Hello Coaches!
Now that we have filled the league to 24 teams again and I have caught up on
Rating Guide orders, I will be spending the next week or so finishing the
constitution. But before I am finished with it, I would like to go through
some of the bigger rule changes for the league, and although I have
mentioned some of these to the group, now that we have all 24 coaches signed
up the email list, I may go through some of them again.
Before I get to the first, you can find the history of the league at
http://somiba.marathoncoder.com/. Eventually, I will eventually transfer the
league website over to the somhoops.com server (www.somhoops.com/somiba/). I
do not plan to use the website to host the news or any other daily
information on the league including daily standings. Instead, I use the
workbook to store most of the information in the lague and updates that file
as Ed and Charles would update the league website with information. This
just works easier for me and the even in the internet was completely wiped
out I would still have our workbooks from each season with plenty of backup
copies out there as I send those files out to our coaches. Also, I am not a
big proponent of posting our last names, emails, where we reside, and cell
numbers on the internet. While our hobby here is harmless, I don't believe
that someone should be able to do a web search on our names (i.e. Jason
Blaze) and find that I participate in a basketball league and grab my
personal information. Since our email list cannot be made private other than
just not listing it on our website, I plan to send out the workbook and
backup through an email list that I plan to create in outlook.
8-Keepers - The first big change is coaches will only be able to protect
8-players heading into what we refer to as the Keeper/Cut Deadline, which
will be about a week to 10 day for coaches to review those players along
with the rookies and free agents already in the pool. We have used 8-keepers
in the Classic80 for 17-season now (just had a Keeper Deadline tonight), and
while it is true that we cannot always hold onto as many of our favorite
players as we would like, it does have some benefits that I believe will
help with the league. Since teams lower in the standings draft ahead of
those higher in the standings, the extra and deeper talent in the draft pool
helps maintain parity better. I understand the Classic80 is retro-style
league, but the 8-keepers makes it easier to turn a team around from a door
mat to a contender in about 3 seasons. I understand it takes one and done
rookies longer to develop in the current NBA, but I believe in 3-4 seasons
our teams will be able to turn their team into a title contender with some
luck in the draft and balanced trades.
Dispersal Draft - The former expansion draft is now the dispersal draft
since I feel we are not necessarily expanding the league's number of teams
but rather re-dispersing the players from teams that leave the league to new
teams. It is a right a passage for every coach to participate in the
dispersal draft. Even if we have to find a new coach to manage a team for a
coach that leaves the league, that coach will still have to participate in
the dispersal draft the next season. This year is going to be a unique draft
because normally a coach would have to leave the league for a season to
participate in the dispersal draft. I have extended an offer to the
returning coaches to participate in the dispersal draft this season since we
will also be selecting unprotected players from their rosters, something we
normally do not do.
This season alone, there will be three stages to each round. In Stage 1 the
returning teams (that do not throw in their entire roster) will have to make
a choice weather to protect one of their own players or pass and then select
a player in Stage 3 at the end of each round. Then in Stage 2 the new teams
will draft a player either from the pool or from an existing returning
roster in the order determined by a randomized process and then reversed in
even rounds. Once a player is taken from an existing roster, no players can
be removed from that roster for the reset of that round. In Stage 3 the
returning teams that did not protect a player in Stage 1 will select a
player from either the pool or an existing roster. After this the round is
finished and we continue on through each of 10 rounds. The only difference
in rounds 9 and 10 is that returning teams will select before the new teams
if they do not protect one of their own players. This complete the dispersal
draft. The reason for each team having at least 10 players is to allow some
flexibility with trading as the returning teams should have at least 10 and
probably more after the draft.
Keeper Deadline - About 3-4 to a week before the rookie/free agent draft, we
will set a date for the Keeper Deadllie where each coach will turn in an
8-player list to the league before the deadline. The cuts will be thrown
into the rookie/free agent pool along with the rookies and other free
agents.
Trades -Coaches are free to negotiate trades and then announce them when
appropriate, but keep in mind that trades announced to the league (and
confirmed by all other parties involved) will go into effect immediately,
and this is important when it comes to pre- or post-keeper trades. In the
past SOMIBA only allowed a team to trades draft picks from the current
season, but now moving forward once the season officially starts and the
commissioners opens trading, coaches can trade current season picks and
picks for one season ahead. This allows a little more flexibility when
agreeing to trades. Each trade must stand on its own as no trade and be
conditional on a past trade. All trades that acquire a first round pick from
another team will at best draft fourth overall in the draft. For this season
I plan to manage trades on my own without using an executive or trade
committee. Of course I will seek input from some of the veteran coaches to
make sure my view is appropriate, I feel that the weight of any decision
should be on my shoulders. If someone gets upset I would prefer taking that
brunt of that instead of it dividing up the league. If you are unsure if a
trade is appropriate, reach out to a friend in the league and get their
input. You have my word that anyone you ask for input will not go behind
your back and negotiate their own trade without getting your permission as I
would not tolerate such an action. And I would be glad to offer my input. I
plan to bounce my own trades off of a couple coaches to make sure trades I
am involved in are above reproach, because it will be hard for me to lead
the league without setting a good example. If one of your trades is not
allowed, please do not take it personal. The reason for doing so is to
protect the league and its health and to help maintain the parity in the
league. I don't want to participate and especially run a league where the
only way to be successful is by getting better value in all of your trades.
Players will be evaluated on their Strat value as we are playing in a Strat
league. NBA value will only be used to evaluate player in only that we use
it to project a player's Strat value. I have not allowed only a few trades
in the Classic80 in 17 seasons, and I do not expect one-sided trades will be
a problem in SOMIBA either.
Rookie/Free Agent Draft - Because returning coaches may have been in the
process of rebuilding their team, I have decided to separate the rookies and
free agents that were not on one of the 10 stock teams and the 3 teams that
did not return (RHR, SCO, TUL). All the rookies and free agents not on any
of these teams have been placed in the rookie/free agent pool and we will
draft from 8-players after cut back up to 15 players through the rookie/free
agent draft. If a team is short of players after seven rounds, we will have
a supplemental round where teams can draft up to 15 players and other teams
can change out a player(s). Teams will need to have 19,680 minutes on their
roster (82 games x 48 minutes x 5 players) to participate in the season. I
do not anticipate it being a problem with only 24 SOMIBA teams compared to a
pool of 30 NBA teams. The draft will be setup using timeslots for 24 picks
in one day. If you are not able to make your timeslot a coach can simply
request someone to pick from a small list that you create, request a text
message with the most recent picks while you send your pick back asking the
other coach to post for you, requesting a phone call, through an instant
messenger, or any other means. Once the coache before you selects a player
you can immediately select, not having to wait until your time slot. If you
miss your time slot then the next coach can select during his or her time
slot and you are free to a pick anytime. You have until the end of the night
to get missed pick into me before it gets autoplayed and new files go out to
start the next round.
Free Agent System - Since we use a Games Missed List, there may be games
where you do not have enough players at a position and for that we have a
free agent system. Coaches can request players before the start of a new
monthly block of games. These players should be used in gameplans and home
games when the team's regular players (at the same position) have been
exhausted. Keep in mind that ringers will be removed from the Free Agent
Pool (players with all dazzlers, players with F(2) on their entire columns,
ect).
All-NBA/All-Star Players - Another big rule is that coaches can only have
one player from the three All-NBA teams and two players from the All-Star
teams (that were not on the All-NBA teams). If you a second All-NBA or a
third All-Star player on your roster you have one of two choices. Either
trade the player or you can list one of them as inactive (Inactive All-NBA
or Inactive All-Star) and pay the penalties for doing so. Designating such a
player as inactive will cost a playoff team a second round pick and a
lottery team's first round pick will be moved out of the lottery to the end
of the first round. If there are two or more lottery teams in this
situation, then their order will be determined randomly.
Lottery - Formerly the lottery took the three teams with the worst records.
Instead, we will use percentages similar to the NBA but weighted more
towards the teams with the worst records. With 9 teams (30, 24, 17, 13, 6,
5, 3, 1, 1) I went ahead and setup the lottery for this season. Since 8
teams will make the playoffs in each conference, the 8 teams that do not
make the playoffs each season will participate in an 8 team lottery and we
will continue to use the percentages for 8 teams (34, 26, 19, 12, 5, 2, 1,
1). We will hold the lottery using the decimals from the decimals at the
closing of the Dow Jones Industrical as explained in the email I will send
out separately on the subject. Again as mentioned above, if a team acquires
a first round pick through a trade, that pick will be no earlier than the
fourth overall pick.
Player Usage - For simplicity sake we will just go with NBA games and 110%
minutes. It will be more difficult to draft very low minute ringers with
roster sizes of 15 players compared to 18 players, and I think that is good.
I would rather see stars affect and dominate our games instead of ringers.
For anyone game, players will only be limited by fatigue which I feel does a
really good job of lowering the ability of players and why I normally don't
go over the MGP of players by more than a couple of minutes. I had one coach
play his top 5 for 48 minutes in gameplans and I don't feel that was a very
effective strategy in the series.
Schedule - In the past the league played an even schedule against all
teams..82 / 23 = 3.56 games or randomly eliminating a fourth game against 13
teams. Since we are aligning the league graphically and maintain the
conferences from season to season to follow the NBA, we will a different
number of games against different opponents: non-confernce = 2, same
division = 6, and conference/non-division = 5 (82 games). We will use the 6
divisions that the NBA uses.
Position Eligiblity - From here going forward you'll need to know these as I
use the abbreviations all the time...RG = Right Guard (Point Guard), LG =
Left Guard (Shooting Guard), RF = Right Forward (Small Forward), LF = Left
Forward (Power Forwrard), and C = Center (Center). Players can play any
position on offense rated at least one minute by Strat. Players can defend
any positions rated by Strat. While playing one of the guard positions, he
can defend the other guard. While playing LF or C, either player may defend
the other position even if they are not rated to play the other position. If
all your players at a particular positon foul out of a game, you need use a
player with the closest fit to fill that position and then report to the
commissioner. If you mess up on defensive assignment eligibility just simply
change it after you notice it and then report it to me. The important thing
is to learn from mistakes and we all make them from time to time.
League Administration - I know a couple of you run your own league. And
there may be others that would like to help out in certain areas and I am
certainly open to you helping to run the league. Personally, I prefer
playing in few leagues and being more active in those that I am in and that
includes helping to run a league even if I am not the commissioner of it. If
you feel similar let me know and we will find areas where you can help.
While I understand I will be doing most of the work to run the league and I
have been strong on changes to the league, I still believe that each of you
has ownership in the league and after a season or two if there are changes
that need to be made to the league we will make those changes as a group. I
am grateful for each of you and thank that you decide to participate in the
league this season and give me a chance to run the league!
That is probably enough for tonight. If I think of anything I will mention
it to the league as I don't want to surprise anyone with the direction I
want to take the league. If anyone has any questions on anything, please
don't hesitate to bring it to my attention.
Thanks,
Jason
