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After six seasons in ESL, we are now back in Div. II. Along with three potential 10 U19 players! „The process“ has started again…

Just a small update: for the second time, I am getting ready to become homegrown with my main team, and I intend to remain one. Right now, only one 'outside' player (out of 9) remains. Either I will get rid of him at the end of my BBM journey, or at the end of the season, with a draft nearby.

Not really sure I would manage to play scrimmages and get training efficiently with only 8 players. Has anybody tried this during the transition period?

That is awesome to hear, that we might get a new manager into our HGL community!

A couple of months ago MrJ and I had a discussion (unfortunately I wasn't able to find it quickly) of finding an optimal training scheme for 9 player roster with 6 trainees, which was already really difficult. Especially as for at least 2 players in this scenario the game shapes would suffer severely. I would imagine an 8-man roster doable for training purposes and tanking in the league, as depending on your league situation you probably won't be able to stay competitive due to low game shapes at all. I'm interested to hear any opinions on this matter and if there actually is a good strategy to get training and the game shapes somewhat under control with 8 players only.

Alternatively, you could hold onto your non-HG player for now, just to maximize income and training for now and go full HG just after you have gotten your draftees at the end of the season. Just an idea.

Yes, waiting for the draft is my main idea.

Right now, I have 2 players close to the limit of their potential, 2 young perennial stars, and one role player. I don't really see the rationale for 2 position training, so I will finish training my two advanced players, while sacrificing somewhat one of the perennial stars (who might still reach the potential limit quickly with other trainees in a couple of years).

Waiting forward to joining such a nice and welcoming community!

Last edited by kecal at 8/26/2025 6:15:51 AM

Hello there, kecal.

Firstly, I'm sure the rest of the HG community, as LennuK has already noted, will support me in saying, "Welcome!"

Secondly, this is my second season as a HG team and, to answer your question, I ran the entire fist season (Season 68) with 8 players for my main team.

Additionally, this season, my Utopian team also became HG and they are a mere 9 players.

So, yes, you can train and work with 8 players in order to become HG.

Finally, if you are merely considering running 8 players just to go HG this season, I would probably say wait and begin your HG journey next season with 11 players instead. I say this from experience and impatience.

Last season I was so eager to become HG that I impatiently began my journey with 8 players. While I am an experienced manager (over 50 season playing BB) I still found it hard to manage and train when I lost a player to injury.

So, while we the HG community are excited that another team will soon be joining us, I would recommend you wait until the start of next season. After all, there's only half a season left anyway.

I would also add that there is a large and growing HG community and competition. If you are interested in finding out more about us, and what we have done and are doing, check out these links:

HGL Season 1 Official Thread: (326589.1)
HGL Season 2 Official Thread: (327516.1) Go here and put your name down to join us next season if you are interested.
HGL Season 1 Scores Official Thread: (326590.1)
HGL Season 2 Scores Official Thread: (327517.1)
HGL Achievements: (327663.1)




Last edited by MrJ at 8/28/2025 12:55:42 AM

Hello and thank you, MrJ! I think I will choose the patient way, for sure.

Last time when I tried to make it HG, I felt I was not ready, not able to compete with a very unbalanced team. This time, I believe I have a more solid foundation, especially on my perimeter. The frontcourt, well, I will have to create it

Waiting forward to joining the community!

Yes, waiting for the draft is my main idea.

Right now, I have 2 players close to the limit of their potential, 2 young perennial stars, and one role player. I don't really see the rationale for 2 position training, so I will finish training my two advanced players, while sacrificing somewhat one of the perennial stars (who might still reach the potential limit quickly with other trainees in a couple of years).

Waiting forward to joining such a nice and welcoming community!

That's great news - and like LennuK. and MrJ already mentioned, we are looking forward to welcoming you on board to HGL and it'll be exciting to being able to add a team from 'a true basketball country' if I may say so, one of those countries that culture-wise "eats and breaths basketball" so to speak! (Having said that, to state the obvious or course managers from countries with less fanatical basketball culture/fan base are just as welcome to join HGL and that just described by personal appreciation towards real life Lithuanian basketball culture, just so that nobody understands this the wrong way).

I'm glad to hear you see it the same way as you do, as I find HGL community being one of the best parts/things of HGL (and being a HG team). As you already noticed from previous replies, we have friendly, helpful and experienced managers within our HGL community, and based on the tone of your replies you seem to fit the community very well in that way too. (And in the case of MrJ for instance, you couldn't tell his long experience by checking out his current team number).

So I'm keeping a list of teams who wish to participate HGL in the future. Like MrJ noted, you may let us know on Official HGL Thread (or send me BBMail) if you´d wish to be added to list of future HGL teams, for instance by replying to this post, here: (327516.86).

If you do so, and mention simultaneously when you'd wish to start (we add new teams only during off-season, so starting at the mid-season in HGL isn't possible, but you may of course announce your interest to join at any time) then I'm able to add your team to a correct category in an aforementioned post.

In the case there would be more teams joining on some season than there's capacity for teams in HGL, some selection criteria might be formed/locked in place, but I suppose especially if MrJ or some other manager in the HGL community is willing to help with creating another random league schedule, we might be able to add 1-2 (or even 3?) new teams to our current 16 teams' HGL roster. (In which case we'd might have to consider/think of slightly broader Playoff format, but it'd be quite easy to add amount of Playoff-teams from 12 to 14 for instance, by introducing a small change to amount of automatically qualifying teams to Second Round of Playoffs).

Next season, HGL Season 3 is currently scheduled to start on the next Monday after your first "regular BB leagues' " league match on Season 70, so preparations for that HGL Season 3, such as match organizing process in which every HGL team is involved, starts about few weeks (or this time possibly bit more than that) before that.

[..]
Secondly, this is my second season as a HG team and, to answer your question, I ran the entire fist season (Season 68) with 8 players for my main team.

Additionally, this season, my Utopian team also became HG and they are a mere 9 players.

So, yes, you can train and work with 8 players in order to become HG.

Finally, if you are merely considering running 8 players just to go HG this season, I would probably say wait and begin your HG journey next season with 11 players instead. I say this from experience and impatience.
[..]

Who knew how important/beneficial your previous experience with only 8 players would prove to be? This is a nice example how sometimes going through tough things can be surprisingly beneficial - not just to yourself, but in this case your experience, help and supportive attitude might even help manager(s) to make a decision to jump in sooner than they would've otherwise... or on the other hand, make more informed and well based decision of waiting for one season longer, to get the better initial HGL experience (if optimal success in terms of gathering maximum amount wins would be important to manager in question - but as many of us likely sees it, purely winning as many games as possible is not the only price of being part of HGL community).

I would also add that there is a large and growing HG community and competition. If you are interested in finding out more about us, and what we have done and are doing, check out these links:

HGL Season 1 Official Thread: (326589.1)
HGL Season 2 Official Thread: (327516.1) Go here and put your name down to join us next season if you are interested.
HGL Season 1 Scores Official Thread: (326590.1)
HGL Season 2 Scores Official Thread: (327517.1)
HGL Achievements: (327663.1)

Thanks for sending links to the Official HGL Threads (and to your HGL Achievements post), MrJ!

I can agree, that the competition in HGL is getting tougher all the time (average team top8-salary has definitely gone up from Season 1, partly due to team changes but also due to teams being able to train their players well) and we do have some very strong teams in the league. And more importantly, we have many quality teams which guarantees many interesting and high quality matches for most rounds (in terms of close score) of the regular season, so I think competition in Playoffs will be even more equal on this Season 2.

Last edited by Wagner at 8/28/2025 6:25:45 AM