The start of the NBA season brings
new beginnings for NBA Fantasy managers all over the world. For those of us in
the Any1SeenMyDime? fantasy basketball league hosted by ESPN, we couldn't be
more excited.
So to celebrate the start of the
season, I've decided to do what they've done on ESPN: analyze my picks and my
opponents' picks, and give insights to how the draft shook-out. In other words,
I'm going to give you expert analysis by a non-expert: me.
To my opponents, I say: You may or
may not agree with how I analyze you...I really don't care. Just know that you
are going to lose, and at the end of this season, you will be a part of the
mediocre rubble on which I stand.
I was the first one in the draft room
this year. I was certain I was due for an improvement when it came to the
randomized draft order… but sometimes certainty can fail a guy. I was 5th…
again. Now, while I was slightly upset that I wasn’t one of the top two (I
think we can all agree that there is a HUGE drop-off in Fantasy brilliance
after KD and LeBron), I realized it could have been worse. I could have been 10th.
(Yes, that’s a dig at Rodriguez. Ha).
Here's the link to our Draft Recap,
you can follow along, if you'd like. http://games.espn.go.com/fba/tools/draftrecap?leagueId=33535
Round 1: Who do you like?
What I liked: Every team actually
picked players I would consider top 12 fantasy players. Seriously. It was good
to finally see Josh Smith get the attention he deserved in the first round
after being relegated to the sloppy-second rounds for years.
What I didn’t like: Didn’t Mike
Holmes and Will Harnish have the 1st and 2nd picks last
year? Super lame-gay. (And yes, I AM using gay to mean stupid, because that’s
what my generation does and it’s OK.) I was surprised that Rodriguez took Kobe.
A die-hard Spurs fan picks Kobe Bryant? My fingers feel dirty just from typing
that sentence.
What I was thinking: I was
actually right where I wanted to be IF I wasn’t going to be 1st or 2nd.
I was going to be perfectly content with whoever fell to me at 5. (That’s a
lie.) In reality, I wanted Kevin Love. He was projected 3rd pick overall
BEFORE his injury, and the guy stuffs the stat sheet with excellent
percentages. Willie made a comment that Curtis would take Love while on auto
draft, and I freaked out a little bit. I was MORE than relieved to see Love
wasn’t taken before I had the chance. Although I did hesitate and consider
taking DWill. Even if it was only for a second. But I knew I wanted Kevin Love,
and if I waited until the 2nd round there’s NO WAY I’d get him.
You’ll be seeing and hearing a lot more about KLove as the season progresses.
Round two is interesting because it gives some managers the
chance to get players that could easily be first rounders. Normally, Al Jefferson, Dirk Nowitzki, and
Pau Gasol could easily be included in this category. But there were a LOT of new
faces in round 2, and I didn’t like it one bit!
What I
liked: Team Little pairing Melo with
Rondo. I really don’t like Rondo, but I can’t deny the production. The only
other think I liked: Al Jefferson and Pau Gasol. These two guys are always
borderline 1st rounders, always consistent and predictable. That’s
what Fantasy is all about.
What I
didn’t like: All the
new faces in round 2. Maybe I’m just getting old, but this seems crazy that
almost all of these guys were late rounders last year and are 2nd rounders
this year: Ty Lawson, Kyrie Irving, Serge Ibaka (really, Mike?), James Harden
(obviously theres upside with Harden now that he’s a Rocket, but that’s still a
giant mystery… he’s a bench player. Doesn’t any of this remind you of 2009,
when Houston took Trevor Ariza from the Lakers? Yeah, that didn’t turn out
well.) I also hate the fact that Willie drafted Goran Dragic BEFORE Steve Nash.
Are you kidding me? You have some serious explaining to do, because that’s
ridiculous. A lot of unproven players were drafted this round. It will be
interesting to see who pans out. And of course, Mike Holmes drafting Steve
Nash. I don’t get what it is that people don’t understand when I say “If you
draft Steve Nash, you will get punched in the balls.” Mike, I was nice to you
by letting your brother join this year. I thought we were on good terms.
Apparently not.
What I was
thinking: Nash was ranked in the 30’s
and I had the 29th pick in the 3rd round. That’s when I
would take him. So I had to settle on a big man. Al Jeff and Pau were sitting
right there… but I’ve never really like Big Al… and I was sick of having Pau on
my team (two years in a row). I needed something different. DeMarcus Cousins?
Really? Ugh… I guess.
The third
round is still a great time to get
great players. David Lee and Dirk Nowitzki were once first-round picks. If you
can grab one of them here, you'll do well for yourself.
What I
liked: Honestly, I think a lot of
these guys will end up being 2nd rounders. N’Dongers paired the
Gasol brothers together via autopick, and Brandon picked up Al Horford (who I
covet). The fact that Mike Conley and Monta Ellis are grabbed this round is
tasty.
What I
didn’t like: That Kobe didn’t drop to the 3rd
round like last year. I like what Mike Harnish said in the draft room: “I blame
Steve Nash.” Another thing I didn’t like: Anthony Davis. Really Willie? You’re
killing me. I honestly don’t see what the hype is about. Yay, he has a unibrow…
big deal.
What I was
thinking: I was still a little
flustered that Nash was gone. I was fully expecting to get him in the 3rd
round, where he belongs. Now I had to adjust, and rethink my entire draft
strategy. It really came down to Rudy Gay or Al Horford. With OJ Mayo
completely out of the picture in Memphis, Rudy will be back to his dominating
ways. Plus, I like a SF that can rebound, defend, and shoot threes.
Round 4:
Effeciency
What I
liked: There were a lot of players
picked this round that used to be borderline 1st rounders: Steph
Curry, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Danny Granger. If you were able to
snag any of these guys, I salute you. I love that Gortat is up here.
What I
didn’t like: Ryan
Anderson. Not that he doesn’t belong, just that he can’t be my LAST pick of the
draft like he was last year. Nice
grab, Josh. I feel like Willie really stretched to grab Kenneth Faried (he
claims it is of necessity because of his draft position, I’m just not sure he’s
worth it)
What I was
thinking: What can I do to piss off
Mike Holmes? Haha Just kidding. I knew I wanted another big, and Brook Lopez
seemed like my best bet. I have made this same bet several times before and
lost. Why is he such a terrible rebounder??
Round 5:
Fantasy Gold
What I
liked: This is the round that really resonated with me. A lot of
really solid fantasy players were drafted, guys with high upside and loads of
talent. Batum, Tyreke, Holiday, Gallinari, Afflalo, Bargnani. These are names I
like!
What I
didn’t like: STAT. It’s just sad.
The guys got $60 million for the next 3 years and yet he doesn’t seem worth it.
Guys get paid and then lay eggs. It’s the sad truth.
What I was
thinking: Luol Deng
has to be one of the most underrated players in fantasy basketball. He can do
everything on the court and with Derrick Rose possibly out for the season, he’ll
be the man in Chicago. I expect a career year, Deng it!
Round 6: ?
marks
What I
liked: Kyle Lowry is in Canada,
even though Jose Calderon is still in town. ZBo to team Little, who at this
point is having a quietly stellar draft. Gerald Wallace feels like a steal
here.
What I
didn’t like: Curtis drafting
Ginobli. With the new anti flopping rules, Manu is going to run out of money.
Mike Harnish being “a sucker for Boozer,” as his brother Willie put it. And
Tyson Chandler picked by newcomer Daniel Holmes. Chandler is soooo 2011.
What I was
thinking: It was
the 6th round, and I still hadn’t drafted a PG. Unheard of. So then
I looked at the list… and John Wall was just sitting there. He should be back
by Thanksgiving, and he’s better than Goran Dragic. (Oh… burn, Willie.) I would
know, I WAS a Suns fan.
Rounds
7-8: Shooting Guards Galore
What I
liked: Team Little grabbing Scola
and Mayo (so predictable!), while Shai pairs Jason Terry and Chauncey. Willie
finally made two picks that make sense: Glen Davis and Nikola Pekovic. And Josh
grabs MKG. Deliciousness!
What I
didn’t like: Michael Beasley in
round 8. Mike Holmes dropped way down to grab one of the most overrated,
inconsistent, and underachieving fantasy players ever. (Mostly, I was looking
at grabbing him in round 9.)
What I was
thinking: I was
looking for a shooting guard… but didn’t see any that I liked. Then emerged Lou
Williams. A PG/SG combo guard that can score in bunches and might actually get
to start this year. He’s another guy I expect huge things from. I still needed
another PG and there really was only one other on my list: Ricky Rubio. He’s
hurt but will be back at some point this season. Hopefully its sooner rather
than later. In hind sight, I should have drafted Beasley and then grabbed Rubio
in the 9th. But whatever.
Rounds
9-13 Garbage Time
I picked Jonas Valanciunas
(coolest name of the draft), DJ Augustin, Jeff Green, Brandon Roy, and Kirk
Hinrich, respectively. I was happy to grab BRoy, a former borderline 1st
rounder in round 12. Definitely a high-risk, high-reward move. And Hinrich
should be in for a solid year since Derrick Rose may not even play this year.
The best pick of the draft
was the last one, when Team Little won the Kwame Brown Lottery and was burdened
with human garbage/ an idiot face. A tip of the hat to Team Little, for making
our draft complete.
As to analyzing who had the
best draft… this is a little tough. I don’t think Mike Harnish helped his
chances of making his team name a reality. And I’m still baffled by Willie’s
early round choices (although it doesn’t really matter because he has KD, and
the Durantula will make him relevant by himself). Sean and Curtis were waylaid
by the auto draft, and while the Holmes brothers started out strong, they seemed
to fade in the late rounds. Josh took a lot of chances by drafting 3 rookies.
Ryan, Shai, and Brandon’s teams all look solid… and my team won’t be
competitive until Kevin Love gets back from injury. That leaves Team Little as
my pick as having the best draft this year, with the 12th pick in
the draft! Every person on his team will start and log big minutes. Proof that
you don’t have to be one of the top two to assemble a quality team through the
draft.
