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Subject: RIHC 2005-06: Draft Rationales (rounds 8-15)
Posted by: Guru
- [330592710] Thu, Oct 20, 2005, 13:36
This thread will continue with rationales for rounds 8-15 of the 2005-06 RIHC draft.
For the ground rules and rationales for rounds 1-7, go to this thread. |
| Only the 50 most recent replies are currently shown. Click on this text to display hidden posts as well. |
| 49 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 00:27
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11.07 Raja Bell, SG, Pho
I tried to trade up to get Brezec because I knew KnicksFan would take him, and I figured Tosh might. Swatted away like a layup in the face of Shaquille O’Neal. Figured If Brezec was gone I’d go with Bell, and if both were gone, Jameer Nelson.
Big minutes should be there for Bell and along with that points, 3s, steals, with a smattering of rebounds and assists. Bell broke into this league by being an in-your-face defender who shut down big scorers in big games. Yet, he’s no Bruce Bowen; he actually has an offensive game.
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| 50 | for Doug
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 09:24
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11.08 Shaun Livingston, G, LAC I figured the Clippers were just resting him in the preseason, going easy on his back… then the morning after I draft him I read a report that the team is getting concerned about his status and might add another PG to the roster. His timetable for return is uncertain. Yeesh. Talk about crappy timing.
Assuming he gets healthy, he’s not only Cassell insurance, but I actually think they both could put up good numbers as part of a guard rotation. Lots of upside on assists and steals, which were two areas where I felt I needed depth. I also considered Doug Christie for his steals and FT%, but I’m concerned about how much playing time he’ll get… enough that I probably have changed my mind and won’t even take him in round 12 if he makes it back to me.
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| 51 | for hoopsklyce
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 09:25
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11.09 Deron Williams, G, Uth Looking at my roster I saw a lack of true point guards and my projected average statistics was only around 3.0 apg. I looked at available PGs and decided to take a chance with Williams, At the time he was shooting a decent FG% and I figured he had to be good if he was taken before Chris Paul in the real NBA draft. My other consideration here was Sarunas J but I figured SJ might last until my next pickn which he did.
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| 52 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 09:26
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11.10 Luol Deng, G/F, Chi
I looked over the NBA depth charts for all teams, and there are still about 20 projected starters available. A few of those guys may be so limited that they go undrafted, and rightfully so. And there are plenty of non-starters who could still offer value.
One of the starters still there is Luol Deng. He played in only 61 games last year, but with only one year of pro play (to go with one year of college play), it’s too early to deem him an injury waiting to happen – even though he already has a bruised hand this preseason. As a second year player, I’m looking for him to build on last year’s stats, hopefully exceeding 30 minutes per game, and delivering 12+ ppg, with 2.5 assists, 6 rebounds, a steal, and percentages that won’t detract.
Oh yeah, and he’s a G/F. By now, I’ve said that three times, so I guess the marginal benefit is lessening.
The only other player I seriously considered here was Bonzi Wells, but I decided to take the youngster from Duke, rather than the older and often unsatisfied vet. I’d really like to have gotten Primoz Brezec with this pick, but even though he slid to 11.06, it sounds like he suddenly went into high demand at that point.
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| 53 | Pacers Rule
ID: 31261810
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 13:36
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11.10 Bonzi Wells, SG, SAC
As much as this is the type of player I would never want to draft, basically because he’s a punk, I can’t ignore his opportunity in Sacramento. With Portland’s extreme lack of depth at the 2 guard, he’s probably going to play 35 minutes easily, maybe 40 if he does well. Bonzi has a lot to prove coming off of a negative experience in Portland and a negative ending in Memphis. He seems to recognize this opportunity to remake his career and though I am somewhat skeptical that he’s ‘reformed’ enough to become a model citizen, I’m hoping he can at least shape up enough not to get benched.
Bonzi brings scoring and steals and the best part about him is he’s playing in Adelman’s offense. For some reason Adelman seems to have the Midas touch with his players. When players show up on his team, their stats magically improve. I’m looking for 5 to 6 rebounds from Bonzi this year, and a bump back up to maybe 4 assists if he gets into the share the rock mentality there in Sactown. He shoots a reasonable % from the line (though not great for a guard) but does shoot decent from the field, esp. for a guard. He’s not going to help me in blocks, but you can’t have it all, esp. in the 11th round.
I looked at Amare here, but really hoped he would make it past LPG, and I also looked at Radmanovic. However, LPG needs another PF and he needs 3's, so why not be a nice guy and let him get his man. I was hoping to snag Deron Williams with this pick, but predictably, hoopsklyce gobbled him up a couple picks prior, since he still lacked a PG after 10 rounds. I did give Jameer Nelson a look, but even though he may not make it back to me in the 13th, I don’t know enough about his game to pull the trigger. Another consideration was Antonio Daniels here, but it’s hard to imagine him getting enough clock behind Gilbert Arenas. Because I have Camby, I’m also looking to pick up Nene at some point for insurance, but I’m hoping that he’s going to still be there at the end of the draft.
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| 54 | lionprideguy @work
ID: 55948120
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 15:43
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11.12 Kenny Thomas, PF, Sac
After his trade to Sacramento last year, Thomas put up some of the best numbers of his career. He's athletic, has a decent mid-range jumper, and can pass, which makes him a perfect fit for the Kings system. I know he's in a position battle with Shareef right now, but Rick Adelman has said recently in the Sacramento Bee that no matter which one starts he considers both Shareef and Thomas 2 of his top 6 players, and is committed to finding minutes for both of them. While this may come partially at the expense of my earlier pick Brad Miller, it doesn't mean I can't take advantage of Thomas' time.
In 26 games with Sacramento last year, Thomas put up 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal per game, while shooting 49% and 72% from the line. This was from just being thrown into the mix mid-season, and I think that with a full training camp with the Kings he has a good chance to better learn the system. In an offense where the big men get assists, steals, and easy shots, I don't mind having 2/3 of the Kings frontcourt rotation. (Update: since the pick, Thomas completely sat out one game for the Kings as Adelman is talking about the struggle of finding minutes for all his players. That wasn't encouraging, when I planned on the 4/5 spots just being a rotation of Miller, Shareef, and Thomas. Hopefully it was just a preseason thing and Adelman will go back to playing a his main 7-8 guys heavy minutes instead of a deeper rotation.)
12.01 J.R. Smith, SG, Nor
Looking to address a need, sort of. I'm badly behind on 3-point shooters and while Smith isn't exactly a dead-eye shooter, he should put enough up this year to hit a few a game for a Hornets team desperately in need of scorers. Only 19, he's going to get better, and is already being looked to as the team's leading scorer this year. He's going to have some extremely bad nights I expect, but this late in the draft I'll take a chance on a guy who will play big minutes and get lots of shots. He should grow and improve as the season goes on, and post-all star break last year he put up 15 points with 2.5 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Add in an offseason of work now that he's got an idea of the NBA game, a lack of talent on the team, and the news that he's already grown at least another inch in the offseason, and at least there's potential here.
Other players I considered were Radmanovic (PR was right) and Marc Jackson. With nothing being a sure thing at this point, I ultimately went with the guys who I knew would get more minutes. Radmanovic is still mostly one-dimensional, so I was worried he'd get squeezed for PT, although he would have been more of a safe pick and can hit more 3's than anybody else still on the board. Marc Jackson has been playing great with the Nets in the preseason, getting easy buckets from Kidd, and shoots a high FT% for a big man. But I wasn't sure how New Jersey is going to split the minutes once Collins returns, and Jackson doesn't seem to be getting many reb's for a post.
Finally, I did think about taking Amare here, and once my initial picks of Deng and Wells came off the board just ahead of me, I left for my work event that morning assuming I'd pick Stoudamire and thinking about who that second player might be. I knew that there was no way he'd survive rounds 12/13, when people are getting deep in their roster or picking bench players beyond their first 12, and make it back to me at 13.12. With Eddy Curry and T.J. Ford already on my team, I figured I shouldn't take another big risk though.
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| 55 | for Pacers Rule
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 18:40
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12.02 Vladimir Radmanovic, PF, SEA
As my previous rationale indicates, I was really not expecting him to make it back around to me here. So even though I had decided to go with Amare with this pick, in hopes that he could come back strong after the ASB, when Radmanovic was still on the board at this pick, I had to think it through. In the end, I decided that Amare was too much of a question mark to give up Radmanovic’s likely solid production. Oh yeah, and Radmanovic has a sore foot and has been missing games.
Apparently this time I got the sequence of my two picks right (Bonzi, Radmanovic) as opposed to when I batched them at the end of round 3 (Wallace, Odom, which turned into Wallace, Camby).
Funny thing is if I would have been trying to get both players for myself, I would have possibly taken them in the reverse order, since I was so sure LPG was going to be all about a PF who snags 5 boards, hits 2 3's, and shoots 80% from the line. He also gets nearly a steal a game and is in a contract year this year. There is some risk that Seattle is not going to play him as many minutes in part b/c they have little incentive to see his stats bloat up and dictate a bigger contract. Also, they have plenty of depth at the 4 and 5 spots, and Rashard Lewis eats up big time minutes at the 3. I still expect Vladimir to play the bulk of his minutes at the 4, splitting time with another quality big in Seattle with a different skill set, but also to get the rest of his starter’s minutes covering Rashard’s spot when he takes his breathers. Rashard has also had some injury issues, so if he happens to go down, that opens up all the more minutes for Vladimir.
Another feel good thing about this pick is that Vladimir is young and getting better. His FT% has climbed each year in the league, for example. He has pretty decent upside as well as a fairly solid role on his team. All in all, I thought he was a very nice player for the 12th round.
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| 56 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 24, 2005, 18:43
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12.03 Ikechukwa Somotochukwa Diogu, C/F, GS
One of the benefits of nabbing Yao and Z early is that I didn’t have to use mid-round picks chasing a center. But it would be a good idea to have at least one other center-eligible player. You never know what might happen. And with 168 games to fill from my center slots combined, I’ll probably have 10-15 games to fill even if both of my regular centers stay reasonably healthy.
The three options I found most appealing (least unappealing) were Diogu, Lorenzen Wright, and Kelvin Cato. None of the three have been healthy in preseason. Wright and Cato have had ample opportunities in prior years to prove themselves, and while they have occasionally shown fantasy viability, the accent is on occasionally.
Diogu is a rookie, so he has no professional history to dissuade me. I’ve seen him characterized as a Malik Rose with more offense, cited by one site as offering “Elton Brand upside and Gary Trent downside”. He’s only 6-8, so this may be the only season he ever has center eligilibity, but I only need him for one season. RotoWire projects him for almost 11 points and 7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and good percentages (80% FT), and those sound rather optimistic to me – but I’d be thrilled if they’re right. And if not, even Gary Trent had his moments of brilliance, right?
Amare was also a serious consideration here. If he comes back to play 30 games at something close to full proficiency, then I think he’s good value here. But if, as RotoWire predicts, he only plays in 20, it’s a marginal call. That might be a reasonable bet to take here – and probably no riskier than a bet on a rookie forward with a broken hand – but I decided that I like Ike. (I’ll bet Amare goes sometime in the 12th round, however.)
I peeked at the other RIHC qualifying league drafts on Kafenatid.net, and noted that Diogu was taken at exactly pick 12.02 in all three of them! Since I got him at pick 12.03, it appears I’ve got a certifiable bargain!
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| 59 | for Hoopsklyce
Leader
ID: 02730280
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 03:23
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12.04 Sarunas Jasikevicius, G IND
Although a rookie, he has plenty of experience and developed a reputation as a clutch shooter in Europe (or wherever he was). He has three point potential and although projected to be a backup to the injury prone Jamaal Tinsley, he could end up starting at some point for the Pacers. He has the potential to contribute assists and threes.
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| 60 | Doug
Leader
ID: 02730280
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 03:24
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12.05 – Marvin Williams, F, ATL
Lots of potential upside here… he’s a rookie who’s looking good in the preseason and theoretically should only improve as the season goes on. [Editor’s note: Then later that night after I drafted him, he played 9 minutes with 0 points and 1 board… hopefully the prior 4 games were more indicative of what I can expect than this performance was!]
I figure he’ll get me some steals, boards, and over 80% FTs… all things that I’m looking for. As mentioned before, I also considered Christie because of his steals and FT%... however, I’m just feeling less and less confident that Christie will get the opportunities. [And suddenly feeling the same now about Marvin. *cry* He even had to leave the game with a sore knee on Saturday and didn’t play on Monday. Livingston now out for 4 weeks. Grr… suddenly these late round picks aren’t looking so hot for me…]
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| 61 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 41831612
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 10:40
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12.06 Jameer Nelson, PG, Orl
I like Nelson at this point because he has a big upside and because I considered him last round. Whether starting or off the bench, he should get good minutes and has a good all-around game. Assists, steals, some points and threes are expected. Also considered McCants, who seems to be mostly a scorer at this point.
If a disgruntled Francis performs poorly or shows even a worse attitude, he could eventually be moved......and I don't just mean to shooting guard.
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| 62 | for Knicksfan
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 12:24
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12.07 - Chris Duhon, G, CHI This is a pretty simple pick. I needed a point guard and Duhon is the best starting point guard remaining. Earlier in the preseason it seemed like Ben Gordon would move into the starting lineup but Coach Skiles doesn't think Ben is comfortable in that role. Duhon will continue to start this season, although he'll probably lose some more minutes to Gordon. Duhon doesn't put up big numbers, but if anyone in the backcourt gets injured he'll have good value.
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| 63 | Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 12:25
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12.08 - Hidayet Turkoglu, FG, ORL -
Grant Hill was one of our favorite comeback stories last season. Turkoglu had career highs in scoring, assists, and minutes per game last year (his first year with the Magic), but just won’t see the playing time to make him a valuable fantasy option … unless Grant Hill gets hurt. Here it is, just a short time until the regular season starts, and Hill is having MRIs done on possible muscle injuries. Enter Turkoglu.
If Turkoglu is able to get starter minutes, he’ll provide average scoring, assists, and rebounds, and a good ability to make the three. If he doesn’t get the minutes, he’ll possibly end up as waiver-wire fodder. I certainly hope it’s the former.
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| 64 | for skinneej
ID: 330592710
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 12:33
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12.09 Theo Ratliff, C, POR
Well, I really messed this pick up. Not because I took Theo, but because of who I didn't take. One of the problems with being on vacation and having three slow drafts going on at the same time was keeping track of each draft separately. I had three stacks of draft sheets plus multiple excel files going and this was the first time I got them shuffled. I had Amare pegged since the last pick at 11.04 as the top guy on my list. I figured if he made it back to me, it was time to store him for the second half and still have a solid team going forward. Somewhere in the time that I got back to the hotel room and before making my pick, I was concentrating on the wrong team that still needed a center. That team is in a keeper league, so Amare was not in the available pool, and Theo was at the top of my list there. Hence, Theo was my pick. Doh!
Well, one area I did need to address was blocks, so Theo may have some value, but he is likely to only see 20-25 mins per game if healthy. While he can still get 2+ blocks and 6+ rebounds a game in that time, he is a marginal player for a 12th round selection. Unless Joel P. get injured or becomes ineffective, I only see Theo having limited value for my team.
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| 65 | Slackjawed Yokel
Leader
ID: 052347519
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 15:28
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12.10 Doug Christie, G, Dal
Christie is slated to be the starting SG for the Mavs. Of course, he's getting up there in age and did absolutely nothing last year partly because of injuries and has Marquis Daniels coming off the bench behind him. He's supposedly recovered from his injury, but is still icing his ankle in the preseason. So, tempered expectations aside, I still like what he can provide which is steals and high shooting percentages - two areas I was trying to address with this selection.
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| 66 | Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 15:46
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12.11 Marc Jackson, FC, NJN
Dave, are you watching this? Net number 3 for the Euros. You better make sure these guys play well this year, or i'll be holding you personally responsible! ;)
It's getting difficult here. Not a lot of players are screaming "pick me!". So, it seems a good time to concentrate on the specific weakness of FT%. 2 names were in the hat here - Marc and Des Mason, who Dave subsequently picked anyway. Marc is not a great rebounder, but he does get to the line almost 5 times a game and made his freebies at an 83% clip last year. Some more trips to the line are possible this year, given a possible increase in PT from 24 mpg in Philly, and not much in the way of frontcourt help on the bench in NJ. Why Jackson over Mason? We have our fill of swingmen already, and it's silly not to take the C eligible option when 2 similar players are available. Especially when scrambling to get out of the rather precarious C hole we have managed to dig ourselves.
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| 67 | Dave R
Dude
ID: 3010361110
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 17:33
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12.12 Rashad McCants G Min
Exit Cassell, Hoiberg, and Spree. Enter McCants. This is more of a pick for " down the road " a bit this season as most depth charts list Trenton Hassell currently as the starter, however I expect that is likely to change.
McCants is considered an outstanding shooter, with excellent range. He shoots for a high percentage. With the above three mentioned gone, I expect the T-Wolves will give him plenty of opportunities. Hopefuly he will make the most of the opportunity.
Although there have been some questions of his attitude and defensive intensity, I fully expect the Euro's main man, KG, to make sure that doesn't become a problem. 12 ppg , 3 assists and RB's and over 100 treys would be very useful.
13.01 Desmond Mason F Mil
Desmond is one of those players that won't do an awful lot to help significantly, but won't do anything to hurt. Athletic, and a excellent scorer, he will be relegated to coming off the bench with the addition of Simmons to Milwaukee. But Mason will still get his minutes and could be a candidate for 6th man of the year.
Rotowire projects 17 ppg, 4 rb's and a couple of assists per game. For his career he shoots 45% from the floor and 78% form the charity stripe.
All in all, I feel I got excellent value with Desmon in the 13th round
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| 68 | Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 18:33
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13.02 Amare Stoudemire, FC, PHO
Well, someone had to take him! And we're pretty sure this is about the right slot for Amarebeast. And judging by the comments from previous picks, we guaged it about right. We considered him in the previous set of picks, but there were still some C holes we needed to address. With that now sorted out (as best as it can be in rounds 10-12), and no one else that we really wanted here, time for a gamble. In the worst case scenario, he doesn't play at all. In the best case, he comes back on schedule around the ASB, and gives us a couple of months of 75% Amare numbers. A boost like that can help to win a fantasy title in the closing months, and that's what we are hoping for.
The nice thing about taking him here as it's very likely we'll be able to pick up an FA of comparable quality to a 13th round pick. Although, with the new rules regarding IL status, things are still a bit up in the air as to how Yahoo are going to handle this.
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| 70 | Slackjawed Yokel
Leader
ID: 052347519
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 19:58
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13.03 Michael Finley, SF, SAS
This pick was all about giving Finley a second chance. Last year I picked him up in the fourth round - really my only stinker of a pick of the first six rounds. (I hate to keep bringing up my awesome draft last year, but he was sandwiched between Dirk, Nash, Amare, Wade, and Okafor). Somehow with that stacked lineup I ended up 9 points out of first - and for that I have to blame Finley (or this guy named bron-bron...). I figure this additional motivation might be enough to propel Finley to 10th round stats in which case in the 13th round he'd be a steal.
Actually, I'm not sure exactly what to expect out of Finley. He'll definitely be playing a different role with the defending world champs, but he still has skills and should produce. The problem is he'll be even more inconsistent than last year, but I think I can live with that in the 13th round.
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| 71 | skinneej
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 20:53
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13.04 - Channing Frye, C, NYK
This was a impulse pickup based on what I saw happening in the pre-season and, when not getting confused with the other leagues, he was being taken about this point. While the book on him is too thin and injury prone, he could be a Camby-esque player and get points, rebs and blocks while being listed as a center also helps his trade value. Not sure if I will keep this pick or look to trade him, but at this point in the draft, it is time to look for potential sleepers.
One side note about the final three rounds of a draft. I have studied drafts in all sports over the past few years, and found that at this point, the picks have about 50% chance of panning out. The second to last round is about half that (25%) and the final round is another half (12.5%). Looking at totals for a 12 team league, I have only seen 1-2 players in the last round of any draft that end up having any value at all for the season. The next to last round there may be 3-4 players that have some impact, and the third to last round about half will end up useful during the season. I have not officially tested this, but I also have not seen any information to reject my null hypothesis. I guess it comes down to what threshold you set for being a "useful" player.
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| 72 | Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 20:55
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13.05 – Lorenzen Wright, C, MEM -
I’m scanning up and down the list of available players trying to just find a starter. Wright might fit the bill. Another serviceable center that has the skills to average a double-double if he got the playing time. Of course, I seem to think the same thing about him every year … and every year I’m wrong. He’s the only experienced center on the Grizzlies, but it sounds like Gasol will spend some time there. Wright is in the last year of his contract … always a reason to consider drafting a guy.
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| 73 | KnicksFan
Donor
ID: 030815418
Tue, Oct 25, 2005, 22:52
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13.06 John Salmons, GF, PHI
Coach Maurice Cheeks had this to say:
When Allen (Iverson) comes back we can take him off the ball and run the offense through Allen with Johnny (Salmons) handling the ball or we can have Allen on the ball and run the offense through Johnny. He is an effective player that can help create mismatches at the one spot, the two spot or even the three when there are certain guys guarding him. When he’s out on the floor, he pushes the ball and gets us in the penalty where we can get to the foul line. If we can end up shooting 16 for 20 foul shots that’s a lot of foul shots. I just try and tell him to drive the basketball. He’s shown his versatility by putting the ball on the floor and he trusts his own teammates that if someone steps up and to take his drive away, he can either stand or kick the ball out to an open shooter.
Salmons has been outstanding this preseason, and Cheeks is ready to use him at 3 positions. It looks like Salmons will be first off the bench, and will probably contend for 6th man of the year. He's a great scorer, gets to the line a lot, and can rebound and pass. Not bad for the 13th round.
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| 78 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 41831612
Wed, Oct 26, 2005, 09:18
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13.07 Jim Jackson, GF, Pho
Love the dual G/F eligibility, though with my lineup I’ll probably use him more at forward. Love the FT % of 93%, ability to knock down 3s (122), and wide open Phoenix style. Jackson still contributes small amounts in the other categories, though nowhere near as much as in earlier years. FG% has dropped some due to his game becoming more perimeter. With the 151st pick I’m getting a guy I can plug in whenever, and wherever, I want.
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| 79 | Doug
Leader
ID: 02730280
Wed, Oct 26, 2005, 13:01
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13.08 – Nene Hilario, C, DEN
Looking for some boards and still feeling I needed to shore up steals… I had Nene targeted for this pick for a while. I figured Pacers Rule might take him as Camby insurance, so I couldn’t wait until round 14. And I definitely needed to get a 2nd C to start the season, but didn’t want to over-pay because I expect Murphy and/or Abdur-Rahim will become C-eligible at some point.
I think Nene could put up pretty decent numbers this year even if Camby is healthy all season long (*snicker* *snicker*)… so I really like his value and upside at this point in the draft.
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| 80 | for hoopsklyce
ID: 330592710
Wed, Oct 26, 2005, 17:35
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13.09 Delonte West, G, Bos
I took West despite him being the third PG in a row in my draft. I figured at this point one of the three should pan out. West is projected to start for Boston and has shown some abilities in the steal category. His immediate backup is a fellow named Orien Green or something like that - so perhaps he won't push West too much once the games start counting.
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| 81 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Oct 26, 2005, 17:38
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13.10 Kelvin Cato, C, Orl
Even assuming a roster with reasonably good health, it requires 13 full-time players to use up the 1008 games available for each team. Thus, at least one bench slot has to be considered as a starter (or each bench slot has to start one-third of the time). So just because this is pick 13, I can’t assume that this player won’t be needed. I might need to play him full time.
Yikes!
Last year, my 14th round pick was Udonis Haslem, so it is possible to find diamonds in the rough at this stage. Well, maybe cubic zirconias.
So who are the zircons?
I’ll start with Kelvin Cato, who is still expected to start at center for Orlando. He’s still recovering from shoulder surgery, and has only played 7 minutes so far this preseason. So I’ll probably start him on the bench until he works his way into game shape. At that point, I’ll hope for some rebounds, some blocks, and as many points as the rest of the team will let him have. He should shoot 50% from the floor, but probably only mid-60s from the line, unless last year’s 78% FT shooting wasn’t just an aberration.
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| 82 | Pacers Rule
Donor
ID: 910311210
Thu, Oct 27, 2005, 02:19
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13.11 Antonio Daniels, PG, WAS
Here I had several guys on my radar that I hoped would be available at this pick. Like others, I had hoped to nab Amare in this round after I came oh so close to taking him early in the 12th round. Time will tell if that was a good pass or a bad one.
I had my eye on Jimmy Jackson as the Nash and the Suns can only be good for his numbers. But courtesy of Mike D, that was not to be. I was also hoping that Nene would eventually be on my roster, but I really didn't think he'd get pulled in this round. I figured I'd have to decide to take him here or risk him making it past LionPrideGuy to me again in the 14th. I wanted him primarily as insurance for Camby, since if Camby goes down, Nene's stock rises sharply. He'd be a nice player to stash on the bench, just in case, and who knows, he could even earn a fantasy starter role if he gets minutes and plays to his potential.
However, since he was surprisingly gone, I went ahead with a player that is probably a better real player than his fantasy numbers will bear out in his situation as a reserve in Washington. But similar to Nene/Camby- since I have Arenas- if Arenas goes down, Daniels' numbers will rise. Antonio shoots a nice percentage from the line and from the floor as well, and should see enough time to rack up some assists. All of those things were things my team could use, and considering who was left on the board, I felt he was my guy here late in the 13th.
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| 83 | lionprideguy
Leader
ID: 906204
Thu, Oct 27, 2005, 03:22
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13.12 Matt Harpring, F, Uta
As everybody is mentioning, things start to get a little thin at this point. There were only two guys I was sure I would want to take here as it got close - Jim Jackson since I need a shooter so bad, but he didn't even get close to falling to me, and then Antonio Daniels who was a no-brainer to me. Sadly, PR grabbed Daniels right before me once again, so I had to go with alternate plans.
Harpring isn't a potential all-star, breakout performer, but he is a solid all-around guy who is a safe utility pick at this spot. His %'s are good, and he averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal last year when he played. I don't expect quite that much again, but something slightly less than that would still be nice. I'm sure he's fallen to here since he's been injured, and rotations for the Jazz are still a bit up in the air. But he's still under 30 years old and one of the leaders of the Jazz team, so I expect he'll still get consistant minutes at both SG and SF once he's healthy. I initially drafted him thinking he'd be an IR player for the first few weeks, then he even came back early to play a bit this week. If he was healthy from the start, he would have gone a few rounds ago, so I'm happy with the value and stats he gives me at this pick.
14.01 Danny Granger, F, Ind
Obviously a quick pick made mostly on some nice preseason numbers so far. I know he's not going to get the same minutes at the start of the year since Indiana's so deep, but every report I've read since last year's draft always said he was one of the most NBA-ready players out there, and could make an immediate impact. Unfortunately he's buried a bit with the Pacers roster, but he might be playing well enough to force some PT anyway. Recent games with 15 rebounds and 11 rebounds, getting blocks, steals, and 3's from a 6'9" guy - at least there's potential here. Maybe I just stash him on my bench for a few weeks and see what happens, how his PT develops. If Artest has another blow-up, or Bender or Jermaine get another injury, all of which happen with greater than normal occasion, Granger could get some decent time and pay off. Or be waiver fodder in a few weeks, who knows. But without a lot of big potential players left, might as well take a chance on a rookie.
I almost drafted Nick Collison but the Sonics confirmed that day that they'd be playing him off the bench. Hmm. I didn't take Radmanovic two rounds ago because I thought Collison would be starting and Radman was off the bench. So now I've passed on both because I thought each time that the guy I was going to get less minutes, then it switched on me. Sonics got me twice.
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| 84 | Pacers Rule
Donor
ID: 910311210
Thu, Oct 27, 2005, 08:52
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14.02 Mark Blount, C, BOS
I could definitely use another center at this point in the draft, and looking at the remaining choices, none were particularly impressive. I drafted Mark Blount last year in the 5th round as part of my "Go Big, Go Early" plan last year, and he was a major dud. However, he looks better this preseason, and apparently a very candid conversation occurred between himself and the coaching staff prior to this season. He was not happy with his role, and they were not happy with his work ethic. He reportedly has rededicated himself, and at this point, looks like he has carved himself out a starting role. I was hoping Al Jefferson, my 9th round pick, was going to start, but this may be a win win for me, if they both see good minutes. Blount has the potential to make a good contribution to my team this year if he gets and keeps his act together. And since I'm only wagering a 14th round pick on him instead of a 5th, expectations are not nearly as high.
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| 85 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Oct 27, 2005, 10:34
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14.03 Voshon Lenard
After my last pick, I made up a short list. Fortunately, with only 4 intervening picks, a short list should do this time.
It’s still a tad early for Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, but if he’s there in the last round, I might take him as a good luck charm.
The short list included Danny Granger, Smush Parker, Antonio Daniels, and Voshon Lenard. If this was a keeper league, Granger would have ranked first. But I’m leery of his ability to get playing time, although with Artest and Stephen Jackson on this team, assume nothing. I also figured that Pacers Rule would nab Granger on the turn. He’s currently got one more Piston on his team than Pacer – and that just can’t be right! I was surprised when lionprideguy took him instead.
I really don’t know much about Smush Parker (although I love the name). Even after doing some research, I don’t know much. But he’s apparently got the inside track on the starting Laker PG spot.
Lenard appears to have the inside track on the shooting guard spot in Denver, and after a busted season, seems ready to go. If I need 3s at some point, he’s a good source. It’s the 14th round – why not?
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| 86 | for hoopsklyce
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:36
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14.04 Trevor Ariza, F, NYK
Ariza was near the top of my depth chart and generally has received favorable reviews for his play. As a SF he does not hit the trey, but has shown potential in the steal category and has shown some rebounding skills in the preseason. He may get off to a quick start if Quentin Richardson is injured to begin the year.
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| 87 | for Doug
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:37
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14.05 – Earl Boykins, G, DEN
Wow, I just took two Nuggets in a row! With the Livingston news (out 4 weeks) I decided I needed to get another assist man… and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Boykins is a 90% FT shooter. Yep, even in round 14, I’m still feeling the effects of Shaq.
Boykins has looked good in preseason, it’s just a question of how much action he gets once the year starts. On the court, I mean. Because playing time could be a little dicey with both Andre Miller and “the other Earl” (Watson)… although surprisingly Boykins was used some at SG last year too. I really like his potential though, enough to outweigh those concerns… and I also just love watching him play. It’s hard not to have fun when you’re rooting for a 5’5” NBA baller. I mean, seriously… lots of PGs can dribble the ball through their legs, but precious few can actually dribble-drive through the DEFENDER’S legs. Now there’s a highlight I’d like to see on Sportscenter.
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| 88 | for Mike D
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:38
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14.06 Keith Van Horn, SF, DAL
Just looking for a frontcourt player to fill in my roster. Considered some of the centers still hanging around and a few forwards that I think can contribute, but none have the percentages Van Horn offers. Love his free throw shooting. Feel he is being undervalued this year and that he will perform well off the bench in Dallas. He can slide to power forward if necessary, especially if they go small with Dirk at center. Has always been able to score, and Dallas is actually struggling in that area so far in the pre-season. Should get a few boards, 3s, points, and nice percentages. Not bad for a 14th round pick. Secretly, I just want to lead the league in guys needing a tan.
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| 89 | for KnicksFan
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:39
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14.07 Nate Robinson, G, NYK
Early reports after the summer leagues ended said that Nate could start at PG and Marbs would move to the 2 spot. Clearly, that isn't the case. In fact, I don't even think Nate will see more than 12 minutes a game to start the season. I made this pick out of the belief that later in the season the lineup will change, as Larry Brown gets frustrated with Crawford and/or Quentin, and Nate will be inserted into a more prominent role. It is a little disheartening to hear that the Knicks are shopping for another PG right now, but hopefully Nate the Crate (because he has to stand on a milk crate) will get his chance to shine.
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| 90 | for Tosh
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:40
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14.08 Nick Collison, PF, SEA
Collison is just another young player without a lot of flaws, but also without a lot of flair. He’s going to be coming off the bench for the Sonics, but the first-year coach seems impressed with his fundamentals, hard work, and desire to learn. If the team starts off slow, Collison might see more court time. At a minimum, he should get 23-27 minutes, 8-10 points, 7-8 rebs, and solid percentages. His agent has already been told that he’s the most likely to get cut from my team when I start scouring the wire.
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| 91 | for skinneej
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:41
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14.09 David Wesley, SG, HOU
With the last two picks I was looking to add depth at the guard position. Wesley should make a nice fill in as the 13th man and will be counted on to perform while Hill is down. Wesley shoots a high FT%, contributes in 3's and should get around 3 assists per night which is not bad for a 2 guard. His minutes could be impacted by Derek Anderson and it is not clear to me from the preseason who will be the starter. I am expecting 30-32 mins per game from him regardless and to duplicate his numbers with Houston last year.
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| 92 | for Slackjawed Yokel
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:42
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14.10 Nazr Mohammed, C, SAS
As skineej pointed out previously, these aren't typically impact players taken late in the year, they're waiver wire fodder. I'd gone through my spreadsheet of players who were still undrafted and marked a half a dozen that I might consider picking. And this pick was based on me questioning the minutes of my first two centers (Dalembert and Bogut), and then seeing that Nazr was picked quite a bit earlier in the other leagues (9th, 11th, and 12th rounds).
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| 93 | for Swish City
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:44
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14.11 Joey Graham, F, TOR
Not a lot to say here. This may be our first pick that isn't based on any solid substance. I read a couple of draft kits that said Graham has the ability to challenge for ROY if he can beat out Mo Peterson. And he had a couple of nice games in preseason as well as a few iffy ones. Just taking a flyer here, really. It's near the end of the draft and one potential waiver wire candidate is pretty much as good as another. Actually, the best thing about this pick is that we thwarted Dave R again for the final time (sort of) in that he was looking at JG also ;)
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| 94 | for Dave R
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:44
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14.12 Dan Gadzuric C Mil
15.01 Adonal Foyle C GS
Give me a B
Give me an L
Give me an O
Give me a C
Give me a K
Give me an S
What's that spell - B L O C K S
What's that spell - B L O C K S
Seriously as I got to these picks, I felt I was in need of a boost in blocks. I had considered Graham here, planning to pair him and Foyle with my last 2 choices. Of course the Euro's picked Graham.
Not seeing any other players that I felt would help my team ( maybe I was just getting brain cramps ), I decided to add another potential shot blocker in Gadz.
Of course that was yesterday and today two of my players were traded for each other. I view the trade as a boost for Mason, but am on the fence as far as Magloire goes, and it could render Gadz as waiver fodder. Time will tell.
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| 95 | for Swish City
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:45
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15.02 Boris Diaw, GF, PHO
The only thing that most people know about Diaw is that he played for the Hawks very sparingly last year. He could easily be crossed off as a talented French that just isn't NBA-level material. Dig a little deeper...
Boris Diaw came of age at EuroBasket 2005, comprehensively outplaying Tony Parker on a French Team that finished 3rd, and also made the All Star starting 5 for the tournament, alongside such glamour Euro players as Dirk Nowitzki. His averages over the course of 7 games were: 13.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.3 bpg, 58.3% FG including 43.8% from 3 point land. No matter which way you cut it, that's pretty impressive. Diaw is able to play several positions (he played 1, 2, 3, and even some 4 for France), and if the preseason is anything to go by, it seems he'll be one of the first guys off the bench in Sun country. Granted it is only preseason. But he's already shown he can contribute in different areas: 8 assists and 2 blocks v Seattle; 2 blocks, 6 assists, 6 boards against GSW. And some other nice across the board lines. The final thing that swayed it was a recommendation from a well respected French Gurupie (I'll let you guess who) who confirmed for me that Diaw does indeed have a lot of talent, despite being shut away in a proverbial darkened room in Atlanta.
So...let's see if Nash can make yet another player realise his full potential. Diaw for MVP!! Or should that be MIP? Either would be fine ;)
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| 96 | for Slackjawed Yokel
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:46
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15.03 Juan Dixon, SG, Por
Again, I didn't want to put a lot of effort into struggling with this pick, and rotowire had him rated so damn high that I figured I'd give him a chance. He hasn't done much in the preseason, but I'll give him a couple of weeks and see what he does...
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| 97 | for skinneej
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:58
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15.04 Martell Webster, F, HOU
And the honor of the first person likely to be dropped from my team...Webster had alot of hype early in the preseason, but that seems to have faded. At one point he looked to be the starting 2 guard, and now he may be 3rd on the depth charts there while backing up the 3 as well. Dixon was a nice pick at 15.03 for a final round and probably will end up winning out the battle for this spot in the end. As far as the final rounds go, this one has some pretty good players and may very well be above average. I count at least 5 players that I think will have an impact at least in the early going.
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| 98 | for Tosh
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 09:58
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15.05 Maurice Williams, PG, MIL
A very quick and talented point guard that ended last season 15th in the league in assists. He won’t see those numbers this year unless he gets to be a starter again. I’d like to see TJ Ford make a healthy return from his back injury, but Williams is good insurance as a last round pick in case he can’t.
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| 99 | for KnicksFan
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:00
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15.06 Prince of Darko-ness, F/C, DET
This guy is block-tastic. Early in the draft I was definitely a leader in the blocks category but as the rounds wore on, I got worried that I would fall behind. Darko has a ton of upside, and I think he'll be able to get 15-20 minutes a game to start the season. That's not really a lot, but once Antonio McDyess gets injured, that number will bump up a little more. Anyway, I feel like Darko today is the equivalent of one of the more NBA-ready rookies that were drafted rounds earlier (Paul, Bogut, Villanueva), so I'm getting good value here. |
| 100 | for Mike D
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:01
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15.07 Chucky Atkins, PG, Was
After reading skinneej’s post in the discussion thread, I figured it really didn’t matter who I took here. So I had my kids decide. (j/k)
I considered several players that I felt were draft-worthy. I like Atkins’s situation in Washington because there are really only 3 guards being rotated into 2 spots, though one is Arenas. Atkins has flat out been the best player in Washington’s camp this year. That’s partially due to Arenas missing time, but still. With the players left on the board, I can’t say that about anyone else. Even if Atkins comes off the bench, which may be the plan, he will be allowed to run, shoot, score, and distribute. And if any of these injury prone guys gets, well, you know, injured, Atkins will be there, ready to scoop up the stats.
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| 101 | for Doug
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:01
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15.08 – Jeff Foster, C, IND
Still a little thin at C until/unless one of my guys attains eligibility there. Foster isn’t a short-term solution, but he’s long-term insurance if I need it there. Hopefully he’ll be on the court by the end of the month. When he gets there, he has the potential to put up double-digit boards as long as he gets the playing time. Seeing as boards is an area I could use a little more depth in, it seemed prudent to grab him and store him on IL for the time being… particularly considering that this is the last round of the draft!
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| 102 | for hoposklyce
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:02
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15.09 Chris Andersen, C, NOR
I wanted to take a center here and it was down between Andersen and Nazr M. both of who had not played all their preseason games. I also gave some thought to another center who was not drafted in our league. After the Magloire trade I decided to take Andersen over M. At times last season Andersen was very productive in bl and rebs on a per minute basis.
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| 103 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:04
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15.10 Smush Parker, PG, LAL
I really did consider Ruben Boumtje Boumtje for this pick, but I think it might be about two picks too early. He might have been a good luck charm, however, and if so, might have been more valuable than any other pick in this draft.
But alas, there are still some players who appear to have Ruben outclassed. Well, at least statistically.
Parker seems to have the starting PG role for the Lakers. In this case, I think that role is defined as “the guy who gets to guard the opposing PG.” I don’t expect him to direct the play at the offensive end, as that duty will fall to Odom (or Bryant).
That said, last year’s Laker PG, Chucky Atkins, finished the season rated #61 on the ESPN rater, and #95 based on per game averages. So Kobe evidently does leave some stats for the other Laker guard(s) to pick up. Do you suppose that Smush could live up to the lofty standards set by his predecessor?
We’ll give him a 10 day contract and see what he does.
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| 104 | for Pacers Rule
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:05
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15.11 Austin Croshere, PF, IND
Well, I was shocked to see Jeff Foster come off the board in this final round, considering he is slow to come back from hip surgery and a longstanding Achilles issue. When I saw him in preseason, he was walking slowly.I was hoping to nab him here and stash him myself, until such time as he begins to put up his usual rebounding numbers. Since I had just grabbed Mark Blount, I wasn't sure I needed to grab another center. At the same time, I sort of wanted one, just in case. I have to admit, though, it was freaking late and I was tired and still recovering from my week-long stomach flu, and I was just wanting to pick someone and head to bed.
I remember last year I drafted Croshere and he did me very well as a starter when he played around 30 minutes. He's a big who won't overwhelm with rebounds, but he does hit 3's and he shoots about 90% from the line, which is pretty amazing for a 6' 10" guy. He should probably average double figure points and about 7 boards and maybe 1-2 assists while he's a starter. After the Pacers' Centers get healthy, he'll be waiver wire fodder. That's ok, he's a short term fix which is good enough for a 15th rounder.
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| 105 | for lionprideguy
ID: 330592710
Fri, Oct 28, 2005, 10:06
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15.12 Michael Olowokandi, C, Min
Last pick of the draft, not much to lose, right? And not often you get a chance to select a #1 overall NBA draft pick here! Okay, so it was made by the Clippers, but it still counts, and there was also still Joe Smith out there. Now that I'm writing this, I'm actually surprised by, despite all the additional media coverage and scouting today, that there would be two players who were #1 overall NBA draft picks who were not even touched.
Anyway - while I was half-joking about the entertainment value of this pick for me in the discussion thread, that also means it was half serious. I looked at 4-5 players I had been kind of tracking for this pick in the rounds leading up to it. None of them really jumped out at me as being clear-cut above the rest, so it just seemed more fun to draft Kandi and a former top pick. And we play fantasy sports for the fun of it, right?
The actual reasons he was in the group of guys I was considering is that, well, centers are always a premium, and he's still starting for the Wolves. While I can't see Madsen taking his job, I also can't put it past Kandi at this point either. But his preseason numbers have been okay so far - 8-12 points, 7-10 rebs per or so. And at least he's back in a contract year. The only other season he played somewhat reasonably less than embarassing, it was his last contract year for the Clippers. Maybe he'll get inspired for one season again to cash in again.
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