FFL - 2013-14

[floppymoose]

We played against him a few seasons ago and his team was horrible...absolutely abysmal

In defense of Matt, that was a very down year for him. His general track record is better than last year's track record.

[writersblock]

Still, probably based on off predictions...which may be even more likely this year with so much player movement this offseason.

[floppymoose]

hey jazz, regarding your feedback on my team:

Team Big Heart
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Well, he's got a terrific backcourt. I don't know. Looks like a case of too many chiefs and not enough indians to me. I think he may be too top heavy and too focused to break through to the playoffs. But, if he does, he could be very dangerous. I'll say C+.

What does the bolded part actually mean? My first instinct is that chiefs are strong players and indians are role players, but that can't be it, because you can never have too many strong players.

[theman]

- ham posted BBMs ACTUAL team ranks in each CAT. It kind of defeats the purpose of me trying to eyeball everything when someone else has the legit data.

Keep in mind that the BBM data is subjective to their projections, some of which I don't agree with. But, some of those projections have changed since then and as you mentioned, teams have made trades.

What is BBM? Big Bowel Movement?

[writersblock]

- ham posted BBMs ACTUAL team ranks in each CAT. It kind of defeats the purpose of me trying to eyeball everything when someone else has the legit data.

Keep in mind that the BBM data is subjective to their projections, some of which I don't agree with. But, some of those projections have changed since then and as you mentioned, teams have made trades.

What is BBM? Big Bowel Movement?

For some of their rankings, yes.

[jazzfan1971]

well my thought was that while you had a strong top your supporting cast was sub par.

[writersblock]

Here's my take and rankings on the 20 teams. Take it with a grain of salt, unless you like my ranking, then, you're welcome. Overall, I have to admit that it was really hard to rank teams this year. One thing I saw was that a majority of teams really honed in on the guard stats, leaving only about 4-5 big man teams, which I think propels those teams to a higher ranking than they would normally have. I also have to add my own caveat to this: While I feel relatively good about the top and the bottom of this list, I think that spots 7-14 could go either way. To be honest, this was probably one of the harder years for me to figure value/predictions...which is probably why my last trade took 81 emails.

20. TK Browncoats: I actually like TK’s team, so why do I put him so far down? Because he’s really top heavy. I liked his trade with Fran for CP3, because I think he and Dragic make a formidable back court. Duncan and Millsap are really nice big men that can bring you multiple cats. But outside of those 4, his team is filled with suspect contributors. Collison, Maynor, Bird man, Jordan Crawford, Zaza and Aminu are all early 200s guys. If I were him, I’d do a few 2 for ones and get some more top 100-120 guys to fill out the roster.

19. Sly: This team would’ve been really good 3-5 years ago., but I still think he could crack the top 10 of the league with unexpected resurgences from some of his older guys. In fact, It’s not really his old guys I’m worried about. With them, he has a very strong %s team, and that’s going to win him quite a few weeks. I’m more afraid of guys like Young, Joseph, hinrich, Jamison, Martin and Bonner who are all probably going to end up being dead weight. In this league, it looks more and more like you’ve got to be solid 1-10 to crack the top 10, and Sly’s team is not quite.

18. Sons of Disaster : I really like Stick’s guards and wings. With them he’s got a good set of guys who’ll get you points, steals, and 3s with low TOs. Problem is, though, I don’t see one dominant cat that he can count on winning. He’s average to good, in many cats, but for a team with good guards/wings, his %s and assists are mediocre. Add to that, Ibaka is a weird fit, since no one else is all that great in blocks. As is, I think his team is good enough to be around the middle of the pack.

17. Team DNP : Wow, someone’s tempting the fantasy gods here. If every one of these guys is healthy from March-April, then Break breaks into the playoffs and makes major noise. Problem is, some of these guys are going to see less minutes to end the season, including Wade and Lee, and several won’t be seeing any minutes to start the season (Bynum, Amare, etc.) Add to that Nash will be sitting on back-to-backs, and this team probably won’t make it.

16. Melo 3si: This team is Melo and a bunch of fairly good big men. I think this team could use a few trades to beef up the guard stats: 3s, assists, and steals. As of now, 3si has guards who are either unproven and iffy (Burke, Foye) or potentially on their way to less minutes (Afflalo, Delfino). As is, this team is middle of the pack, but could be vaulted into top 8 with a minor changing of the guards.

15. Portugese Bees: I had no idea where to put Fran, so I’m going to put him in the worst-case scenario: middle of the pack. He’s got a big man team that isn’t dominant in boards or blocks, but pulls in good %s and points. His guards and forwards are fairly good too, but don’t help him dominate in any one category. I’d like to see him either trade for a big time shot blocker or trade for a big time assist man. His 3s and points will be really high, but everything else, who knows.

14. Hoppers hoopers: Hopper was dominant last year, and Durant, alone, could keep him that way this year, but his supporting cast is a little suspect. Walker came into his own last year, as did Green and Jack. But other guys he has do more in the real game than on the score sheet, including Barnes, Lee, Pondexter, Hickson, and Sefolosha. Still, I think his team is strong enough to crack the playoffs.


13. SA Sugarkids : Just a solid all-around team that doesn’t do anything dominantly, but could win any given cat any given week. I like some of the underrated guys he has, including Conley, Kanter, Butler, and Redick, and I think they’ll be driving his team’s success. His bench is a little weak though: Miles, Watson, and even Tucker could end up doing very little. Blair is anything but a sure thing too. Anderson could potentially see a hit too, depending on what happens in NO with Tyreke. I really would’ve liked to see him trade someone like Conley or Rose for a Monta Ellis and underrated young player like Fournier. ☺

12. Insfo: I actually quite like Insfo’s team. I think it’s another “sneaky good” team, with some underrated guys. He’s got a great set of guards as complimented by some good big men. My only concern is Varejao is so injury-plagued, he could be a complete non-factor. But other guys like Batum and Parsons are way underrated in fantasy. He also has some good role players that went under the radar like Clark, Harkless, Shved, and Jenkins. I don’t think Speights, Jerebko, and Miller deserve roster spots, but the rest of his team is fairly good, and he could win 3s every week. Points aren’t half bad either.

11. Hamnificent Ones: Ham usually knows what he's doing. He currently holds the longest current playoff streak (I think tied with Gokce), and betting against another playoff appearance is probably not wise. But a lot could go wrong for his team this year, and already has. WEstbrook is already out to start the season, but he was already an injury risk and I'm not as worried about him. I'm more worried about guys like Carter, Blatche, Nelson, Dalembert, and even Kmart who may not do as well as may be anticipated.

10. Cy Break Them Ankles: In over 10 years of this league, no one has ever won back-to-back championships. Cy could sneak into the playoffs and make some noise, but I’m putting him here for now. I call Cy’s team the “sneaky” team because outside of Lebron, he has some sneaky players who could be much better than many anticipate. Kobe could come back from injury at the start of the season and make his middle round pick pure genius. Gortat could have a bounce back year. Fields, Wallace, Bradley, and now Okafor could all be serious contributors and bounce back, but they could also fall flat. Best case scenario, Cy’s in the top 3 going for a 2nd straight championship. Worst case, he misses the playoffs. Realistically, I think he’ll end up here.

9. Vanilla Skai: Great set of guards, especially after his Monta trade, but big men are really iffy. I worry about his %s, but his points look good. So do his steals. I think he has enough firepower to contend in the top 8 all season.

8. Istanbul Run n Gun : I have to say that I was really concerned about Gokce drafting such a top heavy team, and by all accounts, his team should be so top-heavy that he finds himself out of the playoff mix. But then he went and grabbed quite a few of guys who are sneaky good. Beverly, Sessions, Schroeder, and Wroten will be better than advertised this year, and should provide value much better than where they were drafted. Meanwhile, he’s got a big-man focused team that should compete strongly against all the low %, high TO and high assist teams that seem to be the norm in this league.

7. Blue Jasmine: No idea what Woody’s team name means, and to be honest, it sounds a little frilly to me, but I have to say that I like his team. He’s done the same thing I was trying to do: get great book ends (guards/big men) and fill them in with some excellent role players. He got lucky with Okafor injury, but the rest of his team is really solid. I like some of his bench guys to really come through for him (Smith, Pressey), and fully expect Novak and Morrow to spend some time on the waivers, maybe even Brandon Wright. It’s worth saying, though, that his %s are really bad and his 3s could be iffy, but otherwise, I think he’s solid.


6. Frostbite: J executed the Howard strat perfectly. I've never seen the strategy actually carried out, and in any given league, I think it may not work, but in this league, I think he’ll be winning quite a few weeks. Sure, he sucks in FT and TO, but he’s great in areas that most people seem to have overlooked: FG%, blocks, boards, with advantages in assists and steals (at least when Rondo comes back). The only thing that will keep him out of the playoffs? My Dwight voodoo doll I'll be stabbing with little pins all year for spurning the Lakers.

5. Time Lords: Look, anyone who doesn’t think their team is going to compete for a playoff spot, and shoot for a championship before anyone has even played a game (at least in the regular season, preseason is a mirage), obviously didn’t do something right. Of course I think my team will be strong, I drafted it. ☺. But I don’t think I’m top 3 because my %s are pretty bad, and I’ve already ditched TOs and Blocks. It could take some real luck, or a well-timed trade or waiver add to push myself into the top 3. My trade with Skai, I think, puts my chances to get top 4 within reach. I obviously think higher of my lower end guys than most people do, including Fournier, Rush, Stephenson, Gibson, and Hansbrough. If they flame out, then my team will probably flame out with them, but I think they’ll do much better than most people in this league think. That being said, I am the absolute worst team in TOs and probably blocks. So there’s that.

4. Team Big Heart: For years, I have not understood this team name, but his team is solid. In a league that seems to be competing primarily on guard and wing stats, he’s got a strong enough team to compete. But add in his big men, not stars by any means, but quiet contributors, and I think he’s got a good well-rounded team, and one that’s going to be in contention all season.

3. Kawhi Maybe: Really strong guard and wing team (a trend in the league), with a fairly underrated big man mix. The thing is, I don’t think his big men are strong enough to compete against other big men teams, but his guards and wings are actually stronger and more efficient than others’ guards/wings, so I think being tops in those areas, plus having big men that can beat the other guard teams, will keep BWW in the playoffs and competing for the championship.

2. The Man: Great all around team. Not a weak link among his top 12 guys. His assists could be better, but if everything goes right, he could take the whole thing. It all comes down to Noel, I think. If he plays this year (still an if), Noel will give him a boost that will propel him to the finals.

1. JazzFan: I think this is Wes’s year. He’s quietly built a team that is beyond solid from top to bottom. Westbrook’s injury only solidifies that as he’s the lucky owner of Jackson, who’ll likely cement himself as a solid contributor whether or not Westbrook is injured or healthy. To be clear, though, I think his team starts slow, with guys like Gallo, Barnes, MCW, Burks, and Thornton either coming back from injury or working their way into the lineup, or just establishing their game. I think he’ll be top 10 most of the year, and then make a major run for the championship in March. I just have a hard time seeing a weak link on this team.

[jazzfan1971]

Wow. #1.

Honestly, I prefer to be ranked #20. But, thanks.

[Woody Allen]

Oh floppy, just the new yahoo nba page the same as the old one. EVERYONE I know hates the changes and misses the old features. I mean you can't even see who started on boxscores now. And the decimals in the points scored... Has the person who made those pages ever seen a bastketball game?

[theman]

Wow. #1.

Honestly, I prefer to be ranked #20. But, thanks.

I'm surprised with the love my team is recieving. We have three huge question marks. If those pick work out, we should do well but if they were over reaches then we are in serious trouble.

[floppymoose]

4. Team Big Heart: For years, I have not understood this team name

Well, years in this case would be 2 years. I named it Team Big Heart last year when my 6th round pick, Channing Frye, went down for the season with an enlarged heart. I kept the name this year because he ended up back on the team.

[floppymoose]

Oh floppy, just the new yahoo nba page the same as the old one. EVERYONE I know hates the changes and misses the old features. I mean you can't even see who started on boxscores now. And the decimals in the points scored... Has the person who made those pages ever seen a bastketball game?

Thanks for the feedback. I agree with you, for what it's worth. I'll pass along your comments.

[sabonis]

meh Datome ain't playing today due to a minor injury. I really wanted to see how well he was gonna do.

[writersblock]

I always find anything fantasy-related on NBA.com somewhat comical, but their latest top 150 is quite...um...intriguing. Based on their updated top 150 rankings, my team looks like this:

Jrue Holiday: 41. if his preseason TOs are any indication, 41 may be way too high.
Pau Gasol: 52 - I get it. Pau's old. But he's also the central focus of the offense until Kobe gets back.
Niko Vucevic: 63 - Really? A young double-double center who may set season records for boards at 63?
Greivis Vasquez: 77 - Right where he belongs.
Wes MAtthews: 120 - Shocked. Guys like Barnes, Shumpert, and Anthony Bennett rank higher. I guess they're high on McCollum?
Evan Turner: 90 - Probably right where he belongs.
Victor Oladipo: 76 - Probably the highest ranking the rookie has gotten on any site. Would love to see him reach that ranking.
John Henson: 101 - One of the most surprising rankings. High on Henson much?
Marcus Morris: 146 (!) So here's a guy I pick up on a flier because he's put together a couple of good games, and here NBA.com puts him top 150. I'm more than surprised, and I'd be elated if he actually were a top 150 guy. Hornacek sees him as a do-it-all type guy, so here's hoping he comes through.

Not ranked: Taj Gibson, Lance Stephenson, Tyler Hansbrough, Evan Fournier, Brandon Rush
No, I wasn't expecting many of these guys to be ranked to 150 (though I think they'll be worthy of it down the line), but I was really surprised by Gibson missing the list, especially when stiffs like Daye and Humphries are on this list.

Other suspect rankings
JR Smith 61
Jeff Green 42
Joakim Noah 26 (sure, if he plays a full season)
Carmelo Anthony 8
Austin Daye 147
Cody Zeller 102
Amare 97
Hickson 94

[jazzfan1971]

I'm pretty sure our top 150 draft picks will be a lot more accurate than theirs.

[writersblock]

I'm pretty sure our top 150 draft picks will be a lot more accurate than theirs.

I know, I just like pointing out how bad the NBA is at ranking their own players (or how bad they are at choosing sports writers to rank their players.)

[fraanciiscoo]

Sometimes you just get lucky. Sullinger was my #1 guy there obviously. And problems. Then Buddinger was my #2 choice and more problems. And I end up with Jackson who looks to be a steal.

I guess I should knock on wood. Karma is a bitch after all.

Karma is a bitch

[floppymoose]

oops, just lost Landry. this is why i like drafts closer to season start. doing it early just seems to add a large luck element.

[fraanciiscoo]

oops, just lost Landry. this is why i like drafts closer to season start. doing it early just seems to add a large luck element.

stop it

was landry you top 1,2,3,4,5,6,7? pick? no cmon droop him
and thats why when i see guy saying i got a steal I think to myself no m8 you got a inj prone and you will be crying in 1month
this obv is not the case since it was you 9/10th pick

[writersblock]

Well, Fran, you can be grateful for Landry going down for 4 months, because that's the reason I accepted the trade offer. Thompson's value goes above and beyond what I would have been getting with Gibson (who does well in the preseason, but doesn't get enough time in the regular season to make enough of a difference).