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Subject: RIHC 2017-18: rationale collection thread

Posted by: Guru - [330592710] Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 14:41

RIHC managers: Please post your rationales in this thread. Rationales are due on a two round lag (i.e., when you make you 3rd round pick, your 1st round rationale is due.) You can post any rationale sooner than that if you wish.

Do not worry about placeholders or keeping things in the proper sequence. This is just a place to collect rationales, which I will then transfer over to the formal rationale thread in the proper sequence. This approach has worked well for the past several seasons, and I now have a somewhat automated method for making those transfers.

Remember that you should refrain from mentioning undrafted players. If you feel that your rationale requires that, then hold it back until the player has been drafted - unless the player mentioned is clearly undraftable this year.

Bean
ID: 304422310
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 14:55

1.10 John Wall, selected best available, high pts and assists. Was hoping Lebron would fall to me, but Dabomb grabbed him. Good Luck getting him to play with Irving dude, hehe.

2.03 Chris Paul, again, best available, hope he controls the ball and gets his share alongside Harden. I'm set at PG for now.

3.10 Klay Thompson, DaBomb snagged Brook Lopez two before me. He was my choice for this round. Get off my lawn Dabomb! Anyway, Thompson should help considerably in 3 Pt category, felt he was best available. Gotta get some big men now.

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 15:13

draft pick #2:
I can't remember having such a high choice in RIHC, so logically as long as there is some drop off after the first few guys you want to be in that first tier. This year I though that the top 3 choices would be Harden/Westbrook/Ante... (this name is harder to write than Roethlisberger). I prefer Harden, which is the least likely of them being available at #3, so I took slot #2 and hope for the best.

1.02 James Harden, SG, HOU
was really surprised about the #1 pick being Towns. I really thought Swish would take Harden or Antetokounmpo.
Harden was #1 on the ESPN player rater last year. With Westbrook having more competition on his own team he is likely to be less worth this year. I had Antetokounmpo at #2 and Westbook at #3.

there is no need to talk much about Harden. With Chris Paul in town he might see a slight dip in production, but even then he will hopefully be the best fantasy baller in the league.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 15:36

1.09 -no real surprises ahead of me other than some order differences. Kawhi Leonard probably scared some off with the preseason shutdown. He is solid everywhere so I was very happy to click the draft button!

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 16:17

2.04 Rudy Gobert-- surprised he was around. Mocked quite a few times and he was never on the radar for me. Was hoping for CP3 here but no such luck. 1st 2 rounds I like to focus on best available--- The pick changes a lot about my strategy--thought really hard about Kyrie here. Not sure if I love the FT% dent but adjusting is part of the fun.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 17:49

1.06 Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC
I didn't really expect Westbrook to be available here, so was happy to take him. His usage will come down but I expect him to fill up the stat sheet and it will be fun to build a team around him.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 17:55

2.07 Myles Turner, C, IND
Wanted to get a big for this pick and looked at Turner, Whiteside, and Porzingis. Finally decided on Turner as he should become the focal point of the Pacer offense, shoots the ball well, and provides good defensive stats.

Dave R
ID: 45820109
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 21:20

Draft position #3

No real reason, other than I would have been happy with any pick top 5, 3rd slot was available, so.....

1.03 Giannis Antetokounmpo SF/PF Mil

I never expected Westbrook to be available, and had prepared to pick either Harden or Giannis. I'm shocked Westbrook went 1.06. As tempting as he was ( and he probably was the pick I should have made ), I decided to go with Giannis, having never owned him, ever, in fantasy hoops.

Many mock drafts had him #1, and other than 3's he contributes in every other cat, giving me a solid base to work off. At 22, his upside is ridiculous and I'm expecting huge things from him, even possibly knocking some in from beyond the arc. If he adds 3's to his arsenal, watch out.

The only knock I have is I have trouble pronouncing his name

2.10 Kyle Lowry PG Tor

Having Whiteside grabbed two picks earlier, I debated between Draymond, Porzingas, and Lowry. I regret not taking Draymond, as I could have grabbed a guard next round. If Porzingas had C eligibility in our league I would have taken him.

So welcome Kyle...
He will supply points, treys, assists, and steals, plus solid %'s. A solid addition to Giannis

Dave R
ID: 45820109
Sat, Oct 07, 2017, 21:39

3.03 Marc Gasol C Mem
In ESPN's world the C position is razor thin and I wanted a good one. So I took Pau's baby brother.

Marc isn't real flashy but he's a quality big man. I wish he could give me more boards than last years 6.3 per, but he can score, nearly 20 ppg, dish well for a big ( nearly 5 per ) and block shots ( 1.3 a game ). Add in solid %'s for a big, especially from the line ( 84% )

But look what happened last year. After making just twelve 3's for his entire career, Gasol drained 104 last year. Yup, double checked it myself

C's seem to be making more 3's than in the past, I guess Gasol wanted to join the party

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 03:36

2.11 Kristaps Porzingis, PF, NYK
with Carmelo out of town he is bound to have a great year. He may explode and provide top 5 value or he plays ok and returns top 20 value.

points, blocks, threes, rebounds, excellent ft% for a big man. can you ask for more? I like those european players. Would love to see a game of team USA vs. team Europe.

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 05:37

1.01 Karl Anthony Towns, C, MIN

Draft order draft: I picked #1 as I don't ever recall having the opportunity in RIHC before. Not sure it's the optimal place to pick, but I really wanted to pick back to back also.

As for KAT, it was between him and Giannis for me. Neither of these 2 have come even remotely close to their statistical ceiling yet, but I just preferred KAT and locking down the shallow C position as early as possible. Contributes in every category, and a fantastic start to my percentages, which I have a history of neglecting. My wider plan also dictated KAT first so I could take a risk in my next few picks.

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 05:51

2.12 Draymond Green, SF, GSW

I was pining for Porzingis here but not to be. Also hoping for some top tier PG to slip through the net. Again no.

So, it's Draymond. His shooting regressed a bit last year, but I'm treating that as a blip. Otherwise, I'm expecting the reigning DPOY to delivery his customary awesome contributions in steals, blocks and assists. Getting those out of position assists is huge and allows me the balance to take probably the biggest risk of my draft next.

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 06:00

3.01 Joel Embiid, C, PHI

Here we go. Apparently I Trust the Process. I'm the first to admit I'm swinging for the fences here, but this is why I wanted KAT. Allows me to take this risk.

The Process will return 1st round value if he can stay on the floor for 65+ games. Can he? Probably this pick will define my season one way or the other. Fingers crossed!

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 07:01

1.12 DeMarcus Cousins, C, Nor
Jokic or/and Cousins. Realistically I prepared to choose one or two from these players in the first two rounds. I have wanted to pick up Cousins for some years, but I was too at the beginning or at the end of the order to do this.
I prefer the centers with assist skills, and threes who are not kill my FT%. Cousins was an ideal start to build up a good team for this year.

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 07:13

2.01 Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, MIN
After Cousins and before my later planned players I had to strenght my FT%, and last year Butler was very strong in this area, with a lot of attempts and hihg %.
The second important thing was to be good enough at assists without an elit PG too. Because in my strategy picking up PG was earlier in the fifth round, I had to collect other elit players with a relatively high amount of assists.
Last year Butler was fanatastic, this year risky a bit coulh he repeat this production or not, but I trust in him.

Species
ID: 2191810
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 11:02

Draft slot #7

This was the highest slot available, so before the draft slot process I put together my top tiers to see what 7th might net me. I felt that the top 6 players that were taken, plus Davis and Kawhi were all just a smidge above the next tier of Jokic/Wall/etc so I grabbed #7.

Between choosing this slot and the actual draft I realized I REALLY wanted one of the top 6 to fall to me. Didn't matter who. Plenty of mocks and draft simulations had Towns (most frequently) falling to 7, as LeBron, AD or Kawhi would jump into the top 6. No dice this time.

One thing I like about #7 was that it was in the middle.....you are only one round of picks from your next one, so sometimes a guy falls to you or you can react to a run at just the right time.

1.07 Anthony Davis, PF, NOR
On production, Davis would warrant a higher pick: 28 PPG, nearly 12 RBP, blocks, steals and strong percentages (over 80% FT for a big helps). But he misses a lot of games. He bucked that trend last year, playing in 75 games. That might be a bad omen for me this year but I couldn't resist.

I gave very serious consideration to John Wall here. If I had, I probably would have ended up with Wall / Whiteside / Beal instead of AD/George/Conley. Hard to say which trio might turn out better......

Species
ID: 2191810
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 11:22

2.06 Paul George, SF, OKC
Strikeout number two. Nobody I wanted fell in round one. In round two I was sitting there wondering if a PG would fall......in this league that is like wishing for Trump to stop tweeting so I should have known better. But with Bean double-dipping Wall and Paul (which is pretty awesome), that meant Irving was a pretty easy pick for Da Bomb, who appropriately took him.

George is a decent consolation prize. Top tier scoring, high threes, ok boards and elite FT with decent FG for a gunner. A lot has been written about him playing 2nd fiddle to Westbrook this year, but Russ and KD played together pretty well - if anything I wonder if George will actually improve his FG% through easier buckets and more wide open looks.

George is in his prime at age 27. Besides the freak broken leg, he stays healthy and plays which is a huge plus.

I looked at Whiteside (but too similar to AD), Draymond (who I really wanted) and Lowry (with the usual league focus on PG) but decided on George's reliability and studliness.

3.07 Mike Conley, PG, MEM
Time for a famous "Player A / Player B" comparison:

Player A: 44% FG, 85% FT, 3 threes, 3.9 REB, 5.6 AST, 1.1 STL and 23.2 PPG
Player B: 45% FG, 86% FT, 2.5 threes, 3.5 REB, 6.3 ATS, 1.3 STL and 20.5 PPG

Fairly close, right? Player A is Kemba Walker and Player B is Mike Conley. I was very surprised actually to see Conley was so good last year. I would have thought Walker was light years ahead of him.

Conley was easily the best PG still available, and honestly I was relieved when he fell to me. Honestly I was shocked when Meatwads passed on him in favor of Griffin - and after that I figured WG (Curry) and mailedfoot (Kyrie) would let him pass and they did.

Memphis will be relying heavily on him to deliver and I expect he will. He doesn't even need to match last year (with many career highs), just come close and not get hurt :)

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 12:21

3.09 Bradley Beal
Was looking for 3's and assists and FT% here. Beal was next on my board with Klay T next--- either would have fit nicely with my needs--bringing the balance back slowly.

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 13:23

Draft slot #4
I wanted the highest pick available so I could land one of the most elite players in the league. Since there is no concensous top pick this season, I think there's a chance I can land the best player here.

1.04 Kevin Durant, SF, GS
Before he got a little banged up last season, he was the top player on ESPN, in the midst of historic seasons by Harden and Westbrook. He's squarely in his prime, entering his second season with the Warriors. Coming off an amazing year with 53.7% FG, 87.5% FT, 25.1 PPG, 8.3 REB, 4.8 AST, 1.9 3PM, 1.1 STL, 1.6 BLK. He helps in every category.
Other players I considered : Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook

2.09 C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, POR
I drafted him last season in the same round and turned out to be a fantastic asset. I especially value his elite percentages from a guard, and his multi-position flexibility on ESPN has value. Had he not slowed a bit down the stretch, his season would've been even more impressive. I believe he's getting better and just entering his prime. I project him to be the second best SG in the league this season, only surpassed by Harden.
Other players I considered : Kemba Walker and Draymond Green

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 13:58

3.06 Gordon Hayward, SF/SG, BOS
Selected Hayward because he projects to help in every category save blocks and he can be used as a forward or a guard. There are some concerns he won't get the usage in a loaded Celtic lineup but I believe he will carve out a similar line to last year.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 15:04

4.04 Paul Millsap PF
Best laid plans.... with Millsap surprisingly available I decided to rewrite my plans...again..I like Denver this year as well-- statwise I'm still fairly balanced so I feel OK at this point but uncomfortable-- last year everything seemed to line up as I was hoping-- this draft has been more of a challenge.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 17:09

4.07 Jeff Teague, PG, MIN
Decided to take a second PG here and Teague figures to get a bunch of assists feeding Towns and Butler. He also is projected for 15 ppg with good percentages along with a few 3s and steals. Also considered Dragic here.

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 17:31

3.02 Kemba Walker, PG, CHA
I thought about getting a big man here, but I usually have trouble getting assists, so I better invest in that early before I look into the load of big man that can rebound and ideally block some shots. Walker might not give you the most assists of the available players, but he scores the most 3s or points in general among them without giving away much in fg%.

4.11 Lamarcus Aldridge, PF, SAS
I already own 2 guards and only 1 F/C, so I primarily looked for a big men. it would not hurt if it would be a big with above average blocks and who does not kill your FT%, like Jordan, Drummond or others. especially the 2nd part is tough in finding centers at this point. with Porzingis I am currently ahead in blocks, which makes blocks not mandatory for this pick.

my queue was Aldridge (most blocks) - Vucevic (eligible at C, swish already has 2 C's) - Randle (most rebounds) - Porter (most steals, 3s). ideally a 2nd one of that group lands on my team at 5.02.

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 19:05

5.02 Nikola Vucevic, C, ORL
as expected Swish takes 2 guards, so that my 2nd preferred choice Vucevic lands on my team. as some managers already mentioned, center is not a very deep position this year. at least not at ESPN. It looks like getting 2 decent C's shouldn't be the problem, but finding a 3rd that can fill in might get some teams in trouble. you may then end up with low end options like a fellow countryman of mine, who is the backup center in the north. I wish him all the best in his 2nd season and hope that he gets real-life relevant at some point but I don't want to rely on him in fantasy.

and: I don't get it why the old man in his 20th season with the same team is not C eligibile. he plays that position a lot. He is even slated to start there this year, but ESPN thinks that he is not a center. Duncan played a similar role for his team and was always eligible at PF and C.

I guess I talked too much about German speaking players.

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 19:23

3.04 Blake Griffin, PF, LAC
There is some major risk in this pick due to health concerns that have plagued Griffin over the years. That being said, I noticed an interesting trend over the past few seasons that led to this selection. Whenever Chris Paul was out of the lineup, Griffin has a history of becoming a monster, having the offense run through him. I expect his assist totals to take a spike this season as well, which makes him a unique player with massive upside. He just has to stay healthy!
Other players I considered : Mike Conley and Eric Bledsoe

4.09 Dennis Schroder, PG, ATL
I made a conscience decision to wait on point guard this season, going against the masses in that regard. I couldn't be more thrilled to land Schroder with this pick. This season he is poised for a career year since he appears to be the obvious top option on a very poor team. I'm expecting a huge usage rate and a spike in points and likely assists as well. If he takes the step forward I am projecting, he may well average 20+ ppg with 8 asts and good shooting percentages, making him a great value nearly 50 picks into the draft.
Other players I considered : Goran Dragic and D'Angelo Russell

Species
ID: 2191810
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 19:34

4.06 Josef Nurkic, C, POR

Centers were going faster than new TVs on Black Friday.....as I surveyed the scene, I felt Nurkic stood out from the rest as someone to target, particularly relative to the likes of Jordan (not interested in FT punt), Vucevic (he's good), Capela, Valanciunas and Dieng who have all gone since.

Nurkic flourished in tandem with Portland's amazing backcourt with 15 PPG and over 10 REB. Last year he had a block and nearly a steal a game in roughly 24 min/g during the season. With nobody in Portland in the way, 30 mpg should be easy and I expect Nurkic to shine. I think he can challenge Al Horford and Brook Lopez in the Player Rater at Center when all is said and done.

If I didn't take Nurkic, I would have chosen Jeff Teague, who went next. I would have taken a serious look at Millsap if he had fallen to me as well.

Bean
ID: 304422310
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 20:40

4.03 Serge Ibaka, need blocks without destroying my FT%. Serge E Blocka seemed to fit the bill.

5.10 Clint Capela, blocks without destroying FT%, PART 2. Only cause nobody has discovered the hack a Capela strategy. Decent FG% as well.

6.03 Andrew Wiggins, either this is his big year, or Butler and KAT take all the glory. Betting he'll get his share.

Dave R
ID: 45820109
Sun, Oct 08, 2017, 23:05

4.10 D'Angelo Russell PG/SG BRK
Lat year D'angelo averaged 15.6 ppg, nearly 5 assist and 4 boards a game, 1.5 steals and over 2 treys. Then the Lakers shipped him out of town to Brooklyn.

Russell automatically becomes the Nets best player, and Nets play an uptempo, fantasy friendly offense. Increased usage, leading to an uptick in stats is what I'm expecting.

5.03 Andre Drummond C Det

OK, I guess I officially am punting FT%, although with some planning and proper drafting, perhaps I can salvage an extra point or 2. Or maybe I won't bother.

Drummond can single handedly torpedo FT%, but it's hard to ignore his elite production in FG%, rebounds ( 14 per ), steals and blocks. Andre will even supply reasonable points. And now I can forget about the C position, unless I decide to grab a 3rd one

With Russell and Giannis, I figured I wasn't particularly strong in FT %, so what the heck.

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 03:43

5.04 Elfrid Payton, PG, ORL
Since I waited until last round to take a point guard, this seemed like a good time to double up. I've had my eye on Elfrid since his rookie season because I saw some potential in his style if he could ever develop a decent shot. Last season I saw the signs I needed to value him at this stage. Shooting 47.1% FG, 4.7 reb, 6.5 ast, 1.1 stl, 12.8 pts last season, I see a 23-year old entering his 4th season with some intriguing athletes around him and a track record of health.
Other players I considered : Jonas Valanciunas and Otto Porter

6.09 Robert Covington, SF/PF, PHI
I've always admired his ability to contribute in the defensive categories, as well as be a weapon from deep. As noted on his player profile, there was only 3 players in the NBA who averaged at least 1.5 3PM, 1.0 blk and 1.0 stl. Their names are Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins and Robert Covington. I gave some thought to the possibility his role diminishes with the addition of some new faces, but I believe his defensive prowess and versatility will keep his minutes high enough to really help me.
Other players I considered : Tobias Harris and Nerlens Noel

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 10:00

4.12 Ricky Rubio, PG, UTA

After nailing down my starting C pairing, it was always in my mind that my PG situation needed to be addressed. The position looks quite deep this year, but given i don't select for another 23 picks, i decided to double dip on PGs, as it looked like the last chance to get some proven quality at this position. In hindsight, i think i made a good decision here!

Rubio was always my top target at this slot. After the ASB last season, he pumped out top 30 value, and showed signs of fixing his broken shooting stroke. That led to an upturn in FG% and an unexpected rise in 3PT% also. If he can hit the 3 more regularly, he moves very close to the Lowry/Kemba/Conley tier, given his league lead challenging contribution in steals and assists. I also believe that Hayward's defection will leave a wide open hole in the Utah offense for Rubio to exploit. The pick and roll with Gobert will be a staple, and could become legendary.

5.01 Goran Dragic, PG, MIA

Honestly, I probably would have rather gone for Porter or Oladipo, but was pulled towards The Dragon for a few reasons. Firstly, he protects my FG% - I talked earlier how I've been remiss with percentages in the past, so i wanted to keep this in check considering the Rubio pick. Secondly, he should be in mid-season form right off the bat after a frankly stupendous performance at EuroBasket.

Assists are another cat that becomes harder to tally as the draft continues, so to re-up by a collective 13-15 assists is thoroughly welcomed at this point.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 10:51

5.09 Carmelo Anthony
This is when my son looks at me and shakes his head. After explaining why I don't like Carmelo.. and while I have other positional needs... I pick him anyway. Feel like I'm on a runaway train. He will have to share this year but that doesn't mean fantasy irrelevance. FT%-points-3's while keeping assists on life support.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 11:30

1.08 Lebron James, SF/PF, Cle

I expected this pick to be Kawhi after choosing the highest available slot of 8th in the draft selection, but his injury question mark was enough to pass on him with similar talent available. I expect more of the same contributions for Lebron, with perhaps even the possibility of some improvement given his team's PG situation and needing to take on a slightly larger facilitating and scoring role. Hopefully his FT% drifts closer to his career averages after his worst year at the line last season.

2.05 Kyrie Irving, PG, BOS

Best player available in my opinion. There is some concern being with a new team but for what it's worth, he's looked locked in as the alpha option so far this preseason.

3.08 Brook Lopez, C, LAL

I try to target by centers by around this point in the draft through the middle rounds as they dry up quickly, and if I can get one without reaching in ADP, I'll jump. Besides excelling in points, blocks, or even 3s, what I like most is his great FT% from the center spot.

4.05 Khris Middleton, SG/SF, MIL

Khris is a great all-around player who does everything well save blocking shots, and he is completely back to full health.

5.08 Otto Porter, SF, WAS

PGs and Cs get targeted heavily in this league due to their position scarcity and what they can bring in assists and blocks respectively, and mostly deservedly so, but that can aid in the sliding of more all around players who I'm happy to scoop up. Otto had his best year in his 4th season and ended #31 on ESPN's player rater. There is also upside with an injury to the team's starting PF and him entering his prime years.

6.05 Gorgui Dieng, PF/C, MIN

Center options were dwindling so I wanted to secure my second starting spot here. Dieng was a great roto player last season with his solid contributions including great %s, but he's likely in for a downgrade with the team's new additions and will be coming off the bench at least to begin. I also looked at Noel but he too has playing time concerns, and would hurt FT%.

7.08 Marcin Gortat, C, WAS

I wasn't necessarily looking for another center here, but Gortat wasn't a reach and will give me added flexibility as a solid 3rd center option. He too, along with Otto Porter, can stand to benefit (at least in playing time) with the team's injury to their starting PF.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 13:34

6.04 Avery Bradley SG
Looking to add some guard stats and like Bradley's situation. Still unbalanced positionally--- like the stat balance but it may be hard to keep my numbers in line. Lots of picks to go...

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 18:33

5.07 Jrue Holiday, PG/SG, NOR

I was still mainly in best player available mode and started with Otto Porter (who, again, went immediately after)......but there are a TON of productive SF types that do similar things to Porter to be found later in the draft so I passed and soon settled on Holiday.

True he is injury prone, and the arrival of some competition in the backcourt could slightly alter his role. However I think he is a shoo-in for 30+ minutes and be a very good value at this point in the draft.

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 18:37

6.12 Gary Harris, SG, DEN

I love it when a plan comes together. These 2 picks went exactly as hoped. My #1 target for this pick was DSJ, but he was unsurprisingly swiped before me. After that, the priority was to fill my remaining positional requirements of SG and SF/PF. And to get the 2 players you were actually targeting is a rarity in RIHC!

What's not to love about Harris? He literally just inked a 4 year $84 million extension, embedding him as a cornerstone of the franchise. I'm staying true to my %s game and Harris is on point here with a 61 TS% - phenomenal. I'm expecting a big leap; maybe 17-18ppg, 2-3 3s, all with pristine shooting numbers. I think that's real value at #72.

7.01 Marquese Chriss, PF, PHO

I was lucky enough to pick up Chriss for the tail end of last season in RIHC, and performed admirably for me. The PF crop is thinning quite rapidly, and with hybrid F like Harris, Harry B and Gordon flying off the board, it was time to act.

I'm really attracted by the fact that the 1/1/1 club is a certainty if he stays out of foul trouble. But more than that, it's the blocks upside. I think he could push 2 blocks/game, which gives me a formidable base in one of the toughest counting cats to accumulate.

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 18:55

6.06 Julius Randle, PF, LAL

Total plan fail.

No, not in drafting Randle.......but in my hope that ANY one of the SFs out there would fall back to me in the 7th. I saw this glut of SF - Johnson, Covington, Harris, Barnes, Chriss, Ariza and Gallinari - that were all similar enough value-wise that I couldn't differentiate. With 14 picks until my next one, I banked on hope that one would come back.

Fail.

That said, I do like my pick of Randle, exactly the time of young potential breakout that helps win these leagues. He is slimmed down and worked on his ballhandling and shooting this offseason. With Lonzo Ball in tow making things happen, I expect a nice increase in Randle's big stats. I wish he blocked shots, but those boards will be sweet.

mailedfoot
ID: 532131615
Mon, Oct 09, 2017, 21:09

5.06 Jonas Valanciunas,C,TOR
Center options are dwindling and Valanciunas should provide close to a double-double and a block per game without sacrificing FT%. Also considered Dieng but feel like Valanciunas has a little better offensive game.

6.07 James Johnson, SF/PF, MIA
Johnson was great last year, contributing across the board (a member of the 1/1/1 club) and I am hoping he will be able to duplicate that performance this year.

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 00:30

7.04 Nerlens Noel, C, DAL
After taking stock of where my team stood at this point, I felt I needed to target some big man stats, as well as a C on my roster, and am intrigued by Noel this season. He's long showed flashes of outstanding defensive abilities, and now that he's done with The Process, I'm expecting an increase in minutes from last season. Having owned him in the past, I'm very comfortable accepting his shortcomings in order to benefit from his unique talent.
Other players I considered : Marcin Gortat and Steven Adams

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 11:12

7.07 George Hill, PG, SAC

Fail x2.

Not only did all of the SF I want disappear over the 6th/7th round turn, but when I went to bed I pushed myself to queue up 3 guys so I wouldn't hold up the draft the next morning. Being a West Coast guy, I could have held the draft up for several hours before picking if the 2 guys I really wanted - Evan Fournier and Danilo Gallinari went.

So I reviewed my needs and came across a few guys I wanted, just in case. George Hill was up there as a steady, reliable guy. Even with some of the young talent on the Kings, Hill will get his minutes as the steady veteran of the team, so I wasn't worried about playing time. I settled on him partially out of hurrying myself.

If I had dug deeper, I would have realized the need for a stud 3 point shooter and looked at either Eric Gordon or Lou Williams instead. But I didn't, and both went after me. Bad move.

Bean
ID: 304422310
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 13:08

7.10 Lou Williams, probably coming off bench, but should get enough minutes to be productive. Nice for FT%, 3s, steals and points if last year's numbers can be duplicated.

8.03 Pau Gasol, yeah he's old, yeah his minutes are likely to go down. However, he is pretty damn good for an 8th round pick.

9.10 Dirk Nowitski, yeah he is old, yeah his minutes are likely to go down. However, he may play a full season this year, and he is pretty damn good for a 9th round pick.

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 14:30

6.11 Harrison Barnes, SF, DAL
researching this pick was not easy. some projection sites have injured players in the range we are picking now. this tells you when these projections were done and that they are not up-to-date. this gives you also an idea which projections you should follow.
so first you eliminate injured players. turns out that they are more than I expected. If you now remove the players with an injury history and those big man with a killer FT% you are down to zero centers. the next center I would take is 10th round material.
now that C is out of the picture: do I go the REB/BLK/FG%, 3PM/STL/FT% or something in between route?
In the end I took the best shooter available because I could not pull the trigger on any of the other options. I really like one of them and hope that he survives 2 more picks.

7.02 Trevor Ariza, SF, HOU
I debated between Gary Harris and Trevor Ariza. Swish took Harris so I only had to check if everything is still ok with Ariza before taking him.
Ariza performs great in the pre-season next to Harden and Paul. He may not get many assists but there seem to be a lot of rebounds out there for him. combine that with the amount of 3's that he is taking, and converting, and you have a very interesting player on your hands. I hope that his FG% isn't as worse as some project. that would be the price of having a high-volume 3pt-shooter on your team.

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 15:55

8.06 JJ Redick, SG, PHI

I needed some threes and some FT% and Redick provides both of those in spades. After signing a 1 year, TWENTY THREE MILLION DOLLAR contract with the Sixers, I hope his PT at SG is secure. On a team loaded with amazing physical talent but no knockdown shooting (or much veteran leadership), I think Redick will be a steady, calming influence who will benefit mightily from kickouts from playmakers such as Fultz, Simmons and Embiid.

I had to settle on him after Eric Gordon was snapped up by Guru.

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 16:22

I need Da Bomb and mailedfoot to write more descriptive rationales. They NEVER say I snatched somebody right in front of them! I need my ego stroked.

Or........the plain fact is I suck and they laugh at all of my picks! ;)

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 16:51

RE 44: Haha. I like to employ a “strategy” of not really targeting players in the earlier rounds until it’s my turn to pick, that way no guys ever get stolen from me and I’m not disappointed. But I will say I was at least thinking about Nurkic at 4.05.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 18:51

7.06 Evan Fournier, SG, ORL
Going through various options at this point in the draft, the more I looked at Fournier the more I liked him. He figures to be an integral part of the offense and contributes everywhere except blocks. He averaged 17 PPG last year and I'm looking for more of that.

8.07 Jai Crowder, SF, CLE
Crowder is another one of those guys who contribute across all categories (admittedly light on blocks) and I am hoping for more of the same. Looks like he may be starting at PF for the Cavs, so things are looking good right now and I would welcome a little more positional flexibility.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Tue, Oct 10, 2017, 21:45

8.05 Darren Collison, PG, IND

With just Kyrie PG eligible on my roster I wanted to add another here. Indiana signed Collison to bring him back to be their starting PG where opportunities should be fairly prevalent after trading Paul George. I also looked at Fultz, Reggie Jackson and Beverley (who I took in the 9th), but went with Collison based on his likely superior %s.

9.08 Patrick Beverley, PG, LAC

It wasn't my intention to take another PG with this pick, but I felt the value was too good to pass up. I'm a bit concerned about Teodosic (who went 3 picks prior) pushing him for playing time, but if he sticks as the starter he will be a good source of assists, steals, 3s, and rebounds. His 5.9 rpg last season was second to only Westbrook for PG eligible players.

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 08:57

Message: 8.12 Josh Richardson, GF, MIA

Tough picks. Almost went in a completely direction, and then remembered we're only halfway through the draft. In the end, i could not pass up on Josh. The GF flex is most welcome, and in an admittedly small sample size, he posted 1st round value in April. He seems to have stayed right in that flow during the pre-season, and i feel pretty good that this could be another 1/1/1 potential. The Miami backcourt is crowded, but i'll eat my hat if Rich doesn't carve out a 30 minute role. Did i mention he's come out and said he wants to lead all SG and SF in steals and blocks? Good attitude - welcome to Team Swish!

9.01 Reggie Jackson, PG, DET

I'm second guessing this pick already. The PG well is very close to running dry, and seeing some very strong assist teams on the board, i decided to move away from my original targets.

Reggie is a gamble. He's coming off knee issues and a sullen attitude last season, but i've read a few articles that say he's bucked things up. His preseason debut was encouraging, and if he can be 15/16 instead of 16/17 Reggie, this will represent good value with 15 PPG, 6 assists and some nice FT volume at a high clip.

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 15:13

8.11 Dario Saric, SF/PF, PHI
I could really use a guard at this point, but could not pull the trigger on any of the available options. Swish may take one of them, so I still have plenty to choose from at 9.02

I researched a lot of guys (>20) that usually go around this pick and it amazed me how many of them have question marks. They are either already banged up which is most likely the reason others are staying away from them as well. Others lost their starting gig or are in the middle of losing it. Not a great outlook in the middle rounds of the draft. These are the guys you are taking at the end. some of them are just old and you never know if this is the year they run out of gas. and I don't want to kill FT% by picking Dwight Howard.

out of the remaining options I (and most projections) had Saric the highest. I bet that these projections did not include the injury to the backup center, so Saric could end up playing some center as well. Embiid is not known for long healthy stretches which might be good as well. Saric gaining C eligibility would make this pick slightly better.

living in the EU I need to employ my fellow europeans. I am now at 3 out of 8 and I am expecting that trend to continue.

9.02 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, LAL
I am short by 2 guards at this point, so I mainly looked at them. Most remaining starting PG's left are injured. the situations for LAC and NYK are unsettled.
available starting SG's include 4 injured players and mostly questionable options. one of the players that is not questionable to me is KCP. he won't get me many assists but he is good at STL/3PM/PTS/FT% which is ok for me at this point. I only need to find a gem later in the draft. sounds easy.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 16:23

7.09 Jeremy Lin
This is what happens when you wait too long for a PG. Really wanted G. Hill here after some updated injury news.

8.04 Dwayne Wade
Reaching at this point-- with Thomas out he will have more opportunity.

9.09 Marcus Smart
Assists are diminishing and will be a challenge for me. Thought Smart was my best option

10.04 Brandon Ingram
Finally a pick I liked. Had him ranked much higher. Probably should have gone C here but he would have been gone...

Bean
ID: 304422310
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 17:55

10.3 Robin Lopez - Blocks without killing FT%

11.10 Seth Curry - He's not his brother, but he didn't cost a #1 pick either. Good %s, and contributes well in 3s and steals.

12.03 Derrick Rose - He's been "designated" as the anchor to the 2nd team. I am a Cavs season ticket holder, so I'd like to see IT back as fast as possible. However, if he takes his time, Rose should be in the starting five during a large part of the season; and his minutes will top 25.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 20:01

9.06 Alex Len, C, PHO
Len will be free agent next year, so he should have plenty of motivation to perform this year and has been making noise with his play in preseason. If he can carry this through to the regular season he has a pretty clear path to minutes. I'm thinking he will contribute boards, blocks, and hopefully more.

10.07 Will Barton, SG/SF, DEN
Barton figures to head up the second unit in Denver, contributes at least a little across the board, and provides more positional flexibility as both a G and F.

Dave R
ID: 10941920
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 22:46

6.10 Tobias Harris PF/SF Det

I had hoped for Covington or James Johnson here, but it wasn't meant to be

Harris is always a player I liked. He won't help much in the defensive stats, but he can score ( led the Pistons last year ) grabs some boards ( 5+ ), a couple assists and over a 3 per game.

He's a nice fit for my team

7.03 Jamal Murray PG/SG Den

Since my target Gary Harris was taken a few picks earlier, I'll opt for his team mate Jamal Murray. It sounds like Jamal will earn the starting gig in Denver's fast past offense.

Upside, Murray has a solid 2nd half of the season to build on, posting over 12 ppg, nearly 3 assists and boards and a block per. Improvement in those numbers makes this a solid pick

Dave R
ID: 10941920
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 23:24

8.10 Rodney Hood SG Uta

Gordon Haywood- Boston
George Hill - Sacramento
Rodney Hood - team Sanfordors

Rodney struggled with some injury issues last year, and while it doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling, supposedly he's healthy and ready to shoulder a bigger burden in Utah with two main men having moved on.

Rubio is running the offense, and he's always been as supreme distibutor. With Gobert operating inside, Hood should see alot of open looks, and he's always been able to score.

Average projections I've seen reflect about 16 ppg, 4+ boards, a cople assists and 2.5 triples . Another player I drafted who won't do much in steals or blocks, but I think I'm Ok there

9.03 Dwight Howard C Cha

Dwight is perfect for me here, having torpedoed FT % with the likes of Drummond taken earlier What a boost he gives in boards, blocks, FG%, as well as points.

I was shocked to look him up and see he's only 31, it seems like he's been around forever. If he could make FT's, he'd be a much higher pick, on my team that doesn't matter

13 points per, and 13 boards as well, over a block a game over excellent value in the 9th round

WG
ID: 53213822
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 23:50

1.05 Stephen Curry, PG, GSW
The first round is deeper this year than any other year in recent memory, IMO. I took the highest pick just so I could choose from the most people possible.

This pick came down to deciding between Curry and Russell Westbrook. RW probably goes higher in most drafts, but I opted for Curry mainly because I felt he was a bit more projectable/predictable (since we saw what he could do last year with a similar team to this year, unlike RW), and he offers elite FT and 3s with great FG and good to great stats everywhere else. In hindsight though, I may have chosen RW over Curry if I could do it all over again, as I find myself, at this much later date, lacking in more categories that RW-over-Curry could have helped me in than excelling in categories that Curry-over-RW does help me in, if that makes sense.

WG
ID: 53213822
Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 23:59

2.08 Hassan Whiteside, C, Mia

After taking Curry round 1, I was pretty set on taking a big here. Whiteside really stood out amongst those available, as he is elite in FG, Reb, and Blk. Paired with Curry who excels in different categories, including elite FT to offset Whiteside's poor FT, I thought I was in a good spot with my first 2 picks. The only other player I really considered here was Porzingis, but even as a Knicks fan, I couldn't pass up Whiteside's production.

3.05 Demar Derozan, SG, Tor

I feel like Derozan has been a bit of a secret the past 2 or so years. He gets to the FT line a ridiculous amount and shoots at such a high rate that it has a huge positive impact on your totals. In past years, his mid round price tag offset the lack of production in other categories. This year, commanding a 3rd round pick made it a bit more difficult, since he doesn't shoot 3s and isn't great in assists. Still, I thought taking him here and pairing him with Curry meant I could have my choice of bigs later on and still be good in FT. I was wrong, but more on that later! I strongly considered both Gordon Hayward and Mike Conley here.

WG
ID: 53213822
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 00:13

4.08 Deandre Jordan, C, LAC

Having gone G, F, G with my first 3 picks, I was looking for another F here. I thought my FT with Curry and Derozan could handle any poor FT shooting big I would take, so I looked at Jordan, Andre Drummond, and Nikola Vucevic. I opted for Jordan bc of his elite FG, Reb, and Blk. I didn't realize his poor FT would have such a negative impact on my totals (as I hadn't yet bought the Rotowire app to see projections), and ended up chasing FT the rest of the way. Currently, I am projected for the 2nd worst FT; pretty remarkable on a team with Curry and Derozan.

After taking Jordan and a G in round 5, I did wonder if I would have been better off going G/F in 4/5 instead. In that scenario, I probably would have ended up with Dennis Schroder and Jonas Valanciunas.

5.05 Victor Oladipo, SG, Ind

As mentioned, I had gone G, F, G, F so far, so this pick was going to be a G. Ideally, it would have been a PG, but the only ones I considered, Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball, I felt carried a bit more risk at this stage. Oladipo of course is not without his own concerns, but he delivered nearly top-75 value playing with RW, so shouldn't have much trouble delivering more value as the primary or secondary scoring option in Indy.

WG
ID: 53213822
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 00:21

6.08 Dennis Smith, Jr., PG, Dal

Through 5 picks, I found myself a bit light on assists, so I was looking for a PG here. Smith stood out as a high upside, relatively safe floor player, so I was happy to take him in this spot. Dallas seems to really like him and seems willing to let him run the point and offense. Lonzo Ball and Ben Simmons had also both recently gone off the board, so I thought it was about the right time to gamble on another rookie.

7.05 Danilo Gallinari, SF, LAC

As previously mentioned, Jordan did a number on my FT projections, so I spent many picks after trying to address it. One way of doing so was drafting Gallinari here. Gallinari shoots lots of FT at a high rate, and I thought that would really help my projections. He should also be good for good scoring and decent rebounds for a SF, especially now that he is on a team where he can do a bit more. Of course, injuries are more certainty than concern with him, so I made this pick expecting him to play about 60 games.

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 06:10

8.09 Derrick Favors, PF/C, UTA
A lot of the safe, proven bigs are off the board at this point, so I decided to double up on my Noel pick from last round with another intriguing guy. Coming off a season hampered by an injury, his production fell to a career low last season. He's slated to start for Utah and appears to be healthy. Before last year he was considered a top 50 asset with upside. If I can get the 16 pts, 8 reb, steal and block with good FG% he provided in consecutive seasons, I'll be in good shape here.
Other players I considered : Josh Richardson, Isaiah Thomas

09.04 Isaiah Thomas, PG, CLE
Here we are 100 picks into the draft and I just couldn't pass on him anymore. Obviously he is currently injured and could be out for half the season. The optimistic side of me thinks he'll beat his current timeline and be an epic steal in this draft. Realistically, he's going to be sitting on my bench until 2018 and possibly be a huge addition for me in the second half. I usually hate drafting injured players, but I owned him last season and he is the type of player that could make my season.

Swish City
ID: 538201810
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 11:24

10.12 Boban Marjanovic, C, DET

A pick of Necessity, Excitement and Trepidation.

Necessity - It was vital to get a 3rd C in this league. My Center queue had been well and truly flushed with Monroe, Dedmon, Len, WCS all being hoovered up already. Regretting that Jackson pick, yet? Kinda. Anyway, scanning down the ESPN C eligible list left me at Boban.

Excitement = Free Boban! Please Stan, just Free Boban! Drummond has been nothing short of lazy in some of his preseason action, so why won't Stan play Boban? Massive man, massive wingspan, scoring machine.

Trepidation - I only have 33 minutes of preseason action to base this on. There's big potential to be burned here, but as we all know, all that's needed is 15-20 mins again for this guy to have some serious value. Hoping that happens.

I would have waited for a 3rd C rather than have to make this pick, but look at the list of Cs and tell me there'd be anything left after another 2 rounds. Didn't think so!

11.01 Kyle Kuzma, PF, LAL

When does Summer League and preseason success translate into regular season reality? It's the question fantasy managers ask every year, and i've challenged myself on this front by selecting Kuzma.

Arguably one of the most visible success stories of the preseason, Kuzma has at times looked like the prize rookie on the team, not Ball. As the 27th pick in this year's draft, it seems there are some NBA GMs kicking themselves. Kuzma recently came 2nd behind DSJ in a GM vote for steal of the draft. Walton also already came out and said he will find a way to keep Kuzma on the floor, so even if he starts on the bench, his role looks set to grow as time goes on.

It's reaching the point of the draft where some chances need to be taken, as many of the players selected after round 10 end up on waivers anyway. Punts away!

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 12:56

10.09 Marvin Williams, SF/PF, CHA
With this pick I was looking for someone who could give me 3's and chip in some Pts and Reb ideally. Marvin seemed to fit the bit relatively good and he's coming off back to back solid seasons. The injury to Batum should secure his minutes in the low 30's and I expect him to be a solid piece for me, at least until he falls flat on his face and I replace him with a hot free agent! There isn't any upside with this pick, but if he performs like he has been, it's a solid value.

11.04 Ryan Anderson, PF, HOU
Following suit with my last selection, I was looking to secure a 3 point shooter who could also chip in some rebounds. Anderson has a long track record of being one of the biggest threats from downtown in the league. He stayed healthy last season and averaged nearly 30 minutes per game. He's projected to be the starting stretch four with Houston again this season. The addition of Chris Paul should help Anderson I would think. Just another great passer that will find him for open 3's.

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 13:47

10.11 Dewayne Dedmon, C, ATL
with 3 starting slots still to fill I have holes at G and C that need to be filled. there are not many centers left that I would be comfortable with playing every day. and I need to keep in mind that I need a 3rd one to fill in if one of my 2 rests. so I better take one now and hope that either Saric gains C eligibility or that I draft a sleeper in the later rounds.

available options according to most projections: Dedmon, T Chandler, , , Olynyk, and . only 2 of them seem to be starting. Dedmon is one of them. he gets more than a block per game, lots of rebounds, great FG%. his bad FT% should not matter as long as he does not go to the line very often. hell, he is even projected to hit a 3-pointer this year. that will make the difference.

11.02 Wilson Chandler, SF, DEN
after taking a center I planned to get a guard with this pick. I looked at all the options but could not pull the trigger on any of them.

on my list are: Rondo, , , Ish Smith, Bazemore, Clarkson and Lamb

I guess I wait 20 more picks and see if any of them survives. Rondo would be the most intriguing though and some of them may be there even later in the draft.

Wilson Chandler is not special in any category, but somehow he always ends up in the top 100 on the player rater. so he must have something, right? I will figure it out this season.

mailedfoot
ID: 27912109
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 15:33

Ish Smith, PG, DET
Wanted to get another PG and Smith has shown the ability to generate pretty good fantasy stats when given playing time. I'm thinking he has a decent chance to get the playing time this season. So basically, I'm taking a flyer on him to see what happens.

jason
ID: 538342612
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 16:00

3.12 Kevin Love, PF, CLE
In the third round I went along my new strategy, at first collecting very strong players but not PG-s, if it is possible with assists skill.
Love was not really the most optimal choose from this wiew, but he can handle the ball (maybe 2 assits a game) and could help me in threes, rebounds and points too. And, if this year he will play at center position maybe I got from him some extra bloks too.

jason
ID: 538342612
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 16:08

4.01 Devin Booker, SG, PHO
It seems maybe a bit early to pick up Booker at the beginning of the 4th round but I was sure my next pick would have been to late catching him.
Last year I had Booker in one of my team and it was really enjoyable. A lot of points, threes and more than expected assists.. and the high FT % with a ton of attempts. Yes, the FG% is not too good, OK, was very low, but I will try to compensate this with other players.

jason
ID: 538342612
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 16:22

5.12 Aaron Gordon, SF,PF ORL
It was the time to choose a PG but I realized the assortment was tight a bit. My candidate was Payton but he falled to Mighty some picks earlier.
Because I had two chooses one after another I picked up at first Gordon who been in the market and I hunted him. I hope Gordon will be a top 50 player this year, he will have a breakout season. He is an all stat category player, and is terrific in the preseason games.

jason
ID: 538342612
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 16:27

6.01 Malcolm Brogdon PG/SG MIL
I hesitated between Brogdon and Dennis Smith. Brogdon was very good last year and as far as I remember he was the most improved player. So I gave a chance him to improve a big this year too.
Today I am not sure that he was the better choice, but we will see it.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 17:17

10.05 TJ Warren, SF, PHO

I've been focusing more on the "peripheral" stats with my recent picks so I wanted to get more of a scorer here, and TJ can be that and then some. He came on strong in the second half of last season putting up 17+ ppg on 56% FG, 7+ rpg, and a steal and a block each per game. There were questions about what his playing time may be after the Suns drafted Josh Jackson, but the team showed commitment to him with a 4 year $50M extension (though who knows how much this really means because there are some nutty contracts in the game).

11.08 Jeremy Lamb, SG, CHA

At this point in the draft I'm re-looking over team depth charts and searching for guys who will have starting and/ or sizable roles. Lamb's season long outlook may not be great, but while Batum is out (and if Lamb is healthy himself), he should be a helpful player. In 5 games as a starter last season, Lamb put up 15 pts, 8 bds, 1 three, and 1 steal on good %s.

12.05 JaMychal Green, PF, MEM

Green was surprisingly productive to me last year after reviewing his stats. He's a good rebounder and chips in blocks, steals, and even 3s, and adds an excellent FT% for a big man. He's set up for an improvement this year as his main competition for minutes last season in Zach Randolph is gone and the depth chart behind him is barren.

13.08 Malik Monk, SG, CHA

This pick is a bit of a hedge in case Lamb's injury is more serious than what is being reported, but Monk could still carve out value even if he doesn't start. He hasn't been shy about shooting it this preseason and has put up point totals of 21, 19, 19 over the previous 3 games with 10 threes. He's also shown the ability to get to the line and it seems he will be a better rebounder and distributor than what he was at Kentucky.

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 19:01

9.07 Willie Cauley-Stein, C, SAC

He qualifies at Center.
He is young and the Kings are rebuilding. He should see plenty of time and has a chance to put up some useful stats in rebounds and blocks. Won't help much on offense but there is upside.

I chose him over Kanter and Lopez. Maybe should have jumped on Kanter but the NYK situation is a cluster. I had hoped one of those two may fall to the next round, but alas they didn't.

10.06 Nicholas Batum, SF, CHA

After Thomas went in round 9, I was contemplating when to consider some of the other injured players. As my pick was coming up, I noticed that the news that Batum was going to NOT have surgery came out. This lowered his recovery time by a bit and made an early December return possible. I figured 50 games or so of a Batum (plus games by a replacement) would be worth more than a season worth of Wilson Chandler. At least I hope so!

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 19:09

11.07 Markieff Morris, PF, WAS

Let's do an injury double-header!! Batum and Morris back-to-back.

I probably should have handcuffed Batum with Jeremy Lamb (who went next), but I got greedy and took Morris - a steady, unspectacular but reliable performer. He did very well working alongside the guard tandem in Washington last year, and his injury is not that bad. Last indications point to an early November return.

Now it is up to me to find some capable replacements while awaiting my injured performers to return. I have to show patience when my team starts slow and hope I can make a huge 2nd half run.

Bean
ID: 304422310
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 22:35

13.10 Maurice Harkless - Projected as starting PF, so his minutes should be near last year's. Given the same production, he should provide some steals, blocks and FG% help with some risk at FT%.

14.03 Mason Plumlee - I like his potential contributions in Rebounds, Blocks, Steals and FG%. If he doesn't get the minutes, he'll find himself a Free Agent.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Thu, Oct 12, 2017, 23:26

14.06 Justise Winslow, SG/SF, MIA

Winslow started 15 of his 18 games last season and averaged 36 minutes in those. McGruder (I feel like this is a safe undrafted name to mention) who started a lot at SF after Winslow went down recently got hurt himself, re-opening the door for another potential big role for Winslow. He's a well-rounded player but his %s leave something to be desired, though ideally my focus on %s earlier in the draft will help absorb players like these that become more frequent towards the end and in free agency.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 07:03

12.07 Taj Gibson, PF, MIN
Gibson provides depth at PF and solid if unspectacular production in points, boards, defensive stats, and percentages.

13.06 Skal Labissiere, PF, SAC
More big man depth with Labissiere, who could be a breakout candidate if everything goes right. He has put up some nice per 36 numbers but will have to be more consistent to stay on the court.

14.07 Andre Iguodala, SF, GSW
Iguodala is settled in to a 2nd team role with the Warriors and will kick in a steady, well rounded stat line with occasional offensive outbursts. He provides depth at SF for my team.

Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 11:52

12.06 Ersan Ilyasova, PF, ATL

This is the time in the draft that you are searching either for:

1) Breakout young players
2) Guys who start on crappy teams

Ilyasova is a mediocre, veteran big man who has put up fairly consistent numbers over his career. The Hawks are awful, but somebody has to score, hoist threes and rebound, and Ilyasova is slated to be the starting power forward. True he has rookie John Collins (picked 11 picks earlier --- I considered him) to battle for time, but he should be assured of 25-ish minutes (and more if he gets hot) and produce decently.

I would gladly take the same 13 PPG, 5.9 REB, 1.7 AST and 1.7 threes from last year, but there could be more if he pushes 30 minutes....

13.07 Kent Bazemore, SG, ATL

See rationale above for Ilyasova (12.06). Bad teams make great opportunity for productive late round fantasy assets. Looking at it, I probably should have taken Bazemore last round - honestly I think he is a steal at this point in the draft. He is no superstar, but the Hawks are really hurting for scoring and playmaking, and the tandem of Schroeder and Bazemore will be tasked with trying to make the Hawks go. He is a bum at the FT line (sadly an unintentional problem for me) but otherwise I love Rotowire's projection for him.

He is the perfect bridge to Nicolas Batum's return in a couple of months.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 12:46

11.09 Tyson Chandler- in dire need of a Center--- waited too long. Not sure where he will end up-- hoping for boards and minimized damage.

12.04 Nikola Mirotic
Think he has a chance to excel this year. Think he is a nice solid pick here.

13.09 Cody Zeller --needed at least 1 more center (if Tyson holds up)- was happy to see Cody fall here. Solid production last year-- we will see what the year brings.

14.04 Jerian Grant --someone has to man the point for now. I'm in need of assists so he should help start off the year until the FA market is clearer.

Hope my targets continue to be available!!

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 15:10

12.11 Wesley Matthews, SG, DAL
I was all set in picking Rondo. everything looked fine in the morning: 1 pick to go. Rondo is still available. And then Dave ruined my day. I am way short in assists and struggle to get PG's for multiple rounds. every time I talk myself into "he will be there 20 picks later". and every time I get disappointed. There are still some PG's out there that I like, but not in rounds 12/13. I will try the same one last time. to be honest there are only 3 picks left, so I can't repeat this forever. I fear that I must be active on the wire to get the Jeremy Lin of 2017/18.

after I missed PG, again, I looked into SG as a consolation price because it should get you the most assists. the top choice available is Wesley Matthews. he fits my team: gets me the 3-pointers and steals I need to reach my targets. improves FT%. if only his FG% would be better. but you can't have everything.

13.02 Dion Waiters, SG, MIA
I am still recovering from not getting Rondo. Waiters is similar to Matthews only with more assists than rebounds. He has the same strengths and the same bad FG%. I guess with these last 2 picks I will end up in the last third at FG%. but I will be near the top in steals and 3s.

my statistical holes are: BLK, ASS and FG%. ideally BLK gets addressed with a specialist at 14.11/15.02. and I finally hope to get a backup PG that is worth his draft slot.

Swish City
ID: 538201810
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 15:51

12.12 Mitchell, Donovan - UTA - SG

Dave R really hacked me off by taking Rondo, and Crabbe and Josh Jackson were on my 'Want' list also.

Rodney Hood is made of glass, and the Jazz are desparate for scoring post-Hayward. I'm also a sucker for rookies who perform in Summer League, then preseason and end in the top 3 of 'GM steal of the draft' voting (See: Kuzma) Plus Mitchell was a prolific 3PT shooter and thief in college and Summer League.

This is a good time to take risks though, and I'm more inclined to go for young players on bad teams at this stage. At least that means there's usually a void to fill and a longer leash. Along with Kuzma, Mitchell could definitely be a dark horse for ROY.

13.01 Holiday, Justin - CHI - GF

Sometimes, you just need to grab opportunity. Zach LaVine might be out until the end of the year, but Holiday has stepped in and performed admirably. He's one of the few players on a bad Chicago team that has notable NBA experience, and someone needs to produce for them, right? I think Holiday has as good chance as any. Not only that, i feel he could stick in the starting lineup even when LaVine returns. He's made 15 3s in 5 contests and drained all 12 of his free throws.

In the context of the 13th round, that's definitely worth a shot.

14.12 Holmes, Richaun - PHI - FC

What a difference a week makes! At that time, Holmes was healthy, Embiid was not on the court yet, and i was targetting my Embiid handcuff well inside the top 100. Now, Holmes has a fractured wrist with a 3 week evaluation period, and i ironically breathed a huge sigh of relief after selecting him with #148. It's a weight off my shoulders. I was terrified of the scenario that someone else nabs Richaun and Joel goes down after 12 games - argghhh!

When Embiid went down last season, Holmes was a top 35 player. But i also think he will have standalone value after a mini-breakout last year, as there's no way Embiid plays 35 mins/game or 82 games. Plus, i love the little bonus of FC flex at this stage.

Trust the Process...and his backup!

15.01 Markkanen, Lauri - CHI - PF

As per 13.01, the Bulls will be terrible. With a full rebuild underway, the 7th pick of the draft had a great EuroBasket tourney and will get ample opportunity for 20-30 mins. He's had a very quiet start but busted out for 15 4th quarter points in his last game.

Young players on bad teams. Repeat.

Oh, and it appears i'm only drafting rookies or EuroBasket stars now. This could go brilliantly or terribly, terribly wrong...

Bean
ID: 304422310
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 16:10

15.10 Evan Turner - he's productive in many cats, its all about his minutes. Had Marcus Morris first in my queue, BB grabbed him just before me.

16.03 Bismark Biyombo - May never see the lineup, absent an injury to a big. Can bring Blocks and Rebounds, not much else.

mailedfoot
ID: 27912109
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 16:36

15.06 Terry Rozier, PG, BOS
Young guy who seems to be consistently improving his game, but the big question is how many minutes will he get?

16.07 Larry Nance, Jr, PF, LAL
Like Rozier, Nance has generated some nice stat lines and a little hype but is involved in a 3 way competition for the PF slot, so it remains to be seen if he will be fantasy worthy.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 18:13

15.08 DeMarre Carroll, SF, BKN

Carroll was a productive roto player in Atlanta before he took 3-4 steps back in Toronto. Now Carroll has the welcome scenery change, is reunited with Kenny Atkinson from Atlanta, says he is healthy for the first time in a couple years, and has been starting in the preseason.

16.05 Austin Rivers, PG/SG, LAC

In Rivers' 29 starts last season he had impressive averages of 16 pts, 4 assts, 3 bds, 2+ 3s with a 46% FG. He was slated to start again this season until he went down with an injury in the preseason opener, but there was news today that he's now doubtful to play in the preseason finale, which is better than out, which gives some hope of him being ready for the season opener, which could make this more like 14th round value in the 16th round.

BB The Ball
ID: 318101520
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 19:44

15.09 Marcus Morris
Like the last picks of the draft-- thought he was worth a shot--- working the waiver wire is also fun.

16.04 Jabari Parker
Seeing now he is looking for a Feb return this was probably not the time to pick him up. Par for the course this draft!!

On a side note this was a very smooth draft in my opinion-- looking forward to a great season!!

Dave R
ID: 10941920
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 21:45

10.10 Thaddeus Young SF/PF Ind

I've never been a huge fan of Young, even when he played for my Nets. I'm not sure why. But he kind of fits nicely on my team year.

Paul George and George Hill have moved on, and been replaced by arguably less talented players, so maybe Young gets an increase in usage.

30+ minutes a game seems a lock, which should hopefully get him back to the 15ppg, 9 boards and 1.5 steals he posted for the Nets

11.03 Zack Lavine PG/SG Chi

A couple other injured stars had already gone off the board, it's hard to gage when the right time is to take one. Zach has no firm timetable to return, but i'm hearing possibly sometime in December. So I thought round 11 makes sense

I looked it up, Lavine was taken with pick 7.06 in out league last year. Pre injury, he played 47 games, averaging 18.9 points 3 boards and assists and 2.6 triples

There's not much talent left in Chicago so Zach could be the main man. Hopefully the Bulls won't throw in the towel and go easy with him

Dave R
ID: 10941920
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 21:55

12.10 Rajon Rondo PG NOR

I always seem to misjudge where I sit with assists. Last year I thought I'd end up near the top and finished dead last. What a better way to fix that than by drafting Rondo.

He just underwent surgery, and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, but even figuring 60 games, his projections of over 7 dimes per games, certainly helps that category.

Rondo doesn't score much, but he can gather rebounds to the tune of over 5 per, and add in 1.5 steals.

Oh, and his crappy FT % fits right in with most of my team

Dave R
ID: 10941920
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 22:17

13.03 Joe Ingles SF/PF Uta

What a boring pick, but boring isn't always bad at this point in the draft. Ingles played him self into a new contract last year, and Hayward's exit opened up a starting gig as SG for Utah. So sometime along the way he should get additional eligibility as G/F.

After the ASB Joe average over 8 ppg, over 4 boards and assists,1.2 steals and 1.9 3's. With some additional usage this year I'm expecting an increase in scoring

14.10 Tristan Thompson PF/C Cle

I hadn't even considered Tristan, Crowder comes on board, Love shifts to starting center and Thomspon goes to the bench.

Even so Thompson should be able to carve out 25 minutes, and along with that some valuable rebounds and blocks, and excellent FG%

Plus he gives me an additional option a Center

Dave R
ID: 10941920
Fri, Oct 13, 2017, 22:50

15.03 Terrence Ross SG/SF Orl

Generally at this point in the draft, I'm looking for young stars in the making. I hardly accomplished that with this and 16.10 as well. In retrospect I'm not thrilled with this pick, I should have taken one of the youngsters from Boston, Tatum or Brown

Ross mainly makes his mark in scoring 3's and steals, the move from Toronto to the Magic last year increased his playing time, unfortunately that didn't lead to an increase in production.

Ross could be the first player to exit team SANFORDORS

16.10 Lance Stephenson SG/SF Ind

It was only 4 years ago that Lance was a borderline allstar, averaging almost 14 points, 7.2 boards, 4.6 assists, and over a three a game. Since then he hasn't played more than 69 games, taking the court last year for only 18 games.

So, what was I thinking?

Not sure, just hoping he can throw some decent counting stats my way. He did have a decent run for the last 10 games of the year with the Pacers after signing a new contract with them, the team he started his career with.

Swish City
Dude
ID: 0931275
Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 02:27

16.12 Jonathan Simmons - ORL - SG

The honour of the last pick goes to Jonathan Simmons. He's had a nice preseason, and had a decent stretch with the Spurs at the end of last year. Hoping he can unseat Terence Ross as the starter.

Or he could end up on the wire within a week. I had my eye on Caris LeVert here also but gone.

We're done. Let's go!

youngroman
ID: 19238238
Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 03:25

14.11 Yogi Ferrell, PG/SG, DAL
I finally managed to get a guard which should get a meaningful number of assists. the only other options that I considered for that role are Dunn/Grant and Ntilikina.

With Seth Curry injured, Ferrell should start at SG at the beginning of the season. Smith looks like the real deal, but I guess he will also have games where he struggles. in these situations Ferrell should run the point and get me the assists I need.

15.02 Timofey Mozgov, C, BKN
I could have taken another of the guards I considered with this pick or take a starting center. In the end I took the center because I only have 2 eligible players right now and I can't expect that Saric gets eligibility soon. Mozgov is starting and has not much competition. He should produce early on. If he does not he will soon join team waiver wire.

16.11 Jakob Pöltl, PF/C, TOR
he is the first NBA player from Austria. I am from Austria. Last year someone reached for him in RIHC as well as G20. someone thought that he would be valuable during the season. I did not think that and simply would have taken him out of patriotism.

It has nothing changed this year. The only difference is that nobody in RIHC reached for him and he is still out there in G20 as well.

I guess he won't last on my team long. he will be replaced by the hot free agent 1 to 3 days into the season. The only exception of that happening would be a season-ending injury to Jonas Valanciunas.

Meatwads
ID: 5863742
Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 04:43

12.09 Josh Jackson, SF, PHO
At this point in the draft I made a decision to pursue upside over established mid-level vets. Over the years I've noticed that most rookies don't have a huge impact in the NBA. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but generally it's a safe bet that most don't live up to their preseason hype. I'm not expecting any miracles with this selection, however I do think Jackson has a chance to be special down the road. He had gone earlier in both of the AAA leagues, so I felt comfortable taking a stab on this versatile youngster. The Suns seem intent on playing him at multiple positions, so that could help him stay on the floor and my roster.

13.04 Thon Maker, PF, MIL
As with my selection of Josh Jackson, I decided to take a flier on a youngster that I think can become special. He's still generally raw, but showed flashes of being an impact player last season. Considering he was starting as a rookie for a playoff team, has the confidence of the coaches and his teammates, I'm expecting a significant increase in minutes and statistics. I still think Maker is mostly overlooked, which is understandable since he averaged less than 10 minutes per game last season. In my humble opinion he has a chance to become one of the best 7-footers in the NBA down the road, and I want him whenever it clicks.

14.09 Tyler Ulis, PG, PHO
After watching Ulis run the offense in Phoenix last season, I firmly believe he can be a solid starting point in the NBA. Entering this season he's projected to come off the bench, limiting his upside. However, the trade rumors involving Eric Bledsoe are still alive. If and when the starting job opens up for this little man, I expect him to be a very hot pickup in standard leagues. Since I was a little light on PG stats (at least until Isaiah Thomas returns) I felt he made a lot of sense for me this deep in our draft.

15.04 Kris Dunn, PG, CHI
Obviously fantasy owners in this league and elsewhere are skeptical Dunn can be consistent enough with his shot to have value. Count me among that group. I made this selection simply because he's projected to be the starter when he returns, and he's already solid defensive player. I'm hoping he takes a giant step forward this season and remains on my roster, but if I'm being honest with myself, it's more likely he gets cut than makes the impact I need.

16.09 Caris Levert, SF, BKN
With my final selection of the draft, I decided to take a chance on this second year player. I enjoy watching him play and feel he's a really solid role player with upside. The addition of D'Angelo Russell will likely prevent him from breaking out this season, but his versatility and the Nets uptempo offense gives reason for optimism. I think he consistently plays 25 minutes per game, and could be one injury away from getting serious run.

Species
ID: 46252312
Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 11:28

14.06 Chandler Parsons, SF, MEM

He is supposed to be starting and has performed in the past. Memphis has been treating him conservatively this preseason.....but sadly even when he has played he has not done all that well.

This is a shot in the dark for some production as the Grizzlies' possible 3rd option.....or waiver wire fodder.

Species
ID: 46252312
Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 11:30

15.07 Kelly Oubre, Jr, PF, WAS

Oubre is a second year player who performed well in flashes last year. While it is up in the air how much playing time he receives with Morris out.....he could be another option to rack up some games while I await Morris' return.

Species
ID: 46252312
Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 11:33

16.08 Jhalil Okafor, C, PHI

This is a longshot, but if Embiid gets hurt or the Sixers find a taker for Okafor in trade, he has an old fashioned back to the basket game that some team might covet.

In reality he is my first cut.

WG
ID: 53213822
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 18:33

8.08 Fultz, Markelle - PHI - PG
This pick probably seems too early for most and too late for a few. You don't win these leagues by just taking the top available player based on ADP; you'll need some guys to vastly outperform their ADP and I think Fultz is a prime candidate to just that. His potential and upside is obviously immense, though the probability that he gets the opportunity or that he actually flashes that upside right away is small. If I could do this pick over again, I would definitely take Josh Richardson, who has had a huge offseason and should produce right away.

9.05 Teodosic, Milos - LAC - SG
I may have reached on Teodosic at this spot, but I felt I was a bit light on PG/assists and I didn't see many other options that had the same upside as Milos. ESPN projections have him finishing with more assists than Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Mike Conley, Goran Dragic, and Lonzo Ball; pretty surprising! His strong preseason makes me more comfortable with this pick. The only other player I really considered here was Taurean Prince, who is on lots of breakout and sleeper lists.

10.08 Monroe, Greg - MIL - PF
After taking a few guards in my last couple of picks, I thought I needed a big man to bring some stats back the other way. Monroe stood out as a guy with strong FG, good FT for a big man, and decent Reb and Blk. If he gets traded to a better situation, he can definitely improve on his numbers from last year, which were still solid. I overlooked Marvin Williams when making this pick and second guessed not taking him instead.

11.05 Randolph, Zach - SAC - PF
This was more of a 'best player available' pick. CBS Sportsline fantasy has an interesting article on Zach Randolph's merits. Even if I don't fully agree that a 36 year old can have a significant impact on one's season, it's worth the gamble at this stage. These experts know a lot more than I do and if even one is able to get his thoughts out into print, I'll buy in.

WG
ID: 53213822
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 18:44

12.08 Crabbe, Allen - BKN - SG
Crabbe received a nice contract this offseason and so should be in a good spot to produce for a Nets team that offers opportunity for someone to emerge. This was another BPA type of pick. I considered Dion Waiters as well, and see him as a similar type of player in what he can offer. I opted for Crabbe over Waiters because of Crabbe's high FT projections, which will matter for me if Crabbe ever became a fixture in my lineup. Even with these high FT guys I have been trying to draft, my projections have me at second to worst. If I could do it again, I would probably take Justin Holiday in this spot, as he is having a big preseason.

13.05 Collins, John - ATL - PF
Collins has had a big offseason/preseason, and so this was a pure upside pick. Chances are Collins won't be asked to or actually produce much in his first year, but sometimes talent wins out, so I'm fine sitting on him for a bit. I also considered Jerian Grant here, but Collins was the sexier pick.

14.08 Powell, Norman - TOR - SG
Powell played well last year, and as a young player with good upside, I took another player who could vastly outperform his ADP. Chances are he won't become an integral part of my rotation, however.

15.05 Bogdanovic, Bojan - IND - SF
Bogdanovich is a solid vet who is good for Pts, 3s, and FT. I was lacking in all those categories, and Bojan seemed safe at this point, even though he doesn't have great upside.

16.08 Portis, Bobby - CHI - PF
Sometimes it's better to take a crappy player with your last pick or picks so you don't have any reservations dropping them for a hot FA. Portis has upside but is in a crowded situation, and I probably won't wait around for him to get his shot.

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 18:52

7.12 Willy Hernangomez, C, NY
My target players were G. Harris and Chriss in these rounds and I was shocked when Swisshandedgar picked up all of them. I think Harris will have a yery strong year and Chriss could have helped me in block's.
After this I decided to get a center and I choose Adams but one pick before me Goru cought him. I looked around and I found Hernangomez, who is a very effective center but risky a bit because of Kanter arriving.

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 18:58

7.12 Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, SF, NY
And one more player from NYC. Hardaway was in my focus last year too, but I was in late to pick up him. This year in New York, after the Anthony era he will be very productive, mainly in threes and points and I hope in steals too.

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 19:01

8.01 Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, SF, NY
And one more player from NYC. Hardaway was in my focus last year too, but I was in late to pick up him. This year in New York, after the Anthony era he will be very productive, mainly in threes and points and I hope in steals too.

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 19:10

9.12 Michsel Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Cha
In theese rounds I wanted a center and a PG. After I lost W. Cauley-stein and I didn't find a good alternative I turmed the best avialable player. I read that Batum will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks so I thought this is an ideal situation to get MKG, who is very effective when get enough time in the court. He is an all-stat player so I was satisfied with him.

jason
ID: 538342612
Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 19:19

10.01 Taurean Prince SF, ATL
Prince haven't been ever in my focus but the production in preseason games was very comvincing. He seems a fix point in Atlanta's system, so I trust him as a starter with rebounds an assists.

jason
ID: 538342612
Mon, Oct 16, 2017, 15:58

11.12 Deyounte Murray PG/SG, SA
At that time I had ten players but I had only Brogdon as PG. Tony Parker is injured so Murray will open the season as the Spurs' starting point guard, which should mean a sizable workload right away. And Murray is the future. He will fight for the minutes with Mills but I expect from Murray a good amount of assists.

100

jason
ID: 538342612
Mon, Oct 16, 2017, 16:05

12.01 Kelly Olynyk C, MIA
Olynyk is an all stat player, with relatively good percentages, with very high per minutes production. I decided he will be my third center this season. If he would be in the starting lineup in Miami this choose will pay me a lot. Yes, James Johnson had a fantastic season last year and has more chance for the minutes, but I think Olynyk time is here.

101

jason
ID: 538342612
Mon, Oct 16, 2017, 16:13

13.12 Tyler Jonhson PG/SG MIA
After Olynyk, Johnson is one more player from second unit of Miami. Just before the pick I read that McGruder has injured and will miss some month beacuse of surgery. It could open some extra minutes for players as Johnson for example. Last year I liked Johnson's stats, he helped my teem to the good result. Nothing special, but a bit from everything.

102

jason
ID: 538342612
Mon, Oct 16, 2017, 16:28

14.01 Caleb Swanigen PF, POR
I wanted some exiting picks at the end of the draft. A season without rookies is to simple. I like sometimes the double or quits situations too. This year Swanigen is my first rookie, but neither M. Brogdon, nor D. Murray, T. Prince and W. Hernangomez has spent too long time in the NBA before. Swanigen showed some good production in the preseason games, and maybe he will be the starter PF in Portland.

103

jason
ID: 538342612
Mon, Oct 16, 2017, 16:37

15.12 Denzel Valentine SG, CHI
After this round I was not too satisfied, because I feel I could have made better choice then Valentine. Maybe Jaylen Brown who was picked up by Guru after me.
It was interesting that Valentine play some backup pointgard in the preseason games, and he poduced well, but his preseason dalliance with the backup PG job isn't likely to carry into the regular season. And Justin Holiday is too good in the fight for starting SG position.

104

jason
ID: 538342612
Mon, Oct 16, 2017, 16:41

16.01 Jayson Tatum SF, BOS
..and the second rookie at the end. Tatum will open the year as Boston's starting power forward at least Macus Morris is sidelined for a week or two.

Forum: hoopPage 13742Subject: RIHC 2017-18: rationale collection thread

Forum: hoop
Page 13742
Subject: RIHC 2017-18: rationale collection thread