Two Man Mock Draft – Round 10
Round 10. Some would say, the most pivotal round of the draft. You can spot those people a long way away. Their first nine picks sucked. For the rest of us, this is a chance to take some chances or shore up support in one or two categories with some specialist players who can make a bit of an impact. It is also where you will see most ‘sleeper’ candidates start being nabbed (although obviously this can occur earlier as well). The things I look for at this stage in the draft? Potential and the ‘comeback season’ from players who might have slipped off the radar but have done well in the past. I was excited by the new visuals in Round 9. I was also pleased to see the poll results at this stage (I promise I have only voted once Jason). Rashard Lewis? Your dead to me mate. Looks like Luol Deng is the man for the 6th round after all. Make sure you go over and check it out. And another thing. Rounds 1-8 can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. In order.
109. Darren Collison (D. Lee, S. Nash, C. Boozer, S. Jackson, J. Green, B. Jennings, J. Salmons, M. Okur, B. Diaw): You might be worried Collison isn’t going to play enough minute to justify a 10th round pick and you might be proven right at the end of the season. But Colliwobbly has upside in two distinct ways. He is backing up Chris Paul, who after last season obviously has a question mark over his head with regards to longevity and more importantly, he is going to be used as part of a three man rotation (Paul and Thornton) at the guard. Mo Pete has left town leaving these three amigos to run New Orleans. Their big men aren’t good enough to command attention (sorry David West, you just don’t cut it in my books) so it’ll be up to these little guys to make it work. Collison showed he can still make things happen in his 39 games as a sub, slashing to the basketball. I expect around 26-28 minutes per game over the course of the season, perhaps even more. This is good enough for 10-12 points and approximately 5-6 assists. A little pricey for the 10th round but as soon as Chris Paul sneezes, his value will sky rocket.
110. Channing Frye (G. Wallace, D. Howard, M. Ginobili, R. Westbrook, A. Blatche, J. Wall, C. Butler, E. Turner, E. Brand): Frye has taken a bit of a hit in fantasy circles this season for some unbeknown reason. He still plays with Steve Nash. There are no major additions to the Suns front court to replace Amar’e (if anyone pipes up name Hakim Warrick, I will personally hunt you down). Sure, he went pretty cold in the playoffs last season but who really cares? In the regular season he was good enough for 2+ threes, 11 and 5. Nothing bad there. I see pretty much the same this season, except probably about 1.6 threes instead. He nearly throws in a bonus steal (.9) and block (.8) every game as well. This team is a strange mix of defensive monsters (Howard, Wallace) with pure offense (Blatche, Bulter, Frye). I’d be pretty pumped heading into the season with this team (except you Caron Bulter – you are forever in the bad books).
111. Terrence Williams (D. Wade, A. Stoudemire, A. Bargnani, B. Davis, A. Randolph, L. Aldridge, T. Ariza, A. Miller, M. Miller): I wanted to take Brad Miller here, just for a hat-trick, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. There is a bit of a log jam at the SG/SF spot in New Jersey after they decided to spend their money this summer on ‘free’ agents instead of the big fish. Courtney Lee, Morrow, Outlaw and even Jordan Farmar will clog up minutes here. But T-Will is the bomb diggy and true talent always shines through. He is a triple-double threat and can bring the house down if he so chooses. Just because he didn’t listen to Kiki V. doesn’t mean you should exclude him from your fantasy thoughts. New coach Avery Johnson don’t take no crap and Williams will ship up and begin to dominate this season. Look for a major leap across all categories. In April, Williams averaged 14/7/6. I wouldn’t expect those gaudy numbers for a season, but it shows promise and possibility.
112. Jose Calderon (S. Curry, C. Anthony, T. Duncan, A. Bogut, D. Harris, K. Garnett, E. Gordon, C. Landry, A. Harrington): This team needed another point guard and Calderon is the man for it. Listen, I’ve met Jarrett Jack, and while he is a nice guy who poses for photographs better than any other basketball I’ve met, he can’t cut the mustard in Toronto. He is not a starting quality point guard. On the other hand, Calderon is. Even in only 26 minutes per night last season, the Big Cheese managed 10 points, 6 assists and one three pointer. He shoots the ball amazingly well from the field (48% last season) and can dominate the court at will. That’s what will happen in the worst case scenario. The best part? There is a good chance he will get traded. The bad part? No-one knows where. This instability is not good but then again, that’s why this is pick #112 and not #25 like last season.
113. Greg Oden (D. Williams, B. Lopez, D. West, D. Gallinari, H. Turkoglu, B. Griffin, J. Nelson, R. Stuckey, J.R. Smith): When I see pictures of Greg Oden (no, not those pictures), I start humming the intro track on Jay-Z’s Blueprint, “the ruler’s back”. With Oden, I feel like I am waiting for the inevitable… not another knee injury or stress fracture, but the 14/12/2 that I know is just around the corner when he can work out how not to foul. Heck, he doesn’t even have to do anything except stand on the court to effect the game, but most of the time, as witnessed by his 86 fouls per 36 minutes, he can’t even manage that. Regardless. This is the season. This is the one. Everything comes together. The Blazers become relevant again. I’m excited. Plus, Oden fits this team like Stockton fitted Malone. The mix of small men, smaller men and Brook Lopez really needed a bit of Oden grunt. Just like it took Xena Warriors Princess 3 seasons to really get off the ground, Oden is ready to deliver in the 4th.
114. Kelenna Azubuike (P. Gasol, R. Rondo, T. Murphy, Z. Randolph, K. Martin, O.J. Mayo, J.J. Hickson, J. Holiday, R. Hibbert): Unlike last round I picked, this round my heart is really invested. I think Oden has me a little too excited. Azubuike? Apart from the best name in the NBA (sorry Dwyane), Azubuike has a legit shot at being 1-1-1 (three/steal/block) talent in the 10th round. You throw in 10 points, 5 boards and pretty impressive FG% and you have a winner. With the attention focused nearly universally on Amar’e, the 2 and 3 men for the Knicks are going to run riot up and down that court as puppet master Mike presses the ‘faster’ button repeatedly. In 2008-09, his last major injury free year, KA averaged 14/5 for a Golden State despite having to contend with noted black holes (Jackson, S) for the ball. This year is gravy compared to that. 1-1-1 is really what this team needs as the scoring and boards are there, but the little intangibles still make up 3 categories every week. There are still a few issues here, but nothing a good 11th round pick can’t fix.
115. Lamar Odom (D. Granger, J. Smith, N. Hilario, D. Rose, J. Richardson, J. Crawford, P. Millsap, T. Parker, R. Lopez): It’s pretty hard to have a favorite Laker but if someone held a gun to my head, I would chose Lamar. Big, dopey looking, knows that he can’t have a good Khardashian so he settles for a mediocre one. That’s my type of multiple NBA champion right there. And did you know he loves candy? Odom might not produce at first, in fact you can probably count on him not producing, but eventually he’ll find his groove and when Andrew Bynum gets injured, he’ll have a field day. Odom played in all 82 games last season, clocking up nearly 10/10 every night (10.8/9.8) as well as 3 assists, .7 threes, .9 steals and .7 blocks. Not bad for a dude who doesn’t really give a rat’s ass about anything. The only reason he went to this team was his ability to build on already established strengths. Granger/Smith/Nene/Millsap are all steal/block+ type of guys and Odom only helps that, along with some pretty decent points and boards. This team looks more scary everytime I check it out. Sure, the owner will be scouring the waivers for signs of assists as soon as PG’s start dropping, but those things tend to work themselves out in the end. Can I quickly say as well, I love the Robin Lopez pick. He is going to tear it up this year.
116. Greg Monroe (K. Bryant, A. Jefferson, M. Ellis, M. Gasol, R. Felton, L. Scola, R. Allen, L. Barbosa, C. Maggette): After three players in a row who could fit the various types of shooting guard mould, I needed to get some size back into this team. Munroe, the #7 pick in this years draft, is a snug fit. He has some of the sweetest hands in the post you are likely to see. As passing big men go, there might not be a better one by the end of the season (even including Darko Milicic doing his best Chris Webber impression). If the Pistons are serious about starting a-fresh (which might not be the case, Joe Dumars has been lacking a lot of seriousness since about 2007) then Monroe will walk into a starting spot. This should be the case. But it might not be. At Summer League, he struggled to assert himself in the post and settled for too many outside looks. He has to get inside, get dirty and play some ball, like he did for Georgetown. Only then will his talents rise through the murky waters of 3rd grade fantasy Centers and into our hearts. Hopefully this happens sooner rather than later. Please note: The Pistons are probably the worst team for fantasy prospects this season. If Rodney Stuckey is your best player, you ain’t getting it done.
117. Wilson Chandler (D. Nowitzki, J. Kidd, A. Iguodala, A. Jamison, A. Brooks, M. Beasley, V. Carter, Y. Ming, D. Cousins): Chandler would have gone a lot higher if it wasn’t for those pesky Golden State players coming to the party. He showed promise last season as a semi-talented swing man who could score when the game was free flowing and he had ample opportunity. His near 48% from the field looks like a bit of an aberration but he should still present this type of value this coming season. He is a New York Knick who probably doesn’t excite that many people this season after the slight disappoint of past campaigns for fantasy owners. I don’t see 35 minutes in the equation either. He gives this team some more punch and doesn’t hurt any categories, which can be a bit of an issue with certain high round picks.
118. Samuel Dalembert (C. Paul, C. Bosh, J. Johnson, R. Gay, M. Williams, C. Kaman, G. Arenas, A. Bynum, A. Kirilenko): I notice a bit of a trend here. I’ve taken Bosh, Kaman, Bynum and now Dalembert. If anything else, at least this team will know how to rebound. I wasn’t very high on Sammy D as soon as the Kings nabbed DeMarcus Cousins in the draft. But over time, I think I have come around a little. He is an established player who showed real flashes of solid basketball last year. He should have no worries seeing off the smaller Jason Thomson for minutes. He hasn’t missed a game in 3 seasons and despite playing a smaller role for the Sixer’s last season, that was because they were crap and the head coach was a nut job. Dalembert is never going to give you lots of points, but his boards and blocks are substantial and something you won’t find from many others at this point in proceedings. With Cousins playing down low with him, it might even open up some doors for extra stat padding. Much like Dalembert, at first I wasn’t too hot on this team, but I really like the last four picks and I think there is some solid structure and direction happening here which is always a good thing for fantasy teams.
119. Jonny Flynn (L. James, B. Roy, C. Billups, J. Noah, K. Love, L. Deng, R. Lewis, T. Splitter, B. Gordon): Even if LBJ does average near double-digit assists, this team still needs a little but of love in that department. Flynn is nearly the last point guard who was a starter last season still left on the board. He didn’t do much to earn this spot, instead sort of falling into it. In fact, he only averaged 4.4 assists per game. Things should be a bit better this season with Luke Ridnour backing him up instead of Ramon Sessions. If he doesn’t nudge past 5+ per game, there is something wrong. Like the majority of sophomore point guards, he should lift his minutes per game, alongside his scoring and assists while shooting a better FG% (41.7 last season, yuck) and less turnovers (2.9 in only 29 minutes). Flynn is not going to set the world on fire at any point soon but he is handy to fill in some gaps late in the draft. 5+ assists per game is still 18-20 per week which will more often than not be the difference at the end of the week. This team is stacked in many other areas (boards, points, blocks, threes) so this doesn’t hurt in the slightest.
120. Serge Ibaka (K. Durant, T. Evans, A. Horford, P. Pierce, M. Camby, J. Terry, M. Thornton, T. Thomas, Ge. Hill): I know I probably shouldn’t have. But gosh darnit, I really wanted to. Air Congo as the Thunder faithful love to call him managed to play 18 minutes per game in his rookie campaign but his playoff performances won him many plaudits which should transform into increased minutes. This is a pure roll of the dice pick. I really don’t know if he will be able to produce substantial value at this stage but the potential is all there. In those 18 minutes per game, he managed 1.3 blocks and 5.4 boards. Give him an extra 7 minutes a game and he is a legit force to be reckoned with in the right team. Furthermore, this is a little bit of insurance against Camby and Thomas who don’t have the best track records when it comes to playing all the games of the season.
So we come to the end of Round 10. A look below shows the teams in their latest new uniforms. While some people are probably shaking their heads at some of these picks, please remember this isn’t a ‘pick the best available player list’ but a way to form teams which would look more like real fantasy teams, each with their own unique styles and each with their flaws which are inevitable at some point in a draft of 156 players. Look out for the last three rounds at fBasketballBlog and around here in the near future.
Team Delicious: K. Durant, T. Evans, A. Horford, P. Pierce, M. Camby, J. Terry, M. Thornton, T. Thomas, Ge. Hill, S. Ibaka
Team Bulls 2.0: L. James, B. Roy, C. Billups, J. Noah, K. Love, L. Deng, R. Lewis, T. Splitter, B. Gordon, J. Flynn
Team Bang Bang: C. Paul, C. Bosh, J. Johnson, R. Gay, M. Williams, C. Kaman, G. Arenas, A. Bynum, A. Kirilenko, S. Dalembert
Team Ipecac: D. Nowitzki, J. Kidd, A. Iguodala, A. Jamison, A. Brooks, M. Beasley, V. Carter, Y. Ming, D. Cousins, W. Chandler
Team 5: K. Bryant, A. Jefferson, M. Ellis, M. Gasol, R. Felton, L. Scola, R. Allen, L. Barbosa, C. Maggette, G. Monroe
Team Stolen Block Party: D. Granger, J. Smith, N. Hilario, D. Rose, J. Richardson, J. Crawford, P. Millsap, T. Parker, R. Lopez, L. Odom
Team 7: P. Gasol, R. Rondo, T. Murphy, Z. Randolph, K. Martin, O.J. Mayo, J.J. Hickson, J. Holiday, R. Hibbert, K. Azubuike
Team Big Time: D. Williams, B. Lopez, D. West, D. Gallinari, H. Turkoglu, B. Griffin, J. Nelson, R. Stuckey, J.R. Smith, G. Oden
Team Frail: S. Curry, C. Anthony, T. Duncan, A. Bogut, D. Harris, K. Garnett, E. Gordon, C. Landry, A. Harrington, J. Calderon
Team Dope: D. Wade, A. Stoudemire, A. Bargnani, B. Davis, A. Randolph, L. Aldridge, T. Ariza, A. Miller, M. Miller, T. Williams
Team Future: G. Wallace, D. Howard, M. Ginobili, R. Westbrook, A. Blatche, J. Wall, C. Butler, E. Turner, E. Brand, C. Frye
Team Know Your Limits: D. Lee, S. Nash, C. Boozer, S. Jackson, J. Green, B. Jennings, J. Salmons, M. Okur, B. Diaw, D. Collison
The Real Trifecta
In recent times, a lot of been made of the three amigos in Miami. Now, call me crazy, but I think the situation smells a little too much like a 7Eleven pie. It might look good, but you know there is something not quite right about it. If it were a Caltex on the other hand…
So if Miami Thrice aren’t the fantasy trio I am hot about, what it? We’re not going to delve into player discussion just yet because we have three months to start doing that. Instead, the issue at hand is categories you should be thinking about when trying to work out players. I’ll state up front that these are purely thoughts related to H2H leagues with 9 categories. Over the past two years I have developed a deep seated hatred for all categories starting with ‘A’. Namely, assists. Instead of focusing on something, I actively focus against something, and assists are that thing. Despite losing the Self Esteem League final two seasons running against teams stacked with point guards, I feel my strategy is primed for a spectacular third year.
Let’s get one thing straight. You load up on assists, you load up on turnovers. You win one category, you automatically lose the other. It’s as simple as that in my books. Exploring this proposition with a quick glance at the assist:turnover ration leaders from last season:
| Chris Paul | 4.29 |
| Carlos Arroyo | 4.17 |
| Jose Calderon | 4.08 |
| Jason Kidd | 3.71 |
| Mike Bibby | 3.44 |
| Chris Duhon | 3.44 |
| Jason Williams | 3.42 |
| Rajon Rondo | 3.23 |
| Deron Williams | 3.17 |
| Eric Maynor | 3.13 |
Stella names… oh wait, it was Carlos Arroyo who led me to that championship, it was Carlos Boozer. You might check that list out and say “wait, what’s he complaining about? CP3, Jason Kidd, Rajon Rondo, the immortal Deron Williams… I don’t see an issue”. And that’s a fair comment, until you realise that no other league leader list looks like this. How many Mike Bibby’s do you see on the points top 10? Or Eric Maynor’s on the blocks top 10? I’m not picking on these guys because they are bad (which they are regardless), but because they have no place alongside league leaders and category building. This list means that while you can draft excellent point guards who will rack up the assists, they will also rack up the turnovers. And even worse? To get those ’2nd tier’ guys which ever category needs, it will cost you even more in turnovers. Derrick Rose averages 1 turnover for ever 2.16 assists. Mo Williams? 2.13.
I understand the counter argument could be that other players who dominate in one category might hurt in others (such as blocks and free throw %). The counter-counter argument to this, is that there are enough options in the league to build a team of high blocking, high rebounding dudes who don’t destroy your FT%. This isn’t the case for assists. Sure, you could grab CP3 in the first round and Steve Nash in the second, but you are still going to need some back up and they are already costings you a combined 5+ turnovers / game. FT% can be won by 2-3 dudes who dominate (Kevin Martin, Durant, Maggette) and then stashing your team with low volume guys who won’t do any damage.
Obviously there is more than any team than focusing on one category as in the above discussion. However I’m just trying to point out that if you lose assists in the right way, you are going to win turnovers in 9 out of 10 weeks and after that, it’s only 4 more categories to victory. This is just a small part of thinking about building a fantasy basketball team, and it’s only one option amongst many. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the majority of people who LOVE fantasy basketball, think the point guard is the best position in the game because of the potential to be so great. Just remember, for every Chris Paul and Deron Williams out there, there are 5 Mike Bibby’s and 10 Carlos Arroyo’s.
Why is this a trifecta you ask? I’m not sure. But I think it has got to do with the fact that point guards are small, fast and annoying. So when you are reading the mindless crap about point guards and power forwards, just remember, half of that mix is toxic.
Fantasy Basketball Awards 2009-10
I suppose these are not the best player, best 6th man etc etc, but more like awards of how I feel during the fantasy season. Everyone has different opinions in most things fantasy related, this is just my take.
The Fantasy Machine Award – David Lee
Can you think of a more consistent player this season? Sure, for a starting Center he never learnt how to block (0.5 per game) but it seemed every single time I glanced at a Knicks scoreboard, there was a 20 and a 10 staring right back at me alongside Lee’s name. When you throw in his league high 3.6 assists per game, the fact he never misses games and his ridiculous shooting percentages, it all comes into place. And just for kicks, his Yahoo average draft position? 45.6. That’s just nasty.
The What The *&! Award – Al Jefferson
You would be forgiven for thinking that Jefferson was injured for sinigficant amounts of time this season. However, you’d be wrong. He has missed just 6 games this year but more than anything, he has missed the ball in his hands. This season in Minny, he attempted under 15 shots per game. If you want something to compare that against, he had 19 last year and 17 the year before that. Throw a four year low in rebounding (9.2), a three year low in scoring (17.1) and a pretty large regression blocks (1.3, down from 1.7) and you see why owners who took Big Al early in the second round are disappointed. The biggest let down though, is that the potential was there however owners could never tell which Al Jefferson would show up. In March, AJ was 19/11/2 but even that included a 5 game stretch without 10+ boards. Who knows what’s in store next year.
The I Didn’t Know He Could Do That Award – Zach Randolph
While everyone knew he could put up 20/10, no-one really expected it. Nor did anyone think he would fit into Memphis or play every game. Z-Bo proved the doubters wrong and had one of the most productive power forward seasons. He easily compares to players like Carlos Boozer and even Tim Duncan. While he still likes to jack the more than occasional three bomb (29% on 0.7 attempts per game) and struggles on the block (0.4 per game), he kept his turnovers low (2.2) while contributing 20.8 points and 11.7 boards per game. It’s impressive in anyone’s language. You can expect to see him go around the third or fourth round next season.
The I Wish I Had Of Taken Him Award – Marc Gasol
While he has missed a few games at the end of the season, this year’s Yahoo average draft pick number 119 has been a pleasant surprise for owners. I thought his numbers would dip considerably with Da Beet and Z-Bo onboard in Memphis but the more manly of the Gasol brothers stepped up and proved himself. He shot 58.6% from the field on 14.6 points per game, which when paired up with his 9.3 boards and 1.6 blocks per, put him in the conversation with significant 2nd tier fantasy centers.
The I’m Glad I Didn’t Touch Him Award – Greg Oden/Anthony Randolph
The worst thing about Oden is he after owners picked him up on the cheap at the back ends of the draft, he actually played like a demon. 11/8/2 while shooting 60% from the field and under 2 turnovers… all in 24 minutes! He was the bargain of the season. Then just when you everything was going to plan, he does his knee (and takes naughty photos). Just like that, it was over nearly before it even started. Poor Portland? Poor fantasy owners more like it.
At least Oden gave you something. Do you remember the sheer excitement surrounding Ant-Rand back in October? Well. If. You. Dont. Go. Back. And. Look. Phew. Everyone did it. He was a standard 6 round pick. It’s not your fault… blame Don Nelson. Just remember, sometimes the risk isn’t worth the reward and despite all the hype and skills in the world, events can conspire against even the best fantasy prospect.
The I Told You So Award – Andrew Bogut
Now, no-one likes the cocky bloke in the corner, but Andrew Bogut was always going to have a productive fantasy year. It’s such a pity the big fella went down with an awful elbow injury but at least his fantasy doubters are gone for next season. His other worldly 2.5 blocks per game is second only to Dwight in the league, while his 16 and 10 was like gravy all season long. His turnovers? Down (1.9 per game). FT%? Up to a career high (62.9%). Delicious.
The Rookie Award – Steph Curry
I was going to go with ‘Reke because 20/5/5 is damn impressive, but you know what? That’s basically a 2nd rate Joe Johnson and I’m not about that. Curry, the little devil, can do many other things. Like drop 2.1 three bombs per game while still shooting 46% from the field. Throw in 1.9 steals and 87% freebies and you have a winner. Sure, the kid can’t play defense, but that just makes him a better fantasy player in my eyes. Also, anyone sharing a backcourt with Monta Ellis deserves some respect because that dude is a dead set loser. Curry – 2nd rounder next year. Lock it in.
The Old Guy Who Keeps Surprising Everyone Award – Marcus Camby
The three players sitting BEHIND Camby in average stats this season according to Yahoo? Kobe, Boozer and D-Will. Yes, you probably aren’t going to draft him over those guys, but this 86 year old knows how to get it done still. He has never been much of a scorer (7.5 points per game) but boy can he do big man stats with gusto. 2 blocks, nearly 12 boards, 1.3 steals and only 1.2 turnovers per game. In fantasy terms, that’s like bank interest and it just keeps compounding. I dare say he won’t go too early next year, but don’t be surprised when you see him name pop up on the rankings lists once again.
The That Guy Who Didn’t Surprise Anyone Award – Trevor Ariza
I really wanted it all to work out for Ariza. He was the one likeable guy on the Lakers championship squad and they basically screwed him. But what happens when he has to be a star? Epic fail. 39% shooting on nearly 14 shots per game (ouch), 65% from the free throw line and only marginal increases in blocks, steals and boards despite playing 50% more game time (36 minutes per game). Anyone who took Ariza, and most took him after the 8th round according to Yahoo, probably didn’t trust his transformation into a big game player. Well folks, in this case, everyone was right. Perhaps he can turn things around next season with the return of Yao but if you are going to jack up 6 three’s per game, you should try and hit more than 33% of them. Something to work on in the off season.
The Never Again Award – Jose Calderon
In my leagues, no-one liked Calderon. He fell all the way to #44 the league I invest my heart and soul into and even at that spot, he failed to live up to the hype. From my reckoning, there is always something fishy going on if the best thing you do (in this case, free throws), is only happening a tick over twice per game. I don’t care if you shoot 100%, it’s not going to make up for the fact I have Josh Smith playing at the PF. This season, Calderon found… the bench. I’m sure owners were sick of him after 4 weeks, let alone the whole season. Which is a tad ironic, because it was right at the end of the season where he kind of turned it around with some quality games. Next season, you can expect his mock draft spot to be in relative free fall compared to this season.
Some good end of season stuff from around the interwebs:
GiveMeTheRock ask just how good the King and the Durantula really are this season.
NBAMate’s resident fantasy guru has a wrap of the season
Tom Carpenter from ESPN has his fantasy awards while Rotoworld chip in with theirs as well.
C4 fantasy sports with his awards for the season.
Iggy, Crawford and T-Will highlight a solid session of NBA
Headlines
1) Andre Iguodala. The Sixers might not be winning many games recently, but Iggy has stepped it up. Today’s 33 points, 11 assists and 8 boards (4 triples, 5 steals) is just a continuation of his awesome form. In his past 5 games, he is shooting 64%, hitting 2 treys and grabbing 2.5 steals. His Yahoo O-Rank of 22 looks set to rise next season if he keeps it up. If he could shot free throws, he would be a first rounder.
2) Jamal ‘Mad Dog’ Crawford. Sometimes you might think about benching Crawford because ATL has a 3 game week with walk over opponents. Don’t do it. Ever. With J.J out, he led the Hawks with 29 points, 6 treys and 6 assists. Holy Easter Bunny. While he doesn’t do much except shoot and score, the fact that he does it better than anyone else in the league counts for something. Has to be the 6th man of the year. He is another who is set to climb the draft rankings next season.
3) Terrence Williams. I was on the T-Will bandwagon a long time ago… before I fell off it due to lackluster effort. That corner has officially been turned. Williams is showing in the late season that he can do just about anything. Today he has 14 assists (and only 2 turnovers) to go with 14 points. If given the opportunity, this man is going to make a major impact next year. He is a walking small forward double-double. When he increases his field goal percentage (when, not if), he will be the 2008 version of Richard Jefferson.
In Depth – Taj Gibson
All the fancy talk about Rookie of the Year is about Tyreke Evans and Steph Curry, which is more than understandable. What isn’t, is that there is very little talk about Gibson. While he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, he has done a few things others haven’t. He took a starting job off an established position player (Tyrus Thomas). He is still a chance to play in the playoffs. And most importantly, he has shown up to play when most required. In March, with Joakim Noah down and Thomas and Salmons shipped out, Gibson had his best month of his short career. He averaged 10+ points, 8+ boards, 1.3 blocks while shooting 51% from the field and a respectable 76% from the stripe (65% on the year). While the Bulls lost their first 9 games of March, Gibson showed he could play with the best going 9 from 14 against the Cavs and 6 of 10 against the Magic. These little signs are good for the future. In his last game, an 8 point victory over the Bobcats, he grabbed 15 boards even with Noah sitting in the paint to grab 16 of his own. The fact these two can play and gel together is good news for the Bulls and really great news for fantasy production next year. With a summer spent building on already solid fundamentals, this guy will be one to watch next year.
Stockwatch
Buy: Jose Calderon. If you look closely, you will see his struggles are over. 16 and 10, 2 triples and only one turnover. While he still can’t play defense (the above mentioned T-Will walked all over him), at least it should bring a smile to anyone who held onto him all season.
Sell: Andrew Bogut. In what I think is probably one of the saddest on-court stories on the year, Bogut suffered a probable season-ending elbow injury against the Suns today. With the Bucks cruising towards 5th place in the East against all expectations, this throws them into chaos heading into the playoffs.
Hold: Boris Diaw. You never know what you’ll get from the big frenchman (apart from the unexpected). He had 18 points to go with 7 boards and 6 assists against Chi-Town today but he one of the most frustrating players to own for fantasy due to his inconsistency, ability to turn the ball over and inability to hit the deep shots (despite always having a solid go)
Forecast
Basketball Monster says the Warriors have the 4th best schedule over the next week, which includes 4 games. When you mention that those four teams are the Raptors, T’wolves, Clippers and Wizards, it becomes downright juicy. One player in particular has become almost indispensable which is slightly amusing given Yahoo didn’t even have his photo until about 3 weeks ago. Anthony Tolliver, the former D-Leaguer and 6”9 Center is playing for big money next year. This week should cement it. Apart from perhaps the Raptors with Bosh and Bargnani, he will draw the bigger guys out of the paint, run and shoot all day. While this may or may not help the Warriors (who really knows what will happen on any given day), it will certainly be amazing for his fantasy production in the next week. As a starter he is averaging 13 points, 6 boards and 1.5 triples (nearly Bargnani numbers, expect he didn’t come with a 5th round draft pick). This week, you can expect bucket loads more of everything. In his two games against the Clippers so far, he averaged 24 points with 3 triples. Delicious. If there is one thing you can bank on in regard to the Warriors, whatever happens, it’ll be a ride.
Around the League
I may not agree with anything posted here, but it’s an interesting read. Stephen Jackson, your MVP.
And in related news, Jackson or Troy Murphy for keeper league next year? Weigh in here.
A closer look at Iggy’s numbers from today.
And a fantasy round up from GMTR.
What Thunder fans have been waiting for. And a recap of their win from a Mav’s perspective.
This sort of sums up my feelings of the Celtics. Although Bogut being out and them having a 4 seed may change that.
D-Wade is just disgustingly good.
And finally. If you are after a schedule grid, this is the best one I’ve found. While for instant results with a bit of extra, the previously mentioned Basketball Monster is the place to be.
