Sorry guys, with school and job, I really don't have the freedom to post on here as much as I want. And although I should be studying physiology right now, I can't keep my fans waiting any longer. Without further ado, the rest of the analysis . . .
. . . I will analyze these players based on my thoughts and information after the draft and what I knew then. If I use any regular season insight I'll be sure to use brackets.
Columbia PenguinsKeepers: Jason Kidd, Caron Butler
Steal: Andris Biedrins (#55)
Bum Pick: Jonny Flynn (#114)
Tim took great pleasure in using his pick before me to not only insert the dagger straight into my heart but giving it a healthy twist . . . or two. I thought he had a very good draft. There are more balanced teams out there, but not many with as good a mix of value and upside. Kevin Garnett will have reduced value because they brought it Rasheed Wallace for a reason, but he'll still contribute across the board. Biedrins was the pick that sank my heart, another underrated fantasy commodity (FG%, rebounds, blocks, and he doesn't throw the ball away). He also doesn't take enough free throws for his percentage to really hurt you, but will be good for double figure scoring [Nellie is his coach, though]. I don't like Jonny Flynn at #114, I don't think they signed Ramon Sessions for nothing and if anything Flynn and Sessions will vulture each other's value. Then again Tim did handcuff with Sessions, so he knows what he's doing. No mistakes in the mid-round picks (although I don't really like Villanueva) and one incredible pick with T.J. Ford as low as #103. I think Jennings has the chance to be special and love that DeRozan has a starting gig. Fantastic team and if the young guns pan out, Tim might be in line to defend his championship. Grade: A-
Archangel UnitedKeepers: Andre Iguodala, Paul Pierce
Steal: Leandro Barbosa (#80)
Bum Pick: Nene Hilario (#56)
The Reaching started right after the keeper rounds and (save for a minor break in Round 7-I took Barbosa with good value) continued through Round 9. I reached for Lopez (prolly should've gone Lewis/Murphy/Anthony/Lee etc.), I reached for Rondo (prolly should've gone Rose/Lee/Okur etc.), panicked with Hilario, reached for Parker, reached for Thad Young, at which point in time my arm flew off its socket with Tyreke Evans. The ONLY player I wanted was David Lee---if I didn't get David Lee the draft was an utter and complete FAILURE!! Well I didn't get David Lee [and so far Boy am I sorry!!!] Before the draft started I came to the unnerving conclusion that I had to pass on Lee in order to secure the PG I wanted (Rondo). I just couldn't imagine Rondo being there for me in Round 5. Tim then stole Biedrins from me and between Bargnani (who burned me before), Hilario (whose burned Ted like 5 times), and Horford (who I just find boring) I became the new Ted. Tyreke was just plain fear of someone else taking him, I just had to guarantee that Evans was on my roster (I loved teeing off a bunch of people with it, too). There was a statistical method to the madness that went with reaching for Lopez and Rondo and let's just it's going to have to come to fruition for this not to be a disasterous year; especially since I don't have vaunted keepers in Iguodala (who I love) and Pierce (who I don't like). The only good thing about my draft, I took players I specifically wanted. Draft Grade: C+
Jerry LewisKeepers: Jose Calderon + Marcus Camby
Steal: Carmelo Anthony (#40)
Bum Pick: Stephen Jackson (#57)
Ole' Jerry Lewis doesn't have world-beaters as keepers but they do provide a nice mix across the board. I thought the draft started off very strong with Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony (who might be a genuine steal as long as he keeps up Ast/Stl contributions)[btw, he is going far beyond my expectations and I already had considered him a steal]. Then around the mid-rounds, Jerry started to lose me. I think Jackson has mental issues and is making a bad situation, I think Turkoglu is overrated at Round 6, and there were better options than Millsap at Round 7. (especially if they don't get rid of Boozer), then J.R. Smith (another talented head case) hasn't really shown he is much more than an offensive spark plug off the bench and that was Round 8. To get Kaman at #105 and Bogut at #112 is really solid. I don't think much of either player (b/c of injury concerns) but Jerry really got both players at value. I also like the pick of Randy Foye (#129) who is a lock for being a rotation contributor in Washington, I think he'll end up starting at the 2 with Miller backing up the 2/3 spot, while D. Stevenson will be the odd man out. I think on the overall there are some situational and injury concerns with this Roster. Good health and solid contributions from the bigs will decide the fate of the team. Draft Grade: B-
Wiener Wunder 09 (Computer #2-show up next time, so that some of those good players would drop
)
Keepers: Brandon Roy + Dwight Howard
Steal: Wilson Chandler (#106)
Bum Pick: Michael Redd (#58)
Another player who missed the draft which comes with advantages AND disadvantages. You can't really say that Wiener (aided by the computer) reached too badly for any players, but at the same time the roster is littered with players that makes you say to yourself "I just don't know". After all there is a reason that Live drafters let some of these players drop. Steve Nash is fantastic and while age always hovers over as an omni-present concern (like Duncan), you just can't go wrong with Nash. Marion should be good but Dallas is very crowded at Forward (Nowtizki, Howard, Gooden) and Shawn has been sliding since the move away from Phoenix. Redd has injury concerns but could be fantastic value at #58. Bargnani seemed to turn the corner in the 2nd half of last year, then again it was the 3rd time he seemed to have turned a corner. Salmons will get run, but I'm just not a big fan. Rasheed is always a good draft pick but boring. Chandler was a STEAL, across the board production and plenty of Minutes in D'Antoni's fantasy friendly system, I think he's poised for a fantastic year. Shaq won't hurt you at (#130) and may actually really help you, while Aaron Brooks should have been drafted well before (#154). Brooks is a dime-a-dozen scoring PG (like Bibby, Crawford, L. Williams, E. House, N. Robinson, etc.) but he's going to get plenty of opportunity in Houston. Solid Keepers, solid draft, but no WOW factor. Draft Grade: B
Norwegian FjordsKeepers: Chris Paul + Carlos Boozer
Steal: Luis Scola (#86)
Bum Pick: Rudy Gay (#59) [<--- I think I just hated all Memphis players]
When you get to keep Chris Paul, you own the most potent fantasy line on the planet. That alone gives you the chance to compete. Norwegian didn't make any mistakes, per se, but the upside (aside from Scola) is in short supply. Johnson, Lewis, Gordon, Odom, Felton are all solid players but their ceilings are well established. In fact some of those players find themselves in situations where they probably won't duplicate their best years. Johnson + Lewis are great and there's not much downside. Gordon, though, will have to find his place in Detroit, Odom is very crowded now with Artest/Bynum/Gasol and of course Kobe taking up opportunities, Felton has DJ Augustin breathing down his neck, etc. The late round picks were ho-hum veterans like Rip Hamilton and Jermain O'Neal whose heyday may well have passed. I thought Scola was an absolute steal at #86 (Round
, and probably should've gone 10 picks earlier. Without Yao Ming, Scola really has a chance to be a very efficient 18/10 and is C-eligible. Rudy Gay will have to deal with the young guys who want there's (Mayo, Gasol, Thabeet) and now the old guys who want there's (Iverson and Randolph). How much basketball is there to go around, really. I think these tried+true veterans will have to reach back to more productive times for Norwegian to realize great success, then again he does have that Chris Paul! Draft Grade: B-
. . . (Last and most certainly Least!!) . . .
Basketball Jihad Keepers: Al Jefferson and Pau Gasol
Steal: Emeka Okafor (#84)
Bum Pick: Corey Magette (#61)
Al Jefferson and Pau Gasol, two wonderful C-eligible players and Miguel gets to keep both. Now some say that Jefferson has some injury concerns and Gasol has a crowded situation; my view is Jefferson will be just fine and I'll have to see Gasol be ineffective to believe it. Miguel went on to employ a high-risk/sort of high reward draft strategy. Ellis is a talent no question, but where does he fit in to that clusterfudge in GS. Carter, a talent no question, but how does Orlando and continued aging treat him. Mayo--my problems with Memphis players are now very well documented. Miguel then started to sneak in some great draft picks, Okafor who is a fantastic addition to a roster with Al Jeff and P. Gasol. R. Jefferson -- like Terry, like Wallace underrated every single year. Kirilenko plays very well at #108 and he managed to pick upside guys in Curry (who I don't like) and Stuckey (who I very much like).
Now this one thing must be mentioned: for as much as we give Ted unyielding guff for his lascivious lust for Nene Hilario, we never give Miguel near enough smack for his unbridled, unshakeable, Man-love for Corey Magette. I believe Magette has been on Miguel's roster like 5 out of the 7 years we've been doing this shindig, mostly because Miguel will reach anywhere from 15-25 spots to draft him, annually. Well this year Miguel took the cake (of course licking the icing off Maggette's lathered body), REACHING AN UNHEARD OF 64 SPOTS to draft the object of his man crush.
Draft Grade -- C+ (Dropping a FULL letter grade on the Maggette pick alone)
