Reviewing My Fantasy Basketball Draft - Part 2

My annual fantasy basketball draft was held this past Tuesday, and as opposed to a free-for-all with everyone having a chance to take home a title, this is more a ceremony, almost a coronation, if you will, as I have yet again acquired a ton of basketball assets to put myself in prime position to take home another fantasy basketball championship. Since we can trade between leagues, I had an extra first and fourth round pick as well as a couple prime keepers. But, just for fun, we'll take a look at the draft, and see who has the best chance of coming in second place this year. I knocked out the first five rounds last week, so today, let's tackle rounds 6-10, with the finale coming tomorrow.

ROUND 6

61 DeMar DeRozan, Tor SG Wennington Baseline

62 Kobe Bryant, LAL SG Unleash the Dragic

63 C.J. McCollum, Por PG Duncan's Donuts

64 J.J. Redick, LAC SG Butt Stuff

65 Kyle Korver, Atl SG Kissing Cousins

66 George Hill, Ind PG Wilson Chandler Bing

67 Dirk Nowitzki, Dal PF For the love of the game

68 Jarrett Jack, Bkn PG Team Autoprick

69 Gorgui Dieng, Min C oladipOOOOYEA YOURHOT!!!!!!

70 Nikola Mirotic, Chi PF Flint Tropics

71 Danilo Gallinari, Den SF   The Outsiders

72 Ricky Rubio, Min PG The Kid From Thunder Struck

Best Pick: Dirk Nowitzki

I was pretty shocked how far Dirk fell in the draft. It’s not like he was rated super high, but it’s still Dirk Nowitzki, and he didn’t fall off that much last season. Obviously, with anyone his age, health is an issue, but if he can stay relatively healthy, it would be pretty shocking if he wasn’t a top-50 player this season.

Worst Pick: JJ Redick

I don’t know how you take Redick when Korver is still on the board. Redick has struggled with injuries, and with the Clippers increased depth, he is likely to see less minutes and shots this season. 

My Pick: Danilo Gallinari

My goal for this round was to add some shooting, and Gallinari fills that role. He was solid last year, but I think he takes a big step forward this season since he will be another year removed from his injury. The second year is the time to strike on injured players, so I really think Gallinari can be a big part of the Nuggets offense this year and have my team joining the Mile High Club. Wait, I think I just implied that my fantasy basketball team is going to have a giant orgy in an airplane. I just meant that they’ll be good; the orgy was not intended.

ROUND 7

73 Dwyane Wade, Mia SG The Kid From Thunder Struck

74 Isaiah Thomas, Bos PG   The Outsiders

75 Zach Randolph, Mem PF Flint Tropics

76 Emmanuel Mudiay, Den PG oladipOOOOYEA YOURHOT!!!!!!

77 Ryan Anderson, Nor PF Team Autoprick

78 Markieff Morris, Pho PF For the love of the game

79 Jimmy Butler, Chi SG Wilson Chandler Bing

80 Wesley Matthews, Dal SG Kissing Cousins

81 David Lee, Bos PF Butt Stuff

82 Thaddeus Young, Bkn SF Duncan's Donuts

83 Jordan Clarkson, LAL PG Unleash the Dragic

84 Trevor Ariza, Hou SF Wennington Baseline

Keepers: Isaiah Thomas and Jimmy Butler

Best Pick: Wesley Matthews

I came very close to selecting Matthews with the Gallinari pick, but he is coming off of a serious injury. Still, Wes Matthews is a guy that continues to be doubted and continues to do awesome things on a basketball court. He’ll likely start off slow, but by midway through the season, I think you’ll see the vintage Wes Matthews, just in a Mavericks jersey instead of the Blazers.

Worst Pick: David Lee

Are we sure David Lee is still good at basketball? The Celtics basically took him to swap out a completely worthless player (Sorry, Gerald Wallace). Is he beating out Olynyk and Sullinger for playing time? I don’t know what David Lee is, but I know it’s not too impressive, because he barely played last year, and his team did just fine without him. I’m not saying he’s a terrible player now, but I’m also not willing to go on the record to say he’s a good one.

My Pick: Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas was one of my keepers for this year, and I feel very good about him. He could have gone as high as the fourth round, so to get him in the seventh is a very nice value play for me. Isaiah Thomas will continue to produce good numbers, because he’s Boston’s best scoring option, so they are going to need him if they ever want to put up more than 75 points. It’s also always nice to get an NBA player who is only as tall as me, so here’s one to the little guys.

ROUND 8

85 Jahlil Okafor, Phi C Wennington Baseline

86 Robin Lopez, NY C Unleash the Dragic

87 D'Angelo Russell, LAL PG Duncan's Donuts

88 Jabari Parker, Mil SF Flint Tropics

89 Enes Kanter, OKC C Kissing Cousins

90 Marcin Gortat, Wsh C Wilson Chandler Bing

91 J.R. Smith, Cle SG For the love of the game

92 Arron Afflalo, NY SG Team Autoprick

93 Elfrid Payton, Orl PG oladipOOOOYEA YOURHOT!!!!!!

94 Julius Randle, LAL PF Flint Tropics

95 Paul George, Ind SF   The Outsiders

96 Jrue Holiday, Nor PG The Kid From Thunder Struck

Keepers: Julius Randle and Paul George

Best Pick: Jahlil Okafor

I have to say, this is a really strong round of guys that I like. I think D’Angelo Russell is getting underestimated because of a poor Summer League, but I’m also not sure how the Lakers pieces are going to fit together. I also like Jabari coming back, but I don’t know how the minutes are going to play out since they have Middleton and Giannis with a bunch of bigs. I also love Jrue Holiday, always and forever, because if he can stay healthy, even with limiting his minutes some, dude is one of the ten best point guards in the league. Still, I’ll go with Okafor, because somebody has to score for the 76ers, and I think it will likely be him. He’ll rebound well enough, but he’s not going to be great with defensive categories. Still, he has a good chance of outperforming his draft position and being a keeper for the following season.

Worst Pick: J.R. Smith

Do you want to be the guy who buys in on J.R. Smith? I don’t want to be that guy. You shouldn’t want to be that guy either. Don’t be that guy.

My Pick: Paul George

I took him in the tenth round last year strictly for this purpose. The Pacers are looking to run more this season which should mean an even greater chance for Paul George to succeed. Obviously, he had a very serious injury, but considering he made it back late last year, I don’t think it will slow him down too much this year. Obviously, George was great before the injury, but I think a lot of people are forgetting how many people were expecting him to take another step forward to join the elite of the elite before his injury. Worst case scenario, he’s great, best case scenario, he’s an absolute fantasy monster.

ROUND 9

97 Terrence Jones, Hou PF The Kid From Thunder Struck

98 Joakim Noah, Chi C   The Outsiders

99 Otto Porter Jr., Wsh SF Flint Tropics

100 Michael Carter-Williams, Mil PG oladipOOOOYEA YOURHOT!!!!!!

101 Jeremy Lin, Cha PG Team Autoprick

102 DeMarre Carroll, Tor SF For the love of the game

103 Wilson Chandler, Den SF Wilson Chandler Bing

104 Stanley Johnson, Det SF Kissing Cousins

105 Eric Gordon, Nor SG Butt Stuff

106 Trey Burke, Uta PG Duncan's Donuts

107 Rajon Rondo, Sac PG Unleash the Dragic

108 Draymond Green, GS SF Wennington Baseline

Keepers: DeMarre Carroll and Draymond Green

Best Pick: Michael Carter-Williams

I’m not a huge MCW fan, but it’s gotten to the point where people are focusing way too much on what he doesn’t do than appreciating what he does do. He’s an absolute beast defensively, and he can dish out assists. He isn’t a great shooter; that sucks, but he’s still a really good player in the right system. The Bucks knew what they were getting when they traded for him, so he is going to get a chance to do what he does best.

Worst Pick: Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin is fine. But he is what he is, and that’s a backup point guard. He’s nothing special, but he did play really special for a few weeks. If he’s your backup point guard, you should feel good. If you’re drafting him in fantasy, uuuuuuh, I wouldn’t feel too good about that.

My Pick: Joakim Noah

I’d like to believe this is an upside pick, but it may be a homer pick. I love Joakim. Every Bulls fan loves Joakim. Did you know that two years ago he was an MVP Candidate and actually won Defensive Player of the Year? It’s true. You can look it up and everything. He was never healthy last year, and I think increased health along with moderate minutes considering the depth the Bulls have in the frontcourt, I think Joakim will bounce back. He can fill it up in all categories, and that is ideal for what I need out of my big men.

ROUND 10

109 Roy Hibbert, LAL C Wennington Baseline

110 Kristaps Porzingis, NY PF Unleash the Dragic

111 Jusuf Nurkic*, Den C Duncan's Donuts

112 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Det SG Butt Stuff

113 Robert Covington, Phi PF Kissing Cousins

114 Tyson Chandler, Pho C Wilson Chandler Bing

115 Danny Green, SA SG For the love of the game

116 P.J. Tucker, Pho SG Team Autoprick

117 Tony Parker, SA PG oladipOOOOYEA YOURHOT!!!!!!

118 Zach LaVine, Min PG Flint Tropics

119 Tristan Thompson, Cle PF oladipOOOOYEA YOURHOT!!!!!!

120 Deron Williams, Dal PG The Kid From Thunder Struck

Keeper: Danny Green

Best Pick: Deron Williams

Typing that makes me feel stupid. It may actually legally make me a stupid person, but I’m still not ready to totally give up on Deron Williams. Everybody wants to count out the Mavericks this year, but if they can figure out a Center, there’s no reason they can’t compete for a playoff spot with their roster. Deron Williams was a high school wrestler, and I will always stick by wrestlers, so great pick here (likely not a great pick, but if things work out, a solid pick).

Worst Pick: P.J. Tucker

I think Tucker is a solid player, but I think he is going to be less involved this season as TJ Warren takes a step forward as a huge asset for the Suns.

My Pick: No Pick

Had to give up a 10^th rounder in order to get that extra fourth. Totally worth it, though.

And that wraps up part two. Stay tuned tomorrow for the grand finale.

Anderson Silva And The Art Of Showboating

When it comes to sports, I have a bias towards wrestlers. I loved Robert Quinn coming out of college, because he was a state champion high school wrestler. I loved Ray Lewis for the same reasons. I don't even know what level Deron Williams wrestled at before switching to basketball full-time, but I remember an announcer mentioning it while he was at Illinois, and I still support him, even though he has been rapidly declining. Never is this more true than in the UFC. In my mind, you need to have a wrestling background to be great, because without wrestling, you have no control of where the fight ends up.

I have always underrated Anderson Silva because of this. To be fair, he has gotten a ton better at wrestling, going from childlike to a poor wrestler. He's not going to shoot for takedowns, but his sprawl and underhook defense has gotten a ton better, and really, that's the only aspects of wrestling that Silva is going to need.

It's fair to say that my underrating Anderson Silva was a huge whiff on my sports predictions. It isn't the first, and won't be the last, but even though I have been wrong, it has been a blast watching him fight. Watching him strike from his feet is poetry in motion. It's so ridiculously smooth. There is nothing in this world that I can do as smoothly as he strikes, and that includes seducing the ladies. Win or lose this weekend, Silva's career is winding down, and we should appreciate all of the opportunities we have left, even if he is no longer in peak form.

My only proof that he may not be in peak form is that he is 38 years-old. Outside of that, there isn't much video evidence to suggest he has lost a step. Yes, he lost his last fight, but he got caught while doing what Silva does, believing in his skills to the point where he feels comfortable making his opponent look bad.

We have all been taught that showboating is bad. In most cases, it is. The showboating itself is not bad, but so few athletes can be so great that they are able to back it up. Anderson Silva is one of those amazing athletes who actually benefits from showboating. He demoralizes his opponents and kills all confidence with his showboating. Outside of the first Chael Sonnen fight, he has made his opponents believe that he was better than them in every other fight he has been in. He stands there with his hands down and easily dodges all strikes that come his way. At this point, his opponent feels helpless, and it is amazing how the energy can drain from an opponent who doesn't know what to do. Anderson Silva is the water; his opponents are the helpless swimmer. The harder they work, the more dire their situation becomes.

Don't fool yourselves. Chris Weidman has looked like an absolute monster in all of his fights, but by the second round with Silva, he looked beat. He was putting his head down and charging in for shots like the world's slowest bull. Silva dismissed him, as he should have, because all visual evidence was pointing to him being done. That all changed when one of Silva's dips mistimed into a left hook from Weidman, and all of a sudden, Silva was human again.

Michael Jordan stuck his tongue out, shrugged his shoulders, and shot free throws with his eyes closed. He didn't do this because it helped his game; he did it because he could. And mentally, his opponents were defeated before the end of the first quarter. Silva is that sort of athlete. He has such a myth around himself that his opponents are fighting a mental battle before they enter the cage. The showboating just puts the nail in their mental coffin.

As I said before, Weidman has been a beast in all of his previous fights, and the one time he didn't look like a beast, against Silva, he still knocked his opponent out. If he comes in with proper cardio and has his wrestling working, it's going to take something special for Silva to win. At the same time, I can't shake the feeling that we are going to see that classic Anderson Silva performance of easily rolling away from shots while effortlessly peppering his opponents with pinpoint striking.

I don't know what is going to happen on Saturday, but I know it's going to be special. If I had to make a pick, I'm going with Weidman. I have underestimated Silva throughout his entire UFC career (I thought Rich Franklin would win BOTH times), so why stop now? But this time, I will admit, there is a little piece of me hoping that I'm wrong, because getting another opportunity to see that sort of greatness is something I don't want to miss out on.