So you think you can dance (or run an NBA team)

And now a word from our sponsor....as in, the follow post is sponsored wherein "sponsored" means a financial transaction occurred resulting in our posting the following. That doesn't mean you shouldn't read it though. In fact, as sponsors go this one is pretty cool. Much better than that time we had ads running for Tampax. Not that there's anything wrong with that product. In fact it is one of those things that...anyway.

Fantasy GM is pretty much what we do around here. Right? So, if you think you can beat Steve Kerr at the whole "Running an NBA team" gig, then here's your chance to put your keyboard where your mouth (keyboard) is, sucka.

PASPN takes fantasy basketball to another dimension. Instead of allowing you to merely draft players, it adds much more complexity in an attempt to put you in the shoes of an actual NBA GM.

Here's how the GM portion works:

There will be 30 General Manager spots available: one for each NBA franchise. Since this is a new league, we will start by taking over each team's existing contracts. After that, it's up to you to re-tool your team via trades, draft picks, and free agent signings to form the best team that you can. Since PASPN leagues are governed by the rules of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the Mock GM game mixes fantasy basketball playing with the realities of the business of the NBA.

Once the NBA regular season begins, we will compete in an 18-week Head-to-Head season, where each team has a new opponent every week. You start 8 players (PG, SG, SF, PF, C, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL), and whoever scores more fantasy points wins the matchup. The scoring system is based on NBA.com's Efficiency rating: ((PTS + TRB + AST + STL + BLK) - ((FGA - FGM) + (FTA - FTM) + TOV )). The top 16 teams qualify for the Playoffs, which take place during the final 4 weeks of the regular season.

In addition to the GM game, PASPN has another game simulating the live of an NBA agent, here's how that portion works:

As an NBA Agent, your goal is to make sure your clients needs are being answered whether they are a free agent and in need of a new contract or looking to get bought out of their existing contract.  The GMs have to negotiate with them, to sign free-agents, or to get buyouts approved.
 
The agents are ranked based on the size of the contracts they're able to get for their contracts and the performance of the players during the regular season.  Only points earned when a player is part of the GM's roster count towards the Agents rankings, so there is incentive for the Agents to place their clients in situations where they'll see playing time.

The official Bright Side of the Sun league has 30 GM spots (for 30 teams, naturally) available in total. So sign up, or if you miss out you can get in as an agent. If there's really high demand, it's possible new GM leagues will open for this site.

The fun (although I am not sure after last year Steve Kerr would call his job fun) starts August 19th.

In fact, consider how strange it would be to have a job where people created mock simulations of said job so they could pretend to do your job in fantasy world just to prove how much you suck at your job. Remind me never to pull a Bill Simmons and lobby to be a GM.