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.