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.

The 3 Best Signings of the 2014 NBA Offseason

This NBA offseason has been a lot of fun, and that's not only because I am actually happy with what the Bulls were able to do. Just about every team has something to be excited about. I mean, just look at the Heat; they may have lost the finals, but they were able to outbid the Hornets for Josh McRoberts. Still, that move doesn't quite make my list of the best signings. Other signings that will not count are guys that took discounts to stay with their teams, so although Dirk may be the best value in the league, everybody understands that this was a great deal for the Mavs, so there is not much I can add on that one. Let's go to three moves that I really liked this offseason that deserve special praise.

Lance Stephenson
Lance got downgraded by the media, because he was supposed to get overpaid, but then he didn't actually get overpaid. He is barely making half of the annual salary that Gordon Hayward is, and Hayward got an extra year on top of that. Is Hayward twice the player that Stephenson is? No, definitely not. Is he even a better player than Stephenson? That seems like a debate to me, and I would probably side with Stephenson.

If you are worried about him being a head case, let's compare him to another player that had a career year after causing problems many different times, Kyle Lowry. Lowry got $12 million a year and an extra year on his deal. He's about five years older than Stephenson as well. Can you really say that he will outproduce Lance Stephenson? I can't, and that's why I really like the Stephenson deal.

There is definitely risk with Stephenson, but he may just be a goofball who works his ass off when it comes to basketball. Dennis Rodman was far worse than Stephenson on and especially off the court, but when his team needed him, he came through in the clutch and put together a Hall of Fame NBA career. Not bad for a head case.

Pau Gasol
Everybody thinks he was terrible last year, but he actually put up good numbers on a bad team. The versatility that the Bulls gained by putting him in the frontcourt makes them incredibly dangerous this year. Also, he got about the same annual salary as Boris Diaw, and Diaw even got an extra year on his contract. If you can find a person who believes that Boris Diaw is better than Pau Gasol, please introduce them to me, so I can slap some sense into them.

Isaiah Thomas
A little weird since this was a sign and trade, but the trade assets were minimal, and the deal is well worth it. Thomas can tear around the court and create shots. He has questionable defense, but he'll be able to keep up with the Suns style of play. Yes, the Suns already have Goran Dragic and (likely) Eric Bledsoe coming back, but since those guys start together, they can easily find 25 minutes for Thomas to mix and match lineups depending on who they are going up against. Also, Bledsoe hasn't signed a contract yet as a restricted free agent, and Dragic only has one more year left on his contract. Four years and $27 million is great value, especially considering that he is only 25 years old.

The Disappointment of the Luol Deng Trade

The Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum, a Sacramento Kings first round pick, and two second round picks from the Portland Trail Blazers, and the right to swap picks with the Cavaliers in 2015). Well, they kind of traded Luol Deng for that. Let's break it down piece-by-piece.

Luol Deng is going to the Cavaliers. This is indisputable and is 100% happening. Luol is a very good, yet not great small forward. Most people don't know this, but Luol has terrible hemorrhoids, so Thibodeau spares him by never resting him on the bench. Thibs is a really good guy who cares about his player's well-being, so if you see Luol only playing 36 minutes a game for the Cavaliers, it means Mike Brown hates him. In all seriousness, Luol could definitely help a contender, and his contract is up at the end of the year, so he is a very nice piece to add to a team. He's a good slasher who plays excellent defense, and outside of the teams that rely on spreading the floor as much as possible, he could have been a very nice piece for a contender. Instead, he goes to the Cavaliers, and probably adds enough to get them into the playoffs where they are dominated in the first round. 

In exchange, the Bulls got Andrew Bynum. By all accounts, they are going to waive him as soon as possible, but it made the salaries work, so whatever. The Bulls aren't contending this season, so getting any player for this year makes zero sense.

They also received two second round picks (in 2015 and 2016) from the Cavaliers, although those picks actually belong to the Portland Trail Blazers, so they are likely going to be middle of the pack (I think the Blazers are good, but I'm not buying that they are an elite team in the West). Those can get filler players, but nothing special.

They also have the option of switching first round picks with the Cavaliers in 2015, but only if Cleveland has the 15th pick or lower. This may be the piece that excites me the most, as the Cavaliers definitely have the potential to be a very low playoff seed, and if the Bulls have a good offseason and Derrick Rose finally stays healthy, they could be contenders. Going from 26 to 16 would be a nice step up if everything breaks right.

The crown jewel of the trade is the Sacramento Kings's first round pick. Unfortunately, the chances of the Bulls actually cashing in on this is 50/50. For this year, that Kings pick is Top-12 protected, so there is no way the Bulls are getting it this year. It is Top-10 protected for 2015-2017, and at that point, it becomes a second round pick. I know this draft is loaded, but the Kings are still not built well for the future. I love DeMarcus Cousins, but the guy still doesn't play defense all the time, and even with dominant offensive days from him, the Kings still usually lose. Rudy Gay is an above average player who will likely be bolting after his monstrous contract is done. Isaiah Thomas will be commanding some decent money this offseason, and he does some things very well, and other areas he struggles. Ben McLemore is the wildcard for this team. He shows flashes, and if he can fulfill his potential, they can be dangerous. But the West is stacked, and if we're ranking teams' four-year outlook, the Kings are probably only definitely ahead of the Jazz and Lakers while probably being near the same level as the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies. 

In the end, this could be three second round picks for the Bulls, and that is a pretty disappointing haul. It could also be two second round picks, a mid first rounder, and a trade up of about 10 spots in another first round. That sounds good on paper, but how long can the Bulls look to the future when they have a core that is built for the present? 

Having money to spend is nice, but I can't really think of a great way to spend it outside of bringing Mirotic over. That gives them a potential starting five of Noah, Gibson/Boozer, Mirotic, Butler, and Rose with plenty of money if they amnesty Boozer. But whether they can spend that money wisely on filling out a bench is questionable. 

Plus, the front office and Thibodeau do not get along, and tanking this season may give them the excuse to get a new coach. Although I disagree with how Thibs uses minutes with some players, he is an excellent coach, and they will likely be taking a step back with whoever they bring in. 

Luol Deng was a very good player for the Bulls, and although I think it was wise to not invest a ton of money in him for the future, I am still going to miss him. The assets they received in return are nice, but it still doesn't make me feel good about the Bulls in the present or the future. That's why I'm disappointed.