I’m sure many of you have looked at box scores and thought to yourselves “Man, I wish i had drafted that guy”.  Right now, I wish I had drafted Chris Bosh and Danny Granger at picks #10 and #11 instead of Shawn Marion and Deron Williams.   Below are some players that are playing above their draft position.

1.  Dwyane Wade (drafted #5) - Simply put, Wade is the best player in fantasy right now.  The numbers are staggering - 28 points, 8 assists, 5 boards, 2.4 steals, 1.7 blocks and good %’;s.   The only thing he doesn’t do is make threes.

2.  Dwight Howard (drafted #8) - I know that D12 went in the first round in our draft, but he is currently playing like a top 4 pick.  He’s better than Kobe, Dirk and Amare right now.  Sure, the FT% sucks (58% on 11.7 attempts a night), but you can punt a category in a H2H league and still win.  His points and boards are about the same from last year (21 and 14) but the blocks really stand out.  Howard’s averaging a mind-boggling 4.0 a game and could reach his goal of leading the league in blocks AND boards.

3.  Chris Bosh (drafted #16) - I was one of many that thought a healthy Jermaine O’Neal would take away from Bosh’s production.  What I should’ve done is looked at what happened when the Suns acquired Shaquille O’Neal.  Amare Stoudemire went off after the trade.  A true big man allows Amare and Bosh to play their true position of PF (not center) and thrive.  Bosh is averaging 27 and 10 with great %.’s and is playing like a first rounder.

4.  Danny Granger (drafted #15) - Granger was build as the “next Matrix”, but he is head and shoulders about the original Matrix right now.  Granger’s averaging 24 points, 5 boards, almost three 3’s a game, 1.6 blocks with good %’s.  The only thing is doesn’t do is get steals (0.8 steals per game). He’s a six category contributor that looks to be a sure-fire first rounder next year.

5.  Devin Harris (drafted #56) -  Lights Out!! mentioned Harris in his blog.  What in the world has gotten into Devin Harris?  Five 30+ point games and one 47 point game?  His mid-range jumper is much approved so opposing defenders must honor it.  With his speed and quickness, he’s now almost impossible to guard.  He’s averaging 25 points and 6 assists, but the most impressive stat is his 9.2 free throws made per game.

NOTE - 3 of the 5 players I have mentioned are wearing a McLovin uniform.  I might have criitized his lineup decisions but I can’t criticize his draft.

6.  Andris Biedrins (drafted #72) - The Big Latvian has made the jump from solid center to double-double machine.   He averaged close to a double-double last year in only 29 minutes per game, but has been so effective this year that opposing teams have to actual game plan for him.  His recent numbers are down a bit as a result, but you can’t argue with getting a guy averaging 15.7 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in the 8th round.

Honorable mention:  Derrick Rose (#84), O.J. Mayo (#93), Rajon Rondo (#87), Jameer Nelson (#117), John Salmons (#96), Nene Hilario (undrafted).

As we enter the 3rd week of the season,  you can start to get a feel for the kind of productivity you will get from key personnel on your roster.  Typically, your first seven picks should be be consistent performers while the latter part of your roster is stocked with specialists (Peja Stojakovic), players with upside (Derrick Rose, O,J, Mayo), 6th men that can explode with an injury to a starter (Ramon Sessions, Spencer Hawes) or injured stars (Gilbert Arenas, Monta Ellis).

So I’m going to take a look at the first seven rounds of the TT draft and call out a steal and bust in each  round.  *Note that injuries will not factor into a bust determination.

Round 1:

Steal - Dwyane Wade (5th overall) - D-Wade is arguably the best player in fantasy right now.  CP3 and Lebron are great, but Wade is averaging a mind-boggling 26.2 points, 8.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.7 blocks on 48% shooting from the field.

Bust - Shawn Marion (10th overall)- it’s early but Marion doesn’t seem too motivated to get a new contract with pedestrian averages of 10.3 points and 8.5 boards.  The steals and blocks are nice, but where are the 15+ points and the threes?  Honorable mention - Kevin Garnett (9th overall) - averaging 14.6 points and 10.0 boards and Elton Brand (6th overall) only averaging 0.7 blocks.

Round 2:

Steal - Chris Bosh - only averaging 27 points and 11 boards with great percentages

Bust - Steve Nash - points (14.0), assists (8.3) and shot attempts (9.7) all down from last year.

Round 3:

Steal - Jose Calderon - might be the 2nd best PG behind Paul right now.

Bust - none right now

Round 4:

Steal - Pau Gasol - Bynum will eat into numbers but 20/15 from last night is a sign of good things to come.

Bust - Andre Iguodala - looks lost in Sixers offense.  Only averaging 11 points, 5.3 boards and 4.8 assists on 38% shooting from the field.

Round 5:

Steal - Chauncey Billups - there is no way that Mr. Big Shot should have fallen this far.   He’s a top 6 PG whether in Detroit or Denver.

Bust - Mehmut Okur - 3’s down from last year and only averaging 15 points as 2nd scoring option.  If he can’t average 18+ points now, what will happen will DWill comes back?

Round 6:

Steal - LaMarcus Aldridge - Averaging 19.3 points, 6.5 boards and 2.0 blocks.  Numbers might slip a bit when Oden comes back.

Bust - Ray Allen - too two-dimensional (3’s/points) to draft this high.

Round 7:

Steal - Stephen Jackson - the best player on a bad team is always good to have.  Averaging career highs in points (22.3 points) and assists (5.7).   Honorable Mention - Tony Parker.  Pre-injury TP was averaging a ridiculous 27.4 points and 5.8 assists.

Busts - Luol Deng - Point (13.3), boards (5.9) and FG% (39%) all down from last year.

Later this week I will look at some Round 8-13 steals (i.e Andris Biedrins) that are blowing up right now.

It had seemed as though the financial crisis had bitten the tongue of TTL team The Mighty, a multiple ring holder who in the past has often talked too much. But having traded emails with him recently, I want to congratulate him on the birth of yet another little Mighty. I don’t know the name, or even if it is a boy or a girl, but it seems like this happens at the start of every hoops season. In honor of this occasion, I’ve taken it upon myself to put together a review of The Mighty squad.

For some historical reference, The Mighty was the first to win the league in back-to-back seasons, winning the title back in 2001 and 2002. Both titles occurred when we still used the rotisserie format, with Mighty staples such as John Stockton, Brevin Knight and Speedy Claxton. Since then, small ball has continued to be the defining strategy for Quinn, and this year is no exception.

Round 1, Pick 4: Amare Stoudemire
No surprises here. Amare has already set this year’s “gold standard” with a huge line a few nights ago. One of the elite four of this year’s draft.

Round 2, Pick 17: Josh Smith
The defensive stud of fantasy hoops. Smith alone can sometimes win the BLK category in a given week. No big scoring games this early in the season, but has been amazing in STL and BLK. Unfortunately, a high-ankle sprain has sent him to the bench for a few weeks. A solid pick, but some bad luck early on for Quinn.

Round 3, Pick 24: Jose Calderon
Showing his proclivity for PGs, Quinn went with Calderon in round 3. Though a little bit unproven, he has shown that when on the floor, he is a serious fantasy stud.

Round 4, Pick 37: Vince Carter
Playing out of Quinn’s native New Jersey, Vince gets the call in round 4. All alone now on the Nets, Vince could have a big year. Or he could sulk like he did in Toronto. Looking like the former in week 2.

Round 5, Pick 44: Chanucey Billups
What? Round 5 and only two PGs? But all things considered, a steal for Quinn at this point. Now playing for his hometown Nuggets, Billups could be even more of a steal.

Round 6, Pick 57: Mo Williams
Small ball lives. Mo played great last year until he got hurt. Now on the Cavs and getting to play with Lebron James as a SG, Mo should get a lot of looks from behind the arc. Assists may go down a little bit, but a good pick at 6.

Round 7, Pick 64: Greg Oden
This was a bit of a gamble, but with a base of Amare and Stoudemire, Quinn probably felt this year he could have some solid bigs to go with his guards. Unfortunately already injured, it still remains to be seen how good Oden really is.

Round 8, Pick 77: David Lee
I’m a big fan of David Lee, and I would have loved to get him around here. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20-20, and it looks like Lee is having trouble in D’Anotoni’s system, and has lost his starting spot and is back as sixth man. Regardless, I think Lee is a double-double machine with good percentages, and he’ll eventually come around.

Round 9, Pick 84: Derrick Rose
Gambling on a rooking with tremendous upside. Potential Rooking of the Year winner on a Chicago squad that seems to have lost its identity. Kirk Hinrich already getting injured probably won’t help Rose much, as he was already getting loads of PT. So far, looking like a good pick at 9.

Round 10, Pick 97: Chris Duhon
Another PG, now from his former hometown of New York. I don’t know much about Duhon, and would never draft him personally but a starting PG on a D’Antoni team should get stats. Moot point, however, as he has already been dropped.

Round 11, Pick 104: Thaddeus Young
Had a solid end of the season last year, and showing a lot of promise. I like this pick at 11, and there’s definitely upside here. Quinn was a little impatient and already dropped him, so now Young is wearing a Lights Out! uniform. Thanks, Quinn.

Round 12, Pick 117: Jameer Nelson
Another PG. Someone’s gotta throw the ball to Dwight, right? That was my logic two years ago, and I found that Nelson is extremely frustrating to own on a fantasy team. I don’t like him, and don’t like this pick, but it’s Round 12. He should have been dropped before Thaddeus Young.

Round 13, Pick 124: Jamario Moon
Skywalker Moon adds more blocks to this squad. Not much to say here for a last rounder other than he’s already been dropped.

Overall, I think Quinn really had a slightly different strategy this year. Securing a solid pick in Amare with the number 4 pick allowed Quinn to have a firm base in the big categories (REBS, BLK) and backing it up with Josh Smith means this squad won’t be a pushover in big categories, and Amare’s great FT% fits in with the other Gs. TME recently ranked this squad at the top of his Week 1 Power Rankings. Unfortunately, some players have already been hit with injury, but as long as nothing major happens, this is a team that should be competing in the playoffs.

What do you think?

For those that don’t know me, again I’m Lamont Johnson. Born and raised in Alexandria VA and now reside in HOTLANTA. I decided to go ahead and post my first blog. Since everyone is writing about their draft results I figured I’d follow suit. I’m going to try and post something every week but we’ll see how that works out. Here’s my take…..

I wanted to build a team that (at least with my first 4 picks), each night I knew what I would get with them. I believe this is the order I picked them in. If not, the logic behind the pick still stands.

Round 1 – LEBRON JAMES
I mean, I don’t know what else to say about this pick except solid. 30PTS, 8REB, 7AST, 2STL, 1BLK….RIDICULOUS. I kind of wanted CP3 with this pick because I already had Lebron in another league but believe me, I’m cool with it!

Round 2 – CARLOS BOOZER
The way the board was going, I decided to go big with my next two picks and solidify my F/C spots. Boozer is a notoriously fast starter. Last season he was the player of the month during November. Great FG% shooter and 20/11 are almost as guaranteed as a drop in the bucket.

Round 3 –TIM DUNCAN
The Big Fundamental. My rebounding/FG% are officially solidified. Another 20/11 guy..similar FG% and probably going to give me 1.5-2.0 BLKS. His FT% is an achilles along with Lebron, but I believe to build a winner, at least one category can be sacrificed. Oh and no Ginobili for at least 2 months will help his points tremendously.

Round 4 – RON ARTEST
So with my first 3 I went big and I was ecstatic to get my transition man in Artest. Not terrible from the field, obviously this puts my steals in another stratosphere and he gives me a nice boost in 3s and I also think that his FT% will get better this year on a contender. In a money year for him, I suspect all of his vitals to improve.

Round 5 – STEPHEN JACKSON
This guy is going to go ape shyt this year. That’s why I drafted him in two leagues and may have jumped here to get him. This dude will have the ball in his hands like 70% of the time. I think the only guys on this squad that Don Nelson trusts are Jackson and Beidrens. Maggette will probably fill in nicely and that’s another reason to think his AST will go up because their PG situation is a mess. GS is going to suck, but that doesn’t mean SJax wont average like 24-25PTS and 5 dimes. Not to mention 3-4 3PTS a game.

Round 6 – JASON KIDD
Yes I realize the guy is old BUT he is still Jason Kidd. The only place he hurts me are points and FG% and I’ve clearly addressed that early in the draft. He and LBJ alone are enough to put most ppl away each week in dimes. He compliments Lebron in most categories. He was the last top tier PG on the board and I had to grab him. New system, Olympic boost, I think he will at the very least have a comeback first half of the season. BTW…the dude has 8 steals in his first two games.

Round 7 – RAY ALLEN
This was the first pick where I really wasn’t completely focused and ill prepared. I can’t remember who was on the board when this pick came but I’m sure I took this one down to the wire. I mean, Ray production declined a bunch when he came east but I thought to myself, can it get worse? Excellent 3PT and FT shooter who most nights won’t hurt me. The guy needs shoot better and I’ll feel much better with this pick. As of now I look really solid in 3s, assists, points, rebounds, steals.

Round 8 – BIG Z
I needed a center. What else can I say. Doesn’t do anything great except he is an excellent FT shooter for a 7 footer. Probably will never hurt me and certainly help me with boards and block (where I’m really lacking).

Round 9 – MIKE BIBBY
I like this dude and I needed another PG. All of his numbers were down last year but obviously a lot of that had to do with the wrist issue and switching teams. I think Atlanta will be good this year and he’ll get his moments. Clearly a shell of himself but will help my with dimes, 3s, FT,stls most weeks. I felt good not stretching to get him in round 9.

Round 10 – CHARLIE VILLANUEVA
CV was an upside pick for me. Who knows how Skiles will handle this guy but if all works well I think he can have a breakout year. He’s bound to get hurt at some point but I’ll ride him while I can.

Round 11 – MATT BARNES (who I’ve since dropped)
I don’t really feel taking rookies so I went with a guy who is going to be on the floor and will have opportunities to shoot. May be an up year for him if he hits his open looks.

Round 12 – RUDY FERNANDEZ
Um, did anyone see this guy in the Olympics?? He will be starting by week 5 and he’s clearly not a rookie as he is tagged with all of his overseas experience.

Well there you have it, the DNA of a champion. Stay healthy and YES WE CAN! will be there fighting at the end. BARACK! GO SKINS!

Comments welcome!

First of all, let me introduce myself. My team name is The Main Event or just TME!!!. The 3 exclamation points denote how many times I’ve won this league. I’ve won two of the last four championships and it would have been three of the last four if Mike Miller and Jeff Green didn’t combine for 10 3’s on a Sunday in last year’s semis.

I wasn’t too upset to get the 10th pick. I preferred to pick at 10 if I couldn’t get picks 1-4. I believe that there isn’t a huge difference in talent between picks 5-15, plus I like going back-to-back. I established a round-by-round strategy that, on paper, made sense to me.

Rounds 1-2 - get a PF-C and a PG. I expected Brand, D12, AI or Deron Wiliams to be around.

Rounds 3-4 - get two scorers. Lots of value available here. Guys like Gay, Butler, JJ, Carter, Melo, K-Mart. Tons of 20+ per game scorers should be available.

Rounds 5-6 - get two centers. Plenty of 2nd tier centers like Dalembert, Biedrins, Okafor, Aldridge, Oden, etc. should be here.

Rounds 7-8 - get another point guard, maybe 2. I was looking for guys like T.J. Ford, Felton, Parker, D. Harris here.

Rounds 9-13 - sleepers and value picks. I wanted to get one more center and then take some risks on guys with upside.

Well, needless to say, the best laid plans often go astray. Below is how my draft turned out:

Round 1: Marion - didn’t expect him to be there, but too much value to pass up. Brand went #6 and Howard went #7.

Round 2: got my PG with Deron Williams. Could have gone AI, but I got him in another league and I like to diversify my teams.

Round 3: this is where my draft changed. I wanted to target two scorers, but Marcus Camby was still available. I know about the Clippers curse and his injury history, but he played like a top 15 pick last year and is pissed that the Nuggets gave him away for nothing (2nd round pick). Simply too much value to pass up.

Round 4: Pau Gasol -wanted a scorer, but I drafted Gasol at #11 last year and there he was at #31. Couldn’t pass on him.

Round 5: I originally wanted to get a center here, but I had to change my strategy after I went C-C back to back in rounds 3-4. My squads are typically built around points (the tiebreaker in our league) but my first four picks won’t average over 20 points a game. I decided to take Maggette here. He should thrive in Nelson’s system.

Round 6: T-Mac - I had already drafted Camby (hurt) and Williams (hurt) so why not go all in with injured guys? T-Mac could be a great value or break my heart. Only time will tell. I did add another scorer to my squad.

Round 7: Mike Miller - love his all around game. Good source for pts, 3’s and assists. Good %’s too.

Round 8: Jamal Crawford - the rumors about him coming off the bench didn’t bother me. he’s probably the Knicks best player and D’Antoni will use him accordingly.

Round 9: Troy Murphy - Wanted Rose or Felton to pair with Williams but they went right before my pick. With Jermaine O’Neal gone and Dunleavy hurt, Murphy should be a nice source for 3’s, pts and boards.

Round 10: Al Harrington - another TME!!! favorite. Sucked last year, but should see an expanded role this year with Baron Davis gone and Monta Ellis hurt.

Round 11: Luke Ridnour - all the pre-season fuss was over Ramon Session based on his ridiculous garbage time run last year. Well, Ridnour’s the starter and Sessions hasn’t played a minute in the first two games. I like his upside for assists and steals.

Round 12: Manu Ginobili - was shocked that he was still around. He will probably miss about 20 games, but should return by December. Great value at pick 11 if he comes back as scheduled.

Round 13: Mike Conley, Jr. - was choosing between him and Nene. I will probably rotate this spot until Camby, Williams and Ginobili out.

The jury is still out on how this team will perform but it has potential. The key will be injury prone guys like Camby and T-Mac staying relatively healthy.

Since Mr. Flambo seems to think that reviewing one’s draft on a fantasy basketball blog is narcissistic and self-congratulatory, I thought I would apply my basketball acumen on some analysis of the competition. As a background note, Mr. Blount has been a bottom feeder in this league quite often, and as I’m sure EJ will point out sooner or later, holds the record of futility which he set last year with a 30-something percent win rate.

In his first year in the league, his team name was Simply the Best. This moniker has never been seen since.

But since each new season brings new hopes, let’s take a look at the Blount-man’s team this year and evaluate his chances.

Round 1, Pick 7: Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk gets bashed a lot, but he’s a great player. His 3’s were down a bit last year, but he produces in all categories you’d expect from a PF, with 3’s and a high FT% to top it off.

Round 2, Pick 14: Caron Butler
Had a great season last year. Looks to start the season again without Gilbert Arenas. I like Caron a lot, but was unwilling to take him this high because he had such a great year last year. At this pick, he’s priced to perfection, and anything less than a repeat performance of last year will be a letdown.

Round 3, Pick 27: Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo’s a great player who contributes across the board. Not much to say here, but at this stage in the draft, the Dark Knight is loaded at the F positions.

Round 4, Pick 34: Brandon Roy
I like Brandon Roy a lot as a player. But in fantasy, he doesn’t particularly stand out. He doesn’t get a lot of 3’s, doesn’t shoot particularly high percentages, and gets about a steal a game. Five ASTS a game is good, but not great for a PG starter.

Round 5, Pick 47: Michael Redd
Another scorer, so Dark Knight is looking good in the PTS category with this pick. Also gets a lot of 3’s and another strong FT% player.

Round 6, Pick 54: Tyson Chandler
I’m not a big fan of this pick, but a double-double PTS/REBS is ok. With Dark Knight’s strong FT% from the earlier rounds, might be able to absorb Chandler’s terrible free throw shooting. Won’t be getting a lot of blocks from his first C, though.

Round 7, Pick 67: Samuel Dalembert
Another C. Dalembert played well last season and is a great source for blocks. Good FG%, another low double-double guy. Remains to be seen if playing with Elton Brand helps or hurts Dalembert.

Round 8, Pick 74: T.J. Ford
Another PG. Has decent upside as the man in Indiana. Great pick at 74 if he can get 7+ ASTS a game, which is very probable. Good value for round 8.

Round 9, Pick 87: Rajon Rondo
Probably a feeling here of needing to firm up his G-spots. I don’t blame him. With no G providing standout numbers in a given category, the Dark Knight will need all his players to produce. Rondo played will last year, but he’s another terrible free throw shooter, and a guard who doesn’t get 3’s.

Round 10, Pick 94: Al Thornton
This guy’s a gunner. Should improve as he gains more experience. But another average to middling guy who doesn’t really excel anywhere. Could see his number boosted by the departure of Elton Brand.

Round 11, Pick 107: Monta Ellis
I like Monta a lot, but his 30 game suspension (co-inciding with his moped injury), keeps him out of effectively 50% of the fantasy regular season. I feel this is a wasted pick, as this roster spot won’t produce until after the New Year. He’s great when he plays, but could be picked up off of waivers in the future. But the Blount-man has shown he likes drafting injured guys and hoping they dig him out his inevitable early season hole.

Round 12, Pick 114: Chris Wilcox
Another C (actually PF/C). Probably feeling the need to shore up this position, and not much left on the board.

Round 13, Pick 127: Luis Scola
Yet another PF/C, bringing the total to 4. I like Luis, though. Probably some upside here. If not, an easy drop.

My overall evaluation of this team is that it is very average. Collectively, there aren’t a lot of standouts in any category to ensure Ws week to week. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

The notion of describing one’s draft reeks of narcissism and self-congratulation, at least to me. I will try and be brief.

9) KG. Didn’t want to have to make this pick, but I expect a slight uptick in numbers from last year. Boston won’t be as dominant and KG will rest in fewer fourth quarters. Didn’t trust Marion here after his numbers plummeted last season when he departed the fantasy-friendly Suns squad.

12) A. Iverson. Another reluctant pick. Shyguy snatched D. Williams, and AI was best PG left on my board.

29) Rashard Lewis. Played with the idea of Gasol here, but had to take Rashard when he was still on the Board.

32) K. Durant. EJ removed two centers from board, so rather than reach for a center, I selected this young second year player who should make great strides and could be a steal here. I think he can bench more than 150 lbs. now. 88% FT as rookie

49) Okafor. Had to grab a center here, and I don’t think Okafor was much of a reach. Solid 15-10- 2 block guy. FT% hurts however.

52) M. Beasley. I’ve seen many experts predict close to 20-10 right away from this guy, with close to 1s and 1b. Top 40-50 player on many boards (and we don’t count turnovers here- and turnovers could pull him down in some formats).

69) A. Miller. I always like this guy, with the proviso that you surround him with 3-point shooters. The earlier selection of Rashard is a big step there. Also, Miller is now passing to Brand.

72) A. Biedrins. Probably not best player available, but can’t wait too long for a second center. Lots of hustle points with this guy. Improvement each year.

89) Stojakovic. Good value here. Huge boost to a squad’s 3’s made. 90% FT.

92) R. Alston. Necessary pick as the second and third-tier PG’s are flying off the board. Will help with 3’s, assists and steals. Terrible FG% though.

109) J. Noah. Could be a big contributor in hustle categories, if he sees the minutes, which is still uncertain. Also, 3 centers often necessary. Could be an early season roster casualty.

112) N. Robinson. Won’t need to start for D’Antoni to see big numbers from L’il Nate. See Barbossa, as well as some of Nate’s production from last year.

129) JR Smith. Increased minutes could lead to even more 3’s from the conscience-less bomber. Maybe steals also. We will see.

Well here’s my first go at this blogging thing- I’ll follow Ray’s lead with a breakdown of my own draft. Just a little background for those of you out on the Web- I am one of the few participants in this league who is not a Georgetown grad- I am a proud University of Maryland Alumnus. In addition, I have won this league twice (back to back years- 2002-2003, 2003-2004 season) and have made the playoffs a total of 4 times out of 6 seasons of my participation so far.

I think I had a pretty respectible draft this year and I could see most of these guys as being hard to drop.

Round by Round Analysis-

Round 1, Pick 8: Dwight Howard
Thought I would switch things up a bit this year and go for more younger, power players especially since I had no shot at LeBron, CP3, Kobe, etc. Howard is a beast in FG%, Boards, Points, and Blocks who is young and improves every year. If only he could hit those free-throws…

Round 2, Pick 13: Al Jefferson
Maybe a little bit of a stretch here but again another young, powerful player with improving numbers. Good centers are hard to come by (espcially in 2 Center leagues such as ours) and this continues to sets me up well for FG%, Boards, Points, and Blocks.

Round 3, Pick 28: Yao Ming
I know he has had injury issues the past 3 years, I know I really was already set at center, but I just could not resist. Is a fantasy monster when healthy (escpecially at Center) and may give me some trade flexibility down the road.

Round 4, Pick 33: Andre Iguodala
I love getting this guy here at this point of the draft- his scoring could down a little with Brand around but assists may go up- and I need some assists starting about now in this draft. Can be an 8 category contributor- great value at this pick.

Round 5, Pick 48: Hedo Turkoglu
I also love getting this guy here at this point of the draft as well: solid multi-category contributor who fits in nicely with uptempo Magic team.  Similar point foward do-it-all type to Iguodala (though less steals, blocks). Question is- can he replicate last years career numbers?

Round 6, Pick 53: Mike Dunleavy
Very similar to Turkoglu- which is a good thing- but I didn’t pay enough attention to the reports on his knee- this could be a problem- we’ll see… and again like Turkoglu will last year be an aberration or the beginning of a very positive trend up in numbers?

Round 7, Pick 68: Tony Parker
Maybe a little high for this guy especially since he is not a huge assist guy but I needed a point guard at this point and he helps with points and FG% and should have better numbers this year at least in the early part of the season with Ginobili hurt and the ever aging core of players around him. “Been around forever” but still only 26.

Round 8, Pick 73: Zach Randolph
One of those guys that is a guilty pleasure to have on your team from a fantasy perspective if you can afford his dearth of assists, steals, and blocks because he is such a selfish player (and therefore fun to watch).  Could have a monster scoring year this season under the Knicks new system- will get tons of boards- decent FT% for a big man- may see a few more 3’s out of him as well.

Round 9, Pick 88: Raymond Felton
I have this weird and annoying (to me) habit most years (with the exception of last year when I took Nash in the 1st and a few years back when I got Marbury in the 2nd) of taking PG’s late (see Parker 7th round and now Felton 9th). But It usually seems to work out for me somehow- Felton could actually be a very good value here IF Larry Brown doesn’t loose his mind and bench him or drastically reduce his minutes- which could happen…

Round 10, Pick 93: O.J. Mayo
Even though its round 10 this is one of my key picks I believe. I have never drafted a rookie in fantasy baseketball in any league ever until this year- again going with the youth is king philosophy this year. He could be a nice source of 3’s, points, steals, boards (for a guard), and possibly assists depending on how much offense Memphis runs through him. FG% could be bad- and he will have rookie struggles but if I can afford to be patient he could be a steal here.

Round 11, Pick 108: Kirk Hinrich
Decent pick this late even though minutes and role in flux this year with drafting of Rose and crowded backcourt. Might get traded which could help- used to be very solid 2nd PG- may play more SG this year.

Round 12, Pick 113: Tayshaun Prince
Finally I have a Piston on my team! (favorite real-life team). Though he’s not great I am a little surprised he was still available here- solid 12th round SF value for points, boards, assists, %’s, even 3’s.

Round 13, Pick 128: Kenyon Martin
IF he plays as many game as last year could be a steal here- Denver will count more on him with Camby gone. Can’t hit Free Throws anymore (never was great- but lousy now) but pretty much conceeding that category anyways at this point.

So there you have it- I think I have pretty decent team considering I had to start with the 8th pick. Hopefully I can make couple of trades as the season goes along but I’m feeling pretty good about a return to the playoffs.

Comments Welcome.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was excited to have the first pick in the draft this year. I spent a reasonable amount of time (probably not enough) coming up with scenarios and trying to get a solid draft strategy in place. In fact, this year I felt I had the strongest draft strategy that I have had in several years.

Unfortunately, the execution of my draft strategy fell apart during the draft.

That said, I think I had decent draft and hope to improve it by picking up a sleeper or two off of the waiver wire over the course of the season. Hopefully my main guys stay injury free, and if so, I should be ok.

Here’s my self evaluation of my draft:

Round 1: Chris Paul
Can’t go wrong here. At this point, my strategy then becomes to make sure to be unbeatable in the two categories that CP dominates: assists and steals

Round 2: Baron Davis
Not my preferred choice here, as the three people I had targeted all got taken ahead of me. But if he stays healthy, I have a solid hold on assists and steals.

Round 3: Paul Pierce (back-to-back with #2)
At this point, I really would have liked to have a solid big man, but since the guys I had targeted were gone, I didn’t want to go too far down the draft sheets this early. Still, can’t complain with Paul Pierce. At this point I think I’m looking pretty good in assists, steals, and FT%, and not too shabby with 3s.

Round 4: Chris Kaman
Now I really needed a big man and I wanted to make sure I had someone who gets a lot of boards and a lot of blocks.

Round 5: Rasheed Wallace
My #2 center. Not a typical big man, but contributes in blocks, 3s, and also shoots a good FT%.

Round 6: LaMarcus Aldridge
Another big. Also doesn’t hurt FT%. Took a little chance with him, as Greg Oden’s entry to the lineup can hurt, but he’s shown good improvement, and I’m hoping for a good season here.

Round 7: Josh Howard
Needed to get someone at the SG spot and I like guys who can play two positions. Howard is a SG/SF, so he gives me some flexibility. A good scorer for this late in the draft, who contributes a little in all categories.

Round 8: Andrei Kirilenko
Another guy that contributes across the board. Gets some 3s, gets steals, good percentages, and will hopefully put up a lot of blocks this year. Might be coming off the bench, though, but I’m not too worried about Matt Harpring’s long term prospects at this point.

Round 9: Jason Terry
My worst pick of the draft. I was panicked here since again, the guys I had targeted all got taken before my pick, and I had to pick twice in a row. Kirilenko was ok, then I got strapped for time and took the highest guy available on the player rater. Mistake. I’ve already dropped him.

Round 10: Stephon Marbury
Possibly a terrible pick, but could have some upside. I recently read an article talking about how Starbury could possibly start. If so, this will be huge. If he gets traded, this could be huge. I like the upside a lot here, but it could also be a bust.

Round 11: Marvin Williams
I like getting Marvin here. He’s always improving, and I think this will be a good pick.

Round 12: Ryan Gomes
At this point, I didn’t really care too much who I got. But Gomes played well the second half of last year, and if he can contribute, I’m happy with that at this pick.

Round 13: Andrea Bargnani
Another big man who can shoot the three. Probably won’t be on my team for too long.

So that’s my team for now. I think I’m looking pretty good in FG%, FT%, AST, ST. But unfortunately, that’s not good enough. I think I have a reasonable shot at 3s, and can win BLOCKS and PTS occasionally, don’t have too much of a chance with REBS. In our league, you only need to win 5/8 categories to win for the week, so hopefully I can use some waiver wire magic or maybe make a trade to firm things up. We’ll see.

Hopefully, some of the other guys will talk about their draft in future posts. If not, then I may take a stab at a couple other teams

Looking foward to Day 1 tonight!

I have been perusing “mock drafts” around the web, more out of curiosity than anything else, since my board is basically set.  I’ve noticed this phenomenon in previous years, but it is increasingly obvious this year, that mock drafts are a sham; they are perhaps marginally useful to only the greenest of fantasy hoops neophytes.

One big problem is that many posted mock drafts do not proffer the categories counted within the scoring system of the league in question (and I get the depressing feeling that the organizers and participants in some drafts have perhaps not even considered the ramifications that differing systems of scoring have on the relative values of certain players).  The conclusion I must draw, I’m afraid, is that many of these so-called experts are veritable amateurs next to the (mostly) savvy veterans that comprise the Trash Talkers League.

There often seems to be an inordinate focus on the holy trinity of statistics (points, rebounds, assists), and a lack of calculation (or even awareness?) that often blocks, steals, 3’s, the %’s, and sometimes turnovers are also relevant to a player’s value.  Make no mistake: the format of your league has bearing on a player’s value (roto/ H2H), but the categories considered have even more importance in this determination.  I will not (for obvious reasons- our draft has not yet taken place) be too particular in my analysis here, but I have three striking examples of how inane most posted mock drafts (by ‘experts’ no less) have been this year:

1) I’ve seen today two mock drafts in which Dwight Howard was taken 5th overall- one of these specifically alluded to its scoring system which included ft%.  I saw one mock draft (that didn’t mention %’s) in which D12 was taken #47 (presumably ft% is one of only two or three components of the scoring system- or not).

2) I saw a mock draft by “experts” in which Rashard Lewis was taken 70th overall (9 cats inclusive).  Lewis might be overrated by some, but I think 70 is amateurishly low.

3) I saw a mock draft on a reputable site that had the following scoring system:

Points=1

Boards=1

Assists=2 (why?)

Turnovers= -1

Steals=1

Blocks=1

The players in most fantasy hoops leagues could get little guidance from such a “mock”, even assuming the draft’s participants were conversant and had experience with fantasy hoops leagues. 

This concludes my rant against inane mock drafts conducted my “experts”.  I am also done carrying water for this blog of Ray’s until he or others step up to the plate with something either informative or entertaining.  Happy Balling.

Who will go #1? I don’t really know yet who I will take, but it will most likely be one of these three…

Our league always has our fantasy draft on the last Sunday before the season starts. This year, that means we draft this coming Sunday. Prior the draft, we have a draft lottery to determine the draft order. For us, the lottery took place this past weekend.

In general, I feel that I’ve been screwed in the lottery. By hook or by crook, I’ve had the last pick at least 4 times, and the only other ones I can remember are a number 7 pick and a number 2 pick. This year, providence was with me and I got my first ever number 1 pick.

Overall, there hasn’t been any evidence that a high pick in the draft automatically means good performance in the league. But I’m excited because I will be able to pick a superstar. There are plenty of great players in the league, but in terms of fantasy, the player rater shows that there are about 5 players that are really elite. These are the guys everyone wants on their team. These are the guys that you get excited about looking at their box scores. These are the guys that can average 30-5-5 or similar. These are the guys that other managers will trade their first round picks for (and then some!).

So I’m excited. I think this is my year.

Trash Talkers League 2008-2009 Draft Lottery Results:

1. Lights Out!
2. Yes, We Can
3. The Show
4. The Mighty
5. McLovin
6. Hamertime
7. Dark Knight
8. Cash Money
9. Aerial Flambuoyance
10. TME

With the news that Lights Out has secured the first pick in the annual Trash Talkers draft, analysts everywhere are scrambling to offer their insights and analysis of Mr. Light’s draft strategy.  Here is my prediction about how Ray’s draft will play out:

PICK #

1.  Allen Iverson.  Though some might consider this a bit of a reach,  Ray has always been a huge fan of the former Georgetown standout, who has shown no signs of slowing down in the mile-high city.

20 Andre Iguadola.  Ray figures you can’t go wrong with two AI’s.

21 Andre Miller.  Someone has to pass the ball to Iguadola, right?

40.  Steven Jackson.  Someone’s got to score a lot of points for Ray’s Warriors, now that Baron Davis is gone, right?

41. Andre Biedrins. Ray better grab a center, and Biedrins a is young Warrior with huge upside.

60.  David Lee.  Ray can’t believe his good fortune.

61.  Ryan Gomes.  Ditto

80.  Darko Milicic. Ray believes this youngster has finally arrived.

81.  Jeff Green.  What a steal, getting the former Hoya at this spot!

100.  Michael Sweetney.  Ditto.

101.  Damon Jones.  Ray feels this selection will lock up 3’s for his squad.

120.  Josh Childress.  Ray can’t believe that the other idiots allowed him to slip this far.

121.  JJ Redick.  Did you see this guy in college?  He was sick!

I have a gripe with Yahoo!

In general, I am a fan of Yahoo. I think the service they provide free of charge for fantasy basketball is fantastic. I have played on other sites and I find Yahoo’s to be the best for me. And every year it gets a little better.

And every year now, I write to them about this significant flaw and they just respond with some BS about how they get a lot of requests, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I HATE the way Yahoo consistently treats FG% and FT% as just percentages, when this is far from the truth. When dealing with percentages, it’s important to know the numbers that go into the calculation or the number is worthless.

For example, let’s look at FT%, and ignore all other categories for now. Who would you rather have? A guy like Dwight Howard who shoots 50% and takes 10+ FTs per game, or some scrub who doesn’t play and shoots 30% and takes 2 FTs per game, on average? In this case, I would rather have the scrub. Even though he shoots 20% lower, it is much easier to make this up with the rest of your team than someone who shoots 5/10 from the stripe every night

ESPN fantasy basketball is good about this. When reporting numbers on a daily basis, your players FG% and FT% are displayed something like this: 4/8 (.500). This gives you a much better idea of how your team did in the percentages.

I write Yahoo every year asking for this feature which should be relatively simple, and they just ignore me. I encourage all of you to write to them and fix this. They have a support form you can fill in.

On another note, if you are preparing for your league’s draft, Matt Buser at Yahoo recently put out lists of ranked players by position:

• Point Guard
• Shooting Guard
• Small Forward
• Power Forward
• Center

I don’t entirely agree with his lists, especially since the rankings are calculated using the dreaded Turnovers category, but it’s a good place to start to get your draft sheets in order.

Lights Out!