has taken a hit but at this point in the offseason that doesn�t
matter. All key players are signed long term and Murray and Bridges both have
bright futures ahead. The writer loves the idea of acquiring quality in the
backcourt rather than at the C position so the outlook in Cleveland is pretty
good. Move over Woj, this
is my game now. |
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