Welcome to the debut addition of Weekly Roundtable. For those of you who have been here for a long time you know all about this feature as me and a panel of my peers tackle important issues surrounding the ISBA OA in a roundtable format. This week I'm joined by Bounce and Ante. We have a six pack of topics to get to so I reckon we should get started.
The roundtable panel live from Maya Pub in Zadar, Croatia1. Your overall thoughts about the opening week of OABounce: It's OK so far. Everyone who was expected to join joined and most people tried to get in games. CPU didn't cause any drama, games didn't drop that much and the Association: ISBA video was amazing. Good first 4 days, I'm pleased.
Ante: It's really nice I must say. No issues at all, you just come and play, prepare for the games and that's all, nothing to complain about. The atmosphere is great here, this is by far the best group we have.
Bryan: I've enjoyed myself so far. It's great to get back into the OA swing again. The CPU games were so bad/rigged last year it nearly ruined the entire experience. That problem is corrected. I don't think the missing players from the OA roster file have been any factor, so that's good too. So far, so good overall.
2. More surprising start: Minnesota or Toronto?Ante: Minnesota since Minnesota played more human coaches and beat the Knicks or Rockets? I Can't remember, but beating any of those teams is a challenge to any team whatsoever. Toronot won a lot too, but most of them are cpu games so they still aren't on my radar. Minnesota is and even though against them my team lead the whole game and didn't have much problems winning, they still showed that they could compete with the elite in the Western Conference.
Bounce: Minnesota. They actually won some human games unlike Toronto who won all (?) 9 games vs CPU. That is hardly going to impress anyone. From what I saw and heard Wolves are a serious threat in West thanks to a rejuvenated Brandon Roy and Kevin Love.
Bryan: I guess it depends on your definition of surprising. I'm pleasantly surprised at how active Sukan has been so far. I think he's played 11-12 games overall and that's awesome. But on the court performance it would be Minnesota due to the tougher schedule. Mulac has a good roster and more OA experience than Sukan. It's going to take Sukan some time to adjust to playing humans again since he's been out of the game for about 1.5 years. Plus he doesn't have a very good roster. I think both Minnesota and Toronto are doing a nice job.
3. How are you liking the CPU games so far?Bryan: I'm liking them so far. In time they will get tweaked to perform better but it's a process. I'd rather it be like this than how it was on 2k12 where the CPU games weren't even real basketball. Retards constantly doing up and unders with Earl Boykins in the paint, making contested threes as the shot clock winds down, humans missing wide open shots in stretches for no apparent reason, etc. At least the CPU doesn't completely cheat us this year. And with more human wins over the CPU that will mean more humans making the playoffs, which is a huge plus in my book.
Bounce: I'm glad that CPU is inferior but they seem a bit too weak for my liking. They barely offer any fight so I hope that the tweak from yesterday (+1 shooting) will make them more competitive. However most CPU teams are the worst in the league roster wise so its not a surprise that they are on the bottom of conferences.
Ante: They're too easy and they need a boost, shooting boost. That's all from me. It's padding stats. When I see DRose having more apg than any other pg and Kyle Lowry I don't even need to look who they played the most.
4. Is Miami still the team to beat?Ante: No. Not because I'm a big Miami hater (Not Vince, Vince is a great bloke) and not because they're my direct rival, it's just because they've showed a lot of weaknesses against my team when they were down by 17 halfway through the 3rd quarter (I may sound like Skip Bayless here, but God forgive me) and it's because the Knicks beat them in Miami and Minnesota almost ran off with a victory too. Regarding the team to beat, I think so far we don't have that team here since is the start of the season and no team is intact like it should be and the schedule wasn't the same for everyone, some played some tough teams in the begining, some didn't. We may have surprises, but when January-February comes we will see who is the team to beat
Bounce: After playing both Miami and Boston, and with Paul flirting with the "Jeebs status" I would say that they are still the top team. They have a ridiculous depth with Shard and Ray, and LeBron is more effective than ever. If Vince wanted to up the intensity he wouldn't lose any game from now on for the rest of the season.
Bryan: First of all, that's an insult to say Paul is flirting with Jeebs status. The guy played 3 games last night alone, which is about 2 more than Jeebs has played since 2k11. Anyway, yes, Miami was the team to beat in the preseason and they still are as the three of us sit here in the Maya Pub in beautiful Zadar, Croatia. I'm a little concerned that Miami had to go into try hard mode with LeBron scoring 38 to outlast Boston but otherwise they look solid. The Lakers are hanging under the radar with arguably the best roster and the 2nd best coach in ISBA history at the controls. Paul's gotta love that. He's become the #underdog this season in a way.
5. Fact or Fiction: Royce White will be a legit MVP candidate at the end of the seasonBryan: I'm going to say Fiction. He needs to score more to be a serious MVP candidate and I'm not sure he's capable of that right now. He's doing a great job so far but some stars are putting up ridiculous numbers.
Ante: I'm close to fact on this one, but let's give a some kind of a fact because I'm an optimist. I think he is a no.6-no.10 candidate.
Bounce: Fiction. The MVP award is as much a popularity contest as its a legit award to the best player in the league. Royce White is a nobody in this 2K Universe and I'm doubting that he'll even make the All Star team. On top of that, his current stats he lacks at least 10ppg to be among those who are legit MVP candidates. Still, he's the top favorite to win the ROY award.
6. Fact or Fiction: Minnesota will make the playoffsBryan: Fact. The West isn't on the same level as the East 1 through 8. He keeps playing the way he's playing he will make the playoffs in the inferior west. And I applaud him for it. #KLoveMVP
Ante: Big fact. They play solid, their defense isn't nearly as it should be, but in time they will improve that, with that kind of firepower, with Love leading them, they not just only make the playoffs, but they grab homecourt advantage.
Bounce: Fact. Making playoffs should be the least they accomplish this season.
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That will do it for this edition of the Weekly Roundtable. I'd like to thank Ante and Bounce for joining me on this journey today. In the meantime, enjoy the OA everyone and have a good week.
Lorde 
Subject: Weekly Roundtable 
Tue Oct 16, 2012 5:47 pm
