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With all the smart people we have playing this game, no one else has any thoughts on this?

not really, i guess for most of the people the question is: how to get into Div.I ?

Right now I'm running into a few problems:
1. There are not enough quality guards in the game to purchase

What is a quality guard to you? Respectable in all 6 skills (JS, JR, Driving, Passing, Handling, OD)? Better? Or with some of those skills pumped up and others possibly lower?

I agree that there aren't many great guards on the TL. Not really sure what to advise - I wound up getting lucky a few weeks ago and snagged a couple for about $700k each. I assume prices are still pretty similar now, so if you keep some cash on hand and keep looking, your guard may show up.

2. Training 2 spots is difficult because it leaves you vulnerable in games where you have to play trainees

Agreed. Though it's not just the training - if you play your studs in every game, they'll get too many minutes and game shape will suffer. I think the key is to have balanced trainees. If you have some trainees that are ahead of the others, maybe it's worth selling them off and investing that money in:
1. some new trainees that are around your other trainees' levels
2. a guard or two.
You'll lose some inside performance, but you'll have more balance on the guard end and training minutes should be easier to balance. Of course, this leads to:

3. Very competitive league (obviously)

It is competitive but balanced. You won against nth mlb last night - I'm guessing you normalled at home vs his TIE. And that's what it's about - winning the games that you have a chance to win and forgetting the games you have no chance at. Do that and you should finish at least 6th, more likely at least 5th, which ensures safety.

So, any suggestions?
-Train one slot?
-Train guards?
-Buy the latest and greatest players every time and try to sell the ones that are almost as good?
-Keep training PF/C and just use TIE/CT effectively?
-Anything else?

Training guards is an option, but that'll take some startup time. If you can't find decent guards now, finding decent guard trainees will be even harder, won't it? On the other hand, with a few quick pops (say training just one position), you can make a ton of money on selling guards...

I don't know about sticking to one slot - if I knew more about how fast it was, I'd have more to say.

My advice is to stick with your PF/C training (while using TIE/normal/CT effectively), accumulating money with home games (and possibly a second tier trainee or two - list high, and you might get a nibble), and then pour that money into better guards.

Oh, and you should try not to foul Jan as much. He can hit free throws, you know. :)

You've got to stick to your guns. Don't change horses in midstream.

After all, what can you change that will make that much of a difference? You can't jump training from big guys to guards because it potentially leaves you with a group of semi-trained PF/Cs and a group of anaemic under-developed guard trainees (after all, if there aren't many ready-to-go NBBA level guards out there, there are even fewer really good trainee guards). You shouldn't train one position because it hurts your earnings from training and makes your team a bit too predictable and retards it's development (IMO). You can't affect the quality of competition around you by your decisions.

Hmmm. Doom and gloom, you say? I'd agree that you are in a tough spot. So it comes down to tactical nous and patience in the transfer market.

Now you might well relegate this season. Objectively a bad thing, but you have a number of significant advantages over the Div II teams, to wit:

1. Some monstrous big guys who will be more valuable for the extra training they had
2. A big sexy stadium
3. Potentially lots of cash available for you to get those great guards when they are listed.

Now down in II, if you end up there, you will be very, very competitive and be the favourite to go back up. You will almost certainly find the guards you need in the interim. You should end up more competitive by rolling with the punches now than by breaking your team structure apart.

That's my opinion. Hold fast, stay calm.

Move to Algeria (or some other small BB country)...I'm sure you could be quite dominate there! :-)

Steve
Bruins!

Move to Algeria (or some other small BB country)...I'm sure you could be quite dominate there! :-)

Steve
Bruins!

ha... most of the smaller nations already have a couple of heavy hitters...I would argue the NBBA is more crackable as the teams are more evenly matched... in my country I am one of 3 teams that appears to be pulling away... but that doesnt make it easier...

we can train anything when we come up against weaker opponents... keep our enthusiasm high but there are still only 2 prizes to be handed out...

or you could move to Spain or Italy which seem to be very popular places to open up multiple accounts and then you can train guards with some teams and big guys with the others..

By the way is there any rule against me casually naming teams on a press anouncement.... (just so i can check back on them in weeks to come to ensure they are banished from the game...) Im running out of space on my buddies list and ive got at least 2 teams still transacting freely amongst each other....

Now down in II, if you end up there, you will be very, very competitive and be the favourite to go back up. You will almost certainly find the guards you need in the interim. You should end up more competitive by rolling with the punches now than by breaking your team structure apart.

true, but if the goal is to get in Div I and stay there, once you are there you must avoid relegation at all costs, why?

yes your team will be strong enough for div II, but don't forget only 1 team promotes each year, and even thoug your team might be one of the best, it is prety hard to come out on top at the end.
Even if you have the best team, you still have a few rounds of play offs. Rounds in which you need to manage your enthousiasm real good, and if you are unlucky and a team CT against you on the way since that is their only option to get 1 round further and get some extra cash, because even though they know they can't win the finals, they will go for the cash, you are out, unless you CT as well, but then you will suffer in next round,... and so on.
Yuo can crack your head all you want about how you should play, you will never find a system that makes you win, you wil always have to be lucky that your oponents don't do things that make your head roll. Once you get in those play-offs, you must go with the crazy flow and hope and prey, because it's not all in your hands anymore at that time.
This makes that for example the 3rth or 4rth best team in the division can be promoted instead of the best. And that makes that it will be hard to get that promotion.
So.... try to avoid relegation, so you don't need the promotion anymore. ;)

I don't disagree with you. WFU03's first objective is to avoid relegating. But he wants to know how to stay up.

My point is that he may be unable to make changes to his team that will achieve this goal and that he shouldn't throw out his current team structure just because he feels that change is necessary or desirable. WFU03 may well disagree with me on this point since he knows his squad's needs better than mine but that's his judgment to make.

I think playing a good CT / TIE strategie will help a good deal in staying in any league...
To give a hint, I guess that if you get about 50% at the end of the season, you probably will stay in.
Also should you see it comming that you will have to play relegation games, you can also prepare for them...