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Subject: RIHC 2008-09: Draft Rationales (Rounds 1-8)
Posted by: Guru
- [330592710] Wed, Oct 15, 2008, 12:17
This thread will be for managers in the RotoGuru Invitational Hoops Challenge to provide the rationale for each pick.
Here are the ground rules:
1. Only managers in this league should post here. If you want to provide feedback (either from other league managers, or from those not in the league), put it in the discussion thread. (Non-conforming discussion in this thread will be deleted.)
2. Try to keep the pick rationales in the same order as the draft. We'll attempt to keep this thread 2 rounds behind the actual draft. With the lag, most comments should not have an impact on the draft in progress. However, if there are aspects of your pick that you feel need to be kept under wraps, feel free to protect that information. In particular, please avoid mentioning the names of any players who are still undrafted at that time of the post.
Please post your (2-round lagged) comments at the time you make your pick. For example, you should post your comments for your round 1 pick when you make your round 3 selection. The best practice is to post your rationale immediately before making your next pick. If you are not ready to post at that time, then create a "placeholder" so that the next person is able to go ahead in sequence. When your post is ready, simply post it in the current draft discussion thread and I can copy it over. Please do NOT post your rationale in this thread if it is out of sequence.
The general format should be:
1.01 Chris Paul, PG, NO
Several sentences of rationale.
If your rationale is due and intervening placeholders have not been inserted, please insert them before posting your rationale. For example, create a post that says:
for Guru
1.09 Deron Williams, PG, Uta
As a part of your first round rationale, please comment on your choice of draft order as well. |
| Only the 50 most recent replies are currently shown. Click on this text to display hidden posts as well. |
| 45 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 12:33
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4.10 Mo Williams, PG, Cle
Williams has averaged at least 17 points, 6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 3-pointers in each of his past two seasons. I also like his percentages. He sort of reminds me a little of Billups. Mo will apparently be the second scoring option in Cleveland. I expect them to run a lot and that fits his game. He is poised for a career year and loves his new surroundings. Also considered Andre Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge.
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| 46 | Pacers Rule
Sustainer
ID: 910311210
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 14:21
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4.11 Ron Artest, SF, HOU
The last thing I wanted to do here was draft another SF or SG. I felt at this point in the draft, I was well stocked at these positions between Lebron and Joe Johnson. I was really hoping for a nice rebounding, shot-blocking PF or C, and preferably one who would not hurt me in the %s. I'd have liked a PG but felt in general people were reaching for PG's and there was not a good enough next PG to justify taking one here. The two guys I probably wanted the most here were David West and Andrew Bynum. I am really high on Bynum his year, but I just couldn't bring myself to take him over Joe Johnson. So I had to hope Bynum would make it back to me at 4.11. I realized when I didn't take West at 3.02 there was little chance he would still be on the board 20 picks later, but I was hoping Bynum might slip. As it was, he went a few picks before me. I probably would have looked at Hedo or Antawn if they would not have been taken, even though they did not fit my profile.
So...and I realize this is long but since you're hanging on every word...with no PG's or PF's that I thought were worthy of this selection, I had to take a long hard look at Artest. Playing for his last best contract, and playing alongside of *undrafted player* and Yao for a coach he likes and who likes him, on a team which has a legitimate shot for a title this year if all the stars align....Ron Ron has some serious upside. I watched a little Rockets preseason ball, and from what was said by the commentators, everyone associated with the organization pretty much is amazed at the athlete that Artest is, including his teammates, at least one of which said he looks like he should have shoulder pads and a helmet on. I've seen him in uniform from about 15 feet and I know exactly what they are talking about. His size is pretty amazing. And to have that bulk yet to have the quickness to guard starting SGs and pretty much any position he wants to is, well, unique. On offense, he can take his man to the post and abuse him, or he can can the three if he lags off. Really, the guy has all-star written all over him, if only he wouldn't have so many screws loose. Since I missed out on Paul's steals in round one and passed on Iggy's steals in round 3, I felt like Ron's steals in round 4 were just what the doctor ordered, even if his percentages might leave a little to be desired. I think his screws will stay tighter this year because of his contract situation, his teammates, his coach, and his overall team situation. I think he's going to have a lot of freedom in the offense, esp. with double teams on other stars, and the likelihood that at least one of them will miss a decent amount of time. I think Ron could blow up to 2nd round status easily this year, with only his %s keeping his value sub first round. Of course, he could also blow out, but I just don't think that is going to happen this year, unless the team implodes and starts losing, and he starts getting real selfish, in which case his Shooting %'s will take a dive and things will get ugly. Here's to hoping for the best.
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| 47 | for Holt
Sustainer
ID: 910311210
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 14:39
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4.12 Lamar Odom, SF, LAL
Artest was actually the guy I had at the top of my queue but Pacers took him the pick before. Odom is a contributor in all categories (I'd consider .698 ft% from a rebounder/blocker to be a good thing). Very solid across-the-board numbers. Unfortunately, there's news that he'll probably be the Lakers' sixth man. BOOOOO. I really hope this doesn't damage his value too much.
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| 48 | for Holt
Sustainer
ID: 910311210
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 14:39
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5.01 Rasheed Wallace, PF, DET
ft%, 3's, rebounds, steals and blocks all in one package. no serious weaknesses. Picking up players like Wallace who contribute in so many categories helps ensure I don't have any huge holes to plug near the end of the draft.
I briefly considered Dunleavy and Redd here. I decided against Dunleavy because I just don't think he can match or exceed his performance from last year. Maybe he will, but I didn't want to bet this pick on it. Also decided against Redd based on my expectation that his stats will drop a bit this season. I did briefly have both of those guys in my queue though.
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| 50 | Pacers Rule
Sustainer
ID: 910311210
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 14:43
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5.02 Mike Dunleavy, SG, IND
Well, I still didn’t like the available bigs here as much as I liked Ray Allen and Mike Dunleavy. The main problem with Allen and Dunleavy were again that they didn't get 'big man stats'. I thought Dunleavy was probably a third rounder or fourth at worst by his likely stats. He seemed to be slipping b/c he was injured and had not played in a preseason game. The Pacers did not seem worried about his knee, but seemed to just be very, very cautious about bringing him back too soon. I decided that I could trust the Pacers organization in blowing off his knee pain so I went ahead and pulled the trigger. He should remain a focus of the Pacers offense and this year, along side of Granger, and his stat line is nice and well balanced- again with good FT%. Allen I liked too but even though his FT% is stellar, he just doesn’t get to the line enough to put his %’s to work for you. I feel Dunleavy is going to get more minutes than Ray Allen this year, and other than 3’s, do more with them.
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| 51 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 14:51
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5.03 LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, Por
I was happy to get Aldridge here and had almost taken him 5 picks earlier. I didn’t have any centers yet, and can plug him in there, or I can put him at PF. He can score on the block and out to 18 feet. Hard to say exactly what the “Oden effect” will be, but it’s possible Aldridge can build on last season's numbers. He had a tremendous camp and has set some lofty goals for himself. Rebounding, shot-blocking, decent percentages, and good scoring are what he’ll bring.
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| 52 | Florian
ID: 249231415
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 22:35
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5.04 Mehmet Okur C Utah
I briefly considered Redd and Wallace. I had Wallace on my team last year and wanted to pick him again, but having Larry Brown as coach is often a fantasy nightmare. I read an article where Brown praises Wallace and then goes on to state how he hopes Wallace learns to play better on the ball defense and stops taking as many chances (ie. attempting to steal the ball). That's exactly the opposite of what I want Wallace to do on when he's on my fantasy team.
Jerry Sloan said of Okur this preseason, "I've never seen him in this great of shape. Not since he's been here." And Okur can opt out of his contract at the end of this year. Those factors made me very comfortable taking Okur with this pick. I'm hoping Okur can match his production from the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons when he average 18 points, 8 rebounds, 1 3PTM, 0.7 blocks, 0.5 steals on 46% shooting.
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| 53 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 23:05
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for KnocksFan
5.05 Gerald Wallace, F, CHA
I really needed a big man at this point and was a millisecond away from drafting Horford or Bogut. Horford was my first inclination because I think he'll have a breakout sophomore season and because I have his phone number in my cellphone so if I needed to I could leave him inspirational messages during the season until he blocked my number.
Then I considered Bogut strongly, but I was worried that last season's block total was a fluke and maybe he would go back to what he did the first 2 seasons in the league.
In the end I decided I could get similar big-men later in the draft but I could not get a Gerald Wallace. Wallace is an injury risk but he fills the stat sheet in a ton of categories. Two seasons ago he was getting 2 blocks a game and I'm hoping that Larry Brown's defensive mindset will get Wallace back in that range. At the same time I was worried that he was the kind of player that could end up in the Brown doghouse, but I'll take my chances.
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| 54 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 07:22
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for Eurugollum
5.06 Andrew Bogut, C, MIL
With another run on Centers imminent, i decided to lock up a 2nd high quality C to pair with Amare. I like Bogut, and think he'll do well this year. I'm looking for 15 pts, 10 boards and about 2 blocks per game. His FT% is horrid, but he doesn't take a huge amount, and i'm doing fairly well on the FT% front already, i think. Bogut's improved each year in the league, and i think there's a chance for another significant step forward on a Milwaukee team that has quite a lot of weapons.
I thought about Okafor, Oden, Dalembert and Biedrins as well, and they were all gone pretty shortly afterwards.
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| 55 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 07:23
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for weykool
5.07 Michael Redd SG MIL
Nobody else really stood out here except Redd.
I normally end my hoops drafts with a shortage of SG's so I am happy that he can fill that need there for me.
Should give me plenty of scoring with a decent number of 3's.
Very good FT% with the added bonus of geting to the line almost 7 times a game.
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| 56 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 07:23
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for deejay
5.08 Al Horford PF/C ATL
For that round I had a list of 5 players, who are all drafted in the meantime, so I can talk about them :)
Horford, Lee, Dalembert, Okur and Josh Howard.
I put Howard at the end because i didnt really want to draft and SG/SF at this point, but his upside, which I think will be seen under Carlisle, looks pretty good.
The other 4 are big men that qualify at C with (more than) decent shooting/ft %, thats what I wanted in this round in the end.
I opted for Horford because:
A. Dalembert (who I wanted handcuff to Brand) and Okur were gone
B. Was hoping and thinking Lee w/could drop to me in the next round(which he did)
C. I think will have a great year on top, he was already very good for a rookie, unless he hits the sophomore wall :)
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| 57 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 07:24
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5.09 Mike Miller, SG/SF, Min
Ack! Not very long ago, my short list was Lamarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, Al Horford, and Michael Redd.
When I look at my list of the best available candidates, I see Mike Miller, Ray Allen, and Richard Jefferson. Allen and Miller offer threes, but Allen’s age and playing time are worrisome. Part of Allen’s strength is also his 90% FT shooting, which I may or may not really need. In any event, since my ranking approach always seems to reward good percentage shooters, I’m always a bit leery of guys who derive disproportionate value from any of those stats. (Then again, that didn’t stop me from taking Bynum last round, with his prodigious FG%.)
Jefferson’s relative ranking is heavily dependant on scoring similarly to last year, but on a new team, I don’t know what to expect. None of his other stats are special, although again, his percentages are decent for a scorer.
Mike Miller is a guy I’ve never owned before, in any format. Not sure why. I think his combo of rebounds and treys will complement my roster well. I also like the G/F flexibility. I don’t consider this an inspired pick, or one with a lot of upside, but I do think he can provide valuable support in several categories.
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| 58 | Species
ID: 2931173
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 12:24
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For footwedge:
5.10 Emeka Okafor, PF/C, CHA
I was planning a big man here and I watched Aldridge, Bogut and Horford go in front of me so I went with my next choice. I really feel that Okafor may continue with 14-11 production with 1 steal and 2 blocks. A full 82 games at that rate would be real nice. Since his production has been consistent over four years I think he should remain about the same.
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| 59 | Species
ID: 2931173
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 12:31
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5.11 Andre Miller, PG, PHI
Damn! I wanted Okafor bad. He fit perfectly on my team, and his awful FT% was immaterial to my team. Hopefully somewhere down the line I return the favor and snatch someone he wanted.
I settled on Miller, who is an able point guard with good FG%. I wish he hit 3's, but he gets strong assists and decent rebounds for a guard. I also expect assists to go up with Brand on board too.
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| 60 | s R
ID: 54048267
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 12:53
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5.12 Jamal Crawford, SG, NY
He is coming off his best season ever and should get even better playing in run-and shot system. w Crawford will remain a focal point in the Knicks’ high-tempo offense.
6.01 Tony Parker, PG, SA
He is not a good free throw or three point shooter and his defensive numbers are sub-par. But he shoots a center-like percentage from the floor, scores a lot and posts good assist totals.
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| 61 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 14:11
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for Species
6.02 Samuel Dalembert C PHI
After getting screwed out of Okafor, I had to reassess my queue. I knew that I was short on blocks and didn't want to reach for shotblocking specialists who do NOTHING else (or worse, hurt you). In reviewing who was available, there were a bucket of similarly-ranked centers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. This included Dalembert, Biedrins, David Lee, Jermaine O'Neal, Tyson Chandler, Ilgauskas and Greg Oden.
I posted a request to trade down, as I could have very easily taken almost ANY of those listed above. I got a message from Mike D after I took Dalembert, and he likely would have pulled the trigger had he not been distracted by some sports commitments. It would have worked to perfection as Chandler was there at his pick in this round, but alas he made the same conclusion that I did, which was that this whole group, including who was left, were all similarly valued and he didn't see the value in trading 'up' to get Dalembert.
I chose Dalembert due to his superior blocks to the rest. I almost took Biedrins but playing time under Nelson is always in chaos, and he isn't being projected with quite as many blocks as Dalembert.
If blocks were not a factor or need for my team, I would have taken David Lee.
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| 62 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 14:11
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for footwedge
6.03 Josh Howard SG DAL
I was thinking big at this point but felt Howard was the best available. I was tempted by Lee, Oden and Beasley but decided the uncertaintly of rookies and anyone in New York pushed me to take Howard. Even though he has been controversial this off season I'm hoping his production will stay the same on the court. 20-7 are the numbers I'm looking for here. The extra points will allow me a more one diminsional player later if I need a strong catagory guy who scores poorly.
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| 63 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 14:14
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6.04 Andris Biedrins, C, GS
My biggest stat weakness is on blocks, and I’d like to shore that up somewhat before the only shot blockers left have little else to offer. My first choice was Dalembert, but Species took him 2 picks ago. (He did offer to trade down, so I guess I should have pursued it – but I did not.) The other two centers on my short list were Biedrins and Oden. Oden will probably block more shots per game, but I am very worried about his durability. His track record over the past several years on that front is not encouraging.
David Lee is also center eligible, and I have him similarly ranked. But my sense is that taking Lee here would be tantamount to punting blocks, and I’m not prepared to do that.
Another possibility is Kirilenko. I actually have him ranked a bit higher than Biedrins. He wouldn’t fill a center slot, and he only seems to play about 70 games per year, but he does get a nice mix of stats across the board, even though he’s no longer the 5x5 threat that he once was. I strongly considered him – but decided I wanted a bit more of a discount to overcome the durability and PT issues (as he may come off the bench this year). Tempting, though.
Biedrins is 5 years younger (22), but not nearly as well rounded as Kirilenko. He missed 6 games last season, but played all 82 the year prior. He’s got the prototypical center stats – good rebounds & blocks, 10 ppg, a monster FG%, and a problematic FT%. He did raise his free throw shooting to 62% last year, a 10 point improvement over the previous year. Combining him with Bynum does give me some stress in that category, and I’ll have to be mindful of that s the draft proceeds. If Biedrins reverts to 50% from the line, I’ve got a problem – although I should still be able to outrank Species in that category!
Finally, I have him ranked #66 last year based on total stats. At pick #64, I think there’s a reasonable chance he can earn his keep.
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| 64 | deejay
Sustainer
ID: 501182710
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 15:13
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6.05 David Lee PF C NYK
With the big men going like sweet candy, I thought it would be wise to grab me one too.
Lee has a crazy FG% and a very decent FT%, playing under MD and starting should only boost his numbers, except the FG% part maybe.
Plus hes playing for a new contract which locked it up for me.
Also considered Maggette, but Lee was too tempting.
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| 65 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 22:50
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for weykool
6.06 Corey Maggette, SG/SF, GSW
The only players I was considering here were Lee, Biedrins, and Maggette.
I knew Lee would be gone with a homer Knicks fan picking right before me but I was really surprised that Biedrins was taken.
I guess I shouldnt be knowing that Guru is somehow using the same combination of draft sheets as I am.
Maggette will be moving to a new team.
The wide open style that GS uses should suit Maggs very well.
As a Clipper fan I can tell you there was always a burst of energy when Maggs came into the game.
I always wondered why Dunleavy never went with his best players and started Maggs.
Hopefully as a starter he can improve on his 17+ points, 5+ Rebs, and 82% FT with 8 attemps per game.
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| 66 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 22:52
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for Florian
6.07 Michael Beasley, SF/PF, MIA
As neither of my centers blocks many shots, I wanted to pick some who would get me blocks at this position. I was really hoping Dalembert or Biedrins would drop to this spot, but they went earlier in the round. So I resigned myself to picking Maggette as he had best player available value, but he got picked drafted with the pick ahead of me.
I considering Oden, Jermaine O'Neal, and Kirilenko for their blocks, but all three have significant durability concerns. I considered Bibby and Ford, but hoped they would drop to the next round. So I picked Beasley. I don't usually pick rookies because they are so difficult to value, but I feel Beasley should get significant minutes for a rebuilding Heat team. I'm hoping he'll average 16-18 points, 8-10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1.5 blocks and shoot reasonable FG% and FT%.
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| 67 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 22:53
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for KnicksFan
6.08 Greg Oden, C, POR
I was targeting a big man who could block shots. I was hoping to get Dalembert or Biedrins in this spot but when they came off the board I was deciding between Beasley and Oden. I would have preferred Beasley but he was taken 1 pick before me so it made my decision easier.
I'm pretty happy I got "stuck" with Oden. Although he is completely unproven and last season was scary, he says he is healthy. They say he is like a young Shaq down low, so I'm hoping for young Shaq's defensive stats: 10 rebounds and 2-3 blocks. He should be able to get over 10 points per game just from put backs, dunks and free throws (hopefully he doesn't emulate Shaq in that category).
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| 68 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 22:54
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For Swish City
6.09 Mike Bibby, PG, ATL
Of my next 3 picks, this is one i feel happiest with, and that's not saying much. I literally had about 10 minutes to scan my cheat sheets and find someone to pick. Despite my Harris pickup, i'm still light on assists, so Bibby should at least help to rectify that. He'll also contribute a healthy dose of 3s.
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| 69 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 22:55
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6.10 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cle
I figured Z would give me decent points, rebounds, blocks, and he’s an excellent free throw shooter for a big guy. He’ll fit nicely as my second center. Considered Chandler, B. Miller, Jermo, among others.
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| 70 | Pacers Rule
ID: 195190
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 23:44
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6.11 T.J. Ford, PG, IND
Well, after taking 2 SFs and 2 SGs with my first five picks, and still not having a PG, I wanted to go big and/or go small here. Looking at Holt's roster at the time, he had a stud PG, but he was his only guard to go with a bunch of bigs. So I decided there was a high chance a PG I wanted here would not be around at 7.02, whereas I thought there was a good chance a quality big would slide through. I was pretty interested in J.O. and Tyson Chandler here and I was pretty sure Holt would not take both of them. I really felt Ray Allen was the BPA, but I had gone the BPA route for the most part so far, which is why I had ended up with my imbalanced roster, and I was not about to continue that trend indefinitely. So I passed on Allen and decided I needed a PG here.
Some may think T.J. was a reach here, but I really think (assuming he stays healthy) that he is going to surprise some people with his scoring and assists. He should get some nice steal totals and his threes will even increase moderately this year, which may not bode well for his FG%. His minutes are going to jump from last year, plus of course he won't (hopefully) be playing injured much of the season. I would have loved to have slept on him longer, but with this group he probably wouldn't have been around past these two picks. Plus, I think he's good value here.
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| 71 | for Holt
ID: 195190
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 01:55
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6.12 Ray Allen SG BOS
I'm too miserly to let a good bargain like this pass me by. I felt like an old man clicking his heels together after spotting a 60% off weather radio. This was just what I was looking for. A boost to points and 3's (while not heavily damaging my FG%).
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| 72 | for Holt
ID: 195190
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 01:55
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7.01 Jason Terry SG DAL
Stats very similar to Ray Allen's. Gives me more help with pts and 3's, good %'s, and a little support in assists and steals. Terry will be coming off the bench a lot. Maybe that's what scared everyone off. I don't think it's an issue though, as most of his playing time was from the bench last season and he still put up top 40'ish stats.
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| 73 | Pacers Rule
ID: 195190
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 02:01
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7.02 Jermaine O’Neal, PF, TOR
I thought about this one for a bit before I pulled the trigger due to J.O.’s injury history the past couple years. Ultimately, I really needed blocks here and J.O. seemed to have the most upside of my choices. I strongly considered Tyson Chandler as well, but realized he’s no lock for 82 games either. I’d have considered Big Z had Mike D not taken him, until I read that he had a ruptured disk in his back and took the summer off to recoup it – and hadn’t touched a basketball again until a few weeks ago. I hope it works out for him and Mike D, but he's no spring chicken. (and neither is Ilgauskas.) I read an article in which Mitchell said that J.O. had his explosiveness back, but was just out of sync, and that it would come for him. I also peeked at the average draft position on kafenatid and saw he was taken as early as the third round, so I decided it might be a decent risk at this point. Plus, since I waited so long for bigs other than Yao, I decided I needed to roll this dice a bit on J.O.’s upside. Plus, if you always take the safe picks, you’re less likely to find guys who exceed expectations. I was willing to take the gamble that J.O. would easily outperform his seventh round selection. He’s not playing for a contract or anything, but he’s wanted out of Indiana pretty much ever since he signed his contract and Bird came in and fired Isaiah, so perhaps we will be in for something of a renaissance as he tries to relocate his all-star and MVP candidate game. Since he plays a lot of defense, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll exceed 30 or even 35 minutes a game this year, if his knee is in fact all the way back - which he says it is. I hope the Raptors medical staff checked him out well before they took him.
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| 74 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 41831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 08:46
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7.03 Tyson Chandler, C, NO
Over past 2 years, offering 10 pts, 12 rebs, 1.5 blks, 62% shooting. A Team USA guy who had to pull out due to a toe injury that has healed. Could continue to improve his career best stats from last year while playing with CP3 who makes his, and everyone else’s life easier. Considered going in all sorts of directions here (G, F, C) but had looked at Chandler with my last pick, and figured what the heck.
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| 75 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:02
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for Eurogollum
7.04 Richard Jefferson SF MIL
I badly wanted Jermaine O'Neal with this pick but he got swiped 2 picks before me. The other guy i considered was Luol Deng. I think i maybe should have taken him. Anyway, Jefferson will score with good percentages (i'm happy to have another high % volume FT shooter) and not much else on the side. Another very unsexy pick, but with #76, i think i'm at least getting a bit of value here.
I also have this slightly nagging feeling that the wheels are coming off my team a bit :s
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| 76 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:02
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for KnicksFan
7.05 Brad Miller, C, SAC
I was targeting Rondo, Felton, Kirilenko and Miller with this pick. In the end I thought I could get a point guard later (which I did), but these two big men were more scarce. Kirilenko was certainly tempting and he may have a resurgence playing with the B-unit instead of fighting for shots with the starters. Still, I wasn't too comfortable taking a bench guy here.
Brad Miller is that rare center who can contribute 4 assists per game and still rebounds well and even block a shot. Last season he got back into his "classic" form after a disappointing 06-07. Looking at his career stats it seems like 06-07 was the fluke and he isn't quite ready to decline just yet. I'm hoping to get a repeat of last year's performance.
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| 77 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:03
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for Florian
7.06 Luol Deng, SF, CHI
I spent some time debating between Deng, Mcgrady and Kirilenko for this pick. I ended up going for the player I felt was least likely to miss significant time with injuries. I'm hoping Deng regains his form for 2006-2007 and manages to average 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 assist, 1.2 steals on FG% of about .515.
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| 78 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:03
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for weykool
7.07 Peja Stojakovic, SF, NOR
Nothing special with this pick.
I needed some 3's and Peja seemed like decent value here.
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| 79 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:04
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for deejay
7.08 Al Harrington, C, GSW
Well here I really wanted Peja, but weykool took him right before it was my turn, so over to plan B...
Two jumped out to me being Kirilenko and Harrington.
But which one I liked the most...
I couldnt make up my mind and left Al Harrington as the first back up, something I regretted in the morning, and Guru then took Kirilenko right behind me, so my doubts got even stronger.
Hope Al can have a good year, and drop me lots of 3s...
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| 80 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:05
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7.09 Andrei Kirilenko, SF/PF, Utah
I still don’t, have anyone eligible at PF, so this fills that need. AK-47 only seems to play about 70 games per year, but he does get a nice mix of stats across the board, even though he’s no longer the 5x5 threat that he once was.
For last year’s actual stats, I have him ranked about 55th. This is pick #81, which provides a nice discount. It’s uncertain whether he’ll be a starter this year, so I was a bit concerned about paying close to full value for last year’s results. I’d like to get 11 pts, 4 assists, almost 5 rebs, 1+ steals, 1.5 blocks, and a half trey per game. He shoots in the upper 70%s from the FT line, where he won’t compound the difficulties from my weak FT-shooting centers.
If Kirilenko had been gone, I’d have probably gone with either Rip Hamilton or Randy Foye, and filled my PF hole later.
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| 81 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:31
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For footwedge:
7.10 Randy Foye, PG/SG, MIN
Hoping Foye is finally 100% and ready for a full year. His production was good after the all-star break last year. Averaging 14 points and 5 assists. I think those numbers should go up slightly maybe 15-6 plus a steal. Probably not my biggest need but too good to pass up.
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| 82 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 12:44
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7.11 Leandro Barbosa, PG/SG, PHO
This is getting annoying. I had my heart set on Foye only to have footwedge screw me again right in front of me. Barbosa ranked near the top of both of my sheets so I looked closer. I needed threes and Barbosa, for a gunner, shoots a nifty FG% which is key for my team having tanked FT%. I needed the scoring and he does get a steal a game.
I certainly was concerned with the shift from D'Antoni's run-and-gun style to Porter's more pedestrian plodding, but hopefully instead of gunning 3's in transition Barbosa will end up with the same number of open looks via kickouts from Nash, Amare and 'undrafted'.
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| 84 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 14:11
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For s R:
7.12 John Salmons, SF, SAC
For times last season, Salmons appeared on the verge of a star turn with the Kings, but constant roster shuffling really hindered his consistency. If his stats in 2008-09 resemble what he did as a starter last year he'd be a breakout candidate.8.01 Al Thornton, PF, LAC
He is coming off a solid rookie campaign and with Elton Brand gone, I expect 30-35 minutes per game from Thornton.
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| 85 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 14:15
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8.02 Zach Randolph, PF, NYK
John Salmons was atop my queue, but he was rightfully taken as he was highly rated on both of my sheets, and as the last 2 rounds since my 6.02 pick have shown, we are all working off of similar projections/rankings/whatever so I wasn't surprised to see him gone.
Z-bo is a huge enigma. Enormously talented down low, but seems to run himself out of town at each stop. He isn't very well rounded, but what he does do well, he does very well: score, rebound and shoot (FG%). Those were all things I felt I needed here so I went ahead and took him, even though I really don't "like" him per se. I am moderately concerned about his role in a D'Antoni offense....so we'll see.
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| 86 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 14:59
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for footwedge
8.03 Raymond Felton PG, CHA
Going with the best available at this point. I'm betting against the decreased playing time rumors. Even if undrafted player develops I don't expect it would cut Felton's minutes much as he would backup at the 2 guard.
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| 87 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 15:00
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8.04 Richard Hamilton, SG, Det
Nothing flashy here. Just a solid value pick to help solidify the scoring stats, with a positive contribution in assists and a steal per game. I have him ranked in the 65-70 range, both last season and this – and well ahead of anyone currently available who isn’t injured. Fits well with my needs, particularly since my FT shooting is suspect.
He was on a short list with Foye and Randolph, and when they both disappeared, the choice was not too difficult.
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| 88 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 22:39
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for deejay
8.05 Ronnie Brewer, SG, UTA
Initially I was looking to draft a PG here...
Beno came to mind, but I was hoping he would fall to the next round.
Rondo I didn't really want because of his poor FT%.
Then I saw Brewer and his steals. And that looked like a plan to me.
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| 89 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 22:40
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for weykool
8.06 Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS
Other players I was looking at were T-Mac and Ginobili.
I didnt like T-Macs declining numbers and his low shooting averages made him less desirable.
In the end it came down to wanting to fill my PG slot.
Not the best PG in the game but felt he may have the most upside of the PG's available.
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| 90 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 22:41
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for florian
8.07 Manu Ginobili, SG, SAS
I almost took Mcgrady with my seventh round pick. So when Mcgrady was still available in the eighth round it should have been easy to just pick him. But then the news came out that he may not be ready to start the season. So I obsessed about Mcgrady's injuries for some time. And ironically picked a player who will likely will be out the first 25 games of the season. And there's a fairly good chance that Mcgrady won't miss 25 games this year. Of course Mcgrady was taken with the next pick. So I'm suffering some buyer's remorse. We'll see how it all turns out.
Ginobili is an excellent fantasy player. He was ranked in the top 20 on Yahoo last year. The question is how many games he'll play this year and how much Popovich limits his minutes to keep him ready for the postseason. I'm hoping (probably somewhat unrealistically) that he'll play 55-60 games and average close to what he has the last two years (18 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.8 3PTM, 0.5 blocks, 46% FG%, 86% FT%).
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| 91 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 22:42
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for KnicksFan
8.08 Tracy McGrady, GF, HOU
He may be creaky, but he's freakin' T-Mac and it's the 8th round. I wanted to take Rondo in this spot but once he was taken, T-Mac was an easy choice. WHEN he plays, he will give me 5-6 assists, so he's just as good as most of the point guards remaining. He's also huge in rebounds, points, threes, and steals. He may be a killer in the percentage categories but my team stinks there anyway so I don't really care. He's T-Mac! THE VEIN!
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| 92 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 22:43
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for swishcity
8.09 Charlie Villanueva, PF, MIL
I quite like Charlie here. Now he has the PF job basically all to himself, i'm expecting a breakout type season. After the All Star break last season, he went on to average 15 points, 8 board, and almost one 3, block, and steal per game. If he replicates those numbers, i'll be very happy with this selection.
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| 93 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 22:43
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8.10 Beno Udrih, PG, Sac
I would have taken Randolph here had he lasted. I got my darts out and threw them around the room, when finally one landed on Beno. Considering he averaged 14.4 points, 0.9 3-pointers, 5.0 assists and 0.9 steals with 47.4 percent shooting from the field and 86.0 percent from the line in 51 starts last season, this is a decent value here. And he may even be able to improve those totals this year.
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| 94 | Pacers Rule
Sustainer
ID: 910311210
Mon, Oct 20, 2008, 23:31
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8.11 Jamario Moon, SF, TOR
Basically here I felt I needed to continue to address blocks, and I just didn't like the shot-blocking bigs available here - at least to take this high. In retrospect, I may have missed it with Gooden. The worst part is, I had two runs at him because Holt didn't take him with either of his next two picks. I thought about Murphy here and he would have been a 'fun' pick, but since he's had the achilles injury and may have been a little bit under the radar, I thought there was a chance he could slip to me at the end of the tenth. I also thought I could delay my decision until 9.02 on him, and that I would feel better taking him after I picked up a block and a half a game in Moon. Moon's line is pretty decent overall, if you don't need scoring. He's one of those 'fill' guys that seems to be easily overlooked because he's not particularly excellent at anything, but overall he helps in a lot of areas. Of course, he's getting benched right now in preseason, but it appears to be a message from the coach to punish him for being late to camp and giving less than a full effort. I think he will wind up as a starter, though his minutes may not be as much as I would like early. Hopefully his defense will be the glue that keeps him in the starting lineup, and over the course of the season, he makes an eighth round contribution. If he comes through with the blocks, he will have earned his keep.
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| 95 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Oct 22, 2008, 17:44
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for holt
8.12 Troy Murphy PF IND
Murphy is PF/C eligible. I think he would have gone a round earlier if not for an Achilles injury (which he seems to be over now). I liked his combination of 3's, rebounds, and %'s.
Was hoping Kirilenko or Richard Hamilton would drop to this pick. I was 99% sure Kirilenko wouldn't make it back to me - oh well, but was more optimistic that Hamilton would be available (Guru nabbed him at 8.04).
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| 96 | Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Oct 22, 2008, 17:45
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Continue for rounds 9-15
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