Affalo and DWill both opt in, but change agents (see what I did there?) and both sign for the vet minimum. KD signs for one year after PJax manages to get Philly's #1 pick by giving up Calderone, KOQ, Lou A and and undisclosed amount of Dolan's cash.
PJ then swings a three team deal with Philly's pick, some second rounders and Cleanthony Early to OKC (who's new GM is Hinkie) and Charlotte that nets us two first round picks in 2020 and lands us Westbrook and Lin. Carmelo conducts a full-on Welcome Home session/Team building camp in Puerto Rico for Lin, KD and Westbrook and supplements Lin's salary with some of his own CAA money as a personal services contract. That gesture alone singularly removes any attitude problems inherent in Westbrook and daily sessions just sitting in a room with PJax and his rings raises his BB IQ by 175 points. Lance Thomas has both knees replaced with strontium springs and comes back after spending the summer shooting 50,000 jumpers a day. He's going to finish the season shooting 60% from anywhere. Pau Gasol decides to forego any salary considerations at all and joins the team as both a backup center and assistant Triangle coach. Melo just barely misses averaging a triple double by 1 assist per game. The Haters hail that as reason enough to run him out of town. Or at least relegate him to the bench. Provided he agrees to pay rapt attention during all timeout huddles.
Horny starts:
KP - 4
Rolo - 5
Melo - 3
KD - 2
Westbrook -1
That backcourt causes insane havoc throughout the league unheard of at MSG since Clyde/Earl.
Bench:
Lance Thomas
DWill
Pau
Lin/Galloway
Grant
PJax talks Dolan into instituting gigantic contract bonuses (paid in-season) for every starter and bench player who keeps his meaningful defensive stats (as Bonn defines meaningful) in the top 20 of the league. If a bench player actually finishes a week higher in the stats than a starter, they get double bonus. Any player spotted anywhere near a nightclub without multiple teammates and at least twice that number of MSG security forfeits all bonuses.
Horny institutes minutes control and no one on the team misses more than 4 games.
We win 78 games in the regular season and go Fo Fo Fo Fo to the first chip in 40 years.
6/4/2016 6:05 PM
