BuzzerBeater Forums

So for those of you who don't know me (which is most of you), I'm this league's promotee from S18. Damn this league got full. Last season it was only me, J-Reez, and drr, who I see is still dominant here. So I thought I would give you guys a little guidance since it looks like this the first season for most of you.
1. Read the rules. All of them. Three times. Then come back.
2. Read this thread (http://www.buzzerbeater.com/community/forum/read.aspx?thread=144856&m=1). I would bookmark it as a reference because it is probably the single ost helpful document to newer teams.
3. (optional) Join the USA Offsite forum. There are a lot of experienced managers there who are more than willing to help out noobs like us. To join, go to this link (http://s3.zetaboards.com/BuzzerBeater_USA_NT/index/) and create an account. Then bbmail Mod-jarb (28800) your account name. Make an introduction thread and I would recommend starting a club team diary thread where experienced managers can help you out. There are some really cool tools on here too and I can't stress enough who much the offsite forum has helped me.
4. Manage your Game Shape. You know that thing under your players salary, age potential etc. that you all thought was meaningless. It's not. It will win countless games if you keep your players in respectable or above game shape.
5. Manage your enthusiasm. This is that number at the bottom of the set your lineup page that you all thought was meaningless. It's not. I won this league last year by managing my GS and ENTH last season. (both of these are explained in detail in the guide to BB thread from step two)
6. Expand your arena. I would shoot for ~6500 seats if you plan to promote this year. Trust me if you promote this season, even if you go 0-24 next season, you will sell out every game until the allstar break. Expanding your arena is the best way to increase your revenue.
7. Learn the game. Between the rules page, the guide to BB thread, and the USA Offsite forum, you will have no shortage of information offered to you.
With this stuff in mind, you guys should be in much better shape to stomp all over the teams that don't have this information. Feel free to BBmail me if you guys have any questions or just post in this thread. I hope to see you guys in the USA Offsite Forum or in D.IV next season.

Best post I've ever read in a V forum. As another manager that promoted from this league, albeit a bit further back, I'm going to say points 4 and 5 are very key.

Game Shape: Try to get your players, especially your key guys, at least 55 and no more than 65 minutes per week. What this means is that you will have to have them backup or even sit out a few games, even if they are your main players. It's ok to play them more than that occasionally but try to avoid overplaying them as that's a very common mistake among bad teams.

Enthusiasm: Play Take it Easy as often as you can, you'll notice a big difference after a few games, especially on defense. Only Normal when you need to. NEVER Crunch Time during the regular season. Ever.

Also, when you're buying new players, don't let the potential sway you. You don't need someone with MVP or Hall of Fame potential at this point in the game. It's better to get someone with a high salary (someone who already has good skills). Also, look for centers with good passing/jump shot or guards with good rebounding and inside shot as players who are well rounded really pay off in a big way.

I wish I could +1 this more times.
One more thing about GS, if you guys can afford a doctor, buy one with the massage specialty. With this speciality, you can play a player up to 85 minutes a week without a GS drop. That is very key if you have trouble managing your GS or if you are facing competitive teams in the cup and need your starters out there. And one other thing about enthusiasm is that it gravitates towards 5. So if after you TIE (Take It Easy) you have 10 enthusiasm points, by your next game it will probably drop back down to 8 by the time your next game rolls around. This means that you will have to continually TIE games in order to reach the maximum enthusiasm (the max you can have going into a game is 11). You team will play much, much better at 11 ENTH and with all your starters in respectable-proficient GS.
Also, the point he made about high secondaries is a good one. Put simply, here's why. A player who is good at taking all types of shots (jump shots, drives and inside shots) will make a higher percentage of his shots than someone who is only good at one type of shot, because he will take less bad shots because he can change his shot type in order to avoid his defender. A guard with Prominent Jump Shot, Respectable Driving, and Average Inside Shot will shoot much better than a guard with Sensational Jump Shot and Inept Driving and Inside Shot. This is not hugely important at this level of the game, but you should keep it in mind when buying and training players.

Last edited by lamchops at 02/28/2012 14:45:25