Quick and dirty FFL thoughts

[jazzfan1971]

Since YS was too cowardly to release his rankings, I thought I'd do mine. Keep in mind that my rankings are just gut feelings based on a very cursory look at a roster. No stats are involved. No spreadsheets. Heck, hardly any thought. Check bottom of this post for my sort of teams.

bww78 - bwettengel@swlaw dot com
PG - Monta Ellis
SG - Anthony Morrow
G - Kyle Lowry
G - Rafer Alston
SF - Jeff Green
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
F - David West
F - Tyrus Thomas
C - Kendrick Perkins
C - Nenad Krstic
Bench - Kenyon Martin
Bench - Ike Diogu
Bench - James Jones

To be honest, I'm not impressed with Blake's team this year. We disagree on the value of Ellis a bit, with me being lower than most. In fact his guard line is a wreck with Morrow, Lowry, and Alston backign up Ellis. He does have some nice FT% bigs in Nowitzki and West. That should help a lot in that catagory.

On the upside, I like Tyrus Thomas. I think he's going to have a good year and will be a steal of a pick.

Rank 15-8 range.

The Worst Team in the League (writersblock)
PG - Jose Calderon
SG - Kevin Martin
G - Nate Robinson
G - Beno Udrih
SF - Julian Wright
PF - Drew Gooden
F - Gerald Wallace
F - Terrence Williams
C - Luis Scola
C - Darko Milicic
Bench - Ricky Rubio
Bench - Carlos Delfino
Bench - Shaun Livingston

WB has a shambles of a team. From the disasterous Calderon trade to the stumble with Rubio, it's been a tough year so far for WB.

Range 20-11.

fraanciiscoo
PG - Rajon Rondo
SG - Eric Gordon
G - Andre Iguodala
G - Louis Williams
SF - Boris Diaw
PF - Jason Thompson
F - Hedo Turkoglu
F - Jeff Foster
C - Tim Duncan
C - Emeka Okafor
Bench - James Johnson
Bench - Keyon Dooling
Bench - Aaron Afflalo

Fran has put together a very solid team. Even with the 3 late picks he looks as deep as many.

Range 10-1.

Hopper15
PG - Jameer Nelson
SG - Kyle Korver
G - Tyreke Evans
G - Derek Fisher
SF - Ron Artest
PF - Antawn Jamison
F - Zach Randolph
F - Tayshaun Prince
C - Dwight Howard
C - Brendan Haywood
Bench - Jose Juan Barea
Bench - Martell Webster
Bench - Jarvis Hayes

I thought this was teh year to grab Howard and tank FT%. But, I can't see that Hopper used tanking FT% to his advantage. It's like my drill Sergeant used to say, 'You don't stick your dick half way in do you?' Well, it appears to me that Hopper does. While he'll have his bright spots I don't think he'll rise above the level of also ran.

Range 14-8.

AlciG
PG - Steve Nash
SG - Raja Bell
G - Maurice Williams
G - Mike Conley
SF - Caron Butler
PF - Channing Frye
F - Richard Jefferson
F - Chris Wilcox
C - Andrew Bynum
C - Nick Collison
Bench - Wayne Ellington
Bench - Joe Alexander
Bench - Toney Douglas

I can't say I remember Alcig from past years, but, that's a very solid looking roster. Huge upside there, not much downside. Looks like a terrific job of drafting to me. He's got some questions, but, who doesn't?

Range 12-1

nostradamus2005
PG - Chauncey Billups
SG - Jamal Crawford
G - Devin Harris
G - Baron Davis
SF - John Salmons
PF - Marvin Williams
F - Trevor Ariza
F - Thabo Sefolosha
C - Rasheed Wallace
C - David Andersen
Bench - Mario Chalmers
Bench - Corey Brewer
Bench - Ryan Anderson

Nostra has gone for a small man strategy. Billups, Crawford, Harris, Davis, Chalmers. That's pretty heavy on PGs. I think he's going to suffer in big man stats, rebs, blks, FG%. And he may suffer a bit in TO. He's obviously banking on the other 5 catagories getting him into the playoffs. If he makes the playoffs he should be a nightmare matchup with that tightly focused roster. I just don't know if he can make the top 6. Here is one GM praying for expanding to 8 team playoffs.

Range 12-5

YS
PG - Chris Paul
SG - Delonte West
G - Kirk Hinrich
G - Nicolas Batum
SF - Luol Deng
PF - LaMarcus Aldridge
F - Antonio McDyess
F - Carl Landry
C - Al Horford
C - Joakim Noah
Bench - Earl Watson
Bench - Rasual Butler
Bench - Chase Budinger

YS has put together a contending team here. Led off by the #1 pick, and followed by one nice selection after another.

Range 6-1

tkunit
PG-Steve Blake
SG - Brandon Roy
G - Jason Terry
G - Roger Mason Jr.
SF - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
PF - Andrei Kirilenko
F - Thaddeus Young
F - C.J. Miles
C - Brook Lopez
C - Kevin Love
Bench - Tyler Hansbrough
Bench - Willie Green
Bench - Zaza Pachulia

Tkunit is banking on upside. If Lopez and Love dont' produce he's sunk. I don't really care for his team, way too many question marks and guys I don't think will live up to expectations for my tastes.

Range 18-9

Cyrus
PG - Deron Williams
SG - Vince Carter
G - Ben Gordon
G - Corey Maggette
SF - Stephen Jackson
PF - Marc Gasol
F - Brandan Wright
F - Andray Blatche
C - Andrew Bogut
C - Shaquille O'Neal
Bench - Hasheem Thabeet
Bench - Darrell Arthur
Bench - Daequan Cook

Not a bad team, but, I see it as another also ran team. Not sure the chemistry here is very good.

Range 14-7

stick
PG - Jason Kidd
SG - Ray Allen
G - Raymond Felton
G - Chris Duhon
SF - Grant Hill
PF - Rashard Lewis
F - Kelenna Azubuike
F - Jamario Moon
C - Al Harrington
C - Joel Przybilla
Bench - Yao Ming
Bench - Marcin Gortat
Bench - Charlie Bell

I think Stick will be better than expected, but, still another also ran team. He'd be well advised to move Yao for help making the playoffs at the first opportunity.

Range 14-7

TheTorontoGM
PG - Tony Parker
SG - DeMar DeRozan
G - Andre Miller
G - TJ Ford
SF - Andres Nocioni
PF - Pau Gasol
F - Al Thornton
F - Hakim Warrick
C - Jermaine O'Neal
C - Elton Brand
Bench - Marco Belinelli
Bench - Nick Young
Bench - Sean May

A bubble team depending on injuries. O'Neal and Brand is one TERRIFIC center tandom. 5 years ago. Still, enough upside here to possibly make the playoffs.

Range 13-5

sly
PG - Brandon Jennings
SG - Rudy Gay
G - Randy Foye
G - Larry Hughes
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Lamar Odom
F - Ronny Turiaf
F - Jared Dudley
C - David Lee
C - Chris Andersen
Bench - Robin Lopez
Bench - Marquis Daniels
Bench - Rasho Nesterovic

Seems to be pretty well balanced, but, falling short in my mind.

Range 11-7

jfrost
PG - Gilbert Arenas
SG - Richard Hamilton
G - Stephan Curry
G - DJ Augustin
SF - Josh Howard
PF - Amar'e Stoudemire
F - Michael Beasley
F - Quentin Richardson
C - Samuel Dalembert
C - Marcus Camby
Bench - Jordan Hill
Bench - Gerald Henderson
Bench - Jrue Holiday

Lots of youth here. Curry, Augustin, Beasley, Hill, Henderson, Hiliday. He's going to need some of these young guns to step up fast. Always a risk with rookies. Still I kinda like the roster. Looks like he's going to tanks assists, and run from there. Which I think is a very solid strategy. I think he's an also ran, but, he could surprise so I'll say a bubble team.

Range 12-5

jazzfan1971
PG - Ramon Sessions
SG - Tracy McGrady
G - Luke Ridnour
G - James Harden
SF - Lebron James
PF - Paul Millsap
F - Shawn Marion
F - Danillo Gallinari
C - Mehmet Okur
C - Spencer Hawes
Bench - Ben Wallace
Bench - Amir Johnson
Bench - Kwame Brown

Obviously a mastermind of unequaled fantasy basketball genius. Should win every week 9-0 or I'll be greatly surprised.

Range 10-1

San Antonio Sugarkids (sabonis)
PG - Leandro Barbosa
SG - Jason Richardson
G - Ronnie Brewer
G - Francisco Garcia
SF - Peja Stojakovic
PF - Nene Hilario
F - Carlos Boozer
F - Mike Miller
C - Chris Kaman
C - Tyson Chandler
Bench - Anderson Varejao
Bench - Eddie House
Bench - Ersan Ilyasova

Lots of nice names in there. I think most of these guys were near the top of my list when drafted. So very few reaches for Sabonis. It'll be interesting to see how his strategy pays off. Personally, I think it did.

Range 10-1

east
PG - Rodney Stuckey
SG - Kobe Bryant
G - Aaron Brooks
G - Jonny Flynn
SF - Carmelo Anthony
PF - Blake Griffin
F - Mickael Pietrus
F - Jason Maxiell
C - Andris Biedrins
C - Greg Oden
Bench - Earl Clark
Bench - Jordan Farmar
Bench - Javale McGee

Looks like a tanking FT% strategy. But, then why Kobe? Another team that failed to maximize a tanking strategy. Good guards, good bigs, good upside. Poor chemistry.

Range 12-6

3Si's Team Fighting 4 a Contract (3Si)
PG - Derrick Rose
SG - Manu Ginobili
G - Dwyane Wade
G - Rudy Fernandez
SF - Paul Pierce
PF - Ryan Gomes
F - Michael Redd
F - James Posey
C - Brad Miller
C - Matt Bonner
Bench - Brandon Bass
Bench - Bobby Simmons
Bench - Glen Davis

Not much for big men. I think that's gonna hurt too much to overcome.

Range 18-10

hamncheese
PG - Jarrett Jack
SG - J.R. Smith
G - Courtney Lee
G - C.J. Watson
SF - Wilson Chandler
PF - Anthony Randolph
F - Charlie Villanueva
F - Yi Jianlian
C - Al Jefferson
C - Troy Murphy
Bench - Marresse Speights
Bench - Tony Allen
Bench - DeJuan Blair

I think HnC would have done much better with some trading down during the draft as I think he took quite a few guys higher than necessary. A nice eye for talent I think, but, just not a very good draft strategy in getting those guys at a good value.

Range 15-9

Woody Allen
PG - Russell Westbrook
SG - Brandon Rush
G - Danny Granger
G - Will Bynum
SF - Travis Outlaw
PF - Kevin Garnett
F - Josh Smith
F - Mike Dunleavy
C - Roy Hibbert
C - Erick Dampier
Bench - Jason Kapono
Bench - Eddy Curry
Bench - Sebastian Telfair

I tend to favor teams constructed of PGs and Bigs. It appears that WA prefers teams constructed of swings. I'd say not a strong fantasy player and will be targeted by the vultures in the league who will try to strip this team of the talent it does have.

Stay strong. Before trading anyone I suggest posting on the message board that they are available to insure that you don't get robbed.

Range 20-12

Sk1p
PG - Joe Johnson
SG - OJ Mayo
G - Mike Bibby
G - Allen Iverson
SF - Shane Battier
PF - Chris Bosh
F - Udonis Haslem
F - Anthony Parker
C - Andrea Bargnani
C - Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Bench - Matt Barnes
Bench - Jamaal Tinsley
Bench - Vladimir Radmanovic

Toronto fan? I just dont' care for your squad. A little too much swinging for the fences. IMHO.

Range 15-9

Contenders
-----------
YS (my favorite to win it all)
Jazzfan1971
Fran
Sabonis
AlciG

Bubble teams
--------------
Nostradamas
TTGM
JFrost
East

Also rans
-------------
Cyrus
Stick
Sly
Bww
Hopper

Long Shots
------------
TKunit
3Si
HamnCheese
Skip

Bottom Dwellers
-------------
WA
WB

[fraanciiscoo]

bww78 - bwettengel@swlaw dot com
PG - Monta Ellis
SG - Anthony Morrow
G - Kyle Lowry
G - Rafer Alston
SF - Jeff Green
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
F - David West
F - Tyrus Thomas
C - Kendrick Perkins
C - Nenad Krstic
Bench - Kenyon Martin
Bench - Ike Diogu
Bench - James Jones

Pick by Pick analisys
Round 1- Dirk @7 easy pick BPA nice guy to build your team. Help in 5-6 cats FG% FT% 3pts pts rebs to
Round 2- David west- he fits in perfection with Dirk the problem is both guys are PF the problem is I think you should try to get here either a Pg or C. the problem is David west is too good here to pass.
I probably would make the same pick imho.
Round 3- Monta ellis - Well I´m not saying monta is not good but pick a combo Pg without a PG or a C is the same to shoot in your foot for latter rounds. I would prefer LMA here. Monta doesn´t give the ast you need neither he can give you stats that other players can give you on later rounds. For exemple you can´t find a LMA with your late 80´s but you can find some guys that help you in the stats monta does help you. For exemple: John Salmons. Not saying salmons is better than monta just saying LMA was better fit for his team and a monta type can be found later round.
round 4- Tyrus Thomas - UGH I know there are alot of guys carzy for him. NOT me. And I just dont get it why Tyrus fit´s bww team. the 3rd PF no true Pg no C??? tyrus here is a bad pick imho. Tyrus also have a bad FT% that will hurt bww team. After saying that the BPA for his team would be Russell Westbrook, Mike Conley or even Hedo who is a combo guy 20-5-5.
round 5- Jeff Green . humm 4 out 5 guys are PF ok but I dont get it. No C yet and a Combo PG. well reb and Fg are nice cats to have and this guys also can help in stl are only tyrus hurts the FT% both this 5 guys are low in to except tyrus and monta but there are a big but in this 5 picks. I would prefer to see him pick jeff @ 4th round and Chalmers, t.j. or bogut here. cmon I dont get it.
round 6th- Kenyon Martin ??? the 5 out 6 PF??? lol hummm tanking ast, tanking blk, tanking 3pts and kenyon is other guy that will hurt ft% hummm ok. why not kaman? why not Rodney Stuckey?why not Peja?
round 7th- surprise no PF here- Kperk- well safe pick but with sheed in boston I expect his min to not pass the 25 mark. Right now I already know he is tanking 2 cats 3pts and ast while he is not great in blk and with kperk he gets other guy that may hurt his ft%.
round 8th-Anthony Morrow- a big gamble here. actually I like this pick but it´s a risk pick. If sjax gets traded this can be a steal if he doesn´t meh.
round 9th -Nenad Krstic- great pick here - a safe one.
round 10th- Kyle Lowry - humm other safe pick but nothing more than this brooks will get the most of Pt and lowry will not get nothing more than 15-20mpg. I would prefer David Andersen, Brandan Wright, Tyler Hansbrough or other PF/C but he couldn´t make that pick because he doesn´t have any PG. thats why I think he made some mistakes in previouse rounds.
round 11th- Rafer a. ughhhhhh hated wtf... he is now in the njn behind devin harris so don´t expect much from him. terrible pick imho. with Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino, Jeff Foster or SL on the board this is a big no no.
round 12th- ike diogu - humm I dont expect him to give more than he gave last season near 0 value
round 13th- james j. - nice pick here love it but he doesn´t fits his team

final analisys
good- Pts,rebs,fg%,ft%,low to
average-stl,blk
bad-ast,3pts

I expect final standings -between 5th-12th


NEXT TEAM - EAST ( tomorrow )

[writersblock]

You can't call my team a "shambles" of a team without some proof....

Here's a comparison of two teams, mine, and a team you said was "a contender...with one great pick after another."

LEt's compare player to player by general ranking of each player:

1. Chris Paul vs. Jose Calderon: Obvious difference here. Paul is the top fantasy guy. Calderon isn't. Numbers-wise, though, it's worth noting that Paul doesn't shoot enough 3s to be considered valuable...Calderon does, and in %s, Paul and Calderon are just about equal, though Calderon has a higher %, but all in all, Paul's a league away from Calderon. At least Calderon could be considered the 3rd or 4th top PG in the league. Either way: Advantage: YS

2. Al Horford vs. Gerald Wallace: Rankings-wise, Gerald Wallace is far and away the better player. Obviously, Horford is only getting better. Wallace should have the advantage on him in points (by a long shot), 3s, steals, blocks (at least at the end of the season he did), and FT%. FG% and RBD differences are minimal at best. Advantage: WB

3. LaMarcus Aldridge vs. KEvin Martin: Once again, my guy is far and away better, rankings-wise, for what it's worth. But let's look at the numbers. KMart2 has the advantage in points, 3s, assists, steals, and FT%. Aldridge obviously has the advantage in boards, blocks, and FG%, but just based on consensus, I Martin is the better player without much of an argument. Advantage: WB

4. Joakhim Noah vs. Luis Scola: Both are probably starters, but only one has significant contribution for minutes at the C spot (Ahem, that's you Mr. Noah), and yet, the one that had competition for the C spot went 20 spots earlier than the guy who's set for a breakout year. Let's look at the numbers. Without an injured Ming, Luis Scola bested Noah in points (by almost 2x), boards, assists, steals, and FT%. FG% differences were insignificant, and Noah has the advantage in blocks. Yet...Scola was taken 20 spots later...wait, I said that didn't I? Advantage: WB

5. Luol Deng vs. Nate Robinson: These guys were taken in a fairly similar position, and I almost took Deng with the pick I used on Nate Robinson. You could argue that Deng could be the better player just by "name" or "potential"...but coming off an injury-plagued year, I'm not buying it. So, let's look at the numbers. Last year's rankings alone had Nate Robinson far and away better...but he has the advantage in more than just rankings. Deng is pretty much a 1 sided player. He'll get you good %s with some good points and boards, but that's about it. In fact, he's a bit of a liability at the 3 spot, as he doesn't shoot the 3. That being said, Nate, as a backup and with limited minutes, has Deng beat in points, 3s, assists, and FT%. They're about equal in steals, and Deng has more boards and the higher FG%. TOs are a wash, with a slight advantage to Deng. So, categorically speaking...It's 4-2-2..in other words: Advantage: WB

6. Delonte West vs. Darko Milicic: Taken 50 picks apart, the advantage should be YS'...and it could be, but there's no clear winner here, imo. West was the incumbent starter...but then Cleveland went and picked up Anthony Parker. Will he start? Probably, but there's no way he's getting 33 minutes a night. So, based on per-minute averages (and what ESPN projects), it's reasonable to say Delonte gets 9 points, 1 three, 1 steal, 3 assists, 44% FG, 84% FT (not half bad, but nothing that wows you especially for a guy who was picked in the 100 teens! good pick after another Wes?). Let's compare that to Darko. Now, I'll admit that Darko is all potential, but I'm also going to use ESPN's projections to back mine up...so hopefully they're credible. Assuming that Darko fits in as many expect him to into D'Antoni's system, it's reasonable he could put up: 10 ppg, 7 boards, 2 blocks, 50% FG and 50% FT
Comparing a guard to a C might be apples to oranges because of traditional differences (i.e. blocks vs. assists, etc.), but comparing each one to the role they're supposed to fulfill (i.e. a Guard should get you points, 3s, assists, a C should get you blocks, boards and high FG%), Milicic fills his role much better than West (at least he should in D'Antoni's system). In other words, Darko's 7 boards, 2 blocks, and 10 points from the C spot should trump West's meager threes, assists, and points in the guard position. Advantage: WB

7. Kirk Hinrich vs. Beno Udrih: I'm don't even want to do the numbers here, because even I'll concede that Kirk is better than Beno, in any basketball universe. I will also concede that I picked Beno almost 50 picks after Hinrich...so the advantage should go to Kirk on this one. However, Kirk is still the back-up, and that will cause him to suffer, while Beno is the incumbent starter. Tyreke evans is slated to take Beno's place, but he still has to prove he's a PG. Just off of last year's numbers though: Beno had the advantage in points, assists, and %s. Kirk has him beat in 3s, steals, and TOs. Technically, Beno has him edged 4-3, but I'll concede that Beno could lose some value with Evans on board. Advantage: TIE

9. McDyess vs. Drew Gooden: Both players have a new scenery, and both players should be starting for their clubs. McDyess should give YS a near-double double every game: 9+ points, 9+ boards, with 50% FG and a dismal FT%. The last time Drew Gooden got any minutes (about 20) he was doing about 11 and 7. With so much fire power in Dallas, I think it's ok to assume that even with more minutes, Gooden will get 11 and 7 (ESPN agrees). He doesn't kill you in FT% like McDyess, but McDyess has the better FG%. All things considered equal, McDyess is the better guy, so: Advantage YS

8. Batum vs. Julian Wright: Two rising stars. One is the incumbent starter the other is the supposed starter, or at least the guy slated to get Rasual Butler's minutes. Neither players' numbers are set in stone. The problem is, that even when Batum was starting, he wasn't seeing the greatest numbers in the world, and this year, he has even more contention for minutes at the 3 from the likes of Webster, Outlaw, Rudy F, and not to mention, they added Andrew Miller without losing anyone. In other words, I can't see Batum getting that much better this year. Wright, on the other hand, should, and just off of that, I could make the case that Wright should be better, but numbers say this: Last year, Batum's and Wright's numbers were nearly equal. This year, it's not out of the question to see Wright put up: 10 ppg, 5 boards, 1 steal, 48% FG. Batum, as pointed out, shouldn't see any increase in minutes, so his 6 points 3 boards, and barely a steal (from last year) are fairly reasonable. In other words: Advantage: WB

9. Carl Landry vs. Terrence Williams: Just by name, I'd say LAndry has the advantage. Williams is the unproven rookie, and shouldn't have any recognized value. The buzz is that Williams will be starting thanks to Vince's departure, because he's the better athlete than Bobby Simmons and Jarvis Hayes. Landry should do fairly similar to last year: 10 points, 5 boards, great %s...an all-around solid guy, and a guy I nearly picked in the 180s. Can Williams do anything close to that? As a point forward, I think so. I think he can get 8-10 ppg. his %s could be low, since he's a rookie, but his steals, threes and assists should be fairly solid. Frankly, I think Williams will be the better fantasy player, but I'm willing to concede that Landry has solid value too...so, if anything, this is a wash: Advantage: TIE

10. The Leftovers: Earl Watson, Rasual Butler, and Chase Budinger vs. Carlos Delfino, SHaun Livingston, and (now) Jeff Teague: This debate may not matter, but for what it's worth...YS has some good bench talent here. Watson is always underrated, and Butler was great in NOR. Budinger is an unproven rookie (as is Jeff Teague), and either one could be dropped by November, so I'll limit this to Watson/Butler vs. Delfino/Livingston. It's possible that Watson is the best player out of these four guys, but if I'd have to rank these, I'd probably put them in this order: Watson, Delfino, Livingston, Butler. Here's why. Watson is a back up, and we know what he can do. He'll get maybe even more minutes than he had in OKC, so he's the best player here. Delfino, however, is a different story. He could be starting at the 3, and should back up the 2 and 3 even if he's not starting. Milwuakee's lineup is horrifically offense-averse. The only guy who'll be looking to score is Redd and maybe Warrick (though I can't believe that Skiles, a defense guy, would give the green light to a guy who doesn't play D). Delfino may be the 3rd best offensive guy on the team, and could even be the second option (I'm not the only one who thinks that...I did some research). Under that level of potential, I think he has sleeper written all over him, and should get some solid numbers, at least more "solid" than Rasual Butler, who'll be relegated to back-up duty behind Eric Gordon and the other slew of guard-forward guys the Clips have put together. REmember, Butler needed 30+ minutes a game to put up decent numbers last year. This year, I doubt he'll get much more than 20 (ESPN thinks he'll get 16). "But," You interject, "Is that demotion enough to put him even lower on the totem pole than Shaun Livingston?!?!" My answer: Yes. Livingston was a solid PG before his injuries, and news is that he's nearly 100% recovered. To add to that, he's the only other legitimate PG on OKC's roster, and it's not a far fetch to assume he could take Watson's minutes. With about 20 minutes a game to end the year last year, he was putting up some fairly solid numbers. And an avg this year of 8 ppg, 4 assists, 3 boards and 1 steal, plus the occassional break out game, is not out of the question. ADvantage: WB


By my count, that's
WB 6
YS 2
with 2 Ties

Even if you count that YS' 1st advantage is pretty large (Paul vs. Calderon), I still hold a 6-2-2 advantage. Yet, my team is a "bottom-dweller" and it's in "shambles"...while YS's team is a contender. I'm puzzled Wes...really I am. It looks to me like this is another classic case of "the name game"...where Fantasy managers weigh the value of a player based on their name, not their stats.

[writersblock]

I have to say...this is an interesting approach to the rankings. I like the added "you should have picked this guy instead" bit...I'll say that I disagree with you on where BWW will end up...I think 4-8 is probably a better assessment for one reason and one reason only...this is the same team BWW ALWAYS puts together. It's always big-man heavy, and it's always a playoff contender. I also think Monta was a good pick. I may agree with you on the Tyrus Thomas thing...only because I've been a TT owner, and he's flat-out FRUSTRATING to own. Also, the Jeff Green pick was actually quite good I think...

I think the main reason why I disagree is that, frankly, I think drafting for position can kill your team. Go with the best guy, trade later if you have to.

[jazzfan1971]

Good response there WB. I'd wager you just about anything you like that YS finishes ahead of you in the standings this year.

Just don't WELSH on me like some people. (I'm talking about Fran here)

[bww78]

Actually, I don't disagree with most of what Fran has to say. I will point out that with Thomas, Perkins, Martin, Green, West, Dirk and Krstic, my blocks should be significantly better than average. Maybe even the best in the league?

With 6 strong categories, 1 average one, and two weak ones, that should make me competitive every single week. Fear me if your team is built around threes, assists and percentages. Fear me.

[writersblock]

Good response there WB. I'd wager you just about anything you like that YS finishes ahead of you in the standings this year.

Just don't WELSH on me like some people. (I'm talking about Fran here)

I'm not a betting man...but I would wager you "your opinion" if I do...that is, you'll admit that you were totally, utterly, and categorically wrong. Oh, and you also have to change your team name to "I draft hasbeens"

[3Si]

I'll make you eat your words, just like last year when you said I was playoff contender!

"Not much for big men. I think that's gonna hurt too much to overcome."

No kidding, I'm playing small ball this year. Just like your comment for Hopper, my dick is fully inserted!

[sabonis]

nostradamus2005
PG - Chauncey Billups
SG - Jamal Crawford
G - Devin Harris
G - Baron Davis
SF - John Salmons
PF - Marvin Williams
F - Trevor Ariza
F - Thabo Sefolosha
C - Rasheed Wallace
C - David Andersen
Bench - Mario Chalmers
Bench - Corey Brewer
Bench - Ryan Anderson

Nostra has gone for a small man strategy. Billups, Crawford, Harris, Davis, Chalmers. That's pretty heavy on PGs. I think he's going to suffer in big man stats, rebs, blks, FG%. And he may suffer a bit in TO. He's obviously banking on the other 5 catagories getting him into the playoffs. If he makes the playoffs he should be a nightmare matchup with that tightly focused roster. I just don't know if he can make the top 6. Here is one GM praying for expanding to 8 team playoffs.

I think this could be the logical explanation bww has been looking for in his 6 team playoffs defense....

[jazzfan1971]

What? Only WB has something to say?

[sabonis]

well for my team all you said was I like the names, very few reaches.

that's what we do, we pick the players and try not to reach. so yeah, there is not much for me to say hehe. You said it will be interesting to see if my strategy works out but you never mentioned what it is, so I can't say anything about that as well =)

[Young_Star11]

Brian Brian Brian

Starting Guards: Jose Calderon, Kevin Martin, Nate Robinson, Beno Udrih
Starting Guards: Chris Paul, Delonte West, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng

I'd give this one to me. CP3 owns Calderon is so many ways, and Kevin Martin is overrated. His best cats are my weakest, and this inflates his value to you. I reached for Delonte and Hinrich, but my bread-and-butter this year will be the seven cats outside of pts/3s, and taking those cats away, both are ranked higher...same for Deng. Udrih is trash, talk about a reach...

Starting Forwards: Gerald Wallace, Julian Wright, Drew Gooden, Carlos Delfino
Starting Forwards: Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Antonio McDyess, Carl Landry

Me again. G-Wall is the best player in this bunch, but taking away pts/3pt, LMA is very much comparable. He is also more durable and can slide over to the C spot. Wright is a big question mark, Gooden has failed to flatter and Delfino will be hard-pressed to do anything. Conversely McDyess showed he has still got game, Landry and Batum are good fits for my strategy.

Starting Centers: Luis Scola, Darko Milicic
Starting Centers: Al Horford, Joakim Noah

Me easily. Horford without pts/3pt is a top player. The thing is, I only expect 13/9.5 from this year and it will be good enough for him to finish high up. You also took him at #28 in the Mock Draft, so you do like him. And removing pts/3pt, Noah is also very highly ranked. He turned a corner last season after finally getting a chance to start, and with the pitiful front-court depth in Chicago, Noah will be okay. Scola is a nice pick, but not a great fit for me. He scores, boards, but doesn't do much else. Darko has disappointed many.

Bench: Jeff Teague, Terrence Williams, Shaun Livingston
Bench: Earl Watson, Rasual Butler, Chase Budinger

I'll take my lot here too. Watson will be the main backup in Indy, and will back-up an injury-prone T.J. Ford. Butler also fills a need for the Clips - he provides 3pt shooting, and can play some D. Budinger impressed in the SL and I figure he will become a solid NBA rotation player, perhaps from the get-go. As for your guys, T-Will could surprise many, but don't expect efficiency from him...Livingston won't stand a whole season, and Teague won't get a lot of minutes whilst Bibby and then JJ/JCraw take minutes at the 1. Same thing happened to Acie Law.

In summing, your team is just extremely light across the board...and I look forward to smashing you...

[Young_Star11]

3Si - potential to be great. My system ranks him fairly high and I expect to see him right up there this season. Won't drop many (if any) scoring-wise, and FT%, more than a match in AST/ST, and will have the luxury of benching some guys to win say TO and FG%, because of the unassailable leads in many others. My #1 team on the rankings.

YS - I have punted pts/3pt, though I feel I can pick off the few weak teams we have. Winning 5 of 7 will be tough, but I have tried to maintain a good balance in each. I don't think I am the favorite and the only lock for the top-6, though with arguably weaker teams I have finished highly. I hope..Got myself a close #2 (well I had to)

jazzfan - a team with no real weaknesses, and will be tough to beat, especially if he stays healthy. If he does, I expect him to be in the 6. Rankings have him as the #3

nos - don't mind what he did. He now has four cats where he will be insanely hard to beat, and outside of FG% and REB, he can still compete everywhere else. He's given himself a chance of competing...though I didn't like the Crawford pick. Rankings have him at #4

fran - I like his draft this season, and I will eat humble pie - he did draft some good players at the end. He has tanked away TO/FT% and with 3pt a worry, he could be susceptible to a high-powered team. He will pick off the weak teams easily. Rankings have him at #5, though this system fails to factor in tanked cats.

Cyrus - after last season's debacle, I think Cyrus will bounce back. I'm prepared to have him in the 6, or if not, right on the bubble. Strong five cats and only one weak one. #6 for now.

sabonis - no stars, little upside...not a great combination. That said, plenty of depth and a sound strategy. My rankings have him as a bubble team.

bww - he did alright. He came from nowhere to win the title last year, and this year he's got a better team IMO. That said, big man overload wasn't the brightest ever idea. He'll always be there or thereabouts. Got him at #8

Hopper - outside of FT% (thanks Dwight), he's got a solid team across the board...though it does kinda look average - literally. #9 overall.

Sk1p - a very Sk1p team, and we've seen it all before. My rankings have him somewhere around 10th position, though it's hard to see him finishing any higher frankly.

jfrost- no glaring holes, and room for improvement. Injuries will be a big concern. Should be in the median 10.

AlciG- don't mind this team, it has the ability to make a solid second-half run, but I anticipate a slow start. All in all, mid-table.

ham - outside of assists, ham has built a solid team that will garner a reputation based on numbers and not names. My rankings have him in 12th and I feel this is slightly selling him short.

tk- like a mini-me, tk will always be a sleeper. He is banking on fulfilled potential, but even then, he's gonna need a lot more. I've accounted for BLo and Thad being ranked very highly and it still puts him well in the bottom half...

east - not feeling his team, he will really need his upside-players to realize some of their potential, and even then, I don't think he'll be that great. #16 for now.

TTGM - I can sympathize, his team has the qualities of my teams that have exceeded expectations in the past, though my personal rankings never had me in 17th position. Time will tell.

sly - it's a sad day when I am writing him off like I am. He rivals WB for being the most light across the board, and I don't think he's a big threat. #18 for now...

Woody- he won't be another cengaveri and I am thankful of that. I also know Woody won't stand for a poor year and will come back stronger next season. This season really don't seem to be going anywhere, after reaching for his first four picks. Struggler.

wb - I've said all I need to say, his team is very light and I don't see any way out. I'd be pretty surprised if he breaks the top-10, even the top-12.

If my top-6 came out to be true:
Cyrus beats jazzfan 5-4
fran beats nos 5-4

Cyrus beats YS 5-4
3Si beats fran 5-4

3Si beats Cyrus 6-3

[writersblock]

Brian Brian Brian

Starting Guards: Jose Calderon, Kevin Martin, Nate Robinson, Beno Udrih
Starting Guards: Chris Paul, Delonte West, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng

I'd give this one to me. CP3 owns Calderon is so many ways, and Kevin Martin is overrated. His best cats are my weakest, and this inflates his value to you. I reached for Delonte and Hinrich, but my bread-and-butter this year will be the seven cats outside of pts/3s, and taking those cats away, both are ranked higher...same for Deng. Udrih is trash, talk about a reach...

Starting Forwards: Gerald Wallace, Julian Wright, Drew Gooden, Carlos Delfino
Starting Forwards: Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Antonio McDyess, Carl Landry

Me again. G-Wall is the best player in this bunch, but taking away pts/3pt, LMA is very much comparable. He is also more durable and can slide over to the C spot. Wright is a big question mark, Gooden has failed to flatter and Delfino will be hard-pressed to do anything. Conversely McDyess showed he has still got game, Landry and Batum are good fits for my strategy.

Starting Centers: Luis Scola, Darko Milicic
Starting Centers: Al Horford, Joakim Noah

Me easily. Horford without pts/3pt is a top player. The thing is, I only expect 13/9.5 from this year and it will be good enough for him to finish high up. You also took him at #28 in the Mock Draft, so you do like him. And removing pts/3pt, Noah is also very highly ranked. He turned a corner last season after finally getting a chance to start, and with the pitiful front-court depth in Chicago, Noah will be okay. Scola is a nice pick, but not a great fit for me. He scores, boards, but doesn't do much else. Darko has disappointed many.

Bench: Jeff Teague, Terrence Williams, Shaun Livingston
Bench: Earl Watson, Rasual Butler, Chase Budinger

I'll take my lot here too. Watson will be the main backup in Indy, and will back-up an injury-prone T.J. Ford. Butler also fills a need for the Clips - he provides 3pt shooting, and can play some D. Budinger impressed in the SL and I figure he will become a solid NBA rotation player, perhaps from the get-go. As for your guys, T-Will could surprise many, but don't expect efficiency from him...Livingston won't stand a whole season, and Teague won't get a lot of minutes whilst Bibby and then JJ/JCraw take minutes at the 1. Same thing happened to Acie Law.

In summing, your team is just extremely light across the board...and I look forward to smashing you...

Jordan, Jordan, Jordan...I used stats, you used adjectives. Last time I checked: hunches, "level of overratedness", whether a player is "trash" or whether he "fills a need" aren't categories. Good luck winning any fantasy arguments that way.

[sabonis]

some interesting comparisons

cp3 > calderon
horford < gwall
aldridge < kmart
noah = scola
deng > nate - no contract, knicks has a lot of depth deng will play without gordon
west > milicic - the other way was very bizarre from WB
hinrich > udrih - how can this be a tie?
mcdyess > gooden
batum = wright
landry > williams - he is a rookie any prediction you have doesn't have enough basis, nets wings are very crowded

[TheTorontoGM]

Great write up Jazz...

Happy to be in the maybe column.

My own personal prediction is that I will finish top three.

[jazzfan1971]

Well, I see a battle shaping up.

YS's stats vs. my colon.

Here is the key. If 3si makes the playoffs, we'll give the win to YS's stastical analysis. If he fails, then my colon reigns supreme.

[fraanciiscoo]

TEAM
PG - Rodney Stuckey
SG - Kobe Bryant
G - Aaron Brooks
G - Jonny Flynn
SF - Carmelo Anthony
PF - Blake Griffin
F - Mickael Pietrus
F - Jason Maxiell
C - Andris Biedrins
C - Greg Oden
Bench - Earl Clark
Bench - Jordan Farmar
Bench - Javale McGee

trade analisys

east trades: 76, 85, 116, 125
jazzfan1971 trades: 79, 82, 119, 122

Fair normal +,-,-,+

Pick by Pick analisys

R1- Kobe Bryant I wont say Kobe is a bad pick, i´m not a idiot, well in fact i´m but that is other question, but Kobe @5 make go hummmm. Kobe its on a super team. he is not I do everything in this team Like LBJ is. Right now he have guys like Gasol, ronron, odom, bynum that take out some space from him. Near the playoffs he may rest thats also not good. So I would prefer a guy like durant - younger and got the green card to do everything in OCK. Kobe is also a SG that doesn´t fill the top 2 most dificult spots to fill PG and PF/C. One question that makes you think... why dont you trade down and get a guy like Paul P. his cats are similar to Kobe or even better a guy like brandon roy. get my picture? thats why I´m Not a Kobe fan right now. but he is easy to build around imho.

R2-Carmelo Anthony. when I saw melo I made a well nice pick that can go with Kobe but once again no PF/C or PG. but from the guys letf on the board I got to say melo was the best pick for him here.

R3- Andris Biedrins hummm with LMA on board? did you look at stats ? Andris just have a Love / hate relationship with his coach. he plays good but only for 25min. his ft sucks well he just don´t go to the line alot but for a guy that doesn´t score this was a poor choice. not saying he is not good but he is not fit for this team. LMA was the better man imho. ok less blk but do you know what tanking is ?

R4-Greg Oden ??? at 79???? way too soon imho. he is a inj prone. I dont get it why do you want to give up of your strong cats ft%? why choose Kobe if you will tank FT? jeff green anyone????

R5- Blake Griffin - omfg this guy is mad. 1st he picks a rookie I hate picking rookies @-220 ( LOL just me ). then he picks the guy that going to have the wrost FT% since shaq in a team that have Kobe, Lmao. AGAIN I SAY JEFF GREEN ANYONE??? If you wanted to pick guys like griffin /oden / Andris why take melo you shoud take Rondo a Pg with bad Ft a good Fg. then trade Kobe for a good PF/C + upgrade in later rounds.

R6/R7- Rodney Stuckey + Aaron Brooks - hummm 2 nice guys but now the oposite BAD FG% good FT%. well more from the same good players dont make a good team. A free advice. MAKE SOME TRADES AND BUILD A TEAM.

R8/R9 - Jonny Flynn + Mickael Pietrus - I like both picks but really I dont get it why do you pick both. I really think you know how to pick BPA but you dont know how to build a team. with Rubio out flynn @150 its a steal , MP is also a good pick now that hedo and lee are both out. but I think you are killing your FG and your FT with every pick you make and you need to win at least one of them to be a Championship team.

R10/R11- Jason Maxiell + Earl Clark
both risk picks Maxiell last chance to explode but with the contract they gave to CV I really not to high on him. detroit frontcourt just got alot of players he is a undersize PF so ...Earl clark is sweet I dont expect frye to be the man. grant hill is getting old so I expect clark to get some min. he just played well in the Summer L.

R12/R13 - Jordan Farmar + Javale McGee dont like this picks mcguee just doesnt have space to play farmar is the eternal wannabe and you just dont need other Pg that doesnt give ast. with guys like Jeff Foster, Glen Davis, Shaun Livington, James Jones and/or Aaron Afflalo I dont get your last 2 picks


final analisys
good- Pts,rebs,blk
average-fg%, 3pts, ast, to,stl
bad-ft%

I expect final standings -between 8th-15th


NEXT TEAM - WB ( tomorrow )

[fraanciiscoo]

Actually, I don't disagree with most of what Fran has to say. I will point out that with Thomas, Perkins, Martin, Green, West, Dirk and Krstic, my blocks should be significantly better than average. Maybe even the best in the league?

With 6 strong categories, 1 average one, and two weak ones, that should make me competitive every single week. Fear me if your team is built around threes, assists and percentages. Fear me.

thx m8 nice to get some feedback I tried to be fair. well @ least I gave my 2 cents

[fraanciiscoo]

I have to say...this is an interesting approach to the rankings. I like the added "you should have picked this guy instead" bit...I'll say that I disagree with you on where BWW will end up...I think 4-8 is probably a better assessment for one reason and one reason only...this is the same team BWW ALWAYS puts together. It's always big-man heavy, and it's always a playoff contender. I also think Monta was a good pick. I may agree with you on the Tyrus Thomas thing...only because I've been a TT owner, and he's flat-out FRUSTRATING to own. Also, the Jeff Green pick was actually quite good I think...

I think the main reason why I disagree is that, frankly, I think drafting for position can kill your team. Go with the best guy, trade later if you have to.

wb I really dont know other way to do it. I can´t say this guy will give X pts; Y,ZW rebs and so on. its by felling. thx for the feedback m8. I will do your team tomorrow or even late tonight. I will try to explain why I think your team is the wrost. I know what you are going to say I had 3 top 20 pick but I will give you one other way to see it. cheers