BuzzerBeater Forums

Thanks for the question.

I'm not going to knock any of the other candidates and say I'd be a better manager than they would be, because I haven't actively scouted their teams (I have enough scouting to do in my new div III!). I'd just like to point out my own team's success in my short-lived run here in BuzzerBeater.

To answer the part about their success in the NBBA vs. my success last season though, I'll say this...

Although it's true that the NBBA is probably tougher than the div IV I was in last season, I doubt it's much more difficult than any II or III series that's had active users for an entire season. BB has gone through a lot of turnover in the last couple of months at every division, so the top division does not automatically contain the best managers we have in the USA. There are some skilled ones there, but they've also had their share of bots to beat up on.

In general, the non-bot NBBA teams last season were just the ones who had been around the longest, not the ones who were the best managers. Also, the active NBBA teams have been able to advance their teams much faster than the rest of us, since they have a significant advantage in terms of revenue (higher TV money, larger crowds, more sponsor money, etc.) than lower teams, but their salaries are not much higher than the average starting team.

I'll agree that though the teams are probably the best in the NBBA, the difficulty is relative only to the skill of the team vs the skill and management found throughout any given conference. That said, my team ain't all that, except the champions.

As to strategy and player selection, frankly I haven't seen how the nat'l setup works yet, so I can't really say. I'm assuming that I would be able to pick any player from the US, and that the club managers of those players would be thrilled to have them on the team.

The most important skills for any given position, the lineup, and the strategy depend on what is necessary to win the game. I would expect any team I put together to be dynamic and suited to not just winning, but embarrassing and demoralizing my opponents. Under my super-badass management, the USA will be like water--crashing down off a cliff, burning with steam, unforgiving as ice. Like I said before, my platform is that I'm f-ing awesome. F-ing awesome.

I'm curious to everyone's plans to track the existence of possible NT-worthy players playing not only in the US but abroad. Are you assuming that most people will volunteer their players? Will you employ the use of volunteers?

I would be derelict in my duties to try to run the NT on a solo basis.

Scouting thousands of players is a task that is simply not possible for one person, and the success of the USA NT will depend heavily on teamwork.

Additionally--and possibly most crucial to this discussion--what are your ideal skill sets for each position?

I would be seeking players that would be well-rounded, with suitable skill levels in as many of the relevant skills as possible. For example, the C and PF positions would need to be well-rounded in Inside Scoring, Inside Defense, Rebounding, and Shot Blocking. Having well balanced skills not only give you more flexibility with tactics and deployment of personnel, but it also means that the players will train faster than those that are single-skilled monoliths.

Additionally, Stamina will be very important, because if we have a Stamina advantage, we will own the 4th quarter. Free Throws will have secondary importance.

The polls close soon...any last-minute queries?

When do the polls close? The election page says 11/31/2007 at 1am. Is that European time, meaning 8pm usa east coast time?

No, that's 1:00 am local time.

When do the polls close? The election page says 11/31/2007 at 1am. Is that European time, meaning 8pm usa east coast time?

So we have another month of debating? Crap, this is getting to be like a presidential election...

Hell, the election ends on a day that does not exist.

I think the BBs are pulling our chains and there are no NTs.

(please put your tongue-in-cheek detector to HIGH)

I'll ask you not to tell me where to put my tongue.

Respectfully, of course.