Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft (aka where I discover the need for practice)

I just finished up the first mock draft for the season (thanks to Jason @ fbasketballblog for hosting) and let me tell you, do I need some more practice!

First, here are the results and rosters. It was quite a lively field for a Thursday night in late August. Tippy from Fantasy Basketball Daily, Patrick from GMTR, Jason from fBasketballBlog, Doneycat from Talesof9cats and Justin from LIJAFBB (life is just a fantasy basketball blog) all showed up, as did some other guys who made for good conversation. It was 14 rounds, 10 team, H2H with 9 categories. Pretty simple stuff.

My immediate reactions when I look at my roster are that while I believe in the players I think are going to have major improvements this season, that doesn’t mean they should all be on the one team together. I had no hesitation taking Steph Curry at #9 despite the ridicule which followed. I would have really liked to partner him up with D Wade or Granger but Jason nabbed them back to back, leaving me with David Lee. This was my first mistake. It’s way too risky to have both your first picks on one team, let alone one team with a mad coach, new owners and an inability to win games. If I was after a big man who can shot FT% (which I was), it should have been Amar’e because he is going to tear it up in NYC. Strike 1. I can’t believe Patrick took Gasol at #4 however I have a feeling it was just to spite me. Mission completed. The winner after two picks, especially picking last, was Jason with Wade/Granger. It’s a bit insane that this could be common in ten man leagues because they both have such high ceilings. The rest of the second round was pretty standard (Lopez, Wallace, Anthony, Nash). Moving on.

Rounds 3 and 4 are normally where things get interesting in my eyes. Different opinions really come to the fore as specific teams start to take shape. With Curry and Lee on board, I decided it was time to jump on Bargnani (3rd) and Stephen Jackson (4th) to try and attempt some blocks, threes and steals. I was also picking players who tend to shoot great FT% but my turnovers are already leaking with Jackson and Curry. I still like Bargnani over the similar Troy Murphy this season but Jackon doesn’t really fit this team I think. Someone like David West (if I wanted to go big, he went #39) or Derrick Rose (small, went #36) would’ve been better. The big movers this year shined through in the 3rd and 4th round. Westbrook went at #26, Al Horford was #30 and Andrew Bogut was #35 despite his injury (which I still like, but many others don’t). I love Patrick’s Al Jefferson pick at #37 to go with Chaucey, Amar’e and Pau. Really gives that team some much needed grunt. All three of those big guys score a bunch and Jefferson’s FT dilemmas are offset by the other guys.

Who would you pick with the 5th if you already had Curry, Lee, Bargs and S.Jax?Ray Felton and O.J Mayo? Cool, come join the club. I had Nene and Joakim Noah on my ‘to pick’ list, but both went before I came round again. If Felton is a little bit of a reach at #49, I don’t know what that makes Mayo at #52. As I said before, I like both their upsides this year. Felton will be running the pick and roll and day long with Amar’e and the Knicks have such a good pace factor that even if he only manages 30-32 minutes a night with Toney Douglas getting some time share, that is still good for 6-7 assists, some threes and steals at a minimum. Obviously I am expecting more. Plus, he is exciting to own and it will be a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Here is a good rule for drafting as well. Don’t read other people’s stuff about specific players right before the draft. I knew Tippy liked Mayo but that doesn’t excuse him at #52. I also knew he wouldn’t fall to #69 which was my next pick but sometimes players just aren’t in the right position for you to draft them. This should have been a pass. Kevin Martin, Manu and J-Rich all went in the next 5 picks and any of them would have been the better options despite their health concerns. So, let’s call that Strike 2. Doneycat took KG at #53 which might not be a popular pick, is still a very good one. KG was third round value last year according to Basketball Monster and even with more of a drop off factored into his performance this season, I’d be happy to take him there. In case you’d like to know, John Wall was an auto pick at #60. Lastly, I think I will rename Round 6, “He who misses many games per season”. KG, Kev-Mart, Manu and Camby.

Do you like Andray Blatche at #62? I did about 2 months ago, but I’m not too sure about him now. Wall, Hinrich, McGee, Arenas are all going to need their touches. He was a bonafide superstar when there was no one else around but now there are and his stats will suffer because of it. This coming from the guy who just drafted Mayo at #52.

I feel my Round 7/8 combo pick either made my team or destroyed it. Blake Griffin and Yao Ming didn’t manage to play a game of NBA basketball between them last year, but have so much potential to dominate (well, as much as you can dominate in the 7th and 8th rounds) that it was easily justifiable to make both picks. All I can imagine right now is Griffin coming out of nowhere for the put back dunks and Yao standing in the post demanding the ball off Courtney Lee and Chase Buddinger who gladly give it up. Sweetness. Of course, I recognise the massive risk here but Andrew Bynum, Paul Millsap and Luis Scola don’t do it for me and they were the suggested picks for bigs at that stage. Marcus Thornton at pick #79 for mine is the best pick this draft. He has no competition for minutes, has already shown what he can do with Darren Collison and now gets to play with Chris Paul. You can bank the ridiculous numbers of threes and points coming your way. Other points of interest these rounds; Gilbert Arenas (#74) and Rashard Lewis/Luol Deng (#66/#67, this is only just the beginning Jason – I’ll be collecting the kudos by Christmas)

A bunch of talent left the board in Round 9. Hibbert, Jameer Nelson, Chris Kaman, Vince Carter and Tony Parker all made their way onto rosters. I went with Robin Lopez. I am excited for the big guy this year in Phoenix. Admittedly, after I picked I actually had a look at my team and saw Yao, Griffin, Bargs and David Lee. Probably didn’t need another Center candidate at this stage especially as I had my eye on Greg Oden as a sneaky late pick up. I figure though, if you draft a very good player, it’s not all lost as he should be easy to trade and improve your squad in the early days of the season. I’m giving myself a pass here. The Brazilian Blur was up next as I took Leandro Barbosa with my Rd 10 pick (#92). I said of him just the other day that his range was 62-90 so to get him here I was very happy. He beefs up my somewhat depleted guard stocks and is the perfect foil for prospective trades later on in the season if he really outperforms. Also in round 10 some big boys came to play. DeMarcus Cousins (#93), Elton Brand (#94) and JaVale McGee (#98). Who would’ve thought that at this time last season?

Before we press on, a very quick update on my team to date; Curry, Lee, Bargs, SJax, Felton, Mayo, Yao, Blake Griffin, Robin Lopez and Barbosa. Missing: A quality Small Forward. You get one guess at the next pick.

You know it, Tyrus ‘In Yo Face’ Thomas. He might not fit the bill as quality small forward, but he will finally have the chance to play serious minutes in Charlotte and make an impact. He is a steal/block machine of the highest order and I think he is a steal at #109. George Hill was my next pick at #112. It’s not that I think he will be amazing or even a good player at San Antonio this season with Tony Parker but more a gamble that TP won’t play that many minutes. I feel Hill is exactly the type of player you want at this stage of your draft. Reliable but could be explosive depending on other things. I feel slightly less ill about my guard situation with him aboard for season 2010-11. Tippy was pretty happy to land Andris Biedrins for some reason. I really don’t like him this season. Ben Gordon is value at #105, as is T-Will at #103. Michael Beasley slipped all the way to #119, one spot after Anderson Varejao. I’d be happy with either of these guys as my 12th round pick.

To finish up, I punted on Serge Ibaka and Kelenna Azubuike (whose name I have typed so often in the past three weeks I now finally now how to spell it). I don’t even know if Ibaka will play many minutes with Cole Aldrich in town but I like him for 2+ blocks even with only 15 minutes per night. Azubuike is a different story. He might start for the Knicks and was once a 14 points per game dude in the Bay. I’m not expecting that here, but he can shoot the three and steal the ball as well. I’m banking on him being better than Wilson Chandler. However, after looking at some of the players still on the boards as we finish up who could have bigger impacts (Hansborough, Shane Battier, Drew Gooden, Thad Young etc), we will call this Strike 3. Batter Up.

Final Rosters:

West (Auto pick): Durant, Rondo, Bosh, Gay, Jamison, Wall, B Diddy, Jason Terry, Jeff Green, Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Maggette, J.R Earl Smith, Spencer Hawes

LIJAFBB: LBJ, Evans, Kidd, West, M Gasol, Camby, Blatche, Thornton, Scola, Andre Miller, Reggie Williams, Michael Beasley, D.J Augustin, Greg Monroe

Boogerboys: (Auto pick till 8th Round): CP3, Roy, J.Smith, Pierce, Nene, Manu, Caron Bulter, Ariza, Hibbert, McGee, T-Will, Varejao, Splitter, Lou Williams

GMTR(Patrick): Pau Gasol (…), Amar”’e, Billups, Al Jefferson, Mo Williams (insert Baby Crying, Auto Draft from here), J-Rich, Jamal Crawford, Paul Millsap, J.Nelson, C Frye, Calderon, Diaw, Thompson, Queensbridge Artest

Drafting Hungover: Dirk, Nash, Joe JOhnson, Rose, Z Randolph, Harris, Jennings, Bynum, Kaman, Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Favors, Greg Oden, Casspi

ec236: Kobe, Lopez, Westbrook, Bogut, Love, Kev-Martin, R. Lewis, E. Gordon, Vince Carter, Harrington, Okur, Odom, Haywood, Roddy Buckets

FantasyGod(Tippy): D-Will, Melo, Monta, Duncan, Noah, Aldridge, Luol Deng, Arenas, Tony Parker, Brand, Biedrins, Okafor, S. Marion, Wilson Chandler (Rd 8 through 13 and he was drafting like it was 2007)

DoneyCat: Dwight, Wallace, Iggy, T Murphy, Collison, KG, Salmons, Morrow, Landry, DeMarcus, Childress, Chandler, Kleiza, Batum,

Me: Curry, Lee, Bargnani, S Jackson, Felton, Mayo, Yao, Griffin, R Lopez, Barbosa, Tyrus Thomas, George Hill, iBlocka, Azubuike

fBasketballBlog(Jason): Wade, Granger, Horford, Boozer, Gallo, Turkoglu, Brooks, A Randolph, Hickson, Stuckey, Dalembert, AK47, Mike Miller, Beno Udrih.

Best teams; split between LIJAFBB and Drafting Hungover (could’ve been Patrick if he didn’t abandon us for his child). Best pick; Thornton #79 and  Tiago Splitter #123. Thanks to Jason for organising, I’m sure we’ll see more of this in the near future.

Biggest lesson here; lots of mock drafts required before the season actually starts. Cheers for everyone who turned it, was a solid hour of entertaining chatter.