2019 PLACIDBASKET OFFSEASON PREVIEW
Botley Bulls
The capital side was quickly dispatched in round one of the playoffs and now find themselves in a tricky situation. Jahjesh Singh, perhaps the best player in Hudsonian basketball history, is 33 and has just one year remaining on his contract. The team is mostly filled with older players, and while they have the allure of playing with Singh, they have no real assets in order to get players by means other than Free Agency. The Bulls do not have a first round draft pick. This coming offseason will likely see a surge in non-Placid talent coming into the league, and the Bulls do have two Non-Placid roster spots. Their best hope for contending into the future requires them to acquire superstars with both of them (and do so with only about $15 million in salary cap space).
Charlottetown Mammoths
They've now arrived for real, although their semi-final sweep at the hands of the Saints temporarily embarrassed them. The Mammoths are in great shape as they have one of the league's strongest cores in Ciro Caporaso, Momo Côté and big man Evan Watson, and they've built a squad that can run and gun with the best of them. Their offseason objective may be to try to trade some rotational backcourt depth for a stretch big to play up front with Watson.
Dover Pheasants
The Pheasants just missed the playoffs last season and now Jaylen Morris's contract is up. The 29 year old point guard wants to win a title, and it's tough to tell if he thinks he can do it in Dover. The Pheasants are a bit asset poor, as their young players haven't quite panned out as expected. Alexy Anderson has established himself as a starter but not an excellent one- he can score efficiently but he provides nothing defensively. Players who could shore up his shortcomings might help push him into star territory, but they may have trouble acquiring them if they can't retain Morris.
Georgetown Puffins
The Puffins' rebuild is an unusual one, as they seem to be starting entirely from scratch. They have nine pending free agents, and only 25 year old center Alessandro Casagrande is signed up beyond 2020. Casagrande is not an all-star, but he's on a very team friendly contract and is a good secondary or tertiary piece on a top club. The Puffins have two first round picks and 3 Non-Placid roster spots, so it's almost impossible to know what this team will look like next year, but expect them to be different!
Manchester Tigers
The Champs! The Tigers were disappointed to lose to BC CSKA Tiraspol in Lisander, and now seem to have their sights set for bigger fish than just PlacidBasket. Frankly, their fairly well suited going forward, although 24 year old Bradley Walker just won Finals MVP and is now a free agent. There's no real reason to think he won't be re-signed, but Tigers management will have their work cut out for them in trying to keep his cap hit low. David Stoltz's club have only one Non-Placid roster spot, but with their objective now being International domination, expect them to be in the hunt for another- they may trade a draft pick for one.
Les Patriotes de Toureuil
The Pats and wunderkind GM Maxime Bruneau-Cloutier are encouraging their supporters to trust that they have a strong future, but at the moment it's tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Their team is young but lacks potential superstar talent, unless you really squint when looking at Sebastian Harris. They have cash to burn, along with draft picks and Non-Placid roster spots, they will likely be one of the most active teams in the coming weeks.
Placidiana City Warriors
The Warriors just barely squeaked into the Playoffs and remain at a bit of a crossroads. Their 2nd and 3rd options, Nathaniel Jennings and Miles Gilbert, both need to be re-signed, and like many teams, they are highly asset poor. There's no real reason to think the Warriors are championship contenders, but they may be locked into their core for a while anyway.
St. Patrick Saints
Disappointed to have not won the title, and also to have lost to BC Admiral Novorossiysk in Lisander, they nevertheless are still among the league's elite. They have to re-sign Celso Iaquinta and come to a decision on swingman Momo Lebel, but they should be able to make it happen. Expect them to compete for the title and for IUBC glory again next season.
Stratford Storm
The Storm consider themselves title contenders and will be loathe to break up a core of talented players mostly in their primes. Their big decision will be whether they want to give big money to Angel Vidal or let him walk, knowing they have big man David Dunn locked up already.
Summerside Jets
JoJo Allen is 28 years old and the best hero-ball player in a league that is moving away from that style of play. The Jets were a HUGE disappointment last season, but have the second pick in the draft and a ton of salary cap space. You do the math.
Trevona BC
A deep, reliable team that plays smallball and is run by all-star Mickaël Deslauriers, Trevona still needs to figure out their path forward. Not one to shy away from innovation, they may find their best strategy will be to heavily scout the international market for players who can fit into their scheme.
Wellington Polar Bears
Slow and steady wins the race, I guess. The Polar Bears have no stars and need Patrick Gibson to develop into one in order to have any prayer of competing long term. However, they also have few players locked up long term and could become big offseason players if they decide to do a quick rebuild.