S3 POTENTIAL BOOMS AND BUSTS

With lots of off season developments including trades, free agency switches, ownership overhauls, and of course the draft, we are seeing a lot of different look rosters. We have gotten a glimpse of these new systems in the pre-season so far. In this piece, we will look at which players could see their stock rise or fall depending on how their circumstances play out with these new rosters. 

Boom - Bismack, Sea Dogs

As one of few veterans in a Sea Dogs locker room which features 4 million rookies, Bismack will need to be an unexpected leader for the second unit of the Sea Dogs. Bismack will need to showcase who is on the court, and is expected to be the main scorer off the bench for AC. He showed he was capable in the pre-season game against the Flying Stallions, scoring 28 points on good efficiency. If he can do this across an entire season, he will be looking at some serious consideration for the Most Improved Player award.

Bust - Greg Lake, Killer Beez

Greg Lake’s rookie season was truly dominant, there’s no question about it. His fierce rivalry on the court/off the court with eventual MVP winner and future teammate Truck Turner is still fresh in the minds of fans. However, is Greg still riding off the success of his first season? He hasn't been able to replicate that efficiency and dominance from S1. A mid season move to Michigan improved his scoring output but he was still unable to match his rookie numbers. If Greg isn’t able to return to his old self, he soon may be forgotten. 

Boom - Tavian Tyree, Flying Stallions

Under-appreciated, underutilized. Tavian Tyree didn’t get much chance to showcase himself in Kentucky and will be eager to get a fresh start in Dallas this year. With no one really in his way for playing time, Tyree has already gotten off to a wonderful start with a dominating performance in pre-season which saw him with 25 points and 10 rebounds. With Tyree’s name already getting significant hype for Most Improved Player, will he be able to ride the momentum of his pre-season game into the regular season?

Bust - Pauly Truth, Martians

BLIZZY GANG! BRRRR BRRRRR! How long can Mr. Truth cruise off his prospect league championship? It’s becoming evident with each game that Pauly Truth is all bark no bite. His tenure in Virginia was absolutely awful, and while his time with the Martians has been better, it still hasn’t been great. Truth has been struggling to make good use of his minutes with the Martians. When it’s all said and done, will his biggest achievements as a GSB player be a prospect league chip and one win over his rival/mentor Hoe Jarris? In the words of Pauly Truth… “I Am A Martian.” 

Boom - Ernesto Romero III, Constellation

One of the most underrated big men in GSB, Romero has played for more teams than seasons played in GSB. Constantly being used as a trade chip, Romero hasn’t been able to get settled anywhere to really establish himself. Despite all the uncertainty, he’s still put up reliable numbers no matter where he is. Now finding himself in Baltimore, will he be able to stick around and prove himself as a top center in GSB?

Bust - Toby Knerr, Flying Stallions

Toby Knerr has been living off his playoff performances against Portland and a recency bias 6MOTY award in S1  Since then, he hasn’t done much of anything. Kanin Abel has established himself as the go-to guy for the Dallas offense, even Che’rry Je’llo has gotten an All-Star nod over him. Toby Knerr is a great bench piece for the Stallions but not much else, and sadly he falls behind in a locker room of big personalities and bigger talent. 

Boom - Joker DeJesus, Militia

It’s hard to stand out as a center when Grave Digga and Angelo Roman are the 1st and 2nd pick of your draft class. Joker DeJesus might not have the experience of those two but with not much expectations in Boston this year, DeJesus could prove to be one of the steals of the draft if he focuses on developing himself the other way. Playing next to arguably the #1 center in GSB (King DeMoura) should be perfect for DeJesus’ growth as a player. It’ll be up to him to make the most of the opportunities. In a couple years, maybe we’ll be looking at DeJesus as the best center of his draft class.

Bust - Anthony Stank, Otters

Putting Stank as a bust candidate makes it seem like I think he’ll be bad. In reality, I just think in comparison to his championship, MVP, and MIP winning season, it’ll be an extremely hard act to follow. Stank seemingly came out of nowhere to nearly run the gauntlet on GSB accolades, and expectations are certainly high for his 3rd professional season. Will Stank be able to live up to the hype, or will he regress, potentially back to S1 numbers? Stank will need to prove that he’s more than a 1 season wonder.

Boom - Tim Savage, Pioneers

Often considered one of the bigger busts of the S1 draft, Tim Savage has carved out a role as a solid but unremarkable sharpshooter for the Skyliners and Pioneers. Savage is usually forced to share the spotlight with more demanding players such as Kam Melo and Hoe Jarris. With Jarris’ departure into ownership, the mustachio’d Serbian has been replaced with former DPOY and 3PT contest champion, Slimer Puffenstuff. With Puff reportedly transitioning to the point guard role and opting for a more team oriented, passing approach, this could potentially unlock Savage’s potential and allow him to shine as a top scorer for the Pioneers. The opportunity is there for Savage, but whether he makes the most of it is up to him.

Bust - Eli Simmons, Skyliners

One of the top power forwards in GSB, S1 champion Eli Simmons has constantly been on the top of the rebounding charts and winning All-Star nods and other accolades. However, is his reign as top dog going to come to an end? Eli was awful in their pre-season game against Vice City and needed Dior Gore to pick up the slack. Could Eli Simmons be finished? Possibly. It’s a long season, and Eli will need to turn it around quickly and be a leader for this Skyliners team.

Honorable mentions: 

Boom: Timo Shuttlesworth, Biff Marcum, Joey Phillips

Bust: Oddy Nuff, Petey Wheatstraw, Anthony Stover